Wood cross-arms coated with polyurethane resin - tests and numerical simulations

• Autor(a) principal: Altafim,Ruy Alberto Correa
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Silva,Jose Francisco Resende da, Gonzaga,Diógenes Pereira, Ribeiro,Cacilda, Godoy,João, Basso,Heitor Curry, Bueno,Benedito, Calil Júnior,Carlito, Sartori,Jose Carlos, Altafim,Ruy Alberto Pisani, Silveira,Alex
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Materials research (São Carlos. Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-14392006000100015
• topic: wood cross-arm; polymers; electrical and mechanical tests; computer simulations

Brazil's electric power utilities have commonly employed native timbers as the main material for manufacturing cross-arms for distribution lines. However, the increasingly high costs of these timbers and Brazil's new environmental laws have contributed to change this situation, spurring research on new materials for application in transmission and distribution systems. This paper discusses two reforested wood species, Pinus elliottii and Eucalyptus citriodora, coated with castor oil-based polyurethane resins, as an alternative material for distribution line cross-arms, from the standpoint of their mechanical and electrical properties and their low cost. Numerical simulations and a complete description of the entire coating process are also part of this work.