Obtenção e caracterização de um compósito de matriz polimérica com carga de bucha vegetal luffa cylindrica

Composite materials arise from the need for lighter materials and with bigger mechanical and thermal resistance. The difficulties of discard, recycling or reuse are currently environmental concerns and, therefore, they are study object of much researches. In this perspective the feasibility of using loofahs (Luffa Cylindrica) for obtainment of a polymeric matrix composite was studied. Six formulations, with 4, 5 and 6 treated layers and untreated, were tested. The loofahs were treated in boiling water to remove lignins, waxes and impurities present in the fibers. After that, they were dried in a direct exposure solar dryer. For the characterization of the composite, thermal (thermal conductivity, thermal capacity, thermal diffusivity and thermal resistivity), mechanical (tensile and bending resistance) and physicochemical (SEM, XRD, density, absorption and degradation) properties were determined. The proposed composite has as advantage the low fiber density, which is around 0.66 g/cm³ (almost half of the polyester resin matrix), resulting in an average composite density of around 1.17g/cm³, 6.0 % lower in relation to the matrix. The treatment carried out in the loofahs increased the mechanical strength of the composite and decreased the humidity absorption. The composite showed lower mechanical behavior than the matrix for all the formulations. The composite also demonstrated itself to be feasible for thermal applications, with a value of thermal conductivity of less than 0.159 W/m.K, ranking it as a good thermal insulator. For all formulations/settings a low adherence between fibers and matrix occurred, with the presence of cracks, showing the fragility due to low impregnation of the fiber by the matrix. This composite can be used to manufacture structures that do not require significant mechanical strength, such as solar prototypes, as ovens and stoves.

Obtenção e caracterização de um compósito de matriz polimérica com carga de bucha vegetal luffa cylindrica

Composite materials arise from the need for lighter materials and with bigger mechanical and thermal resistance. The difficulties of discard, recycling or reuse are currently environmental concerns and, therefore, they are study object of much researches. In this perspective the feasibility of using loofahs (Luffa Cylindrica) for obtainment of a polymeric matrix composite was studied. Six formulations, with 4, 5 and 6 treated layers and untreated, were tested. The loofahs were treated in boiling water to remove lignins, waxes and impurities present in the fibers. After that, they were dried in a direct exposure solar dryer. For the characterization of the composite, thermal (thermal conductivity, thermal capacity, thermal diffusivity and thermal resistivity), mechanical (tensile and bending resistance) and physicochemical (SEM, XRD, density, absorption and degradation) properties were determined. The proposed composite has as advantage the low fiber density, which is around 0.66 g/cm³ (almost half of the polyester resin matrix), resulting in an average composite density of around 1.17g/cm³, 6.0 % lower in relation to the matrix. The treatment carried out in the loofahs increased the mechanical strength of the composite and decreased the humidity absorption. The composite showed lower mechanical behavior than the matrix for all the formulations. The composite also demonstrated itself to be feasible for thermal applications, with a value of thermal conductivity of less than 0.159 W/m.K, ranking it as a good thermal insulator. For all formulations/settings a low adherence between fibers and matrix occurred, with the presence of cracks, showing the fragility due to low impregnation of the fiber by the matrix. This composite can be used to manufacture structures that do not require significant mechanical strength, such as solar prototypes, as ovens and stoves.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites based on PANI and carbon nanostructures prepared by electropolymerization

Nanocomposites based on polyaniline (PANI) and carbon nanostructures (CNSs) (graphene (G) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)) were prepared by in situ electrochemical polymerization. CNSs were inserted into the PANI matrix by dispersing them into the electrolyte before the electropolymerization. Electrochemical characterization by means of cyclic voltammetry and steady state polarization were performed in order to determine conditions for electro- polymerization. Electro-polymerization of the PANI based nanocomposites was carried out at 0.75 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) for 40 and 60 minutes. The morphology and structural characteristics of the obtained nanocomposites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy, while thermal stability was determined using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). According to the morphological and structural study, fibrous and porous structure of PANI based nanocomposites was detected well embedding both G and MWCNTs. Also, strong interaction between quinoidal structure of PANI with carbon nanostructures via π–π stacking was detected by Raman spectroscopy. TGA showed the increased thermal stability of composites reinforced with CNSs, especially those reinforced with graphene.

Einsatz faser- bzw. textilverstärkter Verbundwerkstoffe

Die hohen Leistungsansprüche an moderne Lagersysteme führen zu immer kürzeren Taktzeiten beim Warenumschlag, die auch von Regalbediengeräten (RBG) realisiert werden müssen. Um trotz der kurzen Umschlagzeiten eine schnelle und sichere Gutübergabe zu gewährleisten, muss innerhalb der Ausschwingzeit die Amplitude der Schwingungen des Lastaufnahmemittels vor dem Ein- beziehungsweise Auslagerungsvorgang weitgehend abgeklungen sein. Diese Wartezeiten beeinflussen die Taktzeit und damit die Umschlagleistung des RBG negativ. Ein möglicher Ansatz, die Ausschwingzeiten zu verkürzen, ist der Einsatz hochdämpfender Materialien, wie etwa Verbundwerkstoffe. Durch die erreichte Reduzierung der Schwingungsamplituden bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung des Leichtbaugrades ist eine deutliche Effizienzsteigerung von RBG zu erwarten.

Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of Conductive Elastomeric Composites Based on Polypyrrole and Short Nylon-6 Fiber

The search for new materials especially those possessing special properties continues at a great pace because of ever growing demands of the modern life. The focus on the use of intrinsically conductive polymers in organic electronic devices has led to the development of a totally new class of smart materials. Polypyrrole (PPy) is one of the most stable known conducting polymers and also one of the easiest to synthesize. In addition, its high conductivity, good redox reversibility and excellent microwave absorbing characteristics have led to the existence of wide and diversified applications for PPy. However, as any conjugated conducting polymer, PPy lacks processability, flexibility and strength which are essential for industrial requirements. Among various approaches to making tractable materials based on PPy, incorporating PPy within an electrically insulating polymer appears to be a promising method, and this has triggered the development of blends or composites. Conductive elastomeric composites of polypyrrole are important in that they are composite materials suitable for devices where flexibility is an important parameter. Moreover these composites can be moulded into complex shapes.

Design and implementation of a non-destructive defect detection technique based on UWB-SAR imaging

In the last twenty years aerospace and automotive industries started working widely with composite materials, which are not easy to test using classic Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) techniques. Pairwise, the development of safety regulations sets higher and higher standards for the qualification and certification of those materials. In this thesis a new concept of a Non-Destructive defect detection technique is proposed, based on Ultrawide-Band (UWB) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging. Similar SAR methods are yet applied either in minefield [22] and head stroke [14] detection. Moreover feasibility studies have already demonstrated the validity of defect detection by means of UWB radars [12, 13]. The system was designed using a cheap commercial off-the-shelf radar device by Novelda and several tests of the developed system have been performed both on metallic specimen (aluminum plate) and on composite coupon (carbon fiber). The obtained results confirm the feasibility of the method and highlight the good performance of the developed system considered the radar resolution. In particular, the system is capable of discerning healthy coupons from damaged ones, and correctly reconstruct the reflectivity image of the tested defects, namely a 8 x 8 mm square bulge and a 5 mm drilled holes on metal specimen and a 5 mm drilled hole on composite coupon.