CICE 2010 - The 5th International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering September 27-29, 2010, Beijing, China

Discrete Fiber Reinforced Polyurea for Hazard Mitigation

N.L. Carey & J.J. Myers (jmyers@mst.edu) Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, USA

ABSTRACT This research investigated the development and characterization of different discrete fiber-reinforced polyurea systems for infrastructure applications. The behavior of various systems consisting of several polyureas with different fiber configurations was evaluated. Polyurea coating systems were previously evaluated for blast mitigation and impact resistance, and showed to be adequate in containing debris scatter from blast and impact (Carey and Myers, 2009a, 2009b). The purpose of further testing was an effort to develop a polyurea system for multi-hazard and/or repair-retrofit applications. The addition of fiber to a polymer coating provides improved stiffness and strength to the composite system while the polyurea base material provides ductility. Coupon tensile testing was conducted to determine the material mechanical properties in this study. The two parameters that were varied throughout testing were fiber volume fraction and fiber length. E-Glass fiber was used during specimen fabrication. Several optimal composite configurations of polyurea and fiber resulted from this coupon testing. KEY WORDS

1 INTRODUCTION
Research initiatives have been advanced to investigate new materials that can be used for blast mitigation, seismic, and general repair-retrofit applications. This research investigates the mechanical properties and performance of different discrete fiber-reinforced polyurea systems under development at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in Rolla, Missouri. Elastomeric polyurea coating possesses several advantageous characteristics, including elasticity, ductility, and energy absorption. Additionally, polyurea is capable of containing spalling and reducing fragmentation during a blast event (Carey & Myers 2009). The tensile properties of the plain polyurea and composite polymer matrix were determined by conducting coupon testing. In addition, sample ignition loss testing was conducted to determine the fiber reinforcement content. Polyurea material is a two-component 100% solid reactive cure. Polyurea is a low-viscosity liquid, so it bonds very quickly and evenly during application. Several key characteristics of the polyurea coating include chemical and water resistance, excellent elongation, and quick curing. The polyurea coating is capable of withstanding regular thermal or dynamic movement as well. Despite requiring special equipment and experienced operators for mixing, application is easy and the material cures rapidly. Prior to application, the surface should be thoroughly prepared in order to achieve an adequate and strong bond. Also, the material is not very sensitive to temperature and

humidity, which eliminates the need for additional arrangements for application procedures and curing environments. Polyurea also aids in the confinement of post-blast materials in compression loaded structures, which produces a residual load-bearing capability.

2
2.1

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Material description

During this experimental program, two polyureas were investigated and tested under tension. Coupon specimens were fabricated using each elastomeric polyurea and E-Glass fiber by varying fiber content and fiber length. Tables 1 and 2 list the mechanical properties for the tested materials as specified on product data sheets.
Table 1 Mechanical Properties of Elastomeric Polyureas Material Polyurea A Polyurea B Tensile strength (MPa) 17 14.8 Elongation (%) 480 91

Table 2 Mechanical Properties of E-Glass Fiber Mechanical properties Tensile strength (MPa) Flexural strength (MPa) Dry 64.8 - 77.2 153.8 - 186.2 Wet 60 - 71.7 124.8 - 131

2.2

Test matrix description

Various coupon samples were fabricated by varying matrix material, fiber content, and fiber length. Fiber volume

L. Ye et al. (eds.), Advances in FRP Composites in Civil Engineering Tsinghua University Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

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was adjusted during coupon fabrication by increasing the speed of fiber chopping and integration into the polyurea matrix. Fiber chopping speed was adjusted on the equipment and carefully monitored. Three fiber lengths were investigated for each fiber volume. Fiber length was easily adjusted and maintained consistent throughout testing. Great care was taken to maintain the fiber content consistency for each fiber length. Table 3 provides test matrix description.
Table 3 Test Matrix Material Polyurea A Polyurea A Polyurea A Polyurea B Fiber length (mm) 6 13 38 6 Fiber chopping speed (# of dial turns) 3, 3.5, 3.75, 4, 5 3, 3.5, 3.75, 4 3, 3.5, 3.75 3, 3.5

geometry. The coating thickness varied from 2.5 to 4 mm with an average specimen width of 40 mm. Figure 2 provides the layout of the polyurea coupon sample. Thin aluminum sheets 51 51 mm were glued with epoxy to each end of the specimen in order to ensure a tighter grip for the machine and effective load transfer to the sample. Several coupon test samples are displayed in Figure 3.

2.3

Coupon sample fabrication

Figure 2 Coupon test specimen layout

Coupon specimen fabrication was conducted according to ACI 440.3R-04. In order to obtain coupon samples, the material was sprayed on a steel oiled plate and then peeled off, as shown in Figure 1. Coupon samples were cut out of the peeled sections. Because sample surfaces were slightly uneven, several width and thickness measurements were taken with calipers to obtain average coupon dimensions. Several coupon samples were made from the plain polyurea material and the fiber-reinforced polyurea composite material for benchmarking. Chopped E-Glass fibers were discretely integrated in with the polyurea to develop a fiber-reinforced system. General purpose gun roving fibers were chopped and mixed instantaneously during the application process.

Figure 3 Plain polyurea (left) and discrete fiber-reinforced polyurea (right) coupon test samples

2.4

Coupon tensile testing

Tensile testing was conducted at Missouri S&T. Coupon specimens were tested using an Instron 4485 tensile testing machine, as shown in Figure 4. The stress-strain behavior of the material was determined and evaluated.

Figure 1 Polyurea application process

The specimen dimensions and modified testing procedure were adopted from the previous study by Carey and Myers (2009a). All test specimens had the same gage length of 127 mm but varied in cross-sectional

Figure 4 Tensile testing equipment (left) and composite coupon sample undergoing tension (right)

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The testing procedure specified by the ACI 440.3R-04 was followed with a few minor modifications. A loading rate of 12.7 mm/min was used. To record the strain data a 25.4 mm extensometer was used, attached at the midpoint of the gage length. To prevent damage to the testing machine and extensometer, the extensometer was removed when a 100% strain value was achieved. Four samples were tested for each material configuration. Some coupon samples exhibited tearing within the tabs which eliminated them from the data analysis. 2.5 Ignition loss testing Ignition loss testing was conducted according to ASTM D 2584 with a few slight modifications. Initially, a small test sample was weighed, then placed on a glass substrate and reweighed. The samples on glass substrates were heated in the muffle furnace at 600 until all polyurea resin has disappeared, see Figure 5. The samples were than cooled and weighed again including the substrate. Fiber content was calculated to check and compare to the estimated value. Samples prior and after ignition loss testing are demonstrated in Figure 6.

fibers or high fiber volume content exhibited delamination and high amount of voids leading to lower ultimate strength. Several conclusions were drawn from this study. As the fiber content increased, material strength increased, but ductility decreased. Fiber-reinforced polyurea systems with longer fiber length exhibited decreased ductility. As the fiber content and the fiber length increased, the modulus of elasticity increased as well, as shown in Figure 10. Samples with shorter fibers exhibited higher ductility due to the weaker bond between the fiber and the matrix.
16 14 12

10% 12% 6.5% 8.5% 3% Polyurea A

Stress (MPa)

10 8 6 4 2 0 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 Strain (mm/mm) 12% 10% 8.5% 7.5% 7.5% 6.5% 3% Polyurea A 0.2 0.25 0.3

Figure 7 Stress-strain behavior of 6 mm fiber-reinforced polyurea systems

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0.00 11.5% 14% 6% 3.5%

Figure 5 Samples in the muffle furnace prior to heating

Stress (MPa)

0.02

0.04

0.06 Strain (mm/mm)

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.5-14%

0.5-11.5%

0.5-6%

0.5-3.5%

Figure 8 Stress-strain behavior of 13 mm fiber-reinforced polyurea systems Figure 6 Samples prior (left) and after (right) ignition loss test
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0.000 0.005 0.010 0.015

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3.1

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Stress (MPa)

10% 7% 5%

Results and discussion

Data acquired during coupon tensile testing was graphed and analyzed. For each fiber-reinforced polyurea system four samples were tested. If during testing, the tearing in the sample occurred within the tabs, the sample was eliminated. The most conservative result from each tested combination was graphed. Stress vs. strain behavior for 6 mm, 13 mm, and 38 mm fiber lengths combined with polyurea A are presented in Figures 7, 8, and 9. A few samples with the highest fiber content plotted lower than expected due to delamination. Some samples with long

0.020

0.025

0.030

0.035

0.040

Strain (mm/mm) 1.5-10% 1.5-7% 1.5-5%

Figure 9 Stress-strain behavior of 38 mm fiber-reinforced polyurea systems

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18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 0.25-12% 0.25-6.5% 0.5-6%

Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering

Stress (MPa)

Stress (MPa)

11.5% 10% 10% 14% 7% 8.5% 12% 5% 6.5% 3.5% Polyurea A 0.05 0.25-10% 0.25-3% 0.5-3.5% 0.1 0.15 Strain (mm/mm) 0.25-8.5% 0.5-14% 1.5-7% 0.2

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
0.25 0.3 0.25-7.5% 1.5-10% Polyurea A

1.5-5.2%(A)

0.5-6.2%(A) 0.25-5.7%(B)

0.25-6.5%(A) 0.25-5.1%(B)

3%

Polyurea B

Polyurea A

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06 Strain (mm/mm)

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.25-7.5% 0.5-11.5% 1.5-5%

0.25-5.7%(B) 0.5-6.2%(A)

0.25-5.1%(B) 1.5-5.2%(A)

Polyurea B Polyurea A

0.25-6.5%(A)

Figure 10 Stress-strain behavior of 6 mm, 13 mm, and 38 mm fiber-reinforced polyurea systems

Figure 12 Stress-strain behavior of plain polyureas and fiberreinforced polyurea systems with fiber content ranging from 5% to 6.5%

Stress vs. strain behavior for fiber-reinforced polyurea systems consisting of polyurea B and 6 mm E-Glass fiber are presented in Figure 11. It can be observed that as the fiber volume increased, the strength and modulus of elasticity increased compared to the plain polyurea, as noted previously. Figure 12 demonstrates stress vs. strain graphs for both polyureas and fiber-reinforced systems with fiber content ranging from 5% to 6.5%. Both polyureas with shorter fibers at comparable fiber content showed similar results. 3.2 Conclusions Coupon tensile testing was conducted to determine mechanical properties and performance of different E-Glass fiber-reinforced polyurea systems. Two various polyureas were tested by varying fiber volume fraction and fiber length. Sample ignition loss testing was conducted to
12 10
Stress (MPa)

5.5% 5%

8 6 4 2 0 0.00 0.02

determine the fiber volume fraction. Several conclusions resulted from this study: 1. As the fiber content increased for both polyureas fiber-reinforced systems, material strength increased, but ductility decreased. 2. As the fiber content and the fiber length increased for polyurea A composite systems, the modulus of elasticity increased. In addition, fiber-reinforced polyurea systems with longer fiber length exhibited decreased ductility. 3. Both polyureas reinforced with shorter fibers at comparable fiber content showed similar results. Further testing currently in progress, examines four polyureas reinforced with 6 mm E-Glass fiber by varying fiber content and tested under tension. Shorter fibers were selected for testing due to the increase in ductility of the material. In addition, higher fiber volume fractions have been fabricated and are currently being tested. Other work in progress is simultaneously examining the repair effectiveness on reinforced concrete members for flexure and shear.

Polyurea B

REFERENCES
0.04 0.06 Strain (mm/mm) 0.25-5.5% 0.25-5% Polyurea B 0.08 0.10 0.12

Figure 11 Stress-strain behavior of 6 mm fiber-reinforced polyurea systems

Carey, N.L. & Myers, J.J. 2009a. Full scale blast testing of hybrid barrier systems. American Concrete Institute (ACI) Special Publication Journal. (Currently under review) Carey, N.L., Myers, J.J. 2009b. Impact Testing of Polyurea Coated Reinforced Concrete and Hybrid Panels (9th FRPRCS, Sydney Australia).