The term, GFRP, stands for glass fiber reinforced polymer. It is what is known as a composite material, consisting as it does of a matrix of polymer that has been reinforced with fibers to give it strength. GFRP composite is used in many industries, including marine, automotive, construction, ballistic armor 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.
At sea, GFRPs were mostly confined to recreational water craft. It was not until three decades later that larger boats started to incorporate the material. They are particularly useful in this industry because they may be crafted into sometimes complicated configurations. They are lightweight, cheap, resistant to both impact and corrosion, and are vibration-damping.
Because of the same properties that make it favorable for marine use, GFRP is useful in the manufacture of high-performance automobiles. Incorporated into fiberglass trucks, its light weight means that a bigger payload may be transported. Fiberglass is also preferable to steel in a car crash. Fiberglass will contain the vibrations to a localized area, while steel will transfer the vibration, and hence the shock, throughout the 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.
Lately, bullet-proof vests have been making the news and showing up on television dramas a lot. The series two finale of NCIS involved agent Kate Todd throwing herself, wearing a ballistic vest, to block a bullet meant for Special Agent Jethro Gibbs. The armor stopped the bullet, but moments later could not stop an assassin's bullet meant for her head. A couple of shows have had a similar theme when entrepreneurs peddle defective armor to the armed forces, only to be discovered by the heroes of the television programs. No doubt, more applications of GFRPs will be revealed in years to come.
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.
At sea, GFRPs were mostly confined to recreational water craft. It was not until three decades later that larger boats started to incorporate the material. They are particularly useful in this industry because they may be crafted into sometimes complicated configurations. They are lightweight, cheap, resistant to both impact and corrosion, and are vibration-damping.
Because of the same properties that make it favorable for marine use, GFRP is useful in the manufacture of high-performance automobiles. Incorporated into fiberglass trucks, its light weight means that a bigger payload may be transported. Fiberglass is also preferable to steel in a car crash. Fiberglass will contain the vibrations to a localized area, while steel will transfer the vibration, and hence the shock, throughout the 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.
Lately, bullet-proof vests have been making the news and showing up on television dramas a lot. The series two finale of NCIS involved agent Kate Todd throwing herself, wearing a ballistic vest, to block a bullet meant for Special Agent Jethro Gibbs. The armor stopped the bullet, but moments later could not stop an assassin's bullet meant for her head. A couple of shows have had a similar theme when entrepreneurs peddle defective armor to the armed forces, only to be discovered by the heroes of the television programs. No doubt, more applications of GFRPs will be revealed in years to come.
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