The main aim of this work id to provide integral methods to predict and characterize the properties of composite structures based on hybrid polymers and reinforcements, that could lead to useful results from an industrial point of view. This is addressed, if possible, by theoretical predictions of the effective properties by using the available experimental data. The first part is focused on the scientific achievements of the author that allowed a quantitative characterization of the main effective properties of several composite architectures from hybrid polymers and reinforcements, based on bio matrices, tailor-made matrices and different theoretical and simulation methods using computer software to allow good comparison. The second part defines the future research lines to continue this initial investigation. The main objectives are clearly defined to give the reader a sound background with the appropriate concepts that are specifically discussed in the following chapters. As a main objective, this research work makes a first attempt to provide a systematic analysis and prediction of composite hybrid structures. / El objetivo general del trabajo es proporcionar medios integrales para predecir y caracterizar las propiedades de las estructuras de compuestos basados en polímeros y refuerzos híbridos, principales que pueden producir resultados de utilidad práctica simultáneamente. Esto se logra comparando, siempre que sea posible, las predicciones teóricas de las propiedades efectivas con los datos experimentales disponibles. Una primera parte se ocupa de los logros científicos del autor que permitieron caracterizar cuantitativamente las principales propiedades efectivas de las arquitecturas de compuestos basados en polímeros y refuerzos híbridos, basados en matrices bio, auto-desarrollados y diferentes métodos teóricos y de simulación por ordenador utilizados para la comparación. La segunda parte identifica las orientaciones futuras para la evolución y desarrollo de la ciencia y la investigación. Los objetivos generales fueron subrayados y concisos para dar al lector una visión previa de los conceptos que serán discutidos específicamente en los siguientes capítulos. Indirectamente, apuntan hacia uno de los objetivos principales de este trabajo, a saber, proporcionar una dirección para el análisis sistemático de materiales compuestos a base de refuerzos híbridos. / L'objectiu general d'aquest treball es proporcionar els mitjos integrals per tal de predir i caracteritzar les propietats d'estructures de compòsits basats en polímers i reforçaments híbrids, que poden produir resultats amb utilitat pràctica simultàniament. Aquest objectiu s'aconsegueix comparant, sempre que és possible, les prediccions teòriques de les propietats efectives amb les dades experimentals disponibles. Una primera part es centra en els temes científics en què ha treballat l'autor que han permès caracteritzar quantitativament les principals propietats efectives de les arquitectures de compòsits basades en polímers i reforçaments híbrids, derivats de matrius bio, auto-desenvolupats i diferents mètodes teòrics i de simulació informàtica per a una correcta comparació. La segona part identifica les orientacions futures per tal d'establir l'evolució i desenvolupament de la ciència i investigació lligada a la temàtica de la tesi. Els objectius generals han sigut clarament definits per tal de donar-li al lector una visió prèvia i sòlida dels conceptes que es discuteixen en capítols venidors. Indirectament, apunten cap a un dels objectius principals d'aquest treball, a saber, proporcionar una direcció per a l'anàlisi sistemàtica de materials compòsits a base de polímers i reforçaments híbrids. / Motoc, D. (2017). Development of green composites based on epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs) with hybrid reinforcements: natural and inorganic fibers [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/90399 / TESIS

Linseed meal (LSM) was fed to ovariectomized ewes exposed to estradiol 17-ß (E2) implants over time, and LSM was supplemented to beef cows during late gestation and early lactation to evaluate the estrogenic potential of the phytoestrogen secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) found in LSM. Forty-eight ovariectomized ewes were fed a diet containing 12.5% LSM for 0, 1, 7, or 14 d and implanted with estradiol-17ß (E2) for 0, 6, or 24 h before tissue collection. Uterine cellular proliferation, vascularity, and the expression of the angiogenic factors and their receptors were recorded. There was an interaction of LSM and E2 on uterine mass (P = 0.05). At 24 h of E2 exposure, proliferation was reduced (P < 0.001) when ewes were fed for 14 d compared to being fed 0 or 1 days. There was a LSM x E2 interaction (P ≤ 0.03) on VEGF receptor-2 (KDR) and hasicfihrohlast growth factor receptor (FGFR2) decreasing by 24 h E2 exposure. Exposure of LSM and E2 may impact the estrogenic response of sensitive tissue. Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of supplementing beef cows with LSM during late gestation or early lactation on calf growth and development. In Experiment 1, multiparous cows received either LSM or a control (CON) supplement (approximately 10% diet dry matter) for the last 60 d of gestation. Offspring weights, ADG, heifer age at puberty, conception percentage and steer carcass characteristics were recorded. In Experiment 2, multiparous cows received LSM or CON supplements (approximately 10% diet dry matter) during the first 60 d of lactation, and only heifer calf development performance was observed and recorded. Heifer calf weight, average daily gain, and attainment of puberty were assessed. For both experiments, birth weight, weaning weight and ADG were not affected (P > 0.31) by LSM supplementation. While final body weights were heavier (P = 0.04) for steer calves in Experiment 1, there was no effect (P = 0.09) of supplementation on carcass characteristics. In Experiment 1 and 2, attainment of puberty in heifer calves was not influenced (P > 0.58) by supplement type. Linseed meal supplementation during late gestation or early lactation does not appear to have a negative impact on calf growth, onset of puberty in heifer calves, or steer carcass quality, implicating that it may make a good supplement choice in cattle.

Ce travail vise à étudier le comportement mécanique des composites renforcées par des fibres de lin ainsi que le comportement mécanique et hydrique des composites hybrides. Un taux de porosité élevée observée chez ces matériaux conduit à une dégradation des propriétés mécaniques. Des essais de traction et de flambement avec suivi par émission acoustique ont permis d’identifier les mécanismes d’endommagements qui règnent dans ces matériaux et à mettre en évidence leur chronologie d’apparition. Des observations microscopiques des faciès de rupture ont permis de valider ces résultats. Une optimisation des propriétés mécaniques et notamment en termes de réduire le taux de porosité a été testée et ceci en insérant des fibres de carbone dans la structure. Les résultats ont montré que la position des fibres de carbone est primordiale dans l’amélioration des propriété hydrique et mécaniques. / This work aims to study the mechanical behavior of composites reinforced by flax fibers as well as the mechanical and water behavior of hybrid composites. A high porosity rate observed in these materials leads to a degradation of the mechanical properties. Tensile and buckling tests with acoustic emission monitoring have identified the mechanisms of damage that reign in these materials and highlight their chronology appearance. Microscopic observations of fracture facies validated these results. An optimization of the mechanical properties particularly in terms of reducing the porosity rate has been tested by inserting carbon fibers in the structure. The results showed that the position of carbon fibers is essential in the improvement of water and mechanical properties.

L'objectif de cette thèse est de développer de nouveaux matériaux isolants bio-sourcés pour le bâtiment qui contribuent à réduire leurs impacts environnementaux. Les matériaux développés doivent avoir une faible énergie grise et une faible empreinte carbone. Ils doivent également contribuer à réduire les besoins énergétiques des bâtiments tout en assurant un confort hygrothermique élevé des utilisateurs. Tout d'abord, des matières premières d'origine agricole (chènevottes, anas de lin, paille de blé, paille de colza et rafles de maïs) sont caractérisées d'un point de vue chimique, physique, hygrothermique et mécanique, dans la perspective de développer des composites bio-sourcés destinés à l’isolation des bâtiments. Leur composition chimique se révèle intéressante pour le développement d'un liant vert. Une étude visant à évaluer cette aptitude est donc réalisée. A l'issue de cette dernière, deux liants correspondants à des extractions réalisées sur les rafles de maïs et sur les fines de lin sont retenus. D'autres liants provenant de l’industrie sont également sélectionnés pour la confection de composites. Puis des composites sont fabriqués pour étudier l'influence des granulats, du liant, de la granulométrie des granulats, de la réalisation d'un pré-traitement alcalins des granulats et de la pression de compaction appliquée lors de la mise en œuvre des composites sur leurs performances hygrothermiques ainsi que leurs propriétés mécaniques. Enfin, la résistance à l'immersion accidentelle et à l'humidité ainsi que la réaction au feu des formulations les plus prometteuses sont étudiées. / The aim of this thesis is to develop new bio-based building insulating materials which contribute to reduce their environmental impacts. The developed materials shall have low embodied energy and low carbon footprint. They shall contribute to reduce energy needs of buildings and to ensure high hygrothermal comfort of users. First, raw materials from agricultural resources (hemp shiv, flax shiv, wheat straw, rape straw and corn cobs) are characterized from a chemical, physical, hygrothermal and mechanical point of view, with a aim of developing bio-based composites for the thermal insulation of buildings. Their chemical composition is interesting for the development of green binder. A study to assess this ability is carried out. At the end of the study, two binders corresponding to extractions performed on corn cobs and flax fines are developped. Other binders from industry are also selected for composite production. Then, composites are produced to study the influence of aggregates, binder, granulometry of aggregates, alkaline pre-treatment of aggregates and compaction pressure applied during the processing of composites on their hygrothermal performances and mechanical properties. Finally, the resistance to accidental immersion and humidity and the reaction to fire of the most promising formulations are studied.

This thesis includes the study of the mechanical performance of two different types of fibers reinforced hybrid composites. Two kinds of fibers, natural fiber (flax) and synthetic fiber (E-glass), are used to reinforce epoxy resin. To evaluate the effective properties of the hybrid composites, a micromechanical analysis of the structure genome (SG) of a unidirectional fiber hybrid composites is performed using nite element analysis (FEA). Both fibers are assumed to be circular and packed in a hexagonal pattern. The effects of varying volume fractions and fiber locations, of the two fibers, on the elastic properties of the hybrid composites are studied using FEA. Rule of hybrid mixtures (RoHM) and Halpin-Tsai equations, which are analytical equations, are used as a preliminary prediction of the elastic constants of the hybrid composites. Then, the comparison is made between FEA and analytical results. The predicted elastic constants through numerical homogenization are in good a agreement with analytical results. The effect of changing fiber locations on the tensile strength of hybrid composite is investigated using tensile tests. Impact strength of single fiber composites and ax/glass fiber hybrid composites, in which various stacking sequences of ax and glass fibers are used, are obtained using Charpy impact tests. Moisture absorption test was performed by immersing single fiber composites and various stacking sequences of hybrid composites in deionized water at room temperature for a week. To investigate the effect of water absorption on the tensile properties of composite, tensile test was done on various stacking sequences of the hybrid composite. FEA and analytical equations showed that Young's and shear moduli increased and the axial Poison's ratio decreased linearly with the glass fiber content. Also, FEA showed that changing fiber locations have no effect on the effective properties of the hybrid composite. However, changing fiber stacking sequences showed a significant effect on tensile strength, impact strength, and water absorption properties of the hybrid composites. It was concluded that better design of the hybrid composite was achieved when glass fibers placed on the extreme positions and flax fibers in the middle. Positive hybrid effect is achieved from hybridization of E-glass fiber with flax fiber.

The construction of high-performance vessels like the F50 catamaran has traditionally prioritized advanced composite materials and performance-driven design. However, there is a growing need to incorporate sustainable materials and practices, with their performance in marine applications remaining relatively unknown. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the feasibility of using flax laminates as an environmentally friendly alternative for frequently damaged components, specifically the stern extension.Mechanical testing of flax laminates revealed lower stiffness per fiber areal weight compared to literature values and supplier data sheets, primarily attributed to moisture uptake in the flax material. These findings highlight the significance of considering real-world environmental conditions and specific application requirements when evaluating the mechanical properties of flax composites. Despite the mechanical challenges, environmental analysis demonstrated that the flax alternative for the stern extension offers promising benefits. It exhibits a carbon-positive characteristic, resulting in lower energy consumption during production, and comparable waste production to the original carbon fiber extension. However, it is important to note that these advantages are based on idealized theoretical data, and further optimization is required to address variations in resin usage and the strength of the cured composite.To address the weight discrepancies among the fleet, currently rectified by corrector weights, a practical solution is proposed utilizing flax composite layups. Selective implementation of the flax stern extension on the lightest one-third of the fleet can effectively balance weight distribution without compromising overall yacht performance. This strategy allows SailGP to incorporate sustainable materials while maintaining uniformity and performance across all participating yachts. By considering the environmental impact and structural considerations, this study provides valuable insights for the development of sustainable marine composites and encourages further research in optimizing the performance and reliability of flax-based laminates in marine applications. / Vid konstruktion av högpresterande segelbåtar som F50-katamaranen har man traditionellt prioriterat avancerade kompositmaterial och prestandadriven design. Det finns ett växande önskemål av att införliva hållbara material och metoder i dessa båtar men materialens prestanda i marina applikationer är relativt okända. Denna studie syftar till att öka kunskapen genom att undersöka möjligheten att använda linfiberbaserade laminat som ett miljövänligt alternativ för komponenter som ofta skadas. Specifikt studeras en förlängning av akterspegeln som fungerar som ett lock runt roderinfästningen.Mekanisk provning av linbaserade laminat visade lägre styvhet per fiberytvikt jämfört med värden från litteraturen och leverantörsdatablad, främst tillskrivet fuktupptag i linfibrerna. Dessa resultat understryker betydelsen av att beakta verkliga miljöförhållanden och specifika tillämpningskrav när man utvärderar de mekaniska egenskaperna hos linkompositer. Trots de mekaniska utmaningarna visade miljöanalyser att linalternativet för akterförlängningen erbjuder lovande fördelar. Den ger lägre koldioxidutsläpp genom lägre energiförbrukning under produktionen och ungefär samma avfallsproduktion jämfört med den ursprungliga kolfiberförlängningen. Det är emellertid viktigt att notera att dessa fördelar är baserade på idealiserade teoretiska data, och ytterligare optimering krävs för att hantera variationer i hartsanvändning och styrkan hos den härdade kompositen.För att komma till rätta med viktskillnader mellan olika båtar, som för närvarande korrigeras med korrigeringsvikter, föreslås en praktisk lösning med användning av linkompositlaminat. Selektiv implementering av akterförlängningar av lin på den lättaste tredjedelen av flottan kan bidra till att balansera ut viktskillnader utan att påverka den totala yachtprestandan. Denna strategi gör det möjligt för SailGP att införliva hållbara material samtidigt som enhetlighet och prestanda bibehålls för alla deltagande yachter. Genom att ta hänsyn till miljöpåverkan och strukturella överväganden ger denna studie värdefulla insikter för utvecklingen av hållbara marina kompositer och uppmuntrar till ytterligare forskning för att optimera prestanda och tillförlitlighet hos linbaserade laminat i marina applikationer.

No description available.

It has been observed that in certain cases the exposure of dyed fibres to aging techniques results in the strengthening of fibres. This thesis explores the hypothesis that the strengthening is due to radical cross-coupling reactions that could be initiated through metal ion mediated photodecarboxylation. The approaches taken in this research include kinetic experiments (using flash photolysis), examination of possible cross-coupling experiments (using species of opposite charge), and the design and examination of small molecule model systems. A flash photolysis system was developed and used in attempts to determine the rates of photochemical product formation for cobalt(III) amino acid complexes. Lower limits have been established for the rate of product formation in these systems. The lower limits are: 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺; 2 x 10⁷ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(gly)]²⁺; and 5 x 10⁶ s⁻¹ for [Co(tpa)(aib)]²⁺, where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine; gly is glycinate; tpa is tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; and aib is aminoisobutyrate. In past studies, the rates of a series of cobalt(III) amino acid complexes were reported as being the same, and much slower. It is thought that in these cases it may not be the rate of the formation of product that was being measured, but rather the response time of the electronics that was being observed. In this thesis the results obtained for the rate for the aib complex were somewhat lower than those of the gly complexes. This may imply, for the aib complex at least, the rate of the formation of the metallocycle is being observed (and not the response times of the electronics or other limitations of the instrumentation), but the data is poor and there is considerable doubt about this. The steady state photolysis of opposite charged species [Co(bpy)2(gly)]²⁺ and [Co(EDTA)]⁻ is reported. The reactions were carried out on a small scale in deuterated solvent for NMR spectrometry analysis and also on a large scale for the possible isolation and characterisation of the products. Evidence was found for a different reaction occurring when both complexes were present. The exact nature of the product remains elusive. A model system was designed in which a dinuclear ligand would bind to two metal centres and a fibre mimic would be later added. Eight ligands are discussed that could potentially bind two octahedral metal centres. They all had a xylene spacing group linking the two polydentate sites together. Five of the ligands have two bidentate binding sites. The other three had two tridentate sites. The binding sites in three of the bis(bidentate) ligands were based on ethane-1,2- diamine (en). Two of these ligands produced hypodentate monocobalt and sundentate dicobalt complexes. The other two bidentate ligands were based on 2- aminomethylpyridine (ampy). Both of these ligands degraded in the complexation reaction conditions. The binding sites in the tridentate ligands were all based on tacn. Once again, the principal products isolated were hypodentate systems in which only one metal ion was coordinated by the ligands. There is a distinct pattern observed in the xylene spaced ligands to form hypodentate complexes with cobalt(III) metal centred complexes. There is evidence of the di-nuclear species from a reaction with a charcoal catalyst in the bis(bidentate) system. ¹H NMR spectrometry, ¹³C NMR spectrometry, elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to study and characterise the complexes and ligands that were prepared in this project.

Nowadays, when environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important are there great interest in natural materials and recyclability. The possibility of reusing materials with maintained mechanical properties are essential for sustainability. Today produced approximately 90,000 tons of natural fiber reinforced composites in Europe of those are 40,000 tons compression molded of which the automotive industry uses 95%. Natural fiber reinforced composites is recyclable and therefore interesting in many applications. Also, natural fiber reinforced composites is inexpensive, light in weight and shows decent mechanical properties which makes them attractive to manufactures. However, the problem with natural fiber reinforced composites is the poor adhesion between fiber and matrix, the sensitivity of humidity and their low thermal stability. Those problems could be overcome by addition of compatibilizer and reactive filler. This study will examine the technical requirement in order to develop a sustainable and recyclable biocomposite. It investigates the composition of matrix (polypropylene), fiber (flax), compatibilizer (maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene) and reactive filler (CaO) in order to obtain various combinations of stiffness, strength and processability. The two main methods used for preparing samples were compounding and injection molding. Results shows that 20 wt% flax was the optimal fiber content and that maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene is a very good compatibilizer by enhancing the strength significant. Surprisingly was the strength impaired due to the addition of CaO. The composition of 20 wt% flax, 1 wt% maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene and 79 wt% polypropylene is the technically most favorable composition.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.