Evandro Luís Nohara

Dielectric microwave absorbing material processed by impregnation of carbon fiber fabric with polyaniline

It is a known fact that the adequate combination of components and experimental conditions may produce materials with specific requirements. This study presents the effect of carbon fiber fabric impregnation with polyaniline conducting polymer aiming at the radar absorbing material processing. The experiments consider the sample preparation with one and two impregnations. The prepared samples were evaluated by reflectivity measurements, in the frequency range of 8-12 GHz and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The correlation of the results shows that the quantity of impregnated material influences the performance of the processed microwave absorber. This study shows that the proposed experimental route provides flexible absorbers with absorption values of the incident radiation close to 87%.

Evaluation of carbon fiber surface treated by chemical and cold plasma processes

Sized PAN-based carbon fibers were treated with hydrochloric and nitric acids, as well as argon and oxygen cold plasmas, and the changes on their surfaces evaluated. The physicochemical properties and morphological changes were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), tensile strength tests and Raman spectroscopy. The nitric acid treatment was found to cause the most significant chemical changes on the carbon fiber surface, introducing the largest number of chemical groups and augmenting the roughness. The oxygen plasma treatments caused ablation of the carbon fiber surface, removing carbon atoms such as CO and CO2 molecules. In addition, the argon plasma treatment eliminated defects on the fiber surface, reducing the size of critical flaws and thus increasing the fibers tensile strength.

Study of crystallization behavior of poly(phenylene sulfide)

Poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) is an engineering thermoplastic polymer that presents high temperature resistance (glass transition temperature around 85 oC and melting point at 285 oC). These properties combined with its mechanical properties and its high chemical resistance allows its use in technological applications such as molding resins and as matrix for structural thermoplastic composites. During the manufacture of thermoplastic composites, the polymer is exposed to repeated melting, quenching and crystallization processes. The properties of semicrystalline polymers, such as PPS, depend on its crystallization behavior. This work deals with the PPS crystallization kinetics under different thermal cycles. This study was performed under isothermal conditions in a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), coupled to Perkin Elmer crystallization software referred to as Pyris Kinetics - Crystallization. The results were correlated with microscopic analyses carried out in a polarized light microscope, equipped with a controlled heating and cooling accessory. In this case, the experimental conditions were the same adopted for the DSC analyses. From the results, parameters could be established to be used in the composite manufacture.

Otimização da interface/interfase de compósitos termoplásticos de fibra de carbono/PPS pelo uso do poli(ácido âmico) do tipo BTDA/DDS

In the present work two different manufacturing techniques of thermoplastic composites are investigated: the conventional hot compression molding and the aqueous suspension prepregging. The first one involves the impregnation of the reinforcement with molten polymer; while the second one uses aqueous polymeric suspensions, where the reinforcement impregnation occurs by its contact with the particle aqueous suspension of a polymeric matrix. This technique combines the powder polymeric matrix with another polymer which forms the suspension, a poly(amic acid - PAA). In this technique, both polymers are deposited simultaneously on the reinforcement during the impregnation. In a second phase of the processing, the PAA is thermally converted in a polyimide (PI) that can form an interphase region between the reinforcement and the polymer matrix. The objective of this study is the synthesis and the characterization of a PAA, based on BTDA/DDS, and the evaluation of its influence on the interphase region in the poly(phenilene sulphite) (PPS)/carbon fiber composite. DSC and TG results show the success of the PAA synthesis and its conversion into PI, which exhibits thermal stability up to 396 °C. The processed composite by polymeric aqueous suspension showed interlaminar shear strength (56.3 MPa) 12.6% higher than the composite obtained by conventional hot compression molding (50.0 MPa). Fracture surface analyses confirm these results, showing that the use of PAA improves the PPS/carbon fiber interphase.

Síntese de um poli (ácido âmico) para aplicação como interfase em compósitos termoplásticos de alto desempenho

This work is aimed at presenting the synthesis of a poly (amic acid) (PAA) to be used as interphase precursor in the manufacturing of high performance thermoplastic composites. Thermoplastic composites comprising a rigid reinforcement and a ductile matrix have their mechanical properties strongly dependent on the load transfer mechanism between the reinforcement and matrix. For this reason, the interface/interphase region plays a fundamental hole in the final properties of the composite materials. PAA appeared as an alternative to improve the fiber/matrix adhesion when it is transformed in polyimide (PI) favoring the link between the reinforcement and the thermoplastic matrix. This work shows the PAA synthesis from BTDA and DHPr reagents and its conversion into PI by imidization in a liquid medium. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the synthesis of PAA from the precursor reagents and the FTIR analysis evaluated the success of the conversion of PAA into PI. DSC and TGA analysis of the PI determined their glass transition (~213 °C) and decomposition (~310 °C) temperatures, respectively. These results motivate the use of PAA/PI as precursor of interphase to obtain thermoplastic composites with processing temperatures below 310 °C.

Processing of Carbon Fiber/PEI Composites Based on Aqueous Polymeric Suspension of Polyimide

Thermoplastic can be classified by their molecular structure as either amorphous or semicrystalline polymer. Semicrystalline polymers crystallize to form structures with excellent chemical resistance, mechanical properties, and high service temperature, whereas the amorphous are unable to form ordered structures, showing up either in glassy or rubbery state. The glass transition it is not just determined by the chemical structure but, also, by the available free volume between the chain, allowing its rotational movement (Cogswell, 1992; Nohara, 2005).

ELECTROMAGNETIC BEHAVIOR OF RADAR ABSORBING MATERIALS BASED ON CA HEXAFERRITE MODIFIED WITH CO-TI IONS AND DOPED WITH LA. doi: 10.5028/jatm.2009.0102255263

Radar Absorbing Materials (RAM) are compounds that absorb incidental electromagnetic radiation in tuned frequencies and dissipate it as heat. Its preparation involves the adequate processing of polymeric matrices filled with compounds that act as radar absorbing centers in the microwave range. This work shows the electromagnetic evaluation of RAM based on CoTi and La doped Ca hexaferrite. Vibrating Sample Magnetization analyses show that ion substitution promoted low values for the parameters of saturation magnetization (123.65 Am ² /kg) and coercive field (0.07 T) indicating ferrite softening. RAM samples obtained using different hexaferrite concentrations (40-80 per cent, w/w) show variations in complex permeability and permittivity parameters and also in the performance of incidental radiation attenuation. Microwave attenuation values between 40 and 98 per cent were obtained.