Glass fibres for insulation and reinforcement

The glazing, packaging and optical applications of glass are the most well known since they refer to glass transparency. Glass is also used for thermal and acoustic insulation or to reinforce plastics and concrete because of their low cost and high strength. In the latter case, compositions incorporating ZrO2 allow to resist concrete chemical attack. Polymers reinforced by glass fibres are fabricated as composites and used in transportation applications (automotive front ends, vehicle furniture, plane cockpits, etc.).

(a) Glass wool and

(b) fibre-reinforced composite used for the front end of an automobile.