EVALUATION AND GRANULOMETRIC FOLLOW-UP OF DIFFERENT SIZINGS USED IN AR-FIBERGLASS AND E-FIBERGLASS MANUFACTURE

AR- and E-fiberglass manufacture requires the presence of substances w hich confer a number of important properties on the fiberglass, such a s filament cohesion, resilience or greater/lesser rigidity, durability , protection against abrasion, nonconductibility-elimination of static electricity and inertness. All of these are necessary to ensure perfe ct binding between the glass and the resin. These substances are calle d sizings and due to their functional importance in fiberglass manufac ture, it is imperative to examine their exact physical and chemical ch aracteristics in order to determine their stability (inertness) and de cay (aging). This study deals with determination of size and stability of different sizings by means of granulometric techniques, which perm it the measurement of particles that range between 0.6 and 20 mu m in diameter. The results demonstrate a greater stability of the sizings u sed in E-fiberglass manufacture. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited