GF
Quartzel Chopped Strand 14 µm
Saint-Gobain ? SILICA
Manufacturer page / TDSDescription
Glass family: SiO2 / quartz. Product form: Chopped strand. Scope: High-temperature/specialty composite reinforcement. Thermal/service data: Ablative behavior above 1600°C. Dielectric constant: 3.74. Dissipation factor: 0.0002. Official source reports SiO₂ purity ≥99.95%.. Official source: GF-QUARTZEL-CHOP
Comparative overview
Glass fiber — High-silica glass
Strengths: Superior thermal-shock, ablation and dielectric behavior compared with ordinary reinforcement glass.
When to use: Select for thermal barriers, ablatives, high-temperature insulation and RF-transparent hot structures.
Key tradeoffs: Premium cost, lower production scale and lower stiffness than carbon; exact thermal capability depends on silica content and sizing.
Qualitative ratings (1–10 scale)
| Relative cost | 7/10 — High — specialized high-silica conversion/process and lower market volume. |
|---|---|
| EM transparency | 10/10 — Exceptional — excellent low-loss dielectric behavior. |
| Temperature / fire resistance | 9/10 — Excellent — very high heat/fire resistance and thermal reliability, below continuous oxide/SiC ceramic fibers. |
| Impact / penetration resistance | 4/10 — Moderate — high elongation can help, but silica fibers remain brittle and less damage tolerant than S-glass or aramid. Stored TDS elongation: 7.7%. |
| Electrical / thermal conductivity | 1/10 — Very low — electrical insulator with low thermal transport. |
| Specific tensile strength | 3/10 — 3/10 | 772.7 kN·m/kg | Family estimate |
| Atmospheric durability | 9/10 — Excellent — high-silica fiber has outstanding UV, moisture and temperature stability in normal atmospheric service. |
| Sustainability (CO₂e) | 8/10 — 3.50 kg CO₂e/kg fiber — Low emissions — data quality: Low |
Technical properties
| Density | 2.2 g/cm³ |
|---|---|
| Filament diameter | 14.0 µm |
Applications and processing
dielectric and ablative molded compositesHigh-temperatureCompounding; molding; ablative composite manufacture