Phase transformation and mechanical properties of new bioactive glass-ceramics derived from CaO-P2O5-Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 glass system.

This work investigates the role of sintering temperature on bioactive glass-ceramics derived from the new composition CaO-P2O5-Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 glass system. The sintering behaviour of the samples' physical, structural, and mechanical properties is highlighted in this study. The experimental results indicated that the sintering process improved the crystallization and hardness of the final product. Results from XRD and FTIR showed the existence of carbonate apatite, pseudo-wollastonite, and wollastonite phases. From the results, the bioglass-ceramics sintered at 700 °C obtained the highest densification and optimum mechanical results. It had the value of 5.34 ± 0.21 GPa regarding microhardness and 2.99 ± 0.24 MPa m1/2 concerning fracture toughness, which falls in the range of the human enamel. Also, the sintered samples maintained their bioactivity and biodegradability after being tested in the PBS medium. The bioactivity does not affect but slows down the apatite formation rate. Overall results promoted the novel bioglass-ceramics as a candidate material for dental application.

Structural, Electromagnetic and Microwave Properties of Magnetite Extracted from Mill Scale Waste via Conventional Ball Milling and Mechanical Alloying Techniques.

This study presents the utilization of mill scale waste, which has attracted much attention due to its high content of magnetite (Fe3O4). This work focuses on the extraction of Fe3O4 from mill scale waste via magnetic separation, and ball milling was used to fabricate a microwave absorber. The extracted magnetic powder was ground-milled using two different techniques: (i) a conventional milling technique (CM) and (ii) mechanical alloying (MM) process. The Fe3O4/CM samples were prepared by a conventional milling process using steel pot ball milling, while the Fe3O4/MM samples were prepared using a high-energy ball milling (HEBM) method. The effect of milling time on the structural, phase composition, and electromagnetic properties were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a vector network analyzer (VNA). XRD confirmed the formation of magnetite after both the magnetic separation and milling processes. The results revealed that Fe3O4 exhibited excellent microwave absorption properties because of the synergistic characteristics of its dielectric and magnetic loss. The results showed that the Fe3O4/CM particle powder had a greater absorption power (reflection loss: <-10 dB) with 99.9% absorption, a minimum reflection loss of -30.83 dB, and an effective bandwidth of 2.30 GHz for 2 mm thick samples. The results revealed the Fe3O4/MM powders had higher absorption properties, including a higher RL of -20.59 dB and a broader bandwidth of 2.43 GHz at a matching thickness of only 1 mm. The higher microwave absorption performance was attributed to the better impedance matching property caused by the porous microstructure. Furthermore, the magnetite, Fe3O4 showed superior microwave absorption characteristics because of the lower value of permittivity, which resulted in better impedance matching. This study presents a low-cost approach method by reutilizing mill scale waste to fabricate a high purity crystalline Fe3O4 with the best potential for designing magnetic nano-sized based microwave absorbers.

Anticorrosive and Microbial Inhibition Performance of a Coating Loaded with Andrographis paniculata on Stainless Steel in Seawater.

With the trend for green technology, the study focused on utilizing a forgotten herb to produce an eco-friendly coating. Andrographis paniculata or the kalmegh leaves extract (KLE) has been investigated for its abilities in retarding the corrosion process due to its excellent anti-oxidative and antimicrobial properties. Here, KLE was employed as a novel additive in coatings and formulations were made by varying its wt%: 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12. These were applied to stainless steel 316L immersed in seawater for up to 50 days. The samples were characterized and analyzed to measure effectiveness of inhibition of corrosion and microbial growth. The best concentration was revealed to be 6 wt% KLE; it exhibited the highest performance in improving the ionic resistance of the coating and reducing the growth of bacteria.

Effect of coating on the color and surface hardness of the surface of dental ceramics.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether boron nitride (BN) and BN-chromium (BN-Cr) coatings applied with the sputtering method would change the characteristics of hardness and discoloration of the ceramic veneer surface. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, thirty disc-shaped cores (10 mm in diameter and 0.8 mm in thickness) were prepared. Three different ceramic systems, IPS Empress (E) (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechntenstein), IPS e.max Press (EP) (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechntenstein), and Turkom Cera (T) (Turcom-Ceramic SDN-BHD, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), were tested, each with n = 10. The specimens were divided into two subgroups (n = 5) according to the coating on the veneering ceramic: BN or BN-Cr. The Vickers hardness and color differences (ΔE) values were measured before and after coating. Surface analysis was performed with X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopic. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare hardness values. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare ΔE values among all groups. The post hoc tests was used after Kruskal-Wallis, with level of statistical significance set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: BN-Cr coating statistically significantly increased the hardness of all types of ceramics (P < 0.05). BN coating did not change the hardness statistically significantly (P > 0.05). The mean ΔE values indicated clinically noticeable (over the limit of 3.7) color change in all groups except for the EP-BN and T-BN groups. CONCLUSION: Although BN-Cr coating in this thickness had a negative effect on color, it increased the hardness of the ceramics and could be useful in the palatal region.

Evaluation of the color stability of temporary materials produced with CAD/CAM.

BACKGROUND: If a temporary restoration is in the esthetic area and needs to be worn for a long time, the color stability of temporary materials becomes an important factor. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the long-term effects of various staining solutions on the color stability of different temporary materials produced with the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the study, the following materials were used: VITA CAD-Temp® (group 1); Ceramill® Temp (group 2); and Telio® CAD (group 3). Forty disk-shaped specimens (10 mm in diameter, 2 mm in thickness) of each material (N = 120) were produced with a CAD/CAM system. Staining solutions - of tea (A), of coffee (B) and cola (C) - and distilled water (D, control) were used, and color was evaluated before and after storing the samples in the solutions. Measurements were taken with a spectrophotometer and the color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE) were calculated according to the Commission internationale de l'éclairage system (CIELab). The results were evaluated with the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Clinically perceivable (ΔE00 > 0.8) and statistically significant (p < 0.001) color differences were detected in all specimens. The highest ΔE00 value was found in the Ceramill Temp specimens. In addition, the highest ΔE00 values were noted for the specimens stored in cola and the coffee solution for all groups. The lowest ΔE00 value was observed for the groups stored in the tea solution. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically perceivable color changes were observed in all the specimens kept in the solutions. Color changes were greater for cola and coffee as compared to tea.

Polymer Thermal Treatment Production of Cerium Doped Willemite Nanoparticles: An Analysis of Structure, Energy Band Gap and Luminescence Properties.

The contemporary market needs for enhanced solid-state lighting devices has led to an increased demand for the production of willemite based phosphors using low-cost techniques. In this study, Ce3+ doped willemite nanoparticles were fabricated using polymer thermal treatment method. The special effects of the calcination temperatures and the dopant concentration on the structural and optical properties of the material were thoroughly studied. The XRD analysis of the samples treated at 900 °C revealed the development and or materialization of the willemite phase. The increase in the dopant concentration causes an expansion of the lattice owing to the replacement of larger Ce3+ ions for smaller Zn2+ ions. Based on the FESEM and TEM micrographs, the nanoparticles size increases with the increase in the cerium ions. The mean particles sizes were estimated to be 23.61 nm at 1 mol% to 34.02 nm at 5 mol% of the cerium dopant. The optical band gap energy of the doped samples formed at 900 °C decreased precisely by 0.21 eV (i.e., 5.21 to 5.00 eV). The PL analysis of the doped samples exhibits a strong emission at 400 nm which is ascribed to the transition of an electron from localized Ce2f state to the valence band of O2p. The energy level of the Ce3+ ions affects the willemite crystal lattice, thus causing a decrease in the intensity of the green emission at 530 nm and the blue emission at 485 nm. The wide optical band gap energy of the willemite produced is expected to pave the way for exciting innovations in solid-state lighting applications.

Incorporation of Hydroxyapatite into Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) Formulated Based on Alumino-Silicate-Fluoride Glass Ceramics from Waste Materials.

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a well-known restorative material applied in dentistry. The present work aims to study the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) addition into GIC based on physical, mechanical and structural properties. The utilization of waste materials namely clam shell (CS) and soda lime silica (SLS) glass as replacements for the respective CaO and SiO2 sources in the fabrication of alumino-silicate-fluoride (ASF) glass ceramics powder. GIC was formulated based on ASF glass ceramics, polyacrylic acid (PAA) and deionized water, while 1 wt.% of HA powder was added to enhance the properties of the cement samples. The cement samples were subjected to four different ageing times before being analyzed. In this study, the addition of HA caused an increment in density and compressive strength results along with ageing time. Besides, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) revealed the formation of fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) phase in HA-added GIC samples and it was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis which detected OH‒F vibration mode. In addition, needle-like and agglomeration of spherical shapes owned by apatite crystals were observed from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Based on Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, the detection of chemical elements in the cement samples were originated from chemical compounds used in the preparation of glass ceramics powder and also the polyacid utilized in initiating the reaction of GIC.

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO-SiO2 Composite Using Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch as a Potential Silica Source.

In this paper, the structural and optical properties of ZnO-SiO2-based ceramics fabricated from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) were investigated. The OPEFB waste was burned at 600, 700 and 800 °C to form palm ash and was then treated with sulfuric acid to extract silica from the ash. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the existence of SiO2 in the sample. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that the particles displayed an irregular shape and became finer after leaching. Then, the solid-state method was used to produce the ZnO-SiO2 composite and the samples were sintered at 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1400 °C. The XRD peaks of the Zn2SiO4 showed high intensity, which indicated high crystallinity of the composite. FESEM images proved that the grain boundaries were larger as the temperature increased. Upon obtaining the absorbance spectrum from ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, the energy band gaps obtained were 3.192, 3.202 and 3.214 eV at room temperature, 600 and 800 °C, respectively, and decreased to 3.127, 2.854 and 2.609 eV at 1000, 1200 and 1400 °C, respectively. OPEFB shows high potential as a silica source in producing promising optical materials.

Synergistic Effects of Pr6O11 and Co3O4 on Electrical and Microstructure Features of ZnO-BaTiO3 Varistor Ceramics.

This paper investigated the effects of Pr6O11 and Co3O4 on the electrical properties of ZnO-BaTiO3 varistor ceramics. The Pr6O11 doping has a notable influence on the characteristics of the nonlinear coefficient, varistor voltage, and leakage current where the values varied from 2.29 to 2.69, 12.36 to 68.36 V/mm and 599.33 to 548.16 µA/cm2, respectively. The nonlinear varistor coefficient of 5.50 to 7.15 and the varistor voltage of 7.38 to 8.10 V/mm was also influenced by the use of Co3O4 as a dopant. When the amount of Co3O4 was above 0.5 wt.%, the leakage current increased from 202.41 to 302.71 µA/cm2. The varistor ceramics with 1.5 wt.% Pr6O11 shows good nonlinear electrical performance at higher breakdown voltage and reduced the leakage current of the ceramic materials. Besides, the varistor sample that was doped with 0.5 wt.% Co3O4 was able to enhance the nonlinear electrical properties at low breakdown voltage with a smaller value of leakage current.

A Study on the Utilization of Coal Fly Ash Derived Grog in Clay Ceramics.

Grog is an additive material that plays important roles in ceramic making. It improves the fabrication process of green bodies as well as the physical properties of fired bodies. Few low-cost materials and wastes have found their application as grog in recent years, thus encouraging the replacement of commercial grogs with cost-saving materials. Coal fly ash, a combustion waste produced by coal-fired power plant, has the potential to be converted into grog owing to its small particle sizes and high content of silica and alumina. In this study, grog was derived from coal fly ash and mixed with kaolin clay to produce ceramics. Effects of the grog addition on the resultant ceramics were investigated. It was found that, to a certain extent, the grog addition reduced the firing shrinkage and increased the total porosity of the ceramics. The dimensional stability of the ceramics at a firing temperature of 1200 °C was also not noticeably affected by the grog. However, the grog addition in general had negative effects on the biaxial flexural strength and refractoriness of the ceramics.

A Study on Microwave Absorption Properties of Carbon Black and Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 Nanocomposites by Tuning the Matching-Absorbing Layer Structures.

Microwave absorption properties were systematically studied for double-layer carbon black/epoxy resin (CB) and Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4/epoxy resin (F) nanocomposites in the frequency range of 8 to 18 GHz. The Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via high energy ball milling with subsequent sintering while carbon black was commercially purchased. The materials were later incorporated into epoxy resin to fabricate double-layer composite structures with total thicknesses of 2 and 3 mm. The CB1/F1, in which carbon black as matching and ferrite as absorbing layer with each thickness of 1 mm, showed the highest microwave absorption of more than 99.9%, with minimum reflection loss of -33.8 dB but with an absorption bandwidth of only 2.7 GHz. Double layer absorbers with F1/CB1(ferrite as matching and carbon black as absorbing layer with each thickness of 1 mm) structure showed the best microwave absorption performance in which more than 99% microwave energy were absorbed, with promising minimum reflection loss of -24.0 dB, along with a wider bandwidth of 4.8 GHz and yet with a reduced thickness of only 2 mm.

Biodegradable Poly (lactic acid)/ Poly (ethylene glycol) Reinforced Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite Fabrication, Characterization, Properties, and Applications.

This paper presents the electromagnetic interference properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a novel nano-reinforcement filler in poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer matrix that was prepared via melt blending mode. Plasticization of PLA was first carried out by PEG, which overcomes its brittleness problem, in order to enhance its flexibility. A waveguide adapter technique was used to measure the dielectric properties εr, and S-parameters reflection (S11) and transmission (S21) coefficients. The dielectric properties, microwave attenuation performances, and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMISE) for all the material under test have been calculated over the full X-Band (8-12 GHz) due to its importance for military and commercial applications. The prepared samples were studied while using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical properties measurements, as well as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the dielectric properties increased with increased multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filler, as well as the shielding effectiveness of the MWCNT/PLA/PEG nanocomposites increased with the increasing of MWCNTs. The highest SE total value was found to be 42.07 dB at 12 GHz for 4 wt% filler content. It is also observed that the attenuation values of the nanocomposites increased with an increase in MWCNTs loading, as well as the power loss values for all of the samples increased with the increase in MWCNTs loading, except the amount of the transmitted wave through the nanocomposites.

Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid)/Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Nanocomposites: Preparation, Characterization, and Applications in Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

In this study, a nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanofiller-reinforcement poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) matrix was prepared via the melt blending method. The flexibility of PLA was improved by blending the polymer with a PEG plasticizer as a second polymer. To enhance the electromagnetic interference shielding properties of the nanocomposite, different RGO wt % were combined with the PLA/PEG blend. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction, the structural, microstructure, and morphological properties of the polymer and the RGO/PLA/PEG nanocomposites were examined. These studies showed that the RGO addition did not considerably affect the crystallinity of the resulting nanomaterials. Thermal analysis (TGA) reveals that the addition of RGO highly improved the thermal stability of PLA/PEG nanocomposites. The dielectric properties and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of the synthesized nanocomposites were calculated and showed a higher SE total value than the target value (20 dB). On the other hand, the results showed an increased power loss by increasing the frequency and conversely decreased with an increased percentage of filler.

Effect of Ratio in Ammonium Nitrate on the Structural, Microstructural, Magnetic, and AC Conductivity Properties of BaFe12O19.

This paper investigates the effect of the ratio of ammonium nitrate (AN) on the structural, microstructural, magnetic, and alternating current (AC) conductivity properties of barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19). The BaFe12O19 were prepared by using the salt melt method. The samples were synthesized using different powder-to-salt weight ratio variations (1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6 and 1:7) of BaCO3 + Fe2O3 and ammonium nitrate salt. The NH4NO3 was melted on a hot plate at 170 °C. A mixture of BaCO3 and Fe2O3 were added into the NH4NO3 melt solution and stirred for several hours using a magnetic stirrer under a controlled temperature of 170 °C. The heating temperature was then increased up to 260 °C for 24 hr to produce an ash powder. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) results show the intense peak of BaFe12O19 for all the samples and the presence of a small amount of the impurity Fe2O3 in the samples, at a ratio of 1:5 and 1:6. From the Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectra, the band appears at 542.71 cm - 1 and 432.48 cm - 1 , which corresponding to metal⁻oxygen bending and the vibration of the octahedral sites of BaFe12O19. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images show that the grains of the samples appear to stick each other and agglomerate at different masses throughout the image with the grain size 5.26, 5.88, 6.14, 6.22, and 6.18 µm for the ratios 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, and 1:7 respectively. From the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis, the magnetic properties of the sample ratio at 1:3 show the highest value of coercivity Hc of 1317 Oe, a saturation magnetization Ms of 91 emu/g, and a remnant Mr of 44 emu/g, respectively. As the temperature rises, the AC conductivity is increases with an increase in frequency.

Influence of pH Adjustment Parameter for Sol-Gel Modification on Structural, Microstructure, and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Strontium Ferrite.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline strontium ferrite (SrFe12O19) via sol-gel is sensitive to its modification parameters. Therefore, in this study, an attempt of regulating the pH as a sol-gel modification parameter during preparation of SrFe12O19 nanoparticles sintered at a low sintering temperature of 900 °C has been presented. The relationship of varying pH (pH 0 to 8) on structural, microstructures, and magnetic behaviors of SrFe12O19 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning microscope (FESEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Varying the pH of precursor exhibited a strong effect on the sintered density, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the SrFe12O19 nanoparticles. As the pH is 0, the SrFe12O19 produced relatively largest density, saturation magnetization, Ms, and coercivity, Hc, at a low sintering temperature of 900 °C. The grain size of SrFe12O19 is obtained in the range of 73.6 to 133.3 nm. The porosity of the sample affected the density and the magnetic properties of the SrFe12O19 ferrite. It is suggested that the low-temperature sintered SrFe12O19 at pH 0 displayed Ms of 44.19 emu/g and Hc of 6403.6 Oe, possessing a significant potential for applying in low-temperature co-fired ceramic permanent magnet.

Effects of Calcination Holding Time on Properties of Wide Band Gap Willemite Semiconductor Nanoparticles by the Polymer Thermal Treatment Method.

Willemite is a wide band gap semiconductor used in modern day technology for optoelectronics application. In this study, a new simple technique with less energy consumption is proposed. Willemite nanoparticles (NPs) were produced via a water-based solution consisting of a metallic precursor, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and underwent a calcination process at 900 °C for several holding times between 1-4 h. The FT-IR and Raman spectra indicated the presence of metal oxide bands as well as the effective removal of PVP. The degree of the crystallization and formation of the NPs were determined by XRD. The mean crystallite size of the NPs was between 18.23-27.40 nm. The morphology, particle shape and size distribution were viewed with HR-TEM and FESEM analysis. The willemite NPs aggregate from the smaller to larger particles with an increase in calcination holding time from 1-4 h with the sizes ranging between 19.74-29.71 nm. The energy values obtained from the experimental band gap decreased with increasing the holding time over the range of 5.39 eV at 1 h to at 5.27 at 4 h. These values match well with band gap obtained from the Mott and Davis model for direct transition. The findings in this study are very promising and can justify the use of these novel materials as a potential candidate for green luminescent optoelectronic applications.

Down-top nanofabrication of binary (CdO)x (ZnO)1-x nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity.

In the present study, binary oxide (cadmium oxide [CdO])x (zinc oxide [ZnO])1-x nanoparticles (NPs) at different concentrations of precursor in calcination temperature were prepared using thermal treatment technique. Cadmium and zinc nitrates (source of cadmium and zinc) with polyvinylpyrrolidone (capping agent) have been used to prepare (CdO)x (ZnO)1-x NPs samples. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. XRD patterns analysis revealed that NPs were formed after calcination, which showed a cubic and hexagonal crystalline structure of (CdO)x (ZnO)1-x NPs. The phase analysis using EDX spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Cd and Zn as the original compounds of prepared (CdO)x (ZnO)1-x NP samples. The average particle size of the samples increased from 14 to 33 nm as the concentration of precursor increased from x=0.20 to x=0.80, as observed by TEM results. The surface composition and valance state of the prepared product NPs were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Diffuse UV-visible reflectance spectra were used to determine the optical band gap through the Kubelka-Munk equation; the energy band gap was found to decrease for CdO from 2.92 to 2.82 eV and for ZnO from 3.22 to 3.11 eV with increasing x value. Additionally, photoluminescence (PL) spectra revealed that the intensity in PL increased with an increase in particle size. In addition, the antibacterial activity of binary oxide NP was carried out in vitro against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 Gram (-ve), Salmonella choleraesuis ATCC 10708, and Bacillus subtilis UPMC 1175 Gram (+ve). This study indicated that the zone of inhibition of 21 mm has good antibacterial activity toward the Gram-positive B. subtilis UPMC 1175.

Effect of Milling Time on the Microstructure, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Al-Al2O3 Nanocomposite Synthesized by Ball Milling and Powder Metallurgy.

The effect of milling time on the morphology, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of pure Al-5 wt % Al2O3 (Al-5Al2O3) has been investigated. Al-5Al2O3 nanocomposites were fabricated using ball milling in a powder metallurgy route. The increase in the milling time resulted in the homogenous dispersion of 5 wt % Al2O3 nanoparticles, the reduction of particle clustering, and the reduction of distances between the composite particles. The significant grain refining during milling was revealed which showed as a reduction of particle size resulting from longer milling time. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the nanocomposite powders also showed that designated ball milling contributes to the crystalline refining and accumulation of internal stress due to induced severe plastic deformation of the particles. It can be argued that these morphological and microstructural variations of nanocomposite powders induced by designated ball milling time was found to contribute to an improvement in the density, densification, micro-hardness (HV), nano-hardness (HN), and Young's modulus (E) of Al-5Al2O3 nanocomposites. HV, HN, and E values of nanocomposites were increased by ~48%, 46%, and 40%, after 12 h of milling, respectively.

Influence of Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentration on properties of silver nanoparticles manufactured by modified thermal treatment method.

Very narrow and pure silver nanoparticles were synthesized by modified thermal treatment method via oxygen and nitrogen flow in succession. The structural and optical properties of the calcined silver nanoparticles at 600°C with diverse Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentrations varied from 2% to 4% were studied by means of different techniques. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor the production of pure Ag nanoparticles at a given Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentration. The X-ray powder diffraction spectra are evidence for the transformation of the amorphous sample at 30°C to the cubic crystalline nanostructures at the calcination temperatures for all Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentrations. The transmission electron microscopy images showed the creation of spherical silver nanoparticles with the average particle size decreased by increasing Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentrations from 4.61 nm at 2% to 2.49 nm at 4% Poly(vinylpyrrolidone). The optical properties were investigated by means of UV-vis absorption spectrophotometer, which showed an increase in the conduction band of Ag nanoparticles with increasing Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) concentrations from 2.83 eV at 2% Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) to 2.94 eV at 4% Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) due to decreasing particle size. This was due to less attraction between conduction electrons and metal ions for smaller particle size corresponding to fewer atoms that made up the metal nanoparticles.

Structural and Optical Properties of Ag Nanoparticles Synthesized by Thermal Treatment Method.

The modified thermal treatment method via alternate oxygen and nitrogen flow was successfully employed to synthesize very narrow and pure Ag nanoparticles. The structural and optical properties of the obtained metal nanoparticles at different calcination temperatures between 400 and 800 °C were studied using various techniques. The FTIR and EDX confirmed the formation of Ag nanoparticles without a trace of impurities. The XRD spectra revealed that the amorphous sample at 30 °C had transformed into the cubic crystalline nanostructures at the calcination temperature of 400 °C and higher. The TEM images showed the formation of spherical Ag nanoparticles in which the average particle size decreased with increasing calcination temperature from 7.88 nm at 400 °C to 3.29 nm at 800 °C. The optical properties were determined by UV-vis absorption spectrophotometer, which showed an increase in the conduction band of Ag nanoparticles with increasing calcination temperature from 2.75 eV at 400 °C to 3.04 eV at 800 °C. This was due to less attraction between conduction electrons and metal ions as the particle size decreases in corresponding to fewer numbers of atoms that made up the metal nanoparticles.