Quality Evaluation of the Kuluevskaya Basalt Outcrop for the Production of Mineral Fiber, Southern Urals, Russia

Abstract

More recently, a significant growth is observed in the manufacture of composite materials. Intensively developed polymer composite materials (PCM) are used in different sectors of industry and technology. They are successfully replacing traditional construction materials and also permit the conditions that exclude use of metals. Basalt fiber is one of these materials, it have caught come into the spotlight due to their superior physical and chemical properties in which they only rank below expensive carbon and silicon carbide fibers. The suitability of raw material for basalt fiber production is mainly determined by the mineral composition and crystallization properties of basalt melts.In this article, we present the results of an integrated petrographic and mineralogical investigation of melanocratic basalts of the Kuluevskaya volcanic complex from the Southern Urals, in order to assess their suitability for the production of high quality basalt fiber. The low acidity and viscosity parameters indicate the possibility of producing brittle fibers with a poor chemical resistance. Moreover the redox state and content of iron in the basalt glasses determine high crystallization ability of basalt fibers, it limits their application temperature and leads to low productivity of the BCF production process, but keeping acceptable insulation properties, hence their significance in the construction industry is high.