Do Not Compromise On GFRP Composite

By Lelia Hall


Glass fiber reinforced polymer, or GFRP, is manufactured by combining reinforced fibers with a polymer matrix to yield a material that is stronger than its constituent parts. Known in the industry as GFRP composite in order to distinguish it from similar materials. There are a lot of industrial uses for it, including aerospace, the automotive industry, ballistic armor and construction, among others.

Other types fiber reinforced polymer exist, mainly and consist mainly of carbon, basalt, or aramid. Aramid is a strong and heat-resistant synthetic fiber. Rarely, other materials are used such as wood, asbestos, or paper. The polymer part of an FRP is usually a vinylester, epoxy, or a polyester thermosetting plastic. The term thermosetting refers to the property of plastic where it is a liquid or soft plastic at low temperatures but hardens irreversibly when exposed to high termperatures.

One reason why FRPs are important in the aerospace industry is because this is one place where strong, lightweight, materials are paramount. Those who are not convinced may refer to fuselage damage sustained by Aloha Airlines Flight 243 in April 1988. The plane experienced an explosive decompression that tore off a section of roof on the short flight between Honolulu and Hilo. One flight attendant perished when she was swept overboard, while 65 crew and passengers were injured.

The first marine uses of FRPs were related to recreational boats. This remained the case for 30 years, until they became more widespread in larger marine applications. FRPs are ideally suited to the maritime industry because they are capable of being molded into complicated shapes, light weight, low cost, corrosion and impact resistance, and vibration damping.

Glass fiber is common in high-end sports cars for many of the same reasons people use it to make boats, because it is pliable and lightweight. It is also sometimes used in the manufacture of trucks, where the reduced weight of the vehicle means that the payload may be increased, along with profits. Fiberglass vehicles also fare better in collisions. A steel body will propagate the shockwave, whereas the fiberglass will contain it.

Ballistic armor, with a substantial content of GFRP, has a number of different uses in civilian as well as military sectors. Not only does it protect assets such as vehicles and buildings, it is also used to protect people. Unlike other materials, like steel armor, fiberglass may be re-engineered in the field using simple power tools that area readily available.

GFRP has the property of being able to stop bullets bouncing around, a useful feature in areas where gunfire is a potential hazard. Courtrooms are often armored in fiber-reinforced polymer. A real-life example of this occurred in the February 2005 courthouse shootout in Tyler, Texas, in which three people were killed and several others injured.

One of the most deeply personal uses for FRPs is in bullet-proof vests used by members of the military and law enforcement. Of course, nothing is 100% impervious to ballistic weaponry. At the end of Series 2 of NCIS, Kate successfully intercepted a bullet meant for Jethro Gibb, only to be shot in the head by a sniper. Another popular meme on television concerning ballistic armor is stories about corruption and defective body armor being sold to the military at a huge profit.




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