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Fiberglass and GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) are actually related materials, but they differ in material composition and use.

Fiberglass:

- Fiberglass is a material composed of fine glass fibers, which can be either continuous long fibers or short chopped fibers.
- It is a reinforcing material that is commonly used to reinforce plastics, resins, or other matrix materials to create composites.
- Glass fibers do not have high strength per se, but their light weight, corrosion and heat resistance, and good electrical insulation properties make them an ideal reinforcing material.

GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic):

- GRP is a composite material consisting of fiberglass and a plastic (usually polyester, epoxy or phenolic resin).
- In GRP, the glass fibers act as the reinforcing material and the plastic resin acts as the matrix material, bonding the fibers together to form a hard composite material.
- GRP has many of the good properties of fiberglass, while it has better formability and mechanical properties due to the presence of the resin.

Summarize the differences as follows:

1. Material properties:
– Glass fiber is a single material, i.e., the glass fiber itself.
– GRP is a composite material, which consists of fiberglass and plastic resin together.
2. Uses:
– Glass fiber is usually used as a reinforcing agent for other materials, e.g. in the manufacture of GRP.
– GRP, on the other hand, is a finished material that can be used directly in the manufacture of a variety of products and structures, such as ships, pipes, tanks, automobile parts, building formwork, etc.
3. Strength and molding:
– Fiberglass has limited strength on its own and needs to be used in combination with other materials in order to perform its reinforcing role.
– GRP has higher strength and molding properties due to the combination of resins, and can be made into a variety of complex shapes.

In short, glass fiber is an important part of GRP, and GRP is the product of combining fiberglass with other resin materials.