Aging-resistant performance of basalt fabrics/unsaturated polyester resin composites

Fiber-reinforced composites made up of unsaturated polyester resin (UP) matrices reinforced with glass, carbon and aramid fibers were commonly standard structural materials in engineering fields. In recent years, basalt fibers, have recently gained an increasing attention as possible replacement of the conventional glass or carbon fibers due to their advantages in terms of environmental-friendly, cost-effective, high chemical and physical properties. In order to verify the mechanical properties of basalt fiber fabrics/UP composites, the author used the artificial simulating climate box (UV and Condensation) to accelerate aging process of composites. The methods tested accurately the working life of composites and observed color change of fiber surface in different aging time. Variation of mechanical properties, micro-structure, functional group were analyzed in detail by mechanic testing machine, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) respectively. The FTIR results