Glass reinforcement

Properties Homopolymer Copolymer 20% glass-reinforced homopolymer 25% glass-reinforced copolymer 21% poly(tetrafluoroethylene)- filled homopolymer... 

Properties Heat- resistant Extrusion Heat- resistant High-impact Elame- retarded Platable 20% glass-reinforced... 

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. 

Almost all of the OX that is recovered is used to produce phthaUc anhydride. PhthaUc anhydride is a basic building block for plasticizers used in flexible PVC resins, for polyester resins used in glass-reinforced plastics, and for alkyd resins used for surface coatings. OX is also used to manufacture phthalonitrile, which is converted to copper phthalocyanine, a pigment. 

Glass-reinforced grades may require lower levels of flame retardants. 

Maleic anhydride itself has few, if any, consumer uses but its derivatives are of significant commercial interest (161). The distribution of end uses for maleic anhydride is presented in Table 9 for the year 1992 (182). The majority of the maleic anhydride produced is used in unsaturated polyester resin (see Polyesters, unsaturated). Unsaturated polyester resin is then used in both glass-reinforced appHcations and in unreinforced appHcations as shown in Table 10 (183). 

Flammability. PhenoHcs have inherently low flammabiHty and relatively low smoke generation. For this reason they are widely used in mass transit, tiinnel-building, and mining. Fiber glass-reinforced phenoHc composites are capable of attaining the 1990 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for total heat release and peak heat release for aircraft interior facings (1,70). 

Composites. The history of phenoHc resin composites goes back to the early development of phenoHc materials, when wood flour, minerals, and colorants were combined with phenoHc resins to produce mol ding compounds. In later appHcations, resin varnishes were developed for kraft paper and textile fabrics to make decorative and industrial laminates. Although phenoHcs have been well characterized in glass-reinforced composites, new developments continue in this area, such as new systems for Hquid-injection molding (LIM) and sheet-molding compounds (SMC). More compHcated composite systems are based on aramid and graphite fibers. 

The effect of temperature on properties can be seen in Figure 2, which shows the effect on modulus of increasing temperature of unmodified and glass-reinforced nylon-6,6. Impact strength, however, shows a steady increase with temperature as it does with moisture. 

Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether [1675-54-3] reacts readily with methacrylic acid [71-49-4] in the presence of benzyl dimethyl amine catalyst to produce bisphenol epoxy dimethacrylate resins known commercially as vinyl esters. The resins display beneficial tensile properties that provide enhanced stmctural performance, especially in filament-wound glass-reinforced composites. The resins can be modified extensively to alter properties by extending the diepoxide with bisphenol A, phenol novolak, or carboxyl-terrninated mbbers. 

Characteristic Cast resin Filled resin Glass-reinforced laminate Filament-wound laminate Pultmded profile... 

Cross-linked polyester composites have a relatively low coefficient of thermal conductivity that can provide beneficial property retention in thick laminates at high temperatures as well as remove the need for secondary insulation. The coefficient of thermal expansion of glass-reinforced composites is similar to aluminum but higher than most common metals. 

Gel coats are pigmented polyester coatings appHed to the mold surface and are an integral part of the finished laminate. Gel coats are used widely on hand lay-up and spray-up parts to enhance surface aesthetics and coloration as weU as to provide an abrasion-resistant waterproof surface that protects the underlying glass-reinforced stmcture. 

Thermoformed acryHc sheet is displacing gel coats in some bathtub appHcations spas have converted almost exclusively to formed acryHc sheet reinforced with glass-reinforced polyester laminations due to higher temperatures and higher stmctural requirements. 

Table 3. Heat Deflection Temperatures of Various Fiber Glass-Reinforced Engineering Materials ...

Small amounts of TAIC together with DAP have been used to cure unsaturated polyesters in glass-reinforced thermo sets (131). It has been used with polyfunctional methacrylate esters in anaerobic adhesives (132). TAIC and vinyl acetate are copolymerized in aqueous suspension, and vinyl alcohol copolymer gels are made from the products (133). Electron cure of poly(ethylene terephthalate) moldings containing TAIC improves heat resistance and transparency (134). 

Liquid polyalurninum chloride is acidic and corrosive to common metals. Suitable materials for constmction of storage and handling facilities include synthetic mbber-lined steel, corrosion resistant fiber glass reinforced plastics (FRP), ceramics, tetrafluoroethylene polymer (PTFE), poly(vinyhdene fluoride) (PVDF), polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVG). Suitable shipping containers include mbber-lined tank tmcks and rail cars for bulk shipment and plastic-lined or aH-plastic dmms and tote bins for smaller quantities. Except for aluminum chlorohydrates, PAG products are shipped as hazardous substances because of their acidity. 

Acids and alkaUes were used to decompose the fiber to cellulose. The alkaU digester process, developed in 1899, is stiU used. Fiber glass reinforcement must be removed mechanically before the mbber can be reclaimed. A highly efficient method involves hammer mills and reel beaters to separate the fiber from the mbber an air current subsequentiy drives off the fiber. 

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