Fiberglass Reinforces the Benefits of Composites in Major Industries

Fiberglass is the founding fiber reinforcement of modern composites, with E-glass and S-glass being the primary glass reinforcements originally used. Glass fibers have continued to evolve into stronger versions of the original, to meet more demanding application requirements like higher temperatures, enhanced tensile and modulus properties, and reduced energy usage and weight.

According to Composites World, “There are two general trends in the glass fiber industry: one is upward, toward enormous growth, and the other is downward, toward lower cost.”

Get fiberglass from the leading suppliers

Composites One partners with leading reinforcement suppliers like Owens Corning to bring high-performing, lightweight composite products for composites manufacturers in Construction, Infrastructure, Transportation, Wind Energy, Marine, Consumer Recreation, and other industrial markets.

Glass fiber reinforcements from Owens Corning offer many key benefits to these industry customers across the globe. Owens Corning products deliver productivity and performance benefits, including enhanced durability, design flexibility, lightweight for fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, corrosion resistance, and more.

Construction

For a broad range of internal and external building applications, using glass fiber reinforcement in construction enables mechanical performance with improved strength-to-weight ratio, appealing surface aesthetics, design flexibility, high-level noise absorption, and durability in corrosive environments to enhance the lifespan of structures.

Transportation

Glass fiber reinforcements in the transportation industry help meet regulatory requirements for efficient fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions.

Consumer Recreation

Composites offer mechanical performance, dimensional stability, and design flexibility for simple to complex product shapes and dimensions. Owens Corning composite materials are used in a variety of consumer and electronic applications to produce durable products for sustained use.

Infrastructure

The benefits of glass fiber reinforcements in infrastructure are massive—like the amount of maintenance costs they reduce and corrosion they resist. Mechanical performance, increased manufacturing efficiency, durability, and enhanced surface appearance are added benefits of fiberglass in industrial and infrastructure markets.

Wind Energy

Fiberglass is used to create nacelles and various parts of the wind turbine blade, including spar caps, roots, shells, and trailing and shear webs. They are responsible for helping to design high-modulus, longer, lighter, stronger, and more cost-effective blades. Owens Corning is responsible for creating the first glass fiber application in history and inventing the first high-modulus glass for wind blades.

Marine

For marine manufacturers, Owens Corning provides fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite solutions that are used in boat hulls, decks, and structural parts that must perform in demanding and corrosive environments. Its products produce results in many composites manufacturing processes, including spray-up, hand lay-up, Vacuum Infusion, or Light RTM.

Learn more about fiberglass and other composite materials from Owens Corning.