Radiation testing of composite materials, in situ versus ex situ effects

Abstract

The effect of post irradiation test environments on tensile properties of representative advanced composite materials (T300/5208, T300/934, C6000/P1700) was investigated. Four ply (+ or - 45 deg/+ or - 45 deg) laminate tensile specimens were exposed in vacuum up to a bulk dose of 1 x 10 to the 10th power rads using a mono-energetic fluence of 700 keV electrons from a Van de Graaff accelerator. Post irradiation testing was performed while specimens were being irradiated (in situ data), in vacuum after cessation of irradiation (in vacuo data), and after exposure to air (ex situ data). Room temperature and elevated temperature effects were evaluated. The radiation induced changes to the tensile properties were small. Since the absolute changes in tensile properties were small, the existance of a post irradiation test environment effect was indeterminate