Estudo de biocompósito obtido a partir do polihidroxibutirato-hidroxivalerato (PHBV) para aplicação em pás de aerogeradores de pequeno porte

Abstract

With the considerable increase in energy demand, we seek for environmentally friendly alternatives for generating complementary power. Among these alternatives, wind energy emerges, exploiting the mechanical energy created by the wind for conversion into electricity. Projects aimed at improving the structure of wind turbines have become a focal point in the area. These range from the shape of the blades to the materials from which they were manufactured. In this work, the interest lies in the materials obtained from polyhydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate (PHB-HV), a biopolymer obtained from sugar cane. The objective was to study the properties of PHB-HV reinforced with nanoparticles, also of natural origin. We used the PHB-HV reinforced with eucalyptus and Cloisite® 30B clay nanofibers in different concentrations (20%, 30%, 50% and 70%), compared to the mass of PHB-HV, in order to obtain a reinforced biocomposite with potential for use in manufacturing small wind turbine blades. The samples presented inadequate use conditions, given that the manufacturing process was not efficient in dispersing the nanoparticles uniformly onto the matrix.