Basalt fiber infiltrant main ingredients

1.Coupling agent

A coupling agent is an important treatment agent with good durability and aging resistance, mainly used as an auxiliary for polymer composites, which can be divided into four major categories according to its chemical structure and composition: organic complexes, silanes, titanates, and aluminum acid compounds. Developing new high-efficiency coupling agent is one of the research frontiers in the glass fiber infiltration agent field. Foreign coupling agent in addition to the organic interface and inorganic interface coupling use, also has a film bonding cluster role, some coupling agents also has a lubricating antistatic effect. Current coupling agent research focuses on developing new coupling agents that can optimize material interfaces and enhance bond strength. Researchers are exploring a variety of chemical strategies and new material designs to improve interfacial compatibility, affinity and bond strength to achieve better interfacial bonding. Currently the most widely used are lithane coupling agents and titanate coupling agents. The lithane coupling agent has two important mechanisms: first, it can react with the hydroxyl group in the inorganic material to form a chemical bond, thus effectively combining the organic and inorganic phases together and improving the adhesion and affinity of the interface; second, the lithane coupling agent can interact with the long molecular chain in the organic material to enhance the compatibility and bonding between the polymer and the inorganic filler, and to improve the performance of the material. When the titanate coupling agent reacts with free protons (H+ ) at the interface of inorganic substances, an organic monomolecular layer is formed. This organic monomer layer can form a covering layer on the filler surface and interact with the polymer, thus increasing the adhesion and bonding between the polymer and the filler. The addition of titanate coupling agents to polymers can significantly increase the impact strength of the material. In addition, fillers can be added in amounts of 50% or more without phase separation, which maintains the homogeneity and stability of the material.

2.Lubricants and antistatic agents

Internationally in the formulation of the infiltrant, lubricants and antistatic agents are often combined into one. Lubricants are mostly long-chain aliphatic imidazoline or acid containing double bonds and long-chain alcohols monohydroxy esters, mainly used to regulate the viscosity of the infiltrant solution, reduce its surface tension, so that it is uniformly distributed on the surface of the treated material, to enhance the role of infiltration. Nanolubricants have been a hot research topic in recent years, and coated basalt fibers not only have high anti-wear performance but also achieve the effect of reducing friction. Researchers are exploring the application of nanoparticles in lubricants to improve the friction and wear properties of materials. Depending on their role, lubricants can be categorized into two types: internal and external. The components of internal lubricants are mainly polymer compounds, such as wax, polyolefins, etc., which have good compatibility, can reduce the cohesion between polymer molecules, and improve the friction heat generation phenomenon within the melt and melt fluidity, to make it have a better effect in extrusion, injection molding and other processing. The composition of the external lubricant is mainly low molecular compounds, such as fatty acid esters, paraffin wax, etc., which can effectively improve the friction between the melt and the surface of the equipment, reduce the friction coefficient of each production process, play an important role in the mixing, calendering, sugar molding, and other molding processes. Antistatic agents can be divided into two categories: inorganic and organic, and their main role is to form a conductive pathway on the infiltrant film, releasing the static charge generated by the fiber in the production and use of the process. The addition of nanofillers (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc.) to the polymer matrix can significantly improve the conductivity and antistatic properties of the material. In recent years, researchers have been devoted to exploring the interaction between different nanofillers and polymer matrices to obtain better antistatic properties.

3.Film-forming agent

As the most important component in the infiltrating agent, film-forming agent determines the processing performance and product performance of basalt fiber. In the production process of basalt fiber, film-forming agent can form a uniform and close coating on the surface of the fiber, significantly improve the compatibility of the interface between the fiber and the substrate material, improve the interfacial bonding force, thereby improving the strength and durability of basalt fibers, but also to prevent the fiber from flying silk fracture, to ensure the integrity of the fiber. In addition, the film-forming agent can also give basalt fibers such as gloss, soft, smooth and other specific properties and appearance. Nanomaterials have also been widely used in film-forming agent research. It has been shown that the addition of nanoparticles can improve the physicochemical properties of film-forming agents, such as enhancing abrasion resistance, weatherability and optical properties.

4.pH Modifiers

The pH regulator can adjust the acidity and alkalinity of the infiltrant to make it more suitable for interaction with basalt fibers. By adjusting the pH of the infiltrant, the charge characteristics of the fiber surface can be changed to promote the interaction force between the infiltrant and the fiber, thus improving the infiltration performance of the fiber. It has been suggested that nanomaterial-based pH modulators can provide higher modulation precision and efficiency. In addition, there are studies on PH regulators for different fiber types and processing conditions, with a view to obtaining better fiber wetting effects and processing performance.

5.Other components

Impregnants also contain biocides, emulsifiers, defoamers, etc., which are mainly used to kill microorganisms, regulate the compatibility and stability of components, and prevent the generation and accumulation of surface foam.