Tire materials fiberglass

What do bamboo stalks, mud bricks, steel-belted radial tires, fiberglass fishing rods, reinforced concrete, and the heat tiles on a space shuttle have in common The answer is that these materials are all composites. A composite is a material consisting of two or more components with overall properties different from and superior to either or any one of the individual components. For example, many pleasure boats today have hulls made of a composite material called reinforced plastic that contains glass, plastic, carbon, or some other type of fiber embedded in plastic. The composite material is stronger, more durable, and less dense than the fibers or plastics of which it is made. 

Sheet molding compounds (SMCs) and bulk molding compounds (BMCs) are tire dominant materials used in automotive applications. These composites of unsaturated polyester resin, fillers and fiberglass have advantages of high stiffness, heat resistance and low coefficient of expansion. Coupled with low creep resistance, which is a distinct advantage over tliermoplastic competition, and low-profile additives, which can yield Class A surfaces, these materials are well suited for applications from exterior body panels to under tire hood components. 

A tire is a textile-steel-rubber composite the steel and textile cords reinforce the rubber and are the primary load-carrying structures within the tire. Because of the performance demands of fatigue resistance, tensile strength, durability, and resilience, seven principal materials have been found suitable for tire application cotton, rayon, nylon, polyester, steel, fiberglass, and aramid the latter three materials find primary usage in the tire crown or belt region. 

For the tire industry, other materials have already been substituted for fiberglass. Steel tire cord is mainly used today in place of fiberglass in tire belt construction. 

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