Fibreglass is a composite material made of glass fibres impregnated with thermosetting resins, generally liquid and polyester-based, which harden after processing through the action of catalysts and accelerators.
It is a material also known as FRP or PRFV (from the Italian Polimeri Rinforzati con Fibre di Vetro), GRP (Glass-Reinforced Polymers) or GFRP (Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymers), and GFK (from the German Glasfaserverstärkter Kunststoff).
Once produced, thermosetting polymers cannot be melted without undergoing chemical degradation (“charring”), unlike thermoplastic polymers, which are not permanently altered by processing and become workable again every time they are heated.
These are polymers that, under suitable temperature conditions and/or in the presence of specific substances, turn into rigid, insoluble and infusible materials. This transformation occurs through cross-linking reactions known as “curing”, which take place between the polymer chains, forming strong bonds.
