Monazite is one of the most valuable natural resources for rare earth oxides (REOs) used as dopants with high added value in ceramic materials for extreme environments applications. The complexity of the separation process in individual REOs, due to their similar electronic configuration and physical–chemical properties, is reflected in products with high price and high environmental footprint. During last years, there was an increasing interest for using different mixtures of REOs as dopants for high temperature ceramics, in particular for ZrO₂-based thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) used in aeronautics and energy co-generation. The use of mixed REOs may increase the working temperature of the TBCs due to the formation of tetragonal and cubic solid solutions with higher melting temperatures, avoiding grain size coarsening due to interface segregation, enhancing its ionic conductivity and sinterability. The thermal stability of the coatings may be further improved by using rare earth zirconates with perovskite or pyrochlore structures having no phase transitions before melting. Within this research framework, firstly we present a review analysis about results reported in the literature so far about the use of ZrO₂ ceramics doped with mixed REOs for high temperature applications. Then, preliminary results about TBCs fabricated by electron beam evaporation starting from mixed REOs simulating the real composition as occurring in monazite source minerals are reported. This novel recipe for ZrO₂-based TBCs, if optimized, may lead to better materials with lower costs and lower environmental impact, as a result of the elimination of REOs extraction and separation in individual lanthanides. Preliminary results on the compositional, microstructure, morphological, and thermal properties of the tested materials are reported.

This chapter means to explain the tribological behavior of polymer-based materials, to support a beneficial introducing of those materials in actual applications based on test campaigns and their results. Generally, the designers have to take into consideration a set of tribological parameters, not only one, including friction coefficient, wear, temperature in contact, contact durability related to application. Adding materials in polymers could improve especially wear with more than one order of magnitude, but when harder fillers are added (as glass beads, short fibers, minerals) the friction coefficient is slightly increased as compared to neat polymer. In this chapter, there are presented several research studies done by the authors, from which there is point out the importance of composite formulation based on experimental results. For instance, for PBT sliding on steel there was obtained a friction coefficient between 0.15 and 0.3, but for the composite with PBT + micro glass beads, the value of friction coefficient was greater. Adding a polymer playing the role of a solid lubricant (PTFE) in these composites and also only in PBT, decreased the friction coefficient till a maximum value of 0.25. The wear parameter, linear wear rate of the block (from block-on-ring tester) was reduced from 4.5 μm/(N⋅km) till bellow 1 μm/(N⋅km) for a dry sliding regime of 2.5…5 N, for all tested sliding velocities, for the composite PBT + 10% glass beads +10% PTFE, the most promising composite from this family of materials. This study emphasis the importance of polymer composite recipe and the test parameters. Also there are presented failure mechanisms within the tribolayer of polymer-based materials and their counterparts.

Nanostructured coatings and films play an important role in modern surface engineering due to their ability to improve and optimize materials behavior under different external constraints such as high/low temperatures, stress/strain, corrosive/oxidizing atmosphere, electromagnetic fields/fluxes etc., used practically in all industrial fields. Surface modification may be done using any type of materials: polymers, metals, ceramics, composites or hybrids on any type of substrate by different physical, chemical or combined technologies. Thermal characterization methods are one of the most accessible tools to study, model and predict the process parameters required to preserve the nanostructures during thermal treatment of different coatings, develop novel multi-material coating systems, study the complex correlations between material properties vs. synthesis and processing parameters in real environments. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is often used as a standard method to put in evidence different thermal events such as phase transitions, decomposition, oxidation/reduction, nucleation and growth at the substrate/coating interfaces or in coating materials. The present paper aims to review some examples on how DSC may be used to assess the thermal behavior of coatings using standardization tools and developing novel application fields.

This paper presents experimental results from three-point bending tests for a composite made of quadriaxial glass fiber fabrics and an epoxy resin. Two composites were tested, one with 8 layers and the other with 16 layers; both had the same matrix (the epoxy resin). Tests were carried out, using five different test rates from 10 mm/min to 1000 mm/min. The following parameters were recorded and calculated: Young’s modulus, flexural stress, flexural strain, energy, force, and all four for the first peak. The experimental data reveal no sensitivity for these materials based on the test rates, at least for the analyzed range; but, the characteristics for the thicker composite, with 16 layers of fabric, are slightly lower than those for the thinner composite, with 8 layers. The results pointed out that, for the same thickness of composite, certain characteristics, such as stress at the first peak, the flexural modulus, strain at the first peak, and energy at the first peak, are not sensitive to the test rate in the range 10–1000 mm/min. The energy at the first peak is double for the 16-layer composite compared to the 8-layer composite, but the specific energy (as energy on cross-sectional area) has close values: 103.47 kJ/m² for the 8-layer composite and 106.51 kJ/m² for the 16-layer composite. The results recommend this composite for applications in components with resistance to bending or for low-velocity impact protection.

Purpose: – This research aims to characterize the tribological behavior of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and PBT composites with micro glass beads (MGB) on steel, in dry conditions and on a block-on-ring tester, pointing out the influence of sliding distance and speed. The tribology of PBT and its composites is still in an early stage because this thermoplastic polyester requires accurate technological and thermal treatment. Design/methodology/approach: – The composites were produced by ICEFS Savinesti Romania and contain PBT grade Crastin6130NC010 (as supplied by Du Pont), 0.5 […] 1.0 per cent (weight) Relamyd B-2Nf (polyamide grade produced by ICEFS, for a better dispersion of MGB), 1 per cent (weight) black carbon for technological and tribological reasons and different micro glass beads (MGB) concentrations (10.0 and 20.0 per cent weight). Tests were done for different sliding distances (2,500, 5,000 and 7,500 m) and speeds (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s) and a normal load of 5 N. Findings: – The friction coefficient and the wear parameter (as mass loss of polymeric blocks) pointed out a good tribological behavior for these composites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed particular aspects of PBT local transfer on steel. Also, 10 per cent MGB in PBT reduces wear, especially for longer distances (75,000 m) and higher speeds (0.5 and 0.75 m/s); the friction coefficient is only slightly increased up to 0.23, being less influenced by the speed and the sliding distance as compared to neat polymer. Originality/value: – PBT and PBT composites could become challengers for replacing materials in applications similar to tested ones. Even the neat polymer exhibits a good tribological behavior. The composites have a lower sensibility to higher speeds and sliding distances for the applied load.

In this study, the composition and mechanical properties of composites designed for shipbuilding are described. Four different composites were designed and fabricated by the research team, using quadriaxial glass fiber fabric (eight layers in all composites), two different resins (the epoxy resin SikaBiresin^® CR82 with the hardener CH80-2 or the polyester resin Enydyne H 68372 TA with Metox-50 W as the accelerator), and a middle layer of Coremat Xi 3 (only applied in some composites). The experimental results of low-velocity impact tests are also discussed, including the graphics force (displacement) and absorbed energy (displacement and velocity). The displacement and composite quality were evaluated through several parameters, such as maximum force, absorbed energy, and maximum displacement. Impact tests were carried out using four impact energy values (50–200 J), with an average impact velocity in the range of 4.37 ± 0.05 m/s. Only partial penetrations were obtained for all tested composites. For the low energy tests (50 J), the four composite materials were not well differentiated by graph shapes and parameter values, but for the higher energy tests, the composites containing Coremat Xi 3 displayed better behavior, having F_max reduced with 10.8% to 29.08%. The higher absorbed energy of these composites can be explained by the plateau generated by the force from a longer impactor displacement in contact with the composite. The results generated in this study confirm the suitability of the designed composites for shipbuilding applications. Still, the composites have light differences in terms of energy absorption in low-velocity impact and a significant reduction in maximum force.