Versatile, Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Composites

Geopolymers are a class of inorganic polymers that that are made from calcined clays or industrial waste products such as fly ash and slag. Geopolymer composites are fire resistant and stable to high temperatures such as 950C. These composites are half the weight, can be 5 times stronger than high-strength concrete, and can set at ambient temperatures. The BASE project will develop geopolymer composites reinforced with basalt fiber reinforcements in the form of chopped fibers, randomly oriented fiber mats, weaves, dog bone-shaped Minibars or auxetic basalt fibers.The resulting composites will be especially suited to high-performance, lightweight, multi-use purposes including building construction, force protection, and force projection applications. The project will then optimize for two specific applications: 1) road repair as an alternative to asphalt and 2) deployable structures such as helicopter pads. The geopolymer composite for road repairs will be optimized for setting time and maximum mechanical strength. Preliminary work will be done on the unfolding geometry of deployable structures for flat helipads. This will illustrate the principles for other rapidly deployable, transportable structures.The OPTION will perform initial tests of the composites in environments simulating real-world applications.