Estudo das Propriedades Mecânicas e Térmicas de Revestimentos Quasicristalinos AlCuFeB e AlCuCo para Aplicação como Absorvedores Solares em Colheita de Energia

Abstract

Due to the remarkable inherent mechanical and surface properties of quasicrystals, including high hardness, reduced coefficient of friction, low surface energy, and excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion, as well as their relatively limited electrical and thermal conductivities, research on these materials has been gaining increasing attention. In order to investigate the microstructure of surfaces coated with complex alloys AlCuFeB and AlCuCo, aiming at their application as solar absorbers, and to explore the impact of icosahedral and decagonal microstructures on the mechanical properties of the coatings, a series of analyses were conducted. These analyses encompassed techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Vickers Microhardness testing, surface wettability evaluation, and thermal simulations. From these studies, it has been determined that quasicrystalline coatings exhibit attractive properties for their application as solar absorbers. Remarkably, quasicrystals showcase an enhanced capacity for thermal resistance, rendering them suitable as thermal reservoirs in thermal energy collection systems when compared to pure copper. Additionally, when coupled with semiconductor thermoelectric generators, they possess the capability to convert solar radiation into thermal energy, and subsequently transform this thermal energy into electricity.