Glass fibre and glass fibre reinforced plastic

Plastic, or GRP for short (glass-fibre reinforced plastic), is a fibre-plastic compound consisting of a synthetic material, e.g. duroplastic unsaturated polyester resin (UP) and glass fibres. The compound can also consist of phenol-formaldehyde resin (PF), silicon resin (SI), melamine resin (MF), polyester resin or polyamide and glass fibres.

A glass fibre is a long, thin fibre made of pure glass. Glass fibres are manufactured by drawing molten glass to form very thin threads (filaments). Amongst other things, glass fibres are used to make glass fibre cables for transmitting data, but they are mainly used in the form of roving or textile fabric for heat and sound insulation, and for the construction of glass fibre reinforced plastics. These are some of today's most important construction materials. They are resistant to aging and to the effects of the weather, they are chemically resistant and some are inflammable. Their high elasticity is used to significantly improve the mechanical characteristics of synthetic materials.

In other applications, glass fibre reinforced plastics are used exclusively as continuous fibres in woven fabrics or in UD (unidirectional) tapes.

• GRP made from woven or stitched fabric
• GRP made from rovings or unidirectional woven/stitched fabric (produced using the filament drawing method)
• Mixed forms of the above types

Examples of typical applications

• Vehicle manufacture: aviation, boat and shipbuilding, automobiles, two-wheel
• GRP insulation technology
• Glass fibre sound insulation, fire prevention
• Regenerative energy extraction: e.g. wind farms, model making
• Bath tubs, shower trays, wash basins, water slides
• Safety and protective clothing (e.g. fireman's helmets and motor sport helmets)
• Sports and leisure items

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• Fibre glass
• Automobile industry
• Model making

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