Glossary

Reinforcement

A material added to the matrix to provide the required properties; ranges from short fibres through complex textile complex textile forms.

Release Agents

Materials that are used to prevent cured matrix material from bonding to tooling.

Release Film

An impermeable layer of film that does not bond to the resin being cured.

A material, generally a polymer that has an indefinite and often high molecular weight and a softening or melting range and exhibits a tendency to flow when it is subjected to stress. Resins are used as the matrices to bind together the reinforcement material in composites.

Resin Content

The amount of resin in a laminate expressed as either a percent of total weight or total volume.

Resin Rich

Localised area filled with excess resin as compared to consistent resin/fibre ratio.

Resin-Starved

Areas of insufficient resin, usually identified by low gloss, dry spots or fibre show.

Resin-Transfer Moulding (RTM)

A moulding process in which catalysed resin is transferred into an enclosed mould into which the fibre reinforcement has been placed; cure normally is accomplished without external heat. RTM combines relatively low tooling and equipment costs with the ability to mould large structural parts.

Roll-Out

A process used in spray-up and hand lay-up procedures where the resin and glass reinforcement are compacted to a uniform laminate with rollers.

Roving

A number of yarns, strands, tows, or ends collected into a parallel bundle with little or no twist.

RP

Reinforced plastic, polymer or polyester.

RTP

Sometimes used to distinguish reinforced thermoplastic from reinforced thermosetting plastic.

Rule-Of-Mixtures

When combined, the properties of the composite material is some combination of the properties of the two constituent materials. The composite property equals the amount of the fiber property multiplied by the volume percentage of fibre, plus the amount of matrix property multiplied by the volume percentage of matrix.