Contact DetailsSadhana Fibre Glass IndustriesMr. Samar Roy / Mr. Aurobinda Roy (Proprietor)No. 20, Mondal Ganthi Main Road, Kaikhali, V. I. P.Kolkata - 700052, West Bengal, India

Call Us:08373903643Mobile:+(91)-9830246693+(91)-9432215167Telephone:+(91)-(33)-25252214+(91)-(33)-25250461Fax:+(91)-(33)-25252214Email:info@sadhanafibre.comsfgikol@rediffmail.com

Glass fiberFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFor the common composite material reinforced with glass fibers, seeFiberglass.

Bundle of glass fibersGlass fiber(also spelledglass fibre) is a material consisting of numerous extremely finefibersofglass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling. In 1893,Edward Drummond Libbeyexhibited adressat theWorld's Columbian Expositionincorporating glass fibers with thediameterand texture ofsilkfibers. This was first worn by the popular stage actress of the timeGeorgia Cayvan. Glass fibres can also occur naturally, asPele's hair.Glass wool, which is commonly known as "fiberglass" today, however, was invented in 1938 byRussell Games SlayterofOwens-Corningas a material to be used asinsulation. It is marketed under the trade name Fiberglas, which has become agenericized trademark.Glass fiber is commonly used as an insulating material. It is also used as a reinforcing agent for manypolymerproducts; to form a very strong and lightfiber-reinforced polymer(FRP)composite materialcalledglass-reinforced plastic(GRP), popularly known as "fiberglass". Glass fiber has roughly comparable properties to other fibers such as polymers andcarbon fiber. Although not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle.Contents[hide] 1Fiber formation 2Chemistry 3Properties 3.1Thermal 3.2Tensile 4Manufacturing processes 4.1Melting 4.2Formation 4.3Continuous filament process 4.4Staple fiber process 5Safety 6Glass-reinforced plastic 7Uses 8Role of recycling in glass fiber manufacturing 9See also 10Notes and references 11External links

Fiber formation[edit]Glass fiber is formed when thin strands ofsilica-based or other formulation glass areextrudedinto many fibers with small diameters suitable fortextileprocessing. The technique of heating and drawing glass into fine fibers has been known for millennia; however, the use of these fibers for textile applications is more recent. Until this time, all glass fiber had been manufactured asstaple(that is, clusters of short lengths of fiber). The first commercial production of glass fiber was in 1936. In 1938Owens-Illinois Glass CompanyandCorning Glass Worksjoined to form theOwens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation. When the two companies joined to produce and promote glass fiber, they introduced continuousfilamentglass fibers.[1]Owens-Corning is still the major glass-fiber producer in the market today.[2]The types of glass fiber most commonly used are mainly E-glass (alumino-borosilicate glass with less than 1% w/w alkali oxides, mainly used for glass-reinforced plastics), but also A-glass (alkali-lime glass with little or no boron oxide), E-CR-glass (alumino-lime silicate with less than 1% w/w alkali oxides, has high acid resistance), C-glass (alkali-lime glass with high boron oxide content, used for example for glass staple fibers), D-glass (borosilicate glass with low dielectric constant), R-glass (alumino silicate glass without MgO and CaO with high mechanical requirements), and S-glass (alumino silicate glass without CaO but with high MgO content with high tensile strength).[3]Chemistry[edit]The basis oftextile-grade glass fibers issilica, SiO2. In its pure form it exists as apolymer, (SiO2)n. It has no truemelting pointbut softens up to 1200C, where it starts todegrade. At 1713C, most of themoleculescan move about freely. If the glass is extruded and cooled quickly at this temperature, it will be unable to form an ordered structure.[4]In the polymer it forms SiO4groups which are configured as a tetrahedron with thesiliconatom at the center, and four oxygen atoms at the corners. These atoms then form a network bonded at the corners by sharing theoxygenatoms.The vitreous andcrystallinestates of silica (glass andquartz) have similar energy levels on a molecular basis, also implying that the glassy form is extremely stable. In order to inducecrystallization, it must be heated to temperatures above 1200C for long periods of time.[1]

Molecular Structure of GlassAlthough pure silica is a perfectly viable glass and glass fiber, it must be worked with at very high temperatures, which is a drawback unless its specific chemical properties are needed. It is usual to introduce impurities into the glass in the form of other materials to lower its working temperature. These materials also impart various other properties to the glass that may be beneficial in different applications. The first type of glass used for fiber wassoda limeglass or A glass. It is not very resistant to alkali. A new type, E-glass, was formed; this is an alumino-borosilicate glass that isalkalifree (