Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) oxidized by an acid treatment were deposited on the surface of as-received commercial aramid fibers containing a surface coating ("sizing"), and fibers modified by either a chlorosulfonic treatment or a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. The surface of the aramid fiber activated by the chemical treatments presents increasing density of CO, COOH and OH functional groups. However, these chemical treatments reduced the tensile mechanical properties of the fibers, especially when the nitric and sulfuric acid mixture was used. Characterization of the MWCNTs deposited on the fiber surface was conducted by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy mapping and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These characterizations showed higher areal concentration and more homogeneous distribution of MWCNTs over the aramid fibers for as-received fibers and for those modified with chlorosulfonic acid, suggesting the existence of interaction between the oxidized MWCNTs and the fiber coating. The electrical resistance of the MWCNT-modified aramid yarns comprising 1000 individual fibers was in the order of M Omega/cm, which renders multifunctional properties.CONACYT-CIAM (Mexico) 188089 CONICYT (Chile) 120003 "Fondo Mixto CONACYT-Gobierno del Estado de Yucatan" 24704

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Materials used as solar receivers in concentrated solar power technology must withstand severe operational conditions caused by concentrated solar radiation. For this solar technology several ceramic material candidates (silicon carbide, porous and dense silicon oxycarbide) have been subjected to thermal shock resistance test by using Fresnel lens, the equipment available, that concentrates the solar radiation more than 2600 times. Fast heating (37 ºCs -1 ) and cooling rates (28 ºCs -1 ) from 100 to 1200 ºC and dwelling time of 10 minutes are employed. The evolution of materials surface has been evaluated during test by spectroscopic methods and both confocal and electronic microscopies. It has been obtained the surface map of each analyzed sample in materials to thermal shock under concentrated solar radiation makes these materials suitable candidates of being used as high temperature solar receivers.

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Bulk silicon oxycarbide derived ceramic nanocomposites have been prepared by the application of the conventional ceramic processing to preceramic materials. Tetraethylortosilicate/ polydimethylsiloxane preceramic materials obtained by sol-gel process were thermally treated and attrition milled to 4 micrometers. Subsequently, the preceramic powders were pyrolized at 1100 °C to obtain silicon oxycarbide powders that were pressed and sintered at 1550 °C up to 16 hours. Silicon oxycarbide glasses obtained at 1100 °C from pyrolysis of preceramic materials consist of a Si-O-C network and a carbon like graphite phase well dispersed. At annealing temperatures higher than 1100°C silicon oxycarbide glasses undergo a rearrangement which involves a phase separation to silica and silicon carbide and a segregation of carbon like graphite phase. At these temperatures the material can be considered as a glassy matrix nanocomposite. At temperatures higher than 1500 °C the carbothermal reduction occurs with the consumption of both silica and free carbon phase. However, the nanocomposite structure is maintained but with different constituents. The silicon oxycarbide glasses obtained at 1100 °C are amorphous. However, as a result of all involving processes taken place during the ceramic process, the nanocomposites formed at 1550 °C comprise a silica matrix and nanodomains of carbon like graphite and silicon carbide both of them displaying an incipient crystallization. Structure and crystalline size evolution, from preceramic materials to silicon oxycarbide derived nanocomposites, have been determined by FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies, XRD and 29Si-MASNMR.

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