First, let’s talk about an interesting thing in 2024.
The working temperature range of basalt fiber is -260℃ to 880℃, while the day and night temperatures on the far side of the moon range from -190℃ to 127℃.
The basalt flag used by China for the moon landing was successfully unfolded on the back of the moon on June 4, 2024. This is the first time that China has independently and dynamically displayed the national flag on the back of the moon. This flag was completed by the team of Academician Xu Weilin, director of the National Laboratory of New Materials and Advanced Processing Technology jointly built by the province and the ministry of Wuhan Textile University, which took 4 years. The flag is made of a composite material mainly composed of basalt, with basalt accounting for 62% and a size of 200mm×300mm. The raw materials of the flag are collected from Weixian County, Hebei Province in the hinterland of Taihang Mountains. Basalt fiber has excellent heat insulation and radiation resistance, and can withstand the harsh environment of the lunar surface. Researchers have developed a thin, soft, strong and tough flag material through melt drawing technology to ensure that it can remain bright and intact under extreme conditions.
Well, the above real cases show that basalt products are unique in terms of temperature resistance and environmental protection. Now let’s analyze the past and future development of basalt fiber.
Analysis of basalt fiber products industry at China and abroad can be discussed in detail from multiple aspects such as market scale, application fields, production technology, market trends, etc.
Market scale
Global market scale:
In 2021, the global basalt fiber market size reached 205 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%. It is expected that by 2030, the global basalt fiber market size will increase to 46.27 billion US dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.3%.
In 2024, the global basalt fiber market size was 302 million US dollars, and the compound annual growth rate was expected to be 8.60% during 2024-2029.
Market Application and Demand
Basalt fiber has a wide range of applications in foreign markets, including but not limited to construction, automobile manufacturing, aerospace, aviation, military, fire protection, environmental protection, marine engineering, etc. Especially in areas that require high-strength, high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant materials, basalt fiber is favored for its excellent properties (such as tensile strength, fire resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance).
Market Growth: With the development of technology and the increasing demand for environmentally friendly materials, the market demand for basalt fiber is growing abroad. Especially in Europe and North America, basalt fiber is regarded as an economical alternative to carbon fiber and is used in more civil and industrial products.
Technology and Production
Foreign countries also have certain advancement in basalt fiber production technology. Russia, the United States and some European countries have leading technologies in the production and application of basalt fiber, especially in production efficiency, product quality stability and product diversity.
Competitive Landscape: Competition in the global basalt fiber market is mainly focused on technological innovation and cost control. Russia occupies an important position in the global market due to its rich basalt resources, but other countries are also actively developing their production capabilities and technologies to occupy a place in the market.
Chinese market scale:
In 2021, the market size of China’s basalt fiber industry reached 243 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 32.8%. It is estimated that by 2024, the market size of China’s basalt fiber industry will reach 502 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16%.
Industrial policy and support:
The Chinese government has given strong support to the basalt fiber industry, including it in the national “863” plan, and passed a series of policies, such as the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan for New Materials Industry” and “New Materials Industry” “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan” to encourage and guide the development of this industry. Sichuan Province has also formulated the “Basalt Fiber Industry Development Plan (2016-2020)” to promote industrial development at the local level.
Breakthrough in production technology:
Since 2020, Deyang and Guang’an have built 1,200 and 2,400-hole basalt fiber leaky plate drawing tank kiln production lines respectively, marking China’s important breakthrough in basalt fiber production technology. These production lines not only increase production capacity, but also significantly improve product variety and quality.
Industrial chain layout:
Sichuan Province has adopted a “one body and three wings” layout in the basalt fiber industry, covering the entire industrial chain from ore mining to applied products, forming an industrial cluster that has begun to take shape.
Application fields
Basalt fiber is widely used in many fields due to its excellent mechanical properties, high temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance, insulation, and heat and sound insulation.
–Military: used to manufacture materials for the surfaces of aircraft, missiles, etc., with the characteristics of wave absorption and magnetic permeability, and achieve radar invisibility.
–Aerospace: used to manufacture the five-star red flag displayed on the back of Chang’e 6.
–Automobile industry: used to manufacture automotive parts, such as friction materials, thermal insulation materials, etc.
–Building and infrastructure: used to strengthen concrete, improve its high temperature stability, low temperature crack resistance and fatigue resistance, etc.
–High temperature filtration: used for high temperature filtration fabrics to purify industrial emissions
–Photovoltaic field: used for photovoltaic frames and brackets, replacing traditional metal materials
Production technology
The production process of basalt fiber mainly includes:
Raw material processing: basalt stone is crushed and added to the melting furnace. Melting: Melting at a high temperature of 1450-1500℃.
Wire drawing:
High-speed drawing into continuous fibers through a platinum-rhodium alloy wire drawing plate
Market trends
Environmental protection trends: Basalt fiber has little environmental pollution and can be directly degraded naturally in the environment after the product is discarded, which is in line with the green environmental protection and “carbon neutrality” strategic goals, and the market demand is increasing
Demand for lightweight materials:
The demand for lightweight materials in many industries drives the growth of the basalt fiber market. Basalt fiber has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and has become a substitute for traditional materials such as steel and glass fiber
Composite material applications:
Basalt fiber is mixed with matrix materials such as resin or concrete to form a reinforced composite structure with excellent properties such as good strength-to-weight ratio, enhanced durability, and corrosion and heat resistance
Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges:
Market awareness: Although basalt fiber has many advantages, its market awareness and acceptance still need to be improved in some regions.
Technical threshold: The production technology of high-performance fibers requires high technology and large equipment investment, which is a challenge for new entrants.
Opportunities:
Technological progress:
Continuous technological progress provides possibilities for the development of new applications and new markets.
Alternative materials:
As an alternative to carbon fiber and glass fiber, basalt fiber has cost and performance advantages in specific applications and has broad market prospects.