IntroductiontoComposite

Introduction
to Composite
MaterialsandStructures
NachiketaTiwari
Nachiketa
Tiwari
IndianInstituteofTechnologyKanpur

Lecture4
GlassFibers

Lecture Overview
LectureOverview
GlassFibers
AssociatedManufacturingProcesses
SizingandCouplingAgents
Sizing and Coupling Agents
PropertiesofDifferentTypesofGlassFibers

GlassFibers

Glassfibersaremostcommonlyusedfibers.Theycomeintwoforms:

Continuousfibers
Di
Discontinuousorstaplefibers
ti
t l fib

Chemically,glassissillicon dioxide(SiO2).Glassfibersusedforstructuralapplicationscomein
two flavours:
two
flavours :EEGlass,
Glass,andS
and SGlass.
Glass.EEglass
glassisproducedinmuchlargervolumesvis
is produced in much larger volumes visvis
visSS
glass.

Principaladvantages:
p
g

Limitations:

Lowcost
Highstrength

Poorabrasionresistancecausingreducedusablestrength
Pooradhesiontospecificpolymermatrixmaterials
Pooradhesioninhumidenvironments
dh i i h id
i

Glassfibersarecoatedwithchemicalstoenhancetheiradhesionproperties.Thesechemicals
are known as coupling
areknownas
couplingagents
agents.

Manyofcouplingagentsaresilane compounds

HowareGlassFibersMade?

Both,continuousandstapleformsofglassfibersareproducedbypartially
similar method
similarmethod.

Processofproducingcontinuousfibers:
Rawmaterials(sand,limestone,alumina)aremixedandmeltedinafurnaceat
approximately1260C.
Moltenglassthen:
Molten glass then :
Eitherflowsdirectlyintoafiberdrawingfacility.Thisprocessisknownasdirect
meltprocess.Mostoffiber glassintheworldisproducedthisway.
Orgetsformedintomarbles.Thesemarblesarelaterfused,anddrawnintofibers.
Or gets formed into marbles. These marbles are later fused, and drawn into fibers.

Forproducingcontinuousfibers,moltenglasspassesthroughmultiple
holes to form fibers These fibers are quenched through a light spray of
holestoformfibers.Thesefibersarequenchedthroughalightsprayof
water.Subsequently,fibersarecoatedwithprotectiveandlubricating
agents.

HowareGlassFibersMade?

Nextfibersarecollectedinbundlesknownasstrands.Eachstrandmay
h
havetypically204individualfibers.
t i ll 204 i di id l fib

Next,strandswoundonspools.Fibersinthesespoolsaresubsequently
Next,
strands wound on spools. Fibers in these spools are subsequently
processedfurthertoproducetextiles.

Staplefibersareproducedbypushinghighpressureairjetacrossfibers,as
theyemanatefromholesduringthedrawingprocess.

Thesefibers,aresubsequentlycollected,sprayedwithabinder,and
collectedintobundlesknownasslivers.

Thesesliversmaysubsequentlybedrawnandtwistedintoyarns.

SurfaceTreatmentofGlassFibers
Duringproduction,glassfibersaretreatedchemically.These
treatmentsareknownassizes.
Therearetwotypesofsizes:TemporaryandCompatible.
Temporarysizesareusedtoreducedegradationoffiberstrengthattributable
to abrasion of fibers due to interfiber
toabrasionoffibersduetointer
fiberfrictionduringfiberdrawingprocess.
friction during fiber drawing process
Theyarealsousedtobindfibersforeasyhandling.Theyaremadefrom
starchoils(starch,gelatin,polyvinylalcohol,etc.).Thesesizesinhibitgood
resinfiber
resin
fiberadhesion.Theyalsopromotemoistureabsorption.
adhesion. They also promote moisture absorption.
Duringcompositefabrication,thesesizesareremovedbyheatingthefibersat
340 C for 15 20 hours Post their removal these fibers are coated with
340Cfor1520hours.Posttheirremoval,thesefibersarecoatedwith
couplingagents(alsoknownasfinishes),whichpromoteresinfiberadhesion.
Theseagentsalsoinhibitdeterioratingeffectsofhumidityonthefiberresin
bond Many of these agents are organofunctional
bond.Manyoftheseagentsareorgano
functionalsilanes.
silanes

Composition&PropertiesofGlassFibers
p
p
TypicalChemicalCompositionofE&SGlassin%
SiO2
Al2O3
CaO
B2O3
MgO
Na2O
BaO
FeO
Others

54.3
15.2
17.2
8.0
4.7
0.6

64.2
24.8
0.01
0.01
10.3
0.27
0.2.0
0 21
0.21
0.03

ImportantPropertiesofGlassFibers
Property

EGlass

SGlass

S ifi
Specificgravity
it

2 54
2.54

2 49
2.49

Tensilestrength(MPa)

3450

4590

Tensilemodulus(GPa)
(
)

72

86

3to20

8to13

2.9

Diameterrange(microns)
CTE(permillionperC)

R f
References
1.

Analysis and Performance of Fiber Composites, Agarwal,

B D and
B.D.
d Broutman,
B t
L J.,
L.
J John
J h Wiley
Wil & Sons.
S

2
2.

Mechanics
M
h i off Composite
C
i Materials,
M
i l Jones,
J
R M.,
R.
M McGraw
M G
Hill.

3.

Engineering Mechanics of Composite Materials, Daniel, I.

M and Ishai,
M.
Ishai O.,
O Oxford University Press.
Press