Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Structure of Irradiated Basalt Composites Using IR Spectrometry

Abstract The work is concerned with the study of a relatively new prospective composite material based on basalt fibers. In this work, an attempt has been made to investigate in more depth the structural changes that occur during irradiation of basalt composite samples by gamma ray streams and which affect the mechanical properties. The changes that have occurred during radiation modification have been evaluated by mechanical tests and infra-red spectrum investigations. The impact of the material structure on the elastic properties of the irradiated basalt composite is reasonably assumed. It is discovered that the modification of the material by gamma irradiation leads to an increase in the elastic properties of the basalt composite. At the same time the value of fracture strain decreases. Analysis of the IR spectrum in the high-frequency region showed that the radiation exposure results in continuing polymerization reactions and intermolecular cross-linking. However, when the radiation dose reaches 15 Mrad, there is a reduction in the number of bonds in the low-frequency region of the spectrum, which, according to the authors, corresponds to a breakdown of the aluminum-silicon-oxygen and organo-silicate frameworks.