Bond properties of rubber modified epoxy

In this paper, the bond integrity of unmodified and rubber-modified epoxy used for bonding the carbon fibre sheets to the hosting steel surface was investigated. The rigidity of the bonding agent is one of the factors that have a significant role in the premature failure (debonding) of this application. In order to overcome this issue, a series of experiments were conducted on the steel plates using the epoxy resin modified by CTBN and ATBN reactive liquid polymers, in addition to the unmodified epoxy resin. The interface between the carbon fibre matrix and the hosting surface is subjected to a longitudinal shear force for which the corresponding displacement is recorded. The shear stress-strain relationship for the tested specimen is plotted. The result shows that, the bond behaviour of modified epoxy using CTBN and ATBN reactive liquid polymers was improved in terms of ductility and toughness.

Experimental investigation on bonding properties of reactive liquid rubber epoxy in CFRP retrofitted concretet members

The load bearing capacity of aging reinforced concrete structures, such as bridges, is increasingly extended with the use of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). Premature failure, which is attributed to the rigid behaviour of the bonding agent (epoxy resin) and the high stresses at the interface region, can occur because of the debonding of CFRP sheets from host surfaces. To overcome the debonding issue, the epoxy resin is modified by different reactive liquid polymers to improve its toughness, flexibility, adhesion, and impact resistance. This study reports the usage of two reactive liquid polymers, namely, liquid Carboxyl-Terminated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile (CTBN) and liquid Amine-Terminated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile (ATBN), to improve the mechanical properties of the commercially available MBrace saturant resin when added to a ratio of 100:30 by weight. The neat and modified epoxies were analysed using the Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) to determine and compare the storage modulus and glass transition temperatures of these materials. Moreover, the bonding strength of neat and modified epoxies was evaluated through single-lap shear tests on CFRP sheets bonded to concrete prisms. The results indicate that the modified resins exhibited improved ductility and toughness and became reasonably flexible compared with the neat epoxy resin. The improved properties will help delay the premature debonding failure in CFRP retrofitted concrete members.

Experimental investigation on CFRP-steel bond properties using ionic liquid

Solving the problem of pre mature debonding of CFRP retrofitted structure is a main concern for most of structural engineers nowadays. Reducing the brittleness of the bonding agent at the CFRP/concrete interface is a major factor to avoid this behaviour. In this research, the effect of modifying the bonding agent using different percentages of ionic liquid (IL) is investigated. This paper reports on an experimental investigation on the behaviour of modified epoxy resin with IL. Steel plates were used as hosting surface of the CFRP laminates, the laminates were attached to the steel surface using the IL modified epoxy. The shear mechanism at the interface of CFRP laminates to steel plates is discussed considering the relationship between the shear and the slip at the interface. The shear stress- displacement are traced for all specimens, the results are compared with control test prepared using unmodified epoxy. A 20% IL modified epoxy shows improved Behaviour. The improvement is with respect to ductility enhancement of the overall behaviour.