Hello! I am Ken Hamajima, Vice President and General Manager of the Glass Fiber Division at Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. (NEG). In this article, I will be introducing our next-generation high-performance materials in detail. Please enjoy reading.
Next-generation high-performance materials: Enhancing molded product quality with recyclable INNOFIBER™ FGF
Sponsored By Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. (NEG)
Overview
Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd (NEG), a Japanese glass manufacturer with 75 years of history, offers INNOFIBER™ FGF (Flat Glass Fiber), a chopped strand of thermoplastic resin that enhances dimensional stability and reduces warping in molded products. It surpasses conventional glass fibers, improving the impact resistance and surface appearance of composite materials. Additionally, it is a high-performance material that supports material recycling.
Features
INNOFIBER™ FGF is a glass fiber with a flat cross-section (long side 4: short side 1). This feature provides high melt flowability, making it adaptable to complex molding and thin-walled shapes. The fibers remain longer during molding, resulting in greater strength compared to round shapes. Additionally, the distinctive shape allows for good orientation and high filling capability, further enhancing the strength and dimensional stability of molded products.
1.Excellent melt flowability and high filling capability
The distinctive shape of INNOFIBER™ FGF provides excellent flowability during melting, making it suitable for complex and thin-walled molding. Additionally, its good orientation and high filling capability allow for the creation of even stronger molded products tailored to specific requirements.
2. High Strength
INNOFIBER™ FGF retains longer fibers during molding, resulting in greater strength compared to conventional round glass fibers. In fact, even with the same amount added, INNOFIBER™ FGF has been confirmed to improve tensile strength and impact strength.
3. Low Warping and Twisting
Due to the low anisotropy of molding shrinkage, INNOFIBER™ FGF significantly contributes to reducing warping in molded products compared to round shapes, thereby improving dimensional stability. Compared to FRP using conventional glass fiber (GF), FRP using INNOFIBER™ FGF shows reduced warping and improved dimensional stability.
4. Surface Smoothness
Due to its flat shape and special surface treatment, INNOFIBER™ FGF reduces the surface protrusion of glass fibers, enhancing surface smoothness. The absence of fine irregularities contributes to improved aesthetics and tactile quality, thereby enhancing the design of the product.
5. Thinning and Weight
By reducing warping and improving dimensional stability, it becomes possible to achieve thinning and weight reduction in the same shape.
6. Impact Resistance
The fibers remain longer within the molded product, thereby improving impact resistance.
Efforts Towards Material Recycling
As an environmentally conscious feature, INNOFIBER™ FGF, with its long fiber retention, is suitable for material recycling. In tests conducted with recycling in mind, it has been found that the tensile strength and Charpy impact strength of reused INNOFIBER™ FGF exceed those of conventional round shapes.
Advantages of NEG
We provide glass fibers with a wide variety of coupling agents, which can be adjusted to match the materials used in construction, automotive, and electronic products. This is achieved by leveraging our extensive experience and know-how accumulated over many years in fiber applications. Additionally, the carefully balanced flat-type equivalent diameter and flatness ratio are expected to further enhance features such as high filling and warp reduction.
We are actively committed to environmental initiatives during production. Under the belief that 'the most efficient manufacturing in the world leads to the most environmentally friendly manufacturing in the world,' we value 'coexistence with nature' as an important principle. We actively address issues such as energy conservation, CO₂ emission reduction, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation.
Since 1993, we have introduced oxygen combustion furnaces and developed combustion methods using fuels that reduce CO₂ emissions to zero. In 2022, we achieved fuel conversion for glass melting furnaces and expanded into engineering businesses that provide carbon-neutral technologies.
Summary
INNOFIBER™ FGF is a high-performance material with many excellent properties, such as dimensional stability, strength, surface smoothness, and impact resistance of molded products. This allows for flexible responses to complex molding and thin-walled shapes, greatly contributing to product quality improvement. Additionally, it has high recyclability as an environmentally friendly feature, contributing to sustainable product development.
We leverage our extensive experience and know-how accumulated over many years in fiber applications to support a wide range of fields, including construction, automotive, and electronic products. Furthermore, we actively engage in environmental initiatives, aiming for sustainable development.
For more details or inquiries about INNOFIBER™ FGF, please feel free to contact us. Our expert team will provide the optimal solutions tailored to your needs.
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