EFFECTS OF HIBRIDIZATION ON POLYMERIC COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH LICURI PALM STRAW FIBERS SUBMITTED TO ACCELERATED ENVIRONMENTAL AGING.

Mirtânia Antunes Leão¹; Rafael Pacheco Evangelista²; Eve Maria Freire de Aquino³; Sônia Regina Sales Barbosa⁴

¹ IFBA - Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology and; ² IFBA - Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology; ³ UFRN - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte; ⁴ IFBA - Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Bahia

doi:10.20906/CPS/COB-2015-0232

Resumo

The gradual replacement of so-called conventional materials by polymeric composites has become an issue of great concern due to their behavior facing adverse environmental conditions. Depending on the application of the materials, study of natural degradation has major importance, especially when it is combined with heat, solar radiation, pollution, static loads or fatigue - conditions that induce material aging with the decrease of its resistance and rigidity properties. This degradation is irreversible and affects not only the material's mechanical properties as well as its visual aspect. For the present study, two laminate composites with ortho-terephthalic polyester matrices, one made of licuri palm straw fiber and another made of the same fiber and fiberglass, were submitted to accelerated environmental aging to study the effects of hybridization on microstructural degradation and dimensional instability of the composite. The morphological degradation due to aging analysis was made through visual observation and microscopic analysis of its microstructure. The plastic material reinforced with licuri palm straw fiber alone exhibited some advantages over the hybrid material when their responses to environmental aging - both on photo-oxidation and microstructural degradation - are compared. The hybridization with addition of fiberglass didn't give satisfactory results face the accelerated environmental aging. If the hybrid composite is to be used in direct exposition to adverse environmental conditions, a special attention is needed to perform appropriated maintenance of the parts built with it.

Palavras-chave: Polymer Composites; Hybridization; Accelerated Environmental Aging