Properties And Applications Of Two Different Fiberglass Surface Mats
Fiberglass surface mats are generally classified into hand lay-up type and wound type based on performance. While they may look similar, their uses and performance differ significantly. The prefixes on the product names also indicate this: hand lay-up type is typically used for manual processes, while wound type requires machine winding. The following sections will explain the differences between these two products, providing a comparison to help customers avoid making incorrect choices.
Hand Lay-up Type Fiberglass Surface Mat:
This hand lay-up type surface mat is a specialized fiberglass thin mat used in the hand lay-up process of fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP). It is made of alkali-free fiberglass yarn randomly laid together and bonded with an adhesive. Its main purpose is to reinforce the surface of the product.
Commonly used weights are 30g/m² and 50g/m², with a common width of 1000mm. However, 30g/m² is the most common, while 50g/m² is mainly used for products requiring high corrosion resistance and larger areas.
The fibers are fine and evenly dispersed, resulting in a soft product. Its key features include rapid resin penetration, excellent air release, and the elimination of air bubbles and white stains. It exhibits good moldability, making it suitable for complex curved surfaces and sharp edges. Tensile strength is ≥20–40 N/5cm, moisture content ≤0.2%, and it has good compatibility with unsaturated resins, vinyl esters, and epoxy resins. The product surface is smooth and delicate, resistant to chemical corrosion, leak-proof, and weather-resistant. It is easy for workers to handle and suitable for hand lay-up processes, improving efficiency. Hand lay-up surface mats are mainly used on the surface of hand lay-up fiberglass products to enhance product strength. They are widely used in boats, sanitary ware, automotive parts, chemical storage tanks, corrosion-resistant pipes, molds, etc., to improve the appearance, corrosion resistance, and impermeability of products, extending their lifespan.
Winded Fiberglass Surface Mat:
Winded fiberglass surface mats are suitable for winding processes. The production process also involves the disordered laying of continuous fiberglass yarn, combined with a special adhesive, making it a dedicated surface reinforcement material for fiberglass wound products.
Common specifications include gram weights of 30g/㎡, 50g/㎡, and 60g/㎡. For higher-end products, an 80g/㎡ thicker version is available. Width can be customized according to the width of the winding equipment, primarily 1000mm and 1270mm. The materials are mainly alkali-free E-fiberglass yarn and medium-alkali C-fiberglass yarn.
The wound surface felt features uniform fiber distribution, good tensile toughness, stable tensile strength, and fast resin impregnation, making it particularly suitable for continuous winding operations. It exhibits good temperature and acid/alkali corrosion resistance, low moisture content, low dust, and minimal yarn shedding. It is highly compatible with unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, and vinyl ester resin.
The product boasts strong adhesion, tightly wrapping curved surfaces of tanks and pipes without edge warping. It can conceal internal winding yarn patterns, resulting in a smooth and flat surface. It effectively improves the surface's impermeability and aging resistance, offering good tensile strength and abrasion resistance. It is specifically designed for high-speed continuous winding production.
Mainly used for wound-molded products such as fiberglass pipes, storage tanks, chimneys, and cable conduits. Layed on the surface of products, the protective structural layer is not easily corroded and is widely used in chemical corrosion protection, municipal pipelines, power, and environmental desulfurization fields, achieving both aesthetic quality and long-term stability.
The raw materials for the two products are basically the same; the biggest difference lies in the different processing scenarios, leading to variations in the production of the surface felt. Hand lay-up surface felt products are lighter, softer, and have better moldability, excelling at bonding complex curved surfaces and irregularly shaped components. They are characterized by a smooth, flat surface, eliminating roughness and texture, making them suitable for hand-molded products.
Wound surface felt offers greater strength and anti-slip capability, does not shed yarn, and has good tensile strength, making it suitable for continuous mechanical winding operations and providing greater stability when covering pipe products. It also enhances the surface's corrosion resistance.
