• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.255-260
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• 2022

Lightweight hydrant tanks increase the amount of water that can be carried by fire trucks, resulting in longer water spray times during the initial firefighting process, which can minimize human and property damages. In this study, the applicability of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites as a material for lightweight hydrant tanks was investigated. In particular, the resin for manufacturing CFRP hydrant tanks must meet various requirements, such as excellent mechanical properties, formability, and dimensional stability. In order to identify a resin that satisfies these conditions, five commercially available resins, including epoxy(KFR-120V), unsaturated polyesters(G-650, HG-3689BT, LSP8020), vinyl ester(KRF-1031) were selected as candidates, and their characteristics were analyzed to investigate the suitability for manufacturing a CFRP hydrant tank. Based on the analyses, KRF-1031 exhibited the most suitable properties for hydrant tanks. Particularly, CFRP with KRF-1031 exhibited successful results for thermal stability and elution tests.