Technology of polymer and composite materials

The influence of climatic factors on properties of basalt and fiberglass made by the infusion method has been studied by sequential laying some reinforcing material on the mold, impregnating with a three-component epoxy binder, consisting of ED-22, Iso-MTHFA, Agidol 53, and curing at a temperature of 160±2 °С, within 4 hours. Full-scale climatic tests of basalt fiber and fiberglass in a very cold climate zone demonstrated their resistance to climatic influences, which is confirmed by a high level of preservation of their strength parameters. Exposure of basalt fiber to natural conditions led to a decrease in tensile strength by 14% and an increase in flexural strength by 18%. The values of fiberglass increased by 9% (ultimate tensile strength) and 22% (ultimate tensile strength). Porosity measurements showed that after exposure, basalt-textolite samples increased open porosity by 62%, while glass-textolite samples decreased by 39%. After climatic tests, an increase in the average range of the inhomogeneities (Ra) of the surface of the basalt-textolite up to 0.48 μm (initial — 0.70 μm, after exposure — 1.18 μm). In fiberglass, the average roughness increases by 4 times after exposure (initial — 1.03 μm, after exposure — 4.08 μm).