Desenvolvimento de um compósito de espuma rígida de poliuretana de mamona e fibras de sisal para isolação térmica

The search for sustainable technologies that can contribute to reduce energy consumption is a great challenge in the field of insulation materials. In this context, composites manufactured from vegetal sources are an alternative technology. The principal objectives of this work are the development and characterization of a composite composed by the rigid polyurethane foam derived from castor oil (commercially available as RESPAN D40) and sisal fibers. The manufacture of the composite was done with expansion controlled inside a closed mold. The sisal fibers where used in the form of needlepunched nonwoven with a mean density of 1150 g/m2 and 1350 g/m2. The composite characterization was performed through the following tests: thermal conductivity, thermal behavior, thermo gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), mechanical strength in compression and flexural, apparent density, water absorption in percentile, and the samples morphology was analyzed in a MEV. The density and humidity percentage of the sisal fiber were also determined. The thermal conductivity of the composites was higher than the pure polyurethane foam, the addition of nonwoven sisal fibers will become in a higher level of compact foam, reducing empty spaces (cells) of polyurethane, inducing an increase in k value. The apparent density of the composites was higher than pure polyurethane foam. In the results of water absorption tests, was seen a higher absorption percent of the composites, what is related to the presence of sisal fibers which are hygroscopic. From TG/DTG results, with the addition of sisal fibers reduced the strength to thermal degradation of the composites, a higher loss of mass was observed in the temperature band between 200 and 340 °C, related to urethane bonds decomposition and cellulose degradation and its derivatives. About mechanical behavior in compression and flexural, composites presented a better mechanical behavior than the rigid polyurethane foam. An increase in the amount of sisal fibers induces a higher rigidity of the composites. At the thermal behavior tests, the composites were more mechanically and thermally resistant than some materials commonly used for thermal insulation, they present the same or better results. The density of nonwoven sisal fiber had influence over the insulation grade; this means that, an increaser in sisal fiber density helped to retain the heat

Obtenção e caracterização físico-química de blendas poliméricas, baseadas em POE e PMMA, dopadas com dióxido de titânio

The study of polymer blends has been an alternative method in the search field of new materials for obtaining materials with improved properties. In this work blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) doped with titanium dioxide (TiO2) were studied. The PEO is a polymer semicrystalline structure varying between, 70 and 84% crystallinity, while the PMMA exhibits behavior amorphous in their structure. The use of TiO2 is related to corrosion-resistant of titanium as well as good heat transfer and other characteristics. The study of these polymer blends doped TiO2 gives the properties junction organic (polymer) and inorganic (oxide) which leads to modification of the properties of the resultant material. The blends were doped TiO2 (POE/PMMA/TiO2) in different proportions of the PMMA with the PEO and TiO2 fixed. The ratios were: 90/10/0,1; 85/15/0, 1; 80/20/0,1, 75/25/0,1 and 70/30/0,1. The resulting material was obtained in powder form and being characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The infrared spectra (IR) for the blends in different ratios showed a band at 1744 cm-1, characteristic of the C=O stretching, which increases in intensity with increasing PMMA composition, while in the spectrum of pure PEO this band is absent. This may suggest that the interaction is occurring between the polymers. In the micrographs of the blends also observed change in their surfaces with variation of the composition of PMMA, contributing to the change of the electrical properties of the material. The EIS data showed that the material exhibited conductivity of the order of 10-6 S.cm-1. The blend in the ratio B2(85/15/0, 1) showed better conductivity, σ = 1.56 x 10-6 S.cm-1. It was observed that the diffusion coefficient for the blends, B5(70/30/0, 1) was the largest, 1.07 x 10-6 m2.s-1. The XRD data showing that, with the variation in the composition of the PMMA blend crystallinity of the material is decreased reaching a minimum B3(80/20/0,1), and then increases again. Thermal analysis suggests that blends made from the material obtained can be applied at room temperature