2013 / 2014 edition 1. revised version | www.bafanet.com

cover story: turning stone into fibre

the process

applications

network

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BASALT The MAgAzine of The gerMAn BASALT fiBre induSTry

is a business network for the research and development of basalt fibre and its applications in textile manufacture, in lightweight structures, in the construction sector and in various other industries. responsibility for managing the network falls to forum technologie & wirtschaft e.v. this association coordinates research and development in the textile sector and identifies areas of potential collaboration between different fields. by establishing and supporting networks and research collaborations, the forum is playing a key role in consolidating the regional economic struc-ture in central germany.

Forum Technologie & WirTschaFT e.V.meixstrasse 5

01326 dresden

germany

mail@forum-tuw.net

www.bafanet.com

Funded by:

(German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology)

following a resolution passed by the German Federal Parliament

2 COMPETENCE MATRIX

an industry on the movebasalt – the magazine of the german basalt fibre industry. this is the ambitious title we have given to this publication, now into its second edition. the german basalt fibre industry – is there really such a thing? and what should we include under this head- ing? when you google for the term, the references you find are generally academic articles on the quarrying of basalt. but that’s not what our magazine is about. because basalt is much more than rock; it is more like spun gold. melted basalt produces fibres that open up completely new technical possibilities. the nature of these possibilities is the theme of our magazine published on behalf of the german basalt fibre industry.basalt fibre is a truly innovative material. although the underly-ing science has been the subject of research since the 1960s, it is only now that basalt fibre is on the threshold of an industrial breakthrough. we are certain that a huge new sector of the eco-nomy is about to mushroom from the first pioneering projects. the basalt fibre industry is an industry on the move. these fibres spun from stone have tremendous potential for a variety of ap-plications, ranging from the automotive industry to mechanical engineering and from construction to textile manufacturing.forward-looking enterprises and research institutions that have recognised the potential of basalt fibre and wish to exploit its economic benefits have joined forces to form basaltfaser-netZwerk (basalt fibre network). together, they intend to explore the possibilities for the technical application of basalt fibre, to resolve the issue of reliability in quality and to develop new applications.we hope that the visionary projects we report on in this edition will excite and inspire you. we are already looking forward to the next issue in which we will update you on the latest devel-opments surrounding basalt fibre.

3EDITORIAL

torsten bäzproject leader basaltfasernetZwerkbaez@forum-tuw.net

contents

4 / 5 6 / 7 8 / 9 10 / 11

turning stone intofibrethe process

yarn and fabric production

coating,lamination

vis

additives and auxiliaryproducts for fabrics

lefatex chemie gmbh

surfacefunctionalisation

innovent

bondingab-tec

finishing, functionalisation

thorey

research, technology,engineering

cetex

analysis

project management with forum tuw

e.v.

research, analysis,

surface treatment,functionalisation

innovent

research,development,

lightweight struc-tures

tu chemnitz

research, testing,

certification,surface formation,

equipmentstfi

development, construction,

engineering services

ebf dresden

high-temperatureapplications

norafin, fibtex

finishing, coating

service

textile applicatons

application field: composite materials

filament, chopped strands, equipment dbf

spinning, core yarnhoftex

ud tapes, scrim cetex

non-woven fabricnorafinfibtex

3d fibre structuresfiber engineering

compeTence maTrix

feeling euphoricinterview with christoph osterroth, ceo of deut-sche basalt faser gmbh

revolutionary fibreapplications and benefits

network partners

competence matrix of the network: the diagramme illustrates how companies and research institutions have pooled their diverse skills and resources by collaborating in the network. the entire multi-faceted value chain from filament production to recycling is represented here, facilitating a variety of applications and solutions.

from left to right:torsten kunz (project coordinator)mirko Jacob (project coordinator)torsten bäz (project leader)peggy wunderlich (project administration)

in 2013, the two established networks combafi and texsalt banded together to form basaltfa-sernetZwerk. texsalt focuses on textiles made of basalt, while combafi specialises in basalt-fibre-reinforced composites. by joining forces, the members of this new association aim to benefit from synergies and to develop new approaches to the exploitation of basalt fibre.

yarn finishing, threadalterfil

woven fabricstfi

knitted/ crochetedfabric

karl mayer

nettingstfi, karl mayer

tapes, ropebarthels-feldhoff

sewing andembroidery yarn

alterfil

knitted fabricsts

research, analysis, ceramic materials

ki keramikinstitut

geotextiles, textiles forthe construction industry

iggtextile products

for marine applicationsbeka mare solutions

geomats, filters, non-woven liners

norafintextile architecture

filtrationigg, norafin

abrasion-resistantconveyor belts

vis

automotivebmw

soundproofingigg,fibtex

fibre compositeproducts for mari-

ne applicationsbeka mare solutions

woven prepregsbarthels-feldhoff

tubes, pressure tanks, power systems,

plant engineeringroth industriesautomotive

bmw

prefabricated buildings, building, construction

materialsZapf

plant technology, fibreinjection technology

fiber engineering

facade elementsfiber tech

profiles, plates,rods, prepregs

cg tec

competence matrix | editorial 2 / 3

process 4 / 5

interview 6 / 7

applications 8 / 9

network 10 / 11

ceramic compositecomponents

ki keramikinstitut

asphalt reinforcement, geotextiles

tensar

facts & figures

10% the diameter of a basalt thread is 10% of a human hair.

1,450°c 1,450°c is the temperature at which basalt rockstarts to melt.

2,000 m/min 2,000 metres per minute: the speed at which the thread is spun.

complex systemsit may sound straightforward, but in fact it is a highly complicated technical process. pressure, temperature and extrusion speed at the nozzle plates are precisely regulated, with extremely low tolerances. within these parameters, the viscosity of the melt is controlled, there-by enabling the thickness of the drawn thread to be re-gulated. consistent filament thickness is a crucial factor for later applications and an essential quality feature.

caution, hot!the temperatures at which the furnace is run are exceptionally high. this requires appropriate technical adjustments. conse-quently, the nozzle plates are made from special noble metal, as temperatures of this magnitude would melt steel.

the birth of the fibre: the molten mass is ready for extrusion through the nozzles and forms a funnel-shaped head. the fibre is created by extracting it at such a high speed that the molten material has no time to crys-tallise; it solidifies in an amorphous state. in this way, basalt rock is turned into flexible fibres with fascinating properties.

lumps of basalt rock, 5cm to 10cm in diameter, are fed through a funnel into the furnace. the precisely cont-rolled temperature inside the furnace ranges from 1,300°c to 1,450°c. the basalt is ‘plasticised , i.e. smelted and liquefied.

the yellowish-red molten ba-salt is then extruded through the flow feeder (a heated tube) into the bushing. the flow feeder builds up a precise-ly regulated melting pressure. the molten basalt is drawn off through the nozzles in the bushing, forming hair-thin ba-salt fibres.

in order to ensure optimum processability, the filaments are coated with sizing which allows them to be treated like a textile and serves as a bond-ing agent between fib-re and matrix. the sizing has been specially developed for this process and is adapted for specific applications.

next, the fibres are drawn by a winder and wrapped around a so-called ‘spinning cake’. the fibre is now ready for delivery to the customer.

1 2 3 4

the products

this intermediate product will be further processed in vari-ous applications, and deut-sche basalt faser gmbh sup-plies it in two versions: rovings and chopped strands.

rovings: a basic thread consists of 250 filaments. sev-eral threads are bundled as yarn and bundled up into a roving which in turn serves as the starting material for textile production. rovings are the raw material for twisting, spinning or weaving.

chopped strands: 50 continuous fibres running in parallel are drawn into a coating machine. after coating, they are dried, which causes the coating to be polymerised. this ensures high strand integrity. the fibres are then chopped into 1cm lengths which are characterised by their high strength and satisfy the most stringent quality require-ments. their high frictional properties, low wear and high temperature stability make them ideal for a number of uses, such as the manufacture of brake linings.

the process

Turning sTone inTo FiBreThe processhow do you spin stone into thread? a look into the furnace:

PROCESS PROCESS 4 5

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6 INTERVIEW 7INTERVIEW

how would you asses the future of the german basalt fibre industry?what you see here today is just the beginning. the ba-salt fibre industry is in the initial phase of a completely new technology that opens up undreamed-of possibili-ties. we have pursued a high-risk strategy and overcome many legal and regulatory hurdles along the way. i see a huge potential. various well-defined projects are about to show concrete results. a commercial breakthrough for basalt fibre is within our grasp.

how well eQuipped are you to cope with the production aspects of the imminent boom?we have approval for ten furnaces and are about to ex-pand our production in line with demand. our first fur-nace designed and built in-house is more than just a pilot. it is already a fully functional production unit which is

capable of operating at a profit. we now intend to build several more.

how did you go about developing the technology for the production of ba-salt fibres?the furnace in which we smelt the basalt was built com-pletely by ourselves. with the support of the experienced professionals at our affiliated company in georgia, we have fine-tuned the process to ensure optimum and consistent quality of the basalt fibre. thanks to our in-house devel-opment, we have acquired an in-depth technical under-standing of the entire process. as simple as it looks, the technology is actually highly sophisticated. but we have this technology fully under control. it fills us with a sense of pride that we have managed to get the technology up and running, producing basalt fibres of consistent quality and functioning at a high level of reliability.

what does investment in such innovati-ve proJects mean for you personally?the personal appeal for me is the element of challenge. as an engineer and businessman, i see these innovative development projects as having immense potential.

have you reached all your goals with the development yet?no, but that’s the exciting thing about it. for example, if you were researching sheet metal at this point in his-tory, you might be able to achieve an improvement of a few percentage points. but you see, basalt is a very young material. with just a moderate amount of r&d, you can achieve significant improvements. each time we come up with a new product, we can still expect far-reaching improvements in its technical characteristics. there is enormous potential here that we are constantly aware of. so my assessment of the current situation is that we’ve already achieved some magnificent results but that there are many more to come.

basalt is actually a crystalline prod-uct, so why does it lend itself to pro-cessing as a fibre for textiles?in its natural state, basalt rock is indeed crystalline, just like sugar. during the natural process of formation, ba-salt takes a certain time to acquire its crystalline struc-ture. we can’t afford to give it this amount of time in our production process. we solidify the amorphous structure of the basalt. this is what makes it susceptible to process-ing for textile purposes.

basalt is a natural product, so how do you ensure consistency in the Quality of the fibres?

the two factors that are crucial in ensuring consistently high quality are reliability of process and raw materials that do not vary in their properties. we have our own quarry in georgia, and the rock there is characterised by a particularly favourable chemical composition. the quarry has sufficient reserves to assure uninterrupted supplies over many decades to come, even when production really takes off.

what is the special fascination of basalt fibre for you personally?basalt is a revolutionary fibre. in terms of cost-efficiency and performance, it builds a bridge between carbon fibre and glass fibre. basalt opens the door to numerous pro-jects for which glass fibre cannot be used and for which carbon fibre would be too expensive. and the most ex-citing thing is that countless totally new areas of use are opening up, some of which might seem like a distant dream today, for example constructing motorway bridges without steel reinforcement and metals which develop completely new property profiles by the addition of ba-salt fibres. and why must cars be made of sheet metal anyway? almost every day, i have new ideas about what can be done with this fibre.

what volume of serious enQuiries are you receiving for further proJects?we are seeing an industry on the move. at the moment, a lot of enquiries and concrete projects are coming in, and that gives me a feeling of euphoria.

inTerVieW WiTh chrisToph osTerroTh,

ceo oF DeuTsche BasalT Faser gmBh

„Feeling euphoric“

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euphoria. visions. optimism. this is the impression left by every conversation with companies and engineers who are busy developing applications for basalt fibre. let’s take a look at some of these opportunities below.

8 applications 9 applications

„a reVoluTionarY FiBre“

reinforcement of textile surfaces using basalt fibreswoven fabrics, non-wovens, knitted and crocheted fabrics, scrims, ribbons, tapes and ropes – all of these applications are examples of textiles that can be reinforced with basalt fibres. in the following technical applications, current research has shown that the use of basalt fibres would be appropriate, and this has already been partially confirmed in practice: • for filters used in high-temperature environments, e.g. incinerators, cement factories • for stabilisation of road embankments or hillsides in ski resorts • as a scrim in textile-reinforced concrete instead of steel grid • for eye-catching designs • for fire protection applications • for renaturalisation of surfaces • for non-woven materials used for technical insulation, drainage material, soundproofing and agriculture

composites basalt fibres can be incorporated into a fibre matrix structure as constituents of compounds. wind turbine blades, aircraft fuselages and yacht hulls are already being manufactured from epoxy resin in combination with carbon or glass fibre. basalt fibre is also conceivable for all of these applications; in a number of parameters, it would be more cost-efficient anddeliver better performance.

one groundbreaking development associated with basalt fibre is theorganic sheet, which is a combination of natural basalt fibre with polyamide plasticfilm to produce a freely malleable lightweight material for industrial manufacturers.

in combination with mineral substances, basalt fibre is used to reinforce concrete.

potential benefits of basalt fibre

application-specific benefit profilesit is significant for the industrial use of basalt fibre that different applications derive benefit from different characteristics. for example, high temperature resistance, which generally ranks high on the list of benefits, is of minor importance during the lifetime of products made from composite materials, because the melting point of the plastic is well below that of the basalt fibre content. but when the time comes to recycle the product, this factor works in its favour, as the plastic can easily be separated from the basalt by melting. by contrast, for applications involving insulation, fire pro-tection or concrete reinforcement, this high temperature resistance is essential.for each potential application, a specific benefit profile can be identified which exploits the special characteristics of basalt fibre to the maximum.

1 high temperature resistance fire protection

2 excellent mechanical properties, such as tensile strength composites

3 chemical resistance filter textiles

4 corrosion resistance concrete applications

5 excellent vibration damping acoustic insulation

6 natural product good recyclability

7 antifouling properties eliminating growth of algae and/or moss

8 uv resistance geotextiles

current research has identified a number of specific advantages that are characteristic of basalt fibre.these initial findings will be explored in depth by means of targeted research and development projects within the basaltfasernetZwerk network.

applicaTions anD BeneFiTs

10 network 11 network

one network – many optionsvisionary companies and research institutions that have recognised

the potential of basalt fibre and wish to exploit its economic be-

nefits have joined forces to form basaltfasernetZwerk (basalt

fibre network). together, they intend to explore the possibilities for

the technical application of basalt fibre, to ensure reliable qualities

and to develop new applications.

ab-tec gmbh & co. kg

production of thermoplastic, heat-activ-ated adhesive non-wovens in germany,

and europe-wide marketing of these products under the name tecweb

www.ab-tec.com

vis gmbh

manufacture of conveyor belts and drive belts, e.g. for the textile, food, machine

tool, logistics, tobacco, paper and printing industries

www.visbelting.eu

innovent e. v.

research, development and transfer for surface engineering, biomaterials, analysis, as well as testing of materials and organi-

sation of conferences

www.innovent-jena.de

cg tec gmbh

development and production of profiles and plates made from cfrp carbon fibre,

glass-fibre reinforced plastic (grp) and fibreglass and basalt-fibre reinforced

plastic (brp), prepreg winding technology, prepreg moulding technology, pultrusion

www.cg-tec.de

roth industries gmbh & co. kg

development and production of energy systems, plumbing systems, pipe techno-logies and pressure reservoirs, as well as composites and plants for the manufac-

ture thereof

www.roth-industries.com

sächsisches textilforschungs-institut e. v.

(saxon textile research institute)

research and development of technical textiles and non-wovens, accredited test

centre for textiles and for the certification of personal protective equipment

(notified body 0516)

www.stfi.de

ki keramikinstitut gmbh

development of ceramic materials, prod-ucts and technologies, special and high-

performance ceramics, quality assessment and certification of ceramic raw and basic

materials

www.keramikinstitut.com

igg internationale geotextil gmbh

trading in geotextiles made from natural fibres and synthetics, gabion and embank-

ment support systems

www.igg.de

Zapf gmbh

manufacture of prefabricated buildings, prefabricated garages and elements for major building projects, production of

construction materials

www.zapf-gmbh.de

barthels-feldhoff gmbh & co. kg

development and manufacture of technical textiles, braiding, tape weaving, plus the manufacture of yarn, coating and

finishing, assembling

www.barthels-feldhoff.de

fibtex gmbh

fibre processing and recycling plus production of chopped strands and

development of non-woven fabrics used in fire protection, acoustic insulation and

composite material

www.fibtex.eu

lefatex chemie gmbh

manufacturer of dispersions and emulsions

www.lefatex.dewww.zschimmer-schwarz.com

ebf dresden gmbh

engineering services and consulting for the development and design of machinery and equipment; wear materials and construc-

tion materials

www.ebf-dresden.de

beka mare solutions gmbh

development and marketing of corrosion protection systems for marine applications

and composite materials in the marine engineering sector

www.bekamaresolutions.de

fiber engineering gmbh

development and manufacture of equip-ment for the production of fibre-reinforced components with a 3d contour based on

the fibre injection moulding (fim)technology developed in-house.

www.fiber-engineering.de

alterfil nähfaden gmbh

development, manufacture and distribu-tion of innovative sewing and embroidery

yarns and technical yarns; operating its own dyeing plant

www.alterfil-shop.de

sts textiles gmbh & co.kg

development and production of fabrics for home textiles and for automotive and

technical applications

www.sts-textiles.com

chemnitZ university of technology, department of lightweight structures and

polymer technology

research and development of composites, technologies and equipment for light-

weight structures in the fields of plastics and building materials

www.leichtbau.tu-chemnitz.de

thorey gera textilveredlung gmbh

textile finishing of woven, knitted, croche-ted or non-woven fabrics to the highest

quality standards

www.thotex.de

cetex – institut für textil- und verar-beitungsmaschinen ggmbh

german research institute for new techno-logies and machinery for the production of textile-based semi-finished products, func-tional components and high-performance

structures

www.cetex.de

bmw group

automobile manufacturer

www.bmwgroup.com

hoftex coretech gmbh

development and production of classic yarns, threads and fabrics, as well as

specialised technical textiles; partner for cutting-edge production and technology

skills

www.hoftex.de

tensar international

development, manufacture and appli-cation of geogrids and geosynthetic

materials, e.g. in base layer stabilisation, in the reinforcement of steep slopes and re-

taining structures and in the reinforcement of asphalt surfaces

www.tensar.de

norafin industries gmbh

manufacture of high-grade material struc-tures, composites and special non-wovens for filtration, work clothing, the medical

sector, automotive manufacturing and the construction industry

www.norafin.com

dbf deutsche basalt faser gmbh

production of basalt fibre in the form

of rovings and chopped strands, development of basalt fibre for specific

applications

www.deutsche-basalt-faser.de

basalt-reinforced spacer fabric

basalt-fibre-reinforced profiled rebars