On the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of short fibers reinforced composite submitted to hydrothermal aging: Application to sheet molding compound composite

Sheet Molding compound (SMC) composites were subjected to water immersion tests in order to study their durability since such composites are of interest in automotive applications. Water sorption tests were conducted by immersing specimens in distilled water at 25-90°C for different time durations. In order to investigate the combined action of water and temperature over time on composite mechanical behavior, tensile tests and quasi-static...