Alkali-Resistant Coating Technology for Fiberglass Mesh
Alkali-resistant fiberglass mesh, a type of alkali-resistant glass fiber, offers significant advantages over conventional alkali-free and medium-alkali glass fibers: excellent alkali resistance, high tensile strength, and exceptional corrosion resistance in cement and other strong alkaline media. It is an irreplaceable reinforcement material for glass fiber reinforced cementitious products (GRC).
Alkali-resistant fiberglass mesh is the base material for glass fiber reinforced cement (GRC). With the advancement of wall renovation and economic development, GRC has been widely used in a variety of applications, including interior and exterior building wall panels, insulation panels, air duct panels, garden ornaments, artistic sculptures, and civil engineering. It can be used to create products and components that are difficult or incomparable to reinforced concrete. It can be used in non-load-bearing, secondary load-bearing, and semi-load-bearing building components, decorative pieces, and agricultural and animal husbandry facilities.
Alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh is made from medium-alkali and alkali-free glass fiber mesh as a base material, post-treated with an acrylic copolymer adhesive. This mesh features high strength, excellent alkali and acid resistance, strong resin adhesion, and excellent solubility in styrene, along with superior stiffness and positioning. It is primarily used as a reinforcement for cement, plastic, asphalt, roofing, and wall panels. It is primarily used for GRC pre-laying, coating, or mechanical forming, and is particularly well-suited for on-site exterior wall insulation projects. Alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh production process and advantages:
1. 14.5% to 16.7% zirconium dioxide and 6% titanium dioxide are introduced into the glass composition. Melted at 1600°C, the mesh is drawn into continuous filaments through a platinum tube. These filaments are then spliced and twisted into textile glass fiber. During the drawing process, the individual filaments are coated with a high-molecular-weight water-soluble epoxy resin and a coupling agent to ensure compatibility with the alkali-resistant polymer during subsequent processing.
2. To further enhance the safety, stability, and durability of alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh, after being warp-knitted into a gauze-like shape, it is coated with styrene-butadiene rubber and pure acrylic emulsion. Constant temperature, constant speed, and constant tension control ensure full adhesion. (This process is an alkali-resistant coating technology developed by BASF in Europe for alkali-free glass fiber mesh.) This effectively resists the early erosion of the glass fiber mesh during the Ca(OH)2 hydration phase of the polymer mortar. The anti-slip strength at the mesh intersection after coating is 3.5-4.5N.
3. In addition to applying an alkali-resistant coating, the alkali-resistant performance of alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh primarily stems from the formation of a mixed film of zirconium and titanium ions on the fiber surface, which prevents alkaline corrosion. Over time, the chemical state of zirconium gradually stabilizes. For example, the alkali-resistant retention rate of medium-alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh exceeds 85%, far exceeding that of other glass fiber meshes coated with alkali-resistant coatings. Therefore, it can be called a naturally alkali-resistant glass fiber mesh.
