Resilient polymeric materials such as silicone elastomers are currently used for maxillofacial prostheses construction but the strength of these materials and their clinical performance need to be optimized with the addition of reinforcing fillers. This study investigates the effect of zirconia nanopowder addition on tear strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, Shore A hardness, surface roughness and cytotoxicity of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. Silicone base was mixed with different amounts (1%, 2% and 3%) of zirconia nanopowder using a vacuum mixer. Silicone without filler was used as control for comparison. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were utilized to assess the efficiency of high-shear vacuum mixing as filler dispersion method and the surface topography, respectively. Both SEM and AFM images showed that the zirconia nanopowder were distributed fairly well within the polymer. Statistically, highly significant increase in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness with non-significant decrease in elongation at break and non-significant increase in surface roughness were seen with 1% and 2% groups. Whereas with 3% group, there was significant improvement in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness but there was significant undesirable decrease in elongation and increase in roughness. Cytotoxicity test revealed that the addition of zirconia nanopowder was nontoxic to Rat Embryonic Fibroblast (REF) cells and there was non-significant change in the cell viability of all study groups after 24- and 72-hours incubation periods. In conclusion, the addition of 2% by weight nano zirconia to VST-50 maxillofacial silicone could be beneficial in enhancing its performance.
Different additives are used in drilling fluids when the demanded properties cannot be gotten with clays. Drilling muds needs several additives and materials to give good characteristics. There are local alternatives more suitable for enhancing the rheology and filtration of drilling fluids. An experimental work had been conducted to assess the suitability of using potato starch to enhance rheological properties and filtration in drilling mud. This study investigated the potato starch as a viscosifier and fluid losses agent in drilling fluid. Results from this study proved that rheological properties of potato starch mud increased when pH of drilling fluid is increased. Potato starch could be used to enhance gel strength at low pH
... Show MoreThin films whose compositions can be expressed by (GeS2)100-xGax (x=0, 6,12,18) formula were obtained by thermal evaporation technique of bulk material at a base pressure of ~10-5 torr. Optical transmission spectra of the films were taken in the range of 300-1100 nm then the optical band gap, tail width of localized states, refractive index, extinction coefficient were calculated. The optical constants were found to increase at low concentration of Ga (0 to12%) while they decreases with further addition of Ga. The optical band gap was found to change in opposite manner to that of optical constants. The variation in the optical parameters are explained in terms of average bond energy
... Show MoreThe effect of Al dust particles on glow discharge regions, discharge
voltage, discharge current, plasma potential, floating potential,
electron density and electron temperature in planar magnetron
sputtering device has been studied experimentally. Four cylindrical
Langmuir probes were employed to measure plasma parameters at
different point on the radial axis of plasma column. The results
shows the present of Al dust causes to increase the discharge voltage
and reduce the discharge current. There are two electron groups in
the present and absent of Al dust particles. The radial profiles of
plasma parameters in the present of dust are non- uniform. The
floating potential of probe becomes more negatively while
Polymer blended electrolytes of various concentrations of undoped PAN/PMMA (80/20, 75/25, 70/30, 65/35 and 60/40 wt%) and doped with lithium salts (LiCl, Li2SO4H2O, LiNO3, Li2CO3) at 20% wt have been prepared by the solution casting method using dimethylformamide as a solvent. The electrical conductivity has been carried out using an LCR meter. The results showed that the highest ionic conductivity was 2.80x10-7 (Ω.cm)-1 and 1.05x10-1 (Ω.cm)-1 at 100 kHz frequency at room temperature for undoped (60% PAN + 40% PMMA) and (80% PAN + 20% PMMA) doped with 20%wt Li2CO3 composite blends, respect
... Show MoreCopper selenide (Cu2Se) thin films were prepared by thermal evaporation at RT with thickness 500 nm. The heat-treating for (400 &500) K for the absorber layer has been investigated. This research includes, studying the structural properties of X-ray diffraction (XRD) that show the Cu2Se thin film (Cubic) and has a polycrystalline orientation prevalent (220). Moreover, studying the effect of annealing on their surface morphology properties by using Atomic Force Microscopy AFM. Optical properties were considered using the transmittance and absorbance spectra had been recorded when wavelength range (400 - 1000) nm in order to study the absorption coefficient and energy gap. It was found that these films had allowed direct transitio
... Show MoreThe curriculum is a tool of the basic tools that seek through which educational institutions to achieve the objectives of any educational policy, and therefore must be a practical application of curriculum objectives of this policy. If, however, described the separate curricula for educational policy, that would be evidence of planning that leads to failure in achieving the great goals of society. The curriculum does not include the subject of education only, but goes to all the educational experiences that achieve the desired behavioral goals.
When goal-setting study for any of the articles should study the use of the overall goals of the article. And therefore must serve the general goals of academic material and objectives in one d
Thin films of GexS1-x were fabricated by thermal evaporating under vacuum of 10-5Toor on glass substrate. The effect of increasing of germanium content (x) in sulfide films on the electrical properties like d.c conductivity (σDC), concentration of charge carriers (nH) and the activation energy (Ea) and Hall effect were investigated. The measurements show that (Ea) increases with the increasing of germanium content from 0.1to0.2 while it get to reduces with further addition, while charge carrier density (nH) is found to decrease and increase respectively with germanium content. The results were explained in terms of creating and eliminating of states in the band gap
Tin oxide films (SnO2) of thickness (1 ?m) are prepared on glass substrate by post oxidation of metal films technique. Films were irradiated with Nd:YAG double frequency laser of wavelength (532 nm) pulses of three energies (100, 500, 1000) mJ. The optical absorption, transmission, reflectance, refractive index and optical conductivity of these films are investigated in the UV-Vis region (200-900) nm. It was found that the average transmittance of the films is around (80%) at wavelength (550 nm) and showed high transmission (? 90 %) in the visible and near infrared region. The absorption edge shifts towards higher energies, which is due to the Moss-Burstien effect and it lies at (4 eV). The optical band gap increased with increasing of ene
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