NordMin workshop

Sustainable Fibres from Basalt Mining

GREENBAS

20. October 2016

Helsinki, Finland

Prof. Thorsteinn I. Sigfusson – Director General

Dr. Birgir Johannesson – Senior Scientist

Innovation Center Iceland

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 The GREENBAS Team
Iceland
Thorsteinn Ingi Sigfusson – ICI Norway
Birgir Johannesson – ICI Kamal Azrague – SINTEF
Hjalti Franzson – ISOR Marianne Kjendseth Wiik – SINTEF
Ögmundur Erlendsson - ISOR
Eythor Rafn Thorhallsson – RU
Finland
Árni B. Árnason – JEI Sirje Vares – VTT
Tapio Vehmas – VTT

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6 of 10 GREENBAS members in the field in Iceland

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 Greenbas
Sustainable Fibres from Basalt Mining
Aim:
 Assess applicability of Icelandic basalt for production of
Basalt fibres for industrial application
 Measure chemical composition and map potential location of mines
 Evaluate compatibility of Basalt fibres with concrete
 Make a Life Cycle Assessment of Basalt fibres
 Investigate addition of oxides to modify natural Basalt
 Set up a business plan for Basalt fibre plant in Iceland

Basalt and natural

Basalt fibres from
Holuhraun 2015

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154 samples collected
from the 103.000 km2 island area

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Selection process for
Continuous Basalt Fibres

1. Measure composition
2. Analysis for Acidity and Viscosity Moduli
3. Application of criteria for Ma and Mv
4. Measure viscosity, resistivity, crystallisation etc.
5. Final selection (mine, roads, sensitivity of
location...)

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 The Window
Compositional window:

Oxides Range
SiO2 45-60%
Al2O3 12-19%
FeO/Fe2O3 5-15%
CaO 6-12%
MgO 3-7%
TiO2 0,1-2%

Moduli
Ma (Acidity) 3-6
Mv (Viscosity) 2-3

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154 samples have been collected and analysed
Three samples have been selected for further analysis

BTR 13 – Borgarfjörður
Næfurholt – Hekla eruption 1845
Skjólkvíar – Hekla eruption 1970

These samples are being measured for suitability for

Basalt fibre production

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Reykjavik University
Basalt fiber products have been tested for structural use :
• Renovation of concrete columns by wrapping with basalt fiber
sheets
• Concrete beams reinforced with BFRP
• BFRP relaxation – ongoing long term test
• Glulam beams strengthened with basalt fiber
• Concrete facade panels and precast elements with basalt
reinforcement
• Fire resistance of basalt fiber concrete
 SINTEF - Norway
Life Cycle Assessment

• Goal:
o Evaluate the environmental impacts for the production of CBF for the Icelandic context.
o To perform an analytical comparison of the gas based heating method to the electric
method using renewable electricity from the grid in Iceland.
o Comparison with Russian production with Basalt from Ukraine
o Comparison with other fiber material (glass and carbon fibres)
• Scope: The boundaries of the system are selected to include extraction of basalt raw
material, transport of raw materials, and the manufacture of CBF.
• Functional unit: 1 kg of produced CBF
• Life Cycle Inventory: Two types of data have been used, REAL DATA and data from
databases included in SIMAPRO with modifications to fit the Icelandic and Russian context.
Impact assessment: Use of the software Simapro 8, method: ReCiPe Midpoint Hierarchist

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 • Russian Scenario: Ukraine Basalt, Electricity + Gas
SINTEF • Iceland Scenario 1: Iceland Basalt, Electricity + Gas
• Iceland Scenario 2: Iceland Basalt, only Electricity

Comparative LCA

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 SINTEF
LCA Conclusions

• Icelandic production results in lower emissions than Russian gas

and electric production.
• In both cases furnace energy consumption is identified as the
largest contributor to emissions. Even with a basalt from Ukraine
and a production in Iceland with its renewable energy would result
in a greener CBF than the Russian one.
• Compared to other alternative fibers, CBF is much greener and
especially if it is produced with a renewable energy.
• CBF produced in Iceland with hydroelectric power has probably the
lowest carbon footprint in the world

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VTT - Finland

Main task of VTT was to investigate options of using

other sources of oxides to modify composition of
Icelandic Basalt
Icelandic basalt for CBF Production
• Composition limits are defined by production and property requirements
• Literature study suggest that ground Basalt could be modified with additives to
adjust oxide compositions into the desirable range
• No Icelandic basalt sample has shown ideal composition and thus
modification would be needed
• The policy in this study was to adjust the CaO + MgO content, Al2O3 content
and SiO2 content to match the Ukrainian target
• Adjustment was made on the basis
of minimum amount required to
achieve ideal composition
 Modification for CBF production

• The addition materials was either a mix of SiO2 and Al2O3 or a mix of
Al2O3 and CaO
• These materials are available as common industrial minerals but their
production have relatively high impact compared to the mined basalt
• Metakaolin, quartz, aluminate cement and quicklime could be used
• Icelandic basalts have either high CaO + MgO content or small CaO + MgO
content. There is a gap between values 7.6 – 12 but Ukrainian basalts,
suitable for CBF, are located within that range
 Business model

A rudimentary business model has been set up for a plant

Producing Continuous Basalt Fibres in Iceland

Input paramenters need to be refined and improved

First results:
For a plant producing 50 tons per year, the price has to be
€11 per kg for breakeven

Market price of Continuous Basalt Fibres ranges

from 2 to 15 €/kg

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 GREENBAS – Main conclusions

 154 Basalt samples have been collected and analysed

 To make Icelandic Basalt suitable for production of continuous fibres it is
necessary to add some basic oxides – This is easily achievable
 Methods have been developed for addition of oxides to Icelandic Basalt
 Life Cycle Assessment shows that carbon footprint of Basalt fibres
produced in Iceland is considerably smaller than elswhere
 A rudimentary business model has been developed for a Basalt Fibre
Plant in Iceland

The GREENBAS team thanks NordMin

for providing funding and making this project possible

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 Life after GREENBAS !

Application has been sent to Nordforsk / Nordic Innovation

for the so-called NORBAS project
Nordic Sustainable Basalt Fibre Reinforced Composites

NORBAS aims to optimise the mechanical, environmental

and economical performance of the entire valued chain of
Basalt Fibre reinforced polymers and thus pave the way
for industrial production

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Thank you
Holuhraun 2015

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INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ISSUES IN BASALT FIBER
იანვარი, 2018 TECHNOLOGY

SEPTEMBER, 2018

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 Production of Basalt Textile Fiber is based on
International Patent # PCT/GE02/00005 GE 04 993

Basalt stone melting Primary thread is

Basalt stone mining
on 1400 degrees assembled into roving

Rebar Rebar mesh Chopped fibers Geogrid Laminates Non-woven

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Basalt-fibers.com
 Basalt Fibers LLC industrial group, together with leading
German research centers, developed basalt reinforcement
products technologies

IAB Weimar:
Weimar Institute of Applied Construction Research

IBU Trier:
Institut für Bauverfahrens und Umwelttechnik

TU Chemnitz
Institute of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology

TU Dresden
Institute of Construction Materials

Carbon Concrete Composite- C³

 Research project with 140 Partners
 .Basalt fiber based projects with:
HTWK Leipzig
TU Berlin
TU Dresden- ITM, IFB
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Basalt-fibers.com
 Technological advantage

 Basalt fibers production is ecologically clean

• Production of the fiber is the result of the basalt rock physical melting

 Non-residual
• Technological outcome coefficient of the textile roving from the basalt rock is 𝜂 = 0.9

 Minimum 𝐶𝑂2 emission among high temperature technologies

• Production of 1kg basalt textile fiber, emits only 0,6kg 𝐶𝑂2

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Basalt-fibers.com
 Fiber production
assembled Roving

melting temp: 1400°C

stone fraction: approx. 40mm

forming fiber

melting process

processing basalt stone

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Basalt-fibers.com
 Furnace department

 The technological process is held on

1400 ◦C

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Basalt-fibers.com
 Assembling and knitting department

 The technological process

is held in industrial
climatic conditions

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Basalt-fibers.com
 Nonwoven department

 The technological process is exceptional with the

increased level of dust
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Basalt-fibers.com
 Rebar department

 The use of organic binders in the technological

process requires intensive local suction systems
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Basalt-fibers.com
 Thank You
For
Attention

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Basalt-fibers.com