HEADING 70.19 - GLASS FIBRES (INCLUDING GLASS WOOL) AND ARTICLES THEREOF
(FOR EXAMPLE YARN WOVEN FABRICS) (+) .
107 COMMODITIES
- Slivers rovings yarn and chopped strands :
7019.11 - - Chopped strands of a length of not more than 50 mm
7019.12 - - Rovings
7019.19 - - Other
- Thin sheets (voiles) webs mats mattresses boards and
similar nonwoven products :
7019.31 - - Mats
7019.32 - - Thin sheets (voiles)
7019.39 - - Other
7019.40 - Woven fabrics of rovings
- Other woven fabrics :
7019.51 - - Of a width not exceeding 30 cm
7019.52 - - Of a width exceeding 30 cm plain weave weighing
less than 250 g/mý of filaments measuring per single
yarn not more than 136 tex
7019.59 - - Other
7019.90 - Other
This heading includes glass fibres themselves and glass fibres (including glass wool
as defined in Note 4 to this Chapter) made up in various forms including those glass
fibre articles excluded from other headings by reason of their nature.
Glass fibres have the following properties : they are less flexible than vegetable or
animal textile fibres (glass yarns cannot be knotted easily); they do not stretch; they are
strong (stronger than any of the textile fibres of Section XI); they do not burn; they do
not rot and are resistant to water and most acids; they are a poor conductor of
electricity and in some cases of heat or sound; they are non-hygroscopic.
Glass fibres can be obtained by various processes which apart from a few
exceptions can be grouped in three broad categories :
(I) Mechanical drawing.
In this process glass is melted in a furnace. It flows into a forehearth the
underside of which is fitted with bushings made of alloys of precious metal
(normally of rhodium or of platium) to withstand the high temperatures. The
bushings are pierced by a large number of small holes through which molten
glass threads flow. After a sizing treatment (for example with silicone) these
threads are carried on to a high speed mandril which draws them out into very
fine parallel filaments. Thus a continuous strand similar to a man-made textile
filament yarn is obtained.
Thicker fibres may be obtained by a more or less identical process; these are
wound in the form of a web which is used directly as such (heat- or sound-
insulation mats).
(II) Centrifugal drawing.
In this system glass melted in pots falls on a refractory clay disc revolving at
great speed and fitted along the periphery with a very large number of teeth. The
glass adheres to this disc which is heated by the flame from a furnace but at
the same time it is drawn into filaments by means of centrifugal force. These
filaments are blown on to a stationary table and coiled on to a cooling drum.
This process thus yields short fibres known as glass wool which is used in
bulk without spinning.
(III)Drawing by means of fluids.
In this process drawing is achieved by means of jets of high-pressure steam
or compressed air blown from either side on to the filaments of molten glass
coming from the furnace through a drawing-plate. Under the action of these jets
the filaments are broken into short lengths which are coated with lubricants in the
course of manufacture.
The fibres thus obtained are coiled on a drum to form either webs which are
used as such (insulation blankets) or continuous slivers or rovings of fibres
(similar to slivers or rovings of waste silk) which can subsequently be spun into
yarn.
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Glass fibres and articles of glass fibres of this heading may be in particular in the
following forms :
(A) Glass wool in bulk.
(B) Slivers rovings yarn and chopped strands.
(C) Thin sheets (voiles) webs mats mattresses boards and similar nonwoven
products.
(D) Woven fabrics including narrow fabrics.
This heading also covers curtains draperies and other articles of woven glass
fabrics.
It is pointed out that although " chemical embroideries " or embroideries without visible
ground in which the embroidering thread consists of glass fibres are classified here
embroidery in any of the textiles classified in Section XI in which some of the effects
are obtained by embroidering threads made of glass fibres is excluded (heading
58.10).
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The uses of glass fibres are increasing steadily for example :
(1) In furnishing and interior decoration (e.g. for upholstery wall hangings curtains
mosquito-nets) in the form of fabrics which can be dyed or printed.
(2) For heat-insulation purposes (e.g. for insulating roofs chimneys boilers
furnaces steam piping steam turbine bodies tubes or pipes ice-cupboards
and heat-insulated vans or wagons) in the form of fibres in bulk nodules felts
pads casings (for pipes) or braids (whether or not impregnated with glue pitch
or other substances or with paper textile or wire mesh supports).
(3) For sound-insulation (e.g. for flats offices ships' cabins theatres) in the form of
fibres in bulk felts mattresses or rigid boards.
(4) For electrical insulation (e.g. for electric wires cables or other current carrying
apparatus) in the form of filaments yarn tape braid fabric (whether or not
impregnated with natural resins plastics asphalt etc.).
(5) For the reinforcement of thermoplastic and thermoset resins for making fa‡ade
coverings and panellings domes and flat or corrugated plates for the building
industry tanks vats and pipes for storing and transporting liquids machine
hoods and other moulded parts for industrial or agricultural use bumpers for
motor vehicles equipment for track vehicles railway coaches or aircraft boat
hulls skis tennis rackets and other articles for sport etc.
(6) For the manufacture of miscellaneous other products such as : filtration
products for air-conditioning or for the chemical industry brushes wicks for
lamps and lighters cinema screens.
The heading excludes :
(a)Semi-finished products and articles obtained by compressing glass fibres or superimposed layers of glass
fibres impregnated with plastics if having a hard rigid character and hence having lost the character of
articles of glass fibres (CHAPTER39).
(b)Mineral wools (see Note 4 to CHAPTER70) and articles thereof of heading 68.06.
(c)Roofing boards with a substrate consisting of glass-fibre web or fabric completely enveloped in or covered
on both sides by a layer of asphalt or similar material (heading 68.07).
(d)Multiple-walled insulating glass with an interlayer of glass fibres (heading 70.08).
(e)Optical fibre cables of heading 85.44 electrical insulators (heading 85.46) and fittings of insulating material
(heading 85.47).
(f)Optical fibres bundles and cables of heading 90.01.
(g)Dolls' wigs of glass fibres (heading 95.02) and fishing rods made of glass fibres agglomerated with
synthetic resin (heading 95.07).
(h)Brushes of glass fibres (heading 96.03).
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.
Subheading 7019.11
Chopped strand is produced by cutting strands containing many parallel filaments. Generally
chopped strands are used to provide strength for example to plastics or mortar.
Subheading 7019.12
A glass roving consists of a loose assemblage of one or more strands of long (continuous)
filaments with little or no twist (less than 5 turns per metre). Roving is generally used in the
production of continuous filament glass yarns but can also be used directly in the weaving of
certain glass fabrics e.g. for draperies.
Subheading 7019.19
This subheading includes sliver. A sliver consists of staple fibres of short lengths usually less
than 380 mm in length. The staple fibres are loosely arranged in parallel fashion into a rope-like
strand with little or no twist (less than 5 turns per metre). Sliver is generally used to produce staple
fibre yarn but may also go into the manufacture of wire and cable.
Yarn of this subheading is twisted and of either continuous filament or staple fibre.
Subheading 7019.31
Mats are flat reinforcing products of glass strands consisting of several hundred parallel filaments
distributed in random order.
These threads can be cut (mats of discontinuous strands) or not (mats of continuous thread) and
are held together by means of a binder or the needleloom process.
They retain their shape in the form of parallel filaments which can be individually separated from
the mat by hand without damaging it.
Subheading 7019.32
Thin sheets (voiles) are nonwovens made from individual glass fibres (filaments) distributed in
random order. The fibres are held together by means of a binder and pressed and may or may not
incorporate reinforcement threads which are most often stretched lengthwise throughout the
sheets.
Unlike the glass mats the individual filaments of these products cannot be removed by hand
without damaging the sheet.
Thin sheets can be distinguished from webs mattresses and other insulation products by their
regular thickness which does not exceed 5 mm.