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The purpose of the work is the determination of flexural properties for thebiocomposite Durapulp. The study includes laborative tests on Durapulp andreference materials, commonly used in the building sector. Stiffness and strength of Durapulp show that it has the potential as a replacement for conventional wood-based materials.

This thesis deals with measurement of hardness and microhardness in relation to structure of homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. In the introduction basic theoretical background is commented, i.e. definitions, terminology, principles of measuring techniques for estimation of hardness, microhardness, tensile strength, compressive strength and bending strength. Follows a brief review of present research results focused on use of described principles in materials engineering. Then the experimental equipment and sample preparation is described. The crucial part of the thesis is summary of achieved results of original measurement and discussion of their relations to each other. Finally, the groundbreaking estimation is described, showing the correlation of chemical composition gradient and mechanical properties in interfacial zone of geopolymeric material.

This work deals with tool steel Vanadis 6. It describes the preparation of samples for the three-point bending test, with which it examines the influence of surface roughness, the effect of nitriding, coating and duplex coatings on fracture behaviour of the steel. First, it examines bending strength and the total energy required to work of fracture. The work also includes mapping and measurement of surface roughness on different layers. This measurement is performed on a confocal microscope.

Scandia doped zirconia has been considered a candidate for electrolyte material in intermediate temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) due to its high ionic conductivity, chemical stability and good electrochemical performance. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanical properties of SCZ, ie. zirconia (ZrO₂) doped with Scandia (Sc₂O₃) and small amount of ceria (CeO₂) that are important for reliability and durability of the components manufactured from SCZ. The SCZ was prepared from powder by uniaxiall cold pressing at subsequent sintering at 1550 ºC for 4 hours. The density and porosity of the sintered samples was measured following the ASTM Standard C20-00 for alcohol immersion method. A pure cubic phase of SCZ sample was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at room temperature. Quantitative compositional analyses for Zr, Sc, Ce, Hf and Ti were carried out on a Cameca SX50 electron microprobe with wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images were acquired using both secondary electron (SE) and back-scattered electron (BSE) detectors. WDS and EDS analysis also revealed that Zr, Sc, Ce, Hf and Ti are relatively homogeneously distributed in the structure. The average grain size of sintered SCZ samples was measured to be 4 μm. Thermal expansion at different temperatures for the SCZ ceramic was determined using Thermal Mechanical Analyzer, and the instantaneous Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) was found to be 8.726х10⁻⁶ 1/°C in the in 25-400 °C temperature range. CTE increases monotonically with temperature above 400 ºC to 1.16х10⁻⁵ at 890 °C, most likely as a result of thermo-chemical expansion due to an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration. Room temperature Vickers hardens of 12.5 GPa was measured at loads of 1000 g, while indentation fracture toughness was found to vary from 2.25 to 4.29 MPa m¹⁄², depending on the methodology that was used to calculate fracture toughness from the length of the median corner cracks. Elastic moduli, namely Young and shear moduli were determined using Resonance Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS). It was found that elastic moduli decreases with temperature in non-linear manner, with significant drop in the 300-600 °C temperature range, the same temperature range in which loss modulus determined by Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer exhibits frequency dependant peaks. The high loss modulus and significant drop in elastic moduli in that temperature regime is attributed to the relaxation of doping cation-oxygen vacancies clusters. The flexural strength in 4-point bending was measured at room temperature, 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C. and the results were analyzed using Weibull statistics. It was found that flexural strength changes with temperature in a sigmoidal way, with the minimum strength at around 600 °C. Non-linear decrease in strength with temperature can be traced back to the changes in elastic moduli that are caused predominately by relaxation of oxygen vacancies.

Strength grading of structural timber is a process by which value is added to sawn products. It is to the greater part carried out using machine grading based on statistical relationships between so called indicating properties and bending strength. The most frequently applied indicating property (IP) on the European market is the stiffness in terms of average modulus of elasticity (MOE) of a timber piece, although MOE is a material property that varies within timber. A major limitation of today’s grading methods is that the described relationships are relatively poor, which means that there is a potential for more accurate techniques. The main purpose of this research has been to initiate development of more accurate and efficient machine grading methods. Strength of timber is dependent on the occurrence of knots. At the same time, knot measures applied as indicating properties until today have shown to be poor predictors of strength. However, results from this research, and from previous research, has shown that not only size and position of knots but also fibre deviations in surrounding clear wood are of great importance for local stiffness and development of fracture under loading. Thus, development of new indicating properties which take account of knots as well as properties of surrounding fibres, determined on a very local scale, was considered as a possible path towards better strength grading. In the research, results from contact-free deformation measurements were utilized for analysis of structural behaviour of timber on both local and global level. Laser scanning was used for detection of local fibre directions projected on surfaces of pieces. Scanned information, combined with measures of density and average axial dynamic MOE, was applied for calculation of the variation of local MOE in the longitudinal board direction. By integration over cross-sections along a piece, a stiffness profile in edgewise bending was determined and a new IP was defined as the lowest bending MOE along the piece. For a sample of Norway spruce planks, a coefficient of determination of 0.68 was achieved between the new IP and bending strength. For narrow side boards to be used as laminations in wet-glued glulam beams, the relationship between IP and tensile strength was as high as 0.77. Since the intended use of the narrow boards was as laminations in wet-glued beams, the possibility of grading them in a wet state was also investigated. Grading based on axial dynamic excitation and weighing gave just as good results in a wet state as when the same grading procedure was applied after drying. It was also found that the relationship between the new IP and strength was dependent on what scale the IP was determined. Optimum was reached for moving average MOE calculated over lengths corresponding with approximately half the width of investigated pieces. Implementation of the new IP will result in grading that is more accurate than what is achieved by the great majority of today’s grading machines. The new method will probably also be particularly favourable for development of engineered wood products made of narrow laminations. / Hållfasthetssortering av konstruktionsvirke innebär att värdet på sågade produkter ökar. Sorteringen genomförs oftast med maskinella metoder baserade på statistiska samband mellan s.k. indikerande egenskaper och böjhållfasthet. Den indikerande egenskap (indicating property, IP) som är vanligast på den Europeiska marknaden är styvhet uttryckt som ett medelvärde för elasticitetsmodulen (modulus of elasticity, MOE) i ett virkesstycke, trots att MOE är en materialegenskap som varierar i virket. En betydande begränsning med dagens sorteringsmetoder är att de beskrivna sambanden är förhållandevis svaga, vilket innebär att det finns en potential för metoder med högre noggrannhet. Det huvudsakliga syftet med detta doktorandprojekt har varit att initiera en utveckling mot sådana metoder. Hållfasthet hos virke är beroende av förekomst av kvistar. Samtidigt har de kvistmått som fram till idag kommit till användning visat sig vara dåliga prediktorer av hållfasthet. Resultat från såväl denna som tidigare forskning har dock visat att inte bara kvistars storlek och läge, utan också variationen i fiberriktning i omgivande träfibrer, är av stor betydelse för lokal styvhet och brottförlopp under inverkan av last. Utveckling av nya IP som tar hänsyn till såväl kvistar som omgivande träfibrers egenskaper fastställda på mycket lokal nivå bedömdes vara en möjlig väg för att uppnå bättre hållfasthetssortering. I detta doktorandprojekt användes beröringsfri deformationsmätning för analys av det strukturella beteendet hos virkesstycken på såväl lokal som global nivå. Laserskanning utnyttjades för detektering av lokala fiberriktningar projicerade på virkesstyckenas ytor. Med utgångspunkt från skannad information, virkesdensitet och medelvärde för axiell dynamisk elasticitetsmodul kunde variationen i lokal elasticitetsmodul i virkesstyckenas längdriktning bestämmas. Genom integration över tvärsektioner längs ett virkesstycke kunde en profil över hur böjstyvheten i styva riktningen varierade i virkesstyckets längdriktning beräknas. En ny IP definierades som den lägsta elasticitetsmodulen i böjning utmed virkesstyckets längd. För ett urval av granplankor erhölls en förklaringsgrad på 0.68 mellan den nya indikerande egenskapen och böjhållfasthet. För smala sidobrädor avsedda att användas som lameller i våtlimmade limträbalkar var motsvarande förklaringsgrad mellan samma IP och draghållfasthet så hög som 0.77. Eftersom sidobrädorna var avsedda att användas som lameller i våtlimmade balkar genomfördes en studie avseende möjligheten att hållfasthetssortera i vått tillstånd med hjälp av axiell dynamisk excitering och vägning. Det visade sig att sådan sortering gav lika bra resultat som då samma metod användes efter torkning. Sambandet mellan den nya indikerande egenskapen och hållfasthet visade sig också vara beroende av på vilken lokal nivå som egenskapen beräknades. Optimum uppnåddes då den bestämdes som ett glidande medelvärde beräknat över en längd motsvarande ungefär halva virkesstyckets höjd. Implementering av den nya sorteringsmetoden kommer att resultera i sortering som är noggrannare än vad som kan erhållas med det stora flertalet av de sorteringsmetoder som finns idag. Den nya indikerande egenskapen kommer sannolikt att bli särskilt gynnsam att använda för utveckling av ingenjörsmässiga träprodukter bestående av smala lameller.

This master thesis summarizes the current knowledge regarding the design and properties of glass fiber reinforced concrete products. It also deals with the design of a new concrete recipe for Dako spol. s.r.o company. There is verified effect of changes in input materials in real conditions the company to increase tensile bending strength above 20 MPa.In particular, verification of the use of building chemistry like superplasticizing additives, polymer-cement matrix or a change type or dose of glass fiber.

This diploma thesis deals with the design principles and manifacture of ultra performance concrete (UHPC), reactive powder composites (RPC) and other fine-grained materials, such as Macro defect free (MDF) or Densified systems with small particles (DSP). Theoretical part of this work is focused on the requirements of properties and composition UHPC and RPC and methodology of their design principles. Experimental part describes design principles RPC, manufacture of test specimens, testing of certain physical and mechanical properties, such as tensile strenght, bending strenght and compressive strenght and determination chemical character X-ray and thermal analysis.

This diploma work takes focus in elastic modulus of unbound granular aggregates, which was determined by repeat load triaxial test and in deformation behaviour of unbound granular aggregates - elastic and plastic deformation. It was examine the propriety of this aggregate for its service as underlying granular material in pavement. Further, there was observed the influence of elastic modulus of unbound granular aggregates on concrete characteristics - compressive and bending strength. Finally, it was observed the influence of individual fractions of aggregates on its elastic modulus and strength of concrete.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden bruch- und schädigungsmechanische Eigenschaften keramischer Filterwerkstoffe, welche im Rahmen des SFB 920 entwickelt und erforscht werden, bestimmt. Es wurden zwei verschiedene Werkstoffsysteme - Aluminiumoxid und kohlenstoffgebundenes Alumniumoxid - mit entwickelten Miniaturprüfmethoden bei Prüftemperaturen bis 1500°C untersucht. Mit Hilfe des Ball-On-Three-Balls-Tests (B3B) wurde die biaxiale Festigkeit in Abhängigkeit der Prüftemperatur bestimmt. Für die kohlenstoffgebundenen Proben wurde weiterhin der Einfluss der Verkokungstemperatur als auch des Kohlenstoffgehalts auf die Festigkeit untersucht. Es konnte ein Festigkeitsmaximum ermittelt werden, wenn die Prüftemperatur der Verkokungstemperatur entspricht. Die schädigungsmechanischen Materialparameter des duktilen Verformungs- und Versagensverhalten beider Werkstoffe bei 1500°C wurden mit Hilfe von numerischen Simulationen des B3B identifiziert. Die Bestimmung der bruchmechanischen Kennwerte erfolgte mit einem Vier-Punkt-Biegeversuchsaufbaus mit Chevron-gekerbten Proben (CNB-Versuch). Numerische Untersuchungen dienten zur Bestätigung der Versuchsergebnisse und Bestimmung der Form der Rissfront sowie Risswachstum während des Versuches. / In the present work, fracture and damage mechanical properties of ceramic filter materials, which are developed and investigated within the framework of the CRC 920, are determined. Two different material systems - alumina and carbon-bonded alumina - are investigated using miniaturized test methods at temperatures up to 1500°C. The biaxial strength at different temperatures is determined using the Ball-On-Three-Balls-Test (B3B). The strength of carbon-bonded specimens is dependent on the coking temperature and the carbon content. A maximum strength can be obtained if the testing temperature equals the coking temperature. The damage-mechanical material parameters in order to describe the ductile deformation and failure behaviour of both materials at 1500°C are identified with the help of numerical simulations. The determination of fracture-mechanical properties are carried out with a four-point bending test setup with chevron-notched specimens (CNB). Numerical investigations are used to validate the test results and to simulate the shape of the crack front and crack growth during the experiment.