Fiber Sizing

What is a Fiber Sizing?

Michelman has developed families of film formers, binders, and lubricants formulated specifically for the fiber manufacturing process that address the unique challenges the industry faces. We have solutions for fiberglass, carbon fiber, natural fiber, and specialty fibers in chopped or continuous form.

Sizing Formulation

Fiber producers create their own, unique sizing formulations to deliver the best performance attributes to the fiber. These formulations are composed of water, silane coupling agents (specifically for glass and basalt fiber), film formers in dissolved, emulsified, or dispersed form, and a range of additives or modifiers such as surfactants, plasticizers, anti-static agents, antifoams, and rheology modifiers. These ingredients are carefully mixed together and delivered to the fiber to perfectly match the requirements of the targeted applications. Michelman has developed a range of lubricants, binders, and film formers exclusively formulated for the fiber manufacturing process that deal with the unique challenges faced by the industry.

The Film Former

When it comes to the manufacturing and further processing of fiber, the film former plays an important role in both the fiber's physical characteristics and finished composite properties. It provides improved adhesion and facilitates effective load transfer between the fiber and the matrix polymer, while imparting mechanical properties such as tensile strength, fatigue resistance, and impact resistance. Hundreds of film former dispersions are commercially available, but only a small percentage of them are compatible with other sizing ingredients. Michelman's technology allows customers to tailor the surface chemistry of reinforcement fibers to the chemistry of the matrix resin, thereby optimizing the interfacial adhesion between the polymers and fibers.

Hydrosize

Hydrosize® film forming dispersions optimize the surface chemistry of reinforcement fibers that are integral to high performance composites. The diverse Hydrosize product range is optimized for a broad range of thermoplastic, thermoset, and very high temperature resin matrices. Hydrosize is applied during the manufacturing process of chopped or continuous strand fiberglass, carbon fiber, and natural fibers and fillers.