Glass Fiber + Glass fibers are manufactured from. inher ees from which glass monofilaments are drawn and then gathered to strands. * The strands are used for preparation of different glass fiber products (yarns, rovings, woven fabrics, mats) + The most popular matrix materials for manufacturing fiberglasses are rmosets such as unsaturat P), ¢ P) and iermoplastics such as nylon (polyamide) polystyrene (PS), + Fiber glass materials usually have laminate structure with different Roos decrtaore inthe rata oes eee ah layers. Various glass fibers orientations result in anisotropy of the material properties in the plane parallel to the laminates. * Concentration of glass fibers in fiberglass is normally about 40% - Most versatile industrial materials known today. Produced from raw materials, which are available in unlimited supply They exhibit useful bulk properties such as ? Hardness % Resistance to chemical attack * Stability and > Inertness, as well as desirable fiber properties such as * strength, flexibility, and stiffnessGlass fibers fall into two categories, low-cost general-purpose fibers and premium special-purpose fibers. Over 90% of all glass fibers are general-purpose products. These fibers are known by the designation E-glass and are subject to ASTM specifications ‘The remaining glass fibers are premium special-purpose produets. Many, like E~glass, have letter designations implying special properties Some have tradenames, but not all are subject to ASTM specifications. Specifically:+ Types of glass fibers Glass Fibers — Glass is an amorphous material that consists of a silica (SiO) backbone with various oxide components to give specific compositions and properties. — Several glass fibers can be produced, but only 4 are used. + E-glass: electrical glass = Aluminoborosilicate composition with max 2% alkali — Most common glass for composites and used when strength and high electrical resitivity. Lowest cost glass. + S-glass: high strength glass and $2 — 40% higher strength and better property retention at high temp — Used in advanced composites and aerospace applications + C-glass: chemical resistant glass — Has soda-lime borosilicate composition and due to its chemical stability is used in corrosive environments + Quartz: = Used for electrical applications where a low dielectric material is required, e.g., Production of Glass Fibers + Produced by drawing monofilaments from a furnace and gathering them to form a strand. + Strands are held together with resinous binder. + Properties: Density and strength are lower than carbon and aramid fibers. * Higher elongation. * Low cost and hence commonly used.Glass Fiber Manufacturing Process Tk % V& The fiber manufacturing process has effectively two variants. One involves the preparation of marbles, which are re-melted in the fiberisation stage. The other uses the direct melting route, in which a fumace is continuously charged with raw materials which are melted and refined as that glass reaches the forehearth above a set of platinum—rhodium bushings from which the fibers are drawn. The two processes are described in FIGURE. Glass fibers are produced by rapid attenuation of the molten glass exuding through nozzles under gravity. The glass viscosity between 600 and 1000P. ‘The rate of fiber production at the nozzle is a function of the rate of flow of glass, not the rate of attenuation, which only determines final diameter of the fiber.Furnace For Glass Melting Forehearth Ro n [is4o°c} cereThe molten glass flows to platinum/ rhodium alloy bushings and then through individual bushing tips and orifices ranging from 0.76 to 203 mm (0.030 ta 0.080 in) and is rapidly quenched and attenuated in air (to prevent crystallization) into fine fibers ranging from 3 to 35 ym. * Mechanical winders pull the fibers at lineal velocities up to Glm/s aver an applicator which coats the fibers with an appropriate chemical sizing to aid further processing and performance of the end products. Furnace » The temperature is so high > 1600 °C that the sand and other ingredients dissolve into molten glass. » The inner walls of the furnace are lined with special "refractory" bricks that must periodically be replaced.Properties Properties that have made glass fibers so popular in glass fibre reinforced ‘composites include: + Lowecost ‘+ High production rates + High strength, + High stiffness + Relatively low density + Non-flammable + Resistant to heat 3 Good chemical resistance + Relatively insensitive to moisture + Able to maintain strength properties overa wide range of conditions + Good electrical insulation Inherent Advantages of Continuous Glass Fibers + Fiberglass brings with ita unique set of advantages that set it apart from the rest of the field. These can be summarized as follows: Thermal stabitity — Uiberglass is very stable and resists degradation at tempera tures below its softening point for years. S-glass hasa softening point of 1056°C and the highest use temperature. Flammability or oxidation resistance — since glass is inorganic, it does not burn making it a strong candidate where non-inflammability is a key requirement. Carbon and the polymer-based fibers, even Zylon, will eventually burn when Xposed to flame. Compressive strength ~ both E- and S-glass exhibit excellent compressive strength. This is critically important for structural composites. which must bear oad as part of their design criteria. This is one of glass’ key advantages. Cost ~ compared to carbon and polymer fibers. fiberglass is relatively inexpen- ive. This is due to economy of scale in the case of E-glass where large furnaces can produce a few hundred tons per day. S-2 Glass, which is also made in a con- tinuous but more specialized process, requires higher temperatures and thus costs ‘more to operate. But itis still about half the price of aramid on a per kilogram basis Strength and modutus per unit price per kilogram — on a cost per unit weight basis, HSG bers represent the best value per dollar spent.Applications wie a = = —— = =F om + [ee = — Transportation — Electrical/Electronics — Building Construction — Infrastructure — Aerospace/Defense — Consumer/Recreation — Medical Products