Neat plastics have limited rigidity. To compete with metals it is possible to use reinforcement with fibres which induces an increase of the mechanical properties and HDT and reduces the tendency to creep under continuous loading. Also, it is possible to save costs in decreasing the material weight (and its cost) used to obtain the same stiffening.
This first paper concerns general aspects of fibre reinforcement and glass fibres.
A further paper will address high performance and sustainable fibres.
Reinforcement with fibres: Why?
The goal is:
* To increase the mechanical properties
* To improve the HDT
* To reduce the tendency to creep under continuous loading
* To save costs in decreasing the material cost used to obtain the same stiffening.
The main problems are:
* The risk of shortened length of the fibres broken during processing.
* The anisotropy due to the fibre orientation and settling.
Glass fibres are the most popular with 95 % of the consumption of fibres used for the reinforcement of plastics.
Aramid fibres and carbon fibres account for most of the last other 5 %.