a b s t r a c tAn alternative expedite experimental set-up is proposed to evaluate the thermal insulation performance of corn cob particleboards. Testing in situ thermal insulation performance under real thermal and hygrometric conditions, using more realistic sample dimensions, testing simultaneously several samples and monitoring continuously for several days the thermal behavior of a product are some advantages of this proposed technique. Therefore, it has shown to be accurate and versatile. Through this experimental methodology, a parametric thermal insulation study of the corn cob particleboard in which the impact of its thickness on its thermal insulation performance was also possible to perform.

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The continuous evolution of the offshore business has created demands associated with new types of installations and in increasingly deeper waters. Mooring systems made from synthetic fiber ropes, and in particular the materials used in these systems, have evolved to meet these demands. However, a single type of fiber may be insufficient to anticipate the best performance (cost/benefit). In this work, the mechanical behavior of hybrid lines composed of segments of different polymeric fiber is studied. For this, experimental data of multifilaments are used for each of the materials, and for hybrid specimens in different proportions. Numerical simulation of mechanical behavior of hybrid mooring system are carried out based on viscoelastic theory. As a result, the behavior of the experimental test is checked against numerical simulation results, that validates the proposed model. Furthermore, a fundamental part of the result is integrated with the idea of optimizing the mooring systems, where it is possible to work with rope segments proportions for the hybrid mooring system, reducing the lifetime Total Cost of Ownweship, but without compromising the structural integrity or floating structure offset. From a practical point of view, it is extremely promising, as this optimization of the proposed mooring system, using a series of rope segments made of different fibrous materials, can, from a maximum allowable horizontal displacement, determine the sequence and proportion of rope segments employed, decreasing the rope manufacturing and/or installation costs.