Oxide-Containing Mineral Fibers: Types, Manufacturing Methods, Applications, and Producers (Review).

Mineral oxide fibers of various chemical compositions are reviewed: aluminosilicate, alumina, silica, biosoluble, fibers made from zirconium oxide, and others. Methods for manufacturing discrete and continuous fibers are given, such as spinning fibers from melts, sol-gel technology, spinning from solutions of metal salts, and others. The physicochemical characteristics of mineral fibers are described and their applications are indicated, such as thermal insulation up to 1150 or 1000°C and high temperature filtration for aluminosilicate and biosoluble fibers; thermal insulation up to 1600 or 2000°C, and reinforcement of composites used in the aerospace and defense industries for alumina fibers and fibers based on zirconium dioxide, and so on. Manufacturers of mineral oxide-containing fibers and products based on them in and outside of Russia are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]