Uranoxid (UOx) är ett energitätt material som ofta används i kärnbränsle. UOx-pulver pressas och sintras för att tillverka urandioxidkutsar som förs in i bränslestavar. Stavarna monteras slutligen ihop till ett bränsleknippe. Tillverkningsprocessens stabilitet och förutsägbarhet är viktiga. För att åstadkomma önskvärda egenskaper hos UO2-kutsarna är karaktärisering av UOx-pulvret centralt. Sintringsaktivitet är den viktigaste egenskapen när det kommer till att beskriva hur UOx-pulvret beter sig vid reduktion i högtemperatursintring. Återcyklat UO2 oxideras till U3O8 och kan användas till att styra sintringsaktiviteten tack vare dess porbildande egenskaper. Denna rapport beskriver karaktäriseringen av UOx-pulver och kuts med avseende på fysiokemiska egenskaper relaterade till sintringsaktivitet. Statistiska analyser av historiska data utfördes även och visade på en komplex relation mellan pulveregenskaper och sintringsaktivitet. Effekten av U3O8-pulver i blandningar av UO2-pulver med hög och låg sintringsaktivitet undersöktes. Att variera U3O8-batch hade ingen inverkan på diameterkrympning efter sintring utom i ett fall. Blandningar av UO2-pulver visade på avvikande egenskaper jämfört med det jungfruliga pulvret. UO2-pulvrets kemiska aktivitet undersöktes via oxidering med H2O2. Förbrukningshastigheten av H2O2 var densamma för hög- och lågaktiva UO2-pulver vid samma förhållande mellan specifik yta och lösningsvolym. / Uranium oxide (UOx) is an energy dense material commonly used in nuclear fuel. UOx powder is pressed and sintered to produce uranium dioxide (UO2) pellets which are loaded into fuel rods. The rods are then mounted together in a final nuclear fuel assembly. Stability and predictability of the manufacturing processes during UO2 pellet production is of high importance. To achieve desired properties and quality of the UO2 pellets, the ability to assess the characteristics of the UOx powder is crucial. Sinterability is the most important characteristic which describes the behavior of the UOx powder during reduction in high temperatures. Recycled uranium dioxide is oxidized into U3O8 powder which can be used to modify the sinterability due to its pore forming ability. This study describes the characterization of uranium oxide powders and pellets regarding physicochemical properties relating to sintering behavior. Statistical analyses of historical data were also performed and showed a complexity of the relation between powder properties and  sinterability. The effect of U3O8 powder in different blends of UO2 powders of high and low sinterability were analyzed. Varying U3O8 powder batch did not influence the diameter shrinkage after sintering except for one case. UO2 powder blends showed deviating behavior from their virgin powder constituents. Chemical activity of UO2 was analyzed by oxidation with H2O2. The consumption rate of H2O2 was shown to be equal for active and incative UO2 powders under equal specific surface area/solution volume ratio.

This is predominantly a qualitative study on the manufacturing of micronozzles with an additive manufacturing (AM) technique, namely the laser-powered powder bed fusion (PBF-LB).  Manufacturing of micronozzles with standard microelectromechanical system technology often results in 2.5-D or close to 3-D structures and does not yield a fully rotationally symmetric nozzle. For this reason, AM can be a better solution. However, the structures obtained with PBF-LB exhibit very rough surfaces which will impair the performance of the micronozzle. To improve the surface finish electropolishing was performed on the interior walls.  Given the shape and the scale of the components, uniformity of the polishing is a challenge, calling for an inventive electrode configuration and electrolyte feed solution. The approach was to integrate an electrode on the inside of the converging part of the nozzle, to serve as a cathode for the electropolishing, already in the process, and to make the nozzle itself the vital part of the fluidic system.  With this, titanium micronozzles were manufactured with throat diameters varying between 300 and 800 μm. With the resolution of the used AM technique, it was possible to integrate the internal electrode in the micronozzles with a designed throat diameter down to 600 μm. Below this, the anode, and cathode, sometimes made contact short-circuiting the cell. Profilometry showed a decrease of the average surface roughness (𝑅𝑅𝑎𝑎) with 15-60 % for the electropolished micronozzles. The Schlieren imaging showed an exhaust that followed the throat’s axial direction and also demonstrated pressure disks and, hence, a supersonic jet exhaust. This study has shown that AM is a viable choice for manufacturing of rotationally symmetric micronozzles, and that electropolishing could be used to decrease the surface roughness on their inside uniformly with the integration of a cathode.

Development of silicon based electronics have revolutionized our every day life during the last three decades. Nowadays Si based devices operate close to their theoretical limits that is becoming a bottleneck for further progress. In particular, for the growing field of high frequency and high power electronics, Si cannot offer the required properties. Development of materials capable of providing high current densities, carrier mobilities and high breakdown fields is crucial for a progress in state of the art electronics. Epitaxial graphene grown on semi-insulating silicon carbide substrates has a high potential to be integrated in the current planar device technologies. High electron mobilities and sheet carrier densities make graphene extremely attractive for high frequency analog applications. One of the remaining challenges is the interaction of epitaxial graphene with the substrate. Typically, much lower free charge carrier mobilities, compared to free standing graphene, and doping, due to charge transfer from the substrate, is reported. Thus, a good understanding of the intrinsic free charge carriers properties and the factors affecting them is very important for further development of epitaxial graphene. III-group nitrides have been extensively studied and already have proven their high efficiency as light sources for short wavelengths. High carrier mobilities and breakdown electric fields were demonstrated for III-group nitrides, making them attractive for high frequency and high power applications. Currently, In-rich InGaN alloys and AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility structures are of high interest for the research community due to open fundamental questions. Electrical characterization techniques, commonly used for the determination of free charge carrier properties, require good ohmic and Schottky contacts, which in certain cases can be difficult to achieve. Access to electrical properties of buried conductive channels in multilayered structures requires modification of samples and good knowledge of the electrical properties of all electrical contact within the structure. Moreover, the use of electrical contacts to electrically characterize two-dimensional electronic materials, such as graphene, can alter their intrinsic properties. Furthermore, the determination of effective mass parameters commonly employs cyclotron resonance and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations measurements, which require long scattering times of free charge carriers, high magnetic fields and low temperatures. The optical Hall effect is an external magnetic field induced optical anisotropy in  conductive layers due to the motion of the free charge carriers under the influence of the Lorentz force, and is equivalent to the electrical Hall effect at optical frequencies. The optical Hall effect can be measured by generalized ellipsometry and provides a powerful method for the determination of free charge carrier properties in a non-destructive and contactless manner. In principle, a single optical Hall effect measurement can provide quantitative information about free charge carrier types, concentrations, mobilities and effective mass parameters at temperatures ranging from few kelvins to room temperature and above. Further, it was demonstrated that for transparent samples, a backside cavity can be employed to enhance the optical Hall effect. Measurement of the optical Hall effect by generalized ellipsometry is an indirect technique requiring subsequent data analysis. Parameterized optical models are fitted to match experimentally measured ellipsometric data by varying physically significant parameters. Analysis of the optical response of samples, containing free charge carriers, employing optical models based on the classical Drude model, which is augmented with an external magnetic field contribution, provide access to the free charge carrier properties. The main research results of the graduate studies presented in this licentiate thesis are summarized in the five scientific papers. Paper I. Description of the custom-built terahertz frequency-domain spectroscopic ellipsometer at Linköping University. The terahertz ellipsometer capabilities are demonstrated by an accurate determination of the isotropic and anisotropic refractive indices of silicon and m-plane sapphire, respectively. Further, terahertz optical Hall effect measurements of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility structures were employed to extract the two-dimensional electron gas sheet density, mobility and effective mass parameters. Last, in-situ optical Hall effect measurement on epitaxial graphene in a gas cell with controllable environment, were used to study the effects of environmental doping on the mobility and carrier concentration. Paper II. Presents terahertz cavity-enhanced optical Hall measurements of the monolayer and multilayer epitaxial graphene on semi-insulating 4H-SiC (0001) substrates. The data analysis revealed p-type doping for monolayer graphene with a carrier density in the low 1012 cm−2 range and a carrier mobility of 1550 cm2/V·s. For the multilayer epitaxial graphene, n-type doping with a carrier density in the low 1013 cm−2 range, a mobility of 470 cm2/V·s and an effective mass of (0.14 ± 0.03) m0 were extracted. The measurements demonstrate that cavity-enhanced optical Hall effect measurements can be applied to study electronic properties of two-dimensional materials. Paper III. Terahertz cavity-enhanced optical Hall effect measurements are employed to study anisotropic transport in as-grown monolayer, quasi free-standing monolayer and quasi free-standing bilayer epitaxial graphene on semi-insulating 4H-SiC (0001) substrates. The data analysis revealed a strong anisotropy in the carrier mobilities of the quasi freestanding bilayer graphene. The anisotropy is demonstrated to be induced by carriers scattering at the step edges of the SiC, by showing that the mobility is higher along the step than across them. The scattering mechanism is discussed based on the results of the optical Hall effect, low-energy electron microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction and Raman measurements. Paper IV. Mid-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry and mid-infrared optical Hall effect measurements are employed to determine the electron effective mass in an In0.33Ga0.67N epitaxial layer. The data analysis reveals slightly anisotropic effective mass and carrier mobility parameters together with the optical phonon frequencies and broadenings. Paper V. Terahertz cavity-enhanced optical Hall measurements are employed to study the free charge carrier properties in a set of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility structures with modified interfaces. The results show that the interface structure has a significant effect on the free charge carrier mobility and that the sample with a sharp interface between an AlGaN barrier and a GaN buffer layers exhibits a record mobility of 2332±73 cm2/V·s. The determined effective mass parameters showed an increase compared to the GaN value, that is attributed the the penetration of the electron wavefunction into the AlGaN barrier layer.

Carbon fiber (CF) is predominantly produced from fossil-based sources and is therefore an area of interest for further development towards a more sustainable society. The purpose of this thesis work was to investigate the possibility of producing precursor fibers (PFs) for CF production from a blend of renewable cellulose andlignin. Cellulose, which is used to some extent for CF production, was chosen, while the possibility of adding lignin was investigated in hope of increasing the gravimetric yield of the CF production. Blends of softwood kraft cellulose pulp (SKP) and softwood kraft lignin (SKL) were dissolved in an alkaline (NaOH) solvent system at different cellulose/lignin ratios. A total of eight dopes were prepared (SKP/SKL ratios of 100/0–60/40 wt./wt.) with total dope concentrations ranging from 4.5 wt.% to 9.2 wt.%. The addition of SKL resulted in dark colored dopes with viscosities of which mainly appeared to depend on the SKP concentration. The dopes were wet spun, resulting in continuously spun PFs. The PFs showed on an increasing pyrolysis yield with increased SKL content but decreasing mechanical properties. However, process optimization was not included in the work, subsequently leading to the assumption that greater values on mechanical properties can be achieved. A pure SKP PF and a SKP-SKL (70/30 wt./wt.) PF were successfully thermally converted into CFs by carbonization at 1000 °C. The PF containing SKL had a total gravimetric yield more than twice as high as the pure SKP PF, 28 wt.% and 12 wt.%, respectively. Thereby, the addition of SKL seems to have a positive impact on the CF yield when utilizing a NaOH(aq) solvent system. This thesis work has become a base for the future work towards the development of CFs from wet spun cellulose-lignin PFs in the NaOH(aq) solvent system.

Transparenta papper tillverkade av cellulosa nanofibriller (CNF), visar stor potential att kunna ersätta petroleumbaserade plaster inom många användningsområden, till exempel för mat- och varuförpackningar. CNF, även känt som nanocellulosa, kombinerar viktiga cellulosaegenskaper, med unika egenskaper hos nanomaterial. Denna kombination av egenskaper möjliggör tillverkning av ett pappers-liknande material som uppvisar både utmärkta mekaniska egenskaper och hög transparens. Användningen av nanocellulosa är dock förknippad med diverse utmaningar, för att materialet ska kunna bli kommersiellt slagkraftigt. En av de främsta utmaningarna är nanocellulosas höga affinitet för vatten och dess höga specifika yta som försvårar hanteringen av materialet. Avvattningen av nanocellulosadispersioner, för att tillverka transparenta papper, kan ta upp till flera timmar. För att övervinna detta hinder, har avdelningen för Fiberteknologi vid KTH tillsammans med BillerudKorsnäs AB, nyligen utvecklat en metodik för att skapa så kallade själv-fibrillerande fibrer (SFFer). Dessa fibrer möjliggör en snabbavvattnad papperstillverkningsprocess med makroskopiska vedbaserade fibrer, som efter tillverkning av pappret omvandlas till ett nanocellulosapapper, det vill säga ett nanopapper. För att erhålla SFFer krävs det att höga koncentrationer av karboxyl- och aldehydgrupper introduceras i cellulosafibrerna. Införandet av dessa funktionella grupper, möjliggör självfibrilleringen då SFFerna utsätts för moderata alkali-koncentrationer. I den ursprungliga studien som utfördes av Gorur m.fl., introducerades de funktionella grupperna med hjälp av sekventiell TEMPO- och periodatoxidation. I detta examensarbete, har alternativa kemiska metoder för att introducera samma kemiska funktionalitet som TEMPO-periodatsystemet undersökts. Huvudsyftet med arbetet är att besvara frågan: Hur påverkar olika kemiska behandlingar vid SFF tillverkningen, de kemiska och fysikaliska egenskaperna hos de modifierade fibrerna, samt de slutgiltiga pappersegenskaperna? För att besvara frågan, preparerades fibrer med liknande karboxyl- och aldehydinnehåll med hjälp av följande tre kemiska metoder: 1) TEMPO- följd av periodatoxidation (detta kommer att användas som referenssystem); 2) periodat- följd av kloritoxidation; 3) karboxymetylering följd av periodatoxidation. Egenskaperna hos fibrerna undersöktes med avseende på aldehyd- och karboxylinnehåll, avvattningspotential och förmåga att självfibrillera. Papper tillverkades med hjälp av en vakuumfiltreringsuppställning och följande egenskaper undersöktes hos pappret: mekaniska egenskaper (dragstyrka, brottsyrka och Young’s modul); optiska (transparens och ytreflektion); samt syrgaspermeabilitet. De erhållna fibrerna från samtliga tre kemiska modifieringar visade på självfibrillerande egenskaper i alkaliska lösningar. Detta beteende styrker hypotesen att ett strategiskt införande av ett högt karboxyl- och aldehydinnehåll leder till självfibrillerande fibrer. Transparenta papper tillverkade av fibrer som utsatts för TEMPO-periodatoxidation samt klorit-periodatoxidation, visade på utmärkta mekaniska egenskaper, hög transparens och bra barriäregenskaper - jämförbara med vad som vanligen kan noteras hos papper tillverkat av nanocellulosa. Samtliga egenskaper förbättrades ytterligare efter fibrillering av fibrerna i papperen. De karboxymetylerade-periodatoxiderade materialet, å andra sidan, uppvisade andra egenskaper jämfört med de två, tidigare nämnda, metoderna. TEMPO-periodat- och periodat-klorit-pappersmassan var halvgenomskinlig och geléliknande, medan den karboxymetylerade-periodatoxiderade massan var mer lik det omodifierade materialet. Detsamma gällde det tillverkade pappret som liknade ett konventionellt papper. Det var inte heller möjligt att åstadkomma en fibrillering av det karboxymetylerade-periodatoxiderade-pappret som utsattes för behandling med alkaliska lösningar. Avvattningstiden vid papperstillverkningen varierad mellan 4 och 60 sekunder, och karboxymetylering-periodat oxidation visade på snabbast avvattningstid. Den förlängda avvattningstiden i jämförelse med studien utförd av Gorur m.fl., tros främst bero på att ett filtreringsmembran med mindre porer användes på vakuumfiltreringsuppställningen, istället för en avvattningsvira som tidigare använts. Sammanfattningsvis så har det visat sig möjligt att tillverka självfibrillerande fibrer med hjälp av samtliga tre undersökta kemiska modifieringar. SFFer möjliggör tillverkning av snabbavvattnade transparenta nanocellulosapapper och visar på så vis på hög potential att kunna ersätta olje-baserade plaster till många förpackningsapplikationer. / Transparent papers made from cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), derived from e.g. wood, show great potential to replace petroleum-based plastics in many application areas, such as packaging for foods and goods. CNF, also known as nanocellulose, combine important cellulose properties with the unique features of nanoscale materials, gaining paper-like materials with outstanding mechanical properties and high transparency. However, nanocellulose faces various challenges in order to make the products commercially competitive. One of the main challenges is accompanied with nanocelluloses’ high affinity for water, which makes processing difficult. Dewatering of a nanocellulose dispersion in order to produce transparent paper may take up to several hours. To overcome this obstacle, the Fibre technology division at KTH Royal Institute of technology and BillerudKorsnäs AB have recently developed a new concept of self-fibrillating fibres (SFFs). This material enables fast-dewatering papermaking using fibres of native dimensions and conversion into nanocellulose after the paper has been prepared. In order to obtain SFFs, proper amounts of charged groups and aldehyde groups need to be introduced into the cellulose backbone. When SFFs are exposed to high alkali concentration, i.e. > pH=10, the fibres self-fibrillates into CNFs. In the original study, the functional groups were introduced through sequential TEMPO oxidation and periodate oxidation. In this work, alternative chemical routes have been examined to prepare SFFs with the same functional groups as introduced with the TEMPO-periodate system. The aim of the thesis has been to answer: how does different chemical routes to prepare transparent nanopaper made from SFFs affect the chemical and physical properties of the modified fibres, as well as the final physical properties of the transparent papers? To answer the question, fibres with similar carboxyl and aldehyde contents were prepared using three chemical routes: 1) TEMPO oxidation followed by periodate oxidation (which was used as reference system); 2) periodate oxidation followed by chlorite oxidation; 3) carboxymethylation followed by periodate oxidation. The properties of the fibres were examined regarding aldehyde and carboxyl content, dewatering potential and self-fibrillating ability. Papers were produced using a vacuum filtration set-up and the properties investigated were the mechanical; tensile strength, strain at failure and Young’s modulus, the optical properties; transparency and haze, as well as the oxygen permeability. In order to investigate the impact of the fibrillation of the papers, the properties were measured for both unfibrillated and fibrillated samples. Furthermore, the gravimetric yield after each chemical modification procedure was examined, as well as the dewatering time during sheet making. Fibres obtained from all three chemistries demonstrated self-fibrillating properties in alkaline solutions. This strengthens the hypothesis that the strategical introduction of aldehydes and carboxyl groups is the main feature responsible for the self-fibrillating ability of the fibres. Transparent papers made from fibres treated through TEMPO-periodate oxidation and periodate-chlorite oxidation showed excellent mechanical, optical and barrier properties, comparable to those seen in nanocellulose papers. The properties were further increased after fibrillation. The carboxymethylated-periodate oxidized fibres, on the other hand, behaved differently from the others. While the TEMPO-periodate and periodate-chlorite pulp was semi-translucent and gel-like, the carboxymethylated-periodate oxidized fibres resembled more the unmodified material. Likewise, the properties of those papers resembled conventional paper and no fibrillationwas experienced after immersing the papers in alkaline solution, according to the same protocol developed for the other two chemistries. The dewatering time during sheet making ranged from 4–60 seconds (carboxymethylation-periodate oxidation showing the fastest dewatering rates). The increased dewatering time compared to earlier studies is believed to mainly be due to the use of a filtration membrane on the vacuum filtration set-up, instead of a metallic wire with larger pores. Overall, SFFs was successfully produced using three different chemical routes. SFFs enables production of fast-dewatering transparent nanocellulose papers that shows the potential to replace oil-based plastics in many packaging applications.

Perovskit solceller (PSCs) är kända som 'ljusomvandling' enheter med ökad omvandlingseffektivitiet (PCE). PSCs är kända för detta flexibilitet och hög tolerans mot defekter och består av fem lager med olika material och egenskaper. De fem lagren är följande; transparant elektrod, elektron ledande lager (ETL), perovskit lager, hål ledande lager (HTL) och metallelektroden.  Detta forskningsarbete fokuserar på metallelektroden (Cu-tunn film), HTL (CuI-tunn film) och det aktiva lagret (CuI-komplex).  Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka effekten av olika tjocklekar på ytans morfologi och grovhet för att se mängden jod som tränger sig genom filmen genom att beräkna volymen.  Resultatet av denna studie visar att ökad tjocklek leder till ökad grovhet. Man ser även att en ökad tjocklek leder till ett mer homogent och jämn yta, och dessutom ökar kornstorleken, vilket tyder på att kvaliten av kristallisationen förbättras.  Slutligen, genom att känna till tjockleken och storleken (arean) på ytan av proverna kunde man beräkna volymen för att indikera mängden jod som trängt sig genom filmen. Resultatet av denna del indikerade att ju tjockare provet är, desto mer kommer jod att tränga sig genom filmen. / Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are known as light-harvesting devices with increased power conversion efficiencies (PCE). PSCs are known for their flexibility and high tolerance towards defects. It consists of five different layers with different materials and functions. Transparent electrode, electron transport layer (ETL) , perovskite or active layer , hole transport layer (HTL) and metallic electrode. In this research project, the focus is directed towards the metallic electrode (Cu-thin film), hole transport layer (CuI-thin film) and the active layer (CuI-complex). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of different thicknesses on the surface morphology and roughness and to see how much iodine is diffusing through the film by calculating the volume.  The results of this project present that the increase in thickness leads to an increase in roughness. It also shows that an increase in thickness leads to a more homogeneous and uniform surface and in addition the grain size increases which indicates that the quality of crystallization improves. Finally, by knowing the thickness and surface area of the samples the volume was calculated to indicate how much iodine is diffusing through the film and the results for this part indicated that the thicker the sample, more iodine will diffuse through the film.

Cellulose Nano Fibrils (CNFs) can be extracted from wood and other plants. These CNFs are expected to play a large roll in future materials owing to their interesting properties and biobased nature. In this project, dewatering of gels made from CNF by non-confined mechanical pressing has been studied. A CNF suspension was gelled by the addition of HCl at pH 2 to form gel cakes and then pressed mechanically. The goal was to find the pressure limits of the gel cakes for different starting concentrations, in weight percentage [wt%], of CNF to optimize the pressure used when dewatering CNF gels. The non-confined pressing was achieved via the useof a Zwick/Roell Torsion multi-axis testing system. Gel cakes were pressed until a pressing equilibrium was reached. Equilibrium was reached when compression was less than 0.01 mm per 100 seconds. Gel cakes were frozen with liquid N2, freeze-dried, and analysed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results observed from the pressing data showed that gel cakes with higher CNF starting concentrations could survive higher pressures. Using the highest pressure available, at the pressure limit, yielded both the shortest run time and the highest dryness content. SEM imaging showed that the compression of the gel cakes starts at the surfaces and continuous inwards through the bulk. The mechanical pressure creates sheets of CNF both vertically and horizontally. By plotting the starting concentrations vs applied pressure a limit map with pressure regions could be created. From the limit map further optimization can be achieved to shorten the dewatering process of the CNF gels.

Fluffmassa är, i ordets rätta bemärkelse, ett fluffigt material som i de allra flesta fall tillverkas av fibrer ifrån trä, den utgör en viktig del i blöjor, hygienprodukter, näsdukar och ett flertal andra produkter. Syftet med fluffmassa i absorptionsprodukter är framförallt att sprida vätskan, öka absorbtionshastigheten och behålla superabsorberande polymerer på plats i nätverket. Två viktiga kvalitetsparametrar hos fluffmassan är defibreringsenergi och knuthalt. Dessa är korrelerade till hur enkelt fibrerna kan separeras ifrån varandra i torr eller fuktad luft. Denna separation av fibrer är ett högst avgörande steg för att skapa den fluffiga massan ifrån torkade massaark.  Målet med arbetet har varit att reducera defibreringsenergin och knuthalten genom att behandla massa med oorganiska partiklar genom att använda den sk. lager-på-lager (LbL) – metoden där en konsekutiv behandling av fibrerna med motsatt laddade polyelektrolyter och nanopartilkar. Genom att belägga fiberytan med tunna skikt av ett oorganiskt material var avsikten att reducera fiber-fiber-interaktionerna för att slutligen minska defiberingsenergin och knuthalten. Studien visade att en viss effekt kunde uppnås med LbL-skikt av pDADMAC (diallyldimetylammonium klorid) och MMT (montmorillonit) vilket noterades som en minskning av knuthalten från 35% till ungefär 20%, medan defibreringsenergin däremot var oförändrad jämfört med ett obehandlat referensprov. De bildade lagren visade sig vara tunnare och jämnare än förväntat vilket sannolikt ledde till en relativt liten minskning av kontaktyta och molekylär adhesion mellan fibrerna vilket kan förklara den relativt sett låga effekten av tillsatserna. De tunna lagren kan också vara en förklaring till varför ingen nämnvärd skillnad detekteras för olika antal av bildade bilager. Eftersom enbart maximalt 3 bilager studerades kan det vara rimligt att anta att en ytterligare adsorption av bilager kan leda till en ytterligare minskning av knuthalten och defibreringsenergin.  Eftersom MMT-partiklarna inte var direkt synliga i SEM-analyserna är det svårt att säga exakt hur de är fördelade på fiberytan. Antingen är de jämnt fördelade eller så har vissa områden på fiberytan inte blivit täckta av MMT.  Resultaten indikerar också att det finns många intressanta sätt att förbättra lagren för att nå lägre defibrerinsergier och knuthalter. Genom att tex. adsorbera större partiklar istället för tunna MMT-partiklar skulle det vara möjligt att skapa en högre ytråhet och därmed en minskad kontaktyta mellan fibrerna vilket i sin tur skulle kunna minska knuthalten och defibreringsenergin. / Fluff pulp is indeed a fluffy material, it is most commonly composed of pulp fibers from wood and it serves as a vital constituent in diapers, feminine hygiene products, napkins and a variety of other products. The purpose of fluff pulp in absorbent products is mainly to distribute fluids, increase absorption speed and hold superabsorbent polymers within the network. Two important quality parameters of fluff pulp are the defibration energy and the knot content, which are related to the ease at which the fibers can be separated from each other under dry to moist conditions. This separation of fibers is an essential step in generating the fluffy material from sheets.   This project aims to reduce the defibration energy and the knot content by treating fibers with inorganic particles according to the Layer-by-Layer (LBL) technique. The main assumption was that by applying coatings to the fibers, the inter-fiber interactions can be reduced leading to a lowered defibration energy and knot content. The study showed that some effect was accomplished using layers of pDADMAC (diallydimethylammoinium chloride) and MMT (montmorillonite clay), the knot content was reduced from 35% to around 20%, but the defibration energy was unchanged compared to the untreated reference sample. The formed LBL layers appeared to be thinner and smoother than anticipated which likely lead to only a slight decrease in contact area between the fibers, hence, the reduction of knot content was detectable but not very large. Since the formed LBL layers were so thin it was difficult to find any distinguishable difference for the different numbers of bilayers, however, the maximum number of bilayers produced was only three and additional layers could lead to an amplified effect.  Since the MMT particles could not be clearly visualized from the SEM instruments, it is difficult to conclude exactly how the clay platelets were distributed on the fibers. Either the MMT was distributed rather evenly across the surface of the fibers, or some areas of the fibers were left free from LbLs.   The results from the present investigation show that there are many interesting ways to further improve the layers to reach lower defibration energies and knot contents. As an example the adsorption of larger particles instead of thin MMT platelets could be used allowing for a minimization of the contact area between the fibers due to an increased surface roughness of to the fiber surfaces.

På senare år har efterfrågan på stålmaterial av låg vikt ökat, speciellt inom transportsektorn. Genom att addera Al till stål sänks densiteten vilket gör att FeAl-legeringar är ett lovande material för fordonskonstruktion. Vätskekorrosionsegenskaper undersöktes av 3D – printade FeAl prover som innehöll 0 – 10 vikt% Al och 0,1 vikt% Zr för att bestämma hur korrosionsegenskaperna förändrades med avseende på Al – innehållet. Korrosionsresistansen var i stor utsträckning beroende av huruvida en passiv film av Al2O3 bildades på ytan eller ej. Korrosionshastigheten bestämdes genom EIS – och PDP – analyser utförda i 3,5 vikt% NaCl-lösning samt genom viktförlusttester i 1 M HCl respektive 0,5 M H2SO4. Vidare karaktäriserades proverna genom XRF, XRD, EDS, SEM och optisk mikroskopi vilket bland annat visade på att samtliga prover var enfassystem samt att den kemiska sammansättningen var enligt förväntan. Vidare indikerade optisk mikroskopi och SEM att ett högre Al – innehåll resulterar i att proverna blir mer porösa. Elektrokemiska tester antyder att ett Al – innehåll om 10 vikt% förbättrade korrosionsresistansen. Detta antyder möjligen, men kan inte definitivt fastslås från de utförda experimenten, att det krävs 10 vikt% Al för att en passiv film som täcker hela materialytan ska bildas. Korrosionshastigheten var 7 – 10 gånger högre vid viktförlusttest jämfört med elektrokemiska test. Detta förklaras genom att den skyddande passiva filmen bröts ned under de sura förhållanden som viktförlusttesten utfördes i medan den passiva Al2O3 filmen kunde bestå i de pH – neutrala förhållanden som elektrokemiska test utfördes vid. Detta speglar att bildandet och stabiliteten av Al2O3-filmen är vitalt för att sänka korrosionshastigheten. / In recent years the demand for lightweight ferritic steels has increased, particularly for transport applications. The addition of Al lowers the density, hence making FeAl alloys promising materials for such constructions. Aqueous corrosion properties of 3D – printed FeAl samples ranging from 0 – 10 wt% Al and containing 0.1 wt% Zr were investigated to determine how the Al content affects the corrosion resistance. The corrosion rate was found to greatly depend on the formation and stability of a protective passive film of Al2O3 forming on the material surface. A corrosion rate was obtained via EIS and PDP in 3.5 wt% NaCl as well as via weight loss testing in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H2SO4. Additionally, XRF, XRD, EDS, SEM and optical microscopy tests were carried out to characterize the samples. XRF and EDS confirmed that the elemental composition of the samples was as expected and XRD indicated that all samples were single phase systems. Furthermore, optical microscopy and SEM indicated that higher Al content makes the samples more porous. Electrochemical testing indicated that addition of 10 wt% Al greatly improves the corrosion properties suggesting that it may require 10 wt% Al to form a passive film that covers the whole surface, although this cannot be said for certain from these experiments. Moreover, the corrosion rate was 7 – 70 times lower during electrochemical testing compared to weight loss testing, in which the passive film breaks down due to the acidic conditions. This emphasizes that the stability of the Al2O3 film is vital for slowing down the corrosion rate of FeAl alloys.

The aim of this thesis is to determine the mechanical properties of copper, titanium and carbon thin films deposited on foil substrates, and identify how the properties are affected by the deposition process. This is important when such coated foils are subjected to mechanical deformation during applications. Three coating materials, Cu, Ti, and C, were evaluated on PET and Al foils. The materials were deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). The crack initiation and propagation during tensile tests were investigated in-situ by a SEM. The coatings’ crack onset strain (COS), cohesive strength, interfacial shear strength (IFSS), and Weibull shape and scale parameters were successfully determined from the experimental data. The results showed the Cu coatings had similar cohesive strengths and IFSS, independent of the deposition process. The main difference was the COS, where thin films deposited with ion assistance displayed a higher value. The coatings also displayed different morphologies that clearly influenced the crack propagation. Larger grains hindered the crack propagation and resulted in a more ductile fragmentation, with coatings displaying short and tortuous cracks. All Ti films displayed similar fragmentation and thus mechanical properties, despite small differences in morphology. However, the surface roughness of the Al foil influences the results. Localized stresses arise in the rolling tracks from the foil production and facilitates the crack propagation, thus affecting the fragmentation of the coatings. Lastly, it could be shown that the addition of a thin Ti adhesion layer resulted in a fully adherent C film.