How to Choose the Resin

Resin selection can vary from fabric compatibility, service conditions, and desired characteristics of the finished part. There are generally three types of thermosetting resin to consider when approaching your project: Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, and Polyester. Let’s take a look at each of the choices, their characteristics, and what they should be used for.

1. Epoxy Resin

For composite parts that demand the ultimate strength, fabricators will use an Epoxy Resin. In addition to increased strength properties, epoxies also generally outperform polyester and vinyl ester for dimensional stability and increased bonding with other materials.

Pros: 

Epoxy Resin, High Strength Properties, Can be used in vacuum infusion applications, Easy to handle, Medium viscosity

Cons: 

Cannot be used with chopped strand mat

Not UV stable. This must be paired with a top coat when exposed to UV rays

2. Polyester Resins

Polyester Resins are the most widely used resins in the composites industry. Polyester Resins are less expensive, offer some corrosion resistance, and are more forgiving than epoxies. The majority of all fiberglass parts are constructed using Polyester Resins because they are easy to use, fast curing, and tolerant of temperature and catalyst extremes. Fibre Glast carries two different types of Polyester Resins, each with their own strengths and uses.

POLYESTER MOLDING RESIN

Pros:

Inexpensive, Easy to handle, Rapid wet-out, High thixotropic index (product won’t run on vertical surfaces)

Cons:

lower physical properties compared to more expensive resins

ISOPHTHALIC POLYESTER RESIN

Pros:

Dimensionally stable (minimal shrinkage), resists post cure problems, can be used in food contact applications

Cons:

Slightly more expensive than general purpose polyester resins

3. Vinyl Ester Resin

Vinyl Ester Resin is considered a hybrid of polyester and epoxy—meaning its handling characteristics, properties, and price generally fall just between the other two. It is important to note that, Of the three, vinyl ester resin will provide the highest corrosion resistance, temperature resistance and elongation (toughness.) Because of this, they are typically used when high durability, thermal stability, and corrosion resistance is needed.

Pros:

Vinyl Ester Resin, Extremely tough, corrosion resistant, heat resistant

Cons:

Short shelf life (3 months)

A Simple Female Mold Construction with Fiberglass

Composite materials offer ability to be molded to complex shapes is perhaps the most popular. When a shape needs to be reproduced numerous times, it is most efficient to build a tool or mold within which the part can be fabricated. Molded parts emerge perfectly shaped every time and require little post-finishing work.

Molding or “stamping” has been used for years to shape metal products like car bodies, home appliances, and industrial fixtures. Metal stamping dies are cumbersome and cost thousands of dollars to produce. Only large companies can afford to build, operate, store, or even move these tools. Composite materials offer a cost effective way for anyone to make even large production runs of identical plastic parts in molds they can produce themselves.

Female molds or cavity molds offer numerous advantages for medium to large production runs. Finishing time is significantly reduced because every part emerges with a smooth outer surface.

PRODUCTS FOR MOLD CONSTRUCTION 

Duratec Gray Surfacing Primer

Modeling Clay

Parting Wax

PVA Release Film

Tooling Gel Coat

Chopped Strand Mat

Tooling Fabric

Woven Roving

10 oz Fabric

Polyester Molding Resin

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.

WHY CHOOSE FIBERGLASS POOLS

Fiberglass Pools are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional (concrete) pools. Choosing an Fiberglass Pool is an environmentally responsible choice.

Fiberglass Pools have low embodied energy. Embodied energy is defined as “the total energy required to produce a product from the raw materials through delivery”.

Fiberglass Pools are a great insulator against heat and cold. Fiberglass helps to conserve energy while reducing operating cost.

Fiberglass Pools are made from super durable materials with an indefinite life cycle. This eliminates replacement cost and expensive repairs. You won’t find fiberglass Pools going into a land fill like a broken out concrete structure.

Fiberglass Pools’ main ingredient is fiberglass and fiberglass chopped strand mat which is made from sand that is an abundant resource.

Fiberglass Pools use less chlorine and other chemicals due to the inert smooth interior finish as compared to concrete pools.

Fiberglass Pools do not emit chemicals into the pool water or the soil behind it. Concrete pools emit alkaline, calcium, lye, and other chemicals into the pool water and adjacent soils.

So make your next pool a Fiberglass Pool that will provide your family with a lifetime of enjoyment and will be a beautiful addition to your yard. It will also be an environmentally sustainable green product that will not hurt our precious environment.

Composites Keep Building from Falling in Seismic Events

Concrete buildings are losing the battle against nature’s fury – earthquakes. Although they appear sturdy, older concrete buildings are vulnerable to the sideways movement of a major earthquake. Los Angeles officials have known about the dangers for more than 40 years but have failed to force owners to make their properties safer. Therefore, university researchers compiled a list of potentially dangerous concrete buildings within the city. Their findings point to the fact that society needs to deal with retrofitting structures.

So what does this have to do with FRP composites?  Well, everything.

Since the late 1980’s, when glass fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites were first applied as external strengthening systems to rehabilitate and repair reinforced concrete, the construction industry has embraced these materials as an important tool in the engineers toolbox. Numerous structures have been seismically retrofitted with glass and carbon FRP composites ranging from transportation structures (columns, girders, slabs) to building structures (columns, beams, walls, floors). Both reinforced concrete and unreinforced masonry are the targets.

There are still many more structures that need to be fixed and the market potential is huge. The big challenge is where do society, federal, state, city, county and other local governments find the money to keep the public safe in seismic events. What we do know is this; there is design guidance out there provided by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) on how to design with FRP composites to repair concrete and masonry. There will soon be additional design guidance provided for seismic applications and there are a number of companies already offering these materials and products. Thousands of installations show composites are an engineered solution.