Fiberglass-reinforced composites

Morgan, A. B. Fire performance of polymer + fiberglass reinforced composites with and without polymer nanocomposite technology, Proceedings of 19th Annual BCC Conference on Flame Retardancy, Stamford, CT, June 9-11, 2008. 

All VGCF was graphitized prior to composite consolidation. Composites were molded in steel molds lined with fiberglass reinforced, non-porous Teflon release sheets. The finished composite panels were trimmed of resin flash and weighed to determine the fiber fraction. Thermal conductivity and thermal expansion measurements of the various polymer matrix composites are given in Table 6. Table 7 gives results from mechanical property measurements. 

H = History if a plant has used material successfully for many years, and the staff members know its strengths and limitations, how to weld it, etc., hesitate before making a change. For example, a fiberglass-reinforced plastic had given excellent service for many years when another composite from the same company, with the same name but a different number, was used instead, it failed overnight. 

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) is used in composite systems. It is particularly important in the process industry because of its corrosion resistance and light weight. The epoxy resin in the FRP matrix begins to melt at approximately 150°C (302°F). This may be used as a first-order failure criterion. Failure of empty 5-mm thick FRP pipes in 2-6 minutes has been reported (SINTEF,... 

REINFORCED PLASTICS. Reinforced plastics are commonly referred to as composites or, more specifically, polymer composites, Not all composites are reinforced plastics ceramic/metal-matrix composites and concrete are good examples of nonpolymeric composites. Reinforced plastics are also referred to RP, FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic), and GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) interchangeably. 

As the war drew to a close, Owens-Corning began to plan for peacetime uses of its fiberglass products. In 1946, it introduced fiberglass-reinforced fishing rods, serving trays, acoustical tiles, and pleasure boats. And in 1953, it announced production of the first commercial automobile, the Chevrolet Corvette, with a body made entirely of polymer matrix composite, a fiberglass reinforced plastic. 

Shen, K.K. and Sprague, R.W. 1981. On the use of a unique form of zinc borate as a flame retardant in fiberglass reinforced unsaturated polyesters and vinyl esters—A structure-activity relationship study. Reinforced Plastics/Composites Institute, The Society of Plastics Industry, Inc., Boltan, U.K., February 16-20 Section 13B, pp. 1-5. 

The resin matrix can be either thermosetting or thermoplastic. Thermosetting resins such as epoxy, polyimide, polyester, and phenolic are used in applications where physical properties are important. Polyester and epoxy composites make up the bulk of the thermoset composite market. Of these two, polyesters dominate by far. Reinforced with glass fiber, these are known as fiberglass-reinforced plastics (FRPs). FRPs are molded by layup and spray-up methods or by compression molding either a preform or sheet molding compound (SMC). 

About one-half of the phthalic anhydride production is consumed for the preparation of plasticizers, mostly for the various flexible grades of poly(vinyl chloride). The remainder is roughly split between alkyd resin preparation used for many types of surface coatings, and for polyester resin composites with fiberglass reinforcement, the so-called fiberglass resins used in boats and other sporting equipment as well as for corrosion-resistant vessels and ducts used in chemical processing, some automotive parts, and as a convenient means of field repair of many of these items. 

Polyester-based resins are also used in bulk plastics in fiberglass reinforced fabrications such as boats, auto body repairs, and for very large structures such as industrial vessels and pipes, and ships for mine sweeping [10]. This technology uses a combination of polycondensation and vinyl-type (chain reaction) technologies to obtain the final composite product. The viscous, still fluid resin used for layup is a linear unsaturated polyester of relatively low-molecular weight. Unsaturation is introduced into the backbone of the polymer by using maleic anhydride to replace a part of the phthalic anhydride (e.g., Eq. 21.4). 

Guides to Pollution Prevention The Fiberglass-Reinforced and Composite Plastics Industry... 

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