When polymer is fused with a non-woven fabric composed of fibers, it produces a stronger material than the sum of the strengths of either of the individual substances. Such a material is GFRP composite, in which the non-woven fabric is composed fiberglass. It is used in a number of industries, including construction, ballistic armor, the automotive industry and aerospace.
Other types fiber reinforced polymer exist, mainly and consist mainly of carbon, basalt, or aramid. Aramid is a strong and heat-resistant synthetic fiber. Rarely, other materials are used such as wood, asbestos, or paper. The polymer part of an FRP is usually a vinylester, epoxy, or a polyester thermosetting plastic. The term thermosetting refers to the property of plastic where it is a liquid or soft plastic at low temperatures but hardens irreversibly when exposed to high termperatures.
Strong, lightweight materials have important applications in the aerospace industry. This was made obvious with an incident involving Aloha Airlines Flight 243 in the spring of 1988. The craft suffered an explosive decompression that resulted in the removal of a section of upper fuselage on the brief hop from Honolulu to Hilo. One soul was lost when a flight attendant was swept from the plane, while dozens of passengers and crew suffered injuries.
Early maritime uses of GFRPs were confined to recreational water craft. This remained the status quo for three decades, when they began to make their way into more substantial marine uses. These materials are perfect for the maritime industry because they are impact and corrosion resistant, may be molded into complex shapes, they are cheap to produce, light in weight and are capable of damping vibrations.
Fiberglass is popular in the manufacture of sports cars for the same reason it is used in the maritime industry. It is lightweight and pliable. Used in the manufacture of fiberglass trucks, it increases payload capacity. Fiberglass also apparently fares better in a crash. Steel will transfer the vibrations, whereas they will remain localized in a fiberglass vehicle.
Police and the military use GFRP, too. It is often incorporated into ballistic armor, such as that in bullet-proof vests, buildings and vehicles. Glass fiber is easy to re-work in the field with simple, readily-available power tools, compared to other materials.
GFRB ballistic armor can sometimes protect rooms like courtrooms from the tendency of bullets to richocet. It is not unknown for a disgruntled hot head to shoot up the courthouse. This happens regularly on courtroom dramas like Medium, CSI and Law and Order, for example. It also happens in real life, as an incident in Tyler, Texas in 2005 shows.
One of the most deeply personal uses for FRPs is in bullet-proof vests used by members of the military and law enforcement. Of course, nothing is 100% impervious to ballistic weaponry. At the end of Series 2 of NCIS, Kate successfully intercepted a bullet meant for Jethro Gibb, only to be shot in the head by a sniper. Another popular meme on television concerning ballistic armor is stories about corruption and defective body armor being sold to the military at a huge profit.
Other types fiber reinforced polymer exist, mainly and consist mainly of carbon, basalt, or aramid. Aramid is a strong and heat-resistant synthetic fiber. Rarely, other materials are used such as wood, asbestos, or paper. The polymer part of an FRP is usually a vinylester, epoxy, or a polyester thermosetting plastic. The term thermosetting refers to the property of plastic where it is a liquid or soft plastic at low temperatures but hardens irreversibly when exposed to high termperatures.
Strong, lightweight materials have important applications in the aerospace industry. This was made obvious with an incident involving Aloha Airlines Flight 243 in the spring of 1988. The craft suffered an explosive decompression that resulted in the removal of a section of upper fuselage on the brief hop from Honolulu to Hilo. One soul was lost when a flight attendant was swept from the plane, while dozens of passengers and crew suffered injuries.
Early maritime uses of GFRPs were confined to recreational water craft. This remained the status quo for three decades, when they began to make their way into more substantial marine uses. These materials are perfect for the maritime industry because they are impact and corrosion resistant, may be molded into complex shapes, they are cheap to produce, light in weight and are capable of damping vibrations.
Fiberglass is popular in the manufacture of sports cars for the same reason it is used in the maritime industry. It is lightweight and pliable. Used in the manufacture of fiberglass trucks, it increases payload capacity. Fiberglass also apparently fares better in a crash. Steel will transfer the vibrations, whereas they will remain localized in a fiberglass vehicle.
Police and the military use GFRP, too. It is often incorporated into ballistic armor, such as that in bullet-proof vests, buildings and vehicles. Glass fiber is easy to re-work in the field with simple, readily-available power tools, compared to other materials.
GFRB ballistic armor can sometimes protect rooms like courtrooms from the tendency of bullets to richocet. It is not unknown for a disgruntled hot head to shoot up the courthouse. This happens regularly on courtroom dramas like Medium, CSI and Law and Order, for example. It also happens in real life, as an incident in Tyler, Texas in 2005 shows.
One of the most deeply personal uses for FRPs is in bullet-proof vests used by members of the military and law enforcement. Of course, nothing is 100% impervious to ballistic weaponry. At the end of Series 2 of NCIS, Kate successfully intercepted a bullet meant for Jethro Gibb, only to be shot in the head by a sniper. Another popular meme on television concerning ballistic armor is stories about corruption and defective body armor being sold to the military at a huge profit.
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