Glass  Fibers are derived from minerals like sand, kaolin, calcite, and colemanite, melted at temperatures ranging between 1,400°C and 1,500°C to form fibers. The composition of the glass mixture determines the type of fiber produced:

Type E (E-glass, electrical glass): Low alkaline content, acts as an electrical insulator, with good tensile and flexural strength. Widely used for reinforcing plastics due to its excellent cost-benefit ratio.

Type C (C-glass, chemical glass): Possesses good chemical resistance, ideal for applications in corrosive environments including acids and alkalines.

ECR type (ECR-glass): Offers excellent chemical resistance, recommended for use in acidic environments such as tanks and pipes.

Type S: Boasts high mechanical properties, making it suitable for aerospace, ballistics, and armor applications.

Type AR (AR-glass, Alkali-resistant glass): Known for its exceptional alkaline resistance, it is utilized for reinforcing various cementitious materials like concrete, mortar, and prefabricated materials. Used in the form of structural rebar, mesh, roving, and chopped fibers.

Glass  Fibers play a significant role as reinforcement materials in both thermosets and thermoplastics within the plastics industry. Introduced to the market in the 1940s, they have facilitated the expanded use of plastics in applications previously dominated by metals and alloys. Key characteristics of glass fibers include outstanding mechanical properties, low density (specific weight of 2.55 g/cm³ for Type E), minimal coefficient of thermal expansion, ease of processing, and cost-effectiveness compared to other high-performance reinforcing fibers.

Types of Fiberglass

Rovings:

Rovings consist of cylindrical coils formed by continuous fiberglass filaments rolled parallel without twisting. They are known for their ease of cutting, quick penetration and wettability by laminating resin, excellent dispersion, settling, forming, and rolling. Density is determined by 1 tex = 1g/km, meaning 4000 tex equals 4000g/km. Recommended for general use in spray-up, Continuous Lamination, Pultrusion, and Filamentary Winding.

CSM – Chopped Fiber Blankets:

CSM, or Chopped Fiber Blankets, are formed by cutting glass fibers, distributing the filaments uniformly and randomly, then agglutinating them with a high solubility binder in styrene monomer. This makes them compatible with polyester, stervinyl, and epoxy resins, enabling the formation of laminates with isotropic properties. These blankets are mainly recommended for Manual Lamination, Continuous Lamination, vacuum, RTM, and injection processes.

Woven-Roving Fabrics (Bi-directional):

Woven-Roving Fabrics are composed of glass threads intertwined in both the 0° (warp) and 90° (weft) directions, with various weaving configurations such as screen or twill. Primarily recommended for Manual Lamination processes, they may also serve as specific reinforcements in other processes.

Multaxial Fabrics

Glass Fabrics are easily recognizable by their weaving configuration, where glass fibers are layered on different axes and sewn with polyester threads. They come in various formats, with directions including 0°, +45°, -45°, and 90°, as well as different weights. They can also be combined with a blanket or veil for improved surface finish.

The arrangement of glass fibers determines the direction and level of reinforcement in the laminate. They are available in the following formats:

Unidirectional: Offers high mechanical properties along one direction, either 0° or 90°.

Biaxial: Includes fibers oriented in two different directions, such as 0°/90° or +45°/-45°. This results in varying mechanical properties depending on the direction, with enhanced resistance to torsion.

Triaxial or Quadriaxial: Comprising three or four layers, respectively, oriented in different directions such as 0°, +45°, -45°, and 90°. These fabrics produce laminates with reduced weight and superior mechanical properties, particularly in bending and traction. They require less resin consumption for impregnation and can be coupled with chopped glass fiber blankets for better surface finish.

Recommended for various industrial processes, including Manual Lamination, Continuous Lamination, Pressing, RTM, Pultrusion, Infusion, as well as providing reinforcement in processes like Filament Winding.

Composite Moldable Resin Flow Mat

Composite Moldable Resin Flow Mat typically consist of one or two layers of chopped glass fiber blankets sewn to a synthetic non-woven core, usually made of Polypropylene (PP). This results in a highly effective reinforcement recommended for closed molding systems such as RTM, RTM Light, and Infusion. These blankets offer numerous advantages in processing: they are highly formable, leading to time and labor savings, possess high resilience which enhances surface quality, have high permeability facilitating resin flow, result in parts with good rigidity, offer a high repeatability index, and improve productivity.

Moreover, these mat can be supplied with coupled multiaxial fabrics, allowing for the production of parts with exceptional mechanical properties and superior surface finish.

Continuous Filament Mat – CFM

Continuous Filament Mat provided by Dymriton are manufactured from [content not available].

Glass Filament Mat:

Glass Filament Blankets are composed of continuous fibers , where glass filaments are oriented randomly into multiple layers and bonded together using a special chemical binder with low solubility. This binder is compatible with polyester, stervinyl, epoxy, phenolic, and polyurethane resins. These blankets are highly recommended for closed molding processes such as RTM, Pressing, Injection, Pultrusion, and Infusion. Specifically designed for the Pultrusion process, these blankets excel due to their high pulling resistance resulting from the low solubility binder used to agglutinate the filaments. Overall, Glass Filament Blankets offer several advantages, including increased mechanical properties, improved isotropic properties, enhanced resin flow, weight reduction, and ease of handling.

Surface Veils:

Surface veils are comprised of randomly dispersed glass fiber filaments bonded by styrene acrylic copolymer. They serve as protective barriers for laminates against harsh weather conditions and aggressive environments, while also providing a smooth surface finish and quick impregnation. Surface veils are available in different types of fiberglass filaments:

Type C: Resistant to alkaline and acid attacks, with a binder compatible with polyester and epoxy resins. Used as reinforcement in chemical protection barriers for composites, enabling the creation of a resin-rich layer and a strong bond with the structural laminate.

ECR Type: Used to reinforce gelcoats and enhance the performance of laminates made with epoxy resins or polyesters. The rapid wetting of the binder used in the veil facilitates molding processes.