glasdraden

Glasdraden is a term used in materials science to denote slender filaments of glass produced by drawing molten glass into fibers. The name combines a word for glass with a root meaning thread in several Scandinavian languages, and in usage it often refers to generic glass filaments used in both industrial and artistic contexts. Glasdraden can be manufactured by fiber drawing from a molten glass preform or by micro-capillary extrusion, producing fibers with diameters ranging from a few micrometers up to several hundred micrometers.

In industrial contexts, glasdraden are used as reinforcement in fiber-reinforced composites, where they improve stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio. They are also used in decorative arts and in textile-like assemblies that exploit translucence and light diffusion. Common glass types include silica-based glasses and borosilicate; specialized variants offer higher thermal resistance or chemical durability.

Properties vary with composition but typically include high tensile strength and good chemical stability, along with high melting temperatures and brittleness due to surface flaws. Handling of glasdraden requires appropriate protection to prevent skin irritation and inhalation of fibers.

Applications span fiber-reinforced polymers and ceramics, glass textiles, and decorative glasswork, with some overlap into optical contexts where the filaments can serve sensing or light-diffusion roles alongside traditional reinforcement.

See also: fiberglass, glass fiber, fiber-reinforced composite, glass textile, optical fiber.