Comparative Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of Polymer Matrix Composites Reinforced with Fiberglass Fabric

The composites materials are increasingly displacing the traditional ones and are the most widely used of all groups of engineering materials. Polymer matrix composites have the greatest application and they are used for equipment operating in the sea-water environment and polymer pipes. In this article, the mechanical properties of six types of polymer matrix composites reinforced with fiberglass fabric are considered and analyzed. Two types of resin were used for the matrix – polyester resin and vinyl ester resin. The both types of matrices are reinforced with three different fiberglass fabric- monoaxial, biaxial and triaxial fiberglass. The investigated composites are obtained by mechanical pressing in the form of sixlayer panels. A comparative analysis of tensile strength and banding strength of the six types investigated composites was made. A macrofractographic analysis of the structure was also performed.

Restoring bearing capacity of fiberglass overwrap of aviation cylinders for storing liquids, gases and fire – extinguishing compounds

The article proposes a methodology for numerical research of stressed condition (SC) of aviation cylinders for storing liquids, gases and fire-extinguishing compounds in order to determine structural and technological parameters (STP) for repairing of defects in their fiberglass overwraps (FO) due to long-term operation and mechanical damages. Structural and technological parameters for repair of FO using fiberglass bandages and fiberglass fabric patches аre determined on the examples of numerical research of SC of cylindrical and spherical cylinders. According to developed methodology, STP for repairing of FO of cylinders make possible to select modern materials and technological equipment.

An impact of fiberglass fabric reinforcement on shelves made from particleboard

An impact of fiberglass fabric reinforcement on shelves made from particleboard. The research used two variants of shelves reinforcement: reinforcement by gluing fibreglass cloth on particleboard and reinforcement by gluing pre-tensioned fibreglass cloth. The results obtained for reinforced shelves were compared to the results obtained for non-reinforced shelves. The characteristics of particleboard and existing on the global market ways to reinforce furniture shelves are presented in the initial chapters. Further chapters contain the methodology and the results of fatigue tests, shelf stiffness tests and modulus of elasticity tests. Based on the test results, it was found that the cloth reinforcement of particleboard furniture shelves using fiberglass with and without pre-tension results in the strength of the shelves by 15–40%. Also, reinforced shelves deflect less than the shelves made of unreinforced chipboard.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Ampicillin Using PLA/TiO2 Hybrid Nanofibers Coated on Different Types of Fiberglass

New photocatalytic membranes based on polylactic acid (PLA)/TiO2 hybrid nanofibers deposited on fiberglass supports were prepared and tested for the removal of ampicillin from aqueous solutions. The electrospinning technique was used to obtain hybrid nanofibers that were deposited on three types of fiberglass with different structures, resulting in three distinct photocatalytic membranes namely fiberglass fabric plain woven-type membrane, fiberglass mat-type membrane, and fiberglass fabric one-fold edge-type membrane. The results of the photocatalytic tests showed that the highest efficiency of ampicillin removal from aqueous solution is obtained with the fiberglass fabric plain woven-type membrane. Although it has been shown that the rate of photocatalytic degradation of ampicillin is high, being practically eliminated within the first 30 min of photocatalysis, the degree of mineralization of the aqueous solution is low even after two hours of photocatalysis due to the degradation of PLA from the photocatalytic membrane. The instability of PLA in the reactive environment of the photocatalytic reactor, evidenced by morphological, mineralogical and spectroscopic analyzes as well as by kinetic studies, is closely related to the structure of the fiberglass membrane used as a support for PLA/TiO2 hybrid nanofibers.

Evaluation of mechanical properties of poly (methyl methacrylate) reinforced with glass fibers

Introduction. Acrylic resin is a basic material used in preparation of partial and complete dentures. One of the methods of improving mechanical properties of removable dentures is reinforcing acrylic resin with artificial fibers. Aim of the study. To compare mechanical properties of acrylic material reinforced with various types of glass fibers. Material and method. Heat-cured Estetic acrylic resin by Wiedent was used for denture bases. Glass mat, fiberglass fabric, long glass fibers and short glass fibers were used as reinforcing phase of the acrylic resin. In total, forty specimens were prepared, of which eight samples were controls. Research samples consisted of four groups of eight specimens each. Mechanical examinations in three-point bending test were conducted by means of the Zwick 1435 universal testing machine. Results. Specimens reinforced with short glass fibers achieved the highest values of maximum bending force (105.7 ± 8.9 N). It corresponded to the highest values of bending strength (126.8 ± 10.7 MPa). The lowest strength was found for specimens reinforced with glass mat (82.8 ± 11.8 MPa). The highest value of Young’s modulus was obtained for the samples reinforced with fiberglass fabric (3.7 ± 0.8 GPa). The highest values of deflection at maximum bending force were found for the samples reinforced with long glass fibers (4.0 ± 0.6 mm). Conclusions. The highest bending strength parameters were found for specimens reinforced with short and long glass fibers. Short glass fibers are better at improving mechanical properties of acrylic resin than long glass fibers.

Automated Composite Fabric Layup for Wind Turbine Blades

This work presents an automated fabric layup solution based on a new method to deform fiberglass fabric, referred to as shifting, for the layup of noncrimp fabric (NCF) plies. The shifting method is intended for fabric with tows only in 0 deg (warp) and 90 deg (weft) directions, where the fabric is sequentially constrained and then rotated through a deformation angle to approximate curvature. Shifting is conducted in a two-dimensional (2D) plane, making the process easy to control and automate, but can be applied for fabric placement in three-dimensional (3D) models, either directly or after a ply kitting process and then manually placed. Preliminary tests have been conducted to evaluate the physical plausibility of the shifting method. Layup tests show that shifting can deposit fabric accurately and repeatedly while avoiding out-of-plane deformation.