PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF BASALT IN COMPOSITES BEING PURSUED IN SA
Photo: Basalt fibre reinforced LFT composites
THE development and application of composites in manufacturing in South Africa is accelerating up a steep growth curve, according to the country's national composites collective, the Mandela Bay Composites Cluster (MBCC).
Created with support from South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry, the Cluster has implemented projects to boost the productivity of local manufacturers and establish value chains to commercialise South Africa's emerging composites resources.
Mandela Bay Composites Cluster MD, Andy Radford, said the Cluster had mapped the value chain for the production and application of Basalt in composites and was at an advanced stage of securing local and global beneficiators and buyers for the mineral for use in composite materials.
“The country and particularly the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, has vast dolerite reserves, from which global-standard Basalt can be viably extracted,” Radford said.
“Basalt fibre mined from dolerite in the poorest regions of the Eastern Cape could be an economic game changer for the region. Processed at Mthatha, Butterworth, East London or Coega, basalt product such as reinforced bar can be shipped to Europe through France”, Radford said.
The Cluster is doing the same with a crop grown largely in Kwazulu-Natal called Kenaf, the fibre of which is used in the production of composite components, including at the Mercedes Benz automotive plant in East London.
Closer to home, Radford believes that composites provide South Africans with solutions to unique challenges and that could transform communities.
“South Africa has a legacy based on iron, steel and other metals, yet our global competitiveness in steel is marginal. Metals are heavy, they rust and have driven industrial and engineering thinking in South Africa up until now.
“Composites can provide new avenues for industrial and economic competitive advantage and we are showcasing this by creating a composites corridor in Port Elizabeth, where composite applications will replace metal and cement where appropriate,” he said.
From man-hole covers, street poles and railings, to motorised drones, composites are the answer to several age-old problems and new opportunities.
“In Africa, composites can be manufactured anywhere. You don't even need electricity. In fact rather than using energy, resin-based thermoset manufacturing is exothermic - it gives off heat,” Radford added.
For more information, contact Andy Radford: andy@mandelabaycompositescluster.co.za
Basalt fibres
Derived from volcanic rock, the beneficial characteristics of basalt fibre include excellent corrosion resistance, high abrasion resistance, and inherent fire resistance. Basalt fibre is known for retaining its performance at cold temperatures and for not being degraded by UV or electromagnetic radiation. It has uses in marine environments, concrete contact, and underground applications because of its high corrosion resistance.