The document discusses glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP), detailing their composition, properties, and applications across various industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. It explains the synthesis of plastics from organic molecules and categorizes them into thermoplastics and thermosets. Additionally, it includes a literature review on studies related to the mechanical properties of GFRP and its performance in various applications.

1. Glass Fiber Polymers & Plastics
Prepared By:
Sartaj Singh
M.E. – Mechanical
UID: 13MME1006

2. CONTENTS
1) Introduction
3) Glass and fiber structure
4) Information of Glass polymer
5) Information of Fiber Reinforced composite
6) Properties and application of GFRP
7) Literature Review

3. Introduction
 Glass Fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) (also fiber-reinforced
polymer) is a composite material made of a polymer reinforced
with fibers.
 The fibers are usually glass, carbon, aramid although other fibers
such as paper or wood have been sometimes used.
 GFRPs are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive, marine,
and construction industries.
 FRP also referred to as a fiber-reinforced polymer is a composite
material made of a polymer matrix and some reinforcing materials
 In FRP, material made up of polymer matrix which is discussed in
the next slide:

4.  Plastics : Plastics are synthetic materials, which means that they
are artificial, or manufactured. Synthesis means that "something is
put together," and synthetic materials are made of building blocks
that are put together in factories.
 The building blocks for making plastics are small organic molecules
- molecules that contain carbon along with other substances. They
generally come from oil (petroleum) or natural gas, but they can
also come from other organic materials such as wood fibers, corn,
or banana peels! Each of these small molecules is known as
a monomers because it's capable of joining with other monomers
to form very long molecule chains called polymers. The process to
do so is called polymerization.

5.  Crude oil, the unprocessed oil that comes out of the ground, contains
hundreds of different hydrocarbons, as well as small amounts of
other materials. The job of an oil refinery is to separate these
materials and also to break down (or "crack) large hydrocarbons into
smaller ones.
 A petrochemical plant receives refined oil containing the small
monomers they need and creates polymers through chemical
reactions.
 A plastics factory buys the end products of a petrochemical plant -
polymers in the form of resins - introduces additives to modify or
obtain desirable properties, then molds or otherwise forms the final
plastic products.

6.  Polymers are everywhere: Plastics are polymers, but polymers
don't have to be plastics. The way plastics are made is actually a
way of imitating nature, which has created a huge number of
polymers. Cellulose, the basic component of plant cell walls is a
polymer, and so are all the proteins produced in your body and
the proteins you eat. Another famous example of a polymer is
DNA - the long molecule in the nuclei of your cells that carries all
the genetic information about you.
 People have been using natural polymers, including silk, wool,
cotton, wood, and leather for centuries. These products inspired
chemists to try to create synthetic counterparts, which they have
done with amazing success.

7.  Thermoplastics :
Plastics are classified into two categories according to what
happens to them when they're heated to high
temperatures. Thermoplastics keep their plastic properties: They
melt when heated, then harden again when cooled. Thermo
sets, on the other hand, are permanently "set" once they're
initially formed and can't be melted. If they're exposed to enough
heat, they'll crack or become charred.
 80% of the plastics produced are thermoplastics and of these
Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene and Polyvinylchloride
(PVC) are the most commonly used (70%).

8. Thermoplastics
 Plastics that can be reshaped
 When ice is heated, it melts. When a thermoplastic object is heated,
it melts as well.
 The melted ice can be formed into a new shape, and it will keep that
shape when it's cooled. Similarly, a melted thermoplastic object can
be formed into a different shape, and it will keep that new shape
when it's cooled.

9.  THERMOSETS
Just as a raw egg has the potential to become a boiled egg, a fried
egg, and so on, thermosetting polymers have the potential to
become all sorts of different objects.
 Once an egg has been boiled, however, you can't make it into a fried
egg. In the same way, once a thermosetting plastic object has been
formed, it can't be remade into a different object.

10. GLASS
[3]
•Insulating material
•to form a very strong and light FRP composite
material called glass-reinforced plastic (GRP),
popularly known as "fiberglass“
•not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much
cheaper and significantly less brittle.

11. [5]
We talk about glass from time to time when we're discussing
polymers, especially when we're talking about composite
materials. Glass fibers are often used to reinforce polymers. But
what is this stuff called glass? We use it with polymers a lot,
obviously, but is glass itself a polymer? Before we tackle that
question, let's take a look at what glass is. The highest quality
glass has the chemical formula SiO2. But this is misleading. That
formula conjures up ideas of little silicon dioxide molecules,
analogous to carbon dioxide molecules. But little silicon dioxide
molecules don't exist.

13. Fiber-Reinforced Composites [8]
 Fiber-reinforced composites are composed of axial
particulates embedded in a matrix material. The objective of
fiber-reinforced composites it to obtain a material with high
specific strength and high specific modulus. (i.e. high
strength and high elastic modulus for its weight.) The strength
is obtained by having the applied load transmitted from the
matrix to the fibers. Hence, interfacial bonding is important.
 Classic examples of fiber-reinforced composites include
fiberglass and wood.
 Fiber Geometry
Some common geometries for fiber-reinforced composites
are discussed in the next slide:

14. Aligned
The properties of aligned fiber-reinforced composite materials are highly
anisotropic. The longitudinal tensile strength will be high whereas the
transverse tensile strength can be much less than even the matrix tensile
strength. It will depend on the properties of the fibers and the matrix, the
interfacial bond between them, and the presence of voids.

15. Random
This is also called discrete, (or chopped) fibers. The strength will not be
as high as with aligned fibers, however, the advantage is that the
material will be isotropic and cheaper.

16. Woven
The fibers are woven into a fabric which is layered with the matrix
material to make a laminated structure.

17. Polymers in Automobiles

18. Overview
 Plastics vs. Metals
 Polymer Applications in Automobiles
- Instrument Panels
- Engine
- Windows
- Tires
- Body Panels

19. Why use plastics?
 Compete with other materials based on:
◦ Weight savings
◦ Design flexibility
◦ Parts consolidation
◦ Ease of fabrication

20. Polymers used
Car Part Polymer
Trim Panels (3) Polypropylene (PP)
Impact Absorber Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO)
Radio Housing ABS/Polycarbonate(PC)
Door Outer Panel ABS/Polycarbonate(PC)
Handle Polypropylene (PP)
Fog Light Cover Thermoplastic Elastomeric
Olefin (TEO)
Tire Elastomers

21. Body Panels
 Plastic Body Panels -
Chevy Corvette since
1953
Sheet Steel - still most commonly used for vehicle body structure
Aluminum - weighs less but costs more
Plastics - increasingly used for metals parts replacement

22. Choosing a material:
1. Cost
2. Flexural Modulus
3. Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
4. Chemical Resistance
5. Impact Resistance
6. Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT)

23. Advantage of plastics
• Better color match
• Incorporate in
existing facilities
• Assembly line
temperatures exceed
200oC
Alloys:
Polyphenylene ether/polyamide
ABS/Polyesters
ABS/Polycarbonates
• Larger choice in
materials
• Additional steps
take time
• More plastics will
enter the market as
assembly lines are
redesigned

24. •Low coefficient of
expansion
•High dimensional stability
•High tensile strength
•High heat stability
•Better abrasion and wear
resistance
•Better toughness and
impact strength

25. •Aerospace
•Missile tech
•Automotives
•High speed machinery
•Equipment parts
•Coolers
•Office cabins
•Room insulations
In aerospace industries many of the
parts are of glass fiber [9]
car bodies and some parts
[10]
In missile work [11] Room insulation [12]
In high speed machinery like
Quilting machines [13]

26. LITERATURE
REVIEW

27. Daiane Romanzini VOL . 15 (2012) [L1]
Preparation and characterization of ramie-glass fiber reinforced
polymer matrix hybrid composites
This study aims to verify changes in chemical composition and
thermal stability of the ramie fibers after washing with distilled
water. One additional goal is to study glass fiber and washed ramie
fiber composites focusing on the effect of varying both the fiber
length (25, 35, 45 and 55 mm) and the fiber composition. The
overall fiber loading was maintained constant (21 vol.%). Based on
the results obtained, the washed ramie fiber may be considered as
an alternative for the production of these composites. The higher
flexural strength presented being observed for 45 mm fiber length
composite, although this difference is not significant for lower glass
fiber volume fractions: (0:100) and (25:75). Also, by increasing the
relative volume fraction of glass fiber until an upper limit of 75%,
higher flexural and impact properties were obtained.

28. Christopher Wonderlya, VOL . 36 (2005)
Comparison of mechanical properties of glass fiber and carbon fiber
Glass and carbon fiber composite laminates were made by vacuum infusion of
vinyl ester resin into bi axially knitted glass and carbon fiber fabrics. The
strengths of the glass and carbon fiber specimens in tension, compression,
open hole tension, open hole compression, transverse tension, indentation and
ballistic impact were compared. The carbon fiber laminates proved
mechanically superior under loading conditions where the strength is mainly
fiber dominated, i.e. under tensile loading and indentation. The ratio of the
carbon fiber laminate strength to the glass fiber laminate strength, for
laminates of equal thickness, was similar to the ratio of the fiber tensile
strengths. The glass fiber laminates were equally strong or stronger under
loading conditions where the strength is mainly resin dominated, i.e.
compressive loading and ballistic impact. In the carbon fiber specimens, the
failure was in general more localized and the strengths had more scatter than in
the glass fiber specimens.

29. Sang-Su Ha et al VOL . 34 (2012)
Bond fiber-reinforced polymer bars in unconfined concrete strength of
glass
In this study, 35 flexural tests of beams and slabs were carried out to
experimentally determine the bond strength of spliced GFRP bars with no
transverse reinforcement. The test variables included splice length, cover
thickness, and bar spacing. The splice lengths were relatively large to test realistic
splice lengths used in the field (longer than 30db in most tests). In addition, four
beams with conventional steel rebar splices were also tested to compare
theirbond strengths with those of the GFRP bars. Test results showed that the
bond strengths of the specimenswith GFRP bars were lower than those of the
steel rebars. Although the average bond strength of the GFRPbars decreased with
increasing splice length and decreasing cover thickness/bar spacing, the
bondstrength of the long splice increased when c/dbP2.5, in which c denotes the
smaller of the minimumconcrete cover and 1/2 of the bar clear spacing. Two
equations for predicting the average bond strengthof GFRP bars in unconfined
concrete are proposed based on the regression analysis of the 33 test results
from the beams and slabs that failed by concrete splitting.

30. Lin Ye et all VOL . 55 (2013)
Effect of Fiber particles on interfacial properties of carbon fiber–
epoxy composite
This study assessed the effect of rigid nanoparticles on fiber–matrix
adhesion in fiber-reinforced polymer composites by means of a transverse
fiber bundle (TFB) test method with the fiber bundle transversely embedded
in the middle of the TFB specimens. Fracture surfaces of the TFB specimens
were examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmitting electron
microscopy to identify dispersion and morphologies of nanoparticles on and
near the fiber–matrix interfaces. A finite element analysis was conducted to
identify the distribution and magnitude of the thermal residual stresses
within the TFB specimen to correlate the TFB tensile strength with the
fiber/matrix interfacial strength. The coefficient of thermal expansion and
cure volume shrinkage of matrices with different amounts of particles were
experimentally evaluated and were included in the FE simulation. Results
showed that the addition of nanosilica particles in the epoxy matrix did not
noticeably affect the interfacial bonding behavior between fibers and matrix.

31. A. Kalali, M.Z. Kabir VOL . (19) 2 (2012)
Cyclic behavior of perforated masonry walls strengthened with glass
fiber reinforced polymers
In this experimental study, the cyclic behavior of six, one-half scale, perforated
unreinforced brick walls, before and after retrofitting, using Glass Fiber Reinforced
Polymers (GFRPs), is investigated. The walls were built using one-half scale solid clay
bricks and cement mortar to simulate the traditional walls built in Iran during the last 40
years of the 20th century. These walls had a window opening at their center. One brick
wall was unreinforced and considered a reference specimen. Three walls were directly
upgraded after construction using GFRPs. The fifth wall was first strengthened and
tested. Then, the seismically damaged specimen was retrofitted, using GFRPs, and tested
again. Each specimen was retrofitted on the surface of two sides. All specimens were
tested under constant gravity load and incrementally increasing in-plane loading cycles.
During the test, each wall was allowed to displace in its own plane. The key parameter
was the strengthening configuration including the cross layout, grid layout, and combined
layout. Strengthening by means of GFRPs significantly improved the strength,
deformation capacity, and energy absorption of the brick wall. The increase in
performance parameters was dependent upon GFRP layout.

32. References
 http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v10/n4/fig_tab/nmat2978_F1.html
 http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/glass.htm
 http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/chemistry/plastics/readmore.html
 http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~wkaufmyn/ENGN45/Course%20Handouts/14_CompositeMaterials/
03_Fiber-reinforcedComposites.html
 http://www.iqnet-certification.com/userfiles/Airbus%20.jpg
 http://web-cars.com/images/vette_img/early_corvette-grp_a.jpg
 http://images.defensetech.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/anti-ship-missile-490x326.jpg
 http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/
Guardian/Pix/commercial/2009/11/4/1257352337770/R38-Fiberglass-Insulation-
001.jpg
 http://www.abminternational.com/images/galleries/xl-6000r-single-needle-quilting-machine/
xl-6000r-photos/xl-6000r-single-needle-quilting-machine-04.jpg

33. THANK YOU