Glass-Reinforced Plastics Still Doing Their Job
Glass-reinforced plastic is a building material that has been around for many decades. Also known as fiberglass, and by its initials in German as GFK, glass-reinforced plastic is a versatile and useful building product that has many applications. Fiberglass is lightweight and has both tensile and compressive strength without being brittle, and is frequently used in the making of boats, aircraft, automotive repair and roofing and other materials for building construction.
Glass-reinforced plastic is made from two basic parts. The glass fiber comes from silica, limestone and other minerals which are heated to melting and then extruded through a fine screen producing fibers. The weight of the fiber depends on the size of each filament, as well as how many are bundled together into a roving. These extruded fibers then come in rolls or sheets of different sizes, depending on the use, and can be cut with a pair of sheers or sharp knife.
The fiber sheets or rolls are then formed into a desired shape, or placed over a mold, and then coated with an epoxy, polyester or vinylester resin which hardens and stiffens the roving of glass fiber. When dry, the resin will hold the fiber mesh into whatever shape is was set in, and will have a surface which can be sanded or further finished. The epoxy mixture can have color added to create a final product with built in tint. Fiberglass can also be painted or stained after it has hardened, or left clear, to achieve the desired finish surface.
Fiberglass was first used during World War II, and replaced other materials for construction of strong, lightweight aircraft. By the 1950s, it had entered the mainstream construction material market, and began being used for boat and automobile construction and repair. Its weather resistant nature and adaptable surface properties also make it an ideal material for construction of water tanks, pipes for water and sewage, tub and shower enclosures, hot tubs and door covering skins. While carbon reinforced materials are making in-roads into territory once held by fiberglass, glass-reinforced plastic still has many uses and a long life ahead.
