FiBrEgLaSs

Materials AssingmentBy: David Wilksch

Manufacturing Processes;• Fibreglass is a material made up of extra fine

glass fibres bonded together by a resin.• Fibreglass is strong in tension and

compression, but weak in shear- across it axis. Fibreglass is a composite material and is formally

known as either;• Glass reinforced plastic• Fibre reinforced plastic/polymer

These two types have differing methods of construction

Manufacturing Processes;Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP);

• Made by using large furnaces to slowly melt the sand/chemical mix until it becomes liquid.

• Its then extruded through bundles of tiny orifices as small as 9 micro-metres thick, before getting sized with a chemical solution.

• They then get bundled together into rovings (process where filaments are spun into larger Ø threads before being implemented to a construction method, which includes....................

Manufacturing Processes;

GRP Construction Methods;• Hand lay up operation-(sheets of fibre

glass, wetted with resin, placed in mold and pressed with steel rollers)

• Spray lay up operation- similar to hand lay up, but resins and reinforcement are sprayed onto the mould with a chopper gun)

• Pultrusion- (fibres are pulled from spools and coated with resin, then heat treated and cut to length)

Manufacturing Processes;

GRP Mould Making Process;• A ‘plug’ or ‘buck’ (which is an exact

negative copy of the desired product to be made) is used.

• It is usually made out of ‘a certain type of foam’

• It then gets sprayed with a releasing agent and a coloured gel coat for a harder, durable finish

• After this point the mold is ready to be used in construction.

Manufacturing Processes;

Fibre Reinforced Plastic/Polymer (FRP);

• Is made up of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres

• The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon or arimid, while the polymer is a epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic.

• To make FRP there are 2 distinct processes..............................

Manufacturing Processes;

Fibre Reinforced Plastic/Polymer (FRP);

• Process 1- ‘The fibrous material is manufactured and formed’

• Process 2- ‘The fibrous material is bonded with the matrix during the molding process’

Manufacturing Processes;

Fibre Reinforced Plastic/Polymer (FRP);

Process 1- ‘The fibrous material is manufactured and formed’

• This can be achieved in both 2 and 3 dimensional oreintations.

• The main difference between the two methods is that the FRP is aligned along the X and Y axis for 2D, where for 3D the FRP is layed on the Z axis as well.

Manufacturing Processes;

Fibre Reinforced Plastic/Polymer (FRP);Process 2- ‘The fibrous material is bonded

with the matrix during the molding process’

• 4 main ways you can do this.Which are:• Weaving-(weaved as per Process 1) • Braiding-(fibres fed through mandrels that

vary in size. 45˚pattens possible unlike conventional weaving)

• Knitting-(Talk to your granny)• Stitching-(This too)

Manufacturing Processes;FRP Mould Making process;2 categories-• Composite- Uses ‘pre-preg’ FRP which

means plastics are fibre reinforced before being put through the mould

• Wet- Combines the fibre reinforcement and the matrix during the moulding process

• Some types of each are listed in the next slide................................................

Manufacturing Processes;

FRP Mould Making process;

Composite: Wet:Bladder Chopper gunCompression Filament WindingAutoclave/Vacumn bag

Pultrusion

Manufacturing Processes;• The two most popular types of fibreglass

are;• E-Glass- good insulation properties and

will maintain its properties up to 816 ˚C • S-Glass- high tensile strength, stiffer

than E glass and is the type to use if looking for max strength.

• Other variants include C-Glass (chemical resitant), T-Glass (American C-Glass), A-Glass (bottles made into fibreglass), AR-Glass (alkali resistant glass)

Uses;

• Insulation- thermal, electrical and general

• Door surrounds, window and over-door canopies, dormers, chimneys, coping systems, keystones and sills.

• Translucent roofing panels• FRP tanks for both rainwater and

sewerage• Pipes for drinking water, sewerage and

gas • Bath hobs, spas and pools

Defects;

Structural failure can occur in FRP materials when:

• Tensile forces stretch the matrix more than the fibres, causing the material to shear at the interface between matrix and fibres.

• Tensile forces near the end of the fibres exceed the tolerances of the matrix, separating the fibres from the matrix.

• Tensile forces can also exceed the tolerances of the fibres causing the fibres themselves to fracture leading to material failure.

Enviromentals;• Fibreglass has a few issues when the time

comes to bin the fibreglass product you may have.

• Its hard for fibreglass returned to a virginal state, because the fibres are difficult to separate from the matrix which faces the same challenges in separating it into usable plastic, polymers and monomers.

• Fibreglass does offer monetry and energy savings compared to its competition

• Bio plastics and UV-degradable plastics will help in the future though

Handling Recommendations;For fibreglass bats (glass-wool) there are a

few things to keep in mind when handling it;

Skin• Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing and

long pants. • Do not tape sleeves or pants at wrists or

ankles. • Wear gloves. • Do not scratch or rub your skin if fibre glass

particles accumulate on your skin. • When you finish, wash skin or shower with

mild soap and warm, running water.

Handling Recommendations;

Eyes• Wear safety glasses with side shields. • Do not rub your eyes while you are

working with fibreglass. Be sure to complete clean up before rubbing your eyes or scratching your skin.

Nose/Mouth/Throat• Wear a respirator

Handling Recommendations;

Installation & Clean-up• Do not handle fibreglass scrap more

than necessary. • Be organized in cleaning your work

area so that you dont spread fibres• Make sure all installed insulation is

never left exposed in an occupied area.

• Wash work clothes separately and wipe out washer after cycle is complete.

Australian Standards;

AS4859.1-Materials For Thermal Insulation

AS 4748-2001-Acoustic emission testing of fibreglass-insulated booms on elevating work platforms

AS 3999-1992-Thermal insulation of dwellings - Bulk insulation

AS 2764-2002-Fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) aluminium alloy gas cylinders - Hoop overwrapped

Bibliography;

• www.wikipedia.org• www.lungusa.org