Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber and Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Composites Incorporating Fire Retardants Through Response Surface Methodology Optimization

The primary objective of this research is to examine the impact of the mechanical properties of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer composites on the naval sector. The reinforcement material employed in this study consisted of bidirectional basalt fiber and stainless steel wire mesh. The matrix material employed in this study was bismaleimide resin. A total of nine distinct compositions were generated by the addition of varying quantities of sodium bicarbonate and antimony trioxide, both of which serve as fire retardants. The conducted tests included drop load impact, flammability, fatigue, and flexural testing. The findings of the investigation demonstrated that the incorporation of fillers yielded a positive impact on the mechanical characteristics of the composites. Furthermore, the composites that incorporated antimony trioxide as a fire retardant exhibited superior flame retardancy compared to those that utilized sodium bicarbonate. The composition 4 consists of 4% antimony trioxide and 8% sodium bicarbonate and exhibits the highest impact energy with a value of 18.75 J. The addition of 8% antimony trioxide and 8% sodium bicarbonate fillers in composition 7 leads to a significant improvement in flexural strength of 136.06 N/mm². We used a central composite design process to analyze the combined attributes. Quadratic regression was used to suit the composite material optimally. The study utilized an analysis of variance methodology to investigate the impacts of basalt fiber and stainless steel wire mesh. The composite material has remarkable flexibility for maritime applications such as bulkhead and hull construction owing to its strength, durability, and impact resistance.