Influence of Homogenizing Methodology on Mechanical and Tribological Performance of Powder Metallurgy Processed Titanium Composites Reinforced by Graphene Nanoplatelets

In the present work, 0.25 wt%GNP-Ti composites were prepared through powder metallurgy route by adopting three types of mixing modes to investigate the extent of mixing on the mechanical and tribological properties. Dry ball milling, wet ball milling, and rotator mixing were independently employed to homogenize the composite constituents. Three types of composite powders obtained were subsequently sintered into composite pellets by cold compaction followed by vacuum sintering. Morphological investigation of composite powders performed by SEM revealed better homogenization of GNPs in Ti matrix for dry ball milled composite powder, whereas wet ball milled and rotator mixed composite powders showed aggregation and bundling of GNPs. Micro Vickers hardness of composites produced via dry ball milling is 4.56% and 15.7% higher than wet ball milled and rotator mixed samples, respectively. Wear test performed by pin-on-disk tribometer showed higher wear loss for wet ball milled and rotator mixed composites in comparison to dry ball milled.     

Biobased Kapok Fiber Nano-Structure for Energy and Environment Application: A Critical Review

The increasing degradation of fossil fuels has motivated the globe to turn to green energy solutions such as biofuel in order to minimize the entire reliance on fossil fuels. Green renewable resources have grown in popularity in recent years as a result of the advancement of environmental technology solutions. Kapok fiber is a sort of cellulosic fiber derived from kapok tree seeds (Ceiba pentandra). Kapok Fiber, as a bio-template, offers the best alternatives to provide clean and renewable energy sources. The unique structure, good conductivity, and excellent physical properties exhibited by kapok fiber nominate it as a highly favored cocatalyst for deriving solar energy processes. This review will explore the role and recent developments of KF in energy production, including hydrogen and CO₂ reduction. Moreover, this work summarized the potential of kapok fiber in environmental applications, including adsorption and degradation. The future contribution and concerns are highlighted in order to provide perspective on the future advancement of kapok fiber.     

Plasma Sterilization: A Review of Parameters,Mechanisms, and Limitations

Low-temperature plasma is a promising method for destroying microorganisms, an alternative to conventional methods which have numerous drawbacks. Several plasma-based sterilization technologies are presently under development, but their mechanisms of action are still incompletely understood. Since more than five years, we have investigated the effects of plasma on microorganisms (killing efficacy, and related mechanisms), as well as on the materials being sterilized. This article reports some important observations made during this work, using the commercialized so-called plasma sterilizers and real low-pressure plasma systems. The mechanism of etching (volatilization) of microorganisms by plasma that we have observed, leads us to believe that plasma may constitute a powerful solution to the clinical problems of deactivating also prions and endotoxins. However, plasma effectiveness is influenced by numerous experimental parameters, which we review here. This inherent complexity, and the weak penetrating power of plasma species, that severely limits plasma effectiveness in the presence of organic residues, packaging material, or complex geometries, are the main limitations of plasma sterilization.     

Water‐dispersive PLA‐based materials: from reactive melt processing to properties

Melt blending of poly(l ‐lactide) (PLLA) and water‐soluble polymers was carried out through reactive melt processing with the objective to prepare water‐dispersible PLLA‐based materials. For this purpose, both polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) were considered. Prior to melt blending, the preparation of plasticized PVOH and plasticized HEC was performed. The so‐obtained blends have been characterized in terms of morphology and thermomechanical properties. The morphological analysis evidenced the possibility to prepare co‐continuous PLLA/plasticized HEC blends. Nevertheless, their low melt strength did not allow producing monofilaments by melt spinning. Thus, PVOH was considered as an alternative to HEC. The results showed that using maleic anhydride‐grafted polylactide as a compatibilizer for PLLA/plasticized PVOH 40/60 (w/w) blends allowed preparing co‐continuous blends leading to tough monofilaments with high ultimate elongation. Moreover, the assessment of the water dispersiveness revealed that the monofilaments readily swelled in water and started to break up after 30 min. A full fragmentation of the monofilaments was observed within 1 hr. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile and rapid synthesis of nanoplates Mg(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> and MgO via Microwave technique from metal source: structural,optical and dielectric properties

Magnesium hydroxide and magnesium oxide nanostructures have been prepared by microwave/hydrothermal technique using magnesium metal in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The applied power of the microwave was 700?W for 10?min at 145?°C. The method produced Mg(OH)₂ powder as a base material for MgO by calcinations at 550?°C for 2?h. X-ray diffraction data confirms the microwave production of Mg(OH)₂ and (MgO) through the agreement with the standard JCDPS cards. Scanning electron microscopy shows nanoplates morphology for Mg(OH)₂ and large-scale nanoplates with a hexagonal shape for MgO. The fundamental direct optical band gap of Mg(OH)₂ equals 5.8?eV while for MgO equals 5.2?eV from the analysis of diffused reflectance data. MgO has higher dielectric constant than Mg(OH)₂ at the higher frequencies. AC electrical conductivity increases with increasing the applied frequency for both materials. The microwave-hydrothermal technique shows a promising method for production of magnesium compounds from magnesium metal which can be used in different aspects such as catalysis, wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical and coated materials.

Open image in new window

SEM images of MgO nano-plates

     

Novel synthesis of biodegradable linear and star block copolymers based on ε‐caprolactone and lactides using potassium‐based catalyst

Biodegradable, triblock poly(lactide)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(lactide) (PLA‐b‐PCL‐b‐PLA) copolymers and 3‐star‐(PCL‐b‐PLA) block copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of lactides in the presence of poly(ε‐caprolactone) diol or 3‐star‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) triol as macroinitiator and potassium hexamethyldisilazide as a catalyst. Polymerizations were carried out in toluene at room temperature to yield monomodal polymers of controlled molecular weight. The chemical structure of the copolymers was investigated by ¹H and ¹³C‐NMR. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by NMR and DSC investigations. The effects of copolymer composition and molecular structure on the physical properties were investigated by GPC and DSC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5363–5370, 2008     

Enhancement of cellulose acetate degradation under accelerated weathering by plasticization with eco-friendly plasticizers

Cellulose acetate (CA) with a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.5 has been plasticized using eco-friendly plasticizers such as triacetin, tripropionin, triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate, tributyl 2-acetyl citrate and poly(ethylene glycol) of low molecular weight. Thermo-mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of the modified CA have been measured and correlated with the content and nature of the plasticizer used and compared with unplasticized CA. The increase in toughening and the change in the hydrophilicity by the plasticization were evaluated in terms of aging and weathering stability under accelerated conditions. Samples were exposed to UV-degradation with water spray periods. The treated samples were removed periodically and characterized by several analytical techniques. The results are discussed with particular emphasis toward the effects of plasticization on enhancement of the degradation rate of CA. The plasticization of CA triggered an increase of the weight loss between 50 and 90%, where low molecular weight plasticizers were shown to be more effective. A right balance between hydrophilicity and plasticization efficiency (reduction of T_g) is needed to increase the degradation rate of CA.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of the New Fluorophosphate LiNaCo[PO(4)]F

The new compound LiNaCo[PO(4)]F was synthesized by a solid state reaction route, and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements. The magnetic properties of LiNaCo[PO(4)]F were characterized by magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and neutron powder diffraction measurements and also by density functional calculations. LiNaCo[PO(4)]F crystallizes with orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma, with a = 10.9334(6), b = 6.2934(11), c = 11.3556(10) ?, and Z = 8. The structure consists of edge-sharing CoO(4)F(2) octahedra forming CoFO(3) chains running along the b axis. These chains are interlinked by PO(4) tetrahedra forming a three-dimensional framework with the tunnels and the cavities filled by the well-ordered sodium and lithium atoms, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility follows the Curie-Weiss behavior above 60 K with θ = -21 K. The specific heat and magnetization measurements show that LiNaCo[PO(4)]F undergoes a three-dimensional magnetic ordering at T(mag) = 10.2(5) K. The neutron powder diffraction measurements at 3 K show that the spins in each CoFO(3) chain along the b-direction are ferromagnetically coupled, while these FM chains are antiferromagnetically coupled along the a-direction but have a noncollinear arrangement along the c-direction. The noncollinear spin arrangement implies the presence of spin conflict along the c-direction. The observed magnetic structures are well explained by the spin exchange constants determined from density functional calculations.     

Computational studies of 1:2 complex between retinol propionate and β cyclodextrin

[M05-2X/6-31G*:PM3MM] and [B3LYP/6-31G*:PM3] ONIOM2 methods have been used to investigate the vitamin A propionate/β cyclodextrin complex with 1:2 stoichiometry. Both methods give almost the same lowest energy minimum. The minimum energy structure of the complex is found in good agreement with experimental data. In this configuration, the major structure of propionate of vitamin A (PVA) is embedded inside the two cavities of βCD while the propionate group is kept outside. However, the three methyl groups of PVA are positioned in the free space between both βCD molecules. The driving forces for complexation are dominated by Van der Waals interactions between PVA and the βCD molecules assisted with multiple hydrogen bond interactions between the two cyclodextrin molecules. These interactions were investigated using the natural bond orbital approach.