A potential trackable bone filler: Preparation and characterization

This study reported the synthesis of fluorescent hydroxyapatite/alginate/carbon quantum dots (HA/Alg/CQDs) nanocomposites via the co-precipitation technique. The N-doped CQDs as a new class of fluorescent materials were prepared by the citric acid pyrolysis method, with an average size around 4 nm. Physical, chemical, and optical properties of the synthesized nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV–visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. The PL spectroscopy data verified the favorable in vitro luminescent emission of the HA/Alg/CQDs nanocomposites in comparison with HA/Alg and HA samples. The XRD patterns of the prepared samples confirmed the formation of crystalline HA in all composites, possessing a Ca/P ratio around 1.5 as obtained by EDX elemental analysis. The FESEM analysis exhibited HA nanoplates that homogeneously distributed throughout the alginate matrix. Therefore, the synthesized nanocomposites could be regarded as potential trackable drug carriers for hard tissue engineering applications.     

Magnetic and photocatalytic properties of CoFe2O4/Ni nanocomposites

Journal of Electroceramics - In this research, hard/soft CoFe2O4/Ni magnetic nanocomposite samples with different concentrations of Ni were successfully produced by a two-step mechanical alloying...     

Mass‐transfer enhancement in single drop extraction in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic field

Magnetite nanoparticles with an average particle size of 28.8 nm were synthesized, coated with oleic acid, and characterized using various techniques such as DLS, FT‐IR, SEM, XRD, VSM, and UV‐Vis analysis. A nanofluid consisting of synthesized nanoparticles and 5 wt % acetic acid in toluene as the dispersed phase was prepared and used in the chemical test system, Toluene‐Acetic Acid‐Water, for the single drop extraction in the presence and absence of an external oscillating magnetic field. Influences of various operating and design parameters such as nanoparticle concentration, drop diameter, and the applied current and frequency on the overall mass‐transfer coefficients for the mass‐transfer direction from d→c were investigated carefully. The obtained results were used to propose a general correlation for the mass‐transfer enhancement. It was found that the maximum mass‐transfer enhancement compared with that obtained in the absence of nanoparticles and the oscillating magnetic field is about 259%. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 4466–4479, 2016     

The effect of substrate surface integrity on the surface properties of TiCrN coating applied via the CAE-PVD method

This study aims to investigate how the predeposition machining processes such as magnetic grinding, turning machining, and wire electrical discharge machining can influence the surface properties including electrochemical and tribological behavior of TiCrN nanostructured coating applied on Mo40 steel substrate. A physical vapor deposition technique using cathodic arc evaporation was used to apply the coating. The crystallographic phases and the microstructure of the coating were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. Rockwell-C, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization, and pin-on-disk wear tests were employed to evaluate the adhesion strength, corrosion behavior, and tribological property of specimens, respectively. The electrochemical results after 24 h of exposure to 3.5 wt% NaCl solution showed that TiCrN coating pretreated with a turning process with polarization resistance of about 3525.32 Ω.cm² had the best corrosion resistance among all specimens. This was because of the improvement of the smoothness, surface quality, and adhesion after the turning process. On the other, the friction coefficient of the grounded sample is less than that of other ones. This is probably due to its higher adhesion strength and higher surface smoothness.     

Preparation of turmeric-derived sulfur-functionalized carbon dots: antibacterial and antioxidant activity

Journal of Materials Science - The work describes the preparation of carbon dots using turmeric as the carbon source and their functionalization with sulfur to enhance the functionality. The...     

The effect of dynamic strain aging on fatigue properties of dual phase steels with different martensite morphology

Dual phase (DP) steels with network and fibrous martensite were produced by intercritical annealing heat treatment cycles. Some of these steels were deformed at dynamic strain aging temperatures. Room temperature tensile tests of specimens deformed at 300 °C showed that both yield and ultimate tensile strengths for both morphologies increased, while total elongation decreased. Fatigue test results before and after high temperature deformation showed that dynamic strain aging has a stronger effect on fatigue properties of dual phase steels with fibrous martensite. Cracks in DP steels with fibrous martensite propagate in a tortuous path in soft ferrite phase, while they pass of both hard and soft phases in DP steels with network martensite.     

Design and simulation of a novel RF MEMS shunt capacitive switch with low actuation voltage and high isolation

Microsystem Technologies - This paper presents a new RF MEMS capacitive shunt switch with low voltage, low loss and high isolation for K-band applications. In this design, we have proposed the step...     

A Novel Model for Predicting the Dense Phase Behavior of 3D Gas‐Solid Fluidized Beds

A novel phenomenological discrete bubble model was developed and tested for prediction of the hydrodynamic behavior of the dense phase of a 3D gas‐solid cylindrical fluidized bed. The mirror image technique was applied to take into account the effects of the bed wall. The simulation results were validated against experimental data reported in the literature that were obtained by positron emission particle tracking. The time‐averaged velocity profiles of particles predicted by the developed model were found to agree well with experimental data. The initial bubble diameter had no significant influence on the time‐averaged circulating pattern of solids in the bed. The model predictions clearly indicate that the developed model can fairly predict the hydrodynamic behavior of the dense phase of 3D gas‐solid cylindrical fluidized beds.     

Numerical Simulation of Non-Fourier Temperature Behavior of Functionally Graded Materials in a Slab with Surface Radiation

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are used in many applications that presumably produce the wave nature of thermal energy transport. This study investigates the hyperbolic and parabolic heat conduction problem for a solid slab made of FGM numerically. A constant heat flux is considered at both sides of the slab, and boundaries dissipate heat by radiation into an ambient. An exponential space-dependent function of volume fraction is considered. MacCormack's explicit predictor-corrector scheme is used to solve the nonlinear equation in order to handle discontinuities at the wave front quite satisfactorily with small oscillations. Results are compared to the results obtained with the assumption of constant and linear spatial variation of volume fraction function. Further effects of different nondimensional numbers on the temperature distribution is sought. Numerical results are validated by the analytical solution of a special case that shows excellent agreement.