Glass-reinforced fiber metal laminate

Reinforced Plastic n (RP) A plastic composition in which are embedded fibers that are much stronger and typically much stifier than the matrix resin. The reinforcements are usually fibers, rovings, fabrics, or mats, or mixed forms of glass, carbon, asbestos, metals, ceramics, paper, sisal, cotton, or nylon. Resins most commonly used are polyesters, phenolics, aminos, siH-cones, epoxies, and various thermoplastics. The term reinforced plastic includes some forms of Laminate and molded parts in which the reinforcements are not in layered form. When the resin is thermoplastic, the term reinforced thermoplastic is often used. Methods of forming reinforced-plastics articles from thermosetting resins are defined under the entries Ksted below. 

Chrysler specified a modified polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) laminating resin for the body panels of the high-performance sports car, the 400 bhp 10 cylinder Dodge Viper, which went on sale in January 1992. The transition from styling to production took only three years. The decision to use glass fiber reinforced PMMA resin, molded by resin transfer, was a fundamental departure from established Chrysler practice, where previously all main exterior bodywork had been in sheet metal. However, at expected sales of 3000 a year and a unit price of about 50,000, sheet metal would not have been viable and the annual volume was too low to justify injection or compression molded plastics. 

MAJOR APPLICATIONS Blow molded bottles. Extruded film and sheets for food packaging, including blend, multilayer, and laminate with nylon 6, PET, and polyolefins. Monofilament for bristle and filter cloth. Glass fiber reinforced injection molding materials used to make parts for the automotive, machine, electrical/electronic, civil engineering, sports, and other industries as a metal substitute. 

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