Basanite Industries has announced United States Patent and Trademark Office protection for BasaFlex basalt fiber composite rebar and its manufacturing method. It landed U.S. Patent No. 12,024,885 B2 nearly three years after filing an application to establish and cover the intellectual property attending the concrete reinforcement product. BasaFlex is manufactured with fibers derived from thermally treated basalt rock extrusions, epoxy resins and curing reagents.
The pultrusion process behind BasaFlex Rebar production entails pulling basalt fibers through a liquid epoxy resin matrix, then forming them into a bar through ambient and thermal steps. Production follows what Basanite characterizes as “a strict set of rules required to efficiently transform raw materials into quality finished products: Standardized Production Run Setup Procedure; Preventive Maintenance Procedures; and, Identification of Root Causes of Defects.”
Patent pursuit followed extensive testing at the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Department of Civil Engineering staff observed BasaFlex performance abiding ASTM D7957 Standard Specification for Solid Round Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bars for Concrete Reinforcement and CSA S807 Specification for fibre-reinforced polymers, plus tensile strength significantly exceeding that of steel. NSERC Research Chair Professor in Innovative FRP Reinforcement for Concrete Infrastructure Dr. Brahim Benmokrane led the performance measurements. — Basanite Industries LLC, Pompano Beach, Fla., 954/982-0804; www.basaniteindustries.com
