In recent years, varied industrial users such as the automotive and electronic manufacturers, have greatly expanded the application of technical polymers, exploring the lower weight, improved moldability of complex parts and good mechanical performance that these materials can provide, especially when reinforced with fibers. Among these materials, polybutylene terephthalate reinforced with 30% glass fiber, designated as PBT GF30, is highly interesting, since it combines excellent mechanical properties with watertightness, allowing PBT GF30 to be used in the encapsulation of sensitive electronic elements. However, to maintain access, PBT GF30 products always require the use of joints, which are often created using laser welding. This work presents a detailed characterization of the thermal, optical, mechanical, and morphological characteristics of PBT‐GF30 suitable for laser welding, supported by a numerical analysis. This process allowed to determine the influence of thermal energy on the behavior of the material and thus fully understand the mechanical response of the material after laser welding. Testing of the PBT GF30 in the as received state confirmed a fusion temperature of 225°C and large energy absorption for wavelengths around 1000 nm. Exposure to large temperatures leads to increased fiber exposure and matrix degradation, with a deleterious effect on the mechanical properties. When treated at the highest temperature under consideration, the material exhibited a reduction of 66% in its ultimate tensile stress, 67% in the yield at failure, 45% in the Young's modulus and 44% in the stress intensity factor. Hardness was less affected by the temperature increase. From the numerical model for the tensile and the compact tension tests, it was possible to find a good degree of convergence. This material was generally found suitable for laser welding processes and the determined useful to support the modeling the behavior of laser welded joints.

The lack of phosphorus in soil affects the development and productivity of plants; however, in order for them to express the full potential, it is necessary to supply this nutrient. The objective of this study was to define adequate doses of phosphorus, which maximize the productivity and quality of four beet cultivars, and to identify among them the most efficient use of phosphorus. The experiment was carried out at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm, of the Federal Rural Semi-Arid University, Mossoró, RN state, Brazil, from July to October 2016. The experimental design was a randomized block in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme with four repetitions, corresponding to four beet cultivars (Early Wonder, Fortuna, Kestrel and Cabernet) and four doses of phosphorus (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha-1 of P2O5). The dose that maximized commercial productivity was 186 kg ha-1 of P2O5 for the cultivars Early Wonder (21.71 t ha-1) and Kestrel (22.59 t ha-1), 180 kg ha-1 of P2O5 for Carbenet (25.82 t ha-1) and 183 kg ha-1 of P2O5 for Fortuna (25.40 t ha-1). The Cabernet and Fortuna cultivars were classified as not efficient but responsive, whereas Early Wonder and Kestrel were efficient but not responsive. Phosphorus did not influence content of soluble solids and percentage of white rings at the root.

RESUMO O uso de tratamentos em aços tem como característica melhorar o desempenho mecânico desses materiais durante aplicação. Nesse contexto, a cementação sólida é um tratamento termoquímico que possibilita o aumento da dureza nas superfícies dos metais, por meio da difusão de carbono da atmosfera de um forno para a superfície do metal. A têmpera, por sua vez, é um tratamento térmico que tem o intuito de elevar a dureza do aço, por meio do aquecimento do metal até a austenitização e o posterior resfriamento rápido, formando uma microestrutura predominantemente martensítica. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar as microestruturas formadas após a aplicação de têmpera e cementação sólida em aços ABNT/SAE 1020, utilizando técnicas metalográficas e ensaios de dureza. Após a realização dos tratamentos, as amostras foram analisadas via ensaios de dureza Rockwell e microdureza Vickers, microscopia óptica e macrografia. Os resultados dos ensaios de dureza mostraram que a dureza das amostras temperadas e cementadas foi superior à dureza das amostras sem tratamento. Além disso, não houve influência significativa da granulometria do carvão vegetal na dureza das amostras cementadas, devido à alta variabilidade dos valores. Por meio da microscopia óptica e dos resultados de ensaios de microdureza Vickers, foi possível identificar que as amostras cementadas apresentaram elevada dureza da região da camada cementada, causada pela formação de martensita de alto e baixo carbono, com um núcleo mais tenaz, devido à presença de ferrita e perlita. As amostras com têmpera, por sua vez, apresentaram uma microestrutura de baixa dureza, o que também foi verificado pelo ensaio de microdureza.