Comparison between Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber

Fiber fabric and the resin are the general two parts of composite materials, with the physical properties of the material being fiber dominant. What that means is, when the resin and fiber are combined, their performance will primarily depend upon the fiber used. Test data shows that the fiber reinforcement is the component that will carry the majority of the load within the composite. So what does that mean? Well. Simply put, what fabric you choose is going to matter.

The two most common types of fabric in the industry are fiberglass, and carbon fiber. Both have a wide assortment of usages, and are extremely versatile. How do the two weigh up against each other? While comparing the two, Keep in mind, both fiberglass and carbon fiber will vary depending on the fabric you choose. A lightweight 2 oz Fiberglass Fabric will not have the durability of the more structural 10 oz Fiberglass Fabric. Additionally, the weave of the fabric and the resin used will have a large impact on the strength and properties of your composite product. 

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is the most widely used fiber in the industry, and with good reason. Fiberglass is versatile, easy to handle and relatively inexpensive compared to its counterparts. Fiberglass is perfect for every day projects that are not expected to need the added strength and durability of higher priced fabrics. Fiberglass is compatible with most resins, and comes in a multitude of patterns and weaves.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber is far and away the premium end for composite materials. With excellent ultimate tensile strength, along with the greatest compressive, flexural, and bend strength in the industry, carbon fiber is the go to on projects that need to be built tough. Carbon Fiber is ideal for projects that need that added “umph” of strength, so long as you can handle the corresponding “umph” to your wallet. With its distinctive design look, carbon fiber is a popular choice in a multitude of industries, including the automotive and aerospace sectors.

More information regarding fiberglass, please visit chopped strand mat manufacturer-wbcomposites.com

Glass Fiber VS Carbon Fiber

Glass Fiber and carbon fiber are widely used in composites these years. So what’s the difference between them?

WEIGHT

Glass Fiber Carbon Fiber Comparison So how do the two match up, against each other? For one,  Glass Fiber fabric is much less efficient in it’s density, when compared to it’s composite counterparts. While Glass Fiber is still significantly lighter than conventional materials (wood, steel, etc) for it’s given strength, on weight critical projects carbon fiber will preform much better as a reinforcement.

STRENGTH AND DURABILITY

Similarly, carbon fiber will outperform Glass Fiber in it’s tensile strength (the amount of force that needs to be placed on a fiber in order to pull it apart) and compressive strength (the amount of force that presses down on a fiber). However, Glass Fiber is more “durable” in that you can bring Glass Fiber near to it’s breaking point repeatedly without much cause for concern, unlike carbon fiber.

MODE OF FAILURE

Additionally, once carbon fiber reaches it’s breaking point, the mode of failure is catastrophic (it will fracture/shatter the piece.) Glass Fiber on the other hand, will develop cracks or deform before it breaks.

COST

Unfortunately, due to the nature of carbon fibers, it is much more expensive compared to its counterparts. So if your project isn’t weight dependent, and won’t need the excellent strength that comes from carbon fiber, Glass Fiber is a great choice to go with. 

This article is from fiberglass chopped strand mat manufacturer wbcomposites.com .

Use GRP for Antwerp Zoo Aquarium’s Renovation

Antwerp Zoo has used these materials for making moulds and grids as part of the renovation work carried out in the aquarium. Thanks to the outstanding properties of glass fibre reinforced plastics they can be used for a wide range of applications.

Glass fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) are composite materials made from glass fibres and resin, where the (glass) fibres give the material its strength and the resin provides resistance to chemicals. Moreover, this combination of materials results in a strong, lightweight material, which is suitable for a wide range of applications, also in salt water environments.

The Antwerp Zoo aquarium is over a hundred years old, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Naturally it has been renovated a number of times, including recently. The time taken to complete the renovation was three years. Glass fibre reinforced plastic played a significant role in this extensive project.

The new, large tank at the rear of the building is the culmination of the entire renovation project and was designed to become the main attraction and crowd-puller for visitors to the aquarium. The tank is 12 metres wide, 6 metres long and 4.5 metres in height. In order to accurately replicate the biotope of the fish, the initial idea was to create a coral reef using blocks of moonstone. But because this was going to weigh approximately 35,000 kilograms, an alternative had to be found. Glass fibre reinforced plastic provided the solution.

It was decided to make the ground structure from plastic with glass fibre reinforced plastic grids fitted on top, over which coral moonstones could be laid. This resulted in the total weight of the structure being reduced to 10,000 kilograms. The second important reason for using a glass fibre reinforced plastic structure was that the tank had to be filled with salt water. This ruled out using metal components. 

Therefore the glass fibre reinforced plastic structures provided the ideal solution. The entire FRP structure is kept in place with plastic anchors and bolts. The grids are fixed to the load-bearing structure by way of a nylon rope.

For the very same reasons, glass fibre reinforced plastic has been used for parts of the aquarium not visible to the visitors. All the tank covers in the aquarium building are also made from FRP.