In the present work, a settlement-based method is proposed to design piled raft foundation. The proposed design method is found to be very efficient, economical and requires less calculation time. Simple software can be used to execute all the interactions and loop calculations.<p>Unlike methods with numerical techniques, there are practically no limitations for the number of individual piles under the raft, size of the group and the group shape or layout. It can also be applied to piles with different length or piles that are located within multi-layered soils.<p>The raft is designed first according to the allowable settlement that is pre-defined by the structural requirements and with the necessary factor of safety. When raft suffers excessive settlement, then the load that causes excess raft settlement beyond the required limit is to be transferred to the fully mobilised frictional piles. <p>The fully mobilised shaft (with no end bearing) piles are designed with factor of safety close to unity since their function is only to reduce raft settlement and since the raft has an adequate bearing capacity.<p>Geometry of these piles is chosen to fully mobilise their shafts capacity with low settlement level in order to comply with load/settlement requirement and reduce raft settlement to the pre-defined level. <p> / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The goal of this study is to present kinetic studies of (co)polymerization as well as the synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic copolymers with a fluorinated segment. Copolymers were obtained by RAFT (co)polymerizations using one-pot and miniemulsion methods. Different monomers were used to obtain stable selforganized systems, being that one of them was always fluorinated. The resulting copolymers showed different properties, especially when evaluating their selforganization. For this reason, different methodologies for self-organization were used, depending on the synthetic route by which the copolymers were obtained. The self-organization systems formed by the fluorinated amphiphilic copolymers were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) to determine the size and distribution of the species. The micellar systems analyzed showed great potential for the use in diagnostic imaging, which makes it possible to identify the presence of fluorine in the interior of the micelles through 19F NMR analysis. Relaxation times T1 were measured and values were similar to those reported in the literature. To reinforce the above statement, we performed cell viability assays, which demonstrated the biocompatibility of fluorinated amphiphilic copolymers. / O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar estudos cinéticos de (co)polimerizações bem como a síntese e a caracterização de copolímeros anfifílicos contendo um segmento fluorado, os quais foram obtidos através de (co)polimerizações RAFT pelos métodos one-pot e miniemulsão. Diferentes monômeros foram utilizados para a obtenção de sistemas auto-organizados estáveis, sendo um deles sempre fluorado. Os copolímeros resultantes apresentaram propriedades distintas, principalmente quando se avalia a autoorganização dos mesmos. Por este motivo, diferentes metodologias para autoorganização foram utilizadas, dependendo da rota sintética pela qual os copolímeros foram obtidos. Os sistemas auto-organizados formados pelos copolímeros anfifílicos fluorados foram analisadas por espalhamento de luz dinâmico (DLS) para determinação de tamanho e distribuição das espécies. Os sistemas micelares analisados apresentaram grande potencial para utilização em diagnósticos por imagens sendo possível identificar a presença de flúor no interior das micelas através de análises por RMN 19F. Os tempos de relaxação T1 foram medidos e os valores encontrados foram semelhantes aos reportados na literatura. Para reforçar a afirmação acima, foram realizados ensaios de viabilidade celular que demonstraram a biocompatibilidade dos copolímeros anfifílicos fluorados.

Dans une optique de développement de nouvelles membranes innovantes, ce travail de thèse a permis l'élaboration de films minces nano-structurés et nano-poreux à partir de particules de polymère (copolymères ABA, AB, et homopolymère/MOF). Ces films ont notamment pu être utilisés en tant que membranes de filtration d'eau ou de mélange de gaz. Concernant les copolymères triblocs de type ABA (PS-PNaSS-PS), cette étude a montré que des films nano-poreux présentant des structures variées (nid d'abeilles, isoporeuse et compacte) pouvaient être obtenus. Les morphologies de ces particules pouvaient être adaptées en fonction de la taille des blocs hydrophiles et hydrophobes du copolymère, de la composition en solvant et de la concentration. Pour l'élaboration de films à partir de copolymère diblocs, des nanoparticules sphériques monodisperses, constituées de PDMAEMA-PMMA, ont été préparées in situ (PISA) par polymérisation RAFT en dispersion dans l'éthanol, à partir d'un agent de transfert fonctionnalisé coumarine. Les expériences successives d'irradiation UV ont montré que les nanopaticules ainsi fonctionnalisées pouvaient être connectées de façon réversible via la dimérisation de la coumarine. Les films minces ainsi élaborés présentaient des propriétés dynamiques dues à l'établissement de la formation réversible du cyclobutane lors de l'irradiation UV de la coumarine. Ce travail de thèse a été clôturé par la préparation de « Mix Matrix Membranes (MMMs) » à partir d'un mélange de polyimide (Matrimid®) et de nanoparticules de ZIF-8 pour la réalisation de membranes à perméation gazeuse. Une nouvelle approche d'élaboration des MMMs a permis d'obtenir la formation de membranes parfaitement homogènes avec une cohésion améliorée entre les MOF et la matrice de polymère. Une meilleure séparation du mélange de gaz CH4/CO2 a ainsi pu être obtenue. / This thesis deals with the development of nano-structured thin nano-porous films from polymeric particles (ABA, AB copolymers and polymer/MOF) in perspective of developing new innovative membranes. The obtained films have been used as water filtration or gas separation membranes. Regarding the ABA triblock copolymer made of polystyrene-sodium polystyrene sulfonate-polystyrene (PS-PNaSS-PS) it was shown that nano-porous films with various structures (honeycombs, isoporous and compact), could be made. The morphologies of these nanoparticles could be tuned depending on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic block ratios, solvent composition and concentration. Concerning the study of the diblock copolymer, monodisperse spherical nanoparticles of PDMAEMA-b-PMMA were made in situ (PISA) using a coumarin functionalized RAFT chain transfer agent in ethanol. Upon UV irradiation, these particles could be connected reversibly through the dimerization of the coumarin function present on their corona. The resulting thin films had dynamic characteristic due to the establishment of the reversible formation of the cyclobutane ring under UV irradiation. This manuscript was concluded by preparation of Mix Matrix Membranes (MMMs) from mixture of polyimide (Matrimid®) and ZIF-8 nanoparticles to be used as gas permeation membrane. The employed new approach in this study led to formation of perfectly homogeneous membranes with improved cohesion between the MOF structure and the polymeric matrix. A better separation of CH4 / CO2 gas mixtures was achieved using the prepared MMM.

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse portent sur le contrôle de la polymérisation radicalaire de l'éthylène à basse pression (200 bar) et basse température (70 °C) et sur la synthèse de copolymères à blocs contenant au moins un segment de polyéthylène. Quatre techniques de polymérisation, couramment utilisées en ingénierie macromoléculaire, ont été étudiées : NMP, CMRP, RAFT/MADIX et ESCP. Nos études sur le nitroxyde SG1 (NMP) et le bis(acétylacétonate) de cobalt (CMRP) ont montré que ces composés sont inefficaces pour contrôler la polymérisation de l'éthylène. Un comportement inattendu du bis(acétylacétonate) de cobalt a cependant été mis en évidence. Il semblerait que ces complexes de cobalt favorisent les réactions de couplage entre les radicaux propagateurs. En revanche, la première polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée de l'éthylène a été atteinte grâce à l'utilisation de xanthates (RAFT/MADIX). Les polyéthylènes synthétisés possèdent des masses molaires qui augmentent linéairement avec la conversion et des dispersités faibles. Le caractère pseudo-vivant de la réaction a été démontré par la synthèse de copolymères à blocs poly(acétate de vinyle)-b-polyéthylène. L'utilisation de nitrones (ESCP) a également permis l'introduction d'une fonction réactive au centre des chaînes de polyéthylène et la synthèse de copolymères triblocs de type ABA, où les blocs latéraux A sont en polystyrène ou polyacrylate et le bloc central B est en Polyéthylène / The work presented in this thesis displays the controlled radical polymerization of ethylene at low temperature (70 °C) and low pressure (200 bar) and the synthesis of block copolymers featuring polyethylene segments. Four polymerization techniques, commonly used in macromolecular engineering, were studied: NMP, CMRP, RAFT/MADIX and ESCP. Our investigation of the use of SG1 nitroxide (NMP) and cobalt (II) acetylacetonate (CMRP) as controlling agents demonstrated their inability to control the polymerization of ethylene. Nonetheless, an unexpected reaction with cobalt (II) acetylacetonate was observed. The coupling reaction between propagating radicals appeared to be favored by the presence of this compound. On the other hand, the first controlled polymerization of ethylene was successfully achieved by using xanthate (RAFT/MADIX). A linear increase of molecular weight with conversion and low polydispersities were observed for the produced polyethylenes. The reaction was demonstrated to be a pseudo-living polymerization by the synthesis of block copolymers poly(vinyl acetate)-b-polyethylene. In addition, midchain-functionalized polyethylenes and ABA type block copolymers, with polystyrene or polyacrylate as the A block and polyethylene as the B block, were also prepared using nitrone based polymerization technique (ESCP)

Das Ziel der Arbeit bestand in der Präparation von multifunktionellen phasenseparierten Blockcopolymerfilmen, die an der Oberfläche über polymeranaloge Reaktionen modifiziert werden können. Dafür wurden zunächst phasenseparierte Blockcopolymere über RAFT-Polymerisation synthetisiert, in die sowohl funktionelle als auch Vernetzergruppen integriert wurden. Als funktionelle Monomere kamen dabei Propargylmethacrylat, Propargyloxystyrol, Vinylbenzylchlorid und Pentafluorostyrol zum Einsatz. Die Vernetzergruppen wurden über die Monomere Vinylpyridin, Glycidylmethacrylat, 4-Benzoyl-3-hydroxyphenylmethacrylat und Dimethylmaleinimidobutylmethacrylat eingebaut. Die erhaltenen Polymere wurden hinsichtlich ihrer Molmasse und ihrer thermischen Eigenschaften mit GPC, NMR, DSC und TGA untersucht. Des Weiteren erfolgten polymeranaloge Reaktionen, wie die kupferkatalysierte Cycloaddition von Aziden an Alkinen, eine cäsiumvermittelte Veresterung der Vinylbenzylchloridgruppe mit Liponsäure als auch eine Substitution am Pentafluorostyrol mit Thiolen, an den synthetisierten Blockcopolymeren. Dünne Filme dieser Blockcopolymere wurden mit Rasterkraftmikroskopie untersucht und dabei teilweise Phasenseparation erhalten. Die Filme wurden darauf chemisch, thermisch als auch photochemisch vernetzt, um die erhaltenen Strukturen zu fixieren. Dabei konnte ein vollständiger Erhalt der Phasenstrukturen nicht erreicht werden. Allerdings zeigten die thermischen als auch photochemischen Vernetzungen die vielversprechendsten Ergebnisse.

In vorangegangenen Arbeiten im eigenen Arbeitskreis wurden sensitive Hydrogelpartikel im mm- und &amp;amp;#956;m-Bereich synthetisiert. Die Reaktion dieser Gele auf Änderung des einwirkenden Stimulus war jedoch nicht schnell genug für die gewünschten Anwendungen in Mikroventilen. Die verwendeten Polymere waren statistische Copolymere aus einem Chromophor (DMIAAm) und einem sensitiven Monomer (NIPAAm) und wiesen daher sehr breite Molmassenverteilungen auf. Mit Hilfe des Chromophores wurde es möglich, Hydrogele im Submikrometerbereich zu synthetisieren. Bei der Vernetzung dieser Polymere mit UVBestrahlung musste immer ein Tensid (SDS) zugesetzt werden, um die Bildung kleiner Aggregate zu unterstützen und gleichzeitig die Bildung großer zu unterdrücken. Ein solches Tensid kann die Anwendung dieser Hydrogele in bestimmten Bereichen, wie in der Medizin, verhindern. Es sollen daher tensidfrei Hydrogele synthetisiert werden. Für die Vernetzung sollte auf die photochemische Variante mit DMIAAm als Chromophor zurückgegriffen werden. Als Ausgangspolymere wären Di- bzw. Triblockcopolymere denkbar, die in wässriger Lösung zu einer Mizellbildung neigen. Aus den oben genannten Problemen ergab sich die folgende Zielstellung für die Arbeit. Es sollten sensitive Hydrogelpartikel erzeugt werden, die in der Lage sind, schnell auf eine Änderung der Temperatur zu reagieren. Eine kurze Reaktionszeit ist nur von Gelpartikeln mit kleinen Dimensionen im nm-Bereich zu erwarten. Weiterhin sollen diese Partikel mit einer Hülle umgeben werden, die für eine Stabilisierung sorgt und die Bildung größerer Aggregate unterbindet. Die Hülle muss so beschaffen sein, dass die Volumenänderung des sensitiven Blocks nicht beeinflusst wird. In dieser Dissertation wurde die kontrollierte radikalische Polymerisation von Acrylaten und Acrylamiden untersucht. Als Methode kam die Reversible-Addition-Fragmentation-chain-Transfer (RAFT) Polymerisation zum Einsatz. Die RAFT wurde gewählt, weil diese im Gegensatz zur ATRP metallionenfrei verläuft und die NMRP nicht für Acrylate geeignet ist. Bei den RAFT-Polymerisationen der verschiedenen Monomere wurden vier unterschiedliche Kettenüberträger verwendet (Schema 33) und folgende Ergebnisse erhalten. Als Lösungsmittel kam 1,4-Dioxan in den Polymerisationen zum Einsatz.

Au cours de la dernière décennie, quelques (rares) exemples de copolymères à blocs présentant des liens supramoléculaires entre les blocs constitutifs ont été décrits. En raison du caractère réversible de l’association des blocs macromoléculaires, de tels polymères sont d’un grand intérêt pour le développement de matériaux nanostructurés, ayant des propriétés auto-cicatrisantes ou à processabilité améliorée. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’élaborer de nouvelles architectures supramoléculaires, en combinant la polymérisation RAFT et l’association spécifique par liaisons H des groupements thymine et diaminopyridine. La stratégie employée a consisté dans un premier temps en la synthèse d’agents de transfert et d’un amorceur radicalaire fonctionnalisés par des unités complémentaires thymine et diaminopyridine. Ces précurseurs ont permis de générer, par polymérisation RAFT, des polymères α- ou α,ω-fonctionnalisés de manière quantitative par ces motifs à liaisons H. L’auto-assemblage des blocs polymères ainsi obtenus a été mis en évidence par RMN 1H, AFM et par des mesures rhéologiques. Cette démarche a été adaptée dans un second temps à l’élaboration de copolymères greffés supramoléculaires hydrophiles, basés sur le complexe d’inclusion β-cyclodextrine/adamantane. / Over the past decade, some (rare) examples of block copolymers with supramolecular links between the building blocks have been described. Because the association between macromolecular blocks is a reversible process, such polymers are of great interest in the field of nanostructured materials, self-healing materials, or processing aid. The main goal of this work is to develop new supramolecular architectures, by a combination of RAFT polymerization and H-bonding. In a first step, several chain transfer agents and a radical initiator possessing complementary thymine or diaminopyridine H-bonding moeties were synthesized. These precursors were used to generate a panel of polymers α- or α,ω-functionalized with these H-bonding stickers in a quantitative manner. The self-assembly of the resulting polymer blocks was highlighted by 1H NMR, AFM and rheological measurements. This approach was subsequently adapted to the development of hydrophilic supramolecular comb-shaped polymers, based on the β-cyclodextrin/adamantane host/guest complexation.

In this study, the zwitterionic monomer [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) was polymerized in a controlled manner by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The SBMA was also polymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) but in a less controlled manner why ATRP was discarded for further use in the study. The RAFT polymerized p(SBMA) was end-group modified through aminolysis forming a thiol end-group. The zwitterionic polymers have considerable anti-fouling properties and could be of use in contact lenses to prolong the wear-time. Model contact lens hydrogel substrates were synthesized, through free radical polymerization, consisting of 1/3 of silicone monomer, 2/3 of dimethyl acrylamide (DMA) and small percentages of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) cross-linker. These had poor mechanical strength and could only be used to explore the effect of surface chemical modification. The p(SBMA)-thiol was ‘graftedto’, by applying thiol-epoxide ring-opening, at a free radical polymerized co-polymer consisting of DMA and GMA indicating that this could work for the model hydrogel surfaces. / I denna studie polymeriserades den zwitterjoniska monomeren [2- (metakryloyloxi) etyl] dimetyl (3-sulfopropyl) ammoniumhydroxid (SBMA) på ett kontrollerat sätt genom ”reversible additionfragmentation chain transfer” (RAFT) polymerisation. SBMA polymeriserades också genom “atom transfer radical polymerization" (ATRP) men på ett mindre kontrollerat sätt varför ATRP då förkastades för vidare användning i arbetet. p(SBMA) blev ändgruppsmodifierad genom aminolys som då bildade en tiol ändgrupp. Zwitterjoniska polymerer kan vara bra för att förhindra tillväxt av biofilmer/beläggningar och kan därför bidra till att användningstiden för kontaktlinser kan förlängas. Modellytor baserade på hydrogel framställdes genom friradikalpolymerisation, med syfte att efterlikna en kontaktlins. Modellmaterialet består av 1/3 av silikoninnehållande monomer, 2/3 av dimetylakrylamid (DMA) och små mängder glycidylmetakrylat (GMA) samt etylenglykoldimetakrylat (EGDMA) som tvärbindare. Dessa modellytor hade dålig mekanisk hållfasthet och kunde endast användas för att utvärdera effekterna av ytmodifiering. Genom att använda tiol-epoxi ring-öppning utav p(SBMA)-tiol på en sam-polymer bestående av (DMA) och (GMA) indikerade detta att "ympning-till" skulle kunna fungera för hydrogels modellytorna.

Thesis (MSc (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Polymerization using the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process affords a researcher control over the molecular weight and polydispersity of the final polymer. Research is being carried out globally, using heterogeneous RAFT systems, as these systems offer superior industrial possibilities. Many emulsion systems fail when incorporating RAFT agents due to phase separation and colloidal instability. Exchanging conventional emulsion polymerizations with predispersed polymerization systems (i.e. miniemulsions) has shown many improvements. Evidence of uncontrolled aqueous phase polymerization (i.e. not mediated by the RAFT process) has however been found. This behaviour is similar to polymerization in a conventional emulsion polymerization system, but is not expected in miniemulsion polymerization.

Thesis (MSc (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization has emerged as a versatile method for preparing polymers with control over molecular weight and polydispersity. Inherent in its mechanism is the retention of the chain transfer agent, the RAFT agent, at the polymer chain ends. Typically RAFT agents are made up of two parts, the so called R (leaving) and Z (thiocarbonyl thio, stabilizing) groups. These are retained as the a-and the w-end groups of the final polymer, respectively. RAFT polymerization offers a ready method for preparing polymers with well defined end functionalities. The a-end functionality can easily be built into the R group. The Z group, however, is thermally unstable and can impart color and smell to the polymer. Hence, two new methods for Z end group removal were introduced. Both methods take advantage of the facile reaction between thiocarbonyl thio compounds and radicals. By matching the functionalities of the R group (a-end group) with that of the end modified w-chain end, both methods offer an easy route to accessing telechelic functional polymers. End functional polymers have many important uses in industry and in the biomedical field. An alcohol functional xanthate RAFT agent was synthesized and successfully used to conduct the RAFT-mediated polymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP). Characterization by NMR and MALDI ToF MS confirmed that a-hydroxyl-w-xanthate-functional PVP was easily produced. In the first end group modification method radicals were generated as in atom transfer radical addition (ATRA). A hydroxyl functional a-haloester was used as the ATRA initiator with a Cu catalyst system. The alkyl radical produced by this ATRA initiator then replaced the Z group giving a telechelic hydroxyl functional polymer. NMR analysis showed that the thiocarbonyl thio end group was completely removed. The hydroxyl functionality was quantified by derivatizing with trichloro acetyl isocyanate and subsequent analysis by NMR. MALDI ToF MS analysis, however, was inconclusive. In the second method the thiocarbonyl thio end group was removed by simply heating the polymer with hydrogen peroxide, thereby replacing the Z group with a hydroxyl end group at the w-chain end, giving a telechelic functional polymer. The telechelic hydroxyl functional polymer was subsequently crosslinked with a trifunctional isocyanate to make a PVP hydrogel. This confirmed that the end-modified polymer was indeed telechelic. The swelling kinetics of this hydrogel were determined in water at 37 oC.