“Capability” in Glass Fiber Production- Sizing Agent

Concept of sizing agent:
Sizing agent is a kind of multi-component aqueous solution or aqueous emulsion, formed with water or organic solventas the medium, and binder, coupling agent, surfactant, antistatic agent, etc. as the solute.

Sizing agent plays a crucial role in the production and application of glass fibers. It is impossible to produce a wide varies of fiberglass products of high quality without a good sizing agent. It can be said that the development of sizing agent technology is one of the prerequisites for that of the glass fiber industry.

Sizing agents classification:
Glass fibersizing agent is a mixture of organic and inorganic substances, and can be divided into the following types: paraffin-based sizing agent, textile-sizing agent and reinforcing sizing agent. The type of sizing agent used for glass fibers should be determined according to the variety of produced glass fibers.

a. Paraffin-based sizing agent: Reducing the strand abrasions caused by the sizing agent applicator, gathering groove and strand oscillator under wet conditions during the strand drawing process;
b. Textile sizing agent: required in drawing and weaving process , in order to facilitate the smooth progress of the next step
c. Reinforcing sizing agent: acting as a bridge to improve the mechanical properties of glass fibers in terms of interface.

Features of sizing agents:
In the production and application of fibers, the sizing agentsare mainly featured in the following fiveaspects:
1. Effectively improving the mechanical properties, such as impact strength, tensile strength and bending modulus;
2. Protecting the yarn strands against abrasion in the various stages of manufacturing fibers (such as winding, and spinning and weaving);
3. Imparting fiberswith some properties, such as strand integrity, choppability and dispersibility, according to the different process requirements forshaped products;
4. Enhancing the compatibility and adhesion between the fibers and resin matrix;
5. Eliminating or weakening the static electricity on the surface of fibers.

The ultimate purpose of these functions is that glass fibers can be produced and further processed smoothly, and the FRP products have satisfactory application properties, including physical, mechanical, chemical, electrical and anti-agingproperties.

Use requirements:
1. Should avoid the mixture using of new and old batches to assure the sizing agent’s quality.It should keep continous stirring to avoid sediment when using the sizing agent.
2. Prepared sizing emulsion should avoid delamination or failure before use to prevent fluctuations in solids content.
3. The sizing agent emulsion must be stirred constantly at a speed within an appropriate range. Stirring too fast easily produces foam, while stirring too slowly cannot ensure the uniformity of sizing agent. It is suggested to use up the prepared sizing agent emulsion within 24 hours ,not longer than 36 hours (except for special varieties).

Recommended products:
Twax-2055 wax emulsion
The emulsion belongs to a versatile product line,suitable for enhancing the glue polymer of glass fiber of PP+GF systemand other fibers.It improve the coupling and adhesion of inorganic minerals and resin products, and greatly improve the mechanical properties of composite materials, especially in the PP+GF system.Generally used for long fibers, it can also be applied to staple fibers.

OE-6806 wax emulsion
OE-6806 is a lubricant for fiber sizing agents without APEO additives for the protection of glass fibers and other reinforcing fibers during forming, processing and post-treatment.