This dissertation presents the first reported identification and analyses of the phase relations in the YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO)-SiO2 system at elevated temperatures. In this regard, a rigorous characterization study of the reaction phases within YBCO glass fibers, heat-treated YBCO+SiO2 pellets, rapid thermally annealed YBCO+SiO2 rods and rapid thermally annealed YBCO powder inside a fused silica tube is provided. These analyses are based on a vast set of generated novel results obtained using energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses on an environmental scanning electron microscope, X-Ray diffraction analyses, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses and a cross-polarized light study. First, original drawings of YBCO into glass fibers using the molten-core approach on a fiber draw tower in air and oxygen atmospheres are presented and analyzed. The performed analyses reveal the occurrence of reactions between the YBCO core and the silica cladding in as-drawn fibers as well as after additional heat-treatments. A detailed analysis and characterization of the occurring dissolution and diffusion based reaction processes is, then, provided along with the identification of the arising phase separation. Moreover, in order to analyze drawing YBCO glass fibers at lower temperatures, the use of borosilicate as the preform material is also investigated. This varied set of experiments and associated analyses reveal that the as-drawn YBCO fibers contain an amorphous core and that cuprite (Cu2O) is the first phase to crystallize out of the amorphous silicate matrix upon heat-treatment. Furthermore, the obtained results demonstrate the dissolution of the fused silica cladding into Si4+ and O2- ions and their subsequent diffusion into the molten YBCO core, leading to phase separation due to an occurring miscibility gap in the YBCO-SiO2 system as well as to silicate formation and amorphization of the YBCO core. This, as a result, prohibits the formation of the superconductive YBCO (Y-123) phase upon annealing. In addition, heat-treatment analyses show that higher temperatures or prolonged dwelling times at lower temperatures lead to the formation of barium copper and yttrium barium silicates. The analysis focusing on the use of borosilicate as the preform material reveals that drawing at lower temperatures reduces the dissolution and diffusion based reactions, but does not prevent them. Furthermore, the analysis on YBCO glass fibers with a fused silica cladding drawn in oxygen atmosphere shows that a higher oxygen content increases the dissolution of the fused silica cladding into its ions and their subsequent diffusion into the molten YBCO core. In addition, the performed heat-treatments on YBCO+SiO2 pellets in air and oxygen atmospheres demonstrate the gradual decomposition of the Y-123 phase with an increase in SiO2 content. Moreover, the rapid thermal annealing experiments with a subsequent quenching step on YBCO+SiO2 rods and on YBCO powder inserted inside a fused silica tube show the decomposition of the Y-123 phase and the formation of phases similar to the phases obtained in the YBCO glass fiber study, thus corroborating the results thereof. In summary, this dissertation enables the determination of the phase relations and reaction processes within the YBCO-SiO2 system, the identification of the direct effects of the silicon content on the Y-123 phase decomposition, as well as a rigorous characterization of the dissolution and diffusion based reactions within the YBCO-SiO2 glass-clad fiber system. The generated results and drawn conclusions build a fundamental understanding of phase relations in the YBCO-SiO2 system, which enables a definite assessment of the feasibility of manufacturing long-scale purely superconductive YBCO glass fibers using the molten-core approach and introduces advanced contributions to general glass-clad fiber systems manufactured using this method. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation provides the first reported identification and analysis of the phase relations in the YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO)-SiO2 system at high temperatures. In this regard, a thorough characterization study of the reaction phases within YBCO glass fibers drawn using the molten-core approach on a fiber draw tower is provided. In addition, heat-treatment analyses considering YBCO+SiO2 pellets, rapid thermally annealed YBCO+SiO2 rods and rapid thermally annealed YBCO powder inside a fused silica tube are performed to gain further fundamental insights. The performed analyses are based on a wide set of characterization methods including energy dispersive spectroscopy on an environmental scanning electron microscope, X-Ray diffraction analyses, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and a cross-polarized light study. Our experimental results and performed analyses identify the phase relations and reaction processes within the YBCO-SiO2 system at elevated temperatures, demonstrate the direct effects of the silicon content on the superconductive YBCO phase decomposition, enable drawing definite conclusions regarding the feasibility of manufacturing long-scale purely superconductive YBCO glass fibers using the molten-core approach, and, characterize the dissolution and diffusion based reactions occurring within the YBCO-SiO2 glass-clad fiber system. In a nutshell, this dissertation provides a fundamental understanding of phase relations in the YBCO-SiO2 glass-clad system as well as key insights covering general glass-clad fibers drawn using the molten-core approach, paving the way for improved glass-clad fiber manufacturing using this method.

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.

I dagsläget är de flesta broar i Sverige tillverkade med betong eller stål. Dessa broar är många gånger förknippade med stora kostnader som ofta beror på underhåll och reparation. FRP, som står för Fiber Reinforced Polymer, är ett relativt nytt material i bärande stommar men är ett väl etablerat material i förstärkningssammanhang. I Europa och i synnerhet Nederländerna finns det flertal broar byggda i FRP. Men på grund av brist på normer och regelverk att luta sig emot sker det sällan någon form av brokonstruktion med FRP i Sverige. Detta examensarbete syftar till att undersöka befintliga normer och studera hur materialet FRP används vid förstärkning och konstruktion av broar. Vidare syftar även arbetet till att undersöka egenskaperna hos FRP som byggmaterial och jämföra det med konventionella material som stål och betong. FRP, också benämnd fiberkomposit, är ett kompositmaterial som kan sammanställas på flera olika sätt. Genom olika material som kombineras och olika tillverkningsprocesser som används kan man på så sätt ge individuell utformning till materialet för dess användning. Fördelarna med FRP är många, men i allmänhet har det god styrka, god beständighet samtidigt som det har en låg vikt. Detta resulterar i att inom brokonstruktion så ger det strukturen en minskad egenvikt, vilket i sin tur underlättar en mängd olika saker. Detta arbete visar på att FRP-material har fördelaktiga egenskaper och kan i vissa situationer vara mer gynnsamt att använda än stål eller betong. Dock som tidigare påpekat saknas det specifika Eurokoder för detta material. Däremot är vi säkra på att introduktionen av en ny Eurokod samt med uppmuntran från myndigheter kommer användningen av FRP inom brokonstruktion utan tvekan öka. / At present, most bridges in Sweden are made with concrete or steel. These bridges are often associated with high costs, which often depend on maintenance and repair. FRP, which stands for Fiber Reinforced Polymer, is a relatively new material in load-bearing structures but is a well- established material in the context of reinforcement. In Europe and in particular the Netherlands, there are several bridges built in FRP. But due to a lack of norms and regulations to lean against, there is rarely any kind of FRP bridge construction in Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to examine existing norms and study how the material FRP is used in the reinforcement and construction of bridges. Furthermore, this thesis also aims to investigate the properties of FRP as building material and compare it with conventional materials such as steel and concrete. FRP, also called fiber-composite, is a composite material that can be assembled in several different ways. Through various materials that are combined and different manufacturing processes used, one can thus provide individual designs for the material. The benefits of FRP are many, but generally it has good strength, good durability while having a low weight. This results in that within bridge construction, it gives the structure a reduced self-weight, which in turn facilitates a variety of things. This thesis shows that FRP materials have advantageous properties and in some situations can be more favorable to use than steel or concrete. However, as previously pointed out, there are no specific Eurocodes for this material. However we are sure that the introduction of a new Eurocode and encouragement from authorities will undoubtedly increase the use of FRP in bridge construction.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Kevin B. Lease / This research was intended to measure the interfacial shear strength between fiber/ matrix systems and to investigate the relation between structure-mechanical properties and performance of fiber/matrix systems. This work conducted a systematic study on model fiber/matrix systems to enhance the fundamental understanding on how variation of polymeric compositions (and hence, different structures), different curing conditions, and fiber surface treatments influence the interactions between the fiber and matrix. In order to measure the interfacial shear strength of fiber/matrix systems, the microdroplet technique was used. In this technique a polymer droplet was deposited on a fiber in the liquid state. Once the droplet was cured a shear force was applied to the droplet in order to detach the droplet from the fiber. The amount of the force needed to de-bond the droplet was directly related to the strength of the bonds formed between the fiber and matrix during the curing process. In addition, the micro-droplet technique was used to evaluate effects of different crosslinker ratio of fiber/ matrix system and also to see if different curing conditions affect the interfacial shear strength of fiber/ matrix system. Surface treatment was also conducted to evaluate its effects on the interfacial shear strength of the fiber/ matrix system using microdroplet technique. The interfacial shear strength of fiber/ matrix system increased along with the increase of crosslinker ratio to a limiting value, and it decreased as long as the crosslinker ratio increased. Curing condition also caused the interfacial shear strength of fiber/ matrix system to increase when it was cured at higher temperature. Fiber surface treatment exhibited a significant effect to the interfacial shear strength as well as the fiber/ matrix contact angle measurement.

In this thesis the experimental results of seven full-scale glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete (RC) slab-column edge connections are presented. The dimensions of the slabs were 2,800×1,550×200 mm with a square column measuring 300×300×2,200 mm. The test connections were divided into two series. Series I included three connections investigating the effect of flexural reinforcement ratio (0.90, 1.35 and 1.80%) when high strength concrete (HSC) is used, while Series II included four connections investigating the effect of GFRP shear reinforcement type and pattern on normal strength concrete (NSC) connections. Test results showed that increasing the reinforcement ratio increased the punching capacity and the post-cracking stiffness of the HSC connections. Furthermore, the use of headed studs and corrugated bars increased the punching capacity and the deformability of the NSC connections. Test results were compared to the predictions of the Canadian and American design provisions for FRP-RC structures. / February 2017

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo comparativo da eficiência de diferentes geossintéticos no reforço de base de pavimentos de obras viárias com ensaios de arrancamento de pequeno porte. Utilizou-se geogrelhas de polipropileno, poliéster e de fibra de vidro e geotêxtil tecido de polipropileno. Um solo com 58% de argila (subleito) e um pedregulho areno-siltoso (camada de base) foram empregados. Os ensaios de arrancamento foram executados com diferentes combinações entre solos e geossintéticos. Nestes foi utilizado um novo sistema de medida direta de deslocamentos ao longo da inclusão com sensores óticos a laser. Além de analisar os resultados com curvas força de arrancamento x deslocamentos, foi possível utilizar gráficos rigidez x deformação para determinar o melhor geossintético no reforço de base de pavimentos. Como o corpo-de-prova de geossintético é de tamanho reduzido, garante-se a mobilização completa do reforço durante o ensaio de arrancamento e assim, é possível obter a deformação do mesmo. A abertura frontal da caixa de arrancamento tem influência no valor da força máxima ao arrancamento registrada no ensaio. Os resultados mostram que a interação solo-reforço é mais importante que a rigidez não-confinada do geossintético no comportamento do material em situação de confinamento no interior do maciço de solo. Observou-se que a resistência de junta, a geometria e o agulhamento da geogrelha, além da granulometria do solo, afetam a rigidez inicial do sistema. A melhor opção para os solos e geossintéticos estudados segue a seguinte ordem: (1) geogrelha de polipropileno, (2) geogrelha de poliéster, (3) geotêxtil tecido de polipropileno e (4) geogrelha de fibra de vidro. / This work presents an evaluation of various geosynthetics efficiency in reinforced base course of road pavements using small scale pullout tests. It was used polypropylene, polyester and glass fiber geogrids and polypropylene woven geotextile. A soil with 58% of clay (subgrade), and a sandy-silty gravel (base course) were used. The pullout tests were conducted with different combinations among soils and geosynthetics. In these tests, a new system of direct measurement of inclusion displacements with laser optical sensors was used. Beyond analyzing the results with curves pullout force x displacements, it was possible to use graphics rigidity x deformation in order to determinate the best geosynthetic in base course reinforcement. As the geosynthetic specimen is of small size, the complete mobilization of the reinforcement is guaranteed and, therefore, it is possible to obtain its deformation. The frontal aperture of the pullout box influences the maximum pullout resistance. The results show that the soil-reinforcement interaction is more important than the unconfined rigidity of the geosynthetic on the material behavior in confinement situation inside the soil block. The joint resistance, the geogrid geometry and its nailing, besides the soil particles size, affect the initial system rigidity. Therefore, they are important for base course reinforcement of road pavements. The results showed that the best option for the soils and geosynthetics studied are in the following order: (1) polypropylene geogrid, (2) polyester geogrid, (3) polypropylene woven geotextile and (4) glass fiber geogrid.

Painéis sanduíche são largamente utilizadas em diversas aplicações de engenharia e o estudo de suas propriedades é fundamental para a ampliação de sua utilização. Neste trabalho, foram estudados painéis sanduíche com núcleo de poliuretano e faces de fibra de vidro fabricados pelo processo de laminação contínua. Na primeira configuração, as faces do painel foram fabricadas com manta de fibra de vidro e resina poliéster, com 39% de teor de vidro em massa e espessura de 1,9 mm. Na segunda configuração, as faces do painel foram fabricadas com tecido de fibra de vidro e resina poliéster, com 54% de teor de vidro em massa e espessura de 1,2 mm. Realizou-se o cálculo das propriedades mecânicas de cada compósito no programa MECH-Gcomp. As propriedades do núcleo foram retiradas, inicialmente, da literatura. Então, foi possível realizar a avaliação dos painéis pelo método dos elementos finitos utilizando elementos sólidos, comparando o comportamento dos dois tipos de painéis em relação aos carregamentos de compressão de núcleo, de compressão longitudinal e de flexão. Foram realizados ensaios nas faces isoladas e também nos painéis sanduíche completos. Para as faces, os ensaios foram de teor mássico de fibra de vidro, tração, compressão e cisalhamento Iosipescu, conforme as normas ASTM D5630, D3039/D3039M, D6641/D6641M e D7078/D7078M, respectivamente. Já para os painéis sanduíche, foram realizados os ensaios de compressão de núcleo, compressão longitudinal (edgewise) e cisalhamento do núcleo utilizando flexão, conforme as normas ASTM C365/C365M, C364/C364M e C393/C393M, respectivamente. Após os ensaios, foram calibrados os modelos do MEF, permitindo que os mesmos possam calcular outras configurações similares de painel sanduíche. Foi utilizado o programa Autodesk Simulation Composite Design para realizar a validação do ensaio de cisalhamento do núcleo. Concluiu-se que a análise de elementos finitos foi confiável em representar de forma realista o comportamento dos painéis sanduíche e a redução na espessura das faces do painel pode ser compensada com o aumento da sua resistência mecânica e rigidez por meio do aumento no teor mássico de reforço e trabalhando com a orientação do mesmo. / Sandwich panels are widely used in a variety of engineering applications and the study of their properties is fundamental for the expansion of their use. In this work, we studied sandwich panels with polyurethane core and fiberglass faces manufactured by the continuous lamination process. In the first configuration, the panel faces were made of fiberglass and polyester resin, with 39% glass content by mass and 1.9 mm thickness. In the second configuration, the panel faces were fabricated from fiberglass fabric and polyester resin, with 54% glass content by mass and 1.2 mm thickness. The mechanical properties of each composite were calculated in the MECH-Gcomp software. The properties of the core were initially taken from the literature. Then, it was possible to evaluate the panels by the finite element method using solid elements, comparing the behavior of the two types of panels in relation to the core compression loads, edgewise compression and bending. Tests were performed on the faces and also on the complete sandwich panels. For the faces, the tests were fiberglass mass content, tensile, compression and Iosipescu shear, according to ASTM D5630, D3039/D3039M, D6641/D6641M and D7078/D7078M, respectively. For sandwich panels, core compression, edgewise compression and core shear using bending tests were performed according to ASTM C365/C365M, C364/C364M and C393/C393M, respectively. After the tests, the FEM models were calibrated, allowing them to calculate other similar sandwich panel configurations. It was used Autodesk Simulation Composite Design software to validate the core shear test. It was concluded that the analysis of finite elements was reliable in realistically representing the behavior of the sandwich panels and the reduction in the thickness of the panel faces can be compensated with the increase of its mechanical resistance and stiffness by increasing the mass content of reinforcement and working with the orientation of the same.

Metal implants are a type of hard tissue replacement currently used. Metals used for implants include: stainless steel, titanium, chrome, and cobalt alloys. Such implants often fail at the interface with bone. Metal implants fail when the surface of the implant is coated with an osteoconductive material. An osteoconductive material provides scaffolding for cellular migration, cellular attachment, and cellular distribution. A reason for metal implant failure could be the vastly different material properties than bone. Motivation for the research was to find a suitable bone substitute other than metal. Materials considered were: zirconia toughened alumina, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, and glass fiber reinforced epoxy. Those materials have been used in previous biological applications and can be cast into complex configurations. Objectives of the study were to compare material properties of the composites to bone. A method to create porosity was then tested in the material that was similar to bone in critical material property. Some of the materials were statistically similar to bone in yield strength. Method to create interconnected porosity in those materials resulted in 49% void space.

Glass fiber reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate), GF/PET has excellent potential for future structural applications of composite materials. PET as a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyester has high wear resistance, low coefficient of friction, high flexural modulus and superior dimensional stability make it a versatile material for designing mechanical and electromechanical parts. Glass fibers are currently used as strength giving material in structural composites because of their high strength and high performance capabilities. In order to obtain high interfacial adhesion between glass fiber and polymer, glass fibers are treated with silane coupling agents. The objective of this study is to produce GF/PET composites with varying glass fiber concentration at constant process parameters in a twin screw extruder. Also, by keeping GF content constant, it is aimed to observe the effects of process parameters such as screw speed and feed rate on structural properties of the composites. Another objective of the study is to investigate the influence of different coupling agents on the morphological, thermal and mechanical properties and on fiber length distributions of the composites. Tensile strength and tensile moduli of the GF/PET composites increased with increasing GF loading. There was not a direct relation between strain at break values and GF content. The interfacial adhesion between glass fiber received from the manufacturer and PET was good as observed in the SEM photograps. Degree of crystallinity values increased with the addition of GF. Increasing the screw speed did not affect the tensile strength of the material significantly. While increasing the feed rate the tensile strength decreased. The coupling agent, 3-APME which has less effective functional groups than the others showed poor adhesion between glass fiber and PET. Therefore, lower tensile properties were obtained for the composite with 3-APME than those of other silane coupling agents treated composites. Number average fiber length values were reduced to approximately 300&amp / #61549 / m for almost all composites prepared in this study.

L'objectif de ce travail de thèse est d'étudier le comportement de l'endommagement des matériaux composites sous chargement statique et fatigue par contrôle non destructif (C.N.D) thermographie et soutenu par émission acoustique et la tomographie (CT scan). Pour cela, ce unidirectionnels composite à fibres de verre (GFRP) et discontinue composite à fibres de carbone (DCFC) ont été utilisés comme les éprouvettes qui ont fourni par PSA peugeot citröen, France. Une série d'essais mécaniques a été réalisée pour déterminer le comportement de l'endommagement sous chargement statique et fatigue. Pendant tout des essais mécanique, la thermographie a été utilisé pour l'observation en temps réel pour suivre l'évolution des températures sur la surface de l'éprouvette et supporté par émission acoustique dans certaines conditions. Cette étude a utilisé une forme rectangulaire et se compose d'éprouvettes trouées et non trouées au centre de l'éprouvette. La vitesse de déplacement constante est appliquée pour observer l'effet sur le comportement de l'endommagement sous chargement de traction statique. Sous les essais de fatigue, le paramètre constant de la fréquence et de l'amplitude de stress a été étudiée pour chaque niveau de charge pour avoir les propriétés de fatigue et l'évolution de l'endommagement de l'éprouvette. La tomographie a été utilisée pour confirmer l'apparition de l'endommagement et l'etat du matériau après l'essai de fatigue. L'analyse des résultats de l'expérimentation et de l'observation NDT montré le bon accord entre les résultats mechnical et NDT thermographie avec prise en charge par l'observation de l'émission acoustique en détecter l'apparition et la propagation de l'endommagement de GFRP PRV et DCFC sous chargement de statique en traction. Les essais en fatigue montrent que la dissipation thermique est liée à l'évolution de l'endommagement et également thermographie et peut être utilisé avec succès pour déterminer la limite d'endurance (HCFS) et la courbe de Wöhler du matériau composite. Les résultats par CT scan ont mesurée avec succès les endommagements et l'état du matériau après essai de fatigue du matériau composite. / The aim of this study is to investigate the damage behaviour of composite material in static and fatigue condition with non destructive testing (NDT) thermography method and supported by acoustic emission and also computed tomography (CT) scan. Thermography and acoustic emission are used in real-time monitoring techniques during the test. On the other hand, NDT observation of tomography is used for a post-failure analysis. In order to achive this, continuous glass fiber composite (GFRP) and discontinuous carbon fiber composite (DCFC) have been used as the test specimens which supplied by PSA Company, France. A series of mechanical testing was carried out to determine the damage behaviour under static and fatigue loading. During all the mechanical testing, thermography was used in real-time observation to follow the temperature change on specimen surface and supported by acoustic emission in certain condition. This study used rectangular shape and consist of specimen with and without circular notches (hole) at the center. The constant displacement rate is applied to observe the effect on damage behaviour under tensile static loading. Under fatigue testing, the constant parameter of frequency and amplitude of stress was explored for each load level to have the fatigue properties and damage evolution of specimen. The tomography was used to confirm the appearance of damage and material condition after fatigue testing. The analysis from the experiment results and NDT observation shown the good agreement between mechnical results and NDT thermography with supported by acoustic emission observation in detect the appearance and propagation of damage for GFRP and DCFC under static loading. Fatigue testing shows that thermal dissipation is related to the damage evolution and also thermography and can be successfully used to determine high cycle fatigue strength (HCFS) and S-N curve of fiber composite material. From post failure analysis, CT scan analysis successfully measured and evaluated damage and material condition after fatigue test for fiber composite material. v