As a high-performance composite material, fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) has attracted widespread attention in the national economy for its unique physical and chemical properties. Using FRP-related product applications as an example, RUNSING will systematically analyze the material's six major technical advantages and industrial application scenarios.
- Lightweight and High-Strength: Looking at aircraft and wind turbine blades, composite materials will challenge your perception.
FRP materials have a density range of 1.4-2.0 g/cm³, achieving a 60-80% weight reduction compared to traditional metal materials.
Take the aircraft sector as an example. The fuselage of a rescue helicopter is made of composite materials such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, and resin. Each propeller blade is 5 meters long and weighs 40 kilograms. The main rotor has four blades, rotates at 380 rpm, and can withstand a tensile force of 20 tons. Do you know what materials they are made of? The propeller blades are also made of composite materials such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, and resin, filled with rigid foam. They are lightweight, high-strength, and lack the fatigue characteristics of metal. Composite materials account for 24% of the weight of top-tier US fighter jets, while the proportion in my country is 27%. The Boeing 787 uses nearly 50% of its fuselage structure weight. The most striking feature of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is its fuselage and major wing components, which extensively utilize lighter, stronger composite materials instead of the currently common aircraft aluminum alloys. This significantly reduces the aircraft's weight, saves fuel, and is more environmentally friendly. Composite materials are also less susceptible to fatigue and corrosion than aluminum alloys, reducing maintenance costs and extending the aircraft's lifespan, with a target lifespan of 50 years. Replacing aircraft aluminum with composite materials allows for larger windows and longer wings. The increased span ratio provides greater lift, which naturally results in lower energy consumption, or greater fuel efficiency. For example, long-endurance drones with aspect ratios of 25 can achieve flight times of up to 40 hours.
Take the wind power industry as an example. Let's look at wind turbine blades to understand the strength and service life of fiberglass. Wind turbine blades and nacelles are made of fiberglass composite materials. By 2022, the rotating diameter of wind turbine blades has reached 220 meters, with individual blades exceeding 120 meters in length and weighing an astonishing 50 tons. The design life of wind turbine blades and nacelles is generally 20 years. Depending on the material, process, and operating environment, the service life of fiberglass reinforced plastics is generally 10-50 years.
The wind turbine blades appear to rotate slowly, but what's surprising is that the blade tips are moving at speeds comparable to those of steel. Can you imagine that? Onshore wind turbine blades are typically 90-100 meters long, while offshore wind turbine blades are 100-120 meters or even longer. Onshore wind turbine blades rotate 10-20 times per minute, while offshore wind turbine blades rotate 10-15 times per minute. Assuming a blade length of 120 meters and a speed of 15 revolutions per minute, the tip speed is 678 kilometers per hour. Can you imagine that?
- Excellent Corrosion Resistance: A Look at Luxury Yachts
Fiberglass (FRP) is primarily composed of glass fiber and resin, making it resistant to corrosion from acids, alkalis, salts, seawater, untreated sewage, corrosive soil or groundwater, and numerous chemical fluids. By selecting different types of resin, FRP products can be manufactured with robust corrosion resistance against a wide range of strong acids, bases, and salts.
Take luxury yachts as an example to understand the outstanding corrosion resistance of FRP. Corrosion resistance is FRP's strength. Motorboats, racing boats, fishing boats, luxury yachts, and even sailboats are primarily made of FRP. Its lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant, and easy-to-repair and maintain properties make it a popular choice. In February 2021, Italy's Benetti S.p.A. announced the sale of its fourth Diamond 145-class ultra-luxury yacht. This 44-meter FRP yacht has an internal volume of 456 gross tons.
FRP has the following advantages over other materials in terms of seawater corrosion resistance:
- Superior to carbon steel and low-alloy steel: Carbon steel and low-alloy steel are susceptible to electrochemical corrosion in seawater, while FRP is highly resistant to corrosive media such as chloride ions in seawater and does not suffer from electrochemical corrosion.
- Superior to some stainless steels**: Although stainless steel has good corrosion resistance in general marine environments, some types of stainless steel may experience pitting and crevice corrosion in seawater containing high levels of chloride ions, while FRP offers more stable corrosion resistance.
- Superior to aluminum and copper alloys: Aluminum and copper alloys can also corrode in seawater, especially under certain electrolyte conditions, while FRP resists a wider range of corrosive media.
- Comparison with other non-metallic materials
4.1 Superior to wood: Wood is susceptible to corrosion and insect damage in seawater, while FRP is immune to these conditions and has a longer service life.
4.2 Superior to plastic: Some plastic materials are prone to aging and degradation in seawater, while FRP offers better weather and aging resistance, maintaining stable performance over time.
- Excellent Insulation Performance: Dielectric strength reaches 20 kV/mm, thermal conductivity 0.2 W/(m·K).
FRP material has a volume resistivity of >1×10¹³Ω·cm, meeting the IEC 60093 insulation standard. In the 5G communications field, wave-transparent FRP radomes achieve electromagnetic losses of <0.5 dB in the 28 GHz frequency band. In power engineering, FRP cable supports have been widely used in domestic ultra-high voltage substations.
The material's thermal insulation properties enable it to be used in LNG tank exterior insulation designs with a 30% reduction in thickness compared to traditional solutions. It is a leading material for refrigerated truck panel panels.
- Molding Process Advantages: Supports various molding technologies such as RTM and SMC.
Through processes such as compression molding and winding, FRP can be used to produce complex curved components, with the largest single-piece mold size exceeding 120m (for wind turbine blades).
- Lifecycle Cost Advantages: 40% reduction in overall cost of use.
According to the LCC analysis model, over a 20-year lifecycle, FRP products:
- Maintenance costs: Significantly reduced compared to metal materials (no anti-corrosion treatment required), and even longer lifespan.
- Transportation costs: Lower freight costs per unit weight (lightweight).
- Installation costs: Modular installation offers high installation efficiency.
- Surface Treatment Diversity: View the Poetry and Distance of RVs
FRP products can achieve Class A surface finish with a color difference of ΔE <1.5 (CIE LAB standard) through a gel coat layer, and support high fire ratings (meeting ASTM E84 Class A fire protection). Products such as RUNSING Architectural Skylight Panels, Case Panels (Pattern Panels), and Sandstone Panels offer outstanding styling and molding capabilities, enabling high-quality, stylish expression. For example, fiberglass panels remain the mainstream choice for RV body panels and interior trim.
For more information on the advantages of fiberglass panels for RVs.
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