Static indentation properties of basalt fiber reinforced composites for naval applications

Abstract. In recent years, the attention toward the use of basalt fiber reinforced composite in shipbuilding is significantly grown. Basalt is a green and environmentally friendly high-tech fiber made without environmental pollution. Among the natural fibers that can be used as reinforcement, it represents one of the most interesting due to its excellent mechanical properties. The goal of this research is to mechanically characterize some laminates used by Intermarine to make several structural or non-structural parts (i.e., hulls, deck), where the glass fibers are substituted with basalt ones at varying the manufacturing process (i.e., hand-lay-up and vacuum infusion). Specifically, static indentation tests were performed with different pin diameters (i.e., 17 mm, and 20 mm) and speeds (i.e., 1.25 mm/min, and 2.50 mm/min) to study the difference between glass and basalt in terms of resistance and failure modes.