Effect of moisture on the viscoelastic properties of an epoxy-clay nanocomposite

The results of a complex study on the viscoelastic behavior of an epoxy-clay nanocomposite after a long-term exposure to moisture are presented. The main laws of variation in the glass-transition temperature of the nanocomposite in relation to the different content of filler and absorbed moisture were determined by using a thermomechanical analysis. The loading levels in creep experiments were chosen according to the results of quasi-static tensile tests. The sets of creep and creep recovery curves obtained were approximated by the Boltzmann–Volterra linear integral equation with account of the principle of moisture-time analogy. The variation in the spectrum of retardation time of the epoxy resin with introduction of the nanofiller was estimated. It is shown that the moisture-time reduction function correlates with changes in the forced rubber-like elasticity and the volume of nanocomposite specimens upon their moistening.