Denise Maria Lenz

Polyaniline synthesized with functionalized sulfonic acids for blends manufacture

Polyaniline (PAni), an electronic conductive polymer, has poor mechanical properties, such as low tensile, compressive and flexural strength that render PAni a non-ideal material to be processed for practical applications. Desired properties of polyaniline can be enhanced by mixing it with a polymer that has good mechanical properties. In this work, PAni was synthesised using functionalized sulfonic acids like camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecilbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) in order to promote PAni doping and improve its solubility, making possible conductive blends manufacture. The different forms of PAni were characterized by infra-red spectroscopy, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and conductivity measurements. A conductive blend composed of PAni/DBSA and lower density polyethylene (LDPE) was obtained via solubilization method and its thermal, morphological and electrical properties were investigated. Concentrations as low as 5 wt. (%) of PAni was able to lead to electrical conductivities of PAni/LDPE blends in the range of 10-3 S.cm-1, showing great potential to be used in antistatic packing, electromagnetic shielding, anti-corrosion shielding or as a semiconductor.

Effect of reinforcement nanoparticles addition on mechanical properties of SBS/curauá fiber composites

Composites of styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) matrix with curaua fiber and/ or a nanoparticulate mineral (montmorillonite clay - MMT) used as reinforcing agents were prepared by melt-mixing. The influence of clay addition on properties like tensile and tear strength, rebound resilience, flex fatigue life, abrasion loss, hardness and water absorption of composites with 5, 10 and 20 wt% of curaua fiber was evaluated in presence of maleic anhydride grafted styrene-(ethylene- co-butylene)-styrene triblock copolymer (MA-g-SEBS) coupling agent. Furthermore, the effect of mineral plasticizer loading on tensile strength of selected composites was investigated. The hybrid SBS composite that showed the best overall mechanical performance was composed by 2 wt% of MMT and 5 wt% of curaua fiber. Increasing fiber content up to 20 wt% resulted in a general decrease in all mechanical properties as well as incorporation of 5 wt% MMT caused a decrease in the tensile strength in all fiber contents. The hybrid composites showed clay agglomerates (tactoids) poorly dispersed that could explain the poor mechanical performance of composites at higher concentrations of curaua fiber and MMT nanoparticles. The addition of plasticizer further decreased the tensile strength while the addition of MMT nanoparticles decreased water absorption for all SBS composites.

Lead and zinc selective precipitation from leach electric arc furnace dust solutions

Electric-arc furnace (EAF) dust is considered a hazardous industrial waste. In this work, chemical and mineralogical investigations of EAF dust from Siderurgica Rio-Grandense (RS, Brazil) were performed. The elements aluminum, calcium, lead, cadmium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, silicon, sodium, tin, iron, zinc, sulphur, oxygen, and carbon were found in EAF dust. The concentration of zinc and iron showed an average value of approximately 20% (weight basis) and these elements are mainly present as ZnO.Fe2O3 (zinc ferrite) and ZnO (zincite) mineralogical phases. Also, EAF dusts were submitted to an integrated hydrometallurgical process composed by a hydrolyzed step, followed by a fusion step and a strong alkaline leaching. A subsequent chemical precipitation was carried out in order to promote selective separation of zinc and lead from the leach solution. Sodium sulphide was successfully employed as precipitant agent. When the weight ratio of sodium sulphide to lead was around 2.0, lead could be selectively extracted from leach solution. After lead precipitation without zinc concomitant loss, a weight ratio of sodium sulphide to zinc of around 3.0 was used to precipitate all zinc. Thus, EAF dust has a great potential to be used as a source of metals extraction due to its rich chemical composition and also for the viability of the proposed selective separation process.

Properties of SBS and sisal fiber composites: ecological material for shoe manufacturing

The worldwide trend toward using cheap, atoxic and durable materials from renewable resources contributes to sustainable development. Thus, the investigation of the potential use of vegetal fibers as reinforcing agent in polymeric composites has gained new significance. Sisal fiber has emerged as a reinforcing material for polymers used in automobile, footwear and civil industries. In this work, properties such as hardness, tensile strength and tear strength of polymer composites composed by block copolymer styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and 5, 10 and 20% by weight of sisal fiber were evaluated. The influence of conventional polymer processing techniques such as single-screw and double-screw extrusion, as well as the addition of coupling agent on the composite mechanical performance was investigated. Also, the morphology and thermal stability of the composites were analyzed. The addition of 2 wt. (%) maleic anhydride as coupling agent between sisal fiber and SBS has improved the composite mechanical performance and the processing in a double-screw extruder has favored the sisal fiber distribution in the SBS matrix.

Biocomposites: Influence of Matrix Nature and Additives on the Properties and Biodegradation Behaviour

Composite materials are material systems which consist of one or more discontinuous phases embedded in a continuous phase. Thus, at least two distinct materials that are completely immiscible are combined to form a composite. The continuous phase are termed matrix and the discontinuous phase can be a reinforcement (reinforcing agent) or filler. Also, other additives as plasticizers, pigments, heat and light stabilizers are frequently added in order to provide certain properties. The type and reinforcement geometry impart strength to the matrix and the resultant composite shows optimized properties such as high specific strength, stiffness and hardness with respect to the specific components [1].

Avaliação do emprego de carepa de aço como agregado miúdo em concreto

Mill scale is a solid waste formed on the steel’s surface during the lamination step of steel manufacture, usually deposited outdoors at steelmaking industries. This work aims to evaluate the use of mill scale in Portland cement concrete, as a replacement for natural fine aggregate. Concretes with mix proportioning 1:3,5, 1:5,0 and 1:6,5 were produced varying the mill scale content from 0% to 40%, with a given slump 110±10mm, for determination of compressive strength and water absorption. Concrete with mill scale has demanded greater water content to maintain the workability. The results indicated that concretes with water/cement ratios of 0.55 and 0.65 have a compressive strength reduction and greater water absorption as the mill scale content increases.