Basalt Continuous Fiber

BASALT CONTINUOUS FIBER BASIC CHARACTERISTICS and ADVANTAGES.
MAIN CONSUMERS and RANGES OF USE BCF-BASED MATERIALS

Today significant and steady growth of manufacture of composite materials is observed in the world. One of the basic reinforcing elements of composite materials is fibers. Besides, fibrous materials are widely applied in quality of thermal, sound-proof, and filtering materials.

Now for this purpose glass fibers are widely applied, and for particularly responsible and expensive products carbon fibers are used. However these materials not completely meet the requirements of the present stage. Glass fiber has the certain restrictions under the characteristics: specific durability, temperature of application, chemical stability, especially in alkaline environments. By producing of glass fiber especially scarce component are used – oxide boron (B2O3). Carbon fibers at their high cost have no prospects of mass application.

Therefore to present time it is executed a several works on development of modern "know-how" of continuous fibers from basalt breeds, the industrial producing of basalt continuous fibers and materials on their basis are started. By industrial production of basalt fibers use of new technologies their cost price is close to the cost of glass fiber, and more times cheaper then cost price of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is more durable material as compared to glass fiber, but other properties of carbon fiber are close to the properties of basalt fiber. Basalt fiber is perspective for substituting costly carbon fiber and producing combined carbon-basalt composite materials.

Thus basalt fibers and materials on their basis have the most preferable parameter a ratio of quality and the price in comparison with glass and carbon fibers, and other types of fibers.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS & ADVANTAGES CBF

High durability

Strength-to-weight ratio of a basalt fiber exceeds strength of alloyed steel 2.5 times, strength of fiber glass – 1.5 times.

High chemical durability to impacts of water, salts, alkalis and acids

Unlike metal, BCF is not affected by corrosion. Unlike fiber glass, BCF is not affected by alkali. BCF possess high corrosion and chemical durability qualities towards corrosive mediums, such as salts and acids solutions and, especially, alkalis. 

High thermal resistance

A range of temperatures for long-time application of BCF is 200~600 0C.
 Short-term impact of temperatures – up to 700 0C; single impact of temperatures – up to 1000 0C.

Compatibility of BCF with other materials

High compatibility of BCF with other materials (metals, plastic, glues) during producing process.
Materials made on BCF basis can be processed with application of different “cold” technologies, such as moulding, winding, pultrusion, sputtering, etc.

See article. Prospects of application of materials made from basalt fibers