[freebeard]

The stiffness per pound is almost the same for steel, titanium, aluminum, and wood, and toughness is often more important than strength.

I'm curious how basalt fiber composite would fair in a stiff/tough comparison. And how finicky lay-up is compared to glass or carbon fiber. If you coat the fabric before embedding it in the matrix it retains it's color. Else it turn a purple-black color.

I see you can get basalt coated with aluminum

https://basaltfiberworld.blogspot.com/

At its stand 4/E27 Incotelogy Ltd shows a new generation of the coated basalt fiber fabrics. The selection of possible coating materials is rather large from aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr) or copper (Cu) to silver (Ag).

The basalt fiber fabric is ideal for all applications where it comes to the temperature resistance, insulation, fire protection and fire-resistance: fire curtains, insulation textiles, textile heat shields, incombustible architecture textiles. Basalt fibers withstand temperatures up to 750 °C.
Such specific coating of plain or twill basalt fabrics can create for each potential application the benefit profile which allows to fully exploit the special properties of the basalt fiber fabric.

The coated with aluminum 3D Basalt fabric, which was developed specifically for design applications, can be used for example for special decorative surfaces for reception desks, kitchens or displays etc.. The objects that are enhanced with these fabrics, get a unique, three-dimensional structure.

Basalt fiber is a natural product. There aren’t any chemical changes during the manufacturing of basalt fibers. Also in the LCA assessment (LCA), basalt fibers show much better results than glass or carbon fiber.