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Go to Editorial ManagerPolymer composites reinforced with clay have garnered substantial academic and industrial interest owing to their environmental and mechanical benefits. This research focuses on the effectiveness of metakaolin-unsaturated polyester composites for sequestering Ni2+ ions from Ni(NO3)2 aqueous solutions and on their tribological performance. The composite materials were synthesized with varying metakaolin concentrations (1, 1.5, 3, and 5 wt.%) to evaluate the influence of clay content on nickel ion recovery and wear resistance. The experimental results show a direct correlation between the reinforcement percentage and the functional properties of the composites. The highest value (61.415%) of Ni+2 recovery efficiency was achieved at a metakaolin concentration of 5 wt.%, which is due to the increased density of active adsorption sites on the composite surface. Conversely, composites with lower metakaolin content exhibited diminished recovery rates due to a limited number of available sites for ion adsorption. Wear resistance results show the same trend, wherein the composite with 5 wt.% metakaolin exhibited maximum wear resistance, characterized by minimal material loss at the applied loads (5, 10, 15, and 20 N). Furthermore, Shore-D hardness measurements indicated a gradual enhancement in the material's hardness with increasing metakaolin content, which confirms the reinforcing role of the clay in enhancing the mechanical properties. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed the formation of wear grooves aligned with the sliding direction during wear testing. In addition, agglomerates and surface deposits were formed that are correlated with the adsorption of metal ions onto the composite surface. These results prove that the incorporation of metakaolin as a reinforcing agent confers dual advantages: it significantly enhances the adsorptive capacity for Ni+2 ion recovery and improves the tribological and mechanical properties of the composite. This positions the material for use in environmental remediation, especially wastewater treatment, and in engineering applications requiring enhanced durability.
The research includes studying the mechanical properties of BNTN/PAM nanocomposites under static and dynamic conditions. The BNTN/PAM nanocomposites were prepared with different weight fractions (0, 20%, 40%, 50% and 60%) by utilizing ball milling technique. Tensile strength, Charpy impact and Shore A hardness were performed to verify any improvements in these mechanical properties of nanocomposites. The results showed significant improvements in tensile, Charpy impact, Shore A hardness properties of nanocomposites at 50% weight fraction by approximately 335%, 1422%, 63% respectively. These results started decreasing after addition of 60% of nanoclays content to PAM composites. This mechanism indicates that the percentage of weight content of BNTN could affect the mechanical properties of nanocomposites.
With the development of manufacturing techniques, the demands have increased on tools with flexible components that can produce parts with different shapes and sizes only by replacing the rigid part of these tools, since the flexible part can match the required geometry. This study is focused on effects of rubber hardness and sheet thickness on the springback developed on the produced parts. Silicone rubber with three hardness (40,60 ,80) Shore A hardness scale was used. The material of workpiece was Aluminum (3003) with three different thicknesses of (0.8,1,1.2) mm and three holding time of (0,10,20) seconds. The results demonstrate that, the springback decreases with any increase in the rubber hardness or sheet thickness. In addition, the holding time showed a significant effect only with a harder rubber.