To compete with other manufacturing companies in the market, product design and manufacturing methods need to be improved constantly. To save time and money, there is an advantage if there is a manufacturing plan in place before designing the final product. Composites have been used worldwide for over 6,000 years and their use is expected to increase in the future. Composites offer advantages in product design and manufacturing since it can be adapted to the intended purpose.  The purpose of the project is to determine whether it is possible to produce a magnetic polymer composite with a sufficiently high magnetism to lift a specific weight. The purpose is fulfilled through practical executions together with a literature study to find out which materials were most suitable for the application. The polymer composites were tested in magnetic tests to see if a sufficiently high magnetism was obtained to lift the specific weight.  Two steel powders, differing in particle structure and density, were mixed with an epoxy as a binder and then cast in two different moulds with a depth of 2 mm and 4 mm. The proportions of the steel powder were tested from 50% up to 97%. The result showed that sufficiently high magnetism to lift the intended weight was reached at a concentration of steel powder between 85% - 97%. The composites did not exhibit the necessary magnetic capacity to function in the intended application and therefore further tests with a magnetic material with higher relative permeability are proposed. / Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka om det går att framställa en polymerkomposit med tillräcklig magnetisk kraft för att lyfta en skiva som väger 100g. Polymerkompositen ska tillverkas genom gjutning. De parametrar som behöver tas hänsyn till i arbetet är vilka material som är lämpliga att använda i kompositen, vilka proportioner av plast- och magnetiskt material som behövs för att skapa tillräcklig magnetisk kraft och den magnetiska kraft som polymerkompositen behöver erhålla för att lyfta skivan. Materialvalet är en viktig aspekt i arbetet för att uppnå önskat resultat. Det magnetiska materialet behöver ha en hög relativ permeabilitet, det vill säga en hög grad av förmågan att magnetisera sig själv med ett pålagt externt magnetfält, för att uppnå tillräcklig magnetisk kraft. Vid val av polymermaterial är det viktigt att ta hänsyn till materialets viskositet, med andra ord, materialets tjockhet. Det med anledning för att en lägre viskositet hos polymeren tillåter högre koncentration av metallpartiklar. Vilket är önskvärt för att få in så mycket magnetiskt material som möjligt i polymerkompsiten. Proportionerna av de två materialen behöver anpassas efter dess egenskaper för att uppnå en önskad magnetisk kraft. Ett magnetiskt material som har en hög relativ permeabilitet behöver till exempel blandas med ett polymermaterial med högre viskositet för att blandningen inte ska sedimentera.   Kompositer har använts i hela världen i över 6000 år och användningen förväntas att öka under framtiden. Grunden till detta projekt är att en stålbricka med magnetiska egenskaper ska bytas ut mot en magnetisk polymerkomposit i ett instrument. Fördelen med en komposit är möjligheten att anpassas efter ändamålet och därför till exempel kan vara lättare, tåligare, flexibla och motstå korrosion.  Genom praktiska undersökningar tillsammans med en litteraturstudie uppfylls syftet att ta reda på lämpliga material och proportioner. Avslutningsvis ska de gjutna polymerkompositerna testas i magnetiska tester för att undersöka om tillräckligt hög magnetism kan erhållas för att lyfta den specifika vikten. I arbetet används två stålpulver som skiljer sig i partikelstruktur och densitet, dessa stålpulver blandas med bindemedlet epoxi och gjuts därefter i två olika formar med djupet 2mm och 4mm. Proportionerna i vikt för stålpulvret testades från 50% upp till 97%. Resultatet visade att tillräckligt hög magnetism för att lyfta avsedd vikt nåddes vid en koncentration av stålpulver mellan 85% -97%. Resultatet visade inte tillräckligt hög magnetism för att fungera i den avsedda applikationen och därför föreslås vidare tester med ett magnetiskt material med högre relativ permeabilitet.

Cross-ply composite laminates can develop very high density of transverse cracks in the 90-layer under severe thermal and mechanical loading conditions. At such high crack densities, two adjacent cracks start to interact, and a stress gradient is created in the region between these cracks. Due to the presence of high stress gradients, thickness averaging of longitudinal stress becomes obsolete. Thus, a detailed analysis of stress state along the thickness direction becomes necessary to study growth conditions of fiber sized microcracks initiated at the interface between 0-layer and 90-layer. Stress analysis at various crack densities is carried out in this project using finite element analysis or FEM as the main tool. This analysis is coupled with strain energy release rate (ERR) studies for a microcrack which grows in transverse direction from one interface to the other. The growth of this microcrack is found to be strongly influenced by the stress gradients and a presence of compressive stresses along midplane under tensile loading conditions at high crack densities.

High voltage bushings are the most critical components of power transformers. A common material used in bushings is resin impregnated paper (RIP). Hitachi Energy is investigating whether this can be replaced with a new material, resin impregnated non-woven (RIN). One of the main reasons is that non-woven is less prone to absorb moisture compared to paper. Thus, for design purposes the mechanical, thermal and absorption properties of RIN have been studied and compared to RIP. The mechanical properties were tested by tensile and bending tests at room temperature and 80 ℃, showing that RIN has a lower elastic modulus and tensile strength than RIP at both temperatures. However, it was demonstrated that RIN does not retain its elongation at break and elasticity properties at elevated temperatures. The bending test showed no significant differences in flexural properties for RIN between room and high temperature. The thermal properties were studied with the transient plane source method (TPS) showing that both RIN and RIP had a higher specific heat capacity than pure epoxy. The thermal conductivity of the materials will be measured and included later. Lastly, the water absorption test was performed in order to provide information about the suitability of the materials used in bushings. For this different methods were used; water immersion andwater vapor testing. The immersion test showed that non-woven is more water resistant than paper and that the composites only absorb a small amount of water. No useful information was achieved from the water vapor test due to limited testing time. The results demonstrate the promising potential of RIN in bushings.

The thesis contains a background and reflections section, an introduction, and three appended articles. The first section is reserved for some of the background and basics on polymers and polymer composites and a discussion on their effect on our everyday lives. The introduction gives a brief recap of the project. The articles contain the research that was performed on the thermal oxidation of thermosetting polyimides and their composites during the project. The first article covered the thermal oxidative degradation of satin weave and thin-ply composites made by resin transfer molding with carbon fibers and thermosetting polyimide. The degradation was studied by weight loss measurements and X-ray computed microtomography. The weight loss measurements showed that the initial desorption stage during ageing followed Fickian behavior and the proposed model. It was also observed that the satin weave composites formed crack clusters that grew into a network of cracks, voids and delaminations throughout the specimens as the ageing time progressed, while the thin-ply composites only formed delaminations at the free edges. The second manuscript studied the behavior of the neat polyimide resin when aged for up to 1500 hours in ambient air, and compared it with a newly developed polyimide formulation, with slightly altered chemical composition. The reduced amount of internal crosslinkers in the newer formulation was expected to enhance the fracture toughness of the material. Three-point bending, differential scanning calorimetry, dilatometry, weight loss, light optical microscopy and nanoindentation experiments were performed and highlighted the differences in the thermal and mechanical properties of the two formulations. A slight increase in the fracture toughness was observed, while the glass transition of the new formulation had decreased. The third manuscript was aimed at continuing the discussion from the second article on the differences between the two thermosetting polyimides. Thermogravimetric scans showed that the polyimide formulations behaved very similarly under thermal oxidative tests. The initial analysis gave indications that the model could capture well the degradation at high temperatures, but is not adequate in predicting long-term degradation at temperatures around 288–400 °C.

The objective of this study was to produce a metal matrix composite (MMC). This compositematerial proves highly suitable for scenarios involving abrasive wear, owing to the exceptionalhardness of carbide particles, in conjunction with the remarkable ductility and capacity for workhardening found in Hadfield steel. Therefore, the effect of WC and TiC on the microstructure,mechanical properties, and wear resistance was investigated. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)technique and Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with Energy X-ray Dispersive Spectroscopy(SEM-EDS) were employed to examine the phase transformation and microstructurecharacteristics of the MMCs. The grain size of carbides was calculated using ImageJ software.The wear test was conducted using a mini jaw crusher equipped with a stationary jaw (SJ) andmovable jaw (MJ). The wear characterization involved assessing volume loss, hardness profile,and the worn surface. The microstructures showed the formation of carbides particles dispersedwithin the matrix. Compared to the hardness of the manganese steel matrix, the MMCs exhibiteda significant increase in hardness. Regarding the wear performances, the movable jaw (MJ)demonstrated greater resistance (lower volume loss) compared to the stationnary jaw (SJ), indicatingdifferent wear mechanisms between the two jaws. The worn surface exhibited a texturedappearance with visible grooves, scratches, and embedded abrasive fragments. The hardnessprofile from the worn surface towards the core displayed a gradual decrease for both the SJ andMJ, indicating the work hardening capacity of manganese steel.

Fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates make up more than 50% of modern aircrafts. Such composite laminates are exposed to various environmental and in-service thermo-mechanical load conditions. Transverse/intralaminar cracking is usually the first form of damage appears in a composite laminate and they tend to increase in number during the service life. The growth in number of these cracks significantly degrades the thermo-elastic properties of the composite laminate and eventually leads to final failure. Thus, it is important to predict the crack density (number of cracks per unit length) growth in both non-interactive crack density region and interactive crack density region and its effect in thermo-elastic properties degradation. Non-interactive crack density region is the region where the cracks are far apart and stress perturbation between cracks do not overlap. Interactive crack density region is where the cracks are close to each other and stress perturbation between cracks overlaps and affects the formation of new cracks. In this study, transverse cracks in thick Glass Fiber Epoxy (GF/EP) cross-ply composite laminates under quasi-static tensile loading and tension-tension fatigue loading have been analyzed and predicted. In the first paper attached here, increase in number of transverse cracks in GF/EP cross-ply laminates under quasi-static tensile loading at room temperature (RT) are analyzed using 2 material systems. The failure stress distribution in 90° plies of the laminates is defined by Weibull distribution and the Weibull parameters are determined from crack density versus applied thermo-mechanical transverse stress in 90° layer (σTCLT) data points within the non-interactive crack density region. The crack density growth is then predicted versus the σTCLT and applied mechanical strain in the laminate from the determined Weibull parameters using Monte Carlo method and the stress distribution models between adjacent cracks. The predicted results using the novel stress distribution model introduced here were in good agreement with the non-interactive and interactive crack density regions of test results. The importance of using the Monte Carlo method and novel stress distribution model to predict the whole crack density region have been emphasized in the article, in addition to that it also redefined the interval of non-interactive crack density region.  The second paper expands the concept from the first paper, to address the tension-tension fatigue loading at RT. It deals with the crack density analysis and prediction in [0/90]s GF/EP laminate under fatigue loading at RT. The fatigue tests were performed at 3 maximum stress levels. Here the Weibull parameters were determined from the data points within the non-interactive crack density region in quasi-static and fatigue loading. From the determined Weibull parameters of each stress level and using Monte Carlo method and the novel stress distribution model, the crack density versus the number of fatigue cycles were predicted and in good agreement with the fatigue test results at the respective stress level. The intention here was to use Weibull parameters of one stress level to predict crack density at arbitrary stress levels. Based on it, the predicted results were not sufficiently good and suggested to revisit the Weibull parameter determination by performing fatigue tests at two stress levels.  In the attached paper 3, new methodology on crack density growth simulation and Weibull parameter determination in tension-tension fatigue loading has been developed. In the newly developed methodology, in detailed fatigue tests are performed at one maximum stress level to obtain all data points and at higher stress level to obtain one data point that is a crack density data point at certain number of cycles to determine Weibull parameters. Using the determined Weibull parameters from non-interactive crack density region, the whole crack density region was successfully predicted for other stress levels.

In this project, the possibility of using thermography as a non-destructive testing tool in the manufacturing process of boats and to assess the quality of end-of-life composite structures has been explored. To do so, a literature surview regarding the current applications of thermography and the techniques currently used for quality control in the boats industry has been conducted. Additionally, the set-up of the thermal camera has been improved for the testing and measurements on several composite parts have been performed. Here, the resulting images were analysed regarding different features important for the intended new application, such as existence of delamination, bonding quality, and fibre orientations. The technique appears to be well suited to evaluate the bonding quality in case of glass fibre composite plates and to detect delaminations and other defects in such. Regarding the fibre orientation more studies are needed to judge the practicality.

In recent times, there has been an increased interest in replacing conventional metals and synthetic fiber composites in various automobile parts with natural fiber polymer composites. These natural fiber composites offer benefits over conventional materials in terms of reduction in weight, lower cost, comparable high specific properties such as specific stiffness and strength, low abrasion property, and availability of these materials. Environmetal concerns and the need to make eco-friendly materials also encouraged the use of natural fiber polymer composites (NFPC) for various automotive applications, as their usage reduces the emission of harmful pollutants, thereby providing a safer and cleaner environment. The reduction in weight of these materials also helps to reduce fuel consumption in cars. Therefore, this study focused on the investigation and characterization (mechanical, thermal, and tribological) of hemp fibers reinforced polypropylene made with virgin (Biolite) and recycled (Revo) composites, consisting of different fiber loadings from 10% to 30% for possible automotive applications. The result showed an improvement in the compressive properties of the composite as hemp fiber loading increases, with the recycled composite exhibiting a better compression performance in comparison to virgin composites. Revo 41 had the best compressive strength  and a 35% higher value than Biolite 2 of the same hemp fiber loading. However, there was a decrease in the fracture toughness of the composites as hemp fiber loading increases. This was more significant at about 27% from Biolite 1 to Biloite 2, Revo 41 experienced a slight improvement of 15% in fracture toughness with 20% hemp fiber loading. Revo 35 composite which had more degradation steps showed the best thermal performance at low temperature region with a degradation temperature of 276°C, while Biolite 1 at 444°C exhibited the best thermal stability at high temperature degradation. In comparing the tribological behavior of pure polypropylene with the composites, the composites exhibited a better tribological performance as there was a slight decrease in the coefficient of friction and wear rates of composites as the hemp fiber loading increases. Revo 41 of 20% hemp fiber fiber loading had the best wear performance. Considering its strength and slightly better tribological performance, Revo 41 is considered the best performing composite for automotive applications in comparison to the other composites.

Magnetic measurements are useful tools for quality control of cemented carbides. Previous work at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology has shown that the coercivity increases with increased cooling rate during sintering for a specific grade.  This study aims to investigate why the coercivity changes with the cooling rate and if this is true for other cemented carbide grades as well. Three different cemented carbide grades were sintered with different cooling rates and evaluated with coercivity, Cobalt-magnetic saturation and hardness measurements, and with microscopy and Electron Backscatter Diffraction analysis. It was found that the coercivity increased with increasing cooling rates for the previously studied grade, but not for the two other grades. It was expected that the increased coercivity would indicate a decrease in WC grain size, but the results showed that the WC grain size of the fastest and slowest cooling rate were the same. However, a change in size of the Co areas between the WC grains was found. The fast cooled sample showed smaller Co areas than the slow cooled sample. These Co/WC grain boundaries increase the coercivity. An increased fraction of hcp-Co/fcc-Co was also found for the fast cooled material which also increases the coercivity. No relationship between the hardness and the coercivity or the cooling rate was found.   The contiguity for the different grades was also calculated.  No significant difference in contiguity between the different cooling rates of each material was found but the contiguity values between the different materials differed.  This is probably mainly dependent on the different binder contents of the materials. / Magnetiska egenskaper är en viktig del av kvalitetskontrollen av hårdmetaller.  Tidigare forskning hos Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology har visat att koerciviteten hos en hårdmetallsort ökar med ökad kylhastighet vid sintring.  Målet med den här studien är att undersöka varför koerciviteten ökar med kylhastigheten och om detta även gäller andra hårdmetallsorter.  Tre olika hårdmetallsorter sintrades med olika kylhastigheter undersöktes med mätningar av koercivitet, magnetisk mättnat i koboltfasen och hårdhet,  samt med mikroskopi och Electron Backscatter Diffraction analys. Det  visade  sig  att  koerciviteten  ökade  med  ökad  kylhastighet  för  hårdmetallsorten  som  studerats tidigare, men inte för de andra två sorterna.  En ökad koercivitet förväntas visa på en minskad WC-kornstorlek, men resultaten visar att det långsamt kylda och snabbkylda provet hade samma WC-kornstorlek.  Däremot upptäcktes en ändring av storleken på Co-områdena mellan WC-kornen.  Det snabbkylda provet visade en mindre storlek av Co-områdena jämfört med det långsamt kylda provet. Fler Co/WC-korngränser i det snabbkylda provet leder till en ökad koercivitet.  Fraktionen av hcp-Co/fcc-Co-korngränser ökade också för det snabbkylda provet vilket också ökar koerciviteten. Inget samband mellan hårdheten och koerciviteten eller kylhastigheten upptäcktes.  Beräkning av kontiguiteten för de olika sorterna genomfördes också. Ingen signifikant skillnad i koercivitet mellan de olika kylhastigheterna för the olika sorterna hittades,  men kontiguiteten mellan de olika sorterna varierade. Det beror mest troligt på att dom olika sorterna har olika mängd matrismaterial.

Cemented carbide powder production is the first step in the manufacturing of cemented carbide inserts.The quality of the powder affects the successive process steps in the production of the cemented carbide inserts. The powder is produced by spray drying of a slurry. The slurry consists of polymer, water, ethanol, and dry components. The operating conditions of the spray dryer have been studied greatly to optimize the powder properties but less is known about the influence of the slurry on the powder. This work examines the effect of slurry composition on the cemented carbide powder properties. The work is necessary to predict optimum slurry composition to produce good quality cemented carbide powders. To characterise the powders, flowability, density, particle morphology and hollowness of the powder granules were measured for different slurry compositions. No direct correlation was observed between slurry viscosity and the powder properties but a change in the amount of raw material and organic additives in the slurry affected various powder properties. An optimum slurry composition was obtained which can produce better quality of cemented carbide powder. Additionally, it was found that an increase in slurry viscosity can hinder the spray drying process. / Tillverkning av hårdmetallpulver är det första steget i tillverkningen av hårdmetallinsatser. Pulverkvaliteten påverkar de successiva processstegen vid tillverkningen av hårdmetallinsatserna. Pulvret framställs genom spraytorkning av en uppslamning. Uppslamning består av polymer, vatten, etanol och torra komponenter. Driftförhållandena för spraytork har studerats mycket för att optimera pulveregenskaperna, men mindre är känt om påverkan av uppslamningen på pulvret. Detta arbete undersöker effekten av uppslamningskomposition på egenskaperna för hårdmetallpulver. Arbetet är nödvändigt för att förutsäga optimal uppslamningskomposition för att producera hårdmetallpulver av god kvalitet. För att karakterisera pulvren mättes flytbarhet, densitet, partikelmorfologi och hålighet hos pulvergranulerna för olika uppslamningskompositioner. Ingen direkt korrelation observerades mellan uppslamningsviskositet och pulveregenskaperna men en förändring i mängden råmaterial och organiska tillsatser i uppslamningen påverkade olika pulveregenskaper. En optimal uppslamningskomposition erhölls som kan ge bättre kvalitet på hårdmetallpulver. Dessutom fann man att en ökning av uppslamningsviskositeten kan hindra spraytorkningsprocessen.