Desenvolvimento de marcadores por traços de elementos químicos para identificação de cabos elétricos via fluorescência de raios X

Abstract

The present work has as objective the study and development of markers based on traces of chemical elements for the identification of electrical cables of aluminum and copper by means of a X-ray fluorescence (XRF) portable equipment. The development of chemical markers has as purpose try to solve or minimize the problem of theft of electric cables in the country, which has caused huge losses and disorders for companies and population. In this sense, the markers were developed using a polyester-based varnish and a black epoxy resin, which were doped with Cr2O3 particles. The markers were produced with additions of 1, 2, 5 and 10% of bulk weight of Cr2O3 in polymer resins and they were applied on cables of bare aluminum and isolated copper. After the markers were applied, the cables were analyzed via XRF, then fused, and again analyzed by XRF to check the permanence of the marker element, even after a possible recycling of the cables. The results showed that the chemical markers are efficient for identifying the Cr element via laboratory FRX even with only 1% bulk addition of Cr2O3 on the surface of Al and Cu cables, with both types of resins, however, it is not sufficient for identification after re-fusion of the conductors. The markers containing 2 and 5% of Cr2O3 showed little efficiency in the identification of Cr after re-fusion. Only the markers made with polyester resin containing 10% of Cr2O3 proved to be efficient after the Al re-fusion and were identified in all analyzed samples.