Do you know about fiberglass and its manufacturing process?
Fiberglass (FG) is a semi-finished product made from various types of waste glass through a series of processing steps using a complete set of FG equipment. It has a wide range of properties and applications. Its fineness is 0.03mm-0.06mm, making it as fine as silk, as soft as cotton, with high tensile strength, silvery-white color, non-toxic and odorless, acid-resistant, alkali-resistant, corrosion-resistant, high-temperature resistant, and with good insulation properties. It is widely used in building materials, petroleum, chemical insulation materials, and is especially a key material for the development of fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP). Its production process is as follows:
(I) Raw Material Selection and Cleaning
1. Raw Material Selection: Various types of waste glass, with a sheet diameter of at least 3cm, except for organic, mercury, brown, and high-temperature glass.
2. Raw Material Cleaning: Place the selected material in a cement pool or other container with clean water. Use a shovel or broom to agitate and clean the glass, removing any mud and sand from the surface. Then, transfer it to a second pool for another thorough cleaning, ensuring all mud and sand are removed. Finally, drain the water completely from the glass using a perforated iron sieve or other container before use. 3. If the glass surface is oily, wash it with warm water and 4% caustic soda before use.
4. For pure flat glass less than 2mm thick, add 2% borax.
(II) Glass Fiber Production Process and Operation Methods:
1. Glass Fiber Production Process: Raw materials – Water washing – Drying – Placing in crucible – Blowtorch ignition and preheating – Ignition heating to 1100-1300 degrees Celsius – Glass melting and temperature adjustment – Fiber drawing – Fiber extraction – Softening – Fiber loading – Fiber clamping and winding – Fiber unloading – Finished product – Packaging – Finished product – Warehousing.
2. Ignition (Ignition)
A. Blowtorch ignition: Use a blowtorch to heat the glass into a semi-liquid state, then pass an electric current through it. Use gasoline, kerosene, or alcohol to assist combustion and generate high temperatures.
B. Using a carbon rod: Use a carbon rod to contact the electrode plate, generating high pressure to melt the glass. Use sodium oxide, copper oxide, and copper sulfate solution to generate voltage resistance. This process is relatively complex and difficult to master.
C. Chemical Raw Materials: This is used to formulate the drug using several chemical raw materials. The automatic ignition system uses 220V voltage. The chemical components are sodium hydride, sodium chloride, glass powder, and aluminum powder.
Under the premise of ignition, first preheat the blowtorch. Refer to the blowtorch instruction manual for details. Repair the hole in the crucible, and use a brush to remove dust and slag from the surface. Adjust the hole size to be uniform, then place the repaired crucible on the crucible stand, ensuring it is level. Next, add glass, filling it to 1/4 full. Do not exceed the dimensions on either side of the crucible, and do not overfill to prevent the molten glass from overflowing. Only after these preparations are completed can the ignition proceed. It's best to have two people ignite the glass, but if skilled, one person can operate it. One holds the preheated blowtorch and ignition rod, while the other controls the temperature switch (push-button and reversing switch). The person holding the blowtorch should aim the flame at the glass at a suitable distance, heating the glass (note that ignition should be done from left to right). Wait until the glass melts and turns red-hot. At this point, place the electrode plate of the ignition rod against the molten glass. Simultaneously, the person controlling the temperature switch should start applying a low-temperature setting (220V). If applying a high-temperature setting, sparks may occur; hold the glass firmly and then switch to a high-temperature setting (380V). Alternate between low and high temperatures, slowly moving the ignition rod to the left and right while adding more glass. Continue applying the high-temperature setting. When the ignition rod is about 1/3 full, the temperature inside the vortex will rise rapidly. The ignition rod must be in solid contact with the molten glass; do not hold it too high or press it down forcefully. Holding it too high will make it difficult to generate sparks, and pressing it down will cause the crucible to keep being filled. Once the ignition rod is no longer in contact with the electrode rod on the edge of the crucible, this process is complete.
Note:
(1) Before igniting, preheat the crucible with a blowtorch. This is necessary to extend the crucible's lifespan. The crucible may be damp or already damp due to storage time and location; if preheating is not performed, the crucible will inevitably need to be opened before ignition.
(2) Do not move the ignition rod too quickly or too slowly. Moving it too quickly will result in insufficient temperature inside the crucible, while moving it too slowly may cause the crucible to overheat.
(3) If bubbles or uneven temperature are observed in the molten glass, pop the bubbles with a spoon to release the air. Then, use a hook to gently stir the molten glass in the crucible until it is evenly mixed.
Wire Drawing and Pulling: After ignition or firing, once the temperature of the molten glass in the crucible reaches 1100-1300 degrees Celsius, the molten glass will automatically flow out from under the eyelets. If some eyelets don't allow molten glass to flow, a wire drawer must be used. Maintain a proper posture while drawing, pulling from the outside in to avoid breaking the wire. Avoid touching the iron handle or the crucible holder with the clamps to prevent electric shock. Use one clamp to hold another wire; this increases and speeds up the wire drawing process. After drawing all the wire from the reel, manually pull a few more times before starting the wire loading.
Wire Loading: Before loading the wire, spray a softening agent onto the roller. Wind the drawn wire onto the roller, ensuring the pressure head is firmly pressed down. Push the roller by hand until the wire is securely pressed. Then, turn on the motor to begin normal production, continuously feeding and adjusting the temperature.