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Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia

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A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2022) | Viewed by 26781

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Dr. Hany Abdo

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Guest Editor

Center of Excellence for Research in Engineering Materials (CEREM), Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Interests: inorganic crystalline materials; hybrid and composites; graphene and related materials; polymer based nanocomposites; corrosion & electrochemistry
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Dr. Ahmed Fouly

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Guest Editor

Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Interests: composite materials; tribology; sensors; MEMS; polymers

Special Issue Information

Nanocomposites are materials that incorporate nanosized particles into a matrix of standard material. The result of the addition of nanoparticles is a drastic improvement in properties that can include mechanical strength, toughness and electrical or thermal conductivity. While Alloys is an admixture of metals, or a metal combined with one or more other elements.

We invite researchers to contribute to the Special Issue on Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia, which is intended to cover advances in the processing, microstructure, and properties of these nanocomposites materials. Additionally, new processing routes, such as additive manufacturing and severe plastic deformation, gradient structures, and advanced methods of characterization for alloys are also welcome.

This Special Issue aims to encourage scientists to publish their original experimental and theoretical results on recent advances in naocomposites and alloys. This includes, but is not limited to:

- Development of polymer-based multifunctional nanocomposites;

- Experimental techniques for understanding and characterizing the mechanics and physics of alloys;

- Development of metal-based composites/alloys.

Dr. Hany Abdo
Dr. Ahmed Fouly
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nanocomposites
characterization
hybrid materials
3D bioprinting
composites/alloys
metal matrix nanocomposites
microstructure

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 4820 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functionalized Microbial Consortia with Silver-Doped Hydroxyapatite (Ag@HAp) Nanostructures for Removal of RO84 from Industrial Effluent

by Suriyaprabha Rajendran, Virendra Kumar Yadav, Amel Gacem, Jari S. Algethami, Mohammed S. Alqahtani, Fahad M. Aldakheel, Abdulkarim S. Binshaya, Nahed S. Alharthi, Imtiaz A. Khan, Saiful Islam, Yongtae Ahn and Byong-Hun Jeon

Crystals 2022, 12(7), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12070970 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2157

Abstract

Considering that freshwater is a necessity for human life, sewage treatment has been a serious concern for an increasing number of scientists and academics in recent years. To clean industrial effluents, innovative catalysts with good adsorption, chemical stability, and physicochemical properties have been constructed. Here, a prospective microbial consortium was extracted from the wastewater and used as a low-cost catalyst that was functionalized with silver and silver-doped hydroxyapatite (Ag@HAp) nanostructures made using a sonochemical approach. The structural, optical, and crystal phases of Ag and Ag-doped hydroxyapatite (Ag@HAp) nanostructures were studied using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The degradation action of functionalized microbial consortia was examined against reactive orange 84 (RO84) organic discharge. Excellent efficiency for the removal of industrial effluents was found for the Ag NPs and Ag-doped hydroxyapatite (Ag@HAp) loaded with microbial consortia. A maximum of 95% of the decolorization properties of the RO84 dye were obtained in the case of microbial consortia with Ag and Ag@HAp, which was better than the consortia alone (80.32% for 5 ppm and 69.54% for 20 ppm). The consortia/Ag showed 93.34% for 5 ppm and 85.43% for 20 ppm, while was higher for consortia/Ag@HAp (95.34 and 88.43%). The use of these surface-modified nanocatalysts for wastewater treatment and waste effluents discharged from laboratories, the chemical industry, and other sources could be expanded. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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15 pages, 3053 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Thermal, Ionic Conductivity and Electrochemical Properties of Some p-Tosylate Anions-Based Protic Ionic Compounds

by Arfat Anis, Manawwer Alam, Abdullah Alhamidi, Mohammad Asif Alam, Ravindra Kumar Gupta, Mohammad Tariq, Hamid Shaikh, Anesh Manjaly Poulose and Saeed M. Al-Zahrani

Crystals 2022, 12(4), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12040507 - 6 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2088

Abstract

In the present work, six protic ionic liquid (PIL) compounds based on p-toluene sulfonic acid [PTSA] anion along with different cations viz. tetraethylenepentammonium [TEPA], triethylammonium [TEA], pyridinium [Py], N-methylpiperidinium [Pip], 1-methylimidazolium [Im], and N-methylpyrrolidinium [Pyrr] were synthesized using the standard neutralization reaction method. The structural characterization of these compounds was achieved using FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. Thermal behavior was studied using differential scanning calorimetry to determine the melting point (T_m) and crystallization (T_c) temperatures. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to determine the thermal stability and degradation temperatures (Tdec) and to ascertain the hygroscopic or hydrophobic nature of the synthesized compounds. Structural effects on the outcome of various properties were witnessed and discussed in detail. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was utilized to study the electrical transport properties of the PILs at different temperatures. Cyclic voltammetry was performed to analyze the electrochemical stability of these PILs. Low values of activation energy indicating easy proton transportation along with good electrochemical stability make the PILs a potential candidate for use in the preparation of polymer electrolytes membranes for fuel cell applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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16 pages, 5060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Super Bonding Strength of Al₂O₃ Nanoparticles Reinforced Sn Interlayer Steel/Aluminum Bimetal Casting

by Mohamed Ramadan, Abdul Khaliq, K. M. Hafez, Abdulaziz S. Alghamdi, Naglaa Fathy, Farid A. Harraz, Badreddine Ayadi and K. S. Abdel Halim

Crystals 2022, 12(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12030324 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2317

Abstract

For specialized applications, it is incumbent to develop new materials that enable manufacturers to develop new processes and designs. For better fuel economy, structural integrity, and lightweight applications, the development of bimetallic steel/aluminum (Al) alloys having a strong interfacial bond is required. Therefore, a mild steel/Al-bearing alloy bimetallic composite was investigated in this study. Firstly, a tin (Sn) interlayer was developed between the steel substrate and the Al-bearing alloy by the tinning process. For further improvement in the interfacial integrity, alumina (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles were added to the Sn powder during the tinning process. Four different wt.% of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles of 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 were added and mixed thoroughly with Sn powder before mixing them with flux prior to the tinning process. Finally, molten Al-bearing alloy (Al–Sn-Si–Cu) was poured over the Al₂O₃ nanoparticles reinforced tinned steel substrate. A cross-section of the steel/Al-bearing alloy bimetallic composite was prepared for optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and shear testing. The cross-section microstructure of the steel/Al-bearing alloy bimetallic composite revealed irregular and discontinuous interfacial layers in the case of the low-temperature (170 °C) tinning process. However, a uniform, continuous interfacial layer was fabricated during the tinning process when additional preheat to the steel substrate and tinning process was adopted. It can be reported that low Al₂O₃ nanoparticles loading (0.25%) and steel substrate preheating were recommended for the better interfacial layer in the steel/Al-bearing alloy bimetallic composite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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17 pages, 4111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesis of Mn + Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles Using Vinca rosea Extract and Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Catalytic Activities

by Mohamad M. Ahmad, Hicham Mahfoz Kotb, Shehla Mushtaq, Mir Waheed-Ur-Rehman, Christopher M. Maghanga and Mir Waqas Alam

Crystals 2022, 12(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12010072 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4536

Abstract

This article outlines the preparation of manganese-doped copper nanoparticles (Mn + Cu NPs) using Vinca rosea (L.) leaf extract as a convenient and environmentally friendly substance. UV–vis, FT–IR, XRD, SEM–EDAX, and DLS instrumental techniques were employed to describe the physical and chemical properties of synthesized V. rosea extract-mediated Vr-Mn + Cu NPs. The synthesized Vr-Mn + Cu NPs were observed to be monodispersed and spherical, with an average size of 412 nm. The plant extract includes a variety of phytochemical components. The Vr-Mn + Cu NPs also have potential antioxidant and antibacterial properties against selected pathogens. The green synthesized Vr-Mn + Cu NPs showed a maximum inhibition zone of 16.33 ± 0.57 mm against E. coli. For dye degradation, MR, EBT, and MO showed the highest degradation percentage capabilities with Vr-Mn + Cu NP-based adsorbents, which were determined to be 78.54 ± 0.16, 87.67 ± 0.06, and 69.79 ± 0.36. The results clearly show that biosynthesized Vr-Mn + Cu NPs may be employed as an antioxidant, antibacterial, photocatalytic dye degradation, and catalytic agent, as well as being ecologically benign. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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8 pages, 1367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Microbial Fuel Cell Using Methylococcus Chroococcus Bacteria as a Biocatalyst

by Hany S. Abdo, Asiful H. Seikh, Ubair Abdus Samad, Sameh A. Ragab, Mohammad Asif Alam and Abdullah A. AlGhannam

Crystals 2021, 11(11), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11111295 - 26 Oct 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1686

Abstract

Methane is an extensively accessible green energy that can be obtained organically just by way of through natural gases. However, using methane in fuel at ambient temperature conditions is quite challenging, due to its high thermodynamically stability. In this present investigation, the feasibility of using methane in the low-temperature microbial fuel-cell (MFC) with an unadulterated culture of Methylococcus chroococcus without the inclusion of any additional electron mediators is investigated. The microbial fuel cell setup was prepared using a salt bridge. Through potentiodynamic study, power density, and OCV, it can be seen that the setup delivers a sufficient amount of voltage and power as the days progress. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic investigations also depict the fact that the cell required roughly one day to balance out, and kept working at full force for up to seven days. This work exhibits the chance of creating power utilizing methane as one of the main carbon sources at ambient temperature with an M. chroococcus unadulterated culture as the direct electron-transporting MFC biocatalyst. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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15 pages, 3811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Milling Route on the Corrosion Passivation of Al-2%SiC Nanocomposites in Chloride Solutions

by Saud M. Almotairy, El-Sayed M. Sherif, Nabeel H. Alharthi, Hany S. Abdo, Hamad F. Alharbi and Monis Luqman

Crystals 2021, 11(10), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11101231 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1671

Abstract

In this work, the fabrication of three Al-2wt.% SiC nanocomposites processed by novel milling route was carried out. The beneficial influence of milling route on the corrosion passivation of the new fabricated composites was investigated. The cyclic polarization measurements have proved that increasing the time of ball milling highly reduced the corrosion of Al-SiC nanocomposite via reducing obtained corrosion current and so increasing the corrosion resistance. These results were affirmed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments. The pitting corrosion of the manufactured composites was also reported, and its intensity decreased with the increase of ball milling time. The electrochemical experiments were also performed after expanding the exposure time in the chloride solution to 24 and 48. It was found that both the uniform and pitting corrosion decrease with prolonging the time. The study was complemented by examining the surface morphology and the elemental analyses for the different composites by using surface analyses techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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15 pages, 2284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of Laser Welded 2205 Duplex Stainless-Steel in Artificial Seawater Environment under Different Acidity and Alkalinity Conditions

by Hany S. Abdo, Asiful H. Seikh, Ubair Abdus Samad, Ahmed Fouly and Jabair Ali Mohammed

Crystals 2021, 11(9), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091025 - 26 Aug 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3280

Abstract

The electrochemical corrosion behavior of laser welded 2205 duplex stainless-steel in artificial seawater environment (3.5% NaCl solutions) with different acidity and alkalinity conditions (different pH values) was investigated using different techniques. Namely, capacitance measurements (Mott–Schottky approach), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The formation of pitting corrosion on the exposure surfaces of the tested duplex stainless-steel samples was investigated and confirmed by characterizing the surface morphology using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Based on the obtained results, a proportional relation has been found between pH value of the solution medium and the generated film resistance due to the processes of charge transfer, which directly affecting the pitting formation and its specifications. Since the film layer composition created on the duplex stainless-steel surface is changes depending on the pH value, it was found that different bilayer structure type was generated according to the acidity or alkalinity level. The presented bilayer is almost composed from metal oxides, such as iron oxide and chromium oxide, as confirmed by Raman Spectroscopy technique. As the pits size and its quantity increased with decreasing pH value, it can be concluded that the corrosion resistance property of the laser welded 2205 duplex stainless-steel sample is improved on the alkalinity direction of the solution. Vice versa, higher acidic solution has more ability for corrosion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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12 pages, 3445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mitigating Corrosion Effects of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb Alloy Fabricated via Electron Beam Melting (EBM) Technique by Regulating the Immersion Conditions

by Hany S. Abdo, Ubair Abdus Samad, Jabair Ali Mohammed, Sameh A. Ragab and Asiful H. Seikh

Crystals 2021, 11(8), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11080889 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2824

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of newly fabricated γ-TiAl alloy was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) techniques. The γ-TiAl alloy was produced from powder with compositions of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb processed using electron beam melting (EBM) technique. The corrosion behavior of the bulk alloy was investigated in 1 M HCl solution for different immersion times and temperatures. The experimental results suggest that the fabricated alloy exhibits good resistance to corrosion in acid solution at room temperature. The results also indicate that with an increase in immersion time and solution temperature, the corrosion potential (Ecorr) shifts to a higher positive value, resulting in an increase in corrosion current (jcorr) and consequently a decrease in the corrosion resistance (Rp) of the alloy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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10 pages, 6035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Strengthening Effect of Reinforcing Spark Plasma Sintered Al-Zn-TiC Nanocomposites with TiC Nanoparticles

by Hany S. Abdo, Asiful H. Seikh, Ahmed Fouly and Sameh A. Ragab

Crystals 2021, 11(8), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11080842 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2045

Abstract

In this investigation, Al-10Zn-TiC nanocomposite powders were prepared by varying the reinforcement content in wt.% via mechanical alloying in order to fabricate bulk samples via spark plasma sintering technique. The grain size exhibited in bulk samples was 17 ± 08 μm in 10 wt% TiC reinforced nanocomposites. The introduced TiC nanoparticles were improved the load carrying ability of the final product. The advanced microscopic studies such as X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM, HR-TEM along with the ring pattern were analysed to ensure the phases and their distribution of reinforced nanoparticles in the Al matrix. The XRD results revealed the formation of TiC present in the matrix, and SEM analysis conveys the uniform distribution and absence of clustering among the reinforcement particles; TEM results depicted the clear interface between the matrix and TiC nanoparticles. The mechanical properties such as hardness and compression studies were carried out in the bulk specimens. The obtained results confirmed the nanocomposites exhibit higher strength which was not only due to decrease in grain size but also due to the occurrence of different strengthening mechanisms such as grain boundary, Orowan and thermal expansion coefficient mismatch strengthening commensurate with the nanoscale TiC addition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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22 pages, 9774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Balanced Mechanical and Tribological Performance of High-Frequency-Sintered Al-SiC Achieved via Innovative Milling Route—Experimental and Theoretical Study

by Ahmed Fouly, Saud M. Almotairy, Muhammad Omer Aijaz, Hamad F. Alharbi and Hany S. Abdo

Crystals 2021, 11(6), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11060700 - 18 Jun 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2607

Abstract

In this study, Al-SiC nanocomposite was fabricated via powder metallurgy route using different innovative high-energy ball-milling techniques (HEBM). The powder mixture was consolidated using high-frequency induction heat sintering process (HFIHS). With the aim of studying the physical, mechanical, and tribological performance of the fabricated nanocomposites. Relative density, hardness, compressive yield strength, Young’s modulus, toughness, elongation, specific wear rate and coefficient of friction were experimentally investigated. A finite element model for the frictional process was built to find out the distribution of contact stresses as result of samples sliding. It was found that the highest the energy of the milling, the more improvement in the mechanical and tribological performance could significantly achieved due to the homogeneous distribution and the excellent bonding effect of the composite. In addition, field emission scanning electron microscope was used for studying the sliding surface morphology in order to explicate the mechanism of the dry wear process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanocomposites and Alloys in Saudi Arabia)

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