New reinforced material for textile composite - Basalt fiber

Written by: Hireni Mankodi Hireni Mankodi

Sr.Lecturer

Principle Investigator of CareerAward for Young Teacher

(AICTE RESEARCH GRANT)

Textile Engineering Department,Faculty of Technology and Engineering,

M .S. University, Kalabhavan, Baroda: 390001, Gujarat, INDIA.

email: hir_mak@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Basalt fiber or fibre isa material made fromextremely fine fibers of basalt, which is composed of the minerals plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. It is similar to carbon fibre and fiberglass, having betterphysicomechanical properties than fiberglass, but being significantly cheaperthan carbon fibre. It is used as a fireproof textile in the aerospace and automotive industries andcan also be used as a composite to produce products such as tripods.

Basalt fibres are used in a widerange of application areas such as the chemical, construction and marinesectors, not to mention the offshore, wind power, transport and aerospaceindustries. This is due to their superior properties: not only do they boastgood mechanical and chemical resistance, but also excellent thermal, electricand acoustic insulation properties.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BASALT FIBER

The raw material for basalt fibresis a naturally occurring mineral that belongs to the family of volcanic rocks.As a mineral, basalt ranges from dark gray to black. Basalt fibres are mineralfibres, which are 100% inorganic. Fibre compatibility to matrix resins isensured by using organic sizing agents. Basalt is well known in rock form andis found in almost every country around the world. It is traditionally used ascrushed rock in construction and road building.

The fibre is composed of 100 % mineral continuous filaments.The focus is on the range of 9 to 13 m for the filament diameters. Thesediameters give the best compromise between tenacity, suppleness and cost. Theyare also safely larger than the 5 m limit for non-respirability. As theproduct presents no hazard to health and environment, it is very suitable forasbestos replacement. The natural golden-brown appearance of the resultingfabrics, incidentally, can be covered for decorative purposes.

Main features of basalt fibre reinforcements.

High strength
High modulus
Corrosion resistance
High temperature resistance
Extended operating temperature range
Easy to handle

MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

The specific tenacity (ratio: rupture stress divided by density) of basalt fibres exceeds that of steel fibres, many times. Basalt is roughly 5 % denser than glass. The tensile modulus (E modulus, Young modulus) of basalt fibers is higher than the one of E-glass fibers. This makes basalt fibers & fabrics attractive for the reinforcement of composites. The low elongation perfectly elastically up till rupture results in dimensionally very stable fabrics. Basalt textiles show sufficient suppleness and drapeability. They exhibit good fatigue resistance. The yarn shows low friction coefficients vs. most materials.

ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Electrical applications from insulating panels to circuit board manufacturing usage of basalt in demand. Its chemical resistance is also clearly better than that of E-glass, which enables its use in chemically demanding and corrosive environments.

APPLICATIONS

Basalt fibres can be used in virtually all applications where glass fibres are used. .

1. Surface & Air Transportation

► Fire protected seats in planes, trains, ships, subways,

► Fire proof floorings & ceilings, Airplane life jacket pouches

2. Specialty furniture

► Fire proof mattresses (for hospitals, hotels, etc), Fire proof seating

3. Electricity and Electronics

► Power: fire resistant cable construction components as fillers, braiding, tapes

► Transformer stations: screens, protection, and insulation

► Motor insulation: tapes

4. Construction

► Fire protective wall, floor & ceiling panels. Fire proof curtains and partitions for indoors and outdoors

► Heat insulation in heating systems, power generation, incinerators

► Roofing: rigid and flexible roof covers with raised fire resistance

► Fire protective clothing

► Fire resistant floor coverings: backing, reinforcement

► Fire resistant interior decoration

REFERENCES:

[1] "Filaments from basalt", Dhe, P. US Pat. No. 1,438,428, Dec. 12, 1923. (CA 17, 860; 1923)

[2] "Process for forming a basaltic glass-ceramic product", Beall, G. US Pat. No. 3,557,575, Jan. 26, 1971.

[3] "Glass fibers, new edition 1993 Fiber Tables according to P.A. Koch. Institut fr Textiltechnik der

RWTH Aachen, Germany.

[4] "Basalt fibre : New competitor to glass fiber",R. Duraiswamy, Dpt. of Textile Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India. Popular Plastics,February 1982.

[5] "Basalt fibers" - by Jiri Militky, Vladimir Kovacic, Jiri Kvicala. Textiles Magazine ,Issue 4, 1998.

[6] "Hitzeschutztextilien aus neuartigen Basalt Filamentgarnen", M. Bednar, M. Hajek VUVL splo. s.r.o., Sumperk, Tschechische Republik. Technische Textilien Jahrgang 43, November 2000.

[7] "Basalt fibers as reinforcement for composites",K. Van De Velde, P. Kiekens, L. Van Langenhove,Dpt. Of Textiles, Ghent university, Belgium

[8] "Barrires au feu en Basalte"

About the Author:

The author is presently working as Sr. Lecturer in the Textile Engineering, Faculty of Tech and Engg M.S. University Of Baroda, India. She has recently completed PH.D Thesis .She has also been awarded FTA from All India Textile Association and Career Award for young teacher from AICTE.

During her 16 years of academic experience, she has published over 12 research and 20 review papers, of which two papers were awarded as best articles by the Institute of Engineers and the Textile Association of India. This does not include 10 papers presented in national seminars and 12 papers in international seminars at different countries like Manchester, London, Croatia, China, Switzerland and Korea. She has also undertaken 11 projects in different areas of textiles, of which 5 projects are in the field of technical textiles. Her research areas include medical textiles, hybrid yarns, electronic controls in textile machineries and design consideration for smart garments.