Glass Fibers and their applications 1

GLASS FIBRE
Historical Background

Glass fibers have been used as one of the cheapest technical fibers.
Used for many years as a cheap insulating material as well as
reinforcement for relatively low performance plastics (fiber glass) and
roofing materials.

Glass is widely used nowadays as a sophisticated engineering material

with excellent fire and heat-resistant properties.

It is now widely used in a variety of higher performance composite

applications, including sealing materials and rubber reinforcement, as
well as filtration, protective clothing and packaging.

Introduction
The basic component of glass fibers is silica, SiO2.

In its pure form it exists as a polymer, (SiO2)n. It has no true melting

point but softens up to 2000°C, where it starts to degrade. It is usual to
introduce impurities into the glass in the form of other materials to lower
its working temperature. These materials also impart various other
properties to the glass which may be beneficial in different applications.

In the polymer it forms SiO4 groups which are configured as a

tetrahedron with the silicon atom at the center, and four oxygen atoms
at the corners. These atoms then form a network bonded at the corners
by sharing the oxygen atoms.

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Physical Properties

 Density 2.50-2.55 g/cc

 Melting Point 700 oC
 Diameter 10-20 µm
 Tenacity 6.3-11.7 g/den
 Extension at break (%) 2.5 %
 Tensile strength (MPa) 2000-3500
 Young’s modulus (GPa) 73

Production
In technically advanced countries, the production volume of glass
filament yarns has reached approx. 10% of the production volume of
synthetic fibers.

Major use of glass-reinforced composites is in the automotive industry

as a replacement for metal body parts and components, as well as by
manufacturing industry in general for all sorts of industrial and domestic
equipment, promises major new markets.

Total world consumption of ‘textile’ glass in technical applications was

some 2.3 million tones per annum in 1995 and over 2.9 million tones at
2000, representing over 20% of all technical fiber consumption.

Glass filaments have been produced mainly by the spinneret drawing

process from spinning baths with drawing speeds of 3000–4000 m/min.

Fibers may be drawn very easily from glass in the molten state.

As spun yarns in wicks, ropes and woven fabrics, glass is an ideal

insulation medium for continuous and short term exposure up to
temperatures of around 300oC.

Characteristics of Glass Fibers

Advantages

• Very High Tensile Strength

• Excellent resistance to sunlight and UV
• Very Brittle
• Abrasion resistance is very poor
• Cheaper
• Does not burn

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• Excellent FR properties
• Good dimensional stability
• Resistant to mildew, rotting and insects
• Zero moisture absorbance
• Excellent UV stability
• Glass textiles are of comparatively relatively low price (1.25
Euro/kg) so they have found wide applications, e.g.

 Chemistry
 Chemical technology
 Insulation of machines
 Pipes and containers
 Sound insulation
 Electronics

Disadvantages

• Adhesion difficulties
• Relatively heavy
• Glass fibres if breathed into the lungs can promote fatal
cancerous growth.
• Brittle, poor flexing properties

Manufacturing Processes
There are two popular manufacturing processes for glass fibers.

1. Preparation of marbles, which are remelted in

the fiberisation stage.

2. Direct melting route, in which a furnace is

continuously charged with raw materials which are melted and
refined. Glass fibers are produced by rapid attenuation of the molten
glass exuding through nozzles under gravity. A solid intermediate
stage (glass marbles) is thereby eliminated which, in particular,
brings about a reduction in the specific energy costs. It is common
practice to melt E-glass (alkali-free glass) in spinning baths heated
by natural gas with recuperative heat recovery to achieve melting
capacities of 6–20 t/day.

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.

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As the melt cools, it increases in viscosity, which varies along the

nozzle making exact predictions of the flow rate difficult. Iterative
procedures can be used to determine the dimensions of a nozzle of a
selected design.

Direct melt spinning is more predictable because of the complexities

introduced by remelting preformed marbles.

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Production of Glass Fiber

Glass filament production

a) Discontinuous
b) Continuous

After cooling, glass fibers immediately assume a solid state. The more
quickly cooling takes place (especially in the case of extremely fine
individual filaments), the more their structure corresponds to that of the
glass melt.

Structural changes in the fiber are caused by ageing or reheating;

disassociation (micro-heterogeneity), in particular, increases which, at
the same time, causes the density to rise but also initiates contraction
phenomena.

For standard reinforcing materials, fiber diameters of 9–11 μm are

generally employed although, for economic reasons, there is a tendency
to increase the range to 13–15 μm.

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Bundle of glass fibers

Major Types of Glass Fibers

These are:
 E- glass
 S-glass

E-glass

E-glass is used for general thermal and duroplast reinforcement

applications. E-glass is an aluminum borosilicate glass with less than
0.8% alkaline oxides, which has a market share of 95%. HM-glass, on
the other hand, is a glass containing titanium and beryllium oxides with
a high modulus of elasticity.

C-glass

C-glass is known for its chemical resistance to both acids and alkalis. It
is widely used for applications where such resistance is required, such
as in chemical filtration. The S-glass is a high strength glass fibre and is
used in composite manufacturing.

S-glass

S-glass is an aluminium manganese oxide glass with increased tensile

strength. If the tensile strengths and e-modulus of current reinforcing
fibres is compared, it can be seen that glass fibres occupy a middle

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position. In terms of mass-related parameters, those reinforcing fibres

whose density lies considerably below that of glass fibres show up very
favourably; this is especially true for aromatic polyamides.

Glass filament yarns

Glass filament yarns are brittle compared with the conventional textile
yarns. It has been shown that the specific flexural rigidity of glass fibre
is about 4.5 times more rigid than wool. As a result, glass yarns are
easy to break in textile processing. Therefore, it is important to apply
suitable size to the glass yarn to minimize the interfibre friction and to
hold the individual fibres together in the strand.

Application of Sizing Agent

In the continuous filament process, after the fiber is drawn, a size is
applied. This size helps protect the fiber as it is wound onto a bobbin.
The particular size applied relates to end-use. While some sizes are
processing aids, others make the fiber have an affinity for a certain
resin, if the fiber is to be used in a composite. Size is usually added at
0.5–2.0% by weight. Winding then takes place at around 1000 m per
min.

Following are commonly used sizes for glass filament yarns

 Dextrinized starch gum

 Gelatin
 Polyvinyl alcohol
 Hydrogenated vegetable oils
 Non-ionic detergents

Glass-fiber fabrics
There is wide range of applications of glass-fibre fabrics. End use of the
fabric determines the finishing process to be employed.

For example colloidal graphite is used as a finishing agent for glass

fabrics and heat reflective coatings, together with silicone oil, to provide
protection at higher temperatures. Clothes treated in this way can be
used at 400 °C or higher if exposure times are in minutes rather than
days or in the absence of oxygen.

Most hot environments are created by a mixture of convective and

radiant heat. Glass fabrics provide good protection against radiant heat,
because they generally have low coefficients of thermal conductivity.

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Their performance against radiant heat can be greatly improved by the

application of an aluminum reflective layer to one surface. It can be
applied directly to the fabric, either as a very thin foil or supported on a
thin polyester film.

USES OF GLASS TEXTILES

 Glass fabrics are used for interior furnishings wherever high
demands are placed on safety, e.g. in ships, hotels, cinemas, wall
coverings, etc.

 Glass woven fabrics are use as bases for PTFE coatings for
industrial uses, such as calender belts and building structures.

 Fiberglass reinforcing sheets are used in PVC-backed carpet

tiles.

 The fiberglass prevents creep of the PVC.

 Nonwoven glass and polyester fabrics are widely used in roofing

applications. Fibres and textiles also have a major role to play in
building and equipment insulation. Glass fibres are almost
universally used in place of asbestos now. Modern metal-clad
roofs and buildings can be lined with special nonwovens to
prevent moisture condensation and dripping.

 Glass-reinforced boat hulls and car bodies are two major

application areas of such composites that reduce overall weight
and cost of fabrication as well as eliminating the traditional
problems of rotting wood and rusting metals associated with
traditional materials. Their good resistance to heat and very high
melting point has also enabled them to be used as effective
insulating materials.

 A fiberglass non-woven material is the primary stabilizing layer

used for carpet tiles. The fiberglass is inserted between the two
backing layers.

 The fiberglass non-woven material is needed to correct the

unbalanced mechanical forces which occur during the production
of the carpet. These differences are due to the strength of the
length versus the width of the carpet.

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 When handling glass fibers, protective clothing and a mask

should be worn to prevent skin irritation and inhalation of glass
fibers.

 Glass fibers are also heat-resistant materials. In earlier times

such fibers were used for printed circuit boards. Now
developments in the texturing of glass fibers have provided a
material that could substitute for the asbestos fibers to some
extent.

 Unlike asbestos fibres, glass fibres with high diameter are non-
respirable. They have an upper temperature resistance of about
450°C.They spin well, knit or braid easily and can be coated with
rubber, polyacrylate or silicones.

 Glass fibres have also good electrical and insulation properties.

However, they cause skin irritation, which limits their application
in protective clothing.

 These applications make specific use of the glass properties of

very high strength with very low elongation and excellent
flammability resistance. Glass fibres cannot be used in
applications that involve significant flexing, because of their poor
flex resistance.

Glass-reinforced plastics

Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) is a composite material or fiber-

reinforced plastic made of a plastic reinforced by fine glass fibres. Like
graphite-reinforced plastic, the composite material is commonly referred
to by the name of its reinforcing fibers (fiberglass).

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Different forms of glass-fiber composites

Advantages of Glass Reinforced Plastics

Design freedom

Unique physical properties of glass fibers allow it to be easily tooled,

moulded and manufactured to meet almost any specification, because
there are few constraints on size, shape, colour or finish, this can
deliver great styling and appearance whilst being cost effective, and its
this design freedom which is the hallmark of composite achievement.

Affordability
Easiness to mould makes Fibreglass an economical alternative for the
manufacture of any component or finished product in any quantity.

Versatility
The lightweight strength of Fibreglass has always made it a popular
choice for designers and manufacturers alike, Fibreglass offers distinct
advantages for a wide range of products, its reduced weight and
maintenance make it attractive on architectural projects.

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Strength & durability

High strength to weight ratio and high flexural strength make Fibreglass
an attractive lightweight material, additional reinforcement can be added
in specific locations to build in extra strength where load and stress
points require it. When used for external applications, Fibreglass can
offer a high resistance to environmental conditions.

Appearance
Fiberglass has a very high shine.

Corrosion – environmentally tough

Fibreglass is non-corrosive and has a much longer life when compared

to a variety of other construction materials, in highly corrosive
environments; Fibreglass is the perfect choice over metal, wood, or
plastic. A popular choice where exposure to harsh environments is a
concern, fibreglass can provide resistance to ultra violet light, extreme
temperatures, salt air, and a variety of chemicals, because Fibreglass is
chemically inert and corrosion-resistant it offers an economical
alternative to stainless steel.

Sound deadening
Fibreglass provides superior acoustical properties when compared to
plastic or metal, various types of sound deadening material can be
laminated in between high strength layers of Fibreglass matt to achieve
the preferred level of sound deadening.

Durability
Fibreglass structures have an exceedingly long life span, coupled with
low maintenance requirements.

Low maintenance
Fibreglass components require very little or no maintenance as they do
not rust, rot, or fall to pieces.

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