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.
MS Elias, RGM AL-helfy, Plant Archives, 2019
Moisture damage is described as a reduction in stiffness and strength durability in asphalt mixtures due to moisture. This study investigated the influence of adding nano silica (NS) to the Asphalt on the moisture susceptibility of hot-mix-asphalt (HMA) mixtures under different aging conditions. NS was mixed with asphalt binder at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% by weight of the binder. To detect the microstructure changes of modified Asphalt and estimate the dispersion of NS within the Asphalt, the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was used. To examine the performance of Asphalt mixed with NS at different aging stages (short-term and long-term aging), asphalt mixture tests such as Marshall stability,
... Show MoreObjective: In this work we design and evaluate a bidirectional pneumatic soft actuator made from silicone rubber (RTV2 C10) for the use in prosthetic hand. The actuator aimed to enhance flexibility and provide motion in two directions that mimic the actions of the human fingers. Materials and Methods: Two parallel air chambers are used in the actuator design where each chamber is divided into smaller internal cavities. These chambers are linked through a narrow connecting channel. The fabrication process relied on a molding technique based on 3D printed molds. Three separate mold components were designed and printed to allow accurate casting of silicone rubber into the desired shape. The completed actuators were then tested using an experim
... Show MoreABSTRACT
The results showed that the organic fertilizer mixture (1:1) 30 tons/ha with chemical fertilization recorded the lowest level of bulk density of 1.2 g/cm3, the organic fertilizer mixture (1:1) 30 tons/ha with chemical fertilization recorded the highest percentage of aggregation stability amounting to 16.17%, the organic fertilizer palm fronds recorded the highest level of ready water with an average of 5.50 cm3/cm3 and the organic fertilizer mixture (1:1) 30 tons/ha without chemical fertilization recorded the highest level of ready water as it reached 6.93%, the or
... Show MoreMannich base is a versatile compound that can be easily modified to introduce different functional groups, allowing for the creation diverse selection of items with varying features. Additionally, the Mannich reaction is a valuable tool in organic synthesis, due to the fact it provides an effortless and efficient approach for synthesizing C-N bonds. Overall, The Mannich base and even its derivatives are essential in many aspects of chemistry and its complexes are in the pharmaceutical industry. Studies have revealed that it shows good anti-cancer, anti-mycobacterial, remarkable anti-HIV, anti-tubercular, anti-convulsant, anti-fungal, antiviral, antitumor, cytotoxic activities and in industrial applications such as in the creation of polymer
... Show MoreThe current study focuses on the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii due to its importance as a nosocomial infections source in addition to its increased resistance against antibiotics. Different clinical and hospital environment samples were collected, and cultured on A. baumannii selective media: Leed Acinetobacter agar and Herellea agar. A. baumannii have been identified by traditional methods, followed by confirmation using molecular identification to detect blaoxa-51 like gene which is considered a diagnostic gene since it is present in genome of all A. baumannii strains. The result was, nineteen bacterial isolates of A.baumannii were obtained, from twenty-seven suspected isolate
... Show MoreLithium–Manganese ferrites having the chemical formula (Li0.5-0.5x Mnx Fe2.5-0.5x O4), (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were prepared by double sintering powder processing. The density of the ferrite increased with Mn content while the porosity was noticed to decrease. The dielectric constant was found to increase at high frequencies more rapidly than the low ones. The dielectric constant found to decrease with Mn content. The decrease in loss factor with frequency agreed with Deby’s type relaxation process. A maximum of dielectric loss factor was observed when the hopping frequency is equal to the external electric field frequency. Manganese substitution reduced the dielectric loss in ferrite. The variation of tanδ with frequency shows a similar na
... Show MoreIn this work, magnesium aluminate spinel (MA) (MgO 28 wt%, Al2O3 72 wt%) stoichiometric compound , were synthesized via solid state reaction (SSR) Single firing stage, and the impact of sintering on the physical properties and thermal properties as well as the fine structure and morphology of the ceramic product were examined. The Spinel samples were pressed at of (14 MPa) and sintering soaking time (2h). The effect of adding oxide titania (TiO2) was studied. The obtained powders were calcined at a temperature range of 1200 and 1400 °C. The calcined samples spinel were characterized by XRD, it showed the presence of developed spinel phase end also showed that the best catalyst is titania. The SEM image showed the high sintering temperat
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