Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

The objective of the research was to determine if ballast fiber reinforced polymer composites are feasible, practical, and a beneficial material alternative for transportation applications. No significant differences in stiffness and strength were found between basalt fabric reinforced polymer composites and glass composites reinforced by a fabric of similar weave pattern. Aging results indicate that the interfacial region in basalt composites may be vulnerable to environmental damage than in glass composites. However, the basalt/epoxy interface may also be more durable than the glass/epoxy interface in tension-tension fatigue because the fatigue life of basalt composites is longer. A wider disagreement between the literature properties of basalt fibers and the properties measured in this study renders any further consideration of basalt reinforced composites highly problematic. Composites manufacturing issues with basalt fabric were also investigated. The measurement results of the in-plane permeability for basalt twill 3x1 fabric material showed that a high correlation exists between the two principal permeability values of the fabric. This is in contrast to the lack of correlation found in other weave patterns and may point to an important material selection criteria for mass production of composites by liquid molding.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/pdf/netc/netcr63_03-7.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Connecticut, Storrs

  Institute of Materials Science
  Storrs, CT  United States 

  New England Transportation Consortium

  C/O Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center
  University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, 151 Martine Street
  Fall River, MA  United States  02723

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Parnas, Richard
  • Shaw, Montgomery T
  • Liu, Qiang
• Publication Date: 2007-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 133p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aging (Materials); Basalt; Composite materials; Environmental impacts; Fiber reinforced materials; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Glass fibers; Mechanical fatigue; Permeability; Polymers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Exposure
• Subject Areas: Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; I35: Miscellaneous Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01079106
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NETCR63, NETC 03-07
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 22 2007 9:57AM