Resumo em Inglês:

A comparative study was made of Si3N4 sintered with two types of additives, namely, Y2O3/SiO2 and R2O3(ss)/SiO2, R2O3(ss) being a rare earth metal oxide in solid solution. The processing conditions for both types of Si3N4 were 14 vol% of additives and a sintering temperature of 1800 ºC for 30, 60 and 240 min. To compare the efficiency of the additives in the material's sintering process, the density, flexural strength, fracture toughness and hardness were measured and the phase composition and microstructure determined. The results indicated that R2O3(ss)/SiO2 as a sintering aid improved the material's high temperature strength and slowed down grain growth when compared with the Y2O3/SiO2 additive.

Resumo em Inglês:

New worldwide trends such as globalization have rendered grinding processes increasingly important for industry, making it essential to perform in-depth studies of variations in grinding process parameters in the pursuit of greater cost effectiveness. This paper presents a comparative analysis of three different infeed rates, using a conventional grinding wheel on quenched and tempered D2 steel workpieces. Higher infeed rates are known to be correlated with shorter grinding times, rendering the process more economically attractive. Two different coolant fluids, 5% emulsion and pure oil, were used. The tests were carried out using the smallest possible amount of coolant and an optimized 5 mm diameter nozzle. The parameters analyzed were tangential force, specific energy, acoustic emission, roundness error and surface roughness. The surfaces of the workpieces were also examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that increased infeed rates could reduce processing times without compromising the quality of the workpiece profile, thereby reducing the cost of the process. The best cutting fluid, albeit more harmful to human health and less environmentally friendly, was found to be pure oil.

Resumo em Inglês:

The melting and solidification behavior of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3 O10 (Bi-2223) precursors has been studied. Nominal compositions corresponding to excess of liquid, Ca2CuO3 and CuO have been investigated. Each sample was made by packing a precursor powder into a silver crucible, in order to approximately simulate the situation found in 2223 silver-sheathed tapes. The samples were partially melted and then slow-cooled, being quenched from different temperatures and analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS). The precursors decomposed peritectically during melting, forming liquid and solid phases. Very long plates with compositions falling in the vicinity of the 2223 primary phase field formed upon slow-cooling. The 2223 phase may have been formed and the results suggest that long grains of this phase might be obtained by melting and crystallization if the exact peritectic region and the optimum processing conditions are found.

Resumo em Inglês:

This study observed alteration in the radiopacity and microhardness of expired resin-based materials compared to non-expired materials and the operating characteristics of the X-ray source used. Five 2 mm-thick cured specimens were prepared for each material: composite resins (P60®, Z100®), and a compomer (Dyract AP®). Radiopacity of the specimens was evaluated comparing the density of the resin-based material to an equivalent (mm) density of a 99.5% pure aluminum step wedge using a transmission densitometer. Surface microhardness measurements were carried out using a calibrated Vickers indenter on three different points of the same surface. ANOVA and Tukey tests (pre-set alpha = 0.05) revealed that expired materials showed no significant change in radiopacity. One material (Filtek P60) demonstrated lower radiopacity with lower KVp. Change in microhardness wa s statistically significant for Z100: for this material, the microhardness after expiration was significantly lower than before the expiration date.

Resumo em Inglês:

Plywood is normally produced with urea-formaldehyde and/or phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. However, the former is considerably toxic and environmentally damaging, while the latter is expensive, thus motivating the search for alternative raw materials in plywood production. The castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive developed at the São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, is an environmentally friendly vegetal oil-based polymer that is harmless to humans. The wood species Eucalyptus grandis offers favorable properties for plywood the manufacture. The study reported on here involved the use of castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive to produce plywood with Eucalyptus grandis layers. The plywood's performance was evaluated based on the results of physical and mechanical tests recommended by the Brazilian code, ABNT. Tests results showed higher values than those reported in the literature and recommended by the ABNT, indicating that the castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive is a promising glue for the manufacture of plywood.

Resumo em Inglês:

The growing popularity of wooden panels renders this market segment increasingly competitive. MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), in particular, is widely employed for a variety of applications, including civil construction, furniture, and packaging. This paper discusses a study of MDF produced from alternative raw materials, i.e., Eucalyptus fibers and castor-oil-based polyurethane resin. Physical and mechanical tests were performed to determine the MDF's modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture in static bending tests, its swelling, water absorption, moisture and density. The results of the physical and mechanical characterization of this laboratory-produced MDF are discussed and compared with the Euro MDF Board standard. MDF produced with eucalyptus fiber and castor-oil-based polyurethane resin presents results very satisfactory.

Resumo em Inglês:

The performance of different platinum electrodes used as resistive heating elements was studied. Pt films having different thickness were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature followed by post-deposition annealing at 700 ºC or made in-situ at 700 ºC. The Pt films were deposited over oxidized silicon, using Ti or Zr buffer layers. The resistance dependence on temperature was studied by applying increasing currents (up to 2A) to the Pt films. Changes in the microstructure of the Pt films account for the changes in the temperature coefficient of resistance as a function of the deposition parameters. The maximum substrate temperature (675 ºC) was obtained when using 200 nm Pt films deposited at 700 ºC over Ti, with a power consumption of only 16 W.

Resumo em Inglês:

Thin films of bioactive glass-ceramic have been deposited on titanium substrates by the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique under different experimental conditions. The effect of parameters such as deposition pressure and temperature of heat treatments was studied. The microstructure and the crystalline phases of the coatings were characterized using SEM, EDX and XRD analysis; the phases present were titanium oxides, calcium magnesium silicates and phosphates. The adhesion of the as-deposited films has been examined by scratch tests. The interfacial adhesion of the coatings was better when the deposition was performed at low pressure. Samples were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF), and a calcium-phosphate precipitate was observed on the surface of less crystallized samples, suggesting that there is some relationship between surface reactivity and crystallinity.

Resumo em Inglês:

Bone formation around a metallic implant is a complex process that involves micro- and nanometric interactions. Several surface treatments, including coatings were developed in order to obtain faster osseointegration. To understand the role of these surface treatments on bone formation it is necessary to choose adequate characterization techniques. Among them, we have selected electron microscopy, profilometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to describe them briefly. Examples of the potentialities of these techniques on the characterization of titanium for biomedical applications were also presented and discussed. Unfortunately more than one technique is usually necessary to describe conveniently the topography (scanning electron microsocopy, profilometry and/or AFM) and the chemical state (XPS) of the external layer of the material surface. The employment of the techniques above described can be useful especially for the development of new materials or products.

Resumo em Inglês:

Cemented carbides such as tungsten carbide-cobalt WC-Co composites have been widely used as cutting tool materials. Several reports have shown the influence of different factors such as grain size, type and amount of binder phase and the addition of hard particles on the properties of WC-Co. The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of niobium carbide on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-Co. Specimens of WC-Co reinforced with NbC were mixed and subsequently hot-pressed in a inert atmosphere. The WC-Co-NbC composite material exhibited high hardness values (18.9 GPa), flexural strength (2100 MPa) and fracture toughness (11.2 MPa.m½ ). TEM analysis has shown a bimodal grain size distribution of WC.

Resumo em Inglês:

The application of cutting fluid in a deep grinding process is becoming more and more important, mainly where the cutting fluids are used as an "external" agent to the grinding conditions. The role of the fluid in grinding operations is in refrigeration of the workpiece, removal of the shavings, lubrication of the grinding zone, and refrigeration and cleaning of the wheel. The efficiency of a cutting fluid will depend mainly of the type of fluid that will be used. In this work, the influences of the type of cutting fluid used in a deep grinding process of the steel VC131 using CBN grinding wheel are analyzed. Three different types of cutting fluids were used: a vegetable emulsion, a synthetic solution and a integral oil. The variables analyzed during and after the grinding process were the grinding force, the superficial roughness, the acoustic emission (EA), the temperature of the piece and the G ratio (relationship between the volume of material removed from the piece and the volume worn off the grinding wheel). The integral oil showed the best performance relative to the following output variables: EA, cutting force and G ratio. The vegetal emulsion was the fluid that best dissipated heat from the cutting region.

Resumo em Inglês:

A systematic investigation of the properties of the InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) system subjected to a post-growth annealing using capacitance-voltage, Raman scattering and photoluminescence measurements is presented. The application of both electrical and optical methods allowed us to obtain reliable information on the microscopic structural evolution of this system. The single layer and the multilayer quantum dots were found to respond differently to the annealing process, due to the differences in strain that occur in both systems. The diffusion activated by strain provoked the appearance of an InGaAs alloy layer in substitution to the quantum dots layers; this change occurred at the annealing temperature T = 600 ºC in the multilayer system. A single dot layer, however, was observed even after the annealing at T = 700 ºC. Moreover, the low temperature annealing was found to improve the homogeneity of the multilayer system and to decrease the electrical interlayer coupling.

Resumo em Inglês:

Seven-segment displays are used to show numerical quantities in electronic equipment, being present in most of the low-end electronics. In this work we describe a novel organic light emitting display made with poly(1,10 decanedioxy 2 methoxy - 1,2 phenylene - 1,2 ethenylene - 3,6 dimethoxy - 1,4 phenylene - 1,2 ethenylene 3 methoxy - 1,4 - phenylene) (OPPVDBC), tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum salt (Alq3) and a hole injection layer (PEDOT:PSS: poly(3,4 - ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrenesulfonate)). The general device structure is FTO/PEDOT:PSS/OPPVDBC/Ca/Al or FTO/PEDOT:PSS/OPPVDBC/Alq3/Ca/Al. The FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) thin films are transparent (transmittance > 80 % in the visible region of the spectrum), conductive (< 15 omega/º for 200 nm thick films), and present high chemical stability.

Resumo em Inglês:

Two different hydrophilic acrylate beads were prepared via aqueous suspension polymerization. Beads produced of a hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) and ethyleneglycol methacrylate (EDMA) copolymer were obtained using a polyvinyl alcohol suspending medium. Copolymers of 2hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethyleneglycol methacrylate (EDMA) beads were obtained using magnesium hydroxide as the suspending agent. Following characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen sorption analysis (NSA) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), the beads were cultured with monkey fibroblasts (COS7) to evaluate their ability to support cell growth, attachment and adhesion. Cell growth behavior onto small HPMA/EDMA copolymer beads and large HEMA/MMA/EDMA copolymer beads is evaluated regarding their hidrophilicity/hidrophobicity and surface roughness.

Resumo em Inglês:

Coating of steel surfaces with titanium films has been studied with the objective to protect them against corrosion, and to create an intermediate film for CVD diamond and TiN film deposition. In this work, the nucleation, growth mechanisms and microstructural formation of the titanium films deposited on 304 stainless steel (304 SS) substrate are presented and discussed. The titanium films of variable thickness were obtained by vapour phase deposition produced by electron beam. The surfaces of these samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The cross sections of these samples were observed by using an atomic force microscope. The Ti film-304 SS interfaces were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results showed that titanium films have a columnar growth. The Ti film-304 SS interface had a residual compression stress at room temperature due to the inter-diffusion process.

Resumo em Inglês:

Depth sensing indentation is a powerful experimental technique for determining mechanical properties of materials. In this work a computational routine was developed based on Oliver-Pharr method for measuring a more precise values of elastic modulus using a Fischerscope H100 depth sensing indentation apparatus, with a Vickers indenter. This computational routine aims also to measure Vickers hardness, as the equipment does not have software for this purpose. From indentation data it was possible to determine initial unloading stiffness, contact depth, projected contact area, reduced modulus, elastic modulus and Vickers hardness of materials. The validity of the routine was verified analyzing two coatings and nine bulk specimens with different elastic-plastic behaviors. It was verified that the elastic moduli determined through the software of the equipment resulted in great discrepancies when low loads were applied. A good estimate of the elastic moduli of the tested materials is given by the developed routine. For several testing loads, the diagonals determined by means of analytical procedure were compared with the same diagonals measured by image analysis. A good estimate of the Vickers hardness of the above-mentioned materials is given by the developed routine using different testing loads.

Resumo em Inglês:

In this work, thin polymer films were prepared from acetylene and argon radiofrequency (13.56 MHz, 80 W) glow discharges. Post-deposition treatment was performed by plasma immersion ion implantation in nitrogen or helium glow discharges (13.56 MHz, 70 W). In these cases, samples were biased with 25 kV negative pulses. Exposure time to the bombardment plasma, t, ranged from 900 to 7200 s. Chemical composition of the film surfaces was investigated by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and the resistance to oxidation by the etching process, in reactive oxygen plasmas. Oxygen and nitrogen were detected in all the samples. While the concentration of the former continuously changed with t, that of N kept practically constant in small proportions. The film is predominantly formed by sp² states, but the proportion of sp³ hybridization slightly increased with t. The etching rate dropped under certain conditions of nitrogen bombardment whereas helium implantation has not significantly improved it. These results are ascribed to the crosslinking degree of the polymeric chains, ruled by the total amount of energy delivered to the film.

Resumo em Inglês:

Octakis (hydridodimethylsiloxy) octasilsesquioxane was hydrosilated with allyl chloride using Spiers catalyst (H2PtCl6). This reaction was monitored using FT-IR spectroscopy. The synthesized product was characterized by 13C, 29Si NMR (MAS), SEM, FT-IR, Thermogravimetric techniques. The three propyl groups alpha, beta, gamma, (to the terminal silicon atom), associated of an allyl chloride, were clearly seen in the 13C NMR (alpha-CH2 at 31.8; beta-CH2 at 37.7; gamma-CH2 at 50.1 ppm). In addition, the 29Si NMR spectrum of the final product, exhibits three Q signals for Q type silicon attributed to Q² (-90.1) Q³ (-100.2) and Q4 (-111.3ppm). The presence of allyl chloride substitutes in octameric cube confers a relative porosity and thermal stability to the material.

Resumo em Inglês:

Results of polypropylene removal in injected metallic parts by using plasma technology are presented. The samples were injected with 55.18% Vol. of unalloyed iron powder, 23.57% Vol. of paraffin and 21.25% Vol. of polypropylene. The paraffin was previously removed in hexane bath, followed by a treatment in abnormal glow discharge of argon and hydrogen for the removal of the polypropylene. The electric discharge was generated in two configurations: a confined anode-cathode with the samples placed on the anode and a confined grid (anode)-cathode system with the sample placed on a holder at floating potential inside the grid. In the first geometry, electrons bombarded the sample surface, while in the second, they are collected by the grid. The samples were characterized by mass loss measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the hydrogen discharge was more efficient for both configurations, which is attributed to the high reactivity of hydrogen atoms produced in the discharge. In addition, when plasma debinding was performed at 400 ºC for 10 min, by using the confined anode-cathode configuration, the polypropylene removal was total, while in the confined grid (anode)-cathode geometry the removal was approximately 32%. The higher polypropylene removing observed in the anode-cathode configuration is attributed to electron bombardment of the surface of the sample.

Resumo em Inglês:

Fe10Ag90 granular alloys have been fabricated, using a sol-gel method, for a range of nitric acid concentrations in the start solution. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. The average Fe particle sizes derived from X-ray diffraction are in the range 24-29 nm, indicating a large variation. The coercivity obtained from the hysteresis curve is two orders of magnitude larger that of pure iron in all the samples. Moreover, the hysteresis curves do not saturate, even in fields of up to 1 T. These observations indicate that the samples contain both superparamagnetic and blocked particles. A comparison between the coercive field and the average particle diameter, determined by the Sherrer's formula, is displayed in all acid concentrations.