Flax fibre

Plant derived fibres such as flax, hemp, jute and sisal used to reinforce polymer composites. They offer low density, renewable sourcing and good vibration damping, at the cost of moisture sensitivity and greater property variability than synthetic fibres. They are established in automotive interior panels and are increasingly specified in marine, sporting and construction products.

A reinforcement in which nearly all fibres run in a single direction, held together by light stitching, a binder or occasional weft threads. It delivers the highest stiffness and strength along the fibre axis and is used where loads are strongly directional, for example wind blade spar caps and bonded strengthening plates.

A resin in which some or all of the petrochemical feedstock is replaced with material derived from renewable biological sources such as plant oils or sugars. Bio-based epoxies and polyesters are increasingly offered for composites and coatings to reduce embodied carbon, with the bio-based content declared as a proportion of the formulation.

Fibre drawn from molten glass, the most widely used reinforcement for polymer composites. Different formulations, such as E-glass, E-CR glass, S-glass and AR glass, balance cost, strength, electrical performance and chemical resistance. It is the standard reinforcement in GRP laminates, including liquid applied GRP flat roofing systems.