Salahaldin Mansur Alduwaib, Reihane Etefagh, Boshra Ghanbari Shohany,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
This research is focused on the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles by means of the sol-gel conventional method, followed by the formulation of a zinc oxide-polypropylene (ZnO: PP) masterbatch using a twin-screw extruder. The next step involved the fabrication of antibacterial fibers through electrospinning. The resulting Nano powders, masterbatch, and fibers were subjected to a series of characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to examine the crystalline structure, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was employed to scrutinize the morphology of the samples, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was adopted for elemental analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was hired to identify the chemical bonds.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated a three-stage weight loss process, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed a primary endothermic peak centered at about 317 °C and a pronounced exothermic peak at approximately 455 °C. XRD confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the zinc oxide nanoparticles and the presence of the alpha (α) crystal form in polypropylene. FESEM imaging revealed that the zinc oxide and masterbatch samples had a uniform size and shape, predominantly in the nanometer range with an elongated spherical morphology. The antibacterial properties of polypropylene fibers containing varying concentrations of zinc oxide, including 1.2, 2.4, and 5 wt.%, were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Yaser Vahidshad, Karen Abrinia,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Selective laser melting (SLM) is a widely used additive manufacturing method for 3D-printing metal parts. This study investigates how SLM parameters affect the density, microstructure, and mechanical properties of maraging steel 300. A process window was developed, revealing that maximum density and minimal porosity are achieved when laser energy density exceeds 50 J/mm³. Optimal parameters—100 mm/s scan speed, 20 μm layer thickness, 0.15 mm hatch distance, Stripe scanning strategy, and XZ build direction—were identified. Optimal processing reduced porosity, increased martensite content, and enhanced strength, reaching 1064 MPa and improving by 75% to 1862 MPa after aging and solution treatment. Strength gains were attributed to the uniform dispersion of nano-sized precipitates (such as Ni(Mo)3 and Ni(Ti, Al)3) within the martensitic matrix. Additionally, it was found that higher cooling rates further improve the mechanical strength of heat-treated parts.
Azam Bayat,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
The lindgrenite compounds [Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2] with various architectures and high crystallinity were prepared by a simple surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method. Then, the Cu3Mo2O9 samples were prepared by calcination of the as-synthesized Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2. The resulting samples had high crystallinity, colloidal properties, high-yield, large-scale production capability with using of nontoxic and inexpensive reagents and water as an environmentally solvent. The scanning electron microscope studies showed that the as-prepared lindgrenite nanostructures were well crystallized with rod, sheet and hollow sphere morphologies. These products were content of the Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2 rods with diameters of about 100 nm, the Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2 nanosheets with thickness of 30–100 nm and the Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2 hallow spheres, consisting of a large number of nanosheets with thickness of about 40-70 nm. The Cu3Mo2O9 samples that obtained by thermal treatment of lindgrenite retained the original morphologies. Meanwhile, the photoluminescence and magnetic properties of the nanosheet samples showed super paramagnetic behavior at room temperature and in comparison with previous works, Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2 and Cu3Mo2O9 samples synthesized by the surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method had a very obvious red-shifted PL emission and high intensity.
Gajanan M Naik, Santhosh Kumar B M, Shivakumar M M, Ramesh S, Maruthi Prashanth B H, Gajanan Anne6,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Magnesium and the alloys made from the same metal are utilized in the engineering applications such as automotive, marine, and aircraft, among others due to high strength to weight. Nevertheless, the applications of magnesium alloys are currently limited to a certain level due to their poor wear and corrosion properties. Another effective strategy for enhancing these properties involves utilizing the process of equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE), which serves to refine the grain structure, thereby resulting in improved material properties. This paper aims to establish the relationship between grain size reduction and wear and corrosion of AZ91 alloy. The wear performances of both coarse-grained and fine-grain alloy were conducted using L9 orthogonal array of experiments in order to study the effects of control parameters on wear performance. In the study, it has also been identified that through ECAP, the corrosion barrier and wear characteristics of the alloy were enhanced due to fine-grain-structure and the spheroidal precipitation of the second β-phase particles. Further, the influence of these changes on the performance of the AZ91 Mg alloy was assessed using SEM.
Farzaneh Sadat Teimoory Toufal, Alma Kalali, Arvin Attari Navab, Mohadeseh Reyhani, Hamidreza Rezaie, Jafar Javadpour,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Glass ionomer cements (GICs) are widely utilized in clinical restorative dental applications, which suffer from poor mechanical strength. Recent research shows that GIC achieves optimal performance when modified with lower percentage of filler materials, particularly when using nanoparticles, due to the resultant increase in surface area and packing density of the cement. Notably, while some modifications show promise, others fail to deliver improvements in material characteristics. This study addressed a gap in the literature by investigating the impact of acidic/basic additives, such as Diopside (CaMgSi2O6) and Zirconia (ZrO2), on the properties of the cement. The reactivity of zirconia and Diopside differ distinctly from traditional calcium-aluminosilicate glass when exposed to acidic conditions in GICs. Also, to clarify the impact of acidity/basicity on filler reactivity during cement setting, the potential mechanical enhancement effects by using nano-sized particles is limited to submicrons. This research incorporated Diopside at concentrations of 2, 4, and 6 wt.%, and zirconia at 8, 10, and 12 wt.% into a glass powder component. Results demonstrated that adding 8 wt.% Zirconia led to a 49% enhancement in compressive strength, also improve microhardness by 16 wt.%, attributed to its non-reactive nature, minimal dissolution, and high inherent strength of ZrO2. In contrast, Diopside had a detrimental effect due to its basic nature compared to that of glass powder. These findings highlight the potential of zirconia as a valuable reinforcing material for the successful mechanical performance of glass ionomer cements. Conversely, basic fillers like diopside appear unsuitable for achieving improved mechanical performance in these systems.
Farhood Heydari, Seyed Mohammad Mirkazemi, Bijan Eftekhari Yekta, Seyyed Salman Seyyed Afghahi,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
This study systematically investigates the crystallization behavior, phase evolution, and dielectric properties of a BaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glass system modified with 10 wt% TiO₂. Thermal characterization revealed that TiO₂ addition notably reduced the glass transition temperature (from 781.6°C to 779.4°C) and softening point (from 838°C to 824.8°C) compared to the TiO₂-free glass, consequently decreasing the calculated nucleation temperature (from 810°C to 800°C). While differential thermal analysis indicated sluggish crystallization kinetics, isothermal heat treatments identified 1000°C as the optimal processing temperature, leading to the development of a multiphase crystalline assemblage that beneficially included the target monoclinic Ba3.75Al7.5Si8.5O32 phase, which was absent in the TiO₂-free glass. X-ray diffraction identified this phase, along with celsian (BaAl₂Si₂O8) polymorphs and barium titanate crystallites, as the dominant crystalline phases. SEM revealed anisotropic crystal growth (1.14-1.52 μm length). Dielectric characterization in the Ku-band (12.4-18 GHz) demonstrated significant property enhancements, with the relative permittivity decreasing from 10.40 to 6.38 and loss tangent improving from 0.3 to 0.2 after crystallization. These improvements, attributed to the specifically tailored crystalline phase assemblage facilitated by TiO₂, make this glass-ceramic system particularly suitable for advanced microwave applications requiring low dielectric loss and high-frequency stability. The effectiveness of TiO₂ as a crystallization modifier for achieving optimized dielectric properties through controlled devitrification and targeted phase formation is underscored.
Asiehsadat Kazemi, Fatemeh Bahar Azodzadegan, Seyed Mohamad Amin Tabatabee,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Fluorinated graphene is an up-rising member of the graphene family and attracts significant attention since it is a 2D layer-structure, is self-lubricating, has wide bandgap and high thermal and chemical stability. By adjusting the C–F bonding character and F/C ratios through controlled fluorination processes, fluorinated graphene can be utilized for a wide range of applications including energy conversion, storage devices, bio- and electrochemical sensors. Herein, monolayer CVD graphene/Cu was fluorinated via SF6 plasma with time and power sequence trial. Structural, morphological, roughness, adhesive forces, and wettability of fluorinated graphene was explored. Insight was gained by Raman spectroscopy, SEM and EDS, surface roughness and adhesive force measurements via AFM on different samples. Fluorination produced p-doped structure, blue shift in the 2D peak and red shift in D peak of the Raman spectra of graphene. Increase in plasma time increased the defects and weakened C-C bonds much more rapidly at higher plasma power (40W) while lower plasma power (15W) retained more of graphene properties (having high La, LD and low nD) confirmed by Raman, SEM and EDS analyses. Surface roughness and adhesive forces on graphene surface were mostly increased with the increase in plasma time at a certain power. Higher plasma power resulted in more hydrophobic surfaces and even the wettability tuning occurred in the hydrophobic regime while lower plasma power demonstrated tuning in the hydrophilic regime. Influence of the underlying surface and π -electron pairs were shown to play more significant roles in tuning the wettability at higher plasma power.
Ali Azari Beni, Saeed Rastegari,
Volume 22, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Aluminide coatings are widely used in high-temperature applications due to their excellent corrosion resistance and thermal stability. However, optimizing their composition and thickness is crucial for enhancing performance under varying operational conditions. This study investigates the optimization of aluminide coatings through a data-driven approach, aiming to predict the coating thickness based on various composition and process parameters. A comparative analysis of six machine learning models was conducted, with the k-nearest neighbors regressor (KNNR) demonstrating the highest predictive accuracy, yielding a coefficient of determination R² of 0.78, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 18.02 µm, and mean absolute error (MAE) of 14.42. The study incorporates SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) analysis to identify the most influential factors in coating thickness prediction. The results indicate that aluminum content (Al), ammonium chloride content (NH4Cl), and silicon content (Si) significantly impact the coating thickness, with higher Al and Si concentrations leading to thicker coatings. Zirconia (ZrO2) content was found to decrease thickness due to competitive reactions that hinder Al deposition. Furthermore, the level of activity in the aluminizing process plays a crucial role, with high-activity processes yielding thicker coatings due to faster Al diffusion. The pack cementation method, in particular, produced the thickest coatings, followed by gas-phase and out-of-pack methods. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing composition and processing conditions to achieve durable, high-performance aluminide coatings for high-temperature applications.
Yasin Mehdizadeh, Saeed Reza Allahkaram, Mohammad H.mohammad-Ebrahimi, Majid Shamsarjmand,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
The present work deals with the corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of a coted AZ31 magnesium alloy through plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) coating process in different alkaline electrolytes based on sodium silicate (Si-coating), sodium polyphosphate (P-coating) and sodium aluminate (Al-coating). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with the energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) plus x-ray diffraction were recruited to investigate the morphology, chemical composition, and phase structure of coatings, respectively. Microscopic scrutiny revealed that the coating in the phosphate electrolyte was twice as thick and the relative porosity percentage was higher than those formed in the other electrolytes. The phase analysis indicated that the MgO was present as the prevailing phase in the Al-coating and P-coating. However, the dominant phase in the Si-coating was Mg2SiO4. Electrochemical testing was examined in a solution containing 3.5.wt% sodium chloride, showing improvements in corrosion resistance of coated alloys. These investigations confirmed that the corrosion resistance of Si-coating was dramatically higher than others which could be attributed to the presence of the dense and stable Mg2SiO4 phase as well as its relatively low porosity. According to the results of tensile tests, the coated samples had lower tensile strength and elongation than the uncoated one. The tensile strength and elongation diminished upon changing the electrolyte from Al-coating to P-coating, while the yield strength was almost similar. Further analyses indicated that the drop of tensile strength and elongation could be attributed to the presence of cracks and pores in the brittle ceramic PEO coating as stress concentration regions during deformation. Those areas are created due to thermal stress during the coating process and deformation in the elastic stage.
Hajar Hussein, Mohammed Mohammed, Furat Al-Saymari,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
Poly(2-aminobenzothiazole) (PAT) is a relatively new heterocyclic conducting polymer having a sulfur and nitrogen-rich chemical structure. During the past decade or so, there have been notable advances on the development of PAT. Especially, PAT and PAT-based composites have shown great potential for their applications in photovoltaic cells, solar cells and anti-corrosion organic coatings. In this study, 2-aminothiazole was successfully prepared as pure polymer and as composite materials with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). FTIR, X-ray diffraction and SEM images were investigated, showing that the composite of poly 2-aminobenzothiazole: MWCNTs was successfully synthesized. The electrical features of the pure polymer and the composite thin films were examined. The findings show that the conductivity of the pure polymer and composite thin films are about 1.67x10-6 (S/cm) and 4.1x10-2 (S/cm), respectively, exhibiting a significant enhancement by a factor of 2.5x104 times as a results of doping the pure polymer by 1% wt MWCNTs.
Marzieh Akbari, Fatemeh Dabbagh Kashani, Seyed Mohammad Mirkazemi,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
CIGS solar cells are currently very high-efficiency thin-film solar cells. With regard to higher efficiency in solar cells, research is being conducted on the influence of both light scattering and plasmonic resonances due to metallic nano-structures. This article discusses the assessment of the incorporate plasmonic nanostructures on the absorber layer of a 1000 nm CIGS solar cell, in terms of light absorption and device performance. It is noted that decisions on material, size, and surface coverage (Occupied Factor) were important considerations that affected the performance. Opto-electrical assessment was used to investigate absorption, charge-carrier generation, current density-voltage response, power-voltage properties, and total efficiency. Using simulations, we discovered the aluminum nanosphere arrays (200 nm diameter, Occupied Factor 0.64) at the top of the absorber layer yielded the maximum efficiency (26.14%). This was shown by the resonances, and near-field distribution garnered from the nanospheres boost charge carrier generation, diminished recombination losses, and increased charge separation. Collectively, these raised the performance of the CIGS solar cells in this research and suggested hope for moving CIGS and potentially other photovoltaics forward using nanoscale plasmonic resonances.
Khashayar Zamani, Majid Tavoosi, Ali Ghasemi,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
The present work, set out with the aim of studying the effect of in-situ precipitation of TiO2 form Ti3C2Tx MXene phase on the electromagnetic (EM) behavior of Ti3C2/TiO2 composites. In this regard, Ti3C2Tx MXene phase was synthesized using HF acidic etching of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase and the in-situ precipitation of TiO2 phase within Ti3C2 sheets was followed by controlled annealing in temperature range of 500-800 oC for 2 h. The phase and structural characteristics of prepared composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and differential thermal analysis. The electromagnetic behavior of samples was also analyzed using vector network analyzer (VNA). The results showed that by performing the controlled annealing process of Ti3C2Tx MXene phase, it is possible to in-situ formation of TiO2 phase and form the Ti3C2/TiO2 composites. The electromagnetic behavior of Ti3C2/TiO2 composites is in direct relation with the percentage of TiO2 phase deposited within Ti3C2 sheets during annealing process. The reflection loss (RL) changed from -7.98 to -21.28 dB (within frequency range of 1-18 GHz) with increasing in annealing temperature from 500 to 800 oC as well as increasing the size and percentage of formed TiO2 particles.
Mohammad J. Rezaei, Mohammad Sedighi,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
The investigation of the mechanical response and microstructural evolution of engineering materials at the micro-scale under macro-scale loading poses a significant challenge in mechanical engineering, particularly in the fields of material forming and materials science. This critical has been addressed using a computational crystal plasticity tool known as DAMASK (Düsseldorf Advanced Material Simulation Kit). DAMASK is a multi-scale computational framework developed for modeling the deformation of crystalline materials by employing the principles of continuum mechanics and crystal plasticity. This software is widely recognized within the scientific community for its high flexibility and capability to simulate complex material behavior under various loading conditions. In this study, the DAMASK code—a finite element crystal plasticity software—was employed to analyze a representative volume element (RVE) containing 1000 grains under tensile loading. By applying a random initial texture to aluminum grade 1050, the microstructural evolution of the material under the specified loading conditions was evaluated. The results indicate the formation of <111> and <100> fiber textures in the (111) crystallographic plane of the FCC-structured material, which are consistent with observations obtained from EBSD experiments.
Krishna Jyothi N, Keerthi M., Gnana Kiran M., Venkata Kamesh Vinjamuri, Prakash Babu Kanakavalli, Krupakaran R.l, Nandini P.s.v., Rao M.c., D. Madhavi Latha, Mahamuda Sk.,
Volume 22, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
This research systematically examines the structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide (TSP)--based biopolymer electrolytes that are doped with varying concentrations of sodium iodide (NaI). Composite films were synthesized using the solution cast technique in weight percent ratios of TSP: NaI (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30) and subsequently characterized employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and impedance analysis. The XRD analysis indicated that the 80:20 composition displayed the highest degree of amorphousness, which is associated with improved ionic conductivity and reduced crystallite size. The FTIR analysis corroborated the occurrence of complexation between TSP and NaI, while the temperature-dependent conductivity measurements conformed to Arrhenius behaviour, with the 80:20 film achieving the ionic conductivity (1.97x10⁻4 S/cm) and the lowest activation energy (0.69 eV). Optical absorption investigations revealed a decrease in the bandgap from 3.92 (pure TSP) to 2.68 eV (80:20 film). Minimum optical energy bandgaps were achieved for the optimized film. Opto-dielectric investigations further demonstrated that the 80:20 formulation exhibited optimal dielectric permittivity and loss. The results underscore the potential applicability of TSP–NaI biopolymer systems as sustainable, high-performance polymer electrolytes.
