Why has fiberglass become the dominant fiber reinforcement?
Fiberglass is dominant as a reinforcement fiber simply because it has high strength and
high stiffness at a low price. A comparison of fiberglass with carbon fibers, the stiffest
reinforcement material, and with the other principal reinforcement fibers shows just how good
fiberglass is when cost is considered. (See Table 1.) Fiberglass has over ten times the strength
value (tensile strength per unit cost) and nearly 5 times the stiffness value (modulus per unit cost)
as the other major composite reinforcement fibers. Hence, when cost is a major driving force in
the selection of a reinforcing material, fiberglass usually is preferred.
In view of these obvious cost benefits for fiberglass, you might ask “What are the reasons
that someone would ever choose any other fiber?” In the case of carbon fibers, that reason is
usually stiffness for a very high-valued application. For instance, some estimates of the cost to lift
one pound of payload into orbit range to over $100,000. Under these conditions the criteria for
selecting a reinforcement material is the specific strength (strength divided by the specific gravity)
or, more often, the specific stiffness (stiffness divided by the specific gravity). Carbon fibers have
substantially better specific strength and specific stiffness values than fiberglass. Hence, when the
weight of the fiber is a strong driving force, carbon fibers can be easily justified.
Why has fiberglass become the dominant fiber reinforcement?
Fiberglass is dominant as a reinforcement fiber simply because it has high strength and
high stiffness at a low price. A comparison of fiberglass with carbon fibers, the stiffest
reinforcement material, and with the other principal reinforcement fibers shows just how good
fiberglass is when cost is considered. (See Table 1.) Fiberglass has over ten times the strength
value (tensile strength per unit cost) and nearly 5 times the stiffness value (modulus per unit cost)
as the other major composite reinforcement fibers. Hence, when cost is a major driving force in
the selection of a reinforcing material, fiberglass usually is preferred.
In view of these obvious cost benefits for fiberglass, you might ask “What are the reasons
that someone would ever choose any other fiber?” In the case of carbon fibers, that reason is
usually stiffness for a very high-valued application. For instance, some estimates of the cost to lift
one pound of payload into orbit range to over $100,000. Under these conditions the criteria for
selecting a reinforcement material is the specific strength (strength divided by the specific gravity)
or, more often, the specific stiffness (stiffness divided by the specific gravity). Carbon fibers have
substantially better specific strength and specific stiffness values than fiberglass. Hence, when the
weight of the fiber is a strong driving force, carbon fibers can be easily justified.
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