The Belgian EconCore company and the Belgian basalt fiber supplier Basaltex have developed a new composite material that contains basalt fiber, recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) honeycomb and a bio-resin.
According to the company, basalt fiber is extruded from basalt at a temperature of 1450°C. The production method is similar to that of glass fiber, but boric acid is not required in the process, and 100% of the bio-resin comes from the sugarcane waste stream.
According to EconCore, this composite material has higher fire resistance and high rigidity, making it suitable for railway applications such as cladding panels, partitions, tables and floors.
The thermosetting surface layer can also be cured quickly at high temperature, which helps to realize automated production.
EconCore project engineer Jef Delbroek said: "Honeycomb and stone? Certain combinations will not automatically come to mind, but this material solution allows materials to combine fire safety, lightweight and sustainability in a gentle way. We look forward to seeing how the railway industry will respond to this new material combination and hope to arouse interest from other industries."