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Fiberglass (composite)

Glass Fiber Properties

The glass fibers used in composite structures are of a much higher structural quality than the common "fiberglass insulation" used in homes. An individual structural glass fiber is both stiff and strong in tension and compression along its axis (consider the strength of a very short fiber).

Although the fiber may seem weak in compression, it is actually only the long aspect ratio of the fiber which makes it seem so; i.e., because a typical fiber is long and narrow, it buckles easily. A glass fiber, however, is weak in shear (across its axis). Therefore if a collection of fibers can be arranged permanently in a preferred direction within a material, and if the fibers can be prevented from buckling in compression, then that material will become preferentially strong in that direction.

In fiberglass composites, it is the plastic matrix that permanently constrains the structural glass fibers to give strength in compression. Fibers within a composite structure can be arranged with multiple layers and orientations in a way that will maximize strength or flex for a given part structure and orientation.

With chopped strand mat, this directionality is essentially an entire two dimensional plane; with woven fabrics or unidirectional layers, directionality of stiffness and strength can be more precisely controlled within the layup. Fiberglass components can be created in a "shell" type construction, a sandwich structure with a rigid structural foam interior, or built up into very thick and strong components with many layers of glass fiber.

Fiberglass components can be created in a "shell" type construction, a sandwich structure with a rigid structural foam interior, or built up into very thick and strong components with many layers of glass fiber.

Components can be created in a wide variety of shapes, limited only by the complexity and tolerances of the mold used for manufacturing the component.

Fiberglass Composite Properties

(table of information)

References