Basalt fiber is a material made from extremely fine fibers of basalt, which is composed of the plagioclase minerals , pyroxene, and olivine. It is similar to fiberglass, having better physicomechanical properties than fiberglass, but being significantly cheaper than carbon fiber. It is used as a fireproof textile in the aerospace and automotive industries and can also be used as a composite. Basalt fiber is made from a single material, crushed basalt, from a carefully chosen quarry source. Basalt of high acidity (over 46% silica content) and low iron content is considered desirable for fiber production. Unlike with other composites, such as glass fiber, essentially no materials are added during its production. The basalt is simply washed and then melted. The manufacture of basalt fiber requires the melting of the crushed and washed basalt rock at about 1,500 °C (2,730 °F). The molten rock is then extruded through small nozzles to produce continuous filaments of basalt fiber.
- natural inert material
- no usage of chemical additives
- unreactive with air and water, safe to humans and environment-friendly
- non-carcinogenic to humans according to NTP, IARC and OSHA
- recyclable
- higher value of tensile modulus in 20-25%
- higher value of elastic modulus in 10-15%
- higher value of impact resistance in 50%
EPOXY RESIN ED-20
The applications for epoxy-based materials are extensive and include coatings, adhesives and composite materials such as those using carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforcements (although polyester, vinyl ester, and other thermosetting resins are also used for glass-reinforced plastic). The chemistry of epoxies and the range of commercially available variations allows cure polymers to be produced with a very broad range of properties. In general, epoxies are known for their excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, good-to-excellent mechanical properties and very good electrical insulating properties. Many properties of epoxies can be modified (for example, silver-filled epoxies with good electrical conductivity are available, although epoxies are typically electrically insulating). Variations offering high thermal insulation, or thermal conductivity combined with high electrical resistance for electronics applications, are available. Various materials based on epoxy resins are produced for application in different industries, including in construction. When mixing epoxy resin with hardener, the exact ratio of resin/hardener given by the manufacturer should be used, determing the curing time and physical properties of the resulting product. Deviation from the required proportion, as a rule, leads to a change in the curing time and in the material final properties: with a smaller amount of hardener, the curing time is increased making it impossible for the most part to obtain a solid material with a necessary degree of hardness while with a larger amount of hardener the mixture heating will commonly cause its foaming and a sharp hardening resulting in a very brittle polymer material.
EPOXY RESIN HARDENER ISO-MTHPA
Isomethyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride is a chemical agent represented by formula C9H10O3. It is in demand in various areas related to the production of high-quality polymers, epoxy resins and fiberglass. ISO-MTHPA is used as a hardener for polymeric materials, fiberglass and hot curing epoxy resins. The use of isomethyl for the polymerization of epoxy resins significantly improves the quality of plastics, their physicochemical properties: makes them moisture resistant, stable to climatic and atmospheric influences, increases heat resistance and chemical inertness, electrical insulating properties. The main field of isomethyl application is the electrical industry where it is needed in the manufacture of electrical insulators, insulating materials and coatings, impregnating varnishes and compounds, sealing materials used in the manufacture of reliable and durable parts for strategically important areas of the economy: power engineering, power and electric machine building, railway industry, chemical industry. IMTHPA is widely used in the production of fiberglass, which is applied for manufacturing fiberglass pipes and fittings, different types of rods and profiles.
CATALYST FOR EPOXY RESINS
Accelerator for the polymerization of epoxy compounds. It is used for the production of hot-cured composite materials by nidltrusion, pultrusion, casting, pouring, pressure impregnation, winding and other methods. The accelerator is used in the manufacture of composite materials based on epoxy resins (ED-20 or analogues) and anhydride hardeners (ISO-IMTHPA, phthalic anhydrite, etc.). The use of the catalyst makes it possible to sharply reduce the viscosity of the binder system, accelerate and make the polymerization process more complete.
CARBON ADDITIVE
Technical carbon is a finely dispersed, powdery product which today is of particular value to most industrial enterprises. Unique properties make it one of the most sought-after materials. Technical carbon is produced by thermo-oxidative and thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons contained in gases of natural and industrial origin, as well as in petroleum or coal oils. The use of the latest manufacturing technologies enable to produce high–performance materials of high quality.