Porous Silicon (PSi) has been produced in this work by using Photochemical (PC) etching process by using a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution. The irradiation has been achieved using quartz- tungsten halogen lamp. The influence of various irradiation times on the properties of PSi اmaterial such as layer thickness, etching rate and porosity was investigated in this work too.
The XRD has been studied to determine the crystal structure and the crystalline size of PSi material

Fabrication of porous clay refractory insulating specimens from Iraqi kaolin with different percentage of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste crumbs additions were investigated. After mixing and forming by hand molding, the specimens was dried and fired at 1300 oC. The structural, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the refractory insulating products were measured. Maximum addition of EPS (1.25 wt%) lead to reduce the linear shrinkage to less than 1.7% and increased apparent porosity up to 50 %. As well as, the density, Modulus of rupture and thermal conductivity were reduced to 1.39 g/cm3, 4.1 MPa and 0.21 W/m.K, respectively. The final outcome, addition of EPS showed good results in the formation of pores without distorting the

Abstract:Porous Silicon (PSi) has been produced in this work by using Photochemical (PC) etching process by using a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution. The irradiation has been achieved using quartz- tungsten halogen lamp. The influence of various irradiation times on the properties of PSi اmaterial such as layer thickness, etching rate and porosity was investigated in this work too. The XRD has been studied to determine the crystal structure and the crystalline size of PSi material

Colloidal crystals (opals) made of close-packed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were fabricated and grown by Template-Directed methods to obtain porous materials with well-ordered periodicity and interconnected pore systems to manufacture photonic crystals. Opals were made from aqueous suspensions of monodisperse PMMA spheres with diameters between 280 and 415 nm. SEM confirmed the PMMA spheres crystallized uniformly in a face-centered cubic (FCC) array. Optical properties of synthesized pores PMMA were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy. It shows that the colloidal crystals possess pseudo photonic band gaps in the visible region. A combination of Bragg’s law of diffraction and Snell’s law of refraction were used to calculate t

Silver/polyvinyl alcohol (Ag/PVA) nanocomposite films were synthesized via solution casting with varying concentrations of Ag nanoparticles (1–5 wt%). A comprehensive investigation was conducted to understand the influence of Ag content on the structural, optical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and antibacterial properties of the composites. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed a red shift in absorption peaks and a reduction in the optical band gap, which decreased from 3.78 eV for pure PVA to 3.37 eV for the 5 wt% Ag composite. FTIR and SEM analyses confirmed successful nanoparticle incorporation and morphological changes. The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus, and hardness due t

The escalating generation of industrial waste alongside the growing demand for high-performance, environmentally sustainable drilling fluids presents critical challenges to the oil and gas sector. Conventional drilling fluid additives are predominantly synthesized from virgin materials, contributing to resource depletion and environmental burden. Objectives: This study pioneers a circular economy approach by synthesizing silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPS) and alumina nanoparticles (Al2O3NPs) entirely from locally sourced industrial waste — bentonite clay and aluminum scrap, respectively — and evaluating their performance as functional additives in water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). Novelty: To the best of our knowledge, this represents th

The accurate determination of nuclear radius is fundamental to understanding nuclear structure and interactions. The present study conducts a comprehensive theoretical analysis of nuclear radius measurements using various nuclear structure models, including the empirical mass-number scaling model, the Hartree-Fock approach, and the relativistic mean-field (RMF) theory. These models are systematically compared against experimental nuclear radii to evaluate their predictive accuracy and assess their strengths and limitations. The study also incorporates an uncertainty analysis to quantify the reliability of theoretical predictions, employing Monte Carlo simulations and Bayesian inference techniques to refine estimations. The results r

The aim of this study is to investigate the sedimentation environments and diagenetic processes of the Ibrahim Formation (Oligocene-early Miocene) in Zurbatiya, eastern Iraq. The Ibrahim Formation is comprised mostly of clayey micrite and skeletal grains composed of planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, radiolaria, and benthic foraminifera. Glauconite and pyrite were documented in some restricted zones of this formation; they reflect quiet and reducing conditions. Radiolaria were identified in Late-Oligocene which was not known previously at this age regionally in carbonate formations of the Arabian Plate (AP). Mudstone, wackestone, and planktonic foraminiferal wackepackstone are the main microfacies that are affected by dissolutio