Glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP)

The term "glass fibers" refers both to fibers used as thermal insulation, which are well known because they are visible in many common applications, and to those used as reinforcement –, which are the subject of this article –. These are not very visible in their final applications because they are most often combined with organic matrices (plastics) to form what are commonly known as "composites." Taking into account the presentation and adaptation of reinforcing fibers to textile processing methods, French standardization has adopted the generic term "textile glass" to distinguish the latter.

The main application of textile glass fibers is the reinforcement of plastics. However, their field of application has expanded to other matrices (cement, plaster, bitumen, etc.). This article therefore provides additional information on glass fibers intended for these new matrices, whenever the opportunity arises (e.g., alkali-resistant glass for reinforcing cement).

After introducing the different families of textile glass fibers and describing their manufacturing process, a presentation of the different products and their main applications in composites will be given.

Recent developments in fibers for new composite applications, particularly those related to wind energy, will also be discussed. Finally, current efforts to decarbonize manufacturing units and recycle fiber waste in the value chain will be addressed.

The reader will find various sections in the Appendices, including the bibliography, main suppliers, and standardization.