Thursday, October 23, 2014

How Fiberglass Insulation Is Used

By Barun Kumar


Fiberglass which is also known as glass wool is mainly a plastic that is enforced with glass referred to as glass-fiber reinforced plastic. Fiberglass insulation therefore involves sealing and insulating homes or industries using the glass-reinforced plastic. Fiberglass is normally a very versatile material and has excellent properties such as being weather resistant, light and strong. It also comes as varieties of surface textures.

Fiberglass can be subdivided into two groups based on the method of manufacture. There is the continuous fiber that is used in yawn and textiles and the discontinuous variety that is used as blankets, bats, boards for filtration and insulation. Fiberglass was developed to replace the molded plywood that was used in aircraft radomes. These are dome shaped and weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave such as radar.

In automotive industry, the fiberglass is used to make boat bodies as well as sport cars, a venture that has made a big fortune to the industry. Carbon fiber is made from fiberglass and is used in the aviation industry due to its lightweight and weather resistance nature. On top of that, carbon fiber has met other standards required in aviation manufacture such as the correct volume.

The glass wool is also an important asset in telecommunications industries for the shrouding of antennas. Here the glass fiber is used to cover the antennas due to its permeability to Radio frequency and its low signal attenuation properties. Attenuation is the gradual loss or decrease in intensity of signal strength through a medium.

Where signal attenuation does not matter, the fiberglass is used to cover signal transmission equipment. This is mostly applicable in making of steel and cabinet support structure where signal reception is not needed. Fiberglass can be molded or painted especially where the users want to create a blending with other surfaces. It is also used in making electrical insulators that most power industry products have. Protective gears such as helmets and masks are also made using fiberglass due to its durability and light weight property.

Industries also use the fiberglass to make different storage tanks for different storage function. Some fluids such as chemical and oils may require high volume capacities such as 300 tonnes. Such installations must however be made from strong combination of glass wool contents to ensure resistance and durability. Way of ensuring such strength is using strong woven filament type of a fiber.

The glass-reinforced and durable plastics are also used to make house-building raw materials such as the door surrounds, roofing laminate, window canopies and sills. These inputs for house construction are easier to handle compared to metallic or wooden materials, and are easy to install. Industries that manufacture house panels can also adapt the fiberglass insulation to reduce heat loss while acting as acoustics.

The most common application of fiberglass is the piping industry where weather resistant and corrosion free pipes are made. The pipes can be erected in above- and below-ground systems to serve different functions. Fiberglass may also be made into yawn and woven into fabric, or used as reinforcement material commonly used in laminated and molded plastics. Fiberglass wool may also be used for sound absorption and thermal insulation.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment