Glass fibre manufacturing

The glass fibre, PPG 3540, is a polyurethane-sized glass fibre manufactured by PPG Industries, Inc. The surface treatment on the glass fibre promotes good adhesion between the fibre and the polymer. b Note montmorillonite is surface treated with octadecylammonium or dioctadecyldimethylammo-nium ions. 

Plastics also find increasing use in vehicles for both water and air transport. Glass-fibre-reinforced plastic boats are widely used as a result of their economy in manufacture, ease of maintenance, lightness of weight and, for military purposes, antimagnetic characteristics. The non-corrosive nature of plastics also leads to their widespread use in boat fixtures and fittings. In aircraft, plastics are particularly useful on account of their low density. 

Small quantities of higher molecular weight resin in powder form are also manufactured. They are used in solution or emulsion form as binders for glass-fibre preforms and also for the manufacture of preimpregnated cloths. 

Polyesters. The main application of this material is as a matrix for glass fibre reinforcement. This can take many forms and is probably most commonly known as a DIY type material used for the manufacture of small boats, chemical containers, tanks and repair kits for cars, etc. 

Many metal borates find important industrial applications (p. 140) and annual world production exceeds 2.9 million tonnes Turkey 1.2, USA 1.1, Argentina 0.26, the former Soviet Union 0.18, Chile 0.13Mt. Main uses are in glass-fibre and cellular insulation, the manufacture of borosilicate glasses and enamels, and as fire retardants. Sodium perborate (for detergents) is manufactured on a 550 000 tonne pa scale. 

Results are presented of experiments undertaken by Gaiker in the manufacture of sandwich panels containing foam cores based on PETP recycled by a solid state polyaddition process developed by M G Ricerche. Panels were produced with glass fibre-reinforced unsaturated polyester and epoxy resin skins, and allthermoplastic panels with PE, PP, PS and glass fibre-reinforced PETP skins were also produced. EVA hot melt adhesives and thermoset adhesives were evaluated in bonding glass fibre-reinforced PETP skins to the foam cores. Data are presented for the mechanical properties of the structures studied. 

Surface treatments are almost invariably added during the manufacture of glass fibres and play an important role in determining their processing and reinforcing characteristics. 

Glass fibres (see Man-made mineral fibres) Glass manufacturing industry, occupational exposures in Glasswool (see Man-made mineral fibres) 58, 347 (1993)... 

We can now compare these calculated values with test results. Technical brochures issued by raw material manufacturers supply an abundance of data on their products, also on the tensile moduli of the virgin polymers and on those containing a certain weight fraction of glass fibres. Combination of these data for a number of polymers (POM, PPE/PS, PC, PBTP, PET, PA-6) results in Figure 9.16. We can read from this... 

A good adhesion between the fibre and the resin is important. Usually, the glass fibres have already been subjected to a chemical treatment by their manufacturer in order to improve their adhesion. The most often used agents for this purpose are based on methacrylate-chromium compounds and on organic silicium compounds. 

Polymethylphenylsiloxanes with active hydrogen atoms and vinyl groups at the silicon atom are used to manufacture glass fibres (by the contact molding technique), glue compositions and filling compounds. 

Waterproofing is also used for sports equipment and fishing gear. Glass fibre waterproofed with silicone liquids is used to manufacture floats, buoys, etc. 

Maleic anhydride is used as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of fumaric and tartaric acids, certain agricultural chemicals, resins in numerous products, dye intermediates and pharmaceuticals [2]. It is primarily used as a co-monomer for unsaturated polyester resins, which are used in the production of bonding agents for plywood manufacture and when mixed with glass fibres for reinforced plastics. Annual production of maleic anhydride is estimated to be over one million tormes [3]. 

The results described in this paper were all obtained from tests on E-glass reinforced composite materials produced by hand lay-up. This is the manufacturing route most frequently used for marine structures. For the majority of the tests reported here the E-glass fibres were either quasi-unidirectional (250 g/m with 1 g/m of polyester fibres bonded in the 90° direction to keep the UD fibres in place) or stitched quadrlaxial (0/45/907-45° 1034 g/m ) cloths. The same uniaxial ply is used in both cloths. The resin is based on DGEBA epoxy (SRI500) with an amine hardener (2505) from Sicomin, France. All epoxy specimens were post-cured at 90°C for 6 hours. Some results are also shown for a woven glass (0/90° 500 g/m ) reinforced isophthalic polyester for comparison, as this is the traditional marine... 

Loewenstein K. L., The Manufacturing Technology of Continuous Glass Fibres, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1973. 

Glass fibres feature among the most important products of the glass industry and can be divided into the following types according to the manufacturing process and to application ... 

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