In this work solution surface treatment was applied for producing basalt fiber reinforced PA6 matrix composites. Beyond scanning electron microscopy, static and dynamic mechanical tests, dynamic mechanical analysis of composites was used for qualifying the interfacial adhesion in a wide temperature range. The loss factor peak height of loss factor is particularly important, because it is in close relationship with the mobility of polymer molecular chain segments and side groups, hence it correlates with the number and strength of primary or secondary bondings established between the matrix and the basalt fibers. It was proven, that the interfacial adhesion between basalt fibers and polyamide can be largely improved by the application of silane coupling agents in the entire usage temperature range of composites. The presence of coupling agents on the surface of basalt fibers was proven by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The best results were obtained by 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane coupling agent

Abstract. This paper focuses on the reinforcing of Poly(lactic acid) with chopped basalt fibres by using silane treated and untreated basalt fibres. Composite materials with 5-10-15-20-30-40 wt% basalt fibre contents were prepared from silane sized basalt fibres using extrusion, and injection moulding, while composites with 5-10-15 wt% basalt fibre contents were also prepared by using untreated basalt fibres as control. The properties of the injection moulded composites were extensively examined by using quasi-static (tensile, three-point bending) and dynamic mechanical tests (notched and unnotched Charpy impact tests), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), heat deflection temperature (HDT) analysis, dimensional stability test, as well as melt flow index (MFI) analysis and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations. It was found that silane treated chopped basalt fibres are much more effective in reinforcing Poly(lactic acid) than natural fibres; although basalt fibres are not biodegradable but they are still considered as natural (can be found in nature in the form of volcanic rocks) and biologically inert. It is demonstrated in this paper that by using basalt fibre reinforcement, a renewable and natural resource based composite can be produced by injection moulding with excellent mechanical properties suitable even for engineering applications. Finally it was shown that by using adequate drying of the materials, composites with higher mechanical properties can be achieved compared to literature data.

In the fibrous structures such as textiles and composites there are fibre assemblies exhibiting statistical bundle like behaviour. This paper presents a modelling method and software FibreSpace, based on a system of structuralised statistical fibre bundles, so called fibre bundle cells. These fibre bundle cells introduced before represent different idealised and typified fibre properties such as fibre shape, state of deformation, gripping as a connection with the vicinity, and the characteristic of force-transmitting and damage. With the help of the weighted parallel connection of the fibre bundle cells the mechanical behaviour and the damage process of real fibrous systems can be modelled as well as some structural properties or the strength data of single fibres can be determined by a fibre bundle cells model identified on the basis of measurements. The applicability of the fibre bundle cells method and modelling program developed is demonstrated by modelling the load and damage process of real textile structures and unidirectional composites during tensile or flexural test.

In this paper long basalt fibre reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) composites were prepared and analysed. Continuous basalt roving was coated with PLA by using continuous extrusion coating technology and a special die. The continuous basalt roving coated with PLA was cut into 10 mm long pellets, which were injection moulded. The properties of the long fibre reinforced composites were compared to chopped (short) basalt fibre reinforced PLA composites produced by using the conventional dry mixing, extrusion and injection moulding method. The mechanical properties of the long basalt fibre reinforced PLA was found to be superior to short basalt fibre reinforced PLA. Fibre length analysis revealed that the remaining average fibre length highly increased, while electron microscopy demonstrated that there is very strong adhesion between the phases. Finally it was found that the long basalt fibres also have nucleating ability, however, not as efficient as short basalt fibres. 2 KeywordsMechanical properties (B), injection moulding (E), extrusion (E), Long basalt fibre composite (nominated new keyword) IntroductionIn the last decades renewable resource based and inherently biodegradable polymers got into the focus of interest and research, because it is believed that due to their exceptional properties, these polymers will replace some of the petrol based ones used nowadays [1,2]. These exceptional properties are that they can be fully synthesized from renewable resources and they can also be degraded biologically in compost conditions into water, carbon-dioxide and humus, which latter can be used for nutrition of the next generation of plants for renewable resource and thus biodegradable polymer production. According to these features the life cycle of biodegradable polymers can be fit into the life cycle of nature, so they can ensure sustainability in polymer recycling.By the fermentation of starch and sugar received both from renewable resources, lactic acid can be produced, which can be further processed by using ring opening polymerisation of the dimer of lactic acid called lactide into the promising biodegradable polymer currently, Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) [3]. PLA has good mechanical properties, high strength and stiffness; however, it is considered as a brittle polymer with a strain at break around 3-5% and a notched and unnotched Charpy impact strength of around 3 and 23 kJ/m 2 respectively. Moreover, the very slow crystallisation of PLA [4][5][6][7][8] prevents it to be used in high temperature applications due its low glass transition temperature (Tg) around 50-55°C. Since PLA is a thermoplastic polymer, it can be processed by using conventional plastic processing equipments like injection moulding, extrusion, thermoforming, blow, sheet, or compression moulding [9] into products like cutleries, cups, flower pots, food containers, films, toothbrush handles or biomedical implants [10].Although the high strength and stiffness of PLA suggest it to be used in engineering applications, nowadays most PLA produ...

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