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.

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.

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.

Comparison of Foam Glass-Ceramics with Different Composition Derived from Ark Clamshell (ACS) and Soda Lime Silica (SLS) Glass Bottles Sintered at Various Temperatures.

Soda lime silica (SLS) waste as the source of silica (SiO2) and ark clamshell (ACS) as the foaming agent has been utilized to fabricate the low-cost and lightweight foam glass-ceramics. A series of 1 and 6 wt% foam glass-ceramics were successfully prepared by the conventional solid-state sintering method at various sintering temperatures for 60 min. The bulk density of the samples has achieved minimum density (1.014 g/cm3) with maximum expansion (62.31%) at 6 wt% of the ACS content sintered at 800 °C for 60 min. The bulk density increases while the linear shrinkage and total porosity decrease with the progression of ACS contents and sintering temperature, where the results correspond with the FESEM micrograph. The result of XRD and FTIR transmittance spectra have shown that the formation of wollastonite crystal has occurred starting at 6 wt% of the ACS content sintered at 800 °C for 30 min. The highest mechanical performance (3.90 MPa) with an average total porosity (8.04%) is observed for the sample containing 1 wt% of ACS. It can be concluded that the composition of foam glass-ceramics (1 and 6 wt%) and sintering temperatures give significant results to the structural, physical, and mechanical properties of the fabricated foam glass-ceramics.

Sintering Temperature Effect on Structural and Optical Properties of Heat Treated Coconut Husk Ash Derived SiO2 Mixed with ZnO Nanoparticles.

In this work, waste coconut husk ash was used to prepare a ZnO-SiO2 composite. Solid-state technique was used to fabricate the composite due to its producibility, simple procedure as well as lower production cost. At high sintering temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 1000 °C, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of the Zn2SiO4 showed high intensity, which indicated high crystallinity. Furthermore, the formation of broad bands of ZnO4, Si-O-Si, and SiO4 were detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the bands became narrower with the increment of sintering temperature. Besides, the morphological image from field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed the formation of densely packed grains and smooth surface composite with the increase of sintering temperature. Upon obtaining the absorbance spectrum from Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, the optical band gap was calculated to be 4.05 eV at 1000 °C. The correlation between the structural and optical properties of ZnO-SiO2 composite was discussed in detail.

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.

Preparation of a Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Reinforced Epoxy Resin Polymer as a Composite for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Microwave-Absorbing Applications.

The preparation of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and the optimization of epoxy resins' properties using micro or nanofillers are now common practices. rGO nanoparticles (60 nm) based on an epoxy resin polymer were prepared at the concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% weight percentage with fixed 6-mm thicknesses. The dielectric properties of the composites were measured by the reflection/transmission technique in connection with a vector network analyser (VNA) at a frequency range of 8⁻12 GHz. The microwave absorption and shielding effectiveness properties were calculated by using the reflection S11 and transmission S21 results. The microstructure and morphology of the polymer and the rGO/cured epoxy composites were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and the X-ray Diffraction (X-RD) technique for characterizing crystalline materials. The dielectric and other properties of the rGO/cured epoxy composites were investigated based on the filler load and frequency. It was found that the applied frequency and the filler concentrations affected the dielectric properties of the rGO/cured epoxy composites. The results showed that the introduction of rGO particles to the composites increased their dielectric properties smoothly. The study of the dependence on frequency of both the dielectric constant ε' and the dielectric loss ε″ showed a decrease in both quantities with increasing frequency, indicating a normal behaviour of the dielectrics. Cole⁻Cole plots were drawn with ε' and ε″. A theoretical simulation in terms of the Cole⁻Cole dispersion law indicates that the Debye relaxation processes in the rGO/cured epoxy composites are improved due to the presence of the rGO filler. Moreover, with the addition of rGO as a filler into the Epoxy matrix, it now exhibits promise as a lightweight material for microwave absorption as well as an effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material.

The usability of ark clam shell (Anadara granosa) as calcium precursor to produce hydroxyapatite nanoparticle via wet chemical precipitate method in various sintering temperature.

This paper reported the uses of ark clam shell calcium precursor in order to form hydroxyapatite (HA) via the wet chemical precipitation method. The main objective of this research is to acquire better understanding regarding the effect of sintering temperature in the fabrication of HA. Throughout experiment, the ratio of Ca:P were constantly controlled, between 1.67 and 2.00. The formation of HA at these ratio was confirmed by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. In addition, the effect of sintering temperature on the formation of HA was observed using X-ray diffraction analysis, while the structural and morphology was determined by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy. The formation of HA nanoparticle was recorded (~35-69 nm) in the form of as-synthesize HA powder. The bonding compound appeared in the formation of HA was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy such as biomaterials that are expected to find potential applications in orthopedic and biomedical industries .

The effect of remelting on the physical properties of borotellurite glass doped with manganese.

A systematic set of borotellurite glasses doped with manganese (1-x) [(B(2)O(3))(0.3)(TeO(2))(0.7)]-xMnO, with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mol%, were successfully synthesized by using a conventional melt and quench-casting technique. In this study, the remelting effect of the glass samples on their microstructure was investigated through density measurement and FT-IR spectra and evaluated by XRD techniques. Initial experimental results from XRD evaluation show that there are two distinct phases of glassy and crystallite microstructure due to the existence of peaks in the sample. The different physical behaviors of the studied glasses were closely related to the concentration of manganese in each phase. FTIR spectra revealed that the addition of manganese oxide contributes the transformation of TeO(4) trigonal bipyramids with bridging oxygen (BO) to TeO(3) trigonal pyramids with non-bridging oxygen (NBO).

Phase transformations of α-alumina made from waste aluminum via a precipitation technique.

We report on a recycling project in which α-Al(2)O(3) was produced from aluminum cans because no such work has been reported in literature. Heated aluminum cans were mixed with 8.0 M of H(2)SO(4) solution to form an Al(2)(SO(4))(3) solution. The Al(2)(SO(4))(3) salt was contained in a white semi-liquid solution with excess H(2)SO(4); some unreacted aluminum pieces were also present. The solution was filtered and mixed with ethanol in a ratio of 2:3, to form a white solid of Al(2)(SO(4))(3)·18H(2)O. The Al(2)(SO(4))(3)·18H(2)O was calcined in an electrical furnace for 3 h at temperatures of 400-1400 °C. The heating and cooling rates were 10 °C /min. XRD was used to investigate the phase changes at different temperatures and XRF was used to determine the elemental composition in the alumina produced. A series of different alumina compositions, made by repeated dehydration and desulfonation of the Al(2)(SO(4))(3)·18H(2)O, is reported. All transitional alumina phases produced at low temperatures were converted to α-Al(2)O(3) at high temperatures. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that the α-Al(2)O(3) phase was realized when the calcination temperature was at 1200 °C or higher.

Use of a reflectance spectroscopy accessory for optical characterization of ZnO-Bi(2)O(3)-TiO(2) ceramics.

The optical band-gap energy (E(g)) is an important feature of semiconductors which determines their applications in optoelectronics. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the electronic states of ceramic ZnO and the effect of doped impurities under different processing conditions. E(g) of the ceramic ZnO + xBi(2)O(3) + xTiO(2), where x = 0.5 mol%, was determined using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer attached to a Reflectance Spectroscopy Accessory for powdered samples. The samples was prepared using the solid-state route and sintered at temperatures from 1140 to 1260 °C for 45 and 90 minutes. E(g) was observed to decrease with an increase of sintering temperature. XRD analysis indicated hexagonal ZnO and few small peaks of intergranular layers of secondary phases. The relative density of the sintered ceramics decreased and the average grain size increased with the increase of sintering temperature.