No fim do século XX cresceu o interesse por materiais com potencial para aplicação na área da nanotecnologia. Um destes materiais é o grafeno (alótropo do carbono da espessura de um átomo), indicado para aplicações que exploram desde propriedades ópticas até mecânicas. Todavia, os métodos de produção estabelecidos até o momento geram normalmente um produto com alto grau de defeitos estruturais. Por isso, o objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um método mais brando para obtenção de grafeno, por meio do desenrolamento de nanotubos de carbono (NTC) de parede múltipla na presença de líquidos iônicos (LI) (que possuem caráter lubrificante e estabilizador) e adicioná-lo à resina epoxídica para avaliar seu efeito nas propriedades do nanocompósito. A metodologia consistiu em definir a rota a que a mistura NTC:LI (bis(trifluorometanosulfonil)imidato de 1-n-butil-3-metilimidazólio – BMImNTf2), na proporção 1:10, deveria ser submetida e depois avaliar variações para validação do método (alteração de temperatura, solventes – LI BMImCl e tolueno e nanocarga – grafite). As misturas de grafeno-NTC/LI produzidas foram adicionadas na proporção de 0,1% em massa de grafeno-NTC à resina epoxídica. A caracterização das misturas se deu pelas técnicas de microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), espectroscopia Raman e microscopia de força atômica (AFM), e dos nanocompósitos, também por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), análise termogravimétrica (TGA), calorimetria diferencial exploratória (DSC), infravermelho (IV) análise dinâmico-mecânica (DMA) e ensaios mecânicos. A morfologia observada em MET e AFM evidenciou que a rota em que a mistura permaneceu 3 h em aquecimento e agitação magnética sob vácuo e 3 h sob sonificação resultou em grafeno de algumas camadas. Os resultados de Raman mostraram que foi produzido grafeno de boa qualidade, baseando-se na razão ID/IG. Nos nanocompósitos, confirmou-se que BMImNTf2 mantém as folhas de grafeno abertas. Já com BMImCl a morfologia dos NTC permanece inalterada, mas seu grau de emaranhamento é diminuído pela ação lubrificante deste LI, o que reflete em melhoria na resistência ao impacto. Os NTC sem a presença de um LI de forma geral não conferiram melhoria à matriz polimérica (ex: queda de 35% na dureza). / In the late twentieth century, the interest in materials with potential application in the nanotechnology´s field has increased. One of these materials is graphene (carbon allotrope of a single atom thickness), suitable for applications, which exploit properties such as optical or mechanical. However, the methods developed up to now to obtain graphene usually generate a product with high degree of structural defects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce graphene sheets through a milder route of unrolling multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) in ionic liquids (IL; which have a lubricating and stabilizing character) and to add it to an epoxy resin to evaluate its effect on the nanocomposite properties. The methodology consisted of defining the route through which the 1:10 mixture of CNT:IL (1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imidate - BMImNTf2) should be submitted, and then evaluate possible variations for validating the method (change in temperature, solvents - toluene and IL BMImCl and nanofiller - graphite). The produced graphene-CNT/IL mixtures were added at 0.1% by weight of graphene-CNT to epoxy resin. Characterization of the graphene/IL mixtures was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the nanocomposites also by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) and mechanical tests. The morphology observed using TEM and AFM showed that the route based on 3 h under heating, stirring and vacuum, followed by 3 h of sonication leads to CNT unrolling. Raman spectra showed that the produced graphene was of good quality, based on the low ID/IG ratio. In the nanocomposites, CNT unrolling was confirmed when IL BMImNTf2 was used, yielding reasonable property improvements. In the case of IL BMImCl, the unrolling of the CNT did not occur, but the lubricant effect of the IL decreased the degree of entanglement, which increased its impact strength. Differently, the non-treated CNT generally reduced the properties of the polymer matrix, e.g. a 35% drop in hardness.

Cette étude se focalise sur l’influence du dioxyde de titane sur le comportement d’une résine polymère époxy modèle. Les systèmes considérés sont des composites constitués d’un pigment, le dioxyde de titane TiO2 à des taux massiques de 10% et 20%, et de résine DGEBA-DAMP. Tout d’abord, les propriétés mécaniques et thermiques de films libres complètement réticulés sont mesurées par DSC et DMA. Les résultats des composites sont comparés à ceux de la résine pure pour mieux comprendre l’impact du TiO2. Les films libres de composites sont ensuite immergés dans de l’eau pure à différentes températures (30, 40, 50 et 60 °C) pour étudier la prise en eau et les coefficients de diffusion par gravimétrie. L’évolution des propriétés de nos systèmes est aussi étudiée pour avoir accès à l’influence de l’eau sur leur comportement. Dans un second temps, les composites sont réticulés sur des plaques d’acier et certaines sont soumises à des contraintes mécaniques externes. Ces revêtements sont alors plongés dans une solution saline et l’absorption d’eau est suivie par SIE. Une dernière étape de ce travail consiste à suivre le gonflement des revêtements composites par SECM. Finalement, la comparaison des résultats de la résine pure et des composites obtenus pour les films libres et les revêtements permet de mettre en avant l’impact du TiO2 sur la durabilité de ces systèmes, essentiellement dû au développement de contraintes internes. / This study focuses on the influence of titanium dioxide on the behavior of a model epoxy polymer resin. The considered systems are composites which contain titanium dioxide TiO2 as pigment and DGEBA-DAMP as epoxy resin. The studied amounts of titanium dioxide are 10 wt.% and 20 wt.%. Firstly, mechanical and thermal properties of totally cured free films are studied by DSC and DMA. The results of the composites are compared to those of the resin alone to better understand the impact of the titanium dioxide. Then, composite free films are immersed in pure water at different temperatures (30, 40, 50 and 60 °C) to investigate water uptake and diffusion coefficients by gravimetry. At each step of ageing, measurements of the properties are carried out to show the influence of water on our systems behaviors. Then, composites of epoxy resin and pigment are applied on steel panels and some samples are submitted to external mechanical stresses. These coatings are submitted to an environment of NaCl 3 wt.% saline solution and water uptake is followed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Swelling of composites coatings is followed by SECM in a last step of this work. Finally, a comparison of the results of pure resin and of composite gives access to the impact of titanium dioxide on the durability of these systems. It is mainly due to the presence of internal stresses.

The structural adhesives widely used in structural strengthening applications are thermoset ambient cure adhesive polymers. At ambient temperatures, these polymers are in a relatively hard and inflexible state. At higher temperatures, the material becomes soft and flexible. The region where the molecular mobility changes dramatically is known as the glass transition temperature Tg and often is presented as a single value. Epoxy polymers exhibit a significant reduction in mechanical properties near glass transition temperature Tg when they are exposed to elevated temperatures. Glass transition temperature Tg is used to characterise the change in epoxy adhesive properties with changing temperature. The mechanical properties of epoxies tend to improve with curing temperature. This is because the crosslink density between the adhesive molecular structures increases during the curing process consequently the Tg improves. The aims of this work are first to demonstrate the importance of curing temperature. Second, to investigate the influence of glass transition temperature !! improvement on the performance of EB-FRP strengthened steel structures in flexure at ambient and elevated temperatures. Third, to compare analytical results with experimental results from the flexure tests results. Finally, to compare the current design guideline recommendations with the flexure tests results. The most commonly used methods to evaluate Tg Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to study Tg. Two off-shelf structural adhesives were investigated to understand their property variation with temperature. Epoxy coupons were cured at different elevated temperature and humidity environments up to 28 days. A combination of two extreme relative humidity of 0 and 100% and variable curing temperatures between 15 to 80°C were considered. From a test matrix of 300 DMA and over 250 DSC coupons these conclusions were drawn. First, ambient cured thermosets have a linear relationship between Tg and curing temperature, but Tg is reduced if a certain temperature is reached. Second, a fully cured adhesive requires heating treatment. Without a curing regime, designed Tg may never be achieved. Finally, curing time is crucial at the low curing temperatures while it is less significant at the higher curing temperature. The results of Tg investigation were used to select appropriate curing temperature that the adhesives resistance to temperature can be maximised without damaging the mechanical properties. The study helps designs to understand and assess the behaviour of these two adhesives when they are exposed to extreme temperatures. The study increases the awareness that a fully cured adhesive may never be achieved at ambient or low temperatures. It is important to find the mechanical properties and Tg when the coupons are exposed to the same curing temperature. To investigate the influence of glass transition temperature Tg improvement on the performance of EB-FRP strengthened steel structures in flexure at ambient and elevated temperature, nine three metre length beams were designed to behave as a concrete-steel composite bridge deck. The beams were tested in four-point bending. Lap shear, DMA test, and pull-off adhesion samples were prepared and cured at the same conditions and tested at ambient temperature. Six beams were tested under only mechanically loading at ambient temperature, including the control specimen. Five beams were tested at ambient temperature to show the effects of adhesive curing on FRP strengthened sections. A significant increase of load capacity of the adhesive joints was achieved due to the curing of the joints at elevated temperature. The failure occurred was in the same manner. An increase in the load capacity was observed with increasing curing temperature. An increase of approximately 25% was noticed in the ultimate load capacity of the specimens cured at 50°C compared to the specimens cured at 30°C. The load capacity of lap-shear specimens cured at 50°C was 28% higher than the specimens cured at 30°C. Three specimens were tested under mechanical and thermal loading. A bespoke thermal chamber was designed and fabricated to apply a controlled thermal loading. The beams were loaded mechanically up to 350kN, first. The temperature of the specimens was then increased at a rate of 0.8°C/min. The sustained load 350kN remained constant during the heating phase. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was used to detect the slippage of the tip of the FRP plates. The only specimen cured at 30°C showed relatively poor performance compared to the two specimens cured at 50°C. The plate ends started to slip when the adhesive storage modulus from the DMA runs reduced approximately by 15 and 18% for the beams cured at 30 and 50°C respectively. Pull-off adhesion tests confirmed that adequate surface preparation of over 25 MPa was achieved The flexural model for the composite steel section represented to predicate load-deflection behaviour of the specimens using semi-experimental constitutive material law. The model successfully predicts the load-deflection behaviour of specimens, considering the strain hardening contribution. A bond stress analysis is also presented, which counts for the effect of FRP plate moment effect. The experimental and theoretical FRP plate slippage assuming only adhesive degradation with temperature are compared. The analytical bond models cannot predict the experimental failure because the linear elastic material properties were assumed and the failure was adhesion.

A utilização de silanos como agentes promovedores de adesão demonstrou ser uma solução útil para a união entre materiais dissimilares, incrementando a adesão e aumentando inclusive a resistência a corrosão entre os mesmos . A utilização destes agentes como promovedores de adesão, sobre diferentes combinações de materiais, continua sendo estudada atualmente. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a capacidade de diferentes tipos de silanos como agentes promovedores de adesão. tanto funcionais como não funcionais, na união entre aço SAE 1060 e resina epóxi. Para isto, foram primeiramente obtidos filmes de silano sobre amostras de aço através de diferentes tratamentos. Estes filmes obtidos foram caracterizados por meio de diferentes técnicas. Foram realizados testes de aderência através do método especificado pela norma ASTM D3359 para avaliar a resistência de adesão dos diferentes filmes ao substrato. As amostras testadas foram analisadas através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Também, foram realizadas análises de espectroscopia de energia dispersiva (EDS) sobre as mesmas amostras, permitindo obter outras características dos filmes de silano formados. Os tratamentos que apresentaram melhores resultados na caracterização em MEV/EDS foram escolhidas para a preparação dos corpos de prova de uniões com resina epóxi. Estas uniões foram utilizadas para realizar testes de adesão do tipo arrancamento de modo a avaliar o efeito dos tratamentos com silano na resistência de adesão da união entre o substrato de aço e a resina epóxi. Os resultados dos testes de arrancamento permitem afirmar que existe uma melhoria na resistência de adesão com um dos tratamentos com silano sobre o substrato de aço seguido de revestimento com resina epóxi. A utilização de tratamentos com silanos mostram-se promissoras para esta aplicação. / The use of silanes as adhesion enhancer agent proved to be a useful solution for the union of dissimilar materials, increasing the bond strength between them, also increase the corrosion resistance. The use of these agents as adhesion enhancer, with different materials combination, is still being studied today. The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of different silanes as adhesion agent promoters in joints of SAE 1060 steel and epoxy resin; both functional and not functional silanes. At the beginning and for this purpose were different types of treatments used to obtain silane films on steel samples. Different techniques were used to characterize these films. To evaluate the bond strength adhesion test where performed according to the ASTM D3359 standard. Samples were analyzed with scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) analyses were also performed on the same sample allowing to obtain others characteristics of the silane films formed. The treatments that have shown a better performance in the SEM/EDX analyses were selected to make steel and epoxy resins joint samples. These specimens were used to perform pull-out type adhesion test to evaluate the effect of the silanes treatments in the bond strength of steel and epoxy resin joints. The results of de pull-out test indicate that the use of silane improves the bond strength of steel and epoxy resin joints. The use of silane treatments has shown promising results for this application.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:31:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Miller Zaroni Santoro.pdf: 2303143 bytes, checksum: c5e5ddd496f8c0c48e1af99dfe38af5b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-29 / The aim of this study was to compare the forces of deflection in vitro between aesthetic and wire NiTi wires, to check the maximum force and plateau region and determine its correlation with the diameter of the wire with and without coating. Ten trials were conducted in seven brands of bows pre-skirted, six-wire aesthetic (InVu (I), Optis (O), Flexy Super Elastic Esthetic (FSEE), Orthocosmetic Elastinol (OE), Niticosmetic (N), and Pro Form Coated Nitanium (PFCN)) and a superelastic NiTi wire (Nitinol Super Elastic (NSE), applying The test is three-point bending, associated with universal machine EMIC. We developed a device with ceramic brackets (Transcend), whose strings were arrested for elastic modular, and obtained the values of the force deflection at 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0 mm. The diameter of the wires with and without coating were measured using digital especímetro Micromaster. The analysis of variance with a criterion (p <0.05) showed significant difference between the wires and post-hoc Tukey test determined that the force at 3mm deflection for wire O<OE=PFCE<FSEE=NSE<I. The paired t-test compared the strength of deflection (2-1mm) in the plateau region and showed that the wires O, FSEE and N showed constant forces. The wire N showed the largest diameter among the samples, while NSE wires and O, minors. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a correlation between the diameter of the wire and the force of deflection. It can be concluded that there are differences between the forces produced by the wires and aesthetic that force is directly proportional to the diameter of the uncoated wire for all peaks, ie the larger the diameter, the greater the force produced. / O objetivo do presente estudo consistiu em comparar as forças de deflexão in vitro entre fios estéticos e fio NiTi, para verificar a força máxima e da região platô e determinar sua correlação com o diâmetro do fio com e sem revestimento. Foram realizados dez ensaios de sete marcas comerciais de arcos précontornados, sendo seis fios estéticos (Invu (I), Optis (O), Flexy Super Elastic Esthetic (FSEE), Niticosmetic (N), Orthocosmetic Elastinol (OE) e Pro Form Coated Nitanium (PFCN)) e um fio NiTi superelástico (Nitinol Super Elastic (NSE)), aplicando-se o teste de curvatura de três pontos, associado a máquina de ensaios universal EMIC. Desenvolveu-se um dispositivo com braquetes cerâmicos (Transcend), cujos fios foram presos por elásticos modulares, sendo obtidos os valores da força de deflexão em 3,0, 2,0 e 1,0mm. O diâmetro dos fios com e sem revestimento foram mensurados com o especímetro digital Micromaster. A análise de variância a um critério (p<0,05) mostrou diferença significante entre os fios e o teste post-hoc de Tukey determinou que a força de deflexão em 3mm para o O<OE=PFCE<FSEE=NSE<I. O teste t-pareado comparou a força de deflexão (2-1mm) na região platô e mostrou que os fios O, FSEE e N apresentaram forças constantes. O fio da N apresentou o maior diâmetro entre as amostras, enquanto que os fios NSE e O, os menores. O Coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson mostrou que houve correlação entre o diâmetro do fio e a força de deflexão. Pode se concluir que há diferenças entre as forças produzidas pelos fios estéticos e que a força é diretamente proporcional ao seu diâmetro do fio com e sem revestimento para todas as deflexões, ou seja, quanto maior o diâmetro, maior a força produzida.

As resinas termorrígidas são uma classe de polímeros que devido à reação de reticulação deveriam apresentar uma única cadeia molecular de peso infinito, no entanto, questionamentos sugerem que a formação da rede tridimensional é não-homogênea. Atualmente, devido aos avanços obtidos pela nanotecnologia, torna-se possível uma abordagem diferenciada na modificação química de polímeros como a resina epoxídica. Neste trabalho, foram preparados nanocompósitos adicionando diferentes teores do oligômero poliédrico de silsesquioxano (POSS) n-fenilaminopropil na resina epoxídica. Foi substituindo 1, 5 e 10 por cento em massa (% m.) do agente de reticulação trietilenotetramina (TETA) por POSS. Esta modificação foi realizada com o objetivo de promover maior concentração de interligações nas interfaces das regiões nodulares, descritas como imperfeições ou descontinuidades que ocorrem pela cura não-homogênea da resina. Através da morfologia e da análise do teor de gel, foi evidenciada boa dispersão e melhoria na homogeneidade da rede tridimensional da resina acima de 5 % m. de POSS e aumento da fração gel nos nanocompósitos comparados com a resina epoxídica pura. Na realização de análises de difração de raio-x (DRX) foi visto que a adição do POSS aumentou a distância média entre as cadeias da resina. Foi realizada análise dinâmico-mecânica (DMA) no modo não-isotérmico e por varredura de frequência no modo isotérmico. Pelo modo não-isotérmico os resultados demonstraram que o POSS deslocou a Tg para temperaturas maiores e não alterou significativamente a densidade de ligações cruzadas da resina epoxídica. O modo isotérmico foi utilizado para a determinação de parâmetros das equações de Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) e Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT). Foi calculada a distribuição dos espectros de relaxação H(t) e retardação L(t) molecular através dos módulos de armazenamento e perda obtidos pelo modo isotérmico no DMA. Os parâmetros WLF e VFT demonstraram que a incorporação do POSS ao mesmo tempo em que aumentou a Tg, reduziu a energia de ativação de movimentação segmentar e tornou a resina epoxídica mais forte estruturalmente. A redução da energia de ativação foi associada com a redução das forças de interação intermolecular, enquanto que a redução da fragilidade foi associada ao fato do POSS ser capaz de interligar as interfaces de regiões nodulares. Os espectros H(t) e L(t) mostraram que o pico de relaxação associado aos nódulos formados no processo de reticulação desapareceu. A determinação da capacidade calorífica (Cp) e do excesso de entropia (Sex) através de análises de calorimetria exploratória diferencial modulada (MDSC) demonstrou que o POSS é capaz de minimizar as flutuações de calor ao longo da microestrutura da resina epoxídica. A minimização das flutuações térmicas e a alteração dos tempos de relaxação demonstram que a adição do POSS é eficiente em termos de minimização de imperfeições na microestrutura da resina epoxídica. / The thermosetting resins are a class of polymers that due to the crosslinking reaction should present a single chain with infinite molecular weight; however, questions suggest that the formation of three-dimensional network is non-homogeneous. Today, due to advancements in nanotechnology, became possible a differentiated approach in the chemical modification of polymers such as epoxy resin. In this work, nanocomposites with different contents of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) n-phenylaminopropyl in epoxy resin were prepared. It was substituted 1, 5 and 10 weight percent (wt%) of the crosslinking agent, triethylenetetramine (TETA), for POSS. This modification was performed in order to promote greater concentration of interconnections at the interfaces of the regions described as nodular imperfections or discontinuities that arise due to inhomogeneous cure of the resin. Through the morphology and the gel content analysis was observed good dispersion and improvements in the uniformity of three-dimensional network of the resin up till 5 wt% of the POSS and increase in the gel fraction of the nanocomposites compared with pure epoxy resin. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the POSS promoted an increase in distance between chains of the resin. Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed in non-isothermal mode and a frequency sweep in the isothermal mode. By non-isothermal mode the results showed that the POSS shifted the Tg to higher temperatures and does not modify the crosslink density. The isothermal mode was used to determine the parameter of the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equations. The distribution of the relaxation H(t) and retardation L(t) spectra was calculated through the storage (E') and loss (E'') modulus obtained by the DMA isothermal mode. The WLF and VFT parameters showed that the incorporation of POSS at the same time increased the Tg reduced the activation energy of segmental motion and made the epoxy resin structurally stronger. The reduction in the activation energy was associated with reduced intermolecular forces whereas the decrease in the structural fragility is associated with the fact that the POSS be able to interconnect the interfaces of the nodular regions. The H(t) and L(t) spectra showed that the nodules formed in the crosslinking process disappeared. The determination of the heat capacity (Cp) and excess entropy (Sex), analyzed by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), showed that POSS is capable of minimizing fluctuations of heat along the microstructure of the epoxy resin. The reduction of thermal fluctuations and change in the relaxation times shows that the POSS addition is efficient to minimize imperfections in the microstructure of the epoxy resin.

Nas extremidades dos dutos flexíveis utilizados na indústria petroleira offshore são instalados os end fittings, ou conectores. Uma parte fundamental deste componente é o sistema de ancoragem, que consiste nos arames de aço da armadura de tração embebidos em resina epóxi, onde seu propósito é transmitir os esforços que provêm do duto. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar uma avaliação de três diferentes resinas epóxi (Huntsman: SW404/HY404, AW4804/HW4804 e XAW1395/HY950) comparando as propriedades mecânicas e a influência do ambiente de serviço, a fim de definir qual melhor se adequa para este fim. As propriedades mecânicas das resinas epóxi foram determinadas através de ensaios de compressão, tração, cisalhamento, pullout e medições de dureza. Os denominados ensaios de pullout representam um modelo simplificado do sistema de ancoragem e possibilitam o estudo da interface entre a resina e o aço da armadura de tração. Para avaliar o efeito da exposição do polímero às condições ambientais de serviço, amostras foram envelhecidas numa solução de água marinha na temperatura constante de 60°C, durante um período de 6 meses. Após este período, realizaram-se ensaios de compressão, cisalhamento e pullout, cujos resultados foram comparados com os obtidos de amostras sem nenhum período de exposição. A influência das elevadas temperaturas sobre a propriedade de adesão nas diferentes resinas foi avaliada mediante ensaios de pullout realizados à temperatura de 100°C. Além disto, foi realizada uma análise térmica através de ensaios de TGA e DMTA. Por fim, às propriedades determinadas nos diferentes ensaios e medições lhes foram atribuídas um peso quantitativo de acordo com sua importância dentro do sistema de ancoragem. Os valores das propriedades e seus pesos foram introduzidos a uma matriz de análise de multicritérios, que permitiu selecionar a resina epóxi com a melhor combinação de propriedades para ser aplicada em end fittings. Finalmente, é proposta a determinação de alguns parâmetros adicionais das resinas epóxi para complementar o estudo realizado / End fittings are components that are installed at the ends of flexible pipes used in the offshore oil industry. A fundamental part of this component is the anchoring system, which consists of the steel wires of the tensile armour embedded in epoxy resin, which its purpose is to transmit the loads that come from the pipe. This study aims to present an evaluation of three different epoxy resins (Huntsman: SW404/HY404, AW4804/HW4804 e XAW1395/HY950), comparing the mechanical properties and studying the influence of the service environment, in order to define which material is best suited for this application. The mechanical properties of the epoxy resins were determined by tests such as compression, tensile, shear and pullout tests and hardness measurements. The pullout tests represent a simplified model of the anchoring system and they allow the study of the interface between the resin and the steel of the tensile armour. To evaluate the effect of the exposition of the polymer material to environmental conditions found in service, some samples were immersed in a bath of sea water at a constant temperature of 60°C during a period of 6 months. After this period, compression, shear and pullout tests were performed and the results were compared with those obtained from samples without degradation. The influence of the high temperatures on the adhesion property of the different epoxy resins was evaluated with pullout tests performed at a temperature of 100°C. Furthermore, a thermal analysis was realized through TGA and DMTA tests. Finally, to the properties determined in the different tests and measurements were given a quantitative weight according to their importance within the anchoring system. The values of the properties and their weights were introduced into a matrix of multicriterial analysis that allowed selecting the epoxy resin with the best combination of properties to be applied in end fittings. Finally, it was proposed the determination of other epoxy resins parameters to complement this study.

No fim do século XX cresceu o interesse por materiais com potencial para aplicação na área da nanotecnologia. Um destes materiais é o grafeno (alótropo do carbono da espessura de um átomo), indicado para aplicações que exploram desde propriedades ópticas até mecânicas. Todavia, os métodos de produção estabelecidos até o momento geram normalmente um produto com alto grau de defeitos estruturais. Por isso, o objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um método mais brando para obtenção de grafeno, por meio do desenrolamento de nanotubos de carbono (NTC) de parede múltipla na presença de líquidos iônicos (LI) (que possuem caráter lubrificante e estabilizador) e adicioná-lo à resina epoxídica para avaliar seu efeito nas propriedades do nanocompósito. A metodologia consistiu em definir a rota a que a mistura NTC:LI (bis(trifluorometanosulfonil)imidato de 1-n-butil-3-metilimidazólio – BMImNTf2), na proporção 1:10, deveria ser submetida e depois avaliar variações para validação do método (alteração de temperatura, solventes – LI BMImCl e tolueno e nanocarga – grafite). As misturas de grafeno-NTC/LI produzidas foram adicionadas na proporção de 0,1% em massa de grafeno-NTC à resina epoxídica. A caracterização das misturas se deu pelas técnicas de microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), espectroscopia Raman e microscopia de força atômica (AFM), e dos nanocompósitos, também por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), análise termogravimétrica (TGA), calorimetria diferencial exploratória (DSC), infravermelho (IV) análise dinâmico-mecânica (DMA) e ensaios mecânicos. A morfologia observada em MET e AFM evidenciou que a rota em que a mistura permaneceu 3 h em aquecimento e agitação magnética sob vácuo e 3 h sob sonificação resultou em grafeno de algumas camadas. Os resultados de Raman mostraram que foi produzido grafeno de boa qualidade, baseando-se na razão ID/IG. Nos nanocompósitos, confirmou-se que BMImNTf2 mantém as folhas de grafeno abertas. Já com BMImCl a morfologia dos NTC permanece inalterada, mas seu grau de emaranhamento é diminuído pela ação lubrificante deste LI, o que reflete em melhoria na resistência ao impacto. Os NTC sem a presença de um LI de forma geral não conferiram melhoria à matriz polimérica (ex: queda de 35% na dureza). / In the late twentieth century, the interest in materials with potential application in the nanotechnology´s field has increased. One of these materials is graphene (carbon allotrope of a single atom thickness), suitable for applications, which exploit properties such as optical or mechanical. However, the methods developed up to now to obtain graphene usually generate a product with high degree of structural defects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce graphene sheets through a milder route of unrolling multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) in ionic liquids (IL; which have a lubricating and stabilizing character) and to add it to an epoxy resin to evaluate its effect on the nanocomposite properties. The methodology consisted of defining the route through which the 1:10 mixture of CNT:IL (1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imidate - BMImNTf2) should be submitted, and then evaluate possible variations for validating the method (change in temperature, solvents - toluene and IL BMImCl and nanofiller - graphite). The produced graphene-CNT/IL mixtures were added at 0.1% by weight of graphene-CNT to epoxy resin. Characterization of the graphene/IL mixtures was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the nanocomposites also by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) and mechanical tests. The morphology observed using TEM and AFM showed that the route based on 3 h under heating, stirring and vacuum, followed by 3 h of sonication leads to CNT unrolling. Raman spectra showed that the produced graphene was of good quality, based on the low ID/IG ratio. In the nanocomposites, CNT unrolling was confirmed when IL BMImNTf2 was used, yielding reasonable property improvements. In the case of IL BMImCl, the unrolling of the CNT did not occur, but the lubricant effect of the IL decreased the degree of entanglement, which increased its impact strength. Differently, the non-treated CNT generally reduced the properties of the polymer matrix, e.g. a 35% drop in hardness.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-08-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:29:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 rangel_sa_me_ilha.pdf: 1557624 bytes, checksum: 38398c09b8ff17af075a211027a27833 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Polímeros epoxídicos são um dos mais importantes tipos de polímeros termorrígidos, extensivamente usados como adesivos e estruturas. Em reações epoxídicas são convertidos em um sistema termorrígido pela ação de agentes de cura. Tais reações químicas provocam uma mudança no estado físico do material, partindo de um líquido viscoso para um gel e se transformando em um material vitrificado. Os termorrígidos apresentam excelentes propriedades, tais como: alta tensão de ruptura e módulo de Young, fácil processamento, resistência térmica e química, e estabilidade dimensional. Entretanto, são quebradiços e possuem baixa resistência a propagação de trincas. Para superar estes inconvenientes, muitos tipos de compósitos de polímero com reforço foram desenvolvidos, em que as resinas epoxídicas são reforçadas com agentes modificadores, tais como enchimentos, oligômeros poliédricos de silsesquioxanos, dendrímeros, etc. Oligômeros poliédricos de silsesquioxanos (POSS), (RSiO1.5)n com n = 4, 6, 8, 10..., são nanoplataformas organo-funcionalizadas com 1 a 8 grupos reativos ou não reativos (R) ligados aos oito vértices possíveis do silsesquioxano cúbico. POSS octaédrico (n = 8) são os membros mais importantes desta família. No POSS, o núcleo cúbico de silicato é uma partícula rígida com 0,53 nm de diâmetro e um raio esférico de 1-3 nm, incluindo unidades orgânicas periféricas. Neste trabalho, um oligômero poliédrico de silsesquioxano contendo oito grupos epoxídicos por molécula (OG) foi incorporado ao sistema epoxídica DGEBA/DETA, como objetivo de avaliar a influência de um modificador reativo suas propriedades mecânicas e térmicas. Por meio de ensaios mecânicos foi observado um decréscimo de 30-50% na resistência à fratura (K1C)... / Epoxy resins are one of the most important kind of thermosetting polymers, extensively used for adhesives and structural applications. On cure, linear epoxy resins are undergoes in a thermoset system for the action of cure agents. Such chemical reactions cause a change into the physical state, from a viscous liquid to a gel and eventually to a vitrified material. They show various desirable properties such as high tensile strength and modulus, easy processing, good thermal and chemical resistance and dimensional stability, but they are brittle and have poor resistance to crack propagation. To overcome these drawbacks, many types of polymer-filler composites have been developed, in which the epoxy resins are reinforced with modifying agents, such as fillers, polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes, dendrimers, etc. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), (RSiO1.5)n with n = 4, 6, 8, 10 ...., are organofunctional nanoplatforms with 1 to 8 reactive or nonreactive groups (R) connected to the eight possible vertexes of cubic silsesquioxanes. POSS Octahedral (n = 8) are the most important members of this family. In the POSS, the cubic core silica is a hard particle rigid with 0.53 nm diameter and a spherical radius of 1-3 nm including peripheral organic units. In this work, a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes containing eight epoxy groups per molecule (OG) was incorporated to an epoxy system of DGEBA/DETA thermosetting polymers in order to investigate the influence of a reactive modifier over the their mechanical and thermal properties. Through the mechanical tests an decrease of about 30-50% was observed in the fracture toughness (K1C) without or with a very soft decreasing in the module of Young (E)... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below)

The interpretation and modelling of the dielectric response of thermosetting materials during cure was the main focus of this study. The equivalence of complex permittivity and complex impedance in terms of information content was outlined in a series of case studies covering the separate effects of dipolar movements and charge migration as well as the combined effect of the two polarisation mechanisms. Equivalent electrical circuits were used in order to model the evolution of the complex impedance during cure. A numerical method that can model consecutive spectra throughout the cure was developed. The method is based on Genetic Algorithms and requires only input from the modelling of the initial spectra. Complex impedance spectra were collected during the cure of a commercial epoxy resin formulation under isothermal and dynamic heating conditions. The spectra were analysed and modelled. The modelling was successful over the whole frequency range of the measurements (1 Hz – 1 MHz). The analysis of the estimated model parameters showed that charge migration dominates the dielectric response in a wide frequency range. In addition, the modelling algorithm also distinguished between the effects of electrode polarisation and dipolar movements in the signal. A new equivalent circuit was used in order to map the frequency regions where the each one of the three phenomena that together comprise the dielectric signal can be monitored most effectively. A chemical cure kinetics model was developed for the studied system. A correlation between the maximum point of the imaginary impedance spectrum and the reaction conversion was established. A mathematical model, based on a simple linear dependence of the dielectric signal on conversion and temperature, was built. The model predictions agreed well with the experimental data. The aim of simplifying the interpretation of the dielectric signals led to the development of a new experimental technique. Temperature Modulated Dielectric Analysis employs temperature modulations superimposed on an underlying thermal profile in order to separate the influence on the signal of the temperature alone from that of the cure reaction. The early study carried out here shows that such measurements are feasible and reveals important issues for its further development.