Towards the Detection of Lead Contaminates in Water Using Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles

Lead contamination poses serious health and environmental risks. In water, lead is dangerous because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Currently, there are few easy methods of detecting lead in water that can be done without the use of sophisticated equipment. This research is to review the current methods of using different functionalized gold nanoparticles, which exhibit a colorimetric response in the presence of lead contaminated water, in the field. At present, there are several methods of functionalizing gold nanoparticles for the detection of lead, but many of these methods require complex procedures and expensive components. Here, we will focus on two emerging nanoparticle functionalizers, 11-Mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and Glutathione (GSH). Future applications of nanoparticles functionalized with these compounds would involve dispersing them in a membrane, which could be used anywhere from household faucets to water treatment plants, and could act as a simple, cost-effective sensing device in the presence of lead contaminatio

Mechanical and Thermal Analyses of Metal-PLA Components Fabricated by Metal Material Extrusion

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has gained much attention in recent years due to its advantages including geometric freedom and design complexity, appropriate for a wide range of potential industrial applications. However, conventional metal AM methods have high-cost barriers due to the initial cost of the capital equipment, support, and maintenance, etc. This study presents a low-cost metal material extrusion technology as a prospective alternative to the production of metallic parts in additive manufacturing. The filaments used consist of copper, bronze, stainless steel, high carbon iron, and aluminum powders in a polylactic acid matrix. Using the proposed fabrication technology, test specimens were built by extruding metal/polymer composite filaments, which were then sintered in an open-air furnace to produce solid metallic parts. In this research, the mechanical and thermal properties of the built parts are examined using tensile tests, thermogravimetric, thermomechanical and microstructural analysis

Towards sensitive fluorescent metal nanosensors, IR range, for dual detection of nitrates in water

In recent decades, the use of nutrients and fertilizers for agriculture has increased exponentially at a global scale with detrimental consequences on freshwater and marine ecosystems. Nitrate and Phosphate based nutrients cause serious health problems such as different forms of cancer, increasing Algae and eutrophication. Detection of these chemicals in water and soil has been a prominent field of research worldwide. In this study development of a dual sensor using both surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence is introduced. Five different metal nanoparticles were tested in solution for spectroscopic properties and two were identified with potential as dual sensors, Egyptian blue and gold nanoparticles. The sensor will be designed to show emission in the infrared range. Subsequent results will be discussed where the nanoparticles were tethered to a glass surface using aminopropylsilane chemistry. These coatings are will not rinse off and are scratch resistant as well. The fluorescent and SPR response are both exhibited even in the form of a thin film. Future investigations will involve attachment to a prism surface and analysis of the sensitivity of the SPR and fluorescent simultaneous signal to nitrate ion in water

Investigation of mechanical, thermal and structural properties of continuous fiber-reinforced additively manufactured thermoplastic polymer composites

Continuous Fiber Reinforced Additively Manufactured (CFRAM) nylon composites were manufactured and their properties were investigated. Due to the high performance, lightweight, and easy-process, these materials are good candidates to replace metals and conventional composites for a wide range of applications. The wide range of applications of these novel materials justifies the need to study their properties. In this study, fiber-reinforced composite specimens were printed and their mechanical, thermal and structural properties were investigated. Nylon and onyx were used as the matrix and Carbon fiber, fiberglass, and Kevlar were used as reinforcing agents. The mechanical and thermal analyses including tensile analysis, creep analysis, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and heat diffusion were investigated. Microstructural analysis was also conducted to investigate the fracture mechanism, internal morphology, interlayer adhesion, and the printing quality of the specimens. The thermo-mechanical properties of printed parts were compared with metals and conventional polymer composites to further investigate the applicability of printed parts. The results clearly show that CFRAM parts have much lighter weight compared with metals and their performance is high enough for engineering applications. In addition, the manufacturing process of these materials is much easier than metals and conventional composites. Finally, the applicability of CFRAM components for fabricating automotive parts was examined. For this aim, ease of design and manufacturing, final price, and production time as three main manufacturing factors were considered. The car parts were printed and their properties were compared with metal parts produced with traditional methods

*WINNER* Thermomechanical investigation of continuous fiber reinforced additively manufactured components

In this research, thermal and mechanical properties of continuous fiber reinforced additively manufactured (CFRAM) composite components were studied. CFRAM is a five years old technology provided by Markforged company. Nylon as a thermoplastic polymer was used as matrix and carbon fiber, Kevlar, and fiberglass were included to improve the properties. Fibers were included under controlled printing situation. Final composite has the properties in the range of conventional composites with all the benefits that 3D printing provides including low cost manufacturing, notable flexibility in design and exemption from sophisticated equipment. Studying thermomechanical properties of CFRAM is important due to their potential applications. CFRAM components can replace metals in applications such as car industry, aerospace and sport good. In this work thermal, mechanical, statistical and microscopical analysis of CFRAM components were conducted. Creep analysis was conducted at different temperatures, and the effect of fiber type and temperature on creep behavior was studied. The statistical analyses were conducted to analyze the experimental data using mathematical models. The microstructural analysis was performed to further investigate void presence, 3D printing quality, and fracture mechanisms. Stiffness measurement of CFRAM components was also conducted at different temperatures. TGA test was conducted to study thermal stability, humidity absorption, degradation behavior, and flame retardancy. Overall, this paper presents quantitative results demonstrating the capabilities of CFRAM technology. In all cases results showed fiber inclusion improves thermal and mechanical properties

Tensile Performance of 3D-Printed Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Nylon Composites

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a promising technology for production of fiber-reinforced composite parts with complex geometries. Continuous Fiber Reinforced Additively Manufactured (CFRAM) parts are becoming more prominent due to their mechanical performance, light weight, and recyclability. CFRAM components are lighter, yet they are strong materials with a wide range of potential applications in the automotive industry, aerospace, medical tools, and sports goods. The wide range of applications of these novel materials justifies the need to study their properties. Tensile is one of the most important tests to evaluate the mechanical performance of CFRAM parts. In this paper, a comprehensive study is conducted on tensile properties of CFRAM components. The composite parts are printed using a dual nozzle 3D printing machine and their tensile performance is investigated. Furthermore, the effect of fiber type, fiber content, infill density, infill pattern, and layer thickness on tensile properties was studied. Nylon was used as the matrix and Carbon fiber (CF), fiberglass (FG), and Kevlar were used as reinforcing agents. Microstructural analysis was conducted to investigate the fracture mechanism, internal morphology, interlayer adhesion, and the printing quality of specimens. Finally, a comparative study is conducted on the price and printing time of CFRAM parts. It is observed that fiber inclusion increases the tensile strength up to 2200%; moreover, increasing the fiber content improves the tensile performance of composite. The results obtained demonstrate that CF-reinforced parts have better performance compared to FG and Kevlar-reinforced components. The results show that CFRAM parts have potential to replace metals and conventional composites for engineering applications like the automobile industry

Nano-Level Additive Manufacturing: Condensed Review of Processes, Materials, and Industrial Applications

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, represents the forefront of modern manufacturing technology. Its growing popularity spans across research and development, material science, design, processes, and everyday applications. This review paper presents a crucial review of nano-level 3D printing, examining it from the perspectives of processes, materials, industrial applications, and future trends. The authors have synthesized the latest insights from a wide range of archival articles and source books, highlighting the key findings. The primary contribution of this study is a condensed review report that consolidates the newest research on nano-level 3D printing, offering a broad overview of this innovative technology for researchers, inventors, educators, and technologists. It is anticipated that this review study will significantly advance research in nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, and related technological fields