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α-Al2O3 is an important refractory material which has numerous technical applications: as an in situ growing self-healing oxide scale, as a massive material and as reinforcement fibres in composites. For modelling diffusion controlled processes (creep, sintering, alpha-alumina scale growth on aluminium bearing Fe or Ni base alloys) it is necessary to study self-diffusion of the constituent elements.

Με αφορμή τις πολλές εφαρμογές που έχουν οι διεπιφάνειες μετάλλου με κεραμικό υπόστρωμα όπως τη μικροηλεκτρονική και την ετερογενή κατάλυση, τα συστήματα αυτά έχουν μελετηθεί με πρότυπα πειράματα σε συνθήκες υπερυψηλού κενού (UHV). Στην εργασία αυτή μελετήθηκε η αλληλεπίδραση κατά τη θέρμανση σε UHV υπέρλεπτων υμενίων NIκαι NiO με επιφάνειες οξειδίων. Συγκεκριμένα, η μελέτη έγινε σε μοκνοκρυσταλλικές επιφάνειες ζιρκονίας σταθεροποιημένης με ύττρια (YSZ), α-αλούμινας και σε πολυκρυσταλλική επιφάνεια γ-αλούμινας ανεπτυγμένης σε φύλλο αλουμινίου. Έμφαση δόθηκε στην επίδραση που έχει η κατεργασία της επιφάνειας του οξεοιδίου στη συμπεριφορά του Ni και του NiO κατά τη θέρμανση. Τα πειράματα έγιναν σε σύστημα UHV με επιφανειακά ευαίσθητες τεχνικές φασματοσκοπίας φωτοηλεκτρονίων και ηλεκτρονίων Auger από ακτίνες-Χ(XPS/XAES). Βρέθηκε ότι το Ni σε YSZ οξειδώνεται κατά τη θέρμανση από ευκίνητα ιόντα οξυγόνου της YSZ και ο ρυθμός οξείδωσης εξαρτάται σημαντικά από την κατάσταση της επιφάνειας. Η κατάσταση της επιφάνειας επηρεάζει την θερμική σταθερότητα του NiO αφού η ελάττωση του οξυγόνου στο εσωτερικό της YSZ οδηγεί σε σημαντική μείωση της θερμοκρασίας διάσπασης του NiO. Σε επιφάνεια α-Al2O3 η κατεργασία έχει σαν αποτέλεσμα το Ni είτε να συσσωματώνεται είτε να οξειδώνεται ενώ η θερμική σταθερότητα του NiO επίσης εξαρτάται από την παρουσία επιφανειακών ατελειών που δημιουργούνται με την κατεργασία. Επίσης, βρέθηκε ότι το πάχος του υμενίου γ-Al2O3 είναι καθοριστικό για την οξείδωση του αποτιθέμενου Ni από τα επιφανειακά υδροξύλια της γ-Al2O3 και το σχηματισμό επιφανειακής ένωσης NiAlx μέσω διάχυσης του Ni προς το φύλλο Al από μικροοπές του υμενίου. / Metal-ceramic systems have many technological applications in composite materials, microelectronics and heterogeneous catalysis. The interaction of Ni and NiO ultrathin films with different oxide surfaces yttria stabilized zirconia (9% mol Y2O3, YSZ)and α-alumina monocrystalline and polycrystalline γ-alumina films developed on Al foil upon heating in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) was examined. Upon heating the Ni/YSZ system at 480-850K, nickel was oxidized via the substrate oxygen ions excess and the rate of oxidation depended strongly on the state of the surface. Reduction of oxygen excess leads to a decrease of the NiO decomposition temperature, which is higher than 900 K in UHV. The oxidation capability of the YSZ is restored after heating in oxygen atmosphere. The Ni/α-Al2O3 interaction depended on the chemical state of the surface, on the presence of C, -OH and non-lattice oxygen (surface defects).Interaction between deposited nickel and surface defects leads to Ni coalescence, partial oxidation and NiAlxOy chemical compound formation. The surface defects affects the thermal stability of NiO, which decomposes to Ni at lower temperature than 900K. On clean α-Al2O3 surfaces the NiO is stable up to 900K. Upon heating to 600K Ni deposits on γ-Al2O3/Al surfaces, the reduction of the alumina film thickness leads on the one hand to a decrease of the tendency of surface -OH groups to oxidize nickel and on the other hand to an increased formation of a NiAlx due to Ni diffusion on the Al substrate through the microholes in the alumina film. Upon heating up to 790K, the initially formed NiO decomposes to metallic Ni, whereas the Ni of the NiAlx compound diffuses inside the metallic Al.

Ce travail de thèse a porté sur de nouveaux implants intervertébraux en céramique. Au cours du projet dans son ensemble (projet européen Longlife), un nouveau matériau et de nouveaux designs d’implants ont été développés, ainsi qu’un nouveau test destiné à simuler les sollicitations subies in vivo par les implants afin d’estimer leur durée de vie. Le nouveau matériau développé est un composite triphasé composé d’une matrice de zircone dopée à l’oxyde de cérium (pour sa résistance au vieillissement), d’une phase globulaire d’alumine α (pour affiner la microstructure) et d’une phase allongée composée d’aluminates de strontium (pour augmenter la ténacité). La première partie du travail a consisté à caractériser ce matériau afin de connaître son comportement en termes de résistance mécanique, stabilité thermique, et de résistance à la stérilisation. Une deuxième partie a été consacrée au développement d’un test multiphysique regroupant les différentes sollicitations attendues par une prothèse in vivo (fatigue axiale, micro-séparation, vieillissement et usure). Il a fallu pour cela s’appuyer sur des simulations numériques qui ont permis de développer le système. Les données de la littérature ont été utilisées afin de choisir les paramètres du test (durée, fréquence, milieu d’essai). Enfin, la dernière partie de ce travail a été la mise à l’épreuve de différents prototypes à travers le test multiphysique et leur caractérisation en cours d’essai. Les principaux résultats de ce travail de thèse sont les suivants : le composite montre un comportement pseudo-plastique sous charge, avec une nette transformation de phase avant rupture, ce qui est positif dans le cadre de son utilisation. De plus, il ne semble pas affecté par la stérilisation. Du point de vue des implants développés, peu passent le test multiphysique. Le design, ainsi que la géométrie (notamment la clearance des échantillons) sont des leviers d’amélioration qui permettront d’augmenter la fiabilité des implants. / This work deals with the development of new intervertebral prostheses, made with ceramics. A whole European project, Longlife, was dedicated to the development of such implants. To achieve this goal, several axes have been followed: the synthesis of a new material, the development of new designs of intervertebral bodies, and the set-up of a new test aimed at reproducing in vitro the different solicitations undergone by an intervertebral implant in vivo. The new material developed is a triphasic composite composed of a matrix of ceria-doped zirconia (insensitive to ageing), a secondary globular phase of α-alumina (to reduce the grain size), and a third, elongated phase composed of strontium aluminates platelets (in order to improve fracture toughness). The first part of this work was to characterize this new material in order to forecast its behaviour under mechanical solicitation, thermal stability and resistance to sterilization. Secondly, the set-up of the new test is exposed. Different steps were chosen (axial fatigue, micro-separation, ageing and wear) in order to reproduce the “real-life” solicitations. To achieve this goal, Finite Elements simulations were performed, allowing the development of specific specimen holders that mimic the fixation of the implants in the vertebrae. The parameters of the test (duration, frequency, medium) were chosen after a details survey of the literature and of standards. At the end, we tested different prototypes trough this new multiphysic assessment set up. As a main result of this thesis, the chosen ceramic composite exhibits a pseudo-plastic behaviour, with a large deformation due to phase transformation before fracture, which is a positive result in the framework of the forecast applications. Moreover, the material doesn’t seem degraded by the sterilization processes. Concerning the multiphysic test, only a few implants resisted it. The design of the implants is a key-point, as well as the geometry (in particular, clearance seems to be critical).

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Alumina nanoparticles are among the most important materials in the ceramic industry due to their variety of potential applications. Currently, there is a search for more economic, eco friendly and efficient routes. In this way, the present work proposes the use of complexing capacity of water rich in Natural Organic Matter (NOM) (24mg L -1 COD) to synthesize nanostructured pigment, based on doped alumina with chrome ions obtained from reagents with high degree of purity of from solid and liquid residues from the tannery industry. In the synthesis process, many parameters were controlled, such as the pH of the precursor solution. It was observed that this parameter played a significant role on the production of particles with small sizes. Using pH 4,0 undoped alfa-alumina was obtained after calcination at 1000ºC/4h. This temperature is at least 200ºC lower than those reported for the production of alumina using sol-gel or Pechini routes. For doped alumina, the calcination conditions were 1100°C/4h, showing that doping had an influence over the phase transition temperature. The XRF data revealed that Cl, Si, Zn, S and Cu are the main impurities in the pure sample, as well as in the sample doped with chrome salts with high purity. On the other hand, the samples doped with recycled chrome contained compounds of calcium and sodium chloride, depending on the type of residue used (solid or liquid). Data from XANES proved that the valence of Cr in the alumina structure is influenced by the degree of purity of the dopant. Micrographs suggest the obtention of structures with spherical morphology, with particle sizes varying from 45 nm to 56 nm, showing that the origin of NOM, its molecular size, water storage conditions and the purity of the dopant has not significantly influenced the morphology or the average size of the particles. The PL and XEOL emission spectra chrome high purity doped alumina revealed a main band near 700 nm, and a dependency on the concentration of chromophore ion, as expected. However, for synthesized samples using recycled chrome ions, neither emission was observed. The physico-chemical and bacteriologic characterization of the recycled water showed that it attends to the standards required from the Brazilian health ministry. Furthermore, during the leaching tests the total chrome concentration was below the equipment detection limits. / As nanopartículas de alumina estão entre os materiais mais importantes na indústria cerâmica por conta de suas diversas aplicações. Atualmente há uma busca por rotas mais econômicas, eco-amigáveis e eficientes. Assim, o presente trabalho propõe o uso da capacidade complexante da água rica em Matéria Orgânica Natural (MON) (24 mg L-1 carbono orgânico dissolvido) para sintetizar pigmento nanoestruturado a base de alumina dopada com íons cromo de elevado grau de pureza (P.A) e com íons obtidos a partir dos resíduos sólidos e líquidos provenientes da industria de curtume. No processo de síntese, avaliou-se vários parâmetros, porém o controle do pH da solução inicial foi o que mais influenciou a obtenção da alfa-alumina nanoestruturada. Os resultados de DRX comprovam a obtenção da fase única alfa-alumina para as amostras obtidas no pH 4,0 e calcinadas 1000°C/4h para alumina não dopada, essa temperatura é pelo menos 200°C inferior à empregada nas principais rotas tradicionais (sol-gel e Pechini). Para a alumina dopada, essa temperatura foi 1100°C/4h. Os dados de XRF revelaram que as principais impurezas presentes na alumina não dopada e dopada com ions cromo P.A são os sequintes: Cl, Si, S e Zn. Enquanto, que para as amostras dopadas com íons cromo reciclados, as pricipais impurezas foram: os compostos de cálcio para as amostras obtidas empregando o residuo liquido e cloreto de sódio para o residuo sólido. O resíduo sólido apresentou características melhores para utilização em pigmentos cerâmicos. Os dados de XANES comprovam a presença de Cr(VI), porém é possivel obter Al2O3:Cr livre dessa valência. As micrografias sugerem a obtenção de estruturas com morfologia esférica, com tamanho das particulas em torno de 56 nm. Os espectros de emissão PL e XEOL da alumina dopada com cromo P.A revelam uma banda principal de emissão em aproximadamente 700 nm, sendo que a eficiencia fotoluminescente e radioliminescente mostrou-se dependente da concentração do ion cromoforo. Porém, para as amostras sintetizadas usando os ions de cromo reciclados verificou-se a supressão dessas propriedades. A caracterização físico-química e bacteriológica da água reciclada mostra que a mesma atende aos padrões de potabilidade exigidos pela Portaria 2914. Ademais, os testes de lixiviação demostraram que não houve liberação do cromo incorporado na matriz da alumina.