Glass Fiber

By:Yashaswini.N Avnee.K.Patel

Introduction
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely
fine fibers of glass. Glass fibres can also occur naturally, as Pele's hair (Got from volcanic eruption.)* In 1893, Edward Drummond Libbey exhibited a dress at the World's Columbian Exposition incorporating glass fibers with the diameter and texture of silk fibers. This was first worn by the popular stage actress of the time Georgia Cayvan.

Peles Hair

 Georgia Cayvans dress made of glass fibre.Exhibited by Edward Drummond Libbey

Glass Fiber
Glass fiber is commonly used as an insulating material. It is also used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; to form a very strong and light fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) composite material called glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), popularly known as "fiberglass". Glass fiber has roughly comparable properties to other fibers such as polymers and carbon fiber. Although not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle.

 Glass fiber is formed when thin strands of silica-based or other formulation glass are extruded into many fibers with small diameters suitable for textile processing. The temperature plays an important role in the making of glass fibers. (resulting in various quality of glass fibers). It has no true melting point but softens up to 2000C, where it starts to degrade. At 1713C, most of the molecules can move about freely. If the glass is extruded and cooled quickly at this temperature, it will be unable to form an ordered structure. In order to induce crystallization, it must be heated to temperatures above 1200C for long periods of time.

Properties of Glass Fiber

Strength, Elasticity, heat resistance. By trapping air within them, blocks of glass fiber make good thermal insulation . The freshest, thinnest fibers are the strongest because the thinner fibers are more ductile. Because glass has an amorphous structure, its properties are the same along the fiber and across the fiber. Moisture is easily adsorbed, and can worsen microscopic cracks and surface defects.

Raw materials to make the Fiber

The basic raw materials for fiberglass products are a variety of natural minerals and manufactured chemicals. The major ingredients are silica sand, limestone, and soda ash. Silica sand is used as the glass former, and soda ash and limestone help primarily to lower the melting temperature.
Waste glass, also called cullet, is also used as a raw material.

Manufacturing process
The raw materials must be carefully weighed in exact quantities and thoroughly mixed together (called batching) before being melted into glass. The mixed material is passed through a furnace with a constant temperature of 2500 C.

Glass

Introduction
Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent. Silica (the chemical compound SiO2) is a common fundamental constituent of glass. In nature, vitrification of quartz occur when lightning strikes sand, forming hollow, branching rootlike structures called fulgurites.

Manufacturing process
The first step in the process is taking one of the rods and getting an amount of raw molten glass on the far end from the main furnace, which is kept at 2400 degrees

 The molten glass taken on the rod is then rolled on flat table top to shape the glass.

 The glass is heated in one of the smaller furnaces, a constant process which is repeated after almost every step in the creative process. The glass must stay hot in order to shape it.

 A Mould is used here to create the desired structure of the molten glass. You can see the resulting shape caused by the mold. Another tool is being used for more shaping.

 Air is blown into the rod to expand the shape of the glass. This is again shaped using special tools.

 The piece is finished and the artists are cutting the glass away from the rod by pouring water on the connection of the base and the rod.

 The rod is then cut or broken off from the product. This product is then kept into a slow cooler for 24 or 36 hrs.