Application
Part type, size, design life, quantity, and manufacturing route.
Material Guide
FRP material guidance for faster early engineering decisions.
Composite Desk organizes reinforcement, resin, and core information around the decisions FRP teams make every day: strength, stiffness, weight, fire requirements, chemical exposure, manufacturing process, and cost.
Selection Logic
Material selection should start with the product requirement, not the catalogue.
A good selection workflow filters candidate systems through application, loading, environment, fire/compliance, weight, manufacturing process, and cost.
Load
Strength, stiffness, deflection limit, pressure/load, and safety factor.
Environment
Temperature, humidity, water exposure, UV, corrosion, and chemical exposure.
Compliance
Fire, smoke, toxicity, certification, customer standards, and railway requirements.
Materials
Shortlist reinforcement, resin, and core families that match the requirement.
Laminate
Estimate laminate architecture, thickness, resin content, weight, and construction.
Screening
Check weight, stiffness, corrosion, manufacturability, cost, and qualification risk.
Recommendation
Show the recommended system, alternatives, score, and reason for selection.
Material Families
Compare the three material families behind most FRP decisions.
These tables are an early public guide. Final specifications should be checked against supplier data sheets, tested systems, production trials, and applicable standards.
Reinforcements
E-glass, S-glass, carbon fibre, aramid/Kevlar, basalt, and natural fibres.
- Properties
- Density, tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural behavior, elongation
- Formats
- Available GSM, weave styles, multiaxial fabrics, chopped strand mat
- Use cases
- Panels, interiors, marine parts, structural laminates, industrial covers
Resins
Polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, phenolic, and polyurethane systems.
- Properties
- Mixing ratio, viscosity, pot life, cure schedule, heat resistance
- Resistance
- Chemical exposure, moisture, temperature, fire performance
- Manufacturing
- Hand lay-up, infusion, RTM, compression moulding, prepreg suitability
Core Materials
PVC foam, PET foam, PMI foam, PU foam, balsa, and honeycomb options.
- Properties
- Density, compression strength, shear strength, shear modulus
- Limits
- Temperature capability, water absorption, chemical resistance, fire performance
- Selection
- Weight target, sandwich stiffness, durability, cost, manufacturability
Comparison Tables
Start with relative tradeoffs before moving into exact data sheets.
Reinforcement
Typical density
Relative strength
Relative cost
Good fit
E-glassApprox. 2550 kg/m3Medium-highLowCost-sensitive panels, interiors, general FRP
S-glassApprox. 2490 kg/m3HighHighHigher performance glass laminates
Carbon fibreApprox. 1750-1900 kg/m3Very highVery highWeight-critical stiffness and premium structures
Aramid/KevlarApprox. 1440 kg/m3High impact resistanceHighImpact, abrasion, and toughness-driven applications
BasaltMaterial-specificMedium-highMediumHeat, corrosion, and alternative reinforcement screening
Natural fibreMaterial-specificApplication-dependentLow-mediumLight-duty and sustainability-led applications
Resin
Typical character
Cost
Selection note
PolyesterLow-cost general FRP resinLowUseful for general parts where exposure and performance requirements are moderate.
Vinyl esterBetter chemical and environmental performanceMediumOften considered for corrosion, water, and chemical exposure.
EpoxyHigh mechanical performanceHighUseful where strength, adhesion, fatigue, or controlled laminate properties matter.
PhenolicFire/smoke advantages in suitable systemsMediumMust be selected using tested and certified fire-performance systems.
PolyurethaneApplication-dependent processing and toughnessMediumUseful only where the specific PU system matches process and performance needs.
Core
Example density
Stiffness contribution
Cost
Selection note
PVC foam80 kg/m3 exampleGoodMediumCommon lightweight sandwich-panel core for FRP parts.
PET foam100 kg/m3 exampleGoodMediumUseful for recyclable/core-cost screening and production compatibility.
Balsa150 kg/m3 exampleVery goodMediumStrong stiffness option when moisture control and processing are managed.
Honeycomb60 kg/m3 exampleExcellentHighGood for high stiffness-to-weight, with process and edge-detailing care.
Example Screening
Railway interior side-wall panel material selection.
This example shows how the Pro recommendation logic can turn a component requirement into a short, reviewable material shortlist.
Requirement
- Application
- Railway interior side-wall panel
- Panel size
- 2000 x 1000 mm
- Manufacturing
- Vacuum infusion
- Weight limit
- 25 kg maximum panel weight
- Environment
- Humidity, water exposure, UV, corrosion, and moderate chemical exposure
- Compliance
- Fire, smoke, toxicity, and certification review required
E-glass + suitable epoxy system + PVC/PET foam core
- Reinforcement
- E-glass
- Architecture
- Multiaxial / woven combination
- Core
- 80 kg/m3 PVC/PET foam, 15 mm screening thickness
- Skin laminate
- Approx. 1.5-1.6 mm screening thickness
- Estimated panel weight
- 19.6 kg against 25 kg target
- Status
- Weight and structural screening pass, subject to detailed validation
Option
Construction
Estimated weight
Relative cost
Screening score
A - RecommendedE-glass / epoxy / foam19.6 kgMedium82 / 100
B - Medium costE-glass / vinyl ester / foam20.2 kgLow-medium76 / 100
C - High costCarbon / epoxy / foam15.5 kgVery high87 / 100
Why this system?
The screening recommendation balances strength, stiffness, weight, corrosion resistance, manufacturability, and cost. Carbon/epoxy may score higher for weight and stiffness, but the cost jump can be difficult to justify for many railway interior panels. Vinyl ester can reduce cost, but may need additional assessment against the specified performance and compliance requirements.
Fire compliance cannot be inferred from resin family alone. It requires a tested and certified material system for the relevant railway requirement.
What To Compare
Focus on the properties that affect engineering and production decisions.
Engineering
Density, tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, shear strength
Processing
Mix ratio, viscosity, pot life, cure schedule, compatible manufacturing methods
Environment
Temperature capability, chemical resistance, water absorption, fire performance
Application
Typical applications, recommended use cases, limitations, notes for qualification
Connected Pro Workflow
Need help selecting a fibre, resin, or core system?
The Pro material selection workflow helps compare FRP systems using strength, stiffness, weight, fire requirements, chemical exposure, manufacturability, and cost priorities.