Glass Fibre – A new revolution
Glass fiber is a special type of synthetic fiber that consists of extremely fine fibers of glass. It is a very strong fiber. The versatility of glass as fiber makes it unique to industrial material. Fibers have been manufactured from glass since 1930.
Chemical Composition:
Generally, glass consists of quartz sand,
sodium sulfate, potash, and several refining & dying additives.
Types of glass fiber
1. A- glass: It is close to the window
glass. In Germany, it is mainly used in the manufacture of process equipment.
2. C- glass: Shows better resistance to
chemical impact.
3. E- glass: Combines the characteristics
of C-glass with Very good insulation to electricity.
4. AE- glass: Alkali resistant glass.
Glass fiber is manufactured in a different range of fine diameters. Some of them are so fine that they can be only be seen in a microscope. Fibre passed through spinnerets can be made into 2 kinds of glass fiber:
1. Staple Fibres: Where fibers with long qualities are made by passing the molten glass through small holes of the bushing. Then a jet of compressed air is passed through the strands producing thin fibers ranging from 8-15 inches.
2. Continuous Filament Process: Molten glass is passed through spinnerets with hundreds of openings. These strands are carried through a winder revolving at high speed. Thus fibers are drawn out in parallel filaments of the diameter of the openings. Binders are used to twist & winding to prevent yarn breakage during yarn making.
Properties Of Glass Fibre:
Glass fibers are more useful for their higher
ratio of surface area to weight. Because
this higher surface area makes them more susceptible to chemical attack. The
freshest, thinnest fibers are the strongest because the thinner the fibers are
ductile. There is a correlation between the bending diameter of the filament
and the filament diameter. The viscosity of the molten glass is very important
for manufacturing success because If it
is so high, the fiber will break during drawing ( pulling of the glass to
reduce fiber circumference. The viscosity should be relatively low to reduce fiber
breakage.
Application of glass fiber;
1. Fiberglass for insulation: For
insulation, the thermal conductivity or sound transmission ability of fibrous
"wool" is one of the most important. Because the thermal performance
is directly related to the low thermal conductivity of the glass itself.
2. Fiberglass for filtration: For
filtration, the surface area of the spaces between them are the important
factors. Many spinning techniques have been developed, to produce fibers with a
range of diameters from 0.05- 25 micrometers. The finest diameter fibers
provide the most insulation & filtration effectiveness as a result of the
pore size of the matter.
3. Medical: it having low porosity, non-staining,
and hard-wearing finish, GRP is ideally adjustable for medical application,
from instrument enclosures to X-ray beds.
Reinforcement;
Glass fibers are widely used in a roofing
application. Glass reinforced materials include wall panels, septic tanks, and
sanitary fittings. Glass fibers are used to prevent cracking of the concrete,
plaster & other building materials.
Automobile: Fibres glass is often used for
secondary structures on aircraft, such as fairing, radomes, and wingtips. Fiberglass
is also used for helicopter rotor blades.
Water Proofing: Glass fiber scrims are used
as a reinforcing substrate with bitumen for waterproofing.
Electrical: Woven fabrics are impregnated
with varnish. These, as well as open weave fabrics, are used as a substrate for
reinforcement and backing for mica which are used in the motor winding.
References:
1.Textile Today
2. Textile Learner.
Rezwan Hossain (Nabil)
Department of Textile Engineering
Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology
University, Tangail
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