Analysis of coating on glass fiber reinforcements

Several commercially available glass fiber reinforcements were analyzed to determine the amounts (“loadings”) and types of coatings applied by their manufactures. Loadings were determined by solvent extraction and pyrolysis and ranged from 0.54 to 4.22 weight percent with the heaviest amounts on random mats and the least amounts on rovings intended for filament winding and weaving. The major components of the solvent‐extracted coatings were identified by infrared (IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. All of the coatings analyzed could be sorted into three classes of coatings which matched the matrix types recommended by the glass manufacturers. In each case, the coating consisted primarily of a mixture of two separate materials, designated as the “unreacted resin” and the “lubricant”.