The Effect of chemical and ultraviolet (UV) aging upon mechanical behavior and aesthetics aspect of novel bulk moulding compounds (BMC) composites

The use of composite materials, and more specifically, glass fiber reinforced polymeric materials, is becoming increasingly common to replace conventional materials. In this way, advances can be achieved in terms of material properties, economic cost of manufacture or product life cycle. In this project, the mechanical behaviour of glass fiber reinforced composites BMC (Bulk Moulding Compounds) has been studied, as well as the aesthetic quality of the material surface under conditions that can occur in corrosive or weathering environments. In recent years, the use of BMCs in outdoor applications has become particularly important. Consequently, it is necessary to be aware of the effect of environmental factors such as UV radiation from sunlight, moisture or exposure to corrosive substances. In order to carry out the analysis of some BMC properties, different material formulations have been produced, varying some of the components, but not their ratio. The modified components are resin, thermoplastic additive, filler and pigment. The material was formed using the compression moulding method and machined to obtain test specimens for flexural, tensile, hardness, color and gloss tests. The results obtained were treated statistically by means of the ANOVA method, using the Minitab 9.1 software. This statistical analysis has allowed conclusions to be drawn on the relationship between BMC components and the mechanical and aesthetic characteristics of the material, as well as to detect possible interactions between BMC constituents. Keywords: BMC; Glass fiber; Acid; UV; Resin; Mechanical properties; ANOVA.