To create a strong yet lightweight construction, a polyester resin or epoxy resin is combined with a reinforcing fibre. These reinforcing fibres are available in various weave styles, weights and sizes. With more than 16 years of experience in the sale of composite resins and fabrics, Polyestershoppen is a true specialist. Our range has now been expanded with various glass fabrics, carbon fabrics and aramid fabrics. In this article you can read all about the various reinforcing fabrics that you can easily order online at Polyestershoppen.
All about glass fibre
Glass fibre is the most commonly used reinforcement material. This type of fabric is affordable and, in combination with polyester, epoxy and vinyl ester, offers good adhesion to most substrates, provided that the correct primer is used.
Benefits of glass fibre:
- Affordable price.
- Good adhesion to polyester, epoxy or vinyl ester.
- High tensile strength.
- High compressive strength.
- Good elongation to break.
Glass fibre reinforcement material is available in different variants:
Fibreglass chopped strand mat
Do you often work with polyester resin? Then fibreglass chopped strand mat is the most commonly used reinforcement fibre. This fabric consists of short fibres of approximately 4 centimetres long, which are held together by a binder (a type of glue). You can easily tear a fibreglass mat to size. When processing with polyester resin, the binder dissolves, making the mat soft and processable. When using epoxy, the binder does not dissolve, leaving the mat hard and stiff. Therefore, please only process glass mat with polyester or vinyl ester resin.
Features of fibreglass chopped strand mat
- Most economical choice.
- Suitable for processing with polyester.
- Tearable fabric.
| Layer thickness | Resin consumption | |
| Fibreglass chopped strand mat (150 gr/m2) | 0.35 mm | 350 gr/m2 |
| Fibreglass chopped strand mat (225 gr/m2) | 0.50 mm | 500 gr/m2 |
| Fibreglass chopped strand mat (300 gr/m2) | 0.70 mm | 700 gr/m2 |
| Fibreglass chopped strand mat (450 gr/m2) | 1 mm | 1000 gr/m2 |
Glass fabric
Glass fabric is a finely woven material of thin glass fibres. Due to the woven structure, less post-processing is required on the laminate. There are two types available:
- Square glass fabric (plain)
Square glass fabric has little flexibility and is therefore very suitable for laminating relatively flat shapes. - Twill fabric (twill)
Twill fabric, on the other hand, is very pliable, which makes it suitable for laminating more complex shapes.
Glass fabric is suitable for processing in combination with polyester resin, vinyl ester resin or epoxy resin and is often used in model building, floors, coverings and similar applications. Compared to glass fibre mat, glass fabric has a lower resin consumption.
Features of glass fabric
- Low resin consumption.
- Suitable for processing with epoxy, polyester and vinyl ester.
- Available in twill weave and square weave.
| Layer thickness* | Resin consumption* | |
| Square glass fabric (80 gr/m2) | 0.14 mm | 109 gr/m2 |
| Square glass fabric (200 gr/m2) | 0.35 mm | 273 gr/m2 |
| Square glass fabric (160 gr/m2) | 0.27 mm | 210 gr/m2 |
| Square glass fabric (280 gr/m2) | 0.47 mm | 361 gr/m2 |
*These data are based on processing using the hand lay-up method (manual lamination). By working using a vacuum technique, you can significantly reduce resin consumption and layer thickness, without compromising strength. Would you like more information about this? Please contact us!
Fibreglass woven roving
If you want to build up layer thickness quickly, fibreglass roven woving is the perfect weave. This square weave is very coarse and is used for floors, for example. Woven roving is often combined with glass mat for extra strength, with the weaves being used alternately.
Features of woven roving
- Quickly builds up layer thickness.
- Suitable for processing with polyester, epoxy and vinyl ester.
- Suitable for coarse laminating work.
| Layer thickness* | Resin consumption* | |
| Roven woving (300 gr/m2) | 0.55 mm | 434 gr/m2 |
| Roven woving (600 gr/m2) | 0.66 mm | 429 gr/m2 |
| Roven woving (800 gr/m2) | 1.47 mm | 1158 gr/2 |
*These data are based on processing by using the hand lay-up method (manual lamination). By using a vacuum technique, you can significantly reduce resin consumption and layer thickness, without compromising strength. Would you like more information about this? Please contact us!
Glass fabric tape
Glass fabric tape is a narrow glass fabric that fits for reinforcing seams and corners or for wrapping hockey sticks.
Features of glass fabric tape
- Narrow strips.
- Suitable for corner joints and local repairs.
- Suitable for processing with polyester, epoxy and vinyl ester.
All about carbon fabric
Carbon fabric, also known as carbon or carbon fibre, is a fibre with high tensile strength and stiffness. This makes this type of fabric very suitable for lightweight components that require stiffness and aesthetics. Think of car parts, prostheses for para athletes and racing bicycles.
In terms of tensile strength, carbon is stronger and stiffer than aramid and glass fibre, but less resistant to point loads. This can be improved by combining it with glass or aramid fibre. Because carbon has semiconductor properties, it can conduct electricity, which can lead to electrolysis when used with metals. This problem can be solved by placing a layer of glass fibre between the carbon and the metal.
Processing carbon fabric
To process carbon fabric properly, you need pressure or vacuum. If the resin/fiber ratio exceeds 30:70 (30 parts by weight of resin to 70 parts by weight of fabric), the resin takes over a lot of strength while it is less stronger than the fibre. Because carbon fabric and aramid fabric are quite expensive, it is a waste not to use a vacuum to get the best properties out of them. Read more about processing carbon fabric in the information article: "How to cover a surfboard with carbon fabric and epoxy".
Carbon fabric is often used decoratively, for example for laminating scooter hoods or car interiors (so-called overlays). For such applications, epoxy resin is usually used, because it is easier to process.
Benefits of carbon fabric:
- Beautiful aesthetic appearance.
- High tensile strength.
- Suitable for processing with epoxy (recommended) and polyester.
Types of carbon (carbon fabric)
As with fibreglass, carbon fibre is available as twill and plain. Again, the rule is: twill = foldable (complex shapes) and plain = not foldable (straight shapes).
| Layer thickness* | Resin consumption* | |
| Carbon fabric square (200 gr/m2) | 0.44 mm | 390 gr/m2 |
| Carbon fabric twill weave (200 gr/m2) | 0.44 mm | 390 gr/m2 |
*These data are based on processing using the hand lay-up method (manual lamination). By working using a vacuum technique, you can significantly reduce resin consumption and layer thickness, without compromising strength. Would you like more information about this? Please contact us!
All about Aramid Fabric (Kevlar)
Aramid, also known by brand names such as Kevlar (Dupont) or Twaron (Akzo), is a tough fibre with a high impact strength. It has a higher stiffness and tensile strength than fibreglass, but is less strong than carbon fibre. However, aramid can withstand a higher point load, which makes it suitable for applications such as bulletproof vests. This makes the fabric difficult to cut or sand. A good pair of aramid scissors is therefore a must.
Aramid fibres do not absorb resin, which makes it easy to delaminate. This is good for point loading but less so for stiffness. Therefore, aramid fibres are often placed between two layers of another fabric for optimal results, without the need for much post-processing.
Benefits of aramid fabric
- High point load.
- Suitable for crash helmets and bulletproof vests.
- Suitable for processing in combination with epoxy, polyester and vinylester.
Types of aramid fabric
Aramid fabric is also available as a twill weave and as a plain weave.
| Layer thickness* | Resin consumption* | |
| Aramid fabric square (170 gr/m2) | 0.55 mm | 485 gr/m2 |
| Aramid fabric twill weave (175 gr/m2) | 0.55 mm | 485 gr/m2 |
*These data are based on processing using the hand lay-up method (manual lamination). By working using a vacuum technique, you can significantly reduce resin consumption and layer thickness, without compromising strength. Would you like more information about this? Please contact us!
More information about reinforcement fabrics?
Do you still have questions about fibreglass, carbon fabric or aramid fabric after reading this article? Please feel free to contact our specialists. We will gladly provide you with free, expert and personal advice about your project. You can reach us on working days via WhatsApp, email or telephone!
