THE WIDENING USE OF BASALT

CONTINUOUS FIBERS APPLICATIONS.

Dr. Michael Ziv, “BASALT-TECH”.

michel998@013.net

1.      ABSTRACTS.

The expanded  production of basalt rock continuous fiber and its further processing into finished products in the world industry last several years, calls for widening the field's list of basalt fibers based products use. The main reasons of this interest are: proven technical characteristics, performance specification and apparent superior cost-effective position of continuous fibers, derived from basalt rock in comparison with other commonly used fibers for the same purposes.

2. INTRODUCTION.

It is possible to determine 5 main groups of continuous basalt fiber based products: 

2.1. Continuous fiber strands as a raw material for farther producing and converting

into suitable form for their intended composite applications. The major finished forms

are chopped continuous fibers and continuous roving, yarns for textile applications and polymeric materials, such as: filled thermoplastics, polyamides, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, plastic, etc.

A.  Chopped Continuous Fiber Applications : like friction material reinforcement 

B.     Continuous roving. Application: as rubber houses reinforcement. 

2.2. Twisted threads is an excellent base for processing in woven and non-woven technical fabrics and materials and used also as a filler for reinforcement polymer composites with low water absorption and high dielectric parameters.

2.3.Composite rods/materials. Basalt continuous fibers based rods were designed to replace steel, fiberglass, etc., as reinforcement elements in the construction industry, and others. The main advantages of basalt rods are lower weight, comparative low price per running meter and higher chemical resistance (e.g. in cement, compared to fiberglass and steel products). For example, the running meter weight of basalt rod for concrete reinforcement of 5…6-mm diameter is about 6…7 times less than the same steel rod.

In composite materials basalt fiber, fabric, linen, paper and etc. are used as filler in different plastic and synthetic binders. These materials are applicable widely in industry for electronic component boards, reinforcement pipes, power transmission lines support, large size structural items, fishing rod, etc. 

2.4.Cloth/ Fabrics basalt continuous fibers based are used not only for special protective wear and goods (like upholstery, curtains, carpets etc.), but also for hybrid fabric reinforcing and fabric-based laminates as well. 

A.     Hybrid fabric reinforcing. Application: as body armor for ballistic protection.

B.     Fabric-based laminates. Application: as laminates for PCB

(*) after 96/40/93

2.5. Honeycombed panels, based on basalt knitted fabric (Picture 1), mainly use in fields:

·        Industrial, agricultural and civilian construction as different parts of buildings, slide forms,

           heated and warmth-keep fences, etc.

·        Shipbuilding, as decks, floors, partitions, warmth-keep fences, etc.

·        Transport, as bodies of trucks, cars, refrigerators,, buses, etc.

·        Power engineering, as wind power blades, sun-light collectors, etc.

·        Security, as radar equipment;

·        Furniture, as calibrated standard planes, graph plotter, drawing and tennis tables, etc.

Main advantages of these panels are: strong and reliable casing and honeycombed filler joint, rational space-form and high adhesion of the basalt fibers based filler, curved line and corrugated casing use.

The existing technology of honeycombed panel's fabrication allows attainment of plainness deflection not more, than 0.05 mm on area 1000x1000-sq. mm.

The equipment differs from analogues of low power intensity and no press attachment and its adjustment to different thickness of panels is very simple.

 
 PICTURE 1

3.      DESCRIPTION.

Among lot of fields of basalt continuous fibers based products use, it seems interesting last decade’s experience of these products use for defense aims.

The author of this paper has technical knowledge and practical combined experience in this field, mostly in the former USSR and Israel. 

Hereafter – main known applications for defense-aimed use, which are produced on existing technologies: 

·        Carpet and Upholstery Manufacturing for Military Technique (tanks, ships, aircraft etc.), the use of basalt fabric, is very effective for fire prevention and heat insulation under special condition of military activity. 

·        Incombustible Containers for Shells, Rockets and other Military Hardware, based on basalt fabric reinforcement materials, are very effective for blast and fire localization inside of package within 1050 and more deg. of C and reduces fire spreading it in the whole storehouse. 

·        Calm Foam reinforced by chopped basalt continuous fibers is very effective mean for demonstrations and aggressive activity depression. It calls to substitute of tear gases or other gases are being used for years by the security forces to fight and separate human demonstrations. The old method is not always successfully and would mostly harm physically the demonstrators up to the status of urgent hospitalizing. A new and unique system was developed by the author to perform fast equivalent results without damaging the forces and / or the demonstrators by creating fast foam wall separated between demonstrators and armed forces. The foam is calming and friendly and will not harm the demonstrators.

·        Soft Body Armor (Ballistic Protection) (Picture 2) used basalt fabric as fool substitute of kevlar one for fabricated damping layer of armored vest. Besides, it achieved an excellent results in Israel by ballistic test of basalt fabric damping layer based samples 200x200 cm with type of bullets 357-Mag. and 9mm Para Fm j.  The tested depth of trauma was within 17 to 23 mm in comparison with 44 mm specified trauma depth. Additional advantages of basalt fabric based ballistic protection are lower weight and apparent superior cost-effective position.

 PICTURE 2.

·     Light Honeycombed Construction for Radar (Picture 3) and its equipment ,blades, sun-light collectors, decks, partitions, heated and warmth-keep fences, bodies of trucks, cars, refrigerators, ships (Picture 4), etc.;

                    PICTURE 3. MODEL OF RADAR DIAMETER TILL 30m.

PICTURE 4. EXPERIMENTAL YACHT CONSTRUCTION WITH BASALT FIBERS BASED MATERIALS AND PARTS USE

                                   Picture 5 . MADE UP YACHT.

·        Nets for Landscaping and Rockfall Protection (Picture 6) are very usable within bridge construction and crossing setup in the mounting area, etc.

 
                           PICTURE 6. ROCK FALL PROTECTION.

4.      CONCLUSIONS.

It is shown in this paper only part of long list materials, details, equipment and construction, based on basalt continuous fibers and fabric, which manufacture and use the author has knowledge and experience. There are very optimistic prognoses and prerequisites for further develop of this field. 

         ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

I would like to express my appreciation to colleagues from Institute for Material Science of the Ukrainian AS, from UkrNIIPV, “Orbita”-enterprise for their cooperation in joint efforts.

 Please do not hesitate to approach us for any further information, which will be provided promptly and gladly.

michel998@013.net

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REFERENCES:

     B.C. Chisnall and D. Thorpe, “RRIM-A Novel Approach Using Chopped Fiberglass”. Proceedings  of the Annual Conference of the Reinforced Plastics/Composites Institute. 35. 1980.

    Volkova G. P. “ Paper from basalt fiber”. “Paper industry”, 6, 1965.

    Morozov N.N., Bakunov V.S. and others. “Materials based on basalt of European north of Russia”. “Glass and Ceramics " Moscow , 2001 , 3 .

    Sergeev V. P., Chuvashov Y. N. and oth. “Basalt fibers as reinforcing filler of composites”. “Powder metallurgy”, Kiev, Ukraine, 1994, 9-10.

    Tucker, Dennis S. and oth. ”Production of continuous glass fiber using lunar simulator”. International SAMPLE Technical Conference, 1991.

    Anon. “Basalt fiber reinforcements offer improved surface finish”. “Additives for Polymers”, 12, 2003.

    Toropina L. V., Vasyuk G. G. “Sewing fabrics and nets on the base of basalt fibers”. “Chemical Fibers”, Russia, 6, 1994.