Papers by Author: Carlos Pérez Bergmann

Abstract: The metallurgic industry, especially foundries, is a significant source of waste. For this reason, alternatives that involve reuse and recycling are necessary to minimize waste disposal in landfills and recover matter and energy. The feasibility of elaborating ceramic matrix composites with the incorporation of foundry waste was investigated in this study. Two types of residues were used to elaborate the composites. Green sand and grit blasting powder, in formulations with concentrations that ranged from 5.0 to 10.0% (m/m). The specimens were molded by uniaxial pressing, and a thermal treatment at 1000 °C was performed. The materials were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size determination, linear retraction, water absorption, mechanical strength, leaching and solubilization. The results indicate that the incorporation of waste to the ceramic mass enables the processing of specimens with properties of industrial interest, such as mechanical strength and water absorption.

Abstract: Wollastonite is a calcium silicate mineral natural or synthetic. Commercial wollastonite starts to melt at about 1450°C and can not be considered a "flux" as alkali feldspar. For this function, it depends on the reaction with other raw materials. Faced with this, came the goal of this work which was to investigate the mechanism of action of wollastonite as a ceramic flux. The use of wollastonite in ceramic bodies was investigated by analysis of its reactivity with other materials such as quartz, kaolin, talc and feldspar. It was analyzed the technological properties of the final parts, especially in relation to the firing temperature, phase formation and technological properties (mechanical strength, porosity, etc.). The results of this characterization showed that the technical properties of the parts are developed according to commercial porcelain products.

Abstract: The development of solid oxide fuel cell with thin film concepts for an electrode supported design based on the yttria-stabilized zirconia has demonstrated favourable results due to its high chemistry stability in oxidization and environment reduction. The spray pyrolysis process was investigated in order to obtain dense thin films of YSZ on different substrates. The precursor solution was obtained by zirconium and yttrium salt dissolutions in a mixture of water and glycerine in several ratios to study the solvent influence. The substrate was initially heated at 600 °C and during the deposition it ranged from 260-350°C, finishing at a fast increase in temperature of 600°C. The heat treatment was carried out in four different temperatures: 700 °C, 750 °C, 800 °C, and 900 °. The precursors were characterized by thermal analysis. The microstructures of the films were studied using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results obtained showed that the films obtained were crystalline before the heat treatment process and have shown ionic conductivity above 800°C.

Abstract: Plasma sprayed alumina coating is applied in many industrial applications in order to promote wear and corrosion resistance. Nonetheless, high porosity remained after deposition is a critical factor because it decreases the wear resistance. Some inorganic sealants can be used to reduce the open pores and superficial micro-cracks effect, improving the wear and corrosion resistance of alumina coatings. In this work, plasma sprayed alumina coating samples were divided into two groups: i) impregnated with inorganic sealant (AlPO4) and heat treated; ii) as deposited. Erosive wear tests were carried out in an erosion rig according to ASTM G76. The samples were subjected to an erodent flux, with impact angles of 30º up to 90º, at a velocity of 50m/s and temperatures of 25°C up to 400°C. The samples were characterized by SEM, Vickers microhardness, potentiodynamic anodic polarization and erosive wear rate. Results showed that erosive wear rate of alumina impregnated coating is lower than without the sealant. The sealed alumina coating presented higher mechanical properties; improved microstructural characteristics and the sealant promoted better lamellae contact, as can be observed by less sharpness in pits formation of microstructure.