Hygrothermal Ageing of Injection-Moulded PA6/GF Materials Considering Automotive Requirements

Short-glass fibre-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6/GF) materials have been used for many decades successfully in the automotive industry, especially for components in exterior and interior area. Due to the required product qualification testing in the automotive field, components are exposed to, among others, a hygrothermal stress of 1000 h or more during the development phase. This work aims to contribute to enhanced understanding of the mechanical properties of stiffness, tensile strength, hardness and fracture toughness of short-glass fibre-reinforced polyamide 6 materials at hygrothermal aging. The results show a decrease in properties, which is more characterised by the absorption of moisture and less than by other aging processes.