Basalt fibre reinfored HDPE for wave energy converters

该项目涉及可再生能源主题，目的是确定玄武岩纤维增强高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)作为海洋波能转换器(WEC)初级结构材料的技术可行性。HDPE是一种低成本的结构材料，可以抵抗紫外线、腐蚀和生物污垢，延长波能转换器的使用寿命并减少维护要求。虽然纤维增强HDPE已经被研究过，但玄武岩纤维的使用是创新的，提供了比纤维复合材料制造中常用的标准E-玻璃更好的性能。玄武岩纤维在化学上也是惰性的，当与回收的HDPE结合在一起时，可能为WEC提供一种高性能、低成本、绿色的结构材料。该项目将开发一种合适的材料组合物，提供比未增强的HDPE更好的机械性能，同时保留该材料在海洋环境中使用的现有优势。

This project addresses the renewable energy theme, with the objective of establishing the technical feasibilityof basalt fibre reinforced High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a material for the primary structure of an oceanwave energy converter (WEC). HDPE offers a low cost structural material that is resistant to UV, corrosion andbiofouling increasing the lifetime and reducing the maintenance requirements for a wave energy converter.While fibre reinforced HDPE has been previously investigated, the use of basalt fibres is innovative and offerssuperior properties compared to a standard E-glass which is commonly used in fibre composite manufacture.Basalt fibre is also chemically inert and when combined with recycled HDPE potentially offers a highperformance, low cost, green structural material for WEC's. The project will develop a suitable composition forthe material that provides improved mechanical properties over unreinforced HDPE while retaining exitingadvantages of the material when used in the ocean environment.