Abstract in English:

Austenitic stainless steels, titanium and cobalt alloys are widely used as biomaterials. However, new medical devices require innovative materials with specific properties, depending on their application. The magnetic properties are among the properties of interest for some biomedical applications. However, due to the interaction of magnetic materials with Magnetic Resonance Image equipments they might used only as not fixed implants or for medical devices. The ferromagnetic superalloys, Incoloy MA 956 and PM 2000, produced by mechanical alloying, have similar chemical composition, high corrosion resistance and are used in high temperature applications. In this study, the corrosion resistance of these two ferritic superalloys was compared in a phosphate buffer solution. The electrochemical results showed that both superalloys are passive in this solution and the PM 2000 present a more protective passive film on it associated to higher impedances than the MA 956.

Abstract in English:

The corrosion properties of a 22.5 wt. (%) Cr duplex stainless steel were investigated after long-term aging of 3000, 5000 and 7000 hours at 300 and 400 ºC. The corrosion resistance was measured based on mass loss in a FeCl3 10 wt. (%) solution and electrochemical measurements in a 0.1 M H2SO4 solution. The results indicate that the corrosion resistance decreased steadily up to 5000 hours of aging. However, the samples subjected to 7000 hours of aging showed better corrosion resistance than those aged for 3000 and 5000 hours. This effect is attributed to the phase transformation that occurs during aging, a finding which was confirmed by hardness, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.

Abstract in English:

The absorption edge and the bandgap transition of sol-gel-dip-coating SnO2 thin films, deposited on quartz substrates, are evaluated from optical absorption data and temperature dependent photoconductivity spectra. Structural properties of these films help the interpretation of bandgap transition nature, since the obtained nanosized dimensions of crystallites are determinant on dominant growth direction and, thus, absorption energy. Electronic properties of the bulk and (110) and (101) surfaces are also presented, calculated by means of density functional theory applied to periodic calculations at B3LYP hybrid functional level. Experimentally obtained absorption edge is compared to the calculated energy band diagrams of bulk and (110) and (101) surfaces. The overall calculated electronic properties in conjunction with structural and electro-optical experimental data suggest that the nature of the bandgap transition is related to a combined effect of bulk and (101) surface, which presents direct bandgap transition.

Abstract in English:

This study investigates the influence of quenching/tempering temperatures on the fracture toughness and fatigue life of SAE 5160 steel, considering different phosphorus contents. Quenching and tempering treatments were applied to samples removed from different bars of commercial SAE 5160 steel with different P content. Three different austenitizing temperatures for quenching: 850, 900 and 1000 ºC and a constant holding time of 15 minutes were used. The oil temperature for quenching was kept at 66 ºC and the tempering conditions were 470, 500 and 530 ºC with the necessary time for a final hardness of 45 ± 3 HRC. Therefore, the heat treatments cycles were applied to specimens containing low (0.012 wt. (%)), medium (0.017 wt. (%)) and high (above 0.025 wt. (%)) phosphorus contents, in order to observe the effects of this element on the susceptibility of these steels to enhance quench and tempering embrittlements. The Charpy tests results showed that the phosphorus content analyzed in this work has caused embrittlement, even in the bars with the lowest P content, leading to intergranular fracture. However, if the nucleation life is taken into consideration, this embrittlement has no effect on the nucleation fatigue life of the component.

Abstract in English:

The major concern of the design for manufacturability is to accomplish the require deformation without failure of work material. The degree of deformation that can be achieved in a particular metal forming process without creating condition is termed as workability. The present investigation pertains to study the cold workability behaviour of Cu-7%Al-1.8%Si sintered preforms. Cold upsetting of these preforms with various aspect ratios were carried out and the working behaviour of the preforms at various stress state conditions was computed. The analysis measured for different components such as stress formability index and obtained density during secondary deformation as a function of induced strain. Similarly various computed stress ratio parameters with induced strain.

Abstract in English:

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyaniline blends of different composition were synthesized by chemical polymerization of aniline in a mixture of Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and N,N-dimethylformamide and their thermal and mechanical behavior was investigated as a function of the polyaniline doping level and the composition using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile tests techniques. The results showed the blend obtained presents a good thermal stability with low weight loss up to 300 ºC, assigned to water and solvents evaporation. The glass transition and melting point is not affected by the PANI content in the blend, showing that polymers are no miscible. The films produced present a good sustainability; however the presence of the conducting polymer in the blend increases the tensile strength and the Young modulus, while diminishes the elongation at break, as compared to pure PVDF.

Abstract in English:

This paper presents results on the tensile testing of AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy and 6111-T4 aluminium alloy at different strain rates. These materials are strong candidates for use in crashworthy automotive components and parts due to their well-balanced combination of strength, stiffness and density. To test their application in the auto industry an understanding of material behaviour at relevant strain rates is needed, as well as constitutive equations suitable for use in analytical and numerical calculations. Mechanical properties were determined from tensile tests using flat sheet samples, employing two different test techniques: a servo-hydraulic machine and a tensile-loading Hopkinson bar. The test results were used to compare different mechanical properties of the tested materials and to validate constitutive equations intended to provide a mathematical description of strain rate dependence. The Cowper-Symonds equation was examined.

Abstract in English:

The aim of this work is to show that industrial residues could be used in construction applications so that production costs as well as environmental protection can be improved. The fracture properties of polymer mortar manufactured with recycled materials are investigated to evaluate the materials behaviour to crack propagation. The residues used in this work were spent sand from foundry industry as aggregate, unsaturated polyester resin from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as matrix and polyester textile fibres from garment industry, producing an unique composite material fully from recycled components with low cost. The substitution of fresh by used foundry sand and the insertions of textile fibres contribute to a less brittle behaviour of polymer mortar.

Abstract in English:

A cellular automaton (CA) model to predict the formation of grain macrostructure during solidification has been implemented and the coupling between the microscopic and the macroscopic submodels has been investigated. The microscopic submodel simulates the nucleation and growth of grains, whereas the macroscopic solves the heat conduction equation. The directional solidification of an Al-7 wt. (%) Si alloy was simulated, enabling the calculation of the temperature and solid fraction profiles. The calculated temperature was used to obtain the solid fraction profile by an application of Scheil equation. This solid fraction disagrees with that calculated in the micro-macro coupling of the model, although this coupling is completely based on Scheil equation. Careful examination of the discrepancies shows that it is a result of the undercoolings for nucleation and growth of grains and also of the interpolations of enthalpy change and temperature from the finite volume mesh to the CA cell mesh.

Abstract in English:

In the present study, split tensile strength of self compacting concrete with different amount of ZrO2 nanoparticles has been investigated. ZrO2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of 15 nm were added partially to cement paste (Portland cement together with polycarboxylate superplasticizer) and split tensile strength of the specimens has been measured. The results indicate that ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to improve split tensile strength of concrete and recover the negative effects of polycarboxylate superplasticizer. ZrO2 nanoparticle as a partial replacement of cement up to 4 wt. (%) could accelerate C-S-H gel formation as a result of increased crystalline Ca(OH)2 amount at the early age of hydration. The increased the ZrO2 nanoparticles' content more than 4 wt. (%), causes the reduced the split tensile strength because of unsuitable dispersion of nanoparticles in the concrete matrix.

Abstract in English:

The capacity to damp mechanical vibrations is one of the most important properties of granite-epoxy composites, even superior to the cast iron one. For this reason, these materials have been adopted for manufacturing of tool machine foundations and precision instruments. This work presents a study concerning the behavior of particulate composite beams, based on granite powder and epoxy, subjected to mechanical vibrations. Composite samples were prepared with different combinations of processing variables, like the weight fraction of epoxy in the mixture and size distributions of granite particles. The damping behavior of the material was investigated adopting the logarithmic decrement method. Samples, in the form of prismatic beams, were excited in the middle point and the output signal was measured in a point located at the extremity. The obtained results showed that composite samples, with weight fractions of about 80% of granite and 20% of epoxy, presented damping properties approximately three times greater than gray cast iron.

Abstract in English:

The reaction of Naphthalene 1,4,5,8-dianhydride (NTCDA) with elemental aluminum(0) powder is studied in an aqueous alcoholic KOH mixture to search for the NTCDA anion and dianion electron-adducts. After analyzing various reaction conditions it was found that the reaction yielded a greenish precipitate in 3:1 (v:v) ethanol:water mixture. This powder is composed mainly of aluminum trihydroxide crystallites of bayerite [α-Al(OH3)(s)] and the organic content is approximately 6%. This hybrid material proved to be paramagnetic even after exposure to air for one year and at temperatures up to 200 ºC. Typical carbonylic bound to metal IR bands and reflectance UV-VIS spectra demonstrate the entrapment of NTCDA radical anion into the aluminum trihydroxide, hence rendering its green color and a paramagnetic behavior. Thus, besides the understanding of an aluminum reaction in suspension, the entrapment of an organic material (NTCDA) that stays stable as the corresponding radical can provide an interesting option for the synthesis of aluminum trihydroxide composites.

Abstract in English:

Electric-arc furnace dust (EAFD) is a by-product of steel production and recycling. This fine-grained material contains high amounts of zinc and iron as well as significant amounts of potentially toxic elements such as lead, cadmium and chromium. Therefore, the treatment and stabilization of this industrial residue is necessary. Concrete is a well-known suitable environment for stabilization/solidification of materials which have leachable elements in need of fixation. The effect of the EAFD content on the mechanical and chemical performance of Portland cement concrete is investigated in this paper. The effect of the EAFD content on the setting time of cement slurry was also analyzed. The axial compressive strength of the concrete samples increases with the EAFD addition in the range of 10 to 20 wt. (%) EAFD; also the tensile strength increases with the EAFD addition. An increase in EAFD content significantly increases the setting time of the concrete. The acetic acid leaching and water solubilization tests indicate low mobility of the potentially toxic elements from the EAFD concrete composite. The results of the immersion tests show that the addition of EAFD to the concrete seems to reduce chloride penetration, which may help prevent pitting corrosion in reinforced concrete.

Abstract in English:

The aim of this study was to compare the surface morphology and fracture torque resistance of as-received, sterilized and retrieved mini-implants in order to evaluate the fracture risks of re-using orthodontic mini-implants after sterilization. Thirty mini-implants retrieved from 19 patients, twenty as-received and twenty autoclaved mini-implants from the same manufacturer were used in this study. Ten samples from each group were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and the remaining specimens were tested for their fracture torque resistance. Results were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA. No defects or corrosion could be identified in autoclaved and retrieved mini-implants, but a worn surface and scratch marks could be observed on the retrieved ones. A statistical significant difference in the fracture torque was observed between the as-received and the retrieved groups. Re-use of retrieved mini-implants should not be recommended because their torque resistance is reduced. As-received mini-implants submitted to autoclave sterilization can be recommended to be used clinically.

Abstract in English:

Ti-doped carbon coatings were deposited on TiAlV alloys by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering in Ar/CH4 mixed gas. When Ar flow increases the incorporation of Ti into films raises while the concentration of C decreases. The formed nanometric TiC crystals were more noticeable for coatings deposited with higher Ar flows. Hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) of coatings were measured by nanoindentation. H values were in the range of 8.8-15.9 GPa and E of 53.4-113.7 GPa. Higher values for H and E were obtained for films containing larger amount of TiC-phase. The presence of TiC crystals increased the coefficient of friction (COF) from 0.07 to 0.28 in scratch tests. Tribological experiments were carried out by using a pin-on-disk apparatus in air and in liquid. COF values ranged from 0.10 to 0.50 for tests in air. Despite of presenting higher COF, tests performed in liquid resulted in less pronounced wear tracks.

Abstract in English:

Mineral rock wastes are being widely investigated due to possible damage to the environment when discarded indiscriminately in the nature, but also because of their great potential as ceramic raw materials. This work aims to study the effect of steatite particle additions on the mechanical properties of clay composites. A comprehensive series of experiments have been conducted to assess the influence of: steatite particle size, steatite fraction and compacting pressure on the performance of clay composites. The composite of superior properties was manufactured with 20 wt. (%) of steatite, 100-200 US-Tyler of steatite particle size and 30 MPa of compacting pressure.

Abstract in English:

The marine algae Sargassum filipendula was collected from São Paulo seashore (Brazil) and submitted to treatment with acid. The biosorption mechanisms of Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions onto acidic algae Sargassum filipendula were examined using various analytical techniques: Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and potentiometric titration (pH ZPC). The effect of acidic treatment on algae by hydrochloric acid (pH 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0) was evaluated for Cu2+ and Ni2+ adsorption. Alginate was extracted from raw algae and the two types of acids present in the biomass (β-D-mannuronic (M) and α-L-guluronic (G) acid) were characterized by 13C NMR. The M/G ratio was found to be 0.50. According to the pH ZPC analysis, at a pH higher than 5.5 the acidified algae surface presents a negative charge. The FT-IR analyses showed that the main chemical groups involved in the biosorption were carboxylic, alcoholic, sulfonate and amino groups.

Abstract in English:

In this work, strength assessments and coefficient of water absorption of high performance self compacting concrete containing different amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles have been investigated. The results indicate that the strength and the resistance to water permeability of the specimens are improved by adding ZrO2 nanoparticles in the cement paste up to 4.0 wt. (%). ZrO2 nanoparticles, as a result of increased crystalline Ca(OH)2 amount especially at the early age of hydration, could accelerate C-S-H gel formation and hence increase the strength of the concrete specimens. In addition, ZrO2 nanoparticles are able to act as nanofillers and recover the pore structure of the specimens by decreasing harmful pores. Several empirical relationships have been presented to predict flexural and split tensile strength of the specimens by means of the corresponding compressive strength at a certain age of curing. Accelerated peak appearance in conduction calorimetry tests, more weight loss in thermogravimetric analysis and more rapid appearance of the peaks related to hydrated products in X-ray diffraction results, all indicate that ZrO2 nanoparticles could improve mechanical and physical properties of the concrete specimens.

Abstract in English:

This work aims to characterize the phases, thickness, hardness and hardness profiles of the nitride layers formed on the CA-6NM martensitic stainless steel which was plasma nitrided in gas mixtures containing different nitrogen amounts. Nitriding was performed at 500 ºC temperature, and 532 Pa (4 Torr) pressure, for gas mixtures of 5% N2 + 95% H2, 10% N2 + 90% H2, and 20% N2 + 80% H2, and 2 hours nitriding time. A 6 hours nitriding time condition for gas mixture of 5% N2 + 95% H2 was also studied. Nitrided samples results were compared with non-nitrided condition. Thickness and microstructure of the nitrided layers were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), using Villela and Nital etchants, and the phases were identified by X-ray diffraction. Hardness profiles and hardness measured on surface steel were determined using Vickers hardness and nanoindentation tester, respectively. It was verified that nitrided layer produced in CA-6NM martensitc stainless steel is constituted of compound layer, being that formation of the diffusion zone was not observed for the studied conditions. The higher the nitrogen amounts in gas mixture the higher is the thickness of the nitrided layer and the probability to form different nitride phases, in the case γ'-Fe4N, ε-Fe2-3N and CrN phases. Intrinsic hardness of the nitrided layers produced in the CA-6NM stainless steel is about 12-14 GPa (~1200-1400 HV).

Abstract in English:

The incorporation of zinc onto biomaterials may improve their biological properties, since it is an essential trace element, involved on important steps of bone remodeling. The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vivo biocompatibility of previously characterized hydroxyapatite granules incorporated with 5% zinc (ZnHA), through a subcutaneous grafting test. Granules produced from powders of ZnHA or stoichiometric HA were subcutaneously grafted onto Balb/c mice, and histomorphometrical analysis was performed at 7, 14, 21, 28 or 60 days after grafting. HA and ZnHA induced a similar foreign body reaction, with formation of granulome and the presence of a fibrous capsule. Granulocytes were virtually absent, and agranulocytes decreased with time. ZnHA treated samples presented faster reduction on multinucleated giant cells and increase on observed angiogenesis, as compared to HA. It could be concluded that ZnHA granules are biocompatible. Further study should better address its potential use for bone therapy.