Following the Corrosion of E-Glass Composite Using SEM/EDX

The corrosion of E-glass by multiple corrosive media and most significantly by strong acids has been documented via multiple testing protocols. Bare glass weight loss in a corrosive media is often cited to gauge the performance of various glass compositions. ASTM C581 testing is used to test composite flexural strength/modulus performance over time in a corrosive media under no stress. Stress-corrosion testing by Greenwood¹ plots the deterioration of composite rods over time when exposed to both a corrosive media and multiple stress states. This paper follows the corrosion of E-glass & E-CR glass pultruded rods visually using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). It examines the corrosion via EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray) and shows the mechanism by which 10% sulfuric acid destroys the composite rod. The most interesting observation is that the bond strength between resin and reinforcement is lost well before a significant percentage of glass has corroded.