<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Graphene has achieved a great amount of popularity and interest from the science world because of its extraordinary physical, mechanical and thermal properties. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon, having one-atom-thick planar sheets of sp2 bonded carbon atoms densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. Many methods to synthesize graphene have been developed over a short period and we believe it is necessary to create a list of the most notable approaches. This article focuses on the methods to synthesize graphene in an attempt to summarize and document advancements in the synthesis of graphene research and future prospects.</abstract>

Graphene synthesis: a Review

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>A simple oxidation synthesis route was developed for producing magnetite nanoparticles with controlled size and morphology. Investigation of oxidation process of the produced magnetite nanoparticles (NP) was performed after synthesis under different temperatures. The phase transformation of synthetic magnetite nanoparticles into maghemite and, henceforth, to hematite nanoparticles at different temperatures under dry oxidation has been studied. The natural magnetite particles were directly transformed to hematite particles at comparatively lower temperature, thus, maghemite phase was bypassed. The phase structures, morphologies and particle sizes of the produced magnetic nanoparticles have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and BET surface area analysis.</abstract>

Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology Bannu, Pakistan

Department of Physics, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan

Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore, Pakistan

Transformation mechanism of magnetite nanoparticles

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In the present work, powder zinc oxide samples were prepared by varying NaOH concentration (0.1 M – 0.4 M) using wet-chemical co-precipitation method. As-synthesized ZnO was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. Formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO samples has been revealed from XRD studies. This study further suggests reduction in crystallite size from 40 nm to 23 nm with an increase in NaOH concentration which is confirmed by FESEM. PL and Raman spectroscopy studies of these samples show significant peak shift towards the higher and lower energy respectively, with maximum PL emission between 400 nm and 470 nm region of the visible spectrum. Noticeable inverse relationship between optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles and NaOH concentration may be attributed to the rapid nucleation during the synthesis process. With these remarkable properties, ZnO nanoparticles may find applications in nanoelectronic devices, sensors, nanomedicine, GATE dielectrics, photovoltaic devices, etc.</abstract>

Effect of NaOH concentration on optical properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>NiO nanoparticles were fabricated by sol-gel route using ammonium hydroxide and nickel nitrate as precursors. The NiO nanoparticles were calcinated at 400 °C and 1000 °C. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetry analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The structural properties were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD confirmed the formation of well-crystallized and high purity NiO phase. The XRD showed that the peaks were sharpened and the crystallite size increased as the calcination temperature increased. The average crystallite size ranged from 12 nm to 20 nm, when calcined at temperatures 400 °C and 1000 °C, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed the chemical composition and confirmed the formation of NiO nanoparticles. The nanoparticles showed paramagnetic behavior.</abstract>

Synthesis of NiO nanoparticles by sol-gel technique

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Raman spectroscopy is a most often used standard technique for characterization of different carbon materials. In this work we present the Raman spectra of polycrystalline diamond layers of different quality, synthesized by Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition method (HF CVD). We show how to use Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of the Raman bands to determine the structure of diamond films as well as the structure of amorphous carbon admixture. Raman spectroscopy has become an important technique for the analysis of CVD diamond films. The first-order diamond Raman peak at ca. 1332 cm−1 is an unambiguous evidence for the presence of diamond phase in the deposited layer. However, the existence of non-diamond carbon components in a CVD diamond layer produces several overlapping peaks in the same wavenumber region as the first order diamond peak. The intensities, wavenumber, full width at half maximum (FWHM) of these bands are dependent on quality of diamond layer which is dependent on the deposition conditions. The aim of the present work is to relate the features of diamond Raman spectra to the features of Raman spectra of non-diamond phase admixture and occurrence of other carbon structures in the obtained diamond thin films.</abstract>

Study of CVD diamond layers with amorphous carbon admixture by Raman scattering spectroscopy

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Vanadium dioxide VO2 has been paid in recent years increasing attention because of its various applications, however, its oxidation resistance properties in air atmosphere have rarely been reported. Herein, VO2(B) nanobelts were transformed into VO2(A) and VO2(M) nanobelts by hydrothermal route and calcination treatment, respectively. Then, we comparatively studied the oxidation resistance properties of VO2(B), VO2(A) and VO2(M) nanobelts in air atmosphere by thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). It was found that the nanobelts had good thermal stability and oxidation resistance below 341 °C, 408 °C and 465 °C in air, respectively, indicating that they were stable in air at room temperature. The fierce oxidation of the nanobelts occurred at 426, 507 and 645 °C, respectively. The results showed that the VO2(M) nanobelts had the best thermal stability and oxidation resistance among the others. Furthermore, the phase transition temperatures and optical switching properties of VO2(A) and VO2(M) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and variable temperature infrared spectra. It was found that the VO2(A) and VO2(M) nanobelts had outstanding thermochromic character and optical switching properties.</abstract>

VO2(B) conversion to VO2(A) and VO2(M) and their oxidation resistance and optical switching properties

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In this present study, the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method was used to fabricate the composites. Before three-dimensional (3D) printing, samples were designed according to the ASTM D256, D790 and D3039 standards for impact, flexural and tensile tests, respectively, using Onshape software before conversion to an STL file format. Afterward, the digital file was sliced with infill densities of 60%, 80%, and 100%. The composite samples contained chopped carbon fiber (cCF) and poly lactic acid (PLA), as reinforcement and matrix, respectively. The cCF/PLA (simply called cCFP) filaments were printed into various cCFP composite (cCFPC) samples, using a Viper Share bot 3D machine with different infill densities before the aforementioned mechanical testing. The tensile strength of cCFP were obtained as 25.9MPa, 26.9MPa and 34.75MPa for 60%, 80% and 100% infill density cCFP samples, respectively. Similarly, the flexural strength of cCFP were obtained as 11.8MPa, 12.55MPa and 18.4MPa and impact strength was 47.48kJ/m2, 48.45kJ/m2 and 48.96kJ/m2 for 60%, 80% and 100% infill density cCFP samples, respectively. The fractured/tested samples were examined and analyzed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate the presence of fiber and void in the tensile sample. Based on the experimental results, it was evident that a high infill density of 100% with the highest reinforcement exhibited maximum impact strength, tensile and flexural strengths and moduli when compared with other lower carbon content of cCFPC samples. Therefore, the optimal 3D-printed cCFPC sample could be used for engineering application to benefit from properties of the polymer matrix composite materials and possibilities through additive manufacturing (AM).
</abstract>

Effects of infill density on mechanical properties of additively manufactured chopped carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The effect of laser etching on the surface properties of composite polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) based membranes as mixed matrix membranes was studied. The PECs were prepared by the stoichiometric mixing of cationic PDDA (poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)) and anionic PSS (poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate)) as polyelectrolytes with various contents of ZIF-8 as filler. Composite membranes usually display improved bulk properties depending on the nature of the filler, but the surface properties are often dictated by the matrix covering the surface. The PEC composite membranes were then subjected to laser etching, resulting in the enhanced exposure of embedded ZIF-8 particles within the PEC structure in an attempt to improve the surface properties of the composite membrane. The crystal structure, morphology, and distribution of zinc at the PECs surface, before and after laser etching, were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. In order to evaluate the improvement of the surface properties of the laser-etched membranes, a model experiment involving a catalytic reaction was chosen. The pristine and laser treated surfaces were tested for their catalytic activity for the transesterification of triglycerides present in soybean oil with methanol at a temperature of 150°C. Interestingly, the laser-etched PECs displayed substantially enhanced activity compared to the original composite PEC membranes as a result of surface erosion. These results could be interesting for the future development of composite membranes with improved surface properties where the filler needs to expose the surface of the membranes.
</abstract>

Enhanced catalytic activity of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) polyelectrolyte complex composites membranes by laser etching

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Pallets are a tertiary form of packaging used for stacking, storing, protecting, or transporting goods in supply chains. They are utilized as a base for the unitization of goods for logistics and warehousing. Moreover, pallets can be manufactured using wood, plastic, metal, and corrugated paper, which can be used as material-handling equipment. With several products being transported worldwide and with year-on-year growth, it would be beneficial to make lightweight pallets. Such pallets are recyclable, easy to clean, cheap, and durable to maintain and store. Though most of the pallets are widely available for basic purposes, applications involving high-end bio-packings and transportation of special chemicals require specialized pallets to be manufactured like polymers to ensure a negligible chemical reaction, light in weight, and attenuation in freight capacity, thereby widespread reduction in wastage. With advancements, job to job and immediate requirements, additive manufacturing has the potential to close the gap for jobs with short lead times. If the design process of new pallets has limits the creation of specific codes, the transitions will be smoother in rapid prototyping. This work describes the development of polymer pallets by taking advantage of stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) technology for 3D printing pallets in correlation to injection moulding. After the pallets are designed and manufactured, AM technologies can be applied to specified standards, and the pallets then undergo tensile strength, elongation, and hardness tests. The analysis was carried out for configurable geometries adapting to fork lifting, conveyor, racking, and stacking conditions. Analytical and numerical solutions were carried out to understand the stress and deflections for each geometry and its wide range of applications for pallets.
</abstract>

Experimental investigation of stereolithography and digital light processing additive manufactured pallets

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The purpose of this work was to carry out comparative studies of WC-Co-Cr coatings deposited using the high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) method onto two types of substrate material: structural steel S235 and magnesium alloy AZ31. The influence of the substrate material type on the microstructure, phase composition, crystallite size, porosity, Vickers microhardness, instrumental hardness (HIT), Young’s modulus (EIT), and fracture toughness was investigated. For both substrates, the deposited coatings deposited were characterized with fine-grained and compact microstructure. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed presence of following phases: WC, W2C, Co0.9W0.1, and Co3W9C4. The WC phase was the most desirable and stable one with crystallites were below 100 nm. On the other hand, the size of the W2C crystallites was below 30 nm. The coatings obtained showed porosity values equal to 2.3 ± 0.4 vol% and 2.8 ± 0.7 vol% for AZ31 and S235, respectively. The average Vickers microhardness for both types of sample was appproximately 1200 HV0.3. The average HIT values for carbide particles and metallic matrix were around 29 GPa and 6.5 GPa, respectively. In the case of EIT, it was around 620 GPa and 190 GPa for WC and Co-Cr, respectively. The differences between coatings were negligible. The EIT value for both coatings was equal to 344 ± 11 GPa. The fracture toughness was around 4.5 MPa · m1/2 in both cases. The investigations revealed that it is possible to replace steel substrate material with a much lighter equivalent, in this case AZ31 alloy, without deterioration of the coating properties.
</abstract>

Comparative analysis of microstructure and selected properties of WC-Co-Cr coatings sprayed by high-velocity oxy fuel on S235 and AZ31 substrates

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This paper highlights the results of an experimental study on the preparation and characterization of <italic>Luffa cylindrica</italic> fiber (LCF) and groundnut shell particle (GSP) reinforced phenol-formaldehyde (PF) hybrid composites. The amount of LCFs was fixed at 25 wt%, while the amount of groundnut shell particles ranged from 0 to 25 wt%. Observations were made regarding the water absorption and thickness swelling behaviour of prepared hybrid composites. In addition, the mechanical behaviours of hybrid composites have been studied under both dry and wet conditions. In comparison to dry conditions, the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were lower when they were wet. Hybrid composites comprising 25% <italic>Luffa cylindica</italic> fibre and 15% groundnut shell particle (25LCF/15GSP) exhibit the highest level of mechanical properties under both conditions. The percentages of water absorption and thickness swelling increase as groundnut shell particles increase. The composite 25LCF/25GSP exhibited the highest percentage of water absorption and thickness swelling. Compared to date palm leaf (DPL)-reinforced composites, 25LCF/15GSP showed more significant mechanical and physical properties. We concluded that the inclusion of groundnut shell particles in LCF/PF composites substantially improved the mechanical properties of the hybrid composite. The range of increment, however, was narrower under moist conditions compared to dry conditions.
</abstract>

Water absorption and mechanical behaviour of green fibres and particles acting as reinforced hybrid composite materials

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
To improve the surface properties of Ti alloy, (Co34Fe8Cr29Ni8Si7)100–<italic>x</italic> B<italic>x</italic> alloy, coatings were prepared by laser cladding. The coatings—mainly composed of TiCr, Fe0.1Ti0.18V0.72, CoTi, Ti2Ni, and TiB—and amorphous phases were investigated in terms of microstructure, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. The results showed that the microhardness of the Co-based coatings first increased and then decreased with the increase of B content. When the B content was 6%, the microhardness of the coating increased up to 1210 HV0.2 which was 3.4 times that of TC4 alloy substrate. The coatings exhibited diverse wear mechanisms that gradually transitioned from severe fatigue spalling and oxidative wear to slightly abrasive wear. The corrosion current density of Co-based coatings in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution first increased and then decreased as B contents increased. Coatings with 4% B content, however, exhibited the best corrosion resistance, which was most suitable for improving the corrosion resistance of Ti alloy.
</abstract>

Effects of B content on wear and corrosion resistance of laser-cladded Co-based alloy coatings

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Auxetic materials are endowed with a behavior that contradicts common sense, when subjected to an axial tensile load they increase their transverse dimension. In case of a compression load, they reduce their transverse dimension. Consequently, these materials have a negative Poisson’s ratio in such direction. This paper reviews research related to these materials. It presents the theories that explain their deformation behavior and reveals the important role represented by the internal structure. Their mechanical properties are explored and some potential applications for these materials are shown.</abstract>

Auxetic materials — A review

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In this research work, we prepared γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by thermal-decomposition of Fe3O4. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation method at room temperature. This simple, soft and cheap method is suitable for preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3; Fe3O4). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The XRD and FT-IR results indicated the formation of γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The TEM images showed that the γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 were spherical, and their size was 18 and 22 nm respectively. Magnetic properties have been measured by VSM at room temperature. Hysteresis loops showed that the γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were super-paramagnetic.</abstract>

Synthesis of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles by thermal-decomposition of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Duck eggs are one of the most versatile cooking ingredients in which residue eggshells are discarded. Raw duck eggshells were calcined at temperatures between 300 to 900 °C, for 1, 3, and 5 h. Both the raw and calcined duck eggshells were characterized by FTIR, STA, XRD, XRF, TEM, BET, a particle size analyzer, and an impedance analyzer. The proper calcination conditions are: 900 °C and 1 h, yielding calcium oxide with a purity of 99.06 % w/w. The calcium carbonate of the rhombohedral form (CaCO3) transforms completely into the calcium oxide or lime of the face centered cubic form (CaO) at 900 °C, as shown by XRD diffraction patterns. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the calcium oxide reveal a moderately good dispersion of nearly uniform particles. The calcium oxide has a white color, a spherical shape, high porosity, and narrow particles size distribution. The percentage of ceramic yield of the calcium oxide is 53.53, as measured by STA (TG-DTA-DTG). The calcium oxide has a N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm indicating the meso-porosity range. The dielectric constant and the electrical conductivity of the calcined calcium oxide are 35 and 1:0×10−6(Ω·m)−1, respectively, at the frequency of 500 Hz.</abstract>

Center for Advanced Studies in Industrial Technology and The Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

Preparation and properties of calcium oxide from eggshells via calcination

<abstract xml:lang="en"><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Silver colloidal nanoparticles were prepared according to the chemical reduction method in which the ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent and sodium citrate as a stabilizing agent. The absorption spectra of all prepared samples obtained using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer showed a surface plasmon peak at a wavelength of about 420 nm. The size of the silver nanoparticles was controlled by changing the pH values of the reaction system. At high pH, smaller size silver nanoparticles were obtained compared to low pH values. This difference can be attributed to the difference in the reduction rate of the precursor. In addition to the inverse proportionality between the size and the pH value it is clear that increasing the pH value enables us to obtain spherical nanoparticles while at low pH, rods and triangular particle shapes were formed. Poor balance between nucleation and growth processes could be the cause of this result.</abstract>

Physics Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

Al-Huson University College, Al-Balqa applied University, Huson-Irbid, Jordan

pH effect on the aggregation of silver nanoparticles synthesized by chemical reduction

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