ABSTRACT
Introduction Composite materials, such as the glass-fibre reinforced materials glass-fibre reinforced polyester (GRP), glass-fibre reinforced cement (GRC) and glass-fibre
reinforced gypsum (GRG), rely for their utility on the advantageous combination of the disparate physical properties associated with the individual component materials. This is possible when a strong bond between the glass fibres and the matrix material ensures that the two materials within the composite act in unison. Thus polyester, which alone has a very low modulus of elasticity, when reinforced with glass fibres produces a material which is rigid enough for use as a cladding material. Cement, which alone would be brittle, when reinforced with glass fibres can be manufactured into thin, impact-resistant sheets. Similarly, glass-fibre reinforcement in gypsumconsiderably increases its impact and fire resistance.
