Structure and Properties of Glass Fiber

BySalman Hassan

Muhammad Rahman Sajid

Glass Fiber

Introduction:• Glass fiber is also called as Fiberglass.• Glass Fiber is special purpose synthetic fiber.• Glass is the oldest, and most familiar, performance fiber. • It is made from extremely fine fibers of glass.• Fibers have been manufactured from glass since the 1930s.

Structure:

• Glass describes range of material made by fusing together one or more of the oxides of silicon, boron or phosphorus with certain oxide like potassium, magnesium, calcium.

• Basic part of Glass fiber is Silica “SiO2”.

• In its pure form, it exists as polymer, (SiO2)n.

Structure:

• In the polymer it forms SiO4 groups which are configured as a tetrahedron with the silicon atom at the center, and four oxygen atoms at the corners. These atoms then form a network bonded at the corners by sharing the oxygen atoms

Chemical Composition of Glass Fiber:

Properties:

Dimensional Stability:

Glass fiber is a dimensionally stable engineering material. Glass fiber does not stretch or shrink after exposure to extremely high or low temperatures.

Moisture Resistance:

Glass fibers do not absorb moisture or change physically or chemically when exposed to water. 

Properties:

Specific Gravity:

E glass fiber has a specific gravity of 2.54 and S glass has 2.49.

High Strength:

The high strength-to-weight ratio of glass fiber makes it a superior material in applications where high strength and minimum weight are required.

Properties:

Thermal Properties:

Glass has an excellent resistance to the effects of heat over a wide range of temperature. Glass is completely inflammable and this is the important factors in its textile application.

Electrical Properties:

Glass fiber is an excellent material for electrical insulation and it has important use in the electric field. E glass made for this purpose.

Properties:

Chemical Properties:

Glass has a excellent resistant to most of the chemicals.It is attacked by alkalis and also by some strong mineral acids and by phosphorous acid.

Effect of Organic Solvent:

Glass fiber is not attacked by organic solvents.

Properties:

Optical Properties:

Refractive index of glass will range from approximately 0.003 to 0.006. Glass is transparent medium and opaque towards ultra violet transmission.

Radiation Properties:

E Glass and S-2 Glass fibers have excellent resistance to all types of nuclear radiation. Alpha and beta radiation have almost no effect, while gamma radiation and neutron bombardment produce a 5 to 10% decrease in tensile strength.

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