Glass Fibres Project Profitable Textile Applications

Glass Is A Material Which Attracts People With Its Glossy Shine. This Material Has Many Applications As Mirrors, Utensils, Furniture, Windows, And Artworks. This Appealing Material Has Found Its Way Into The Textile Industry As Well. This Hard And Rigid Material Can Also Be Made Into Fine, And Glossy Fibres Which Looks Very Beautiful, And Feels Like Silk. This Is Known As Fibre Glass. It Is Also Known As Glass Fibre.

Making Glass Fibres:

Heating Glass And Making Thin Fibres Out Of It Is Known For Ages, But Still Make Glass Fibres For Textile Applications Is A Novel Concept. Thin Strands Of Glass Are Extruded Into Numerous Fibres With Minute Diameters Suitable For Textile Processing. Silica, Limestone, Sand Borax, Ash, Soda, And Other Ingredients Are Used In Requisite Proportion. They Are Formulated In An Electric Furnace From Which Molten Glass With An Approximate Temperature Of 2500F Flows Into Marble Forming Machines, Making Marbles Of 15mm In Diameter. Impurities Are Removed From These Marbles, And Then They Are Melted Again In Electric Furnaces And Extruded Through Spinnerets. Sometimes, Glass Strands Are Also Extruded Directly From Molten Glass Without Making The Marbles.

Fibres Passed Through Spinnerets Can Be Made Into Two Kinds Of Glass Fibres:

• Staple Fibres: Where Fibres With Long Qualities Are Made By Passing The Molten Glass Through Small Holes Of Bushing. Then Jets Of Compressed Air Is Passed Through The Strands Producing Thin Fibres Ranging From 8-15 Inches. These Fibres Are Passed Through A Spray Of Lubricant And Drying Flame Onto A Revolving Drum Where They Form Into Thin Webs. Yarns Are Made From These Webs By Adopting Similar Methods Used For Cotton Yarns. These Glass Yarns Are Used For Industrial Purposes For Insulation.

• Continuous Filament Process: Where Filaments Of Indefinite Length Is Made. Molten Glass Is Passed Through Spinnerets With Hundreds Of Openings. These Strands Are Carried Through A Winder Revolving At High Speed. Thus Fibres Are Drawn Out In Parallel Filaments Of Diameter Of The Openings. Binders Are Used To Twist And Winding To Prevent Breakage During Yarn Making. Sizing Is Removed From The Fibres Through Volatizing In An Oven. These Yarns Are Used For Making Home Textiles Such As Drapes And Curtains.

Textile Industry Applications:

Glass Fibres Have Potential And Profitable Applications In Home Furnishings Such As Curtains, And Drapes, For Making Apparels And Garments, And For Tires, And Reinforced Plastics. Numerous Designs Are Possible With Glass Fibres Providing The End User With Unlimited Material Combinations To Choose From. It Does Not Stretch Of Shrink When Exposed To Extreme High Or Low Temperatures. They Do Not Absorb Moisture, And Does Not Change When Exposed To Water. Possessing Minimum Weight And Good Strength, Its Textile Form Can Be Unidirectional Or Bidirectional And Facilitates Flexibility In Design And Cost. Fibre Glass Is An Inorganic Material And Does Not Rot Or Deteriorate.

Global Market For Glass Fibres:

Global Glass Fibre Industry Is Estimated To Witness A Rapid Growth. Demand For These Fibres Is Expected To Grow 3.9% For A Year On Year Basis To Reach 4.5 Billion USD By 2013. Low Production Costs And Big And Profitable Markets Are Its Growth Drivers. US Demand For Glass Fibre Is Predicted To Increase By 3.3% Annually To Reach 7.2 Billion USD By 2013. Glass Wool Fibre With Textile Glass Fibre Is Anticipated To Experience Good Growth Manipulated By Maturing Markets And Intense Competition From Imported Fibres. Textile Glass Fibres Will Be Particularly Squeezed By The Impact Of Low Priced Imports From Asian Countries, Especially China.

Glass Fibres Posses Excellence Virtues Of High Strength To Fire Resistance. Versatility Of Glass Fibres Makes It A Unique Textile Material. Textile Applications Of These Fibres Offer Both Economy And Flexibility.