Glass fiber is the name given to the substance produced from very thin glass wires that are melted through molds. Traditional composite GRP parts are obtained by reinforcing
glass fiber with polyester or vinyl ester resins with different methods.
The best feature of glass fiber is that it is light. Since they have a light structure, they are
easy to apply and can be used in many areas. If we look at the properties of glass fiber, the prominent features are;
• They do not burn, but they soften at high temperatures due to their low thermal resistance.
• When used as a reinforcement element, they show resistance to chemical substances to which they may be exposed.
• Glass fibers cannot conduct electricity. Although this may seem like a disadvantage at first, when we change our point of view, we see that it is a material that we can use in places where electricity should not be transmitted. We can also think of it as a kind of insulation material.
• Glass fibers are frequently used in roofs and exterior coatings of buildings. The underlying reasons for this are their resistance to mold, rust, wind, heat and cold.
• The fact that this material is long-lasting and requires virtually no maintenance are some of the factors that make this material important.
Areas of Use
Glass fibers are especially used in building facades. Recently, they are used as a building material because it is more durable than steel. Since it is a durable material against factors such as wind, heat and cold, it can also be used in wall coverings.
Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP), composite material obtained by combining glass fiber and a carrier matrix resin, is used in many fields such as electricity-electronics, defense and industry.
Electricity poles are at the forefront of the areas where this material is used. GRP is used in many electricity poles. This is because the material is an excellent electrical insulator. Thanks to this feature, GRPs are also used in the field of renewable energy, and there are GRPs on both the carrier part and the wings of the wind poles.
GRPs can mostly be used as carrier panels in buildings. Prefabricated houses can also be created with these panels. GRP, which is known to protect facades, is also used to protect concrete and is used in covering bridges and subway stations.
Glass fiber is used as a fiber optic cable in communication, taking advantage of its ability to transmit the coded information by modulating the light, keeping it in the middle of the fiber and preventing it from leaking out, without weakening the light.
Another area where GRPs used is the traffic signs on the sides of the roads. GRP material is used as side struts, traffic signs, light curtains, overhead signs and sound insulation walls that prevent noise pollution by placing them on the edges of highways passing through the city, especially in urban and extra-urban highways.
We know that composite materials are frequently used in the Defense Industry. GRPs are also used in this area. Hulls of gunboats and minesweepers are made of GRP. This is because it does not create a magnetic field. This material is also frequently used in mine vault construction for the same reason.
Another area where FRPs are encountered in the Defense Industry is military aircraft.
CTPs constitute many parts of military aircraft. Because GRP is a light material, it is also utilized in racing cars. The lightness of a car is important in terms of both engine power and fuel economy.
Since speed and engine power are important in racing cars, GRPs are used. In the transportation sector, apart from racing cars, GRPs are also used in the body parts of railways and train wagons. The use of CTP in the repair of wagons provides great convenience.
Another place where CTP came across is; are pools. FRP is used both in the Olympic pools and in the pools in our house.
References:
https://kompozit.org.tr/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/
CTP-Uyguluma-Ornekler.pdf
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_elyaf%C4%B1
https://www.etien.com.tr/ctp-nedir/
https://www.compositesworld.com
