Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, preparation of polyethylene/clay nanocomposites (PECNC) by in situ Ziegler-Natta catalyst polymerization was investigated. A Ziegler-Natta catalyst was first supported on montmorillonite (MMT) type clay and subsequently used for polymerizing ethylene. Clay and clay supported catalyst were characterized by Fourier transmission infrared and ICP method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy results show that silicate layers of the mineral clay in prepared nanocomposites were intercalated and exfoliated in the polymeric matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry results show that the prepared nanocomposites have higher crystallization temperature than pure... 

In this study, a low–cost microfluidic device from polymethyl methacrylate was fabricated by laser engraving technique. The device is consisted of a central chip unit with an aligned microchannel. Both sides of the engraved microchannel were sandwiched by two synthesized sheets from polyamide/titania (PA/TiO2) hollow nanofibers as extractive phases. The inlet and outlet of the device were connected to the polyether ether ketone tubes, while a peristaltic pump was used to deliver both sample and desorbing solvent through the microchannel. The recorded scanning electron microscopy images from the surface of the synthesized PA/TiO2 nanofibers, exhibit a good degree of homogeneity and porosity... 

Ce-doped ZnO nanocomposite thin films with Ce/Zn ratio fixed at optimum value (10 at.%) have been prepared via sol-gel method at different annealing temperatures varied from 180 to 500 °C. The synthesized samples were characterized employing atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. According to AFM analysis, the average grain size increased from about 70 nm to 150 nm by increasing the annealing temperature from 300 to 500 °C. Moreover, based on the XPS data analysis, it was found that three major metal ions namely Ce 3+, Ce4+, and Zn2+ coexist on the surface of the nanocomposite films. XPS data analysis also revealed that... 

Tin oxide nanoparticles with an average size ranging from 4 to 80 nm were synthesized by oxidation of tin vapor in a low vacuum (10-40 mbar) reactor containing an Ar/O2 gas mixture. The effect of oxygen and argon partial pressure on the phase formation, size characteristics and morphology of the particles was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. Electron spectroscopy chemical analysis (ESCA) was used to study the state of the particle surfaces. It was shown that with increasing the oxygen partial pressure, coarser SnOx particles were synthesized. The ESCA shift for the tin 3d5/2 line was 2 eV and the separation between this line and the oxygen... 

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanostrips were rapidly obtained during a mild microwave heating method. Applying microwave irradiation to Ca(NO3)2·4H2O/CTAB/Na2HPO4 precursor solution, the HAp precipitation process was occurred directly and without common crystallographic transformations including dissolution and slow recrystallization. The cationic surfactant CTAB was used as a soft template to modify nucleation and growth process. TEM investigations showed that the fabricated nanostrips had a width and length of about 10 and 55 nm, respectively. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that the fabricated well-crystallized and high purity hydroxyapatite nanostrips had a pattern similar to the bone... 

The bidentate carboxamide ligand N-(thiazole-2-yl) picolinamide (LH) was synthesized in the environmentally friendly ionic liquid TBAB, and the five-coordinated CuII-complex, [Cu(L)2(H2O)].CHCl3 (1) was synthesized from LH and copper(II)acetate. Cupric oxide [CuO] nanoparticles (2) have been prepared by the thermal decomposition of (1) as a new precursor at 600 °C for 3 h under air atmosphere. (1) was characterised using FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and its solid state structure was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. (2) were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and thermo-gravimetric... 

In this research work, to reduce permeability of polyethylene vinyl acetate) packaging films, organoclay nanocomposites of these thermoplastics were prepared by solution method. Organoclay are mixed with polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) with 18 and 28% of vinyl acetate (VA) content in solution phase. Solutions of 3, 5 and 7% of organoclay are prepared under reflux condition and then nanocomposite films are prepared by thermal phase inversion method. Morphological and gas barrier properties of different prepared samples have been investigated. Morphology of prepared nanocomposite films and order of exfoliation of clay were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron... 

Al-20Si-5Fe-2X (X = Cu, Ni and Cr) ribbons were produced by melt-spinning and consolidated by hot pressing at 400 °C for 60 min. The microstructure of the ribbons and the consolidated alloys was investigated using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) method, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hardness and compressive strength of the specimens at ambient and elevated temperatures were examined. The microstructure of the ribbons exhibited featureless and dendritic zones. Results of XRD and TEM showed formation of spherically shaped Si particles with an average diameter of 20 nm. Ultrafine Si (110-150 nm) and iron-containing... 

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical impact of laminectomy on cervical intersegmental motion and load sharing using a parametric patient-specific finite element (FE) model towards providing clinicians with a viable quantitative tool for informed decision-making and improved surgical planning. Methods: Ten subject-specific nonlinear osteo-ligamentous cervical spine (C3–C7) FE models were developed using X-ray image-based algorithms. The models were used to evaluate the effect of laminectomy on lower cervical spine biomechanics for two-level (C3–C4) and three-level (C3–C5) laminectomy procedures. Results: The average cervical spine ranges of motion (ROM) for the pre-op... 

In this study, firstly, a double-reservoir and switchable prototype of a micro-chip along with the respective holders were fabricated. A cyclic desorption process using microliter volume of organic solvent was adopted to prevent any outdoor contamination. As extractive phases, two identical sheets of electrospun polyamide/polypyrrole/titania nanofibers were synthesized using core–shell electro-spinning technique and utilized for determination of memantine in plasma samples. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed a high degree of porosity and homogeneity throughout the sheet structure. Also, energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of titania, while the... 

Gradual chemical (displacement) reaction between CuO and Al powders during high-energy attrition milling under a high purity argon atmosphere was studied. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were employed to study the solid-state reaction. It was shown that the solid-state reaction occurred during mechanical alloying (MA) and resulted in the dissolution of copper into the aluminum lattice and formation of nanometric alumina particles. The reinforcement particles were mostly distributed at the grain boundaries of Al matrix with an average crystallite size of about 50 nm. In DTA curve of the milled powders, a small...