AGY boosts fiber output in response to soaring aerospace composites demand

AGY has increased production of its S-2 glass fiber reinforcements by 20%, with the capability to further increase output as market demands dictate. An AGY spokesperson told PlasticsToday that the amount the Aiken, SC based company has invested is confidential, and that while there will be some job creation as a result of the capacity increase, the exact number has not been determined.

AGY S-2 glass fiber

AGY offers S-2 Glass fiber products that are designed to be compatible with phenolics, epoxies, polyesters, vinyl esters, rubber as well as many thermoplastic resins. The company S-2 Glass has tensile strength that exceeds that of standard-modulus carbon fiber as well as most grades of aramid fiber. AGY says that because S-2 Glass fiber has a high strain-to-failure of 5.7%, it has an exceptional ability to withstand high impact events.

The spokesperson said the boom in carbon-fiber composites, driven by projects like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has helped increase interest in all fiber reinforcements. "As composites grow, the applications for carbon and glass fiber grow," the spokesperson said. "Generally, when an application uses carbon fiber there are ancillary uses for glass fibers due to the superior impact resistance of glass fibers. The adoption of carbon fiber composites positively affects the use of glass fibers."