Chapter 17

Discontinuous Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Hybrid

Composites

Tibor Czighny
Department of Polymer Engineering, Budapest University of Technologyand Economics, Budapest,
Hungary

1 Introduction

Structural materials are usually classified into three groups: polymers,

metals, and ceramics. Their combinations are composites, which show unique
properties. If the matrix has a multiphase structureor the reinforcement consists of
more than one material, the resulting composite is called hybrid composite. Hybrid
composites are at the peak of the pyramid in the hierarchy of structural materials
due to their special properties.
The large-scale and fast growing applicationsof polymer composites in all
industrial fields are characteristic of the modern market-oriented technology and
economy. The reason for this development is primarily the favorable pricelweight
ratio of composites. The most rapidly developing branch is the automotive industry
where traditional metals are continually being replaced by corrosion-resistant poly-
mer composites. This yields a significant reduction in the weight of the automotive
parts. Hence, fuel is saved and the impact on environment is reduced. Nowadays,
the reinforcing material in polymer composites is usually glass fiber (GF, volume
fraction of ca. 85%), which has good strength, ensures a relatively good adhesion to
the polymer matrix, and has a low price. Carbon fiber (CF) is used in more demand-
ing applications with special requirements (e.g., aerospace technology, aircraft
industry, military applications,sports and leisure). The production expenses of CF
are much higher than those of GF and the sufficient adhesion between matrix and
CF is also more difficult to obtain. Recently, natural fibers are spreading: flax and
310 Polymer Composites: from Nano- to Macroscale

hemp are preferentially produced and used in Europe, while sisal is preferred in
countries of warmer climate. Note that these fibers are cheap and possess acceptable
strength properties in addition to biological degradability. However, their properties
cannot be guaranteed (they depend on the duration of sunshine, the amount of
precipitation, the quality of the soil, etc.) and a good adhesion to the polymer
matrix is difficult to achieve.
In addition to the above-mentioned fibers, several other reinforcements are
used, such as aramid (AF), ceramic (CeF), bast wood, ramie, etc. fibers, but their
application is not yet significant. Considering the competition in the market and
the ever-increasingeconomic and environmental requirements for reinforcements
in polymer composites, the reinforcement potential of newer and newer fibers is
investigated in the leading research institutes of the world. During the last decade,
the possible applications of basalt fiber as a reinforcing material for polymers are
the object of intensiveresearch. Basalt is a mineral of volcanic origin. The fiber made
of basalt rock is really cheap and has several excellent properties (good mechanical
strength, excellent sound and thermal insulator, non-flammable, biologically stable,
etc.). The disadvantages of basalt fibers (BF) are related to their stiff and brittle
nature, hence their processing and application require special caution. BFs are
available in both discontinuousand continuous forms. The aim of this chapter is to
summarize the hybrid polymer composites containing discontinuous BF produced
by a melt-blown technology. As already mentioned, the hybridization concept holds
for both polymer matrix and reinforcement. As polymer matrices, both thermo-
plastic and thermosetting resins will be considered.

2 Basalt Fibers

2.1 Characteristics, Applications

Rock wool fibers can be characterized by their acidity modulus, M,, which
describes the ratio of acidic to basic oxides. If M, c 1.2, the fiber is called slag
wool, the base material of which is cinder. Nowadays, such low quality fibers are
not produced any more because they are very brittle and show a poor chemical
resistance. If M, = 1.2-1.5, the fiber is considered to be a mineral wool, the base
materials of which are basic volcanic rock and cinder. These fibers are brittle, but
have acceptable insulation properties, hence their significance in the construction
industry is high. If M,> 1.5, the fiber is called rock wool, and if its base material
is basalt then it is named basalt wool (basalt fiber, BF). The base of basalt fiber is
basalt, which is a volcanic, over-ground, effusive rock saturated with 45-52 wt.%
SO,. Due to the circumstances of its formation, basalt has several excellent
properties. In addition to its high elasticity modulus and excellent heat resistance,