CHOP STRAND
Chopped strand is a type of reinforcement used in fiberglass. It consists of glass fibers laid randomly across each other and held together by a binder.
Chopped strand mat offers several advantages that make it a popular choice for reinforcing composites 12:

• Enhanced strength and stiffness: The multidirectional fiber orientation provides increased mechanical properties to the final composite product.
• Cost-effective: Chopped strand mat is less expensive than other types of fiberglass, such as fiberglass cloth.
• Easy to handle: The mat is made up of randomly-oriented fibers that are held together by a resin binder. This binder is typically a polyester resin which makes it incompatible with epoxy resin systems. Only use polyester or vinyl ester resins with it.
• Conforms to complex shapes: As the chopped strand mat saturates with resin, the binder dissolves and allows the short strands of fiberglass to easily move and conform to various complex shapes.