Abstract
In this paper, the effects of matrix hygrothermal aging and residual stress changes on $Avimid^{(R)}$ K3B/IM7 laminates in $80^{\circ}C$ water were studied. The factors causing the $80^{\circ}C$ water to degradation of the laminates could be the degradation of the matrix toughness, the change in residual stresses. After 500 hours fully saturated aging of the neat resin, the weight gain was 1.55% increase with the diffusion coefficient $7{\times}10^{-6}m^2/s$ and the fracture toughness was decreased about 41%. After 100 hours fully saturated aging of the $[+45/0/-45/90]_s$ K3B/IM7 laminates in $80^{\circ}C$ water, the weight gain was 0.41% increase with the diffusion coefficient $1{\times}10^{-6}m^2/s$ and the loss of the microcracking fracture toughness was 43.8% of the original toughness. To see whether the residual stress influenced the fracture toughness, two ply $[90^{\circ}/0^{\circ}]$ laminates were put in $80^{\circ}C$ water from 2 hours to 8 hours. The changes in residual stress in 8 hours are less than 3MPa. Because the 3MPa change is not sufficient to degrade the laminates, the main factor to degrade the microcracking fracture toughness was the degradation of the matrix fracture toughness.