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| ▲ | ggm 5 hours ago | parent | next [-] |
| Price performance. If the failure mode is slow, then my sport (rowing) could love this for cheaper boat construction which is stronger than fibreglass but cheaper than carbon fibre. I imagine surfboards and kayaks could work too. Being flexible and non conducting is useful. |
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| ▲ | jabl 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| In addition to what sibling posts say, basalt is certainly abundant. Per Wikipedia, 90% of volcanic rock on earth is basalt. We're not going to run out of it. |
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| ▲ | pfix 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| See uses here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt_fiber
I am no material scientist, so cannot comment on actual facts why it might be better in specific cases than Kevlar, Dyneema or Carbon. But from experience there's a lot I don't know and especially in engineering there's a lot to consider when putting materials under stressful conditions that might put this in in a specific spot superior to those mentioned above. |
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| ▲ | Cthulhu_ 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| I can imagine (I have no clue about this, I just watch manufacturing videos) that this is easier to mass produce. A less refined version of this is used to make Rockwool, an insulation material similar to fiber glass. Melt the stuff, extrude it, ????, profit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6FWPTZjwLo |
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| ▲ | adrian_b 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| All those burn. Basalt does not burn, so its main competition is glass fiber, not organic fibers. Also, those 3 mentioned by you are currently quite expensive in comparison with other fibers. |
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| ▲ | nottorp an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| I suppose because basalt cannot be patented. Or at least cannot be patented outside the US. Say, is Carbon in your statement a trademark? |
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| ▲ | nirse 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-] |
| It seems to be more heat resistant? |