Investigating openwork block accumulation has the potential to further our understanding of rock weathering, the control of geological structure on landforms, the production of substrates for biological colonisation and the impacts of climate change on landform development and dynamics. Various models for the development of these landforms have been proposed. This includes in situ weathering, frost heave and wedging. Furthermore, it has been suggested that cold-based ice has the potential to preserve these features rather than to obliterate them. Blocky deposits are also frequently used as proxy evidence for interpreting palaeoclimates. The morphology and processes acting on a blockfield located on the Northern Buttress of the Vesleskarvet Nunataks, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica (2°W, 71°S) were investigated and characterised. Given block dimensions and orientations that closely resembled the parent material and only small differences in aspect related characteristics observed, the blockfield was found to be autochthonous with in situ block production and of a young (Holocene) age. Small differences in rock hardness measurements suggest some form of aspect control on rock weathering. South-facing sides of clasts were found to be the least weathered. In comparison, consistently low rock hardness rebound values for the north-facing aspects suggest that these are the most weathered sides. Additional indicators of weathering, such as flaking and pitting, support analyses conducted for rock hardness rebound values. Solar radiation received, slope gradients and snow cover were found to influence weathering of clasts across the study site. Furthermore, ambient temperatures and wind speed significantly influenced near-surface ground temperatures dynamics. However, the lack of a matrix and paucity of fine material in textural analyses suggest a limited weathering environment. It is suggested that the retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet during the last LGM led to unloading of the surface, causing dilatation and subsequent fracturing of the bedrock along pre-existing joints, leading to in situ clast supply. Subsequent weathering and erosion along other points or lines of weakness then yielded fines and slight edge rounding of clasts.

L’Escarpement des Ghâts Occidentaux borde la marge passive Ouest de l’Inde péninsulaire et sépare le bas-pays de la plaine côtière des hauts-plateaux à l’Est comme celui des trapps du Deccan vieux de 63 Ma et celui des roches précambriennes. Il a été suggéré une mise en place de cet escarpement par érosion d’un épaulement de rift élevé, et des mesures thermochronologiques ont estimé une forte dénudation dans la plaine côtière autour de ~ 50 Ma.Nous apportons des contraintes temporelles complémentaires quant à l’évolution de cette marge passive, par datation 40Ar-39Ar d’oxydes de manganèse potassiques (cryptomélane) extraits de formations latéritiques, reliques des paléosurfaces d’altération, sur le plateau et dans la plaine côtière. Trois principales paléosurfaces ont été identifiées, échantillonnées puis datées sur le plateau à différentes altitudes, ainsi qu’une quatrième dans la plaine côtière. Des latérites datées à 47 Ma dans la plaine côtière impliquent que l’escarpement existait déjà à l’Eocène moyen alors qu’une intense altération bauxitique affectait les deux côtés de l’escarpement. Nos résultats indiquent également des taux d’érosion faibles (~ 4 m.Ma-1) au pied de l’escarpement depuis 47 Ma, et un taux d’incision aussi faible (~ 5 m.Ma-1) depuis 19 Ma. Sur le plateau, l’érosion est plus importante mais inférieure à 15 m.Ma-1 depuis 45 Ma, et l’incision est inférieure à 6 m.Ma-1 depuis 23 Ma. Nos résultats indiquent de surcroit un diachronisme longitudinal des érosions et altérations de part et d’autre de l’escarpement depuis sa formation, et suggèrent la mise en place d’un gradient climatique fort entre l’Ouest et l’Est dès l’optimum climatique Eocène. / The western continental passive margin of Peninsular India is marked by the Western Ghats escarpment, which separates the coastal lowland from the highland plateaus and is carved both into the 63-Ma old Deccan Trapps and their Archean basement. Previous studies suggested establishment of the escarpment by erosion across an elevated rift shoulder, and thermochronologic models predicted strong denudation in the coastal lowland by ~ 50 Ma.We provided complementary time constraints on the evolution of the passive margin by 40Ar-39Ar dating of supergene K-Mn oxides (cryptomelane) sampled in lateritic formations exposed on paleosurfaces, which are preserved as relicts on the highland plateau and in the coastal lowland on both sides of the escarpment. Three main lateritic paleosurfaces were identified, sampled and dated in the highland at different altitude ranges, and one in the lowland.Preservation of laterites as old as 47 Ma in the coastal lowland implies that the escarpment already existed in the Mid-Eocene while intense bauxitic weathering was taking place on both sides of the escarpment. Our results indicate limited erosion (~ 4 m.Ma-1) at the foot of the escarpment since 47 Ma, and low incision rate of the lowland (~ 5 m.Ma-1) since 19 Ma. Ages obtained on the highland indicate further Neogene erosion but at less than 15 m.Ma-1 since 45 Ma, and incision lower than 6 m.Ma-1 since 23 Ma. Our results further document post-Eocene divergent erosion and weathering histories across the escarpment since it was formed, suggesting installation of a dual climatic regime on either sides of this escarpment after the Eocene peak greenhouse.

Water in porous rocks (e.g. sandstone) plays a fundamental role in their disintegration. However, the places where water enters the sandstone rocks are somewhat overlooked. At two sites in the Český ráj region, I use Karsten tube to measure capillary water absorption (CWA) of natural sandstone exposures and, using TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) method, I study movement of water in a shallow zone of ruiniform sandstone landscape. The CWA differed up to four orders of magnitude at a distance of tens of meters, mostly depending on the type of the surface. The highest CWA was measured at highly weathered surfaces, the second most absorbent were less weathered surfaces covered with a biologically-initiated rock crust. The horizontal surfaces on the tops of the rock formations were even less absorbent, probably due to clogging by fine particles from soil. Surfaces covered with iron crust were the least absorbent. The differences between those surfaces are significant. After simulated infiltration, the maximum rate of the propagation of the wet front in the sandstone was from 5,5.10-6 do 1,9.10-4 m.s-1 measured by TDR. The water propagated at this rate only to a certain depth (the first tens of cm), but then the propagation stopped or slowed down rapidly. From a long-term measurement of volumetric...

Among the materials that can be treated in order to impart superhydrophobic properties are many originally hydrophilic metals. For this, they must undergo a sequential treatment, including roughening and hydrophobic coating. This contribution presents various preparation routes along with various characterization methods, such as dynamic contact angle (DCA) measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectroscopic techniques (FT–IRRAS, XPS, EIS). Micro-rough surfaces of pure and alloyed aluminum were generated most easily by using a modifie Sulfuric Acid Anodization under Intensifie conditions (SAAi). This produces a micro-mountain-like oxide morphology with peak-to-valley heights of 2 μm and sub-μm roughness components. Additionally, micro-embossed and micro-blasted surfaces were investigated. These micro-roughened initial states were chemically modifie with a solution of a hydrophobic compound, such as the reactive f uoroalkylsilane PFATES, the reactive alkyl group containing polymer POMA, or the polymer Teflo ® AF. Alternatively, the chemical modificatio was made by a Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) of a PTFE layer. The latter can form a considerably higher thickness than the wet-deposited coatings, without detrimental leveling effects being observed in comparison with the original micro-rough surface. The inherent and controllable morphology of the PTFE layers represents an important feature. The impacts of a standardized artificia weathering (WTH) on the wetting behavior and the surface-chemical properties were studied and discussed in terms of possible damage mechanisms. A very high stability of the superhydrophobicity was observed for the f uorinated wet-deposited PFATES and Teflo ® AF coatings as well as for some of the PTFE layer variants, all on SAAi-pretreated substrates. Very good results were also obtained for specimens produced by appropriate mechanical roughening and PTFE coating.

Wood-polymer composite is a relatively new type of material that combines shattered wood mass and a thermoplastic polymer. This material is utilized especially as an alternative to hard wood in the area of non-bearing exterior elements, as it reaches better properties in terms of the basic durability and low maintenance. Raw material composition and processing of the composite enable to provide a significant modification with further matters leading to an improvement of the end-product properties. Research and development in this field focuses predominantly on the utilization of such modifying additives that either enhance the resistance to weathering or are of the recycled nature, as a significant part of the raw material mixture comprises the constituent obtained from non-renewable resources. The aim of the thesis is the evaluation of the influence of the wood-polymer composite modification separately at two levels. First of them is the modification to matrix by using a recycled polymer, the second one comprises the modification of the wood flour with a secondary spherical filler. Both types of modified composites have been assessed in terms pf the prime characteristics and the resistance to adverse ambient.

No description available.

Coil coatings are durable  organic coatings used to protect metal sheets from corrosion and improve their aesthetic properties. Because of their extensive use, coil coatings have long been of interest for industrial and academic researchers. This interest has recently been furthered by a societal push towards the replacement of fossil-based raw materials with alternatives that are biobased and renewable. The aim of this licentiate thesis is to demonstrate how analyses on the macro-, micro-, and nanoscale can be used to better understand the degradation process of polyester-based coil coatings. The included manuscripts showcase methods for evaluating and comparing different coil coating formulations and for verifying accelerated weathering techniques. Multiple techniques, focusing on infrared (IR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), were used to analyze coating systems before and after different types of weathering. IR data acquired from techniques without spatial resolution, such as attenuated total reflection (ATR) and photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) have been expanded upon with spatially resolved focal plane array (FPA) and s-SNOM  (scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy) measurements. Spatially resolved chemical data of coating cross sections were acquired and used to assess how the degradation at the surface and in the bulk was related. Additionally, differences between the degradation behavior of a standard fossil-based coating and a similar coating with biobased components as well as differences between the degradation caused by artificial and natural weathering was discussed. Nanoscale mechanical measurements of simplified coating surfaces showed that weathering increased nanomechanical stiffness and led to homogenization of mechanical properties on the local level. In addition, measurements with nanoscale FTIR correlated with macroscale FTIR. Even relatively minor changes in band intensities could be tracked on a local scale. Although the simplified samples were chemically homogeneous, nanoscale FTIR shows great promise for the assessment of local degradation of full systems. / Bandlackering är en process för att applicera stabila organiska beläggningar på metallytor för att skydda från korrosion och förbättra deras utseende. På grund av beläggningarnas omfattande användning så har utvärdering och analys av dem varit av intresse för både akademi och industri i flera årtionden. Detta långvariga intresse har ytterligare främjats av en ökade miljömedvetenhet och ett tryck att ersätta miljöfarliga och fossila råmaterial mot biobaserade och förnyelsebara alternativ. Målet med denna licentiatavhandling är att visa hur analysmetoder på makro-, mikro-, och nanonivå kan användas för att bättre förstå nedbrytning av bandlackerade beläggningar. Denna förståelse kan användas både för att utvärdera prestandan hos både nya redan befintliga system, men också för att kunna verifiera accelererade testmetoder vars mål är att minska tiden som krävs för utvärdering. Flera tekniker, med fokus på infraröd (IR) spektroskopi och atomkrafts-mikroskopi  (AFM) använts för att analysera beläggningar före och efter att de blivit utsatta för olika typer av aggressiva miljöer. Spektroskopiska data utan spatial upplösning som attenuerad totalreflektions FTIR (ATR) och fotoakustisk spektroskopi (PAS) har kompletterats med spatialt upplösta fokalplans array (FPA) och s-SNOM mätningar. Kemisk information med spatial upplösning har använts för att utvärdera hur nedbrytningen nära ytan relaterade till nedbrytningen längre ner i beläggningen. Likheter och skillnader i nedbrytningen som skedde i en standardbeläggning och ett system med biobaserade additiv jämfördes efter både väderbestendighets-testning som skedde utomhus och i labb. Skillnader mellan dessa exponeringsmetoder diskuterades också. Nanomekanisk analys med hjälp av atomkraftsmikroskopi användes för att bestämma lokala förändringar av mekaniska egenskaper i förenklade klarlacker. Mätningarna visade att exponeringar i aggressiva miljöer leder till en lokal homogenisering av mekaniska egenskaper och ökad styvhet. Utöver detta så utvärderades likheter och skillnader mellan FTIR spektra som tagits på makro- och nanonivå. Dessa mätningar gav lovande resultat för fortsatta ytanalyser. / <p>QC 2023-05-15</p>

No description available.

No description available.

Isolated granitic rock bodies (granites, granodiorites, quartz monzonites) in the vicinity of Benson in southeastern Arizona were studied to trace the behavior of rock weathering. Thin sections of fresh granites were examined to characterize the original mineralogy which consisted mainly of quartz, feldspars, and micas. The weathering products show up on the granites as grus and soil profiles as well as down slope in the basin deposits. X -ray diffraction studies of the < 2 micrometers fraction of the weathering products proved illite, smectite, illite-smectite mixed layer, and kaolinite to be the dominant clays; quartz and feldspar also persisted into this size fraction. Silt sized material produced similar results. The quartz monzonite of Texas Canyon afforded a special study of the initial weathering stages of feldspars and micas. In the < 2 micrometers fraction obtained from granitic material placed in an ultra sonic bath, the feldspars weathered to a Na-montmorillinite while biotite weathered to vermiculite.