One of the most useful synthetic materials in common usage right now is fiberglass. Although experimentations with early forms of fiberglass were being conducted hundreds of years ago, fiberglass as we know it today wasn't invented until the early 20th century. As the name would suggest, fiberglass is made from tiny slivers or "fibers" of glass. This versatile material is used in the manufacture of hundreds of products that we use on a daily basis. And yet, most of us don't really know how fiberglass is made.
The main ingredients in fiberglass are limestone, silica sand, and soda ash, although there are other ingredients used depending on the type of fiberglass being manufactured. Silica sand is the ingredient that is used as the glass former, while the other two ingredients help to lower the melting temperature of the material. Other ingredients would be added for enhancing other properties of the fiberglass. Once this batch has been prepared, it is fed into a furnace to be melted. In order to be formed into a fiber, the glass must be kept at an extremely high temperature. It is then transferred to a forming channel to be formed into fibers.
Depending on the type of fiber used, different forming processes may be employed. The glass may be formed directly into fibers or formed into glass marbles which are checked for imperfections and then fed through heat bushings where these marbles are formed into fine filaments. The process that comes next is dependant on what type of product the fiberglass is going to be used for. If a continuous filament is the desired result, the glass flows through the bushings where they are caught up by a high-speed winder. The winder pulls out the filaments while still molten and a chemical binder is applied.
If a staple-fiber is the desired result, jets of air will cool the fiberglass as it comes through the bushings. This causes them to break into lengths that will fall through lubricant onto a revolving drum to form a web. Another desired result might be glass wool. In this process, molten glass flows into a cylindrical container with small holes. The container spins, causing the molten glass to flow out of the holes. A blast of air or gas hits the molten glass turning it into fibers.
Whatever the process used, the result is a material that we come into contact with on a daily basis. Skateboards, surfboards, thermal insulation, fiberglass gratings, boat hulls, shingles, tent poles, high-strength fabrics, and hockey sticks are just a few of the products created from one of the most versatile synthetic materials available.
Author Resource:-
EPI (http://engpro.com/) specializing in VOC Abatement, Fiber Glass Gratings, Corrosion Control, Tower Internals and Water Treatment equipment for the Petrochemical & Marine Industries.
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