Novel basalt-stainless steel composite materials with improved fracture toughness

This paper presents the technological process for obtaining basalt-stainless steel composite materials and testing their physical and mechanical properties. The phases of the technological process consist of: milling, homogenization, pressing, and sintering to obtain composite materials with improved fracture toughness. Andesite basalt from the deposit site "Donje Jarinje", Serbia, was used as a matrix in the composites, while commercial austenitic stainless steel 316L in the amount of 0-30 wt.% was used as a reinforcement. Although the increase of 316L amount caused a continuous decrease in the relative density of sintered samples, the relative density of sample containing 30 wt.% of 316L was above 94%. The 316L grains, which possess a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than the basalt matrix, shrinking faster during cooling from sintering temperature resulting in the formation of compressive residual stress in the basalt matrix surrounding the spherical steel grains. The presence of this stress activated toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection and toughening due to compressive residual stress. The addition of 20 wt.% of reinforcing 316L particles increased the fracture toughness of basalt by more than 30%. The relative density of these samples was measured to be 97%, whereas macrohardness was found to be 6.2 GPa.