“Fiberglass” or “glassfibre” is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is used as a reinforcing agent for polymer products. The resulting composite material, properly known as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) or glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), in popular usage is called “fiberglass. The advantages of the products are corrosion resistant, mechanical strength, low weight, chemical resistant, electrical and thermal insulating and many others.
Unfortunately fiberglass is much more difficult to recycle than materials like wood (100 % natural and industrial recycling), aluminium (75 % industrial recycling). Crushing and granulation is one possibility but commercially non proven.. Tests have shown that it is technically possible to break down the molecule chains in uncured polyester by pyrolysis, and then reuse the resulting product as new polyester raw materials. However, pyrolysis is not currently financially viable.
Fiberglass ladders are said to end up in a landfill.
Tags: fiberglass, insulating, plastics, recycling