Another breakthrough concept is Dielectric Solutions’ DirectFinish™ fiber sizing application.  All glass fiber products require some form of sizing, or finish, to be applied to the glass.  The finish serves two purposes:

• To lubricate and protect the fibers from fracture during processing, 
• To interface with the end use application by providing good chemical compatibility with the resin or chemical coating that is subsequently applied.

Traditionally this has required a two-stage application, first when glass fibers are formed (the protective finish) and second after the glass yarns have been woven into fabric (the protective finish is removed through a burn-off and then the final compatible finish is applied).  This process is time-consuming, costly and inefficient. Furthermore, the burn off (referred to as heat cleaning) causes a change in the structure of the glass which severely degrades the reinforcing properties.

Our DirectFinish™ sizing application is an innovation that, with one finish, provides both the protection needed for processing and the chemical compatibility required for resin impregnation or coating.  Process inefficiencies and material handling are minimized, and the need for the degrading heat cleaning process is eliminated.

Furthermore, unlike other glass fabric where the final finish is applied after weaving and largely remains on the surface of the fabric, our DirectFinish™ system applies the final finish to each individual glass filament, prior to weaving.  Our finish is deeply embedded into the interior of each fiber bundle, where it remains to provide a superior interface for resin impregnation or coating.  Through this unique approach, fabric produced with our DirectFinish™ technology yields in performance benefits such as superior strength, improved electrical and thermal properties, and other benefits which are important to a variety of diverse industry applications.

Click here for our Finish Guide.