JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #108 - October 2016 - 16

BUSINESS basalt
steel materials with composites
(rebar, profiles, pipes, reinforcing grids, etc.), with a wider
use of composite parts and
structures;
- Development of normative
documents and state stand
ards for the use of BCF materials in construction, road
and hydraulic engineering,
power engineering, and other industries.
Fig. 1: Growth of
production and demand

BCF compared to glass and
carbon fibres.
Table 1 shows that BCF has
a set of characteristics that
exceed those of E-glass fibres
and are close to those of special and carbon fibres, at relatively low cost.
Main advantages of BCF
Basalt fibre and basalt fibre-based materials have a higher natural strength, a high resistance to aggressive media, a long
lifetime and good electrical and
thermal insulation properties.
Due to their extended temperature range (operating temperatures up to +700°C), basalt
fibres can be used in the production of heat-resistant materials,
and as a fire-resistant and fireproof material.
Compared with E-glass, their
improved chemical resistance
to acid and alkaline environments in seawater opens broad
application prospects in structures exposed to moisture, salt
solutions, chemicals and alkaline environments. Customers
can replace metal structures
and parts exposed to corrosion under the influence of
chemically-active media with
lightweight, durable, and corrosion-resistant basalt fibre
materials.

BCF can be used to reinforce
concrete in the construction of
offshore structures. The fibres
used in road carpets protect
concrete and reinforcements
from the penetration of de-icing salts and aggressive substances and increase their residual strength and resistance
to freeze-thaw cycles.
The chemical resistance of basalt fibre is a key competitive
advantage in the production of
filters for the chemical and metallurgical industries, and containers and pipes for the chemical industry and public utilities.
This material fully complies
with the REACH regulation.
Finished products do not contain harmful substances and
fully comply with the REACH
protocol and all hygienic standards. Basalt fibre's high durability, with a lifetime of 50 years,
generates cost savings and improves the operational safety of
industrial facilities.
Due to its vibration resistance,
basalt fibre can be used in the
automotive, aircraft, shipbuilding and power engineering
industries. It is also resistant
to fungi and other microorganisms and has a low price compared to special glass fibre [4, 5].

jec composites magazine / No108 October 2016

BCF production volumes
Currently, about 15 companies in the world are producing BCF in industrial
volumes. In recent years, the
global production volume increased significantly, reaching
42,000 tonnes in 2012 and
50,000 tonnes in 2014. Figure
1 shows the growth of BCF
production and BCF demand.
The strongest growth in production volume was recorded in Chinese factories due
to the work of Ukrainian experts who worked for 10 years
to build BCF factories in the
country as well to implement
"BCF and composite materials" program of Ministry
of Science and Technology
of the People's Republic of
China (PRC). In the near
future, PRC plans to create
large-scale BCF production
capabilities in the fields of
construction,
antiseismic
construction,
automobile
roads and high-speed railways, automobile, power engineering, primary industries,
and public utilities.
The demand for BCF and
BCF materials is growing
every year and significantly
exceeds the supply due to several factors:
- High performance of BCF
and BCF materials;
- Replacement of traditional

Within the next few years,
the BCF and BCF materials market volume will grow
to 100,000-300,000 tonnes
a year. The market growth
mainly results from the use
of BCF reinforcements and
composite materials in construction, road construction
and, partly, in power engineering and other industries.
The main constraint to developing the BCF and BCF
materials sales market is the
higher cost of BCF compared to E-glass fibres. The
application of a new (fourth)
generation of technological
equipment and the growth
of industrial production will
significantly reduce the cost
of BCF industrial production,
which will decrease to a level
equal or lower than E-glass
fibres.
Development of BCF
technology and equipment
At the beginning of the 21st
century, a number of new
companies were created in
Russia, Austria, China and
Ukraine, using advanced technological processes and large
furnaces to launch the batch
production of high-quality
continuous fibres with high
mechanical properties and excellent adhesion to resins at a
quite attractive price [3, 4].
Currently, two types of pro-

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #108 - October 2016