Experimental Research on Basalt Fabric-Based Composites for Protection Against Contact Heat

The unique properties of basalt fibers, i.e. low thermal conductivity, thermal resistance up to 800°C, biodegradability, resistance to acids and alkalis, corrosion, ultraviolet radiation, and non-flammability, make them increasingly used in personal protective equipment. The design and production of basalt fabric-based composites were performed, and composite layers were directly modified by depositing thin coatings using the magnetron sputtering method. The designing and testing were performed in five stages. For direct basalt fabric modification and basalt fabric-based composites, resistance to contact heat was tested for contact temperatures of 100°C and 250°C. Moreover, the uncertainty budgets of the threshold time measurement results were determined and analyzed for all composites. New basalt fabric-based composites were designed to protect users from contact heat in hot work environments. As a result of the research, it was found that applying composite coatings: aluminum and zirconium dioxide or aluminum and zirconium dioxide and titanium dioxide to both composite layers proved to be effective in obtaining composites that guarantee perfect resistance to contact heat up to 250°C.