Glass fiber, also called fiberglass, is a synthetic fiber made from extremely fine glass fibers. It is made by fusing together oxides like silicon, boron, and phosphorus. The basic component is silica (SiO2), which forms a polymer network of SiO4 tetrahedrons bonded at the corners. Glass fiber has properties like dimensional stability, moisture resistance, high strength to weight ratio, resistance to heat and chemicals, and is used for electrical insulation and applications requiring strength and light weight.

2. Structure and Properties
of Glass Fiber
By
Salman Hassan
Muhammad Rahman Sajid

3. Glass Fiber
Introduction:
• Glass fiber is also called as Fiberglass.
• Glass Fiber is special purpose synthetic fiber.
• Glass is the oldest, and most familiar, performance fiber.
• It is made from extremely fine fibers of glass.
• Fibers have been manufactured from glass since the 1930s.

4. Structure:
• Glass describes range of material made by fusing together
one or more of the oxides of silicon, boron or phosphorus
with certain oxide like potassium, magnesium, calcium.
• Basic part of Glass fiber is Silica “SiO2”.
• In its pure form, it exists as polymer, (SiO2)n.

5. Structure:
• In the polymer it forms SiO4 groups which are configured as a tetrahedron with
the silicon atom at the center, and four oxygen atoms at the corners. These atoms then
form a network bonded at the corners by sharing the oxygen atoms

6. Chemical Composition of Glass Fiber:

7. Properties:
Dimensional Stability:
Glass fiber is a dimensionally stable engineering material. Glass fiber does
not stretch or shrink after exposure to extremely high or low temperatures.
Moisture Resistance:
Glass fibers do not absorb moisture or change physically or chemically when
exposed to water.

8. Properties:
Specific Gravity:
E glass fiber has a specific gravity of 2.54 and S glass has 2.49.
High Strength:
The high strength-to-weight ratio of glass fiber makes it a superior material in
applications where high strength and minimum weight are required.

9. Properties:
Thermal Properties:
Glass has an excellent resistance to the effects of heat over a wide range of
temperature. Glass is completely inflammable and this is the important
factors in its textile application.
Electrical Properties:
Glass fiber is an excellent material for electrical insulation and it has
important use in the electric field. E glass made for this purpose.

10. Properties:
Chemical Properties:
Glass has a excellent resistant to most of the chemicals.
It is attacked by alkalis and also by some strong mineral acids and by
phosphorous acid.
Effect of Organic Solvent:
Glass fiber is not attacked by organic solvents.

11. Properties:
Optical Properties:
Refractive index of glass will range from approximately 0.003 to 0.006. Glass
is transparent medium and opaque towards ultra violet transmission.
Radiation Properties:
E Glass and S-2 Glass fibers have excellent resistance to all types of nuclear
radiation.
Alpha and beta radiation have almost no effect, while gamma radiation and
neutron bombardment produce a 5 to 10% decrease in tensile strength.

12. Any Question
?