In the context of modern requirements to structural materials, laminated composites attract much attention from professionals working in almost all industries. Laminates have a sandwich structure with separate layers bound in a monolith by a matrix material.

Laminated composites have huge potential due to almost unlimited reinforcing and matrix materials, and offer the possibility of developing high-strength, corrosion-resistant and lightweight materials, including thin-walled hollow products. Matrix materials are comprised of metals and alloys, carbon and ceramics, organic and inorganic polymers. The choice depends on the physicochemical and operational properties required for the final product. Combining the most relevant properties of each component, a developer can obtain innovative structural composites with properties surpassing traditional materials.

Well-matched matrix and reinforcing material enable the developers to compensate for the negative characteristics of some components, attaining almost perfect material properties relevant to the application field, given the range and types of expected loads and operating conditions.

basalt fiber

Matrix is assigned an important role: to ensure density of the product, to secure its shape and reinforcing materials allocation, to distribute stresses in the composite volume, providing a uniform load on the filler and the load redistribution upon the destruction of some part of the filler.

Requirements for matrix materials can be divided into
 operational, which are related to the mechanical and physicochemical properties of
the matrix material, ensuring the workability of the composition under various
operational factors;
 technological, which ensure efficient joint operation of fibers under various types of
loads.
Equally important is the complex of operational and technological requirements, which
reinforcing material has to satisfy:
 operational requirements, such as strength, rigidity, density, stability of properties in
the required temperature range, chemical resistance;
 technological requirements that determine the feasibility of organising a highly efficient manufacturing process of fiber reinforced products.

Laminated composites are usually reinforced with fiber, bands, fabrics, tows, woven and non-woven textiles, it is also possible to combine different types of materials in one composition. Individual plies of a matrix component can be disperse reinforced. Properties and cost place basalt fiber in the intermediate position between carbon and fiberglass. This is a reason why designers increasingly select it as a filler in hybrid laminated composites, e.g. combining it with carbon and glass reinforcement.

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