Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 15691

Special Issue Editor

Associate Professor, Digital Manufacturing and Materials Characterization Laboratory, School of Science and Technology, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: additive manufacturing; composites; nanomaterials; processing and mechanics of materials; destructive and non-destructive testing; product design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With numerous theoretical and experimental techniques emerging in diverse scientific fields, the study of nanocomposites has increased dramatically over the years in various scientific areas, with new processes in the design, analysis, manufacture, and testing of nanocomposites. The enormous number of potential materials and their combinations, the wide range of synthesis paths, the improvement of experimental equipment, and the integration of computer techniques (including simulations, artificial intelligence, and machine learning tools) provide the scientific field of nanocomposites with an infinite horizon of possibilities. The variety of processes involved in the study of nanocomposite materials affects them differently, leading to novel products and procedures with advanced physicochemical and mechanical properties, as well as interesting biological interactions.  

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit original research and review articles for this Special Issue addressing innovative approaches and novel proposals on different application areas aimed at the recent advances in the field nanocomposites. In particular, the main objective is to give a broad and current view of some of the most active lines of research and to gather specific experience from various research communities in the latest developments and trends in the field of nanocomposites. 

Accepted papers are published in the joint Special Issue in Nanomaterials or Nanomanufacturing (https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/journal/nanomanufacturing/special_issues/composite_nano)

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Tzetzis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 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
  • nanomaterials
  • nanoengineering
  • nanoparticles
  • nanofibres
  • nanowires
  • nanobeams
  • nanoplates
  • nanoshells
  • nanosensors
  • nanotubes
  • nanocoatings
  • bio-nanomaterials
  • nanohybrids
  • nanosystems
  • nanostructures

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4630 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Characterization and Finite Element Analysis-Assisted Mechanical Behavior of Polylactic Acid-Montmorillonite 3D Printed Nanocomposites
by Maria-Eirini Grigora, Zoe Terzopoulou, Konstantinos Tsongas, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris and Dimitrios Tzetzis
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(15), 2641; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12152641 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
This work aims to improve the properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for future biomedical applications by investigating the effect of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on physicochemical and mechanical behavior. PLA nanocomposite filaments were fabricated using different amounts of MMT (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 wt.%) [...] Read more.
This work aims to improve the properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for future biomedical applications by investigating the effect of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on physicochemical and mechanical behavior. PLA nanocomposite filaments were fabricated using different amounts of MMT (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 wt.%) and 2 wt.% Joncryl chain extenders. The 3D-printed specimens were manufactured using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). The composites were characterized by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Melt Flow Index (MFI), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal properties were studied by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Moreover, the hydrophilicity of the PLA/MMT nanocomposites was investigated by measuring the water contact angle. The mechanical behavior of the PLA/MMT nanocomposites was examined with nanoindentation, compression tests, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). The presence of Joncryl, as well as the pretreatment of MMT before filament fabrication, improved the MMT distribution in the nanocomposites. Furthermore, MMT enhanced the printability of PLA and improved the hydrophilicity of its surface. In addition, the results of nanoindentation testing coupled with Finite Element Analysis showed that as the MMT weight fraction increased, as well as an increased Young’s modulus. According to the results of the mechanical analysis, the best mechanical behavior was achieved for PLA nanocomposite with 4 wt.% MMT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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29 pages, 11247 KiB  
Article
In-Out Surface Modification of Halloysite Nanotubes (HNTs) for Excellent Cure of Epoxy: Chemistry and Kinetics Modeling
by Shahab Moghari, Seyed Hassan Jafari, Mohsen Khodadadi Yazdi, Maryam Jouyandeh, Aleksander Hejna, Payam Zarrintaj and Mohammad Reza Saeb
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(11), 3078; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11113078 - 15 Nov 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2055
Abstract
In-out surface modification of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) has been successfully performed by taking advantage of 8-hydroxyquinolines in the lumen of HNTs and precisely synthesized aniline oligomers (AO) of different lengths (tri- and pentamer) anchored on the external surface of the HNTs. Several analyses, [...] Read more.
In-out surface modification of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) has been successfully performed by taking advantage of 8-hydroxyquinolines in the lumen of HNTs and precisely synthesized aniline oligomers (AO) of different lengths (tri- and pentamer) anchored on the external surface of the HNTs. Several analyses, including FTIR, H-NMR, TGA, UV-visible spectroscopy, and SEM, were used to establish the nature of the HNTs’ surface engineering. Nanoparticles were incorporated into epoxy resin at 0.1 wt.% loading for investigation of the contribution of surface chemistry to epoxy cure behavior and kinetics. Nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data were fed into home-written MATLAB codes, and isoconversional approaches were used to determine the apparent activation energy (Eα) as a function of the extent of cure reaction (α). Compared to pristine HNTs, AO-HNTs facilitated the densification of an epoxy network. Pentamer AO-HNTs with longer arms promoted an Excellent cure; with an Eα value that was 14% lower in the presence of this additive than for neat epoxy, demonstrating an enhanced cross-linking. The model also predicted a triplet of cure (m, n, and ln A) for autocatalytic reaction order, non-catalytic reaction order, and pre-exponential factor, respectively, by the Arrhenius equation. The enhanced autocatalytic reaction in AO-HNTs/epoxy was reflected in a significant rise in the value of m, from 0.11 to 0.28. Kinetic models reliably predict the cure footprint suggested by DSC measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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15 pages, 6204 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties and Characterization of Epoxy Composites Containing Highly Entangled As-Received and Acid Treated Carbon Nanotubes
by Aaron S. Krieg, Julia A. King, Gregory M. Odegard, Timothy R. Leftwich, Leif K. Odegard, Paul D. Fraley, Ibrahim Miskioglu, Claire Jolowsky, Matthew Lundblad, Jin Gyu Park and Richard Liang
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2445; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11092445 - 19 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2640
Abstract
Huntsman–Merrimack MIRALON® carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel, highly entangled, commercially available, and scalable format of nanotubes. As-received and acid-treated CNTs were added to aerospace grade epoxy (CYCOM® 977-3), and the composites were characterized. The epoxy resin is expected to infiltrate [...] Read more.
Huntsman–Merrimack MIRALON® carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel, highly entangled, commercially available, and scalable format of nanotubes. As-received and acid-treated CNTs were added to aerospace grade epoxy (CYCOM® 977-3), and the composites were characterized. The epoxy resin is expected to infiltrate the network of the CNTs and could improve mechanical properties. Epoxy composites were tested for flexural and viscoelastic properties and the as-received and acid treated CNTs were characterized using Field-Emission Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Composites containing 0.4 wt% as-received CNTs showed an increase in flexural strength, from 136.9 MPa for neat epoxy to 147.5 MPa. In addition, the flexural modulus increased from 3.88 GPa for the neat epoxy to 4.24 GPa and 4.49 GPa for the 2.0 wt% and 3.0 wt% as-received CNT/epoxy composites, respectively. FE-SEM micrographs indicated good dispersion of the CNTs in the as-received CNT/epoxy composites and the 10 M nitric acid 6 h treatment at 120 °C CNT/epoxy composites. CNTs treated with 10 M nitric acid for 6 h at 120 °C added oxygen containing functional groups (C–O, C=O, and O=C–O) and removed iron catalyst present on the as-received CNTs, but the flexural properties were not improved compared to the as-received CNT/epoxy composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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16 pages, 52691 KiB  
Article
X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Features of Micro- and Nanoscale Copper and Nickel Particle Compositions
by Kristina A. Chebakova, Ella L. Dzidziguri, Elena N. Sidorova, Andrey A. Vasiliev, Dmitriy Yu. Ozherelkov, Ivan A. Pelevin, Alexander A. Gromov and Anton Yu. Nalivaiko
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2388; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11092388 - 14 Sep 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2974
Abstract
The study is devoted to X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) features of micro- and nanosized powder mixtures of copper and nickel. XRF is a high accuracy method that allows for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. However, the XRF measurement error due to the size [...] Read more.
The study is devoted to X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) features of micro- and nanosized powder mixtures of copper and nickel. XRF is a high accuracy method that allows for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. However, the XRF measurement error due to the size of the studied particles is not usually taken into account, which limits the use of the method in some cases, such as analysis of Ni-Cu mixtures and coatings. In this paper, a method for obtaining copper and nickel nanoparticles was investigated, and the XRF of powder compositions was considered in detail. The initial micro- and nanoparticles of copper and nickel were studied in detail using SEM, TEM, XRD, and EDX. Based on experimental data, calibration curves for copper-nickel powder compositions of various sizes were developed. According to the results, it was experimentally established that the calibration curves constructed for nanoscale and microscale powders differ significantly. The presented approach can be expanded for other metals and particle sizes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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24 pages, 9351 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of CaFe2O4-NGO Nanocomposite for Effective Removal of Heavy Metal Ion and Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants
by Manmeet Kaur, Manpreet Kaur, Dhanwinder Singh, Aderbal C. Oliveira, Vijayendra Kumar Garg and Virender K. Sharma
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(6), 1471; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11061471 - 01 Jun 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3263
Abstract
This paper reports the successful synthesis of magnetic nanocomposite of calcium ferrite with nitrogen doped graphene oxide (CaFe2O4-NGO) for the effective removal of Pb(II) ions and photocatalytic degradation of congo red and p-nitrophenol. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform [...] Read more.
This paper reports the successful synthesis of magnetic nanocomposite of calcium ferrite with nitrogen doped graphene oxide (CaFe2O4-NGO) for the effective removal of Pb(II) ions and photocatalytic degradation of congo red and p-nitrophenol. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) techniques confirmed the presence of NGO and CaFe2O4 in the nanocomposite. The Mössbauer studies depicted the presence of paramagnetic doublet and sextet due to presence of CaFe2O4 NPs in the nanocomposite. The higher BET surface area in case of CaFe2O4-NGO (52.86 m2/g) as compared to CaFe2O4 NPs (23.45 m2/g) was ascribed to the effective modulation of surface in the presence of NGO. Adsorption followed the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 780.5 mg/g for Pb(II) ions. Photoluminescence spectrum of nanocomposite displayed four-fold decrease in the intensity, as compared to ferrite NPs, thus confirming its high light capturing potential and enhanced photocatalytic activity. The presence of NGO in nanocomposite offered an excellent visible light driven photocatalytic performance. The quenching experiments supported OH and O2●− radicals as the main reactive species involved in carrying out the catalytic system. The presence of Pb(II) had synergistic effect on photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. This study highlights the synthesis of CaFe2O4-NGO nanocomposite as an efficient adsorbent and photocatalyst for remediating pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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19 pages, 11033 KiB  
Article
Functionalization of Commercial Electrospun Veils with Zinc Oxide Nanostructures
by Irene Bavasso, Francesca Sbardella, Maria Paola Bracciale, Matteo Lilli, Jacopo Tirillò, Luca Di Palma, Anna Candida Felici and Fabrizio Sarasini
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11020418 - 06 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1728
Abstract
The present research is focused on the synthesis of hexagonal ZnO wurtzite nanorods for the decoration of commercially available electrospun nylon nanofibers. The growth of ZnO was performed by a hydrothermal technique and for the first time on commercial electrospun veils. The growth [...] Read more.
The present research is focused on the synthesis of hexagonal ZnO wurtzite nanorods for the decoration of commercially available electrospun nylon nanofibers. The growth of ZnO was performed by a hydrothermal technique and for the first time on commercial electrospun veils. The growth step was optimized by adopting a procedure with the refresh of growing solution each hour of treatment (Method 1) and with the maintenance of a specific growth solution volume for the entire duration of the treatment (Method 2). The overall treatment time and volume of solution were also optimized by analyzing the morphology of ZnO nanostructures, the coverage degree, the thermal and mechanical stability of the obtained decorated electrospun nanofibers. In the optimal synthesis conditions (Method 2), hexagonal ZnO nanorods with a diameter and length of 53.5 nm ± 5.7 nm and 375.4 nm ± 37.8 nm, respectively, were obtained with a homogeneous and complete coverage of the veils. This easily scalable procedure did not damage the veils that could be potentially used as toughening elements in composites to prevent delamination onset and propagation. The presence of photoreactive species makes these materials ideal also as environmentally friendly photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. In this regard, photocatalytic tests were performed using methylene blue (MB) as model compound. Under UV light irradiation, the degradation of MB followed a first kinetic order data fitting and after 3 h of treatment a MB degradation of 91.0% ± 5.1% was achieved. The reusability of decorated veils was evaluated and a decrease in photocatalysis efficiency was detected after the third cycle of use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Analysis, Manufacture and Testing of Nanocomposites)
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