Abstract
A bisphenol A type epoxy resin filled with alumina or silicon carbide (SiC) particles was immersed in an alkaline solution for obtaining the information on their corrosion behavior. Both the alumina/epoxy and SiC/epoxy gradually resolved into the solution from their surfaces. The higher the filler content, the lower was the degree of retention in the flexural strength for the alumina/epoxy. In the SiC/epoxy, the flexural strength decreased remarkably above a specific level of SiC content. The corrosion depth increased linearly with immersion time for the both composites. The higher the filler content and the concentration of alkaline solution, the larger was the corrosion rate. An equation on relationship between the corrosion rate and the filler content (the filler volume fraction) was proposed in consideration of the corrosion promoting effect of the filler particles.
