Glass filled plastics
Glass fibre reinforced plastic, with the abbrevation GRP or GFRP, is a material in which a plastic matrix is modified by the addition of glass fibres. Glass fibres are the most commonly used reinforcing fibres in reinforced polymers.
The combination of the two materials improves the existing properties of a plastic material and adds new benefits. First and foremost, the mechanical properties benefit from these fibres. In particular, tensile and compressive strength improve enormously with the addition of glass fibres. In addition, glass reinforced plastic convinces with its chemical and dielectric properties as well as favourable costs. But also the thermal dimensional stability is improved with glass fibre reinforced nylon and other polymers.
However, for sliding friction applications, glass filled nylon should usually be avoided, as the glass fibres tend to exert a highly abrasive effect and can quickly cause the mating component to wear.
GRP plastics are classified according to the length of the reinforcing fibres used. In addition to short and long fibres, both of which can still be processed in the extruder, there are also continuous fibres. These have the highest stiffness and strength.
Ensinger offers a wide range of glass filled polymers with a fibre reinforcement ratio of between 25 and 50 %, depending on the product. In addition to short-fibre-reinforced semi-finished products, filaments and compounds, Ensinger also offers continuous fibre reinforced plates, organosheets as well as semi-pregs and prepregs.
