WordNet
n. a very thin fiber made of glass that functions as a waveguide for light; used in bundles to transmit images [syn: optical fiber, optical fibre, glass fibre]
Wikipedia
Glass fiber ( or glass fibre) is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.
Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling. In 1893, Edward Drummond Libbey exhibited a dress at the World's Columbian Exposition incorporating glass fibers with the diameter and texture of silk fibers. This was first worn by the popular stage actress of the time Georgia Cayvan. Glass fibers can also occur naturally, as Pele's hair.
Glass wool, which is one product called "fiberglass" today, was invented in 1932–1933 by Russell Games Slayter of Owens-Corning, as a material to be used as thermal building insulation. It is marketed under the trade name Fiberglas, which has become a genericized trademark. Glass fiber when used as a thermal insulating material, is specially manufactured with a bonding agent to trap many small air cells, resulting in the characteristically air-filled low-density "glass wool" family of products.
Glass fiber has roughly comparable mechanical properties to other fibers such as polymers and carbon fiber. Although not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle when used in composites. Glass fibers are therefore used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; to form a very strong and relatively lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite material called glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), also popularly known as "fiberglass". This structural material product contains little or no air or gas, is more dense, and is a much poorer thermal insulator than is glass wool.
Usage examples of "glass fiber".
Amazingly, it does not close up into a solid glass fiber, but remains a tube no matter how thin it gets.
The bridge was a 3-meter tube of flexible material, stiffened by a helix of glass fiber which also acted as a light guide.
At the end of an aisle between ranks of cargo were three Molts wearing oxygen masks and padded garments of asbestos or glass fiber.
We've used radar-absorbent materials in all the leading and trailing edges- laminated layers of glass fiber and plastic with carbon coating.
Weldin and his crew, all men, cleaned them, repaired the ceramic and glass fiber panels where necessary, and repainted each with the ConFed logo and colors.
The carpet was glass fiber and nonflammable, but the stench of smoldering human hair indicated where some of the sparks were landing.
No trace remained 9f the walls, which had been of two layers of weather-proofed bonded ply that had enclosed the insulation of shredded glass fiber and kapok.