Photochromic Glassfibre Reinforced Plastic
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Adaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures 8-187 Eindhoven [The Netherlands] 03-05 July 2006 Photochromic Glassfibre Reinforced Plastic Hui ZHANG School of Architecture Southeast University Si Pai Lou 2 Hao 210096, Nanjing P. R. China [email protected] KEYWORDS photochromic materials, glassfibre reinforced plastic (GRP), photochromic GRP, adaptive building skin Paper Sunshine in summer is not always desirable. The summer sunrays that reach inside buildings with large glazed envelopes and windows can make computer work difficult, with strong glaring on computer screens seriously affecting working conditions. The heat gained through glazed envelopes and windows, and from the buildings’ skin, also burdens the building with increased cooling loads in summer. Among various solar control methods, the applications of photochromism are gaining increasing interest in architecture. Energy-absorptive photochromic systems and materials change their optical properties, such as color and light transmission, when exposed to the UV rays in sunlight and revert back to their original properties in diffused light. This material behavior can be used to control the effects of sunlight on the interior light environment and regulate lighting and heating levels for energy load management. At the present time, this photochromic effect is being applied in energy-efficient glazing, which can be either automatically or electrically switched from colorless (or weakly colored) to colored, or the inverse, in accordance with light conditions. These types of windows normally use glass panes as substrates which either have a photochromic coating or are laminated with photochromic films, or they are supplied with complicated device structures. Windows using the photochromic effect are just the beginning. Actually, photochromic materials have many more potential applications in architecture that can be further exploited. An adaptable composite - photochromic glassfibre reinforced plastic - might contribute to the development of smart building skin which can adapt itself to the changing conditions of sunlight. 1 Glassfibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Glassfibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP), one of the Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC’s), consists of a polymer-based resin as the matrix and glassfibres as the reinforcement. In general, a composite material is composed of at least two components integrated together to produce material properties that are different from the properties of the components on their own. The material properties of the composite can be, to a certain extent, regulated by virtue of adjusting recipes. In PMC, the polymer-based resin matrix carries the load applied to the composite between Adaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures 8-188 Eindhoven The Netherlands 03-05 July 2006 each of the individual fibres (which have high tensile and compressive strength) and also protects the fibres from damage caused by abrasion and impact. Therefore, PMC’s are characterized by advantageous properties like high strength and stiffness, ease of moulding complex shapes, and high environmental resistance, all coupled with low densities. This makes PMC’s superior for many applications in the fields of aerospace, shipbuilding, plant construction, motor vehicles and so on. As a PMC, GRP provides all these remarkable properties. It is also a comparatively economic composite thanks to the low cost and light weight of glassfibre. Concerning energy efficiency, GRP exhibits good thermal features, e.g. low heat conductivity and a small thermal expansion coefficient. [see Table 1] Additionally, this composite is also characterized by many aesthetic merits like ease of free-forming, a large range of color choices, various degrees of transparency, and good surface qualities. All of these properties endow GRP with a wide range of applications in the building industry. With continual improvements, GRP can no longer be regarded as a secondary, low-grade industrial material. It is now known as a promising building material which is being broadly applied in civil architecture for building structure, roofing, and flooring, as well as both interior and exterior cladding, window frames, and finishing. GRP GRP Steel Timber Glass Al Pultrusion laminate S 235 JR S 10 Kalknatron tensile strength [N/mm 2] 240 ~ 60 360 14 30-90 150-230 E modulus [N/mm 2] 23.000 ~ 6800 210.000 11.000 70.000 72.000 elongation at break [%] 1-3 ~ 1,0 26 ~0,8 0,1 2-8 density [g/cm 2] 1,8 ~ 1,4 7,85 0,6 2,5 2,7 thermal expansion 9 ~ 25 12 ~4,5 8-9 23 coefficient [10 -6/K] heat conductivity [W/mK] 0,25 ~0,25 50 0,13 0,8 160 Table 1. Comparison of properties (Data from ITKE, Germany). In the 1960s and 70s, GRP gained a certain prominence in the rush to building with plastic, which was demonstrated with successful projects such as Monsanto House, Futuro, Rondo, and fg2000. Nowadays, some experimental buildings like the Eyecatcher in Basel, Switzerland, the D-Tower in Doetinchem, Holland, and a gas transfer station in Dachau, Germany represent the potential of novel GRP applications. The research on photochromic GRP is aimed at an adaptable composite that integrates the merits of both GRP and photochromism. It is intended to exploit GRP’s potential in architecture further, such as smart glazing or adaptable facades that can also contribute to solar control and energy efficiency. 2 Possible photochromic GRP – Dyeing GRP with photochromic pigments Photochromism can be simply defined as a light-induced reversible change of color. One of its well- known applications is photochromic spectacles that darken in the sun and recover their transparency in diffuse light. Basically, this phenomenon is the reversible transformation of a single chemical species between two energy states having different absorption spectra, i.e. colors. This change in states is activated by electromagnetic radiation (usually UV light) and generally accompanied with energy absorption. Although photochromism is not limited to colored compounds, photochromic materials with simple manipulation techniques are more appealing to use in practice. One large class of photochromic materials are the organics. Certain organic photochromic dyes can be applied to polymers. This ability to be combined with polymers has attracted much attention in actual applications. Sunglasses made of photochromic plastics are more popular in recent years. The most suitable materials for photochromic glazing are announced to be the derivatives of spiro-oxazine applied to plastics. Photochromic GRP, Hui ZHANG Adaptables2006, TU/e, International Conference On Adaptable Building Structures 8-189 Eindhoven The Netherlands 03-05 July 2006 Inspired by photochromic plastics, it is possible to produce photochromic GRP by combining polymer-based GRP resin dyed with photochromic colorants. Applied in this way, photochromic GRP could be manufactured in similar processes like normal GRP and therefore require no further investment. 3 Experiments and Outcomes The primary object of the first phase of experiments is to prove the practical feasibility of photochromic GRP. Correspondingly, the trade-off between cost and benefit should also be taken into consideration. On these terms, the earliest experiments were conducted under the following conditions: ·Samples were simply made by hand lay-up at room temperature in the laboratory of Lange+Ritter GmbH in Germany. ·Polyesters and epoxy resin systems were selected for laminating, since both of them are easily cured at room temperature by the addition of a suitable hardener or accelerator. Additionally, they are the two main types of resin used in the manufacturing of GRP products. Polyesters are easy to use and have the lowest cost of resins available. Epoxies, with increased adhesive properties, outperform most than other resin types in terms of high mechanical and thermal properties, and resistance to environmental degradation. It should be mentioned that most epoxy systems offered in the market are equipped with certain UV-resistant additive which might alter the photochromic performance. However, this potential defect might be overcome by the adjustment of pigment dosage. ·Certain photochromic dyes from England were applied due to their acceptable cost and comparative stability as well as simple manipulation properties. These highly concentrated pigments are offered in paste form and can be used as normal colorants. Two color options are available: one shows green in the activated state; the other violet. To make the color change effect of photochromic GRP more distinct, a colorless or slightly colored original state of the samples was intended and no other pigments were added. ·Three alternatives were conceived of for the incorporation of photochromic dyes in GRP. Thanks to GRP’s laminate structure, dyes can be applied either in the whole laminating resin or in the resin of interlayers. Otherwise, a dyed gel coat can be applied to the surface of GRP. ·In view of the potential applications for photochromic GRP as an adaptable anti-glare glazing for roofs and facades, a high translucency GRP-panel was also intended. The selection of resin and glassfibre types, as well as additives, was based on our experience in previous research. The outcomes of the first experiments are satisfying and convincing. Some samples do react quickly to lighting conditions. Upon exposure to sunlight, photochromic GRP-panels either switch from colorless to an even-colored state, or