Basalt Fiber Composites Research Articles

Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Natural Fiber-Based Single-Ply and 2-Ply Woven Prepregs.

This paper presents a study conducted on prepregs manufactured by a novel method for the impregnation of a thermoplastic matrix. Different composite prepregs based on polypropylene and reinforced with natural fibers (e.g., basalt and jute fibers) were developed. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. DMA tests were conducted at 1 Hz frequency and properties such as storage modulus and damping (tan δ) were evaluated. The overall mechanical properties of the basalt fiber composites were found to be superior to that of the jute fiber-based samples. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) of the composite samples showed that the thermal degradation temperatures of the basalt-based composites shifted to higher temperature regions compared to the PP or jute fiber composites. The addition of basalt fiber considerably improved the thermal stability of the composite samples. Microscopic images of the tensile fractured composite samples illustrated better fiber-matrix interfacial interaction due to the novel technology of prepregs. Single-ply and 2-ply prepregs showed significantly superior mechanical, thermal, and thermo-dynamical performance compared to the control sample (pure PP). 2-Ply composites demonstrated higher modulus, tensile strength, and storage modulus due to the higher fiber volume fraction. Basalt-based samples showed a minimum weight loss of about 57% up to 700 °C in contrast to 96.05% weight loss in the jute-based samples and 98.4% in the case of pure PP. The heat resistance index (THRI) is more than twice for basalt compared to jute and PP. Furthermore, the superior thermal stability of basalt is reflected in its DSC curves, showing the highest endothermic peak. The technique of using the resin in the form of thermoplastic yarns offers cost effective and efficient alternatives for composite manufacturing.

Experimental study of tensile properties of strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) reinforced with innovative twisted basalt fibers

Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) are considered high-performance fiber-reinforced materials owing to their excellent crack-width control capacity and high ductility, but the high cost of reinforcing fibers hinders their extensive application. Basalt fibers, which have excellent mechanical properties and low cost, are promising substitute materials; however, their low shear strength limits the development of ECCs with basalt fibers. In this study, resin modification was adopted to fabricate modified basalt fibers. Fiber shear tests demonstrated that these fibers exhibited higher shear strength than raw basalt fibers. Furthermore, inclined fiber pullout tests demonstrated that, compared to raw basalt fibers, the modified fibers exhibited a lower fiber rupture percentage at various inclinations. Raw basalt fiber composites showed strain-softening behavior with limited strain capacities, while modified fiber composites showed strain-hardening behavior with a strain capacity of up to 0.84 %, a tensile strength of 7.5 MPa, and a crack width of less than 60 μm.

Pavement Performance Investigation of Asphalt Mixtures with Plastic and Basalt Fiber Composite (PB) Modifier and Their Applications in Urban Bus Lanes Using Statics Analysis.

A new type of plastic and basalt fiber composite (PB) modifier, which is composed of waste plastic and basalt fiber using a specific process, was used for bus lanes to address severe high-temperature deformation diseases due to the heavy loads of buses. The dense gradations of asphalt mixture with a nominal maximum aggregate size of 13.2 mm (AC-13) and 19 mm (AC-20) were selected to fabricate asphalt mixtures. The impact of the modifier PB on the high-temperature rutting resistance, low-temperature crack resistance, and water damage resistance was investigated experimentally. The experimental results showed that adding the modifier PB could enhance the rutting resistance and water damage resistance of asphalt mixtures significantly while maintaining the low-temperature crack resistance. Then, PB-modified asphalt mixtures of AC-13 and AC-20 were employed into a typical pavement structure of a bus lane in Yangzhou city, China, and three types of designed pavement structures were proposed. On this basis, statics analyses of all of the designed structures were performed using the finite element method. The statics analyses revealed that, compared with the standard axle load, the actual over-loaded axle made the pavement structure of the bus lane suffer a 30% higher stress and vertical deformation, leading to accelerated rutting damage on the bus lanes. The addition of the modifier PB could make the pavement structure stronger and compensate for the negative effect caused by the heavy axle load. These findings can be used as a reference for the pavement design of urban bus lanes.

Comparative study on Atterberg limits of soil and basalt fiber composite as an eco-friendly construction material

This study aims to increase the liquid and plastic limit of sandy clay soil. In this work, the liquid and plastic limitations of sandy clay soil and sandy clay soil reinforced with basalt fibre were evaluated. Sandy clay soil samples (N = 18) and basalt fiber reinforced sandy clay soil (N = 18) are the two groups with eighteen number of samples for each and they were tested for Atterberg limits. Independent sample T-test on sandy clay soil and basalt fiber reinforced sandy clay soil was conducted. The obtained significance for liquid limit is 0.049 (p < 0.05) and plastic limit is 0.001(p < 0.05), respectively, using the two-tailed test results. The mean value of liquid limit (0.781 kg/cm2) of sandy clay soil is more when compared with the novel basalt fiber reinforced sandy clay soil and plastic limit (1.688 kg/cm2) of basalt fiber reinforced sandy clay soil is increased when compared with the sandy clay soil. The results show that there is an increment in the liquid limit and plastic limit by adding basalt fiber to the sandy clay soil.

Multi-Performance Optimization of the Mechanical Characteristics of Basalt Fiber and Silicon Carbide-Filled Aluminum Matrix Composites

In the existing state, aluminum metal matrix composites (AlMMCs) are a category of materials that have successfully fulfilled the majority of demanding requirements in applications where moderate strength, high stiffness, and lightweight are necessary. This paper is focused on processing aluminum hybrid composites by reinforcing the aluminum alloy with a novel combination of fillers: basalt fibers and silicon carbide via stir casting. The main aim is to study the impact of processing conditions on the properties of the developed composite. Nine samples are produced by varying the reinforcement content, stirring rate, and duration based on the L9 Taguchi Array. SEM analysis is utilized to examine the microstructure of the developed composites. The samples were also machined and tested for their mechanical, physical, and wear behavior as per ASTM standards. The maximum density and hardness of 2883.3 kg/m3 and 45.6 HRB, respectively, are observed at higher filler content conditions. In contrast, the minimum specific wear rate, maximum ultimate tensile, and impact strength of 1.86·10–5 mm3/(N·m), 263.5 MPa, and 93 N/mm are observed in higher stirring duration conditions. So, to avoid conflicting combinations of optimal input factors, grey relational analysis (GRA) tied with principle component analysis (PCA) is employed to determine the multi-objective performance parameter and the optimal combination of input factors for better response. Confirmatory tests were also performed to verify and validate the same. ANOVA analysis is also utilized to assess the significance of the process parameters on the responses.

Effect of milled glass fiber on fatigue life of basalt fiber reinforced composites

Due to its renewability, research on the influence of bio materials in composites is important for the advancement of engineering materials. In this study, an attempt is made to replace basalt fiber with glass fiber. Milled glass fiber is used as a filler material to enhance the fatigue life of the basalt fiber. Various weight percent of milled glass fiber such as 3 wt% and 5 wt% were used for this study. Tensile test was performed and found that 3 wt% based filler infused basalt/epoxy composite has improved tensile strength than the 5 wt% based filler basalt/epoxy composite. Fatigue test has been performed to study the effect on incorporation of milled glass fiber on the basalt/epoxy composite materials and results showed that better fatigue life in basalt fiber embedded with 3 wt% milled glass fiber rather than neat basalt/epoxy and 5 wt% based basalt fiber composites.

Low-velocity impact behavior and mechanical characteristics of basalt/glass hybrid composites with graphene filler for enhancing aircraft nose tip

The growing need for eco-friendly, reliable, lightweight yet rigid materials for aircraft structures served as the inspiration for this work. The intention of this research is to examine the microdamage effects of a hybrid composite made of basalt/glass fiber infused with graphene, on the low energy drop weight impact test. Four main methods are used, which encompass the fabrication of composites, low-velocity impact testing, methods for evaluating impacted composites using ultrasound nondestructive testing, and a study of damage morphology through a scanning electron microscope. An E-glass fiber(400 GSM) combined with natural basalt fiber in an 8:2 ratio and infusing graphene nanoparticles is manufactured, to develop a more appealing hybrid composite for aviation industries. The samples of hybrid composite, each varying with 1 % and 2 % graphene weight ratio of fillers with the fibers are used. Eight outer layers made of glass fiber and two inner layers of basalt fiber composite are prepared using hand layup and compression molding methods. Different impact energy levels ranging from 5 J to 48 J are applied to study the propagation of the damage in the composite at low-impact velocities (1.5–3 m/s). The impact damage for glass/basalt with 2 wt% graphene was comparatively 24 % less than that of glass/basalt without infused graphene nanoparticles at the highest impact energy, thus proving addition of natural basalt and graphene filler improves the strength of the composites.

Bioinspired basalt fiber composites with higher impact resistance through coupling sinusoidal and helical structures inspired by mantis shrimp

The imitation of natural and biological structures for the manufacturing of artificial materials provides a series of feasible pathways towards designing materials with excellent mechanical properties for a wide range of applications. Inspired by the dactyl club of mantis shrimps with high-energy absorption and excellent impact resistance, a novel laminate composite is designed and manufactured with basalt fibers through combining sinusoidal fiber structure and helical fiber structure like mantis shrimp. The impact toughness can reach 199.8 kJ/m2, which is far beyond that of traditional laminates (137.53 kJ/m2). The optimal structural parameters of sinusoidal and helical structures were determined through finite element analysis (FEA) and impact experiments. Combined with the forms of failure, the energy dissipation effect and stress homogenization effect of two structures during impact are researched respectively. Besides, the synergistic effect of sinusoidal and helical structure is investigated in detail. Compared with composites only with single bionic structure, the bio-composites coupling sinusoidal and helical structure have more excellent fracture toughness during impact, owing to the synergy of energy dissipation and homogenization effects ingeniously. Hence, the bio-inspired laminate composites open a broad avenue to explore new generation materials with fascinating mechanical properties through imitating biological structures, which have a great engineering application potential.

Developments and Industrial Applications of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Composite Materials

Basalt mineral fibre, made directly from basalt rock, has good mechanical behavior, superior thermal stability, better chemical durability, good moisture resistance and can easily be recycled when compared to E-glass fibres (borosilicate glass is called ‘E-glass’ or ‘electric al-grade glass’ because of its high electrical resistance) which are traditionally used in structural composites for industrial applications. Industrial adoption of basalt fibre reinforced composites (FRC) is still very low mainly due to inadequate data and lower production volumes leading to higher cost. These reasons constrain the composites industry from seriously considering basalt as a potential alternative to conventional (e.g., E-glass) fibre reinforced composites for different applications. This paper provides a critical review of the state-of-the-art concerning basalt FRC highlighting the increasing trend in research and publications related to basalt composites. The paper also provides information regarding physico-chemical, and mechanical properties of basalt fibres, some initial Life cycle assessment inventory data is also included, and reviews common industrial applications of basalt fibre composites.

Potential applications of basalt fibre composites in thermal shielding

This present study demonstrates the applicability of basalt fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composite materials in thermal shielding. Basalt fibres are produced from natural, sustainable sources and obtain comparable mechanical performance to commercial glass fibres. In addition to their mechanical strength, BFRPs have excellent chemical and heat resistance. Basalt fibres tend to have a higher thermal stability than their competitor glass fibres. The heat resistance of basalt fibres derives from the volcanic origin of the raw material basalt gabbro. These favourable features make BFRP composites an attractive group of materials for application in several industries. To test the fire resistance of the materials, we produced mono and hybrid composite plates from different types of basalt reinforcement structures (milled fibres, chopped fibres and woven fabric) and epoxy resin. Surface treatment with silane coupling agents significantly improved the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of BFRPs by up to 70%. Three-point bending tests were performed to determine the flexural properties of the composite specimens, and their fire behaviour was evaluated with a horizontal burning test, and a novel jet fire test assisted with infrared thermal imaging. Higher fibre content in hybrid laminates decreased the linear burning rate by 8%, and the maximum surface temperature was approximately 80 °C lower after jet fire impingement compared to woven reinforcement structure.

Exploring the Potential of Alternate Inorganic Fibers for Automotive Composites.

Composites are a promising material for high-specific strength applications; specifically, fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) are in the limelight for their extraordinary mechanical properties. Amongst all FRPCs, carbon fiber reinforcements are dominant in the aerospace and automotive industry; however, their high cost poses a great obstacle in commercial-scale manufacturing. To this end, we explored alternate low-cost inorganic fibers such as basalt and rockwool as potential replacements for carbon fiber composites. In addition to fibrous inclusions to polymers, composites were also fabricated with inclusions of their respective particulates formed using ball milling of fibers. Considering automotive applications, composites' mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were compared for all samples. Regarding mechanical properties, rockwool fiber and basalt fiber composites showed 30.95% and 20.77% higher impact strength than carbon fiber, respectively. In addition, rockwool and basalt fiber composites are less stiff than carbon and can be used in low-end applications in the automotive industry. Moreover, rockwool and basalt fiber composites are more thermally stable than carbon fiber. Thermogravimetric analysis of carbon fiber composites showed 10.10 % and 9.98 % higher weight loss than basalt and rockwool fiber composites, respectively. Apart from better impact and thermal properties, the low cost of rockwool and basalt fibers provides a key advantage to these alternate fibers at the commercial scale.

Analysis of low velocity impact properties of basalt fiber composites considering strain rate effect

This study focuses on the strain rate effect on the mechanical properties and damage evolution of basalt fiber reinforced composites subjected to low-velocity impact. A constitutive model is developed to accurately analyze the failure behavior of BFRP laminates. The strain-rate-dependent (SRD) model puts emphasis on a modified stress-strain relationship described by dynamic increase factor (DIF) to update mechanical properties timely during the impact loading and the damage evolution simulation is performed with the finite element code of ABAQUS software. The results shown in the LVI simulation confirmed the validity of the SRD model in comparison with the conclusions of experiments. Furthermore, detailed comparisons are discussed between the strain rate dependent (SRD) model and the strain rate independent (SRI) model under various simulations of different impact energy, thickness, and ply angles of laminates.

Effect of Nano-SiO2 Modification on Mechanical and Insulation Properties of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Composites.

Basalt fiber (BF) has high mechanical strength, good insulation performance and low cost. It is suitable to be used as reinforcement material in the manufacture of electrical equipment. However, the large surface inertia of basalt fiber makes it difficult to combine with the matrix material, which seriously limits its service life and application scenarios. In addition, the serious vacancy in the research of insulation properties also limits its production and application in the electrical field. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of difficult bonding between basalt fiber and resin matrix and make up for the research blank of basalt fiber composites in insulation performance, this paper provides a basalt fiber modification method—SiO2 coating, and tests the insulation and mechanical properties of the modified composite. We used nano-SiO2 coating solution to modify basalt fiber, and manufactured BF/resin composite (BFRP) by hand lay-up and hot-pressing technology, and experimentally analyzed the influence of nano-SiO2 content on the mechanical and insulation properties of the modified composite. Fourier transform infrared spectrum and scanning electron microscope analysis showed that nano-SiO2 was successfully coated on basalt fibers. Through the microdroplet debonding test, it was found that the IFSS of fiber/resin was improved by 35.15%, 72.97 and 18.9%, respectively, after the modification of the coating solution with SiO2 concentration of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%, showing better interface properties; the single fiber tensile test found that the tensile strength of the modified fiber increased slightly. Among all composites, 1 wt% SiO2 coating modified composites showed the best comprehensive properties. The surface flashover voltage and breakdown field strength reached 13.12 kV and 33 kV/mm, respectively, which were 34.6% and 83% higher than unmodified composite. The dielectric loss is reduced to 1.43%, which is 33.8% lower than the dielectric loss (2.16%) of the untreated composite, showing better insulation ability; the tensile strength, bending strength and interlaminar shear strength were increased to 618.22 MPa, 834.74 MPa and 16.29 MPa, respectively, which were increased by 53%, 42.4% and 59.7%, compared with untreated composites. DMA and glass transition temperature showed that the modified composite had better heat resistance. TGA experiments showed that the resin content of the modified composite increased, and the internal structure of the composite became denser.

Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is gaining attention as an efficient way to create parts and replacements on demand using thermoplastics. This technology requires the development of new materials with a reliable printability that satisfies the requirement of final parts. In this context, a series of composites based on acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) reinforced with basalt fiber (BF) are reported in this work. First, several surface modification treatments are applied onto the BF to increase their compatibility with the ASA matrix. Then, once the best treatment is identified, the mechanical properties, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and warping distortion of the different specimens designed and prepared by FFF are studied. It was found that the silanized BF is appropriate for an adequate printing, obtaining composites with higher stiffness, tensile strength, low CTE and a significant reduction in part distortion. These composites are of potential interest in the design and manufacturing of final products by FFF, as they show much lower CTE values than pure ASA, which is essential to successfully fabricate large objects using this technique.

A Review on Basalt Fiber Composites and Their Applications in Clean Energy Sector and Power Grids.

Basalt fiber (BF) has a high mechanical strength, excellent temperature resistance, good chemical stability, low energy consumption, and an environmentally friendly production process. In addition, BF-reinforced polymers (BFRPs) have good corrosion resistance and designability; thus, they meet the application requirements of electrical equipment, such as new conductors, insulating pull rods, and composite cross-arms. However, there are still a series of technical issues in the mass production of BF, and the stability of the products needs to be further improved. Therefore, the research on the production, modification, and application of BF is necessary. This paper discusses the chemical composition and production technology of BF, describes the morphology and properties of BF, summarizes the interface problems and modification methods of composites, and finally, introduces the application prospects of BF in the field of electrical materials, which is expected to provide a reference for the application and promotion of BFRP in the future.

ЕКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНІ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ АДГЕЗІЇ БАЗАЛЬТОВИХ ЕЛЕМЕНТІВ ТА ЦЕМЕНТНО-ПІЩАНОГО РОЗЧИНУ ДЛЯ ДОЦІЛЬНОСТІ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ В КАНАЛІЗАЦІЙНОМУ СЕРЕДОВИЩІ

At present, there is a tendency in the world to replace steel and cast iron with composite materials with high chemical resistance and durability, which primarily include fiberglass, which has a set of high performance properties. However, currently the requirements for composites have increased, especially in terms of their heat and chemical resistance, resistance to microorganisms, groundwater and wastewater. Composites based on basalt fibers are significantly superior to traditional materials and alloys in their mechanical and physicochemical properties. They have corrosion resistance, chemical inertness, low thermal conductivity, high specific mechanical properties, low specific gravity. Basalt-based products have a number of advantages: high strength, relatively low weight, reliability in operation over a wide range of temperatures, not prone to corrosion and have high chemical resistance. Production and use of basalt fiber materials, composites and products from them are promising and economically feasible. Taking into account the physical- chemical properties of basalt fibers, the use of basalt elements from them as lining of sewer networks and structures is a promising method of their restoration. However, the durability of this depends primarily on the adhesion of basalt elements with cement-sand mortar. The article analyzes the mineral resource base of rocks as a one-component raw material for the manufacture of basalt fiber materials and composites based on them. The analysis of the properties of basalt continuous fibers in comparison with glass fibers of type E and S, carbon and aramid fibers is carried out. The results of the experimental study of the adhesion of basalt elements and cement-sand mortar are presented. The results of the research allow the use of basalt materials to perform repair and restoration work on sewers and structures.

The influences of silane coupling agents on the heat and moisture resistance of basalt fibre‐reinforced composites

Basalt fibre composite materials have shown good application prospects in electrical equipment, but their reliability can be affected by damp-heat ageing. In this work, the interface, mechanical, and electrical properties of basalt fibre composites treated with three coupling agents via damp-heat ageing were compared. Molecular simulations were conducted to reveal the damp-heat ageing mechanism of the composites. The results show that γ-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (KH-550) and γ-glycidoxy propyl trimethoxy silane (KH-560) perform better as coupling agents as they form bonds with the matrix resin, compared with γ-methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane (KH-570). After the damp-heat ageing treatment, the hydrolysis of the defects of the amino groups in the interface of the KH-550-treated sample can weaken its mechanical properties and insulation properties greatly. The interface layer of the KH-560-treated sample is mostly composed of carbon–oxygen single bonds and methylene groups with its interface structure more stable, which endows the sample with better stability of its mechanical and insulating properties. Therefore, KH-560 is a more suitable coupling agent for processing basalt fibres to be used in electrical equipment.

Effects of basalt and glass fiber composites usage for strengthening on the cyclic behavior of brick infill walls

In the current study, the effects of 10 mm bilaterally applied basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BRC) and glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) plasters with different fiber content (1.0%, 2.0% and 3.0%) on the behavior of the brick infill walls were investigated. For this purpose, strengthened brick infill walls placed in a hinged steel frame on all four corners were examined comparatively with their non-plastered and ordinary cement plastered conditions under cyclic loading. The load carrying capacities, displacement ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacities of infill walls were determined using obtained results. The test results showed that brick walls with 1.0% glass fiber and 2.0% basalt fiber content showed the best performance in terms of load carrying and energy dissipation capacity. Also brick wall with 1.0% glass fiber content has the lowest stiffness degradation decrease at the ultimate drift ratio. In addition to all these, it has been observed that the mechanical behavior of the walls strengthened with plasters containing different percentages of fiber has improved considerably compered to non-plastered and ordinary cement plastered brick walls. This situation reveals that basalt and glass fiber plasters can be used to strengthen the walls. It is recommended that this method can be used quickly and effectively in the reinforcement of masonry structures, which have a large amount in the existing building stock.

Facile and eco-friendly functionalization of basalt fiber with polyelectrolyte complex toward excellent interfacial adhesion of epoxy composites

In an attempt to increase the interfacial adhesion of basalt fiber/epoxy composites, a surface modification strategy by constructing ternary polyelectrolyte complex consisted of silane coupling agent-phytic acid-polyethyleneimine via dip-coating is proposed for the first time in the present work. The as-prepared functionalized basalt fiber composite exhibits markedly improved interfacial shear strength, with an average value of 81.9 ± 4.5 MPa, 75% augmentation over that of untreated basalt fiber composite. The reinforcing mechanisms are attributed to the multiple interactions of ionic cross-linked network, covalent and hydrogen bonding at interphase, also including the improved wettability and relatively rough fiber surface. Together with facile preparation approach, nature and low-cost material, the ternary polyelectrolyte complex system developed in this paper offers great potential in practical functionalization of basalt fiber, which could be hopefully extended to other high-performance fibers.

Fabrication and testing of hybrid fibre reinforced composite: a comprehensive review

ABSTRACT Modern industrialisation and the need for low-density material initiated the up-gradation of material for the necessity of sustainability, and the same goes for engineering materials as well. Right from ancient times, composites have an important place in the field of engineering materials, but now demand for such materials, especially fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, proliferates just to improve the quality of materials as well as the quality of life. The present work provides a comprehensive literature review on hybrid FRP composites, techniques involved in its fabrication, machining and variation in mechanical properties due to hybridisation. The main focused fibre-reinforced composite are glass fibre, carbon fibre, basalt fibre and Kevlar fibre-reinforced polymeric composites. The paper includes recent work that showcases the hybridisation behaviour and their field of application.