Production of metal nanoparticles by agro-industrial wastes. A green opportunity for nanotechnology

The feasibility of producing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using phenolic extracts from agro-industrial wastes as reducing agents was investigated. Phenolic extracts were obtained from bilberry wastes (BW) and spent coffee grounds (SCG) with aqueous ethanol as extraction solvent. Experiments were carried out in batch at 25 °C by adding appropriate amounts of phenolic extracts to a silver nitrate aqueous solution. The formation of Ag NPs was monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the intensity of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of silver at 415-435 nm. Depending on the process conditions, the synthesis of Ag NPs was completed in 3 to 5 hours. Characterization of the resulting reaction products by XRD, SEM and DLS showed that nanoparticles were formed with a spherical shape and an average size of 10-20 nm. Overall, the results obtained suggest that BW and SCG could be used as a source of reducing agents for the production of metal NPs and that agro-industrial wastes may represent a valid alternative to the use of microorganisms, whole plants or plant parts for the biogenic synthesis of NPs

Wet and dry accelerated aging tests in a spray chamber to understand the effects of acid rain frequencies on bronze corrosion

We have conducted controlled laboratory experiments using a series of bronze alloys exposed to frequent, repeated wet and dry cycles, to simulate frequent acid rain exposure and study the resultant corrosion processes in bronze artifacts exposed to an outdoor urban environment. To simulate rainwater and condensation, a spray chamber for the corrosion tests was assembled, which delivered homogeneous vapor diffusion and drop deposition. Three bi-component bronzes, with 3%, 7% and 20% tin content, were subjected to seven days of controlled wet and dry cycles, and analyzed at precise intervals. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and spectrocolorimetry results were combined to show the different phases of corrosion. The patinas on all three samples at the end of the exposure period were studied with scanning electron microscopy to show the morphology of corrosion products; they were also analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The sample containing 7% tin produces a patina that is unstable and frequently dissolved. Partial patina dissolution also occurs during exposure for the 3% tin sample, but the effects are less pronounced. Because it reacts the least with the environment, the 20% tin sample demonstrates intermediate behavior (between the 7% and the 3% tin samples). However, the patina is less protective than the 3% tin sample patina

Extraction of Land Cover Units from Land Cover Components Based on Geometric Rules

Land cover units are aggregations of land cover components that are obtained by using criteria of homogeneity and proximity of basic components. For example, residential urban settlements can be defined as aggregations of single buildings, neighboring green spaces, paved surfaces and small roads, which are separated by more prominent land cover components, such as main roads or rivers. Land cover components belong to standard classes typically obtained by an automated classification process applied to aerial or satellite images, such as buildings, constructed areas, bare soil, water, vegetation, and the like. Land cover units belong to more general classes, obtained by a combination of land cover components, such as residential areas, industrial areas, road networks, river systems, and agricultural units. In this paper, we describe an approach based on the application of geometric rules and semantic constraints to extract land cover units from land cover components. We use spatial operators to extract composite land cover units from land cover databases, where spatial operators are taken from standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium. Expert knowledge needs to be translated into specific automatic procedures, called complex object definitions or CODs. Finally, we build a prototype system, where the user can choose among a set of available CODs to build a sequence of actions that lead to the discovery of knowledge. We discuss several study cases, such as the recognition of urban settlements, agricultural land units, and road networks

a constitutive model to predict the pseudo elastic stress strain behaviour of sma

Abstract Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a wide class of materials characterized by the property to recover the initial shape also after high values of deformations. This is due to the ability of SMAs to change, in a reversible manner, their microstructure from an initial structure, often named austenite, to a final structure, named martensite. The transformations of microstructure can take place with or without one or more intermediate phases, but always without re-crystallization, implying a microstructure changing inside the crystals, without any new boundary creation. The stress-strain behaviour depends on the crystal structures. In this work, a simple model to predict the stress-strain behaviour of a PE SMA has been proposed. The results have been compared to an experimental tensile test carried out on a NiTi SMA alloy

analysis of the al and ti additions influences on phases generation and damage in a hot dip galvanizing process

Abstract Cheap iron-based alloys, such as Ductile Cast Irons (DCIs) and low carbon steels, are more and more used in the mechanical field because they are characterized by good strength and good workability. However, the low value of electrochemical potential of low carbon steel leads to quick environmental corrosion that can compromise the operative life of mechanical components. Therefore, it is important to protect them against corrosion even for safety and reliability reasons. The use of a traditional protection technique, like Hot Dip Galvanizing (HDG), allows low costs too. In this work, the phase formation during HDG process is presented and discussed. In particular, the influence of Al and Ti additions on the pure Zn bath is shown in the metallographic analysis, presenting also the results of pure Zn bath

Fatigue microstructural evolution in pseudo elastic NiTi alloy

Abstract Shape memory property characterizes the behavior of many Ti based alloys (SMAs). This property is due to a metallurgical phenomenon, which allows to change the lattice structure without boundaries changing as a reversible transition. Equiatomic NiTi alloys are among the most industrially used SMAs: they are characterized by two different mechanical behaviors in terms of shape recovering: • a shape memory effect (SME). This is obtained when the recovery of the initial shape takes place only after heating over a critical temperature, with a consequent crystallographic structure transition; • a pseudoelastic effect (PE). This is obtained when the critical temperature is lower than environmental temperature. In this case, the recovery of the initial shape takes place only after unloading. In recent years, research relating to materials of shape memory has gone in the direction of application in many fields of engineering such as aerospace or mechanical systems. In this work the evolution of microstructural lattice has been studied taking in to account the effect of low cycles fatigue loads

Proposal for a methodology based on XRD and SEM-EDS to monitor effects of lime-treatment on clayey soils

The aim of this paper is to present the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses on a natural and lime-treated clay, in order to determine the percentage of lime able to stabilize soil. For this reason, XRD test analyses have been conducted on natural soil (TQ0) and on two different mixtures (TQ3 and TQ5): The former with 3% and the latter with 5% by mass of quicklime. These mixtures have been analyzed at different curing times: At the addition of lime (0 d), and after a mellowing period of 7 and 28 d. The obtained results show that 3% of CaO is the percentage of quicklime able to modify the material (initial consumption of lime (ICL) and 5% of CaO is the percentage able to stabilize it (lime stabilization optimum (LSO). Finally, SEM images allowed for the monitoring of the process of reactions between the soil and lime during the mellowing period, while EDS analyses validated the XRD results in terms of chemical composition of the examined soil. For the examined natural clay, statistical analysis of the obtained EDS results identified a linear regression curve between the added quicklime and the after-treatment Ca content. The proposed approach could be adopted to calculate the content of calcium after the treatment and verify the in situ-added CaO during roadworks or at the end of them

Improved Zn-based coatings for ipersandelin steel products

The protection of iron-based alloy products against corrosion is fundamental to preserve their mechanical properties in aggressive environments. Hot-dip galvanizing process represents one of the most used techniques to make protective coatings for such products. In order to improve both mechanical and chemical properties of coating, metallic elements may be added to the traditional zinc bath. In the present paper, two types of improved zinc-based coating are proposed: (i) A coating obtained employing a tin addition (3% in weight); (ii) A coating obtained employing aluminium (5% in weight), tin (1% in weight) and copper (0.5% in weight) additions. Firstly, the performance of such two types of coatings is experimentally investigated through bending tests on ipersandelin steel plate specimens, treated through different bath dipping times. The intermetallic phase thicknesses of coatings are measured for each dipping time, in order to evaluate the kinetic formation. Then, a Finite Element (FE) model is proposed in order to simulate the bending behaviour of the above specimens, both employing the measured phase thickness and implementing the loading and boundary conditions of the experimental tests. A numerical non-linear static analysis is performed. A quite satisfactory agreement between experimental and numerical results is observed, especially under plastic behaviour regime

damage micromechanisms in a hot dip galvanized steel

Abstract: Hot-dip galvanizing is one of the most used methods to apply zinc-based coatings on steels in order to provide sacrificial protection against corrosion over all the steel surface. The aim of this work is the analysis of the hot dip zinc coated steel plates mechanical properties by means of a non-standardized bending test performed minimizing both the bending moment differences along the bending axis and the interactions between the clamping system and the specimen coating. Bending tests are performed both on non-coated and on hot dip zinc coated plates, correlating the measured variables (applied load and crosshead displacement) with the bending moment and the specimen bending angle. Tests are characterised by a good repeatability. Results show that the main damaging mechanisms depend on the different mechanical behaviour of the intermetallic phases and on their thickness. For all the investigated coating conditions, radial cracks are observed. They initiate corresponding to the Γ phase and propagate up to the ζ-η interface. The coating thickness increase implies both an increase of the importance of the cracks in δ and ζ phases and the presence of cracks at ζ-η interfaces

High Entropy Cantor Alloys (HEAs) modification induced by tungsten alligation, heat treatment and deep cold plastic deformation

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) is a unique class of materials that combine particular properties in a large-scale of temperatures, able to guarantee new unexplored materials and alloys with several potentially engineering applications (i.e. space and aerospace industries). As promising structural materials, HEAs consist of five or more principal elements. As a consequence of the monophasic microstructure which usually characterizes HEAs, these alloys offer an excellent combination of strength, strain hardening ability, good plasticity, ductility and fracture toughness especially at cryogenic temperatures better than the existing conventional metals and alloys. For the above reasons, the present work deals with Classic Cantor alloy, a well-known CoCrFeMnNi HEA, where mechanical properties were improved using low cost casting techniques and a combination of different metallurgical methodologies (heat treatment, cold working and adding alloying elements). A promising alloy element, tungsten, was used in the experimentation where mechanical and microstructural characterization were performed using different technique