Strength and durability of basalt fiber and basalt-fiber cement composites

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6976023

Vedagiri, V

Basalt fibers melt drawn from naturally occurring igneous rock in an inert atmosphere of helium, argon or nitrogen show significantly improved mean strength (3.7 GPa). Weibull analysis of fiber strengths at different gage lengths indicates a high-strength population governing strength below 6.5-mm gage and a low-strength population at higher gage lengths. The durability of the basalt-cement composites was studied by conducting tensile and flexural tests, after water immersion at different temperatures for different times. By measuring the mirror-zone radius on the fiber surfaces in fractured composite specimens, the retention of fiber strength within the composite was also measured. The chemical and microstructural changes in the fiber-matrix interphase region were investigated by using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The fiber-matrix bond strength was evaluated by investigating multiple crack failure modes of composite specimens. The results indicate that although the strength values are comparable to other fiber systems, the precipitation of calcium hydroxide at the interface and the degradation of the fiber in the alkaline matrix decrease the strength of the composites, over extended period of time.

• Research Organization: Washington State Univ., Pullman (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6976023
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603* -- Materials-- Properties
BASALT
BUILDING MATERIALS
CEMENTS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
FIBERS
FLEXURAL STRENGTH
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
ROCKS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
ULTIMATE STRENGTH
VOLCANIC ROCKS