Resumen en Inglés:

The great environmental impact caused by mineral production has forced mining and ornamental stone industries to acquire new concepts and technical solutions in order to develop eco-friendly and sustainable activities. In this context, this work aims to study the durability of soil-cement block with the incorporation of limestone residues from the processing of marble as an ornamental stone. Specimens were prepared with 30, 40 and 50 vol% of residues added to the soil-cement mixture and analyzed for their physical, chemical and mineralogical properties. After the curing period, the specimens were subjected to mechanical analysis and the established experimental program showed that the addition of residues in the mixture becomes feasible for the preparation of soil-cement blocks, exhibiting improved results when compare to a reference block without residues.

Resumen en Inglés:

The essential work of fracture (EWF) method provides useful parameters to characterize the fracture toughness of polymers exposed to degrading environments under conditions associated with plane-stress state of failure. Exposure of polymeric engineering materials to ultraviolet (UV) radiation may produce macromolecular changes that impair their fracture toughness. In the present work, for the first time, the EWF method applying a double edge notched tensile specimen was used to quantify the fracture toughness behavior of polycarbonate (PC) exposed to different, 300 h and 600 h, UV irradiation times. In addition, molar weight M─n determination, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tensile tests were also investigated for non-irradiated and UV irradiated PC. The EWF results and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed a significant reduction (39 % for 300h and 45 % for 600h of UV exposure) in fracture toughness associated with scission of the macromolecular chains. Other investigated properties, such as M─n, glass transition temperature, oxidation index and tensile strength, despite decreasing with UV exposure, did not show conclusive values.

Resumen en Inglés:

Ornamental stones, such as marble and granite, are worldwide used as pavement cover and lining parts in civil construction. Dwindling deposits and environmental pollution, due to extraction methods, have motivated the replacement of natural ornamental stones by synthetic ones. In particular, artificial ornamental stones are being developed with mineral wastes incorporated into polymeric matrix. In this work, granite particle waste, from a quarry, which supplies plates for building construction, was used in amounts of 85 and 90 wt % together with epoxy resin to fabricate novel artificial stones. Physical and mechanical characterization disclosed superior properties that allow these new developed artificial stones to be applied as pedestrian traffic pavements.

Resumen en Inglés:

The growing interest in natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) is associated not only with environmental benefits but also with technical, economical and social advantages. Among the NLFs, the coir fiber and pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) are low-cost and widely available waste materials. The present work investigated the dynamic mechanical properties, by means of DMA tests, of these two different fibers as reinforcement of epoxy matrix composites. The influence on DMA properties of composites by the volume fraction and the configuration form, mat or aligned coir fiber, were also evaluated. The results showed higher E’ and E” moduli values and an increase in Tg with the incorporation of PALF in epoxy matrix, which indicate a superior dynamic mechanical properties for this composite in comparison to the neat epoxy resin. The experimental data also revealed a stronger interfacial interaction of PALF/epoxy when compared to coir fiber/epoxy. It was also found a lower tan δ value exhibited by higher volume fractions of aligned coir fibers in epoxy matrix.

Resumen en Inglés:

The present research work examines the microstructural arrangements formed during the transient solidification of eutectic Sn-0.2wt.%Ni and hypereutectic Sn-0.5wt.%Ni alloys. Also, it examines their respective correlations with solidification thermal parameters: eutectic growth rate (VE) and eutectic cooling rate (ṪE); length scales of matrix and eutectic phases: microstructural spacings and the corresponding tensile properties: ductility and strength. Both alloys were directionally solidified upwards under unsteady-state regime, and characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Concerning the hypereutectic Sn-0.5wt.%Ni, the increase in Ni content is shown to influence both thermal behavior and cellular spacing (λC). The NiSn4 intermetallics is present in the eutectic mixture of both alloys, whilst in the Sn-0.5wt.%Ni alloy the primary phase has been identified by SEM-EDS as the Ni3Sn4 intermetallics. A β-Sn morphological cellular/dendritic transition occurs in the 0.2wt.%Ni eutectic alloy for ṪE> 1.2K/s. Despite that, regular cells in the hypereutectic alloy (0.5wt.%Ni) turns into plate-like cells for ṪE> 1.4K/s. If considered a reference cellular spacing about 20μm (i.e.,λ(c-1/2=0.22), the samples associated with the Sn-0.5wt.%Ni alloy are shown to be associated with higher tensile strengths, but much lower ductility as compared with the corresponding results of the eutectic alloy.