Is there any issue with the curing of fiberglass reinforced plastic on damp days?
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Recently, the construction team has been working on building a fiberglass tower for us, with fabrication taking place on-site. However, it has been rainy here these past few days, and we are concerned that such weather might affect the curing of the fiberglass, which in turn could impact the structural strength of the tower in the future. Could anyone please advise whether this will have any effects? Thank you!
It will have an impact. The curing of epoxy resin has requirements regarding temperature and humidity.
I suggest you ask the construction company for their construction procedure manual, which should include the requirements regarding environmental conditions. Fiberglass reinforced plastics come in unsaturated polyester and epoxy types; the epoxy variety is highly affected by temperature and humidity, so it is best not to carry out construction during rainy or overcast weather.
Humidity has an impact on fiberglass reinforced plastics; first of all, it is necessary to keep the moisture content of the fibers at a low level (proper storage in a sealed condition and use only as needed). Secondly, the amounts of curing agents and accelerators used should be adjusted appropriately, and generally there are no problems. Construction should be halted when the environmental humidity is too high (above 80%).
It is recommended to ask the raw material suppliers about their construction conditions; rainy weather should affect the curing of glass
High humidity can increase the moisture content of glass fibers, which in turn affects the curing time and degree of fiberglass reinforced plastic; this can cause the resulting products to turn white. Working indoors can help mitigate this issue
During the production of fiberglass, the curing of the resin is affected by various factors such as temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation; therefore, manufacturing on overcast days can have an impact. If it has to be done, then the amount of accelerator used must be increased; it’s best to contact your resin supplier so that they can provide a professional assessment.
It does have an impact; the curing of resin is greatly influenced by temperature and humidity. It’s important to control the resin formula to prevent it from becoming sticky. After completion, heating it again for curing will suffice. Generally, a heating temperature of 40–60 degrees is sufficient, with a heating time of 4–6 hours. This does not affect the quality of the product. If you’re still concerned, you can measure the Brinell hardness after completion – as long as it reaches 40, that’s fine. Additionally, production cannot take place when the temperature is below 0 degrees or the humidity is above 80%. This post was last edited by dorrly on 2009-4-23 at 14:37
It should affect product quality.
When working outdoors, a shelter should be set up to protect against dust, sand, rain, and dew. When working indoors, measures should also be taken to prevent contamination of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The temperature at the construction site should generally be no lower than 20°C, with humidity not exceeding 80%, to facilitate the molding and curing of fiberglass. When the temperature at the site is low and construction is not feasible, open flame heating should not be used; instead, direct steam heating can be employed for insulation. All the tools necessary for construction must be readily available, such as various measuring instruments, brushes, rollers, shovels, scissors, scrapers, buckets for glue of different sizes, as well as polishers and grinders.
If construction is carried out indoors (where there is little air circulation with the outside), there are no major issues; the mixing process should be accelerated slightly, but thin-walled products should not be made. Construction can only be carried out outdoors in localized areas; measures must be taken to ensure that the products, glass fibers, and resin do not get wet, and after the pasting is complete, they should be covered with polyester film.