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Basalt
2-2.5 usd/kg
Basalt is a fine-grained igneous rock, formed from the rapid cooling of volcanic lava. It makes up nearly all volcanic rock on earth. Around 50% silica (SiO2), its chemistry is the same as slow-cooling coarse grained gabbro – the exact ingredients will vary according to the location. It is typically dark coloured, including shades of grey, through brown and black.
It is used as stone in sculpture, architecture, construction and road building. Alternatively, it is melted and extruded into a fibre, which is converted into fabrics, felts and composites. The textiles are used as reinforcement in the production of high-strength composites, as high quality sound and thermal insulation, and fireproofing.
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Sustainability concerns
Non-renewable ingredients
Raw material generates polluting by-products
Low circularity potential
Microplastics
Basalt fibre reinforced epoxy is employed in construction, automotive and aerospace applications. The fibre is heavier than carbon, but less expensive, and so provides a cost-effective step up from E-glass. It is non-conductive and so does not interfere with radio waves in the same way as carbon fibre reinforced plastic.