- Basalt fiber
Basalt fiber or fibre is a
material made from extremely finefiber s ofbasalt , which is composed of themineral splagioclase ,pyroxene , andolivine . It is similar tocarbon fibre andfiberglass , having better physicomechanical properties than fiberglass, but being significantly cheaper than carbon fibre. It is used as a fireprooftextile in theaerospace andautomotive industries and can also be used as a composite to produce products such as tripods.Manufacture
The manufacture of basalt fiber requires the melting of the quarried basalt rock to about 1,400°C (2,500°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-multiroll 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 highelastic modulus , resulting in excellentspecific tenacity --three times that of steel.Verify source|date=March 2008History
The first attempts to produce basalt fiber date to 1923 in the
United States of America . These were further developed afterWorld War II by researchers in the USA,Europe and theSoviet Union especially formilitary and aerospace applications. Since declassification in 1995 basalt fibers have been used in a wider range of civilian applications.External links
* [http://www.sfsti.uzsci.net/basalt.htm The production of basalt fibers] Information from the Uzbekistan state scientific committee.
* [http://www.basaltex.com/ Information on the history and application of basalt fibers]
* [http://www.basaltfibre.com/eng/ Equipment and technologies for basalt fibers]
* [http://www.bpg.ge/ Range of basalt fiber products and applications]
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