Basalt fiber which made from fibers of basalt rock is very much similar to the carbon and the fiber glass and have better physicomechanical properties and cheaper. One Kg of basalt reinforces is equal 9.6 Kg of the steel. They have many field applications and can replace many costly and rare materials. Its manufacturing process is very simple and raw materials are found virtually in every country. Basalt fibers offer the potential to solve the largest problem in the cement and concrete industry.
2. INTRODUCTION:
Material which is made from the extremely fine fibres of the Basalt,
which composed of Pyroxene, minerals plagioclase and Olivine.
Similar to the Carbon Fibre and the Fibre Glass, which is having better
Physico mechanical properties than the fiber glass, but which is being
significantly cheaper that the Carbon Fiber.
Used as the fiber proof textile in automotive industries and in the
Aerospace and can be used as a composite to produce the products such
as the tripods.
Basalt Rock fibers has no toxic reaction with the air or water, are
noncombustible and the explosion proof.
The Basalt base composites can be replacing steel and known reinforced
plastics. One Kg of basalt reinforces is equals to 9.6 Kg of the steel.
There seems to be something quite poetic in using a fiber made from the
natural rock to reinforce a material, which may quite reasonably being
described as the artificial rock.
Raw material for producing basalt fiber is the rock of a volcanic origin.
3. BASALT ROCK FIBRE - SCOPE
Low cost, high performance fibers offer the potential to solve the
largest problem in the cement and concrete industry, cracking and
structural failure of concrete.
Because of the higher performance (strength, temperature range, and
durability) and lower potential cost predicted for basalt fibers.
Have potential to cost effectively replace fiber glass, steel, Fiber,
poly propylene, poly ethylene, polyester, aramid and carbon fiber
products in many applications.
Fig 1: Basalt rock and its some products
4. BASALT ROCK FIBRE PRODUCTS:
Basalt Reinforcement Rod
Continuous Basalt Fiber
Basalt Geotextile
Basalt Reinforcing Mesh
5. 1. Basalt Reinforcement Rods:
Higher specific strength and resistant to corrosion, which is chemically
inert. No permanent deformation when bent.
Fig 2: Basalt reinforcement rod
6. 2. Basalt Geotextile:
They are made of natural raw material (natural chemical composition
provides chemical stability and resistance).They are non-
inflammable and they can carry out distributed load. The cost is 4-5
lower than other geotextile material.
Fig: 3 Basalt Geotextiles
7. 3. Continuous Basalt Fiber:
Only one component of basalt, which is an environmentally safe.
Cost of basalt raw material is very low
There is no need for primary enrichment, fusion and Homogenization,
as all of those was made for free by nature; to make CBF basalt
should be heated up only one time; further processing of CBF into
materials does not require energy; it is made with application of cold
technologies.
Fig 4: Continuous Basalt Fibres
8. 4. Basalt Reinforcing Mesh:
Basalt reinforcing mesh is designed for reinforcing road and
highway overlays to prolong the pavement lifespan by reducing
the effects of reflective cracking caused by traffic loading, age
hardening and temperature cycling.
Pavement life between maintenance can be prolonged
significantly.
Basalt reinforcing mesh makes it possible to reduce thickness of
asphalt concrete pavement up to 20%.
Fig 5: Basalt reinforcing mesh
9. ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS:
Higher mechanical strength and modulus.
More resistive to chemical aggressive environment than E-glass mesh.
Lower cost and better mechanical properties than for mesh made of special
glass fiber.
Lower elongation before brake than for synthetic material.
Easily milled using typical milling equipment. Does not stretch and pull as
polymer meshes.
No special equipment is required to install the reinforcement.
Basalt mesh is environment friendly and based on naturally occurring
material that is found worldwide
They have no toxic action with air & water.
Very high chemical resistance.
Basalt is the best reinforcement for concrete due to its tensile strength.
Noise absorption qualities.
Basalt based composites can efficiently replace steel and all known
reinforced plastics
Water absorption
10. PROPERTIES OF BASALT FIBERS:
Thermal Resistance:
Basalt fibre has excellent thermal properties to that of glass fibres. It
can easily withstand the temperature of 12000C to13000C for hours
continuously, without any physical change, which is similar to S2
glass fibres and carbon fibres. Unstressed basalt fibres and fabrics can
maintain their integrity even up to 12500C, which makes them
superior compared to glass and carbon fibre.
Mechanical Strength:
Basalt fibre has tensile strength 3000-4840 M Pa, which is higher
than E glass fibre. It has higher stiffness and strength than E glass
fibre. Basalt fibre has slightly higher specific gravity, 2.6 – 2.8 g/cc,
than other fibres.
11. PROPERTIES OF BASALT FIBERS:
Chemical Resistance:
Basalt fibres have very good resistance against alkaline environment,
with the capability to withstand pH up to 13-14. It also has good acid
and salt resistance.
Corrosion and Fungi Resistance:
Basalt fibre has better corrosion resistance. It does not undergo any
toxic reaction with water and air or gases also. Moisture regain and
moisture content of basalt fibres exist in the range of less than 1%.
Basalt materials have strong resistance against the action of fungi and
microorganisms.
12. PROPERTIES OF BASALT FIBERS:
Abrasion Property:
Basalt material is extremely hard and has hardness values between 5 to
9 on Mohr’s scale, which results in better abrasion property. Even
continuous abrasion of the basalt fiber woven fabrics over the propeller
type abraders do not result in the splitting of fibre by fracture and
results only in breaking of individual fibres from
Woven structure which eliminates possibility of causing hazards.
Ecological Friendliness:
Basalt fibres have natural raw material, which is basalt rock it does not
cause any damage to the health. Basalt fibre has no biological hazards
and solves waste disposal problems. It does not clog incinerator as
glass. Hence, it is incinerator friendly.
13. FIELD APPLICATIONS OF
BASALT ROCK FIBRE:
Construction
Road Construction
Engineering Net Work
Agriculture
Underground Construction
Machine Construction
14. Construction:
Reinforcement of bridges, Tunnels, External and internal heat and
sound insulation.
Insulation of panel butt joints, Directional and depressive reinforcement
of concrete, Repair (healing) of cracks.
Local damage to building, bridges, building construction, Soft roofing
made of non- combustible baraltoinson and basalaltoplastic, Rigid
roofing (of slate and tile type).
Fig 6: Basalt reinforced bridge
15. Road Construction:
Reinforcement of concrete and asphalt pavements and runways,
Construction of sound-absorbing barriers for highways, railways, and
underground metro lines, Curbstones, pavement linings (basalt
casting), Small moulds.
Fig 7: Underground road
16. Engineering Networks:
Pipelines for heating and hot water supply, Pipelines for heat supply,
Canalization,Oil and gas pipelines, Cable conduit for telephone
system protected against electromagnetic fields and information
leakage through electronic surveillance, High efficient seals and
linings for pipelines, Pipes for chemical products and transportation
of aggressive media, Pumps for aggressive media.
Fig 8: Pipe lines for various purposes
17. Agriculture:
Land Drainage Pipes, Pipes for Irrigation and Hosting
Raising Vegetable and Seeding (Hydroponics)
Basalt Super Thin Fiber
Agricultural Construction, Agricultural Machine Construction.
18. Underground Construction:
Anchors, Pillars, Ceilings, Vaults, Pipelines for Various Purposes,
Foundations for Buildings and Constructions, Less Laying Of
Pipelines.
Fig 9: Basalt rock for underground construction
19. Machine Construction:
Case and body parts, Thermo constant body containers,
Refrigerators, Completely incombustible thermal and sound
insulation for cabins, motor compartments, Metro carriages, ships
and aircraft, Electro technical and electronic circuit, boards, brake
pads for automobiles, aircraft.
20. TECHNICAL PROPERTIES:
High tensile strength, Quite durable.
Alkali & acids resistant.
High thermal conductivity.
Completely inert with no environmental risks,
High chemical resistance, High thermal resistance (thermo stability)
and low flammability.
High thermal and acoustic insulation properties.
Excellent adhesion to polymer resins and rubbers.
Relatively high mechanical strength, abrasion resistance and elasticity,
High dielectric properties, Low water absorption.
Ecologically clean and non-toxic
22. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION BASALT ROCK:
Chemical Name: Basic volcanic igneous rock from calc-alkali
series.
CHEMICAL COMPOUND % WEIGHT OF BASALT
SiO2 49.58
TiO2 2.08
Al2O3 14.48
Fe2O3 4.42
Feo 9.43
K2O 1.89
Na2O 2.10
Mgo 5.10
Cao 8.50
23. MANUFACTURE:
Basalt fiber is made from a single material, crushed basalt, from a
carefully chosen quarry source
The basalt is simply washed and then sent to be melted down.
The manufacture of basalt fiber requires the melting of the quarried
basalt rock at about 1,400 °C (2,550 °F).
The molten rock is then extruded through small nozzles to produce
continuous filaments of basalt fiber.
There are three main manufacturing techniques, which are
centrifugal-blowing, centrifugal-multi roll and die-blowing.
The fibers typically have a filament diameter of between 9 and 13
µm which is far enough above the respiratory limit of 5 µm to make
basalt fiber a suitable replacement for asbestos.
They also have a high elastic modulus, resulting in excellent specific
tenacity—three times that of steel.
25. CONCLUSION:
Basalt can be used in manufacturing and made into fine, superfine
ultrafine fibres. Basalt is an alternative raw material for fibre forming
because of its relatively homogeneous chemical structure, its large scale
availability throughout the world, its freedom from impurities and of
course, its ability to form fibres in the molten state. Basalt Rock fibres
have no toxic reaction with air or water, are non-combustible.
When in contact with other chemicals they produce no chemical reactions
that may damage health or the environment.
So it is ecological friendly material. Basalt rock fibres have new range of
material in building construction, road construction, concrete industry and
agriculture field.
As per case study, concrete beam reinforced with BFRP bars achieved
tensile strengths that are consisting with the relevant properties of the
constituent materials.
Concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars behave in ductile manner
exhibiting large deflection at failure.
Basalt is well known as a rock found in virtually every country round the
world. Basalt rock is more in India (especially in Maharashtra). The cost
of basalt is 10 times lower than that of raw materials for fiberglass. Basalt
is more available than any other raw material.
