Fibers reinforced plastics

Fiber-reinforced plastics fulfill criteria that could hardly be met by other materials used before their invention among those are 

The textile structure of fiber-reinforced plastics is built by woven fabrics (Chapter 4), knitwear (Chapter 5), nonwovens (Chapter 6), braids (Chapter 7), and two-dimensional reinforcing textiles of multiaxial structure (Chapter 8). For the matrix, both thermosets and thermoplastics are used. 

The characteristics of the structures corresponding to the applied textile fabrics are shown in Fig. 11.1. 

Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) are applied in aeronautics and astronautics, in vehicle construction, in mechanical engineering, and in plant and container construction. 

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The industrial value of furfuryl alcohol is a consequence of its low viscosity, high reactivity, and the outstanding chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of its polymers, corrosion resistance, nonburning, low smoke emission, and exceUent char formation. The reactivity profile of furfuryl alcohol and resins is such that final curing can take place at ambient temperature with strong acids or at elevated temperature with latent acids. Major markets for furfuryl alcohol resins include the production of cores and molds for casting metals, corrosion-resistant fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs), binders for refractories and corrosion-resistant cements and mortars. 

Corrosion Resistant Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP). Fiber glass reinforcement bonded with furfuryl alcohol thermosetting resias provides plastics with unique properties. Excellent resistance to corrosion and heat distortion coupled with low flame spread and low smoke emission are characteristics that make them valuable as laminating resins with fiber glass (75,76). Another valuable property of furan FRP is its strength at elevated temperature. Hand-layup, spray-up, and filament-win ding techniques are employed to produce an array of corrosion-resistant equipment, pipes, tanks, vats, ducts, scmbbers, stacks, and reaction vessels for industrial appHcations throughout the world. 

Fiber-Reinforced Plastics. PVA fiber, with its high strength and toughness, has become widely used as reinforcement fiber for FRP. Strength as high as 1.8 N/tex (18 gf/dtex) has been reported (32,41). Penetration in this field will therefore become more active. 

HDPE, high density polyethylene PP, polypropylene EVA, ethylene—vinyl alcohol SMC, sheet-molding compound ERP, fiber-reinforced plastic LDPE, low density polyethylene PE, polyethylene BMC, bulk mol ding compound TPE, thermoplastic elastomer. 

Many cellular plastic products are available with different types of protective faces, including composite metal and plastic foils, fiber-reinforced plastic skins, and other coatings. These reduce but do not eliminate the rate of aging. For optimum performance, such membranes must be totally adhered to the foam, and other imperfections such as wrinkles, cuts, holes, and unprotected edges should be avoided because they all contribute to accelerated aging. 

Some design factors, however, work against composites. For example, glass fiber-reinforced plastics generally have lower modulus (stiffness) than metals. Thickness and shape adjustments are requited where stiffness is a critical design requirement. With appropriate reinforcement, any modulus, even greater than that of metals, can be achieved. However, it may become expensive and uneconomical to do so. 

The reaction between urea and Aiming sulfuric acid is rapid and exothermic. It may proceed with violent boiling unless the reaction temperature is controlled. The reactants are strongly acidic. Therefore, operators should wear suitable protective gear to guard against chemical hazard. Special stainless steel, mbber lining, fiber-reinforced plastics, and polyvinyl chloride and carbon equipment are used. 

In the gas cleaning sections of spent acid or metaUurgical sulfuric acid plants, the weak acid scmbbing circuit is typicaUy handled by plastic or glass fiber reinforced plastic (ERP) pipe. The contaminants in weak acid usuaUy vary too greatly to aUow use of an economical aUoy. 

Thermosetting unsaturated polyester resins constitute the most common fiber-reinforced composite matrix today. According to the Committee on Resin Statistics of the Society of Plastics Industry (SPl), 454,000 t of unsaturated polyester were used in fiber-reinforced plastics in 1990. These materials are popular because of thek low price, ease of use, and excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties. Over 227 t of phenoHc resins were used in fiber-reinforced plastics in 1990 (1 3). PhenoHc resins (qv) are used when thek inherent flame retardance, high temperature resistance, or low cost overcome the problems of processing difficulties and lower mechanical properties. 

FIG. 10-184 Cost of shop-fabricated tanks in mid-1980 with V4-in walls. Multiplying factors on carbon steel costs for other materials are carbon steel, 1.0 mbber-lined carbon steel, 1.5 alnminnm, 1.6 glass-lined carbon steel, 4.5 and fiber-reinforced plastic, 0.75 to 1.5. Multiplying factors on type 316 stainless-steel costs for other materials are 316 stainless steel, 1.0 Monel, 2.0 Inconel, 2.0 nickel, 2.0 titanium, 3.2 and Hastelloy C, 3.8. Multiplying factors for wall thicknesses different from V4 in are ... 

Stephen W. Tsai, Strength Theories of Filamentary Structures, in Fundamental Aspects of Fiber Reinforced Plastic Conposites, Conference Proceedings, R. T. Schwartz and H. S. Schwartz (Editors), Dayton, Ohio, 24-26 May 1966, Wiley interscience. New York, 1966, pp. 3-11. 

J. F. Mandell, Experimental Investigation of the Buckling of Anisotropic Fiber Reinforced Plastic Plates, Air Force Materials Laboratory Technical Report AFML-TR-68-281, October 1968. 

Table 10 Influence of Coupling Agents on Natural Fiber Reinforced Plastics [12]...

The economically most attractive glass fiber-reinforced plastics for high technical use are, next to RTM and winding technology, etc., semi-products made of SMC and BMC systems. 

As is known of glass fiber-reinforced plastics, the mechanical and physical properties of composites, next to the fiber properties, and the quality of the fiber matrix interface, as well as the textile form of the reinforcement primarily depend on the volume content of fibers in the composite. 

Generally, the mechanical and physical properties of natural fiber-reinforced plastics only conditionally reach the characteristic values of glass fiber-reinforced systems. By using hybrid composites made of natural fibers and carbon fibers or natural fibers and glass fibers, the... 

Whichever application of natural fiber or natural fiber-reinforced plastics will be used depends on the different environmental conditions, which are likely to add to the aging and degrading effects. On the other hand, such effects are often desirable, as is the case with com-... 

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