UFOP was visited by Professor Bernadeta Debska from Rzeszów University of Technology (RUT), in Poland, with which it has an agreement of academic cooperation through the Erasmus+ Program. The purpose of the visit was to discuss research projects carried out by UFOP and RUT and an action plan aiming at future activities.
Bernadeta is a researcher and professor from the Department of Building Engineering at RUT, where she lectures about building materials, materials science, general construction, etc. Her research project involves theoretical and experimental studies on existing and new building materials, mortars and concrete made from modified polymers with plastic waste, besides statistical modeling in building materials science.
Professor Bernadeta Debska gave a lecture at the School of Mines about classifications, definitions, properties and applications of polymer composites similar to concrete. She explained that addition of “modifiers” can positively alter the properties of this type of compound, giving as an example the use of wastes instead of resin in mortars. This change brings ecological and economic benefits, since it reduces carbon dioxide emissions and because resins are the most expensive component of mortars. Among the improvements that can be achieved with these mixtures, there are greater mechanical and chemical resistance, adhesion to other materials and even lower water absorption.
Guilherme Brigolini, professor from UFOP’s Civil Engineering Department, had been together with Bernardeta, and had already visited RUT, also through Erasmus+. At that time, he gave a lecture entitled “Sustainable cements applied to Civil Construction” in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Polish University.
RESEARCH PROJECTS - Both professors have been working together since 2019 to develop research projects aimed at achieving desired properties from changes in resin compounds. Since then, three articles have been published in renowned scientific journals, such as Materials, from MDPI, and Construction and Building Materials, from Elsevier.
Since 2020, the professors investigate flooring systems based on synthetic resins generated from wastes.
“The visit to UFOP provided an opportunity to see the laboratory and the equipment base, meet the research team and discuss the direction of a possible research project”. said Bernardeta.
