Industry has been challenged to provide riser systems which are more cost effective and which can fill the technology gaps with respect to water depth, riser diameter and high temperatures left open by flexibles, steel catenary risers (SCRs) and hybrid risers. Composite materials present advantages over conventional steel risers because composite materials are lighter, more fatigue and corrosion resistant, better thermal insulators and can be designed for improving the structural and mechanical response. This paper contains a study of the toughening mechanism of an epoxy resin under rubber addition by means of fractographic analysis and its relation with the fracture process and increase of strength of a composite riser employing this polymeric matrix. Initially, an epoxy resin system was toughened by rubber CTBN addition (10 wt. (%)) as a way of improving the flexibility of future risers. Mechanical and thermal analyses were carried out for characterizing the polymeric systems. Later, composite tubes were prepared and mechanically characterized. The influence of matrix toughening on the mechanical behavior of the tubes was also studied. Split-disk tests were used to determine the hoop tensile strength of these specimens. The results indicate that the matrix plays an important role in composite fracture processes. The adding rubber to the polymeric matrix promoted a simultaneous increase of stress and elongation at fracture of the tubes manufactured herein, which is not often reported. These results, probably, is function of better adhesion between fibers and polymeric matrix observed in the CTBN-modified composite rings, which was evidenced in the fractografic analysis by SEM after the split-disk tests.

The effects of combustion thermal spraying parameters namely combustion pressure, feeding rate, and carrier gas on the wear resistance, friction coefficient, and Knoop hardness of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films were investigated. The PET coatings were characterized by measuring the wear coefficients by calowear-type testing, the friction coefficients by a pin-on-disk test, and Knoop hardness. The abrasive wear and friction coefficients of the coatings were compared with the values of a post consumer PET bottle chip reference sample. The structural characteristics of the coatings were investigated by X ray diffraction. Statistical analysis of the results allowed for the systematic characterization of the influence of the process variables mentioned above on the coating wear, friction, and microhardness values. Specifically, this study shows that the process parameters affect the wear coefficient and Knoop hardness significantly, but not the friction coefficient. The degree of crystallinity of the PET coatings varied from 20 to 26%.