Basaltic glass fibres with different lithium oxide (6-14 mol%) and sodium oxide (2-12 mol%) contents were prepared. The influence of Li2O and Na2O content on the process of fibre manufacturing was investigation. Addition of alkali oxides reduced the forming temperature and substantially expanded the fibre-forming temperature ranges. The obtained thermal data from differential thermal analysis revealed a decline in glass transition temperature of fibres against the compositional changes. The inclusion of Li2O in the glass network led to a reduction in its thermal stability. The obtained X-ray diffraction patterns and IR spectra of Li-rich and Na-rich basaltic glass fibres confirmed the formation of highly polymerized structures such as LiAl (Si2O6) and (Na, K) (AlSiO4), respectively, and relatively depolymerized silicate anions. The effects of potassium-lithium and potassium-sodium ion exchange on the mechanical properties of basalitc glass fibres were investigated.
