The advantages of fiberglass sculpture

Lightweight and high-strength
 
The relative density is between 1.5 and 2.0, only 1/4 to 1/5 of that of carbon steel, but the tensile strength is close to or even exceeds that of carbon steel, while the specific strength can be compared with high-grade alloy steel. Therefore, it has excellent performance in aviation, rockets, spacecraft, high-pressure vessels, and other applications that require weight reduction. The tensile, bending, and compressive strength of some epoxy FRP can reach over 400Mpa. The density, strength, and specific strength of some materials are shown in Table 1-1.
 
Good corrosion resistance
 
FRP is a good corrosion-resistant material that has good resistance to atmospheric, water, and general concentrations of acids, alkalis, salts, as well as various oils and solvents. It has been applied to various aspects of chemical anti-corrosion and is replacing carbon steel, stainless steel, wood, non-ferrous metals, etc.
 
Good electrical performance
 
It is an excellent insulation material used to manufacture insulators. It can still protect good dielectric properties at high frequencies. The microwave has good transparency and has been widely used in radar antenna covers.
 
Good thermal performance
 
FRP has a low thermal conductivity of 1.25~1.67 kJ/(m · h · K) at room temperature, which is only 1/100~1/1000 of that of metals, making it an excellent insulation material. In the case of instantaneous ultra-high temperature, it is an ideal thermal protection and erosion resistant material, which can protect spacecraft from high-speed airflow erosion above 2000 ℃.
 
Good designability
 
① Various structural products can be flexibly designed according to needs to meet usage requirements and ensure good overall integrity of the product.
 
② Materials can be fully selected to meet the performance requirements of the product, such as designing products that are corrosion-resistant, resistant to instantaneous high temperatures, have particularly high strength in a certain direction, have good dielectric properties, and so on.
 
Excellent craftsmanship
 
① The molding process can be flexibly selected based on the shape, technical requirements, purpose, and quantity of the product.
 
② The process is simple and can be molded in one go, with outstanding economic effects, especially for products with complex shapes and small quantities that are difficult to shape, highlighting its technological superiority.

 
Shortcomings of fiberglass reinforced plastic
 
Low elastic modulus
 
The elastic modulus of FRP is twice that of wood, but 10 times smaller than that of steel (E=2.1 × 106), so it is often perceived as lacking rigidity and prone to deformation in product structures.
 
It can be made into thin shell structure, sandwich structure, or supplemented by high modulus fibers or reinforcing ribs.
 
Long term poor temperature resistance
 
General FRP cannot be used for a long time at high temperatures. The strength of general polyester FRP decreases significantly above 50 ℃ and is generally only used below 100 ℃; The strength of universal epoxy FRP decreases significantly above 60 ℃. But it is possible to choose high-temperature resistant resin to maintain a long-term working temperature of 200~300 ℃.
 
Aging phenomenon
 
Aging phenomenon is a common defect of plastics, and FRP is no exception. It is prone to performance degradation under the effects of ultraviolet radiation, wind, sand, rain, snow, chemical media, mechanical stress, etc.
 
Low interlayer shear strength
 
The interlayer shear strength is supported by resin, so it is very low. The interlayer adhesion can be improved by selecting processes, using coupling agents, and other methods. The most important thing is to avoid interlayer shear as much as possible during product design.