Comparisons between basalt for continuous fiber and ordinary basalt

Continuous basalt fiber (CBF) is a novel, green and eco-friendly material drawn with basalt , featuring exceptional properties such as high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance , and superior strength . It finds extensive applications in various fields including defense and military industry, aviation and aerospace, construction and bridges. Basalt is the most widely distributed aluminosilicate volcanic rock on Earth. However, not all basalts are suitable for the stable CBF production due to the variations in composition and structure across different regions, which result in differences in the crystallization characteristics of basalt melts that impact the stability and continuity of the wire drawing process. Therefore, investigating the crystallization characteristics of basalt glass melt holds significant value for CBF production. This paper focuses on the various types of high-quality basalt for CBF and ordinary basalt in China. They were melted at a temperature of 1450 °C for 1 h, followed by cooling in the furnace and quenching with water, resulting in the preparation of 18 pieces of basalt glasses. The basalt glasses were characterized using DSC , XRD , FT-IR, SEM, EDS and polarizing microscope techniques. The research findings suggest that: (1) The chemical compositions of high-quality basalt for CBF do not exhibit significant differences from that of ordinary basalt; (2) All the basalt glasses quenched with water produced from high-quality basalt for CBF and ordinary basalt exhibit an amorphous phase , uniform glass structure, and enhanced melting behavior at this temperature; (3) In the furnace-cooled process, the glasses from high-quality basalt for CBF lacks any crystalline phase while the glasses from ordinary basalt display varying degrees of crystallization primarily due to cooling-induced crystallization. This work holds great significance for evaluating and screening the basalt raw materials for CBF.