Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: CÍNTIA VIEIRA DOS SANTOS

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : CÍNTIA VIEIRA DOS SANTOS
DATE: 18/12/2025
TIME: 08:30
LOCAL: meet.google.com/yng-eeap-cyf
TITLE:

Eco-composites made from EVA/MDF composites.

KEY WORDS:

MDF powder; EVA; composite

PAGES: 50
BIG AREA: Engenharias
AREA: Engenharia de Materiais e Metalúrgica
SUMMARY:

The furniture industry generates a considerable volume of waste, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF) powder. The reuse of these residues is crucial for advancing the circular economy and reducing environmental impact, especially in the Bento Gonçalves furniture pole. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to develop and characterize expanded poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) composites, using MDF residues as filler, aiming to produce sheets with suitable properties for use in the furniture sector. Composite specimens were manufactured with different proportions of MDF residues, mixed with the EVA and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) matrix, in addition to additives such as expanding agents, cross-linking agents, and fillers. The samples were characterized concerning mechanical properties and morphology using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The expansion results indicated that samples with the highest MDF content (30% and 50%) showed the highest expansion percentages (367% and 314%, respectively), suggesting that MDF residues improve the foam's expansion capacity. The density of the compositions containing MDF was lower compared to pure EVA, due to the partial replacement of resin by wood powder. Morphological analysis (SEM) revealed open cells in all compositions and indicated points of compatibility between the EVA matrix and the MDF residues, which can be explained by the presence of phenolic resin in the MDF residues. The sheet with 50% MDF was considered the most appropriate for future steps, given its performance similar to the reference sample.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - EDSON LUIZ FRANCISQUETTI
Externo à Instituição - JOÃO AUGUSTO OSÓRIO BRANDÃO
Externa à Instituição - ANA MARIA COULON GRISA
Externa à Instituição - MARA ZENI ANDRADE