Fiberglass, or as it is also called Fiberglass, was used for a long time only in the defense industry, a ship, aircraft industry and other specific areas where there were durable, reliable and durable materials were needed. But not so long ago, fiberglass began to be used everywhere, and today its exceptional qualities are actively used in construction and economy. What makes this material and how to make fiberglass with your own hands - read in this article.

Specifications

Fiberglass is distinguished by unique performance characteristics, due to which this material is able to withstand strong pressure, to be in an aggressive chemical environment and ensure the incredible strength of any design. At first it was used for the construction of boats, cars, aircraft, then buttons began to make from fiberglass, household appliances, snow-reading devices and other useful things. Even today, most of us have old Soviet aggregates, the corps of which are made of the strongest and almost eternal fiberglass.

In the years 90 in Russia, it became fashionable to install fiberglass windows and the doors to which the "euro" appear to add. The flawless characteristics of fiberglass allowed it to remain the most sought-after material for use in almost all industries, ranging from butt, ending with the construction and military.

Today it is used as a structural and thermal insulation material in boat production, strengthen the hulls of boats, rocket engines, ships, automobile bodies, etc. From it the blades of helicopters, exhaust pipes, corrosive equipment, pipelines, pools ... List of products, for the production of fiberglass, is simply vigorous, and if he disappeared from the planet at least for the day, the world would have plunged into chaos.

Composition

Fiberglass is a composite material that consists of a fiberglass filler and a binder. Fiberglass is represented by thifree-shaped fibers, cloth or mat. The binder is different types of polyester resin. The filler gives material strength and performs a reinforcing function, while the resin makes it monolithic and distributes the load evenly between the fibers. Also, the resin protects fiberglass from the destruction of aggressive chemicals.

The most durable fiberglass consist of oriented continuous fibers. They can be divided into unidirectional (the fibers are located in parallel to each other) and crosswise (the fibers are located at a certain angle to each other). Changing the orientation of the fibers allows you to customize the strength and adjust the main characteristics of the material.

Properties

Above mentioned exceptional properties of fiberglass, now the time has come to consider them in more detail. What is so good this material, and why is it used in almost all spheres of production?

Properties of fiberglass:

1. High strength - fiberglass 9 times more stronger than PVC and 4 times tight aluminum. The use of certain resins and fiber orientation makes it possible to make fiberglass varieties that can compete in strength with steel or some alloys of non-ferrous metals.
2. Corrosion resistance - fiberglass is not affected by electrochemical corrosion, behaves well in aggressive media (salt, alkalis, acids), is not afraid of bacterial effects and decomposition. It does not spoil rodents, parasites or mold.
3. Low weight - if we take into account that fiberglass is similar in strength and protective characteristics with some non-ferrous metals, then its weight is 5-7 times less, which makes this material with an absolute leader. It is convenient to place it in the cargo transport, you can save on transportation, spend several times less than energy and resources for unloading and laying.
4. Thermal insulation - fiberglass is a low thermal conductivity material and an excellent insulator. 1 mm thick fiberglass sheet has the same heat-insulating qualities as a 5-mili-meter glass. The unique protective properties of the material are several times increasing in the manufacture of "sandwich" -conditions using porous materials between the layers of fiberglass, such as polystyrene foam or foam.
5. Aesthetics - another distinguishing feature of fiberglass. In the process of production, it can be painted in any color, any pattern or print can be applied to it. For example, make a canopy for a home or a roof of a bright rosy-colored arbor. Fiberglass perfectly holds the pigment and does not fade in the sun.
   
6. Low cost - with all its excellent performance characteristics, the price of fiberglass is not so high. Moreover, it can be done with his own hands, saving a significant amount, but we will tell about it a little later.

Classification

Fiberglass can be classified depending on the form of release, for example, distinguish sheet and roll fiberglass. Also, the material happens in different colors, but the main classification occurs by applications.

So, there are the following types of fiberglass:

1. Structural - used in the form of power elements to strengthen the rod structures of pumping rods, rubber-satellite caterpillars, tapes or electric motors.
2. High-strength - reinforced fiberglass for the production of high-end rotary screws, which are installed in the engines of wide-body aircraft. It reduces the mass of the blade several times compared with aluminum blades. At the same time, such fiberglass increases the efficiency of the engine, reduces the fuel consumption, provides a high return of the engine at the takeoff and increases the resource of the work.
3. Chemically stable - characteristics of this type of fiberglass depend on the variety of resin used for its manufacture.
4. Heat-resistant - non-combustible fiberglass with increased strength for radio engineering or structural needs. The operating temperature can reach up to 350c. This type of material is used mainly for the manufacture of motorcycle engines, protective housings and screens in airplanes, hoods, etc. The heat-resistant fiberglass retains high stable strength characteristics even with long-term exposure to high temperatures. It does not burn and provides high fire safety.
5. Electrotechnical - fiberglass used in electric stakes, heaters and other similar equipment. The main purpose is thermal insulation.

Fiberglass manufacture

To date, there are several ways to produce fiberglass:

1. Manual is the most popular method that allows you to make a solid material at home or in a workshop. Fiberglass technology is simple - fiberglass is covered with a resin and stacked in the desired shape to frozen. Then it is rolling with special rollers and wait for frozen.
2. Spraying - fiberglass is separated using a chopping gun on short fibers, then mixed with a resin and catalyst and is sprayed on the desired form.
3. RTM - the glassmart material is stacked on the matrix and punch, fixed with special clamps and soaked with a resin. After impregnation, fiberglass leaves to be glared at room temperature.
4. Winding - through a bath, filled with resin, fibers are served through special tension rollers. The fibers are wound on the core with the necessary section, and the result is a rolled fiberglass.
   

How to make fiberglass with your own hands

In the manufacture of fiberglass, by and large, there is nothing complicated. This is just a polyester resin, which is filled into a certain shape and strengthened with fiberglass.

Basically, homemade fiberglass is used for household automotive needs. This is the most faithful and easy way to fix the hood, door or other broken part of the car. In specialized firms, the necessary forms and matrices are harvested in advance for large parts. If you want to do this yourself, it is better to start with small secondary details of simple forms, which do not require high accuracy. In the learning process it is impossible to avoid errors and errors, so it is better not to risk once again.

Homemade fiberglass can be made according to the following instructions:

1. Make a punch or blank. This is the most time-consuming and responsible stage of work. The shape of the discs should exactly repeat the outline of the future part, so it is necessary to initially take care of the definition of the outlines and accuracy of the sizes. Make a detailed drawing and transfer it to the material from which you do Punson. For large parts with large radii of rounding (bumpers), foam base is suitable. Subsequently, it can be easily separated from fiberglass. For details less, you can use clay or plasticine, although most often wood is used for the manufacture of dummies. This is an easy processing material that does not lose strength and can be used repeatedly for the streaming production of parts. And if it will have to sweat over the primary treatment, working by the chisels, but the finishing sniff is "skin" will not deliver the hassle.
   
2. Choose a method for removing the soldered product with blank. If the form of the part allows it, it can be simply removed from the Punson, but in most cases it should be kept or cutting it in order to remove the matrix. In both cases, it is necessary to pre-lubricate the blank with any wax substance so that the fiberglass is easily separated from the surface.
3. So that the polyester resin turns into plastic, it is necessary to add a hardener into it. Mix the components, guided by the instructions on the package. Over time, you "miss your hand" and you can influence the polymerization process. So, to speed up the hardening, you can slightly warm the resin or add a little more hardener. But also in the other case, the resin will not be as strong as if it froze at normal speed. The slower the composition is frozen, the stronger the fiberglass will be.
4. Rolim the fiberglass on the hot electric stove or over open fire. When she stops smoking, stop the process. This means that protective substances and paraffin have already evaporated, and nothing can prevent the filling of voids between the fibers of the resin.
5. For the impregnation of fiberglass flaps, it is better to use a glass surface to ensure a uniform distribution of the resin. It also contributes to the holding of a long metal ruler in soaked tissue. Laying fabric on Puinson needs depending on the desired thickness and strength of the product - one flap or several small segments. If you decide to lay small pieces, it is better to cut the cloth before the impregnation of the resin.
6. Place the pumped fiberglass on the blank, ensuring maximum adjacent. Between the shape and cloth should not be bubbles. If they are still formed, they can be cut into a knife. In this regard, the process is similar to sticking wallpaper or bike stacking. The number of layers depends on the quality and thickness of the fiberglass, which you use, as well as the desired strength and size of the future part. For a strong and durable hood, for example, one layer will clearly be enough. For smooth large parts, you need to do at least 3-4 layers, laying them alternately, but without long time breaks. Otherwise, the previous layer will have time to dry, and the product will not be so durable.
7. If you correctly prepared the resin composition, it will freeze in 24-72 hours depending on the number of layers. To check, click on the fiberglass "shell" with your finger and make sure that it does not stick to the skin. Now you can remove the virtually finished product with blanks and proceed to finishing.

The outer surface of the product is obtained by shamehead and wrinkled, so requires additional machining - grinding, putty and painting. Fiberglass can be easily aligned with sandpaper, drill or cut with a knife.

You can buy fiberglass and materials for its manufacture in any construction market or supermarket. This durable and durable material will help you repair the car, make repairs and even create unusual artistic sculptures. For example, in this video, it is shown how with the help of foam shape and fiberglass, you can make a stylish shell with your own hands: