Prospects of Emerging Engineered oxide nanomaterials and their Applications

This review article mainly focused on the recent progress on the synthesis and characterization of emerging artificially engineered nanostructures of oxide materials as well as their potential applications. A fundamental understanding about the state-of-the-art of the synthesis for different size, shape and morphology, which can be tuned to the desired properties of oxide nanomaterials have discussed in details in this review. The present review covers the a wide range of artificially engineered oxide nanomaterials such as cadmium-, cupric-, nickel-, magnesium-, zinc-, titanium-, tin-, aluminium-, and vanadium-oxides and their useful applications in sensors, optical displays, nanofluids and defence

Microstructural characteristics and optical performance of nano-structured thin films of tin oxide

Transparent conducting tin oxide thin films (thickness ~140 nm) have been synthesized by using vacuum evaporation technique under the vacuum of the order of 10-6 mbar at room temperature. These films have been deposited onto glass and single crystals of KCl substrates and subsequently annealed at different temperatures for varying time periods in high purity oxygen (99.999%) atmosphere to obtain single phase of tin oxide. X-ray diffraction measurements have been carried out on the films deposited onto glass substrates to reveal the phase formation of tin oxide. Secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) and selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAEDP) measurements identify the presence of Sn, SnO and SnO2 phases in the films. Detailed XRD measurements and microstructural features recorded employing SEM, HRTEM, AFM and SIMS have been interpreted in the light of emission bands of these films occurred at 442 nm and 452 nm. The effect of vacuum conditions and annealing on nucleation and growth mechanism of tin oxide thin films has been presented and discussed in detail

Development of Graphene Nanoplatelets Reinforced Shape Memory Polyurethane and Their DMA Studies

Shape memory nanocomposites have been synthesized using ether type shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). A twin screw co-rotating microcompounder with a back flow channel has been employed to ensure proper dispersion of GNPs in the polymer matrix. Four compositions of GNPs in SMPU have been prepared. Morphology of fractured nanocomposites reveals uniform dispersion of graphene in SMPU. The dynamic-thermo-mechanical properties of nanocomposites at 0.1 and 10 Hz have been studied. Addition of 1 phr GNPs increases storage modulus of SMPU from 2.8 to 3.73 GPa and the value of tan δ peak has been decreased from 0.81 to 0.53. The GNPs in SMPU matrix influence shape recovery which improves with the addition of GNPs with in experimental range

Induced Size Effects Of Gd3+ ions Doping On Structural And Magnetic Properties Of Ni-Zn Ferrite Nanoparticles

Gd3+ ions substituted in Ni0.5Zn0.5GdxFe2-xO4 (where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) ferrite nanoparticles in the size range from 15 to 25 nm were prepared by chemical method. The effect of Gd3+ ions in spinel structure in correlation to structural and magnetic properties have been studied in detail using XRD, HRTEM and EPR techniques. The spin resonance confirms the ferromagnetic behaviour of these nanoparticles and higher order of dipolar-dipolar interaction. On increasing Gd3+ ions concentrations, the super exchange interaction i.e. increase in movement of electron among Gd3+ - O - Fe3+ in the core group and the spin biasing in the glass layer has been interpreted. The decrease in ‘g’ value and increase in relaxation time is well correlated with the change of particle size on different concentrations of Gd3+ ions in Ni-Zn ferrite

Thermal Power Plant Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum Waste Particulates Reinforced Injection Molded Flexible Composites

612-616Low density, thermally insulative and moisture resistant flexible polymer composites were developed using Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) gypsum waste particulates with Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) under injection molding technique without any additive or filler modification. The moisture content, particle size, specific gravity, density, pH, electrical conductivity and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of FGD gypsum waste particulates were evaluated together with mineralogical, morphological and elemental analysis by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS) studies. Developed composites were tested for Density, Water absorption, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. Density of FGD-LDPE composites varied from 0.91±0.01 to 1.33±0.01 g/cm3 with different concentrations of FGD gypsum filler (10–70 weight %). The water absorption showed 0.69±0.04% for maximum (70 weight %) filler concentration and the corresponding thermal conductivity was found to be minimum (0.3964 W/m/K). The composites were very flexible and exhibited lower tensile strength (6.17±0.05 to 7.15±0.09 MPa), flexural strength (11.25±0.14 MPa) and impact strength (22.70±1.57 KJ/m2) with 50% and 10% filler content. Findings of these results have showed a new path for making flexible composites potentially having applications in sports ground, staircase and instrumentation rooms as a thermal insulation flooring material using FGD waste particulates generated from thermal power plants

Modification at Lattice Scale for an Optimized Optical Response of Alx(ZnO)1-x Nanostructures

We report the systematic changes of nano-scaled featur es and optical properties in a promising transparent oxide material, namely, Al x (x = 0, 1, 2 and 5%) doped ZnO 1-x (AZO). Electron microscopy investigations revealed the alterations at lattice scale depending on th e presence of Al-content in ZnO nanostructures. Lat- tice spacings of 0.26 and 0.28 nm oriented along the (0002) and (10 1 0) planes, respectively, were attributed to euhedral-and facetted-structures of hexagonal-ZnO. Th e AZO samples were furthe r characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-vis spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence studies. It has been shown that at a dopant concentration of 2% Al in ZnO, an optimal balance could be achieved between microstruc- ture and optical properties

Development of Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Using Zinc Oxide Nanoflower/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Nanocomposite Coatings

Nanoflower is anticipated to become a very smart material due to its unique properties such as high surface to volume ratio. A hydrothermal method was used in this study to prepare the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflower and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The average particle size of the ZnO nanoflower was calculated as 21nm according to the Debye-Scherrer formula. The SEM result gives the surface morphological information of the ZnO nanoflower, which confirms the formation of the ZnO nanoflower. The ZnO nanoflower was dispersed in PDMS and coated onto cotton fabric to get the superhydrophobic fabric. The hydrophobicity was determined by measuring the water contact angle by the Sessile drop method and it was observed that coated fabrics have the highest contact angle, 140⁰ at 0.5% ZnO nanoflower concentration. The present study offers a method of fabrication of superhydrophobic cotton textile using ZnO nanoflower/PDMS polymer nanocomposites

Thermal Power Plant Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum Waste Particulates Reinforced Injection Molded Flexible Composites

Low density, thermally insulative and moisture resistant flexible polymer composites were developed using Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) gypsum waste particulates with Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) under injection molding technique without any additive or filler modification. The moisture content, particle size, specific gravity, density, pH, electrical conductivity and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of FGD gypsum waste particulates were evaluated together with mineralogical, morphological and elemental analysis by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS) studies. Developed composites were tested for Density, Water absorption, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. Density of FGD-LDPE composites varied from 0.91±0.01 to 1.33±0.01 g/cm3 with different concentrations of FGD gypsum filler (10–70 weight %). The water absorption showed 0.69±0.04% for maximum (70 weight %) filler concentration and the corresponding thermal conductivity was found to be minimum (0.3964 W/m/K). The composites were very flexible and exhibited lower tensile strength (6.17±0.05 to 7.15±0.09 MPa), flexural strength (11.25±0.14 MPa) and impact strength (22.70±1.57 KJ/m2) with 50% and 10% filler content. Findings of these results have showed a new path for making flexible composites potentially having applications in sports ground, staircase and instrumentation rooms as a thermal insulation flooring material using FGD waste particulates generated from thermal power plants

Development of Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric Using Zinc Oxide Nanoflower/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Nanocomposite Coatings

Nanoflower is anticipated to become a very smart material due to its unique properties such as high surface to volume ratio. A hydrothermal method was used in this study to prepare the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflower and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The average particle size of the ZnO nanoflower was calculated as 21nm according to the Debye-Scherrer formula. The SEM result gives the surface morphological information of the ZnO nanoflower, which confirms the formation of the ZnO nanoflower. The ZnO nanoflower was dispersed in PDMS and coated onto cotton fabric to get the superhydrophobic fabric. The hydrophobicity was determined by measuring the water contact angle by the Sessile drop method and it was observed that coated fabrics have the highest contact angle, 140⁰ at 0.5% ZnO nanoflower concentration. The present study offers a method of fabrication of superhydrophobic cotton textile using ZnO nanoflower/PDMS polymer nanocomposites