Glass Fibre Sizing: A Review of Size Formulation Patents

Of the many questions which this large and growing composite community poses about sizings, the most frequently asked is probably “what is actually in the size on this glass fibre product?” There is only one source of openly available information on commercial size formulations and that is the patents of the glass fibre manufacturers. This book contains analysis of more than 500 examples of patented size formulations many of which are probably still in use in commercial glass fibre production. The information is tabulated to allow readers to easily identify the similarities and differences between the sizes and their glass fibre products developed for different composite end-use applications, different composite processing techniques, and compatibility with different polymers. Also included is a chapter discussing how patents and their associated information can be used to gain insight into which size formulations may actually be in use in glass fibre production.