International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Engineering Research (IJETER)

Volume 4, Issue 7, July (2016) www.ijeter.everscience.org

Basalt Fiber: Newer Fiber for FRP Composites

Shiza Parmar
Lecturer / Research Scholar at GTU, Textile Technology Department, R.C.T.I., Sola, Ahmedabad 380060

Dr. Hireni Mankodi

Associate Professor, Department of Textile, The M.S.University of Baroda, Kalabhavan, Vadodara 390001
Abstract – Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock formed by development efforts are given by USSR for defense and
decompression, melting of Earth’s mantle. It has extensive aerospace applications.
occurrence all over the world. Basalt fiber have properties
such as good range of thermal performance, high tensile The first samples of BCF were received at scientific research
strength, good electromagnetic properties, inert nature; and institute in Ukraine of USSR in 1956-61: but the initial
resistance to acid, radiation, UV light, vibration and impact industrial equipment was very expensive and large energy
loading. This paper discuss about their manufacturing consuming. After dismantling of USSR in 1990’s this
processes. Finally it is concluding that this is low cost material research or technique made available to others. The recent
and possible to manufacture in India also because large efforts are taken for this technology to lower the cost and
availability of basalt rock (nearly 5, 00,000 sq. km). This
paper deals with the manufacturing of basalt fibres, their
commercial use [5].
properties and the applications. 2.2. Fiber Forming Process
Index Terms – Basalt Fiber, Fiber Reinforced Composites, Eco All In many ways, basalt fiber technology is similar to glass
friendly fiber, Inorganic fiber.
fiber technology, except only one material, basalt rock. Basalt
1. INTRODUCTION continues filaments are made from the basalt rocks in a single
step process melting and extrusion process. Technological
Basalt originates from volcanic magma and flood volcanoes, a process of manufacturing basalt filament consists of melt
veryhot fluid or semifluid material under the earth's crust, preparation, fiber drawing (extrusion), fiber formation,
solidified in the open air. Basalt is a common term used for a application of lubricants and finally winding. Basalt fibers are
variety of volcanic rocks,which are gray,dark in currently manufactured by heating the basalt and extruding
colour,formed from the molten lava after solidification [1- 4]. molten liquid through a die in the shape of fibers, as shown in
Basalt rock-beds with a thickness of as high as200 m have plant layout figure. Crushed rock material are charged into
been found in the East Asian countries [5]. bath type melting furnace by a dozing charger, which is
2. FIBERS FORM BASALT ROCK heated using air gas mixture or electrically.
All the related works that have been done by other researchers Crushed rocks are converted into melt under temperature
that are related to the current research problem should be 12850C to 14500C in the furnace bath. Molten basalt flows
summarized in this section. Times New Roman font with size from furnace to feeder through feeder channel and feeder
10 must be used in this section. Sub topic should be written as window communicate to recuperate.
given below:
 History
 Fiber Forming Process
 Properties of Basalt fiber
2.1. History
A French scientist in the US field the first patent revealing the
technique of producing basalt fiber in the year 1923 and
subsequently the research was started in the United States of
Soviet Russia (USSR). The development of basalt continues
fibers (BCF) technology was conducted in the USSR; it had a
status of closed scientific programs. Therefore, there were no
contacts with scientists and engineers from abroad. The main
Figure 1 Plant layout of Basalt fiber formation [6]

ISSN: 2454-6410 ©EverScience Publications 43

International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Engineering Research (IJETER)
Volume 4, Issue 7, July (2016) www.ijeter.everscience.org

The feeder has a window with a flange connected o slot type Chemical Resistance
bushing and is heated by furnace waste gases or by
Basalt fibers have very good resistance against alkaline
electrically. The melt flows through platinum-rhodium
environment, with the capability to withstand pH up to 13-14.
bushing with 200 holes which is heated electrically. The
It also has good acid and salt resistance.
fibers are drawn from melt under hydrostatic pressure and
subsequently cooled to get hardened filaments. A sizing liquid
with components to impart strand integrity, lubricity and resin
compatibility is applied, and then filaments are collected
together to form ‘strand’ and forwarded to take up devices to
wound on forming tube.
1 Batch silos: raw material supply
2 Weighing, dosing and mixing
3 Pneumatic transport
4 Batch box : charging
Chemical composition of Basalt Rock[5]
5 Melting Furnace
6 Feeder
7 Bushings, (continuous filament formation)
8 Sizing application
9 Draw plate feeder; Strand formation
10 Lubricator
11 Automated winder
By varying the drawing speed of the fiber and temperature of
the melt, fibers of wide size range could be produced. For
example, a drawing speed of 12m/s and nozzle
temperature of 13250C a fiber of 7 micron were
produced while at 4m/s and 12850C a fiber of 17 micron was
produced [6].
2.3. Properties of Basalt fibers
Basalt fibers have different properties as follows Physical properties of Basalt Fiber [5]

Thermal Resistance Corrosion and Fungi Resistance

Basalt fiber has excellent thermal properties to that of glass Basalt fiber has better corrosion resistance. It does not
fibers. It can easily withstand the temperature of 12000C undergo any toxic reaction with water and air or gases also.
to13000C for hours continuously, without any physical Moisture regain and moisture content of basalt fibers exist in
change, which is similar to S2 glass fibers and carbon the range of less than 1%. Basalt materials have strong
fibers. Unstressed basalt fibers and fabrics can maintain their resistance against the action of fungi and micro-organisms.
integrity even up to 1250 C, which makes them superior Abrasion Property
compared to glass and carbon fiber.
Basalt material is extremely hard and has hardness values
Mechanical Strength between 5 to 9 on Mohr’s scale, which results in better
Basalt fiber has tensile strength 3000-4840 M Pa, which abrasion property. Even continuous abrasion of the basalt
is higher than E-glass fiber. It has higher stiffness and fiber-woven fabrics over the propeller type abraders do not
strength than E-glass fiber. Basalt fiber has slightly higher result in the splitting of fiber by fracture and results only in
specific gravity, 2.6 – 2.8 g/cc, than other fibers. breaking of individual fibers from woven structure which
eliminates possibility of causing hazards.

ISSN: 2454-6410 ©EverScience Publications 44

International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Engineering Research (IJETER)
Volume 4, Issue 7, July (2016) www.ijeter.everscience.org

Ecological Friendliness Authors

Basalt fibers have natural raw material, which is basalt rock it Shiza Parmar is a lecturer in Textile Technology
does not cause any damage to the health. Basalt fiber has no Department at RCTI Ahmedabad amd Phd Scholar at
GTU. After graduating from M S University with
biological hazards and solves waste disposal problems. It Master degree in Textile Engineering, she has worked in
does not clog incinerator as glass. Hence, it is incinerator textile industry for 7 years. Then she joined academic
friendly [6]. and from last 6 yerars she is working as a lecturer.

3. POSSIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION IN INDIA

Current sources of basalt fiber production are mainly in
Eastern Europe, viz., Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Belgium,
United Kingdom and United states of America where Dr. Hireni Mankodi is working as Associate
Professor in Textile Engineering department at M S
technology immersed. Also these sources expanded and now University Baroda. She has 25 years of experience.
in Israel and China. Various plans for more production have Her area of interest are textile composite, medical
been announced but these plans haven’t all materialized. textile, Garment technology and manmade
technology. She has also published several papers in
These fiber manufacturing should be closed to suitable basalt reputed national and international journals and
quarries and inexpensive energy. Basalt is also available in conferences. She is also Phd guide at GTU and M S
University.
southern part of India. This technology has possible to
implement in India. Basalt rock covers (Deccan Trap) an area
of about 5,00,000 Sq. Km which is large part of the
Maharashtra, Kutch, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh etc [6].
4. CONCLUSION
Basalt can be used in manufacturing and made into fine,
superfine ultrafine fibers. Basalt is an alternative raw material
for fiber 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 fibers in the molten state.
Basalt Rock fibers 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. Hence it
is possible to make a fiber reinforced matrix with basalt fiber.
REFERENCES
[1] Jean Marie Nolf. ‘Basalt Fibres - Fire Blocking Textiles’. Technical
UsageTextile, no 49(3rd qrt), 2003,pp 38 - 42.
[2] K Vladimir and L Vladimir. ‘Fibres from Stone’. International Textile
Bulletin,no 5, 2003, pp 48 - 52.
[3] L A Taylor, A Patchen, R G Mayne and D H Taylor. ‘The Most
Reduced Rock from the Moon, Appllo 14 Basalt 14053 : Its Unique
Features and their Origin’. The American Minerologist 89 (11 / 12),
2004, pp 1617.
[4] P R Renne. ‘Flood Basalts - Bigger and Badder’. Science, no
296(5574), 2002 pp 1812-13.
[5] D Saravanan,’ Spinning the Rocks - Basalt Fibres’, IE(I) Journal-TX,
Vol 86, February 2006, pp 39-45.
[6] Vishal Kumbhar,’ An Overview: Basalt Rock Fibers - New
Construction Material’, Acta Engineering International, 2014, 2(1), pp
11- 18.

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