Fiberglass composite materials: upgrading traditional fields and expanding emerging markets
Driven by the dual goals of "dual carbon" and the transformation and upgrading of the global manufacturing industry, glass fiber composite materials (GFRP) are deeply reconstructing the traditional industrial structure with "lightweight, high strength and corrosion resistance" as their core advantages, and accelerating their penetration into emerging fields such as new energy, aerospace, and green buildings. It is estimated that China's glass fiber composite material output will account for more than 30% of the global market share in 2025. Its "double helix" growth model of technology iteration and market expansion has become an excellent sample for observing China's high-end manufacturing breakthroughs.
1. Traditional fields: from "alternative materials" to "performance revolution"
1. Automobile lightweighting: from "weight reduction" to "efficiency improvement"
The global automotive industry is undergoing a profound change of "replacing steel with plastic". The polyurethane wind power special yarn technology extends to the automotive field. The glass fiber reinforced polyurethane battery pack cover developed by it is 35% lighter than the traditional metal solution. At the same time, the integrated manufacturing of complex structures is realized through the compression molding process, and the production efficiency is increased by 40%. After Geely Boyue adopted glass fiber composite body panels, the weight of the whole vehicle was reduced by 18%, fuel consumption per 100 kilometers was reduced by 0.8L, and carbon emissions were reduced by 12%.
In the field of new energy vehicles, the application scenarios of glass fiber composite materials have been further expanded. The glass fiber-carbon fiber hybrid battery box, while meeting the IP67 protection level, extends the thermal runaway diffusion time to 30 minutes, which is 5 times higher than the pure metal solution. This technology has been applied to the NIO ET9 model, achieving a 25% weight reduction in the battery pack system and an increase in cruising range of 60 kilometers.
2. Wind turbine blades:
From "large-scale" to "intelligent" The length of global wind turbine blades has exceeded 120 meters, posing an extreme challenge to material performance. High modulus glass fiber, through nanoparticle modification technology, increases the tensile modulus to 96GPa, an increase of 2 0% compared with the E7 series. After the 18MW offshore wind turbine blades are adopted with this material, the weight is reduced by 15%, the power generation efficiency is increased by 8%, and the real-time monitoring of blade health is achieved through the built-in optical fiber sensor, reducing the operation and maintenance costs by 30%. In the field of onshore wind power, the recycling technology of glass fiber composite materials has made a breakthrough. The recycling process of thermoplastic glass fiber blades achieves resin depolymerization through microwave heating, and the strength retention rate of recycled glass fiber reaches 92%. The recycled material can be remade into the main beam of wind turbine blades, forming a closed loop of "material-product-material". 3. Building materials: From "structural reinforcement" to "functional integration" In the field of green buildings, glass fiber composite materials are transforming from a single reinforcement material to a multifunctional building component. Glass fiber reinforced polyurethane building formwork has a turnover rate 10 times higher than that of traditional wooden formwork. It also has flame retardant and sound insulation properties. It is applied to prefabricated building projects, shortening the construction period by 40%. In the field of infrastructure, the durability advantage of glass fiber composite materials is prominent. The glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin anti-corrosion coating used in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has a coating thickness retention rate of 95% after 10 years of service in the marine environment, which is 3 times longer than the traditional anti-corrosion solution. This technology has been extended to the Sichuan-Tibet Railway tunnel lining project to solve the problem of concrete cracking in high-cold and high-humidity environments.
Industry Future:
From "Material Supplier" to "System Service Provider" Under the pressure of the "Dual Carbon" goal, glass fiber composite materials companies are transforming from single product manufacturers to "material + process + data" system service providers. The deep logic of this transformation is that when material performance and process parameters can be digitally deconstructed, companies are no longer limited to selling products, but reconstructing the value chain through "data value-added".
As the chairman of International Composites said: "The future competition is a competition for the integration of material gene pools and industrial big data." In this industrial revolution triggered by glass fiber composite materials, China has leapt from a "follower" to a "parallel runner" and has achieved "leading" in some areas. Driven by both technological iteration and market demand, glass fiber composite materials will surely become the "new infrastructure" of China's high-end manufacturing, injecting lasting momentum into the global green transformation.