Desenvolvimento e caracterização de um compósito de poliuretano derivado de óleo vegetal reforçado com fibra de carbono

Abstract

Composite materials find applications within several branches in the industry. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites are highly dependent on oil-based raw materials, a non-renewable source, and also use toxic compounds in their manufacturing processes. An alternative is the composite polymer matrix replacement. This work intended to develop and characterize a composite from polyurethane derived from vegetal oil, mainly castor oil, a renewable and biodegradable source, with carbon fiber reinforcement in fabric form. To produce the composite, the hot compression technique was used, the mechanical properties were evaluated through flexural tests and the fractures from this test were analyzed with scanning electric microscope (SEM). The composite was produced with varied values of pressure, temperature and compression time. The sample manufactured with a pressure of 0,86 MPa, temperature consisting of 70ºC and compression time of 12h showed flexural strength of 493 MPa, flexural modulus of elasticity of 37,35 GPa and density of 1,485 g/cm3. With the results of this work, it can be concluded that the manufacturing of a composite from polyurethane mainly derived from castor oil with carbon fiber is possible and even replace oil-based polymers, with similar performance