Separation of mechanical and thermal degradation of thermally conditioned sized glass fibre

The loss of strength of glass fibres following exposure to elevated temperatures for even short times is a well-documented phenomenon, and is a major factor in restricting the recyclability of this material for structural applications. Boron-free E-glass with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) coating was thermally conditioned at 450°C for 25 minutes. The effect of damage due to manual handling was investigated by separating single fibres from the bundle at different stages of the process and performing tensile tests on them. Fibres separated after thermal conditioning were found to have lost around 65% of their original tensile strength, while those separated before the thermal conditioning procedure exhibited only a 35% decrease.