Fiberglass

Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is widely used in the manufacture of insulation and textiles. It is also used as a reinforcing agent for many plastic products; the resulting composite material, properly known as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) or glass-fiber reinforced epoxy (GRE), is called "fiberglass" in popular usage.

Related Topics:
Fiber - Glass - Insulation - Textile - Plastic - Composite material - Glass-reinforced plastic - Epoxy

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Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of fiberglass was only made possible with the advent of finer machine-tooling. In 1893, Edward Drummond Libbey exhibited a dress at the World Columbian Exposition incorporating glass fibers with the diameter and texture of silk fibers. What is commonly known as "fiberglass" today, however, was invented in 1938 by Russell Games Slayter of Owens-Corning as a material to be used as insulation. It is marketed under the trade name Fiberglas (see genericized trademark).

Related Topics:
1893 - Edward Drummond Libbey - World Columbian Exposition - Silk - Russell Games Slayter - Owens-Corning - Genericized trademark

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