Effect of elevated temperatures on the mechanical behavior of basalt textile reinforced refractory concrete

•The thermo-mechanical behavior of basalt TRC is investigated.•The fiber polymer coating can become a deterministic factor in the TRC response.•Pre-heating the TRC at 150 °C leads to a matrix–polymer interlocking mechanism.•Above 400 °C a sudden drop in the TRC tensile response is observed.

The work in hand presents the results of an experimental investigation on the thermo-mechanical properties of a textile refractory composite reinforced with polymer coated basalt fibers under tensile loading. The composites were produced as a laminate material using basalt bi-directional fabric layers as reinforcement. A high alumina cement matrix was used in the matrix composition which was designed using the compressible packing method. A series of uniaxial tensile tests was performed under temperatures ranging from 25 to 1000 °C. The cracking mechanisms were discussed and compared to that obtained at room temperature. Thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to study the deterioration/phase changes as a function of the studied temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the damage processes in the fiber–matrix interfaces after exposure to high temperatures. The obtained results indicated that the presence and the type of coating can become a deterministic factor in the tensile response of the composite submitted to elevated temperatures. A sudden drop in the serviceability limit state of the composite was observed above 400 °C, caused by the degradation of the polymer used as a fiber surface coating, the degradation of the basalt fiber and by the dehydration process of the refractory matrix.