Effect of Process Variables on the Tensile Properties of Fibreglass Nonwoven Composites

Abstract

Fibreglass nonwoven composites are a new class of fibre-reinforced composites, and in this work composite samples were manufactured by using nonwoven webs as reinforcement and thermo-setting resin as matrix. The samples were prepared by using a resin infusion technique, and the nonwoven webs were manufactured by a wet-laying method. In this research work, the main purpose was to investigate the effects of different process variables, i.e. dispersion, fibre length and multiple layering, on the tensile properties of these composites. It was found that the tensile strength was improved by better dispersion of fibre strands. Tensile strength and stiffness of the composite samples were also improved by an increase in fibre length and by multiple layering.