FRP

(FIBER-REINFORCED PLACTIC)
METHOD & MATERIALS
General Composition
INTRODUCTION

 Fiber Reinforced Plastic or FRP is a composite material consisting of reinforcing fibers

thermosetting resins and other materials such as fillers and pigments may also be present.
Glass fiber is generally used as a reinforcing material and polyester resins are usually
used as bending agent.
FIBRE TYPES

 ARAMID
 GLASS
 CARBON
 BASALT
ARAMID

 Aramid fibers, short for aromatic polyamide, are a class of heat-resistant and strong
synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated
body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in marine cordage, marine hull reinforcement,
and as an asbestos substitute.
GLASS

 Glass fiber is a material made up of several fine fibers of glass. The product is one of
the most versatile industrial materials known today. It has comparable mechanical
properties to other fibers such as carbon fiber and polymers.
CARBON FIBER

 Carbon fiber is composed of carbon atoms bonded together to form a long chain.
 Carbon fibers have several advantages: high stiffness, high tensile strength, high strength to weight ratio,
high chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion.
 Carbon fiber is five-times stronger than steel and twice as stiff.
 popularly used in specialized, high-performance products like aircrafts, racecars and sporting equipment.
BASALT

 Basalt fiber is a material made from extremely fine fibers of basalt, which is composed of the minerals plagioclase,
pyroxene, and olivine. It is similar to fiberglass, having better physic mechanical properties than fiberglass, but
being significantly cheaper than carbon fiber
 Basalt fibers have better mechanical and physical properties than glass fibers, their main advantages being: fire
resistance, good resistance to chemically active environments, vibration and acoustic insulation capacity
FIBER FORMS
RESIN TYPES

 Thermoset Resins (most common for structural uses)

 - Liquid state at room temperature prior to curing
 - Impregnated into reinforcing fibers prior to heating
 - Chemical reaction occurs during heating/curing
 - Solid after heating/curing; Can’t be reversed/reformed 
 Thermoplastic Resins
 - Solid at room temperature (recycled plastic pellets)
 - Heated to liquid state and pressurized to impregnate reinforcing fibers
 - Cooled under pressure; Can be reversed/reformed
THERMOSET RESIN TYPES

 Polyester - Lowest Cost

 Vinyl ester - Industry Standard
 Polyurethane - Premium Cost
 Epoxy - Highest Cost - Commonly used in aerospace applications
POLYSTER RESIN

 Advantages:-
 - Easy to use
 - Lowest cost of resins available
 Disadvantages:-
 Sensitive to UV degradation
 Only moderate mechanical properties
VINYL RESIN

 Vinyl resins are often used in repair materials and laminating because they are
waterproof and reliable.
 Advantages:
 Very high chemical/environmental resistance
 Higher mechanical properties than polyesters
 Disadvantages:
 Sensitive to heat
 Higher cost than polyesters
Polyurethanes

 Advantages:
 Higher strength and flexibility than vinyl esters
 Very high chemical/environmental resistance
 Higher mechanical properties than vinyl esters
 Disadvantages:
 Higher cost than vinyl esters (about 1.5 x)
Epoxies

 One of the most common uses of epoxy resin is for adhesive purposes. That's because the strong-properties of the epoxy allow for structural and engineering
adhesives. Commonly, epoxy resin is used in the construction of vehicles, snowboards, aircrafts and bicycles.
 Advantages: -
 High mechanical and thermal properties
 High moisture resistance
 Long working times available
 High temperature resistance
 Disadvantages: -
 More expensive than polyurethanes
 Critical mixing/Consistency
 Corrosive Handlin
Fiber products
THERMOPLASTIC FIBRES

 A thermoplastic is a class of polymer that can be softened through heating and then
processed using methods such as extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming and blow
molding.
METHODS

FRP PROCESSES
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

 Predominate Processes –
 Pultrusion
 Vacuum Infusion
 Other Processes
 Bladder Molding
 Compression Molding
 Thermoplastic Extrusion
 Filament winding
 Wet Layup
 Others
PULTRUSION PROCESSING

 Linear, continuous process

 Reinforcing (Roving & Mats) saturated with resin
 Pulled through heated die
 Chemical reaction occurs as it cures (Polymerization)
 The resin saturated reinforcements exit the die in a solid state and in the form of the cross
section of the die.
 Types of products produced: - Structural shapes w/ constant cross-sections - GFRP/CFRP
reinforcing bars & CFRP prestressing bars
PULTRUSION PROCESSING
PULTRUSION PROCESSING
VACCUM INFUSION

 Vacuum Infusion (VIP)

 Reinforcing laid dry into the mold
 Vacuum is pulled before resin is introduced
 Resin is then sucked into the laminate via distributed tubing
 Types of products: - Structural shapes: – Uniform cross-sections – Non-uniform cross-
sections
VACCUM INFUSION
COMPRESSION MOLDING
CARBON FIBER MOLDING
INJECTION MOLDING
WET LAYUP( MANUAL PROCESS)

THE PROCEDURE WE WILL USE IN THIS CLASS

INPUTS

 MOULD
 POLYSTER RESIN (GP RESIN)
 GLASS MAT (FIBER)
 COBALT (ACCELERATOR)
 CATALYST (HARDNER)
 FRENCH CHALK POWDER
 CONTAINERS
 SAFETY EQUIPMENTS (GLOVES, APRON, SAFETY GLASSES )
 SEPARATOR
MOULDS

 A shaped cavity used to give a definite form to fluid or plastic material. a frame on which something may be
constructed. something shaped in or made on a mold.
3D PRINTED MOULDS
WET LAYUP PROCESS

 Wet Lay-Up. In wet lay-up, the fiber is cut and laid into the mold then resin is applied via a brush, roller, or spray
gun. ...
WET LAYUP(GLASS & CARBON FIBER)
THANK YOU