Fiber glass development

Fiberglass Composite Fabrication and Analysis

This project was carried out as part of the “Materials for Advanced Manufacturing” laboratory course at Politecnico di Torino, under the supervision of Prof. Bondioli and Prof. Padovano. The aim was to fabricate fiberglass composite samples, analyze their structure, and perform a flexural (bending) test to evaluate mechanical behavior.

Working in a small team, we manually produced standard-sized composite specimens using a unidirectional fiberglass fabric and epoxy resin in a 50:50 weight ratio. Resin mixing, fiber alignment, and layer stacking were done with care to minimize porosity and ensure uniform curing. Each step was performed in accordance with safety protocols and ASTM testing standards.

After fabrication, we polished the samples to prepare them for microscopic analysis. Using ImageJ software and optical microscopy, we measured layer thickness and porosity — the average porosity was calculated to be around 6.7%. We also created customized silicone molds to stabilize samples during polishing.

The final bending test was conducted using a 3-point setup. Five specimens were evaluated for modulus of elasticity and mechanical consistency. Differences in stiffness between samples were analyzed, and we concluded that small variations during resin application significantly affected performance.

This hands-on project was a valuable experience in composite fabrication, lab-scale production, and destructive mechanical testing. It also deepened my understanding of how manual processing affects composite behavior, and how vital preparation and precision are for repeatable performance.

Full results, including microscopy visuals and raw testing data, are available on request.