GLASS FIBER BUNDLES FOR MAT APPLICATIONS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

摘要

Dried bundles of chopped glass fibers that may be used in mat forming applications is provided. The chopped glass fiber bundles (42) are formed of individual glass fibers (12) positioned in a substantial parallel orientation. The dried chopped glass fiber bundles may be prepared by applying a size composition to attenuated glass fibers, splitting the fibers to obtain a desired bundle tex, chopping the wet glass bundles to a discrete length, and drying the wet glass bundles in a dielectric oven, a Cratec® oven, or a rotating tray oven. Alternatively, the dried chopped glass bundles may be prepared by sizing attenuated glass fibers, passing the sized fibers through a heat transfer chamber where air heated by a bushing is drawn into the heat transfer chamber to dry the glass fiber bundles, splitting the dried, sized glass fiber bundles to obtain a desired bundle tex, and chopping the dried bundles of glass fibers. The sizing composition includes : one or more film-forming agents selected from the group consisting of a polyrethane film-former, an unasturated polyester or an epoxy resin.