Biodegradable polymers have garnered increasing attention as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics, which pose a global environmental challenge due to their difficult recycling and slow degradation. This study focuses on the preliminary evaluation of surface functional properties of chitosan films reinforced with TiO₂ or ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). These films were prepared at different loading ratios using the solution-casting method. Structural and morphological properties were characterized using FTIR and FESEM, while functional properties were evaluated by surface wettability, UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and antibacterial activity testing. FTIR results showed significant changes in absorption peaks associated with amine and hydroxyl groups, indicating the formation of hydrogen bonds and strong surface interactions between chitosan and NPs. Morphological imaging also revealed a nanoscale surface structure that could influence wettability and surface interactions. The results of functional tests, compared to pure chitosan, showed improvements in some functional properties, like UV protection and thermal stability, while maintaining other properties, like surface wettability, within accepted functional limits. Moreover, chitosan films reinforced with TiO₂ or ZnO NPs showed statistically significant antibacterial activity, particularly against S. aureus. These results represent a preliminary evaluation of potential candidate materials for packaging applications. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the studied samples and their suitability for practical applications requires further future studies that include tests of mechanical properties, gas permeability, biodegradability, migration and biosafety studies and performance under real-world application conditions.
Lacing reinforcement plays a critical role in the design and performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs by distributing the applied loads more evenly across the slab, ensuring that no specific area of the slab is overloaded. In this study, nine slabs, divided into three groups according to the investigated parameters, were meticulously designed and evaluated to study the interplay between the lacing reinforcement and other key parameters. Each slab was crafted for simple support and was subjected to both static and repeated two-point load tests. The lacing reinforcement had an angle of 45° with various tension and lacing steel. The repeated-tested specimens with lacing reinforcement experienced smaller ductility than those of s
... Show MoreLacing reinforcement plays a critical role in the design and performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs by distributing the applied loads more evenly across the slab, ensuring that no specific area of the slab is overloaded. In this study, nine slabs, divided into three groups according to the investigated parameters, were meticulously designed and evaluated to study the interplay between the lacing reinforcement and other key parameters. Each slab was crafted for simple support and was subjected to both static and repeated two-point load tests. The lacing reinforcement had an angle of 45° with various tension and lacing steel. The repeated-tested specimens with lacing reinforcement experienced smaller ductility than those of s
... Show MoreThe art of Islamic ceramics is considered one of the main pillars of the art of ceramics in the plastic arts, as his knowledge of what is presented in the Islamic arts intertwined in a special way. And the Islamic ceramics are indications of fertility and the rekindling of religious ties, controversy over them, and interpretation as additions to their vocabulary. Studies in the plastic arts began to empty the knowledge towards this direction, especially its relationship to the Arabic calligraphy and specifically the Islamic decoration, which derived the first aesthetic values from calling the artist Muslim pottery and potters to inviting the Arabic letter and Islamic decoration to indicate within the theory of "displacement" the aestheti
... Show MoreChitosan-schiff base with three different ratios of para-Dimethyl aminobenzaldehyde& chitosan Schiff base hydrogels have been prepared for controlled drug release study. The synthesized chitosan Schiff base and chitosan Schiff base hydrogel were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Visible, SEM, analysis. Swelling properties of the hydrogel were investigated at three different media pH (2, 7, 10). The swelling degree varied with the pH, amount of crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde and with the amount of paraDimethylaminobenzaldehyde for the hydrogels. All hydrogels were used for controlled drug release system. Aspirin was used as model drug, in three different buffer solution (2, 7, 10) as release media. The rate of release of drugs in the pH2 is more
... Show MoreIn this research, the study effect of irradiation on structural and optical properties of thin film (CdO) by spray pyrolysis method, which deposited on glasses substrates at a thickness of (350±20)nm , The flow rate of solution was 5 ml/min and the substrate temperature was held constant at 400˚C.The investigation of (XRD) indicates that the (CdO) films are polycrystalline and type of cubic. The results of the measuring of each sample from grain size, micro strain, dislocation density and number of crystals the grain size decreasing after irradiation with gamma ray from(27.41, 26.29 ,23.63)nm . The absorbance and transmittance spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range (300-1100) nm in order to study the optical properties. the op
... Show MoreMagnesium Phthalocyanine (MgPc) was deposited on a glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using Q-Switching Nd:YAG laser with wavelength 1064 nm, repetition rate 6 Hz, at room temperature (300K) and different annealing temperatures (373, 473, and 573)K under vacuum condition of 10-3 torr. All films were annealed for one hour to attain crystallinity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of MgPc powder indicated that MgPc crystallizes in polycrystalline with a monoclinic structure. While comparing the MgPc films, it was observed that the intensity of the characteristic peak increases with temperature, and the crystallization exhibited a monoclinic structure typical of the β-form. The Miller indices, hkl, values for each diffraction peak
... Show MoreThe Fylex extract exert a high inhibition effect against A . flavus growth on PDA medium, as the fungus growth was completely inhibited by 100% at a concentration of 0.2 and 0.3% of studied extract, while the lowest inhibition percentage (71%) was found at a concentration of 0.1%. Whereas magnesium oxide nanoparticles showed the highest inhibition ratio of A. flavus (100%) was detected at 0.2% and the lowest inhibition ratio (81.66%) was at concentration 0.5%. Moreover, the addition of G. lucidum powder to PDA medium with a concentration of 2.5 mg increased the inhibition rate of A. flavus growth which was 54.4%, while the lowest inhibition ration (18.22%) was found at a concentration of 1000 mg. The milky liquid (brocade milk) of Calotropi
... Show MoreThe synthesis and bioactivity of zinc oxide nanoparticles has been extensively studied. The antibacterial activity of different antibiotics individually (ceftriaxone (C), chloramphenicol (CRO), penicillin (P) and amoxicillin (Ax)) and Zinc oxide nanoparticles (60μg/ml) in combination with the previously mentioned antibiotics has been demonstrated in the present study by using the disk diffusion assay method. The results showed a synergistic effect between Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and both Ax and P for most of the studied Gram-positive isolates (Staphylococcus aureus1, Staphylococcus aureus2, Staphylococcus epidermidis1, Staphylococcus epidermidis2, Enterococcus faecalis1, Enterococcus faecalis2 ) and between ZnO NPs and both C
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