Influence of Fiber Type on Electrical, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites for Insulation Panel Applications

The pursuit of crafting lightweight structures endowed with multifunctional properties has served as the impetus behind the initiation of this research endeavor. This manuscript elucidates an exploration into the intricate interplay between fiber orientation and multifaceted material properties encompassing electrical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics. The investigation entails the utilization of 2 distinct types of reinforcement—chopped strand mat (CSM) and woven roving (WR)—integrated within an epoxy matrix and synthesized through compression with a pressure of 200 kg/cm² molding facilitated by thermal induction at 160 °C, for a duration of 90 min. The findings from the electrical and thermal analyses revealed superior electrical resistance and heightened thermal resilience for CSM composites, exhibiting a degradation temperature of 300 °C and a notably low thermal conductivity of 0.045 W/mK. Contrastingly, under tensile conditions, the WR composite demonstrated a brittle nature, registering at 280 MPa, while the CSM counterpart exhibited ductile behavior, yielding 225 MPa. Moreover, the flexural properties of the CSM composite showcased a staggering 200% increase in comparison to the WR composite. Collectively, these results extrapolate that CSM composites possess superior potential as insulation panels for requisite applications owing to their commendable performance in thermal, mechanical, and electrical domains.