M. Tech. Polymer Technology / Reduced carbon dioxide emissions, improved fuel economy and better performance are just but a few pressures that have continued to define the automotive industry, globally. Low-cost and light weight materials have continually been used to replace metals as conventional raw materials in the manufacturing of automotives. Polymers have been a material of choice for meeting these demands; mainly due to their versatility, ease of processing and giving the manufacturers an option of parts integration. The industry has experienced remarkable product improvement from metal-to-plastic conversion and hence, further the plastic-to-plastic refinement of vehicle parts, from the interior, to body panels and to engine parts. Glass-filled polyamide 66 (PA66) composites have been extensively used in the production of engine components since post World War II era, which has paved the way for glass-filled polyamide 6 (PA6) composites, which has a lower melting point than PA66, to be used in technical applications for vehicle engine parts. This work attempts to investigate the use of layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay, the so called "anionic" clays for the preparation of PA6/LDH composites. In this study, PA6/LDH composites were prepared and the effect of organic modification of magnesium (Mg)-aluminium (Al) LDH clay was investigated. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of organically modified and "unmodified" commercial Mg-Al LDH on the thermal, mechanical and physical properties of PA6 composites.

Pultrusão é um de vários processos de fabricação de compósitos poliméricos. Seu princípio de funcionamento envolve a utilização de um conjunto de fibras de reforço, impregnadas previamente por uma resina polimérica termorrígida, que percorre o interior de uma matriz aquecida a fim curar a resina e dar o formato a um perfil sólido. Muitas variáveis de processo, tais como a temperatura das zonas de aquecimento sobre a matriz, a velocidade de tracionamento, a impregnação das fibras, a viscosidade da resina, entre outras, afetam a eficiência do processo assim como a qualidade e o desempenho dos compósitos. Neste estudo, foi investigada a influência do teor de fibra de vidro, do teor de carbonato de cálcio e da temperatura do reservatório de resina nas propriedades mecânicas, como a resistência à tração, o módulo de elasticidade, o alongamento até a ruptura e a dureza de barras sólidas circulares que foram fabricadas utilizando uma resina poliéster insaturada e um único peróxido orgânico. Foi constatado que o processo de pultrusão pode ser realizado utilizando um único iniciador de reação. Além disto, os resultados mostraram que a temperatura do reservatório de resina, o teor de carbonato de cálcio e o teor de fibra de vidro influenciaram de forma significativa nas propriedades das barras pultrudadas. Por fim, este estudo mostrou que é possível melhorar as características destes compósitos e, desta forma, desenvolver materiais que apresentem melhor qualidade e desempenho. / Pultrusion is one of several manufacturing processes of polymer composites. Its operating principle involves the use of a set of reinforcing fibers pre-impregnated with a thermoset resin which run through the interior of a heated die in order to cure the resin and to form a solid profile. Many processing variables such as die temperature, pulling speed, fiber impregnation, resin viscosity, among others, affect the process efficiency as well as the quality and performance of the pultruded composites. In this research, the influence of the glass fiber content, calcium carbonate content and the temperature of the resin bath on the mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation at break and superficial hardness of solid rods made with an unsaturated polyester resin and a single organic peroxide were investigated. It was observed that pultrusion process can be carried out using a single reaction initiator. In addition, the results showed that the temperature of the resin bath, the calcium carbonate and the glass fiber content have influenced significantly in the properties of the solid rods. Finally, this study showed that it is possible to improve the characteristics of such composites and, therefore, to develop materials that have good quality and performance.

Pultrusão é um de vários processos de fabricação de compósitos poliméricos. Seu princípio de funcionamento envolve a utilização de um conjunto de fibras de reforço, impregnadas previamente por uma resina polimérica termorrígida, que percorre o interior de uma matriz aquecida a fim curar a resina e dar o formato a um perfil sólido. Muitas variáveis de processo, tais como a temperatura das zonas de aquecimento sobre a matriz, a velocidade de tracionamento, a impregnação das fibras, a viscosidade da resina, entre outras, afetam a eficiência do processo assim como a qualidade e o desempenho dos compósitos. Neste estudo, foi investigada a influência do teor de fibra de vidro, do teor de carbonato de cálcio e da temperatura do reservatório de resina nas propriedades mecânicas, como a resistência à tração, o módulo de elasticidade, o alongamento até a ruptura e a dureza de barras sólidas circulares que foram fabricadas utilizando uma resina poliéster insaturada e um único peróxido orgânico. Foi constatado que o processo de pultrusão pode ser realizado utilizando um único iniciador de reação. Além disto, os resultados mostraram que a temperatura do reservatório de resina, o teor de carbonato de cálcio e o teor de fibra de vidro influenciaram de forma significativa nas propriedades das barras pultrudadas. Por fim, este estudo mostrou que é possível melhorar as características destes compósitos e, desta forma, desenvolver materiais que apresentem melhor qualidade e desempenho. / Pultrusion is one of several manufacturing processes of polymer composites. Its operating principle involves the use of a set of reinforcing fibers pre-impregnated with a thermoset resin which run through the interior of a heated die in order to cure the resin and to form a solid profile. Many processing variables such as die temperature, pulling speed, fiber impregnation, resin viscosity, among others, affect the process efficiency as well as the quality and performance of the pultruded composites. In this research, the influence of the glass fiber content, calcium carbonate content and the temperature of the resin bath on the mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation at break and superficial hardness of solid rods made with an unsaturated polyester resin and a single organic peroxide were investigated. It was observed that pultrusion process can be carried out using a single reaction initiator. In addition, the results showed that the temperature of the resin bath, the calcium carbonate and the glass fiber content have influenced significantly in the properties of the solid rods. Finally, this study showed that it is possible to improve the characteristics of such composites and, therefore, to develop materials that have good quality and performance.

Pultrusão é um de vários processos de fabricação de compósitos poliméricos. Seu princípio de funcionamento envolve a utilização de um conjunto de fibras de reforço, impregnadas previamente por uma resina polimérica termorrígida, que percorre o interior de uma matriz aquecida a fim curar a resina e dar o formato a um perfil sólido. Muitas variáveis de processo, tais como a temperatura das zonas de aquecimento sobre a matriz, a velocidade de tracionamento, a impregnação das fibras, a viscosidade da resina, entre outras, afetam a eficiência do processo assim como a qualidade e o desempenho dos compósitos. Neste estudo, foi investigada a influência do teor de fibra de vidro, do teor de carbonato de cálcio e da temperatura do reservatório de resina nas propriedades mecânicas, como a resistência à tração, o módulo de elasticidade, o alongamento até a ruptura e a dureza de barras sólidas circulares que foram fabricadas utilizando uma resina poliéster insaturada e um único peróxido orgânico. Foi constatado que o processo de pultrusão pode ser realizado utilizando um único iniciador de reação. Além disto, os resultados mostraram que a temperatura do reservatório de resina, o teor de carbonato de cálcio e o teor de fibra de vidro influenciaram de forma significativa nas propriedades das barras pultrudadas. Por fim, este estudo mostrou que é possível melhorar as características destes compósitos e, desta forma, desenvolver materiais que apresentem melhor qualidade e desempenho. / Pultrusion is one of several manufacturing processes of polymer composites. Its operating principle involves the use of a set of reinforcing fibers pre-impregnated with a thermoset resin which run through the interior of a heated die in order to cure the resin and to form a solid profile. Many processing variables such as die temperature, pulling speed, fiber impregnation, resin viscosity, among others, affect the process efficiency as well as the quality and performance of the pultruded composites. In this research, the influence of the glass fiber content, calcium carbonate content and the temperature of the resin bath on the mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation at break and superficial hardness of solid rods made with an unsaturated polyester resin and a single organic peroxide were investigated. It was observed that pultrusion process can be carried out using a single reaction initiator. In addition, the results showed that the temperature of the resin bath, the calcium carbonate and the glass fiber content have influenced significantly in the properties of the solid rods. Finally, this study showed that it is possible to improve the characteristics of such composites and, therefore, to develop materials that have good quality and performance.

This thesis deals with the investigations on the nonlinear electrical and manganetotransport properties of polycrystalline multi-phase ceramic composites of Zno/pervoskite manganite. Multifunctional properties are studied such as the enhanced low-field magnetoresistance(LFMR). magnetically tuneable low-voltage nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with larger nonlinearity coefficients suitable for semiconducting and magnetoelectric devices. A brief introduction on the structure-property correlations, electronic and magnetic structures, nonlinear electrical conduction, phase separation, grain size and grain boundary effects on transport properties of manganites are presented. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristics of ZnO based varistors are also summarized. The thesis describes the synthesis of the ceramics and the methodology of different techniques utilized in characterizing the samples. The phase conversions in calcium manganite with changing Ca/Mn ratios as well as the oxygen non-stoichiometry and their influence on electrical transport properties were studied. The realization of low-voltage varistors prepared from ZnO+ CaMnO3 ceramic composites was described. An energy band model consisting of n-p-n heterojunctions of n-ZnO1-γ:Mn/p-CMZO/n-ZnO1 γ:Mn has been proposed in order to explain the large nonlinearity coefficients obtained at low field-strengths of 1.8 to 12 V/mm. The detailed investigationos on the structural identification and physico-chemical analyses of Ca4Mn7Zn3O21-δ(CMZO) phases having the beta-alumina or magnetoplumbite-type structures were carried out. The thesis also embodies the magnetically tuneable nonlinear I-V characteristics and the magnetotransport properties of ZnO/La(Sr)MnO3 and ZnO/La(Ca,Sr)MnO3 ceramic composites. The present investigations demonstrate that the ferromagnetic insulating (FMI) La06 Sr04Mn1-yZnyO3(y = 3 to 8 at.%) when present as minor phase in ZnO1- γ:Mn ceramics enables in attaining magnetically tunealbe nonlinear I-V characteristics. Wherein, the dominant ZnO1- γ:Mn phase remains paramagnetic. The results also indicate that the prevalence of ferromagnetism in ZnO1-γ:Mn is not significant for realizing magnetically tuneable I-V curves. The controversial results related to the existence of ferromagnetism in ZnO(doped)leading to diluted magnetic semiconductors(DMS) have been investigated. Another novel aspect of the present work is the low-field magnetoresistive(LFMR) property of ZnO/La(Sr)MnO3 and ZnO/La(Ca.Sr)MnO3 ceramic composites which been explained on the basis of spin-polarised tunneling across the intergrain regions. The influence of Zn2+ as a diamagnetic substitutent in modifying the crystallographic phase content, electrical transport and magnetic properties of Lao6Sro4MnO3 were studied in detail. The results point towards the fact the large decrease of Tc and Ms at lower Zn contents(≤ 8 at.%)is due to the dominant role played by the excess oxygen vacancy (Vo) as an electron donor in p-type Lao6Sro4Mn1-yZnyO3-δ rather than the charge compensatively predictable values. The modifications of electronic and magnetotransport properties were carried out on Lao6Sro4MnO3 substituted with diamagnetic ions such as Mg2+ - Al3+ - Ti4+ - Nb5+ - Mo6+ or W6+ at Mn-sublattice. The TEM studies including HREM results point to the fact the large ΔT(= Tc-TM-1)is accountable in terms of charge conduction within the electronically heterogeneous phase mixtures of charge ordered insulating (CO1) bi-stripes prevailing within the charge disordered FMI phases.