The history of fibreglass, or glass-reinforced plastic, begins in 1935, when Corning Glass and Owens-Illinois jointly submitted a patent for a new material called “fiberglas” (with only one S), the two companies later joining to form Owns-Corning, which exists to this day, and becoming the first among many GRP specialists. Since then fibreglass has become a very common material throughout the common world, with applications in all sorts of industries and areas. So how much fibreglass do you come into contact with on a day to day basis?
Fibreglass is a highly versatile materials, being both light, strong and highly resistant to chemical corrosion. You could bury a piece of fibreglass in your back garden and have your great-grandchild uncover it years later more or less intact, if perhaps a little grimy and faded. As a result the produce of GRP specialists can be found anywhere where a strong, durable material is required, and metal for whatever is not desirable or practical.
The most common application is the creation of watercraft, particularly private-owned boats such as motorboats, jet skis or yachts. GRP is, after all, highly buoyant and does not rot or rust when in contact with salt water. As a result GRP specialists are especially involved with maritime construction. Its light construction also made it highly valuable to the aviation industry during the Second World War, in particular because fibreglass is transparent to microwaves and thus made it ideal for the radomes of planes. During the 1950s it also saw use in the construction of sports car bodies and the construction of sports equipment, although in recent years GRP has started to give way to carbon fibre, which ways less and is stronger per a given volume.
Within more domestic settings, GRP specialists provide most of the materials used in the piping and insulation of your home, most principally the pipes used in your water supply, your heating and the insulation used in your loft. Your neighbourhood’s sewage and gas is likewise pumped through GRP pipes.
For further information regarding fibreglass, or to acquire the services of a GRP specialist yourself, feel free to visit the website of Kingsley Plastics Ltd, or else contact them directly by phoning 01837 83154.