Abstract
Studies have been conducted to investigate the aircraft fluid and chemical solvent resistance of the carbon fiber-reinforced poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) and poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composites. The solvents and aircraft fluids utilized in this work include hydraulic fluid, paint stripper, JP-4 jet fuel, methyl ethyl ketone, and methylene chloride. The weight gain of the composites as a function of time is measured. Tensile and flexural strength, thermal behavior, and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites are examined. The alteration of crystallinity change of the composites is investigated by X-ray diffraction. It is found that paint stripper degraded the mechanical properties of the composites significantly. Furthermore, crystallization enhancements of the low crystallinity composites in the presence of solvents and aircraft fluids is also observed.