O preenchimento dos atuais requisitos industriais para as propriedades das ligas Al-Si exige o controle dos processos de fundição e o conhecimento das relações entre as variáveis de processo e as propriedades finais desejadas. Sabe-se que as propriedades finais dependem fortemente da macroestrutura, especificamente da forma e tamanho dos grãos e da distribuição de porosidade. Embora se conheça a importância do estudo da formação da macroestrutura bruta de solidificação, existem diversos aspectos que foram pouco estudados. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal estudar o efeito da adição de inoculante na macroestrutura de grãos, particularmente na transição colunar-equiaxial, formada durante a solidificação unidirecional das ligas Al-3%Si e Al-7%Si. Foram realizados diversos ensaios de solidificação unidirecional ascendente em um forno de aquecimento resistivo adicionando-se diferentes quantidades de inoculante na forma de uma liga-mãe comercial de composição nominal Al-3%Ti-1%B. A solidificação unidirecional foi realizada num cadinho de aço inoxidável com base refrigerada a água e com topo e paredes laterais isolados termicamente. A macroestrutura da seção longitudinal dos lingotes obtidos foi revelada e parâmetros térmicos foram calculados a partir de curvas de resfriamento coletadas por termopares posicionados no interior do cadinho durante a solidificação. O aumento da quantidade de inoculante adicionada resultou em um conjunto de lingotes que apresentaram macroestruturas compostas quase completamente de grãos colunares até estruturas completamente equiaxiais. Sem a adição de inoculante, as macroestruturas mostraram uma transição colunar-equiaxial que não ocorre abruptamente, ao passo que a adição de inoculante resultou no aparecimento de uma região mista contendo simultaneamente grãos colunares e equiaxiais. O aparecimento desta região mista e a diminuição do tamanho dos grãos equiaxiais ocorreram na liga Al-7%Si para maiores quantidades de inoculante do que na liga Al-3%Si. / The development of various industrial sectors, such as the automotive and the aerospace industry, demand premium aluminum castings with strict control of mechanical properties. To fulfill these requirements, the control of solidification processes and the knowledge of relations between the processing variables and the casting properties are necessary. The mechanical properties of a cast part depend strongly on its macrostructure, which are directly related to the grain size and distribution of porosity. Although the study of the macrostructure formation is important to establish the relationship between processing variables and properties, some important effects were not studied thoroughly. The main objective of the present work is to study the effect of inoculant addition on the grain macrostructure, particularly the columnar-to-equiaxial transition, of Al-3%Si and Al-7%Si alloys solidified directionally. Several experiments of directional upwards solidification have been carried out in a electric resistance furnace. Different contents of a master-alloy (Al-3%Ti-1%Ti) traditionally used for grain refining in the aluminum industry were added to the melt before solidification. The directional solidification occurred in a stainless steel crucible with a water-cooled base and with lateral walls and top with thermal insulation. The macrostructures of the longitudinal section of ingots were revealed and thermal parameters, such as isotherm velocity and temperature gradients were calculated from the cooling curves measured during solidification by thermocouples inserted within the crucible. An increase in the inoculant addition resulted in a series of different ingot macrostructures that ranged from completely columnar to completely equiaxed grain structures. Without inoculant addition, the columnar-to-equiaxed transition region was abrupt, whereas the addition of inoculant gave rise to a mixed structure of columnar and equiaxed grains. The amount of inoculant that had to be added to the Al-7%Si to cause this mixed structure and decrease the equiaxed grain size was nearly one order o magnitude larger than the amount of inoculant added to the Al-3%Si alloy.

Quais propriedades magnéticas são modificadas quando se agrupam átomos de Fe/Co para formar estruturas quasi-2D, se comparadas aos nanofios (quasi-1D) de FexCo1-x? E como estas propriedades reagem com a variação da proporção de Fe/Co nos aglomerados? A fim de responder a estas questões, trímeros de FexCo1-x depositados em Pt(111) são investigados utilizando o método de primeiros princípios Real Space-Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital-Atomic Sphere Approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) no âmbito da Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT). Diferentes configurações de trímeros triangulares são consideradas, variando-se as posições e a concentração dos átomos de Fe/Co. Neste trabalho, demonstra-se a ocorrência de uma tendência não-linear estritamente decrescente dos momentos orbitais médios como função da concentração de Fe, distinta do encontrado tanto para os nanofios de FexCo1-x (dependência linear) quanto para a monocamada correspondente (dependência não-linear). Os resultados obtidos mostram ainda que os momentos orbitais variam com o ambiente local e com a direção de magnetização, especialmente quando associados aos átomos de Co, em concordância com publicações anteriores. A mudança de dimensionalidade quasi-1D (nanofios) para quasi-2D (trímeros compactos) não afeta o comportamento dos momentos de spin, que permanecem descritos por uma função linear com respeito à proporção de Fe/Co. Ambos o formato e a concentração de Fe nos sistemas apresentam um papel importante nos valores de energia de anisotropia magnética. Em adição, observou-se que o subtrato de Pt opera ativamente na definição das propriedades magnéticas dos aglomerados. Embora todas as configurações lineares e compactas dos aglomerados de FexCo1-x sejam estáveis e exibam interações fortemente ferromagnéticas entre os primeiros vizinhos, nem todas revelaram o ordenamento colinear como estado fundamental, apresentando uma interação de Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya não-desprezível induzida pelo acoplamento spin-órbita. Estes casos específicos são: o trímero triangular de Co puro e o trímero linear (nanofio) de Fe puro, para o qual foi verificado o acoplamento do tipo Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida entre os átomos de Fe constituintes. Os resultados obtidos contribuem para o entendimento de quais mecanismos definem o magnetismo nos trímeros de FexCo1-x/Pt(111), e discutem as questões presentes atualmente na literatura no contexto destes sistemas. / Which nanomagnetic properties change when we group Fe/Co atoms to form quasi-2D structures, in comparison with FexCo1-x nanowires quasi-1D arrangements? And how these properties react with the Fe/Co proportion variation? To answer these questions, FexCo1-x trimers deposited on the Pt(111) surface are investigated with the first-principles Real Space-Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital-Atomic Sphere Approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) method in the framework of the Density Functional Theory (DFT). Different configurations of triangular trimers are considered, varying the positions and concentration of Fe/Co atoms. We demonstrate the occurrence of a strictly decreasing nonlinear trend of the average orbital moments with the Fe concentration, different from what was found for FexCo1-x/Pt(111) nanochains (linear dependence), but also contrasting to the monolayer behavior (nonlinear dependence). Our results show that the orbital moments change with local environment and the direction of magnetization, especially for Co atoms, in agreement with previous investigations. When the structures deposited on Pt(111) change from quasi-1D (nanowires) to quasi-2D (compact trimers) arrangements, the average spin moments are still described by a linear function with respect to Fe/Co proportion. Both the Fe concentration and shape of the system have an important role on the magnetic anisotropy energy values. In addition, we observed that Pt substrate operates actively on the obtained magnetic properties. Although all studied linear and compact FexCo1-x configurations are stable and substantially ferromagnetic for nearest-neighbors interactions, not all revealed a collinear magnetic ordering as ground state, presenting a non-negligible Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction induced by spin-orbit coupling. For this particular case we can mention the triangular pure Co trimer and the linear (nanowire) pure Fe trimer, which shows a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-like coupling between the constituent Fe atoms. The obtained results contribute to the understanding of which mechanisms define the magnetism of FexCo1-x/Pt(111) trimers, and discuss issues currently present in literature in the context of these systems.

Quais propriedades magnéticas são modificadas quando se agrupam átomos de Fe/Co para formar estruturas quasi-2D, se comparadas aos nanofios (quasi-1D) de FexCo1-x? E como estas propriedades reagem com a variação da proporção de Fe/Co nos aglomerados? A fim de responder a estas questões, trímeros de FexCo1-x depositados em Pt(111) são investigados utilizando o método de primeiros princípios Real Space-Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital-Atomic Sphere Approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) no âmbito da Teoria do Funcional da Densidade (DFT). Diferentes configurações de trímeros triangulares são consideradas, variando-se as posições e a concentração dos átomos de Fe/Co. Neste trabalho, demonstra-se a ocorrência de uma tendência não-linear estritamente decrescente dos momentos orbitais médios como função da concentração de Fe, distinta do encontrado tanto para os nanofios de FexCo1-x (dependência linear) quanto para a monocamada correspondente (dependência não-linear). Os resultados obtidos mostram ainda que os momentos orbitais variam com o ambiente local e com a direção de magnetização, especialmente quando associados aos átomos de Co, em concordância com publicações anteriores. A mudança de dimensionalidade quasi-1D (nanofios) para quasi-2D (trímeros compactos) não afeta o comportamento dos momentos de spin, que permanecem descritos por uma função linear com respeito à proporção de Fe/Co. Ambos o formato e a concentração de Fe nos sistemas apresentam um papel importante nos valores de energia de anisotropia magnética. Em adição, observou-se que o subtrato de Pt opera ativamente na definição das propriedades magnéticas dos aglomerados. Embora todas as configurações lineares e compactas dos aglomerados de FexCo1-x sejam estáveis e exibam interações fortemente ferromagnéticas entre os primeiros vizinhos, nem todas revelaram o ordenamento colinear como estado fundamental, apresentando uma interação de Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya não-desprezível induzida pelo acoplamento spin-órbita. Estes casos específicos são: o trímero triangular de Co puro e o trímero linear (nanofio) de Fe puro, para o qual foi verificado o acoplamento do tipo Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida entre os átomos de Fe constituintes. Os resultados obtidos contribuem para o entendimento de quais mecanismos definem o magnetismo nos trímeros de FexCo1-x/Pt(111), e discutem as questões presentes atualmente na literatura no contexto destes sistemas. / Which nanomagnetic properties change when we group Fe/Co atoms to form quasi-2D structures, in comparison with FexCo1-x nanowires quasi-1D arrangements? And how these properties react with the Fe/Co proportion variation? To answer these questions, FexCo1-x trimers deposited on the Pt(111) surface are investigated with the first-principles Real Space-Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital-Atomic Sphere Approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) method in the framework of the Density Functional Theory (DFT). Different configurations of triangular trimers are considered, varying the positions and concentration of Fe/Co atoms. We demonstrate the occurrence of a strictly decreasing nonlinear trend of the average orbital moments with the Fe concentration, different from what was found for FexCo1-x/Pt(111) nanochains (linear dependence), but also contrasting to the monolayer behavior (nonlinear dependence). Our results show that the orbital moments change with local environment and the direction of magnetization, especially for Co atoms, in agreement with previous investigations. When the structures deposited on Pt(111) change from quasi-1D (nanowires) to quasi-2D (compact trimers) arrangements, the average spin moments are still described by a linear function with respect to Fe/Co proportion. Both the Fe concentration and shape of the system have an important role on the magnetic anisotropy energy values. In addition, we observed that Pt substrate operates actively on the obtained magnetic properties. Although all studied linear and compact FexCo1-x configurations are stable and substantially ferromagnetic for nearest-neighbors interactions, not all revealed a collinear magnetic ordering as ground state, presenting a non-negligible Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction induced by spin-orbit coupling. For this particular case we can mention the triangular pure Co trimer and the linear (nanowire) pure Fe trimer, which shows a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-like coupling between the constituent Fe atoms. The obtained results contribute to the understanding of which mechanisms define the magnetism of FexCo1-x/Pt(111) trimers, and discuss issues currently present in literature in the context of these systems.

O preenchimento dos atuais requisitos industriais para as propriedades das ligas Al-Si exige o controle dos processos de fundição e o conhecimento das relações entre as variáveis de processo e as propriedades finais desejadas. Sabe-se que as propriedades finais dependem fortemente da macroestrutura, especificamente da forma e tamanho dos grãos e da distribuição de porosidade. Embora se conheça a importância do estudo da formação da macroestrutura bruta de solidificação, existem diversos aspectos que foram pouco estudados. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal estudar o efeito da adição de inoculante na macroestrutura de grãos, particularmente na transição colunar-equiaxial, formada durante a solidificação unidirecional das ligas Al-3%Si e Al-7%Si. Foram realizados diversos ensaios de solidificação unidirecional ascendente em um forno de aquecimento resistivo adicionando-se diferentes quantidades de inoculante na forma de uma liga-mãe comercial de composição nominal Al-3%Ti-1%B. A solidificação unidirecional foi realizada num cadinho de aço inoxidável com base refrigerada a água e com topo e paredes laterais isolados termicamente. A macroestrutura da seção longitudinal dos lingotes obtidos foi revelada e parâmetros térmicos foram calculados a partir de curvas de resfriamento coletadas por termopares posicionados no interior do cadinho durante a solidificação. O aumento da quantidade de inoculante adicionada resultou em um conjunto de lingotes que apresentaram macroestruturas compostas quase completamente de grãos colunares até estruturas completamente equiaxiais. Sem a adição de inoculante, as macroestruturas mostraram uma transição colunar-equiaxial que não ocorre abruptamente, ao passo que a adição de inoculante resultou no aparecimento de uma região mista contendo simultaneamente grãos colunares e equiaxiais. O aparecimento desta região mista e a diminuição do tamanho dos grãos equiaxiais ocorreram na liga Al-7%Si para maiores quantidades de inoculante do que na liga Al-3%Si. / The development of various industrial sectors, such as the automotive and the aerospace industry, demand premium aluminum castings with strict control of mechanical properties. To fulfill these requirements, the control of solidification processes and the knowledge of relations between the processing variables and the casting properties are necessary. The mechanical properties of a cast part depend strongly on its macrostructure, which are directly related to the grain size and distribution of porosity. Although the study of the macrostructure formation is important to establish the relationship between processing variables and properties, some important effects were not studied thoroughly. The main objective of the present work is to study the effect of inoculant addition on the grain macrostructure, particularly the columnar-to-equiaxial transition, of Al-3%Si and Al-7%Si alloys solidified directionally. Several experiments of directional upwards solidification have been carried out in a electric resistance furnace. Different contents of a master-alloy (Al-3%Ti-1%Ti) traditionally used for grain refining in the aluminum industry were added to the melt before solidification. The directional solidification occurred in a stainless steel crucible with a water-cooled base and with lateral walls and top with thermal insulation. The macrostructures of the longitudinal section of ingots were revealed and thermal parameters, such as isotherm velocity and temperature gradients were calculated from the cooling curves measured during solidification by thermocouples inserted within the crucible. An increase in the inoculant addition resulted in a series of different ingot macrostructures that ranged from completely columnar to completely equiaxed grain structures. Without inoculant addition, the columnar-to-equiaxed transition region was abrupt, whereas the addition of inoculant gave rise to a mixed structure of columnar and equiaxed grains. The amount of inoculant that had to be added to the Al-7%Si to cause this mixed structure and decrease the equiaxed grain size was nearly one order o magnitude larger than the amount of inoculant added to the Al-3%Si alloy.

Este trabalho consiste em uma pesquisa experimental comparativa entre o zircônio puro e a liga comercial de aplicação nuclear Zircaloy-4, com ênfase nas características de encruamento, recristalização e textura cristalográfica. Foram utilizadas várias técnicas complementares de análise microestrutural tais como microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura com análise química de microrregiões por dispersão de energia de raios X característicos, difração de raios X, calorimetria exploratória diferencial, medidas de dureza e de condutividade elétrica. Para as determinações de macrotextura foi utilizado um goniômetro dedicado de raios X. No estado como recebido, enquanto o zircônio puro apresentava grãos recristalizados com diâmetro médio de aproximadamente 50μm, a liga apresentava granulação alfa em plaquetas grosseiras com diâmetro médio do pré-grão beta de aproximadamente 1,1mm. Experiências de laminação e a determinação de curvas de limite de redução sem a presença de trincas em função da temperatura mostraram que enquanto o zircônio puro apresentou níveis altos de plasticidade na temperatura ambiente, a liga Zircaloy-4 apresentou baixa ductilidade e muitas trincas. As ductilidades dos dois materiais, especialmente da liga Zircaloy-4, aumentaram significativamente a partir de 300°C. A 500°C as ductilidades de ambos são idênticas. Utilizando-se deformações e recozimentos diferenciados foram obtidas tiras de mesma espessura, com grãos equiaxiais e diâmetros médios de grão de aproximadamente 9µm para os dois materiais. Os estudos de recristalização revelaram que, enquanto para o zircônio puro a recuperação contribui significativamente para o amolecimento, no caso da liga Zircaloy-4, o amolecimento ocorre quase que exclusivamente por recristalização. As temperaturas de recristalização do zircônio puro foram mais baixas que as da liga. Os átomos de soluto em solução sólida foram responsáveis pelos dois efeitos concorrentes; aumento da energia armazenada na deformação e aumento da resistência à recristalização. Além da caracterização microestrutural mencionada, foram realizadas determinações de textura cristalográfica para os dois materiais em diferentes condições. Com relação às texturas de laminação do zircônio puro, para uma mesma temperatura, em cerca de 50% de redução a textura de laminado a frio {1 1 2 2} já estava plenamente formada e se alterou muito pouco a partir desta redução, até cerca de 90%. Com o aumento de temperatura de deformação para a mesma redução, a textura de laminado a frio se manteve estável até 300°C. A amostra de Zircaloy-4 preparada para possuir um tamanho de grão de 9 m tinha uma textura próxima de {0 0 0 2} , demonstrando que os tratamentos térmicos e mecânicos utilizados para obtenção dessa amostra foram eficientes na redução da textura de laminado a frio {1 1 2 2} . Recozimentos com duração de uma hora a 550 e 575°C, tanto em zircônio puro como na liga Zircaloy-4, foram suficientes para provocar recristalização estática. A 600°C, uma mudança na orientação cristalográfica foi verificada em Zircaloy-4, tendendo a {0 0 0 2} , enquanto em zircônio puro os planos basais continuam estáveis. O uso de funções de distribuição de orientação cristalográfica (FDOC) auxiliaram na detecção de um segundo grupo orientado, que tende à orientação {1 0 1 1} , além do grupo que reforça as fibras D0 e Rf . A mudança de textura ocorreu durante o crescimento de grão em ambos os materiais. De um modo geral, os resultados mostraram que o zircônio puro tende a ser mais suscetível à recristalização e ao crescimento de grão do que a liga Zircaloy-4. Entretanto, tanto zircônio como a liga são resistentes à modificação de textura, sendo que esta ocorreu principalmente com o crescimento de grão, em temperaturas após a completa recristalização primária. / This work shows a comparative experimental research between pure zirconium and the nuclear-grade zirconium alloy Zircaloy-4. This work emphasizes the characteristics of strain hardening, recrystallization, and crystallographic texture. Was used several complementary techniques for microstructural analysis such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with chemical analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, indentation hardness and electrical conductivity. For measurements of macrotexture was used a dedicated X-ray goniometer. In the as received state, while pure zirconium showed grains recrystallized with an average diameter of about 50µm, the alloy had rough alpha plates with average diameter of beta pregrain of about 1,1mm. Rolling experiments and determination of reduction limit curves without cracks as a function of temperature showed that while zirconium pure showed high levels of plasticity at room temperature, the alloy zircaloy-4 showed low ductility and many cracks. The ductilities of the two materials, mainly zircaloy-4, significantly increased from 300°C. At 500°C, the ductilities were identical. Using different strains and annealing were obtained strips of equal thickness, with equiaxed grains and grain average diameters of about 9µm for both materials. Recrystallization studies revealed that recovery contributes significantly to softening of pure zirconium. In the case of the alloy zircaloy-4, the softening occurs almost exclusively by recrystallization. The temperature of recrystallization of the pure zirconium were lower than the alloy. The solute atoms in the solid solution were responsible for the two competing effects, the increase of the strain energy stored and the increasing of recrystallization resistance. Crystallographic texture measurements were made for both materials under different conditions. With respect to the rolling textures of pure zirconium, in about 50% reduction of the cold-rolled texture {1 1 2 2} was already fully formed and changed very little from this reduction to about 90%. With the increase of temperature strain to the same reduction, texture cold rolled remained stable up to 300°C. The sample of zircaloy-4 prepared to have a grain size of 9m had a texture close to {0 0 0 2} , demonstrating that the thermal and mechanical treatments used to obtain this sample were effective in reducing texture of cold-rolled {1 1 2 2} . One hour annealings at 550 and 575°C, in pure zirconium and Zircaloy-4, were suffcient to cause static recrystallization. At 600 °C a change in crystallographic orientation was seen in zircaloy-4, tends to {0 0 0 2} , while in pure zirconium the basal planes remains stable. The use of orientation distribution functions (ODF) aided in the detection of a second oriented group, which tends to orientation {1 0 1 1} , besides the group that reinforced D0 and Rf fibers. The change in texture occurred during the grain growth in both materials. In general, the results showed that pure zirconium tends to be more susceptible to recrystallization and grain growth than Zircaloy-4. Nevertheless, Both zinconium and Zircaloy-4 are resistant to texture changes. The texture changes occurred mainly in grain growth, at temperatures after complete recrystallization.

Title: Study of new type of Ti-NT nanotubes that can be used as a filler in polymer matrix Author: Tereza Brunátová Department: Department of Condensed Matter Physics Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Radomír Kužel, CSc. Abstract: The subject of presented work has been devoted to a structure of titanate nanotubes which were prepared by hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 powder in NaOH solution. Structure determination was done mainly with two complementary methods - X-ray diffraction and transmision elec- tron microscopy. A influence of structure by changing particle size and crystal structure of the initial powder TiO2 was studied as well. Three different mod- els of nanotube structure were build. These models were used for a calculation of powder X-ray diffraction pattern and they were compared to experiment pattern. Keywords: titanates nanotubes, computer simulations of powder X-ray diffrac- tion patterns, X-ray diffracion, electron microscopy

Materials chemistry is essentially concerned with the design/synthesis of new solids endowed with functional properties that could be of relevance to today’s materials technology. Among the large variety of solid materials that attract attention, metal oxides continue to contribute significantly to current materials chemistry. A wide variety of oxide materials (based on rocksalt, spinel, corundum, perovskite, garnet, pyrochlore and other structures) and their properties have been investigated over the years. Most of these oxides are derived from the transition metals. Transition metal oxides with structures derived from metal-oxygen (MO6) octahedra, in particular, display an array of exotic properties with potential or proven technological application. While it is traditionally believed that the partially filled d shell (dn : 0 < n < 10) of the transition metal atoms plays a crucial role in deciding the electronic properties, the significance of d0 metal atoms for the properties (and structure) of transition metal oxides is not fully recognized. Magnetism (SrRuO3, Fe3O4), metallicity (ReO3, LaNiO3), colossal magnetoresistance (La1-xCaxMnO3) and superconductivity (La2xSrxCuO4, Sr2RuO4) are some of the properties that can be traced to the presence of partially filled d shell, while properties like ferroelectricity (BaTiO3), piezoelectricity (PbZr1-xTixO3) and nonlinear optical response (LiNbO3) could be traced to the presence of transition metals (TiIV, ZrIV, NbV) with d0 electronic configuration. The empty d orbitals on the metal atoms constitute the low lying unoccupied states (LUMO) that mix with the highest occupied states (HOMO) of the ligand atoms (oxygen) through special chemical bonding effects (second order Jahn-Teller effect, SOJT). This mixing results, among others, in out-of-centre distortion(s) of the MO6 octahedra and this distortion is at the heart of several properties mentioned above. Among the transition metal oxide structures based on MO6 octahedra, three structures are noteworthy: the perovskite, the pyrochlore and the rutile. The AMO3 perovskite structure consists of a three-dimensional framework of corner sharing MO6 octahedra in which the A cation occupies the dodecahedral site surrounded by twelve oxide ions. The perovskite structure can accommodate a large variety of substitutions at both the A and the M sites as well as vacancies at the A/O sites, giving a large number of derivatives. Several variants of the perovskite structure are also known, for instance, the layered perovskites and ordered perovskites. Many nonperovskite structures are also known for the composition AMO3 : hexagonal YMnO3 is an alternative structure for AMO3 composition where manganese exists as MnO5 trigonal bipyramids. The A2M2O7 pyrochlore structure is also based on a corner-connected network of MO6 octahedra which interpenetrates an A2O network. The rutile (TiO2) is a well-known structure consisting of chains of edge-sharing MO6 octahedra, which are connected through corners to adjacent chains. A large number of oxide materials based on the above three structure types have been reported : for example, perovskite [Ba3ZnTa2O9 (microwave telecommunication ceramic), Pb3MgNb2O9 (relaxor ferroelectric), Bi4Ti3O12 (high temperature ferroelectric)], pyrochlore [Nd2Mo2O7 (metallic ferromagnet), AOs2O6 for A = K, Rb, Cs (superconductor)] and rutile [TiO2 (photocatalyst), CrO2 (metallic ferromagnet), VO2 (insulator-metal transition)]. Considering the current interest in oxide materials of these three structure types which continue to generate new variants and novel properties, we undertook the present research project to synthesize new derivatives of these structure types, and characterize their structures and relevant electronic properties. In doing so, we recognized that synthesis based on an understanding of the reactivity of the constituents and crystal chemistry of the expected products plays a crucial role in this effort. Accordingly, we tailored several new compositions of AMO3, A2M2O7 and MO2 stoichiometries and adopted appropriate methodologies for their synthesis. We have characterized the structures and properties of the solid products by means of state-of-the-art methods available to us. There are two main approaches to the synthesis of nonmolecular inorganic solids: conventional ceramic route and chimie douce / soft chemistry routes. In the ceramic route, solid reactants are heated at elevated temperatures for long durations with intermittent mixing/grinding until the reaction is complete. Chimie douce routes, on the other hand, utilize gentle reactions such as dehydration, decomposition, intercalation, ion exchange, and so on to synthesize the desired phases. The ceramic route generally provides access to the thermodynamically controlled product(s), while chimie douce routes allow access to metastable phases (kinetically controlled product(s)). Disadvantages notwithstanding, the ceramic route has been the mainstay of materials chemistry and several important materials continue to be discovered / synthesized by this route. The choice of the synthetic route based on an understanding of the crystal chemical preferences and the reactivities of the constituents involved is often crucial to achieve the desired final products. The present thesis is devoted to the synthesis and investigation of MO6 octahedra-based oxides belonging to the perovskite, pyrochlore and rutile structure types wherein we have explored alternate synthetic strategies (perovskite-based Ba3MM'2O9 telecommunication ceramics and a solution route for the synthesis of ruthenium-based pyrochlores) and probed structure-property relations of perovskite oxides (Ba3MM'M''O9 oxides for various M/M'/M'' atoms) as well as formation of new derivatives of layered Aurivillius phases. In addition, we have also synthesized new noncentrosymmetric oxides possessing the YMnO3 structure. Our investigation of rutile based oxides has resulted in the discovery of a new lead-free relaxor ferroelectric material, FeTiTaO6. Given that the lone pair PbII:6s2 plays a crucial role in the ferroelectric properties of Pb-based perovskite oxides, we have also investigated members of the Pb1-xLix/2Lax/2TiO3 system for their structure and dielectric response. The present thesis describes the results of these investigations in eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to oxides of the perovskite, pyrochlore and rutile structures. In Chapter 2, we describe a new one-pot metathesis strategy for the synthesis of dielectric ceramics Ba3MM'2O9 (M = Mg, Ni, Zn; M' = Nb, Ta). Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data shows near-complete ordering of M-site ions in many cases. The dielectric properties of the products synthesized are found to be in reasonable agreement with reported data. The synthesis of ordered materials at lower temperatures (~1100 °C) than that employed in the conventional ceramic route (~1500 °C) is a significant result of this work. Chapter 3 presents a study of Ba3MIIMIVWO9 (MII = Ca, Zn; MIV = Ti, Zr) perovskite oxides for the purpose of synthesizing new dielectric ceramic materials and to gain understanding of the factors that stabilize 3C vs. 6H structures. In general, a 1:2-ordered 6H perovskite structure is stabilized at high temperatures (1300 °C) for all of the Ba3MIITiWO9 oxides investigated. An intermediate phase possessing a partially ordered 1:1 double perovskite (3C) structure with the cation distribution, Ba2(Zn2/3Ti1/3)(W2/3Ti1/3)O6, is obtained at 1200 °C for Ba3ZnTiWO9. A metastable perovskite, Ba3CaZrWO9, that adopts the 1:1 3C structure has also been synthesized by a low-temperature metathesis route. Besides yielding several new perovskite oxides that may be useful as dielectric ceramics, the investigation provides new insights into the complex interplay of crystal chemistry (tolerance factor) and chemical bonding (anion polarization and d0-induced distortion of metaloxygen octahedra) in the stabilization of 6H versus 3C perovskite structures for the Ba3MIIMIVWO9 series. In Chapter 4, we describe the synthesis and investigation of the structure and dielectric properties of Ba3MIIITiMVO9 (MIII = Fe, Ga, Y, Lu; MV = Nb, Ta, Sb) perovskite oxides. The MV = Nb, Ta oxides adopt disordered/partially ordered 3C perovskite structures, where all the MIII/Ti/MV metal-oxygen octahedra are corner-connected. In contrast, the MV = Sb oxides show a distinct preference for the 6H structure, where SbV/TiIV metal-oxygen octahedra share a common face, forming (Sb,Ti)O9 dimers, that are corner-connected to the MIIIO6 octahedra. Investigation of dielectric properties of MIII = Y/Lu, MV = Nb/Ta oxides reveals a normal low loss dielectric behaviour with ε = 30 – 50 in the temperature range 50 – 350 °C. The MIII = Fe, MV = Nb/Ta members show a dielectric behaviour similar to relaxor ferroelectric materials. Chapter 5 deals with a study of isomorphous substitution of several metal atoms in two Aurivillius structures, Bi5TiNbWO15 and Bi4Ti3O12, in an effort to probe structure-property correlations. These investigations have led to the synthesis of new derivatives, Bi4LnTiMWO15 (Ln, = La, Pr; M = Nb, Ta), as well as Bi4PbNb2WO15 and Bi3LaPbNb2WO15, that largely retain the Aurivillius intergrowth structure of the parent oxide Bi5TiNbWO15, but characteristically tend toward a centrosymmetric / tetragonal structure for the Ln-substituted derivatives. On the other hand, coupled substitution, 2TiIV Æ MV + FeIII in Bi4Ti3O12, yields new Aurivillius phases, Bi4Ti3-2xNbxFexO12 (x = 0.25, 0.50) and Bi4Ti3-2xTaxFexO12 (x = 0.25) that retain the orthorhombic noncentrosymmetric structure of the parent Bi4Ti3O12. Chapter 6 describes the design and synthesis of a new series of noncentrosymmetric oxides, R3Mn1.5CuV0.5O9 (R = Y, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) possessing the YMnO3 structure. Investigation of the Lu-Mn-Cu-V-O system revealed the existence of an isostructural solid solution series, Lu3Mn3-3xCu2xVxO9 for 0 < x ≤ 0.75. Magnetic and dielectric properties of the oxides are consistent with a random distribution of Mn3+, Cu2+ and V5+ atoms that preserves the noncentrosymmetric RMnO3 structure. An exploratory investigation of the synthesis, structure and electronic properties of new ruthenium(IV) pyrochlore oxides and their manganese-substituted derivatives is presented in Chapter 7. The richness of the electronic properties of ruthenium-based metal oxides is affirmed by the results which revealed several novel electronic ground states : a metallic and Pauli paramagnetic state for BiPbRu2O6.5 that turns into a semiconducting ferromagnetic spin-glass state at 50 K for BiPbRuMnO6.5 ; a metallic state that likely shows a charge density wave (CDW) instability at 50-225 K for Bi1.50Zn0.50Ru2O6.75, that is suppressed by manganese substitution in Bi1.50Zn0.50Ru1.75Mn0.25O6.50, and a metallic ferromagnetic spin-glass-like state for Pb2Ru1.75Mn0.25O6.15. We describe the investigation of the structure and dielectric properties of rutile-based MTiTaO6 (M = Al, Cr, Fe) in Chapter 8. All the oxides possess disordered rutile structure. FeTiTaO6 shows a strong relaxor ferroelectric effect, while CrTiTaO6 shows a weaker relaxor ferroelectric behaviour. This work is significant for two reasons: the new material is lead-free and it is based on the rutile structure, unlike the conventional relaxors which are mostly derived from the perovskite structure. The work presented in the thesis is carried out by the candidate as a part of the Ph.D. training programme and most of it has been published in the literature. She hopes that the studies reported here will constitute a worthwhile contribution to materials chemistry in general.

Estruturas de sílica mesoporosa cúbica em forma de gaiola (originalmente identificadas como FDU-1) altamente ordenadas, estáveis térmica e hidrotermicamente, com tamanhos de poros da ordem de 12 nm, foram sintetizadas a partir de TEOS e como molde utilizou-se o copolímero tribloco poli(óxido de etileno)-poli(óxido de butileno)-poli(óxido de etileno) 850-6600 (EO39BO47EO39), em meio ácido. Foi desenvolvido um procedimento de síntese, empregando um forno de microondas no tratamento hidrotérmico para obtenção da sílica FDU-1. Após tratamento hidrotérmico, as amostras foram calcinadas a 540°C, em duas etapas, empregando atmosferas de N2 e ar. Os materiais foram caracterizados por análise elementar, FTIR, TG, SAXS e Isotermas de adsorção de N2 a 77 K. Os dados de SAXS, associados aos das Isotermas de adsorção de N2, demonstraram que os materiais obtidos com 45 e 60 min de exposição a microondas, apresentaram propriedades texturais compatíveis com aquelas do material obtido pelo método convencional. Os ensaios de termogravimetria evidenciam a faixa de temperatura em que ocorrem as decomposições térmicas do copolímero no material como sintetizado e conduziram a uma otimização das melhores condições para calcinação. As curvas TG/DTG indicaram que no aquecimento dos materiais até 1200ºC, há a transformação completa dos grupos silanóis em siloxanos a partir da eliminação de água. Esse fato é confirmado a partir dos espectros de absorção na região do IV e possibilitou estimar que a quantidade dos grupos Si-OH na superfície do material varia com o tempo de tratamento hidrotérmico na etapa de síntese. / Highly ordered, thermally and hidrotermally stable, with large pore size of 12 nm, caged-like cubic mesoporous silica structures (originally denoted FDU-1) were synthesized from TEOS and poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide)poly(ethylene oxide) B50-6600 triblock copolymer template (EO39BO47EO39) under acidic conditions.The synthesis procedure was developed using microwave oven for hydrothermal treatment to obtain FDU-1 silica. After hydrothermal treatment, the samples were calcined to 540 ºC, in two stages, using N2 and air atmospheres. The materials characterized by elementary analysis, FTIR, TG, DRX and nitrogen adsorption isothermal at 77 K. The data association of SAXS and the nitrogen adsorption isothermal demonstrated that the material isolated with 45 and 60 minutes of the exposition to the microwaves in the hydrothermal treatment showed testure properties compatible to that one of material obtained by the conventional method. Thermogravimetric experiments evidenced the temperature range where occur copolymer thermal decomposition according to the synthesis, as synthesized materials. This information was important to optimize the material calcination conditions. The TG/DTG curves indicated that, in the material heated up to 1200 ºC, occurs complete transformation of silanol in to siloxane groups with water elimination. This fact is confirmed through the IR spectra and enabled to calculate the quantity of the Si-OH groups in the material surface which vary hydrothermal treatment time in the syntesis stage.

Estruturas de sílica mesoporosa cúbica em forma de gaiola (originalmente identificadas como FDU-1) altamente ordenadas, estáveis térmica e hidrotermicamente, com tamanhos de poros da ordem de 12 nm, foram sintetizadas a partir de TEOS e como molde utilizou-se o copolímero tribloco poli(óxido de etileno)-poli(óxido de butileno)-poli(óxido de etileno) 850-6600 (EO39BO47EO39), em meio ácido. Foi desenvolvido um procedimento de síntese, empregando um forno de microondas no tratamento hidrotérmico para obtenção da sílica FDU-1. Após tratamento hidrotérmico, as amostras foram calcinadas a 540°C, em duas etapas, empregando atmosferas de N2 e ar. Os materiais foram caracterizados por análise elementar, FTIR, TG, SAXS e Isotermas de adsorção de N2 a 77 K. Os dados de SAXS, associados aos das Isotermas de adsorção de N2, demonstraram que os materiais obtidos com 45 e 60 min de exposição a microondas, apresentaram propriedades texturais compatíveis com aquelas do material obtido pelo método convencional. Os ensaios de termogravimetria evidenciam a faixa de temperatura em que ocorrem as decomposições térmicas do copolímero no material como sintetizado e conduziram a uma otimização das melhores condições para calcinação. As curvas TG/DTG indicaram que no aquecimento dos materiais até 1200ºC, há a transformação completa dos grupos silanóis em siloxanos a partir da eliminação de água. Esse fato é confirmado a partir dos espectros de absorção na região do IV e possibilitou estimar que a quantidade dos grupos Si-OH na superfície do material varia com o tempo de tratamento hidrotérmico na etapa de síntese. / Highly ordered, thermally and hidrotermally stable, with large pore size of 12 nm, caged-like cubic mesoporous silica structures (originally denoted FDU-1) were synthesized from TEOS and poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide)poly(ethylene oxide) B50-6600 triblock copolymer template (EO39BO47EO39) under acidic conditions.The synthesis procedure was developed using microwave oven for hydrothermal treatment to obtain FDU-1 silica. After hydrothermal treatment, the samples were calcined to 540 ºC, in two stages, using N2 and air atmospheres. The materials characterized by elementary analysis, FTIR, TG, DRX and nitrogen adsorption isothermal at 77 K. The data association of SAXS and the nitrogen adsorption isothermal demonstrated that the material isolated with 45 and 60 minutes of the exposition to the microwaves in the hydrothermal treatment showed testure properties compatible to that one of material obtained by the conventional method. Thermogravimetric experiments evidenced the temperature range where occur copolymer thermal decomposition according to the synthesis, as synthesized materials. This information was important to optimize the material calcination conditions. The TG/DTG curves indicated that, in the material heated up to 1200 ºC, occurs complete transformation of silanol in to siloxane groups with water elimination. This fact is confirmed through the IR spectra and enabled to calculate the quantity of the Si-OH groups in the material surface which vary hydrothermal treatment time in the syntesis stage.

For fiber-reinforced plastic composites, fiber-matrix adhesion is a significant aspect of composite properties. While conventional lightweight structures are always aiming for high fiber-matrix adhesion, innovative and unconventional functional constructions require different concepts. The research work treating adaptive fiber-reinforced plastic composites with shape memory alloy wires presented here uses the approach of actuators freely movable within the composite. This is supposed to prevent mechanical tensions in the interfaces of actuator and composite structure, which would otherwise cause damages of the composite. This work examines hybrid yarns based on friction spinning technology, with shape memory alloy wires as their core component as well as glass fibers, and partly polypropylene, as their sheath component. Additionally, the surface properties of the shape memory alloy wires being used are modified by sanding and coating. The results of a characterization by pull-out testing clearly show that a coating of the shape memory alloy wires with an abherent causes considerable decrease in adhesion and friction in the interface and leads to the mobility of the shape memory alloy wires in the later composite. An even greater effect is attained by sheathing the hybrid yarns in an additional layer of polypropylene, compacting the yarn cross-section. Thus, the pull-out force could be reduced to 35–40% of the reference structure.