hi guys, as previously requested, i'm posting this thread about fiberglass basics... hope you guys enjoy it and benefit from it 🙂
(mods, maybe a new sub-forum for fiberglass?)
First... Wikipedia describes Fiberglass as:
Fiberglass (or fibreglass) (also called glass-reinforced plastic, GRP,[1] glass-fiber reinforced plastic, or GFRP[2]) is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK (for German: Glasfaserverstärkter Kunststoff).
Fiberglass is a lightweight, extremely strong, and robust material. Although strength properties are somewhat lower than carbon fiber and it is less stiff, the material is typically far less brittle, and the raw materials are much less expensive. Its bulk strength and weight properties are also very favorable when compared to metals, and it can be easily formed using molding processes.
The plastic matrix may be epoxy, a thermosetting plastic (most often polyester or vinylester) or thermoplastic.
simply said... fiberglass is a process of laying down fiberglass mat with resin mixed with hardener to create a stiff or semi-flexible laminate that is impervious to weathering and corrosion.
Basic Materials needed are as follows:
Resins:
This is the chemical used to create the bond between laminates/layers of fiberglass mats. Resins are mixed with hardener and/or cobalt for faster curing time. Care should be taken in mixing cobalt and hardener (by themselves) as the resulting chemical reaction causes fire and/or mild explosion. There are varieties of resin to be had. The most commonly used (and is considered general purpose resin) is the Semi-Flexible resin.
Fiberglass Reinforcement
this is the material used to add strength and rigidity on the resin. Different Fiberglass mats is used for specific application as follows:
1. Chopped Strand Mat - a multi-purpose fiberglass mat used for most application including cars, appliances, etc.
2. Woven Roving Mat - offers more strength than Chopped Strand Mat. Used primarily on boat hulls and other heavy duty application. Harder to contour to sharp angled molds and form
3. Carbon Fiber Mat - Used for the most demanding application such as tactical helmets, etc
Re: Fiberglass Basics
Resin Additives
These are chemical(s) added to resin for specific applications:
1. Hardener
added to resin (up to 10% by volume) which accelerates the curing (hardens) process of the resin in 1 to 2 hours (depending on the amount of styrene added)
2. Cobalt Octate
Purple-colored accelerator will show user if it has been properly mixed into the resin. Use .2%-.5% per resin weight. Further accelerates the curing process (although styrene is normally enough to achieve proper curing).
3. Styrene Monomer
Dissolves basic resin. When added with cobalt, mixture becomes a pre-mixed resin
Colorants
Generally there are two basic colorants commonly used. Toners and Dyes.
1. Toners - to achieve a non-transluscent coloring of the resin.
2. Dyes - used to achieve a transluscent color effect on the resin (see-thru)
Fillers
These are materials added to the resin (prior to adding hardener) for specific application.
1. Stop-Sag - Used (as the name implies) stop the sagging of resin when applied on a mold. This is also used primarily in the application of gel-coats. This material is light-weight and does not add any noticeable weight on the finished product.
2. Talc Powder - Used the same way as stop-sag, only it adds considerable weight to the resin. used primarily as a putty when combined with fibers from chopped strand mat.
Is premix and styrene enough to be applied to woven roving mat?
I was mixing these two but it take two days to cure, is something missing[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"custom","src":"http://pinoyhandyman.com/core/image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw=="}[/IMG2] âââââââ
ang pagkakatimpla ay hindi proporyon...
[COLOR="Blue"]Putting two pieces of metal together so they stay together - Bigote
[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Use the right tool for the right job!
hello po..tanong ko lng kung pwede mag fiberglass sa rough na pagka finishing ng concrete...yung concrete roof gutter kasi nmin nag leleak balak kong patungan nlng ng fiberglass po pra makasigurado na wala ng leak..salamat
