Chapters authored
Erosive and Abrasive Wear Resistance of Polyurethane Liners
Material removal caused by the impact and sliding of a stream of particles is a typical wear mode in the oil and gas industry. Protective coatings can be employed to increase the service life of equipment that is exposed to harsh erosive and abrasive environments. Among all the types of protective coatings and liners, polyurethane elastomers have received great attention owing to their excellent wear resistance and comparatively low cost that would allow for large-scale applications. The excellent wear resistance of polyurethane elastomers is a result of their high resilience and propensity to elastic deformation that enables the absorption of impact energy of erodant particles with minimal damage. The relation between the wear resistance of polyurethane and its mechanical properties has been the subject of previous studies. This chapter reviews the research that has been conducted to study the wear resistance of polyurethane elastomers. Testing apparatuses employed, material characterization techniques, evaluations of material removal mechanisms, and parameters with the strongest effect on wear resistance of polyurethane elastomers are herein explored. A review of finite element modelling approaches for in-depth study of the wear phenomenon of polyurethane elastomers is also presented in this chapter.
Part of the book: Aspects of Polyurethanes
Stochastic Finite Element Modelling of Char Forming Filler Addition and Alignment – Effects on Heat Conduction into Polymer Condensed Phase
Micro- and nano-filler particles have been considered as char-forming flame retardants for polymers. It has been shown that suitable particles may operate in the condensed phase to prevent or delay the escape of fuel into the gas phase. Good flame retardancy performance may be achieved in composites with comparatively low filler loadings. However, many candidate filler materials, such as rod-like and plate-like carbon allotrope fillers with high aspect ratio, will effectively enhance the composite’s thermal conductivity, and hence, may greatly increase heat input into the condensed phase. Moreover, anisotropy in terms of thermal conductivity must be considered when rod-like and plate-like particles are aligned, for example as a result of manufacturing processes. The presented study investigates these effects, i.e., thermal conductivity enhancement due to filler addition and alignment, using a modeling framework based on Monte Carlo simulation that was developed for predicting effective composite properties considering filler-matrix and particle-to-particle interfacial effects. A stochastic finite element analysis was performed to model rod-shaped carbon particles embedded in a polymer matrix. The chosen analysis is demonstrated to be an effective means for elucidating the effect of filler addition and alignment on the heat conduction into polymer materials containing fillers as char-forming flame retardants.
Part of the book: Flame Retardants