The versatility of glass as a fiber makes it unique industrial textile material. Glass fiber in fabric form offers an excellent combination of properties from high strength to fire resistance. Wide ranges of yarn sizes and weave patterns provide huge number of design potential allowing the end user to choose the best combination for material performance, economics and flexibility.
- Dimensional Stability: glass fiber is a dimensionally stable engineering material. Glass fiber does not stretch or shrink after exposure to extremely high or low temperatures. The maximum elongation for “E” glass at break is 4.8% with a 100% elastic recovery when stressed close to its point of rupture.
- Moisture Resistance: glass fibers do not absorb moisture or change physically or chemically when exposed to water.
- High Strength: the high strength-to-weight ratio of glass fiber makes it a superior material in applications where high strength and minimum weight are required. In textile form, this strength can be unidirectional or bidirectional, allowing flexibility in design and cost.
- Fire Resistance: glass fiber is an inorganic material and will not burn or support combustion. It retains approximately 25% of its initial strength at 1000°F (540°C).
- Chemical Resistance: most chemicals have little or no effect on glass fiber. The inorganic glass textile fibers will not mildew, rot or deteriorate. Glass fibers are affected by hydrofluoric, hot phosphoric acids and strong alkaline substances.
- Electrical Properties: glass fiber is an excellent material for electrical insulation. The combination of properties such as low moisture absorption, high strength, heat resistance and low dielectric constant makes fiber glass fabrics ideal as a reinforcement for printed circuit boards and insulating varnishes.
- Thermal Conductivity: a low coefficient of thermal expansion combined with high thermal conductivity properties makes glass fabric a dimensionally stable material that rapidly dissipates heat as compared to asbestos and organic fibers.