At the 16th Annual Conference and New Materials Science and Technology City Industry-University-Research Summit held in Qingdao recently, Liu Jiaqi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced the development trend and prospects of new materials. In his report, a new composite material made from basalt attracted widespread attention from the participants.

Jiaqi Liu introduced that common basalt looks very hard, but after special treatment, it can be drawn like cotton to create fibers. Basalt fiber has many advantages: first, its thermal conductivity is low, the softening point is 960℃, and it can be applied in the range of -269℃ to 700℃, which can be used to manufacture flame retardant products such as fire blankets and fire curtains and high temperature filtration products. Second, basalt fiber has high tensile strength, can maintain high stability in alkaline media such as cement, can be used as a reinforcing material for concrete building structures, and has broad application prospects in bridge construction, earthquake relief, sports materials, etc. Third, basalt fiber has good insulation performance and can make a variety of electrical accessories. Fourth, this material has a high sound absorption coefficient and strong anti-electromagnetic radiation function, which can reduce or shield the harm caused by electromagnetic radiation, and ensure the signal transmission of communication equipment such as airports, docks, navigation beacons, TV towers, etc., and is an ideal stealth material. In addition, basalt fiber also has the advantages of no pollution in the production process, low energy consumption, and easy disposal of waste. "Russia, Japan and other countries have applied basalt fiber in the field of automobile manufacturing, which can be used to make more resilient car shells, but also to make car mufflers, and can also be widely used in tires and other accessories."