Probing the Use of Silane-Grafted Fumed Silica Nanoparticles to Produce Stable Transformer Oil-Based Nanofluids

In this experimental investigation, hydrophobic silane-grafted fumed nano-silica was employed in transformer oil to formulate nanofluids (NFs). A cold-air atmosphere-pressure plasma reactor working on the principle of dielectric barrier discharge was designed and utilized to functionalize the surface of these nanoparticles. A field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) module and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to scan surface features of new and plasma-treated nanoparticles. The study revealed considerable changes in the surface chemistry of nanoparticles, which led to good dispersibility and stability of nanofluids. The measurements of AC breakdown voltages (AC-BDV) of nanofluids so prepared were conducted according to IEC-Std 60156, and a significant improvement in the dielectric strength was achieved. A statistical analysis of these results was performed using Weibull probabilistic law. At a 5% probability of failure, modified nanofluid remarkably exhibited a 60% increase in breakdown voltage. The dielectric properties such as variation of εr and tan δ in temperature of up to 70 °C were measured and compared with untreated fluid. Results exhibit an increase in tan δ and a slight decrease in permittivity of nanofluids. The analysis also revealed that while unpolar silane coating of NPs increased the breakdown strength, the polar-amino-silane-coated NPs in oil resulted in a drastic reduction. Details of this antagonistic trend are elaborated in this paper.

Role of Surface Preparation in Corrosion Resistance due to Silane Coatings on a Magnesium Alloy

Coating of an organo-silane (Bis-1,2-(TriethoxySilyl)Ethane (BTSE)) has been observed to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy AZ91D. Three different types of surface preparations have been employed before condensing the silane coating on to the substrate. Corrosion resistance was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A specific alkali treatment of the substrate prior to the coating has been found to improve the corrosion resistance of the coated alloy, which has been attributed to the ability of the treatment in facilitating the condensation of a relatively compact siloxane film.

Bioactivity of Ti6Al4V alloy with bioglass and corrosion protection by silane coating

The Ti6Al4V alloy is usually employed as a biomaterial, however, when in use, exhibits a few drawbacks such as corrosion, caused by the release of aluminum and vanadium ions besides the bioinert behavior. Bioactive coatings offer a barrier effect and bioactivity, promoting biocompatibility and osseointegration processes. The present work aims to study the biocompatibility behavior of a bioglass-containing silane film deposited on a titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) substrate. The effect of the surface roughness of the metallic substrate was also evaluated. Film/substrate systems were characterized as their morphological, chemical, physical, electrochemical behavior, and cell cytotoxicity and cell viability. The main results pointed out that silane films augment corrosion resistance of titanium alloy substrates. The biological results indicated a growth of osteoblast cells (MG-63), for all the test conditions. The bioglass film deposited on the ground substrate exhibits the highest cell density.

Preparation and characterization of Nd-doped double-layer silane anticorrosion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy surface

Magnesium alloys have found widespread application as engineering and functional materials in automobile, aerospace, electronics, and biomedical industries. However, these alloys are susceptible to corrosion, and the development of new anticorrosion coatings on Mg alloys surface is urgently needed. In this work, pristine and doped double-layer silane coatings were applied to the AZ91D Mg alloy surface in order to improve its corrosion resistance properties in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The doped silane coatings consisted of KH-550 as the bottom layer and Nd(NO3)3-doped bis-(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide (BTESPT) as the top layer. The effect of Nd(NO3)3 concentration on the corrosion inhibition properties of silane coatings was studied, and the highest corrosion resistance was achieved when the Nd(NO3)3 concentration was 5 × 10−3 mol/L. Compared to the pristine coating, the doped coating had enhanced hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 108° and, to the best of our knowledge, one of the lowest corrosion current densities (1.51 × 10−2 μA/cm2) reported to date for treated AZ91D. These significant improvements were attributed to the presence of the Si-O-Nd network in the doped coating, leading to the uniform and homogeneous nature and excellent anticorrosion properties of Nd-doped silane coating.

Silane-Coating Strategy for Titanium Functionalization Does Not Impair Osteogenesis In Vivo

Silane-coating strategy has been used to bind biological compounds to the titanium surface, thereby making implant devices biologically active. However, it has not been determined if the presence of the silane coating itself is biocompatible to osseointegration. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if silane-coating affects bone formation on titanium using a rabbit model. For this, titanium screw implants (3.75 by 6 mm) were hydroxylated in a solution of H2SO4/30% H2O2 for 4 h before silane-coating with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). A parallel set of titanium screws underwent only the hydroxylation process to present similar acid-etched topography as a control. The presence of the silane on the surface was checked by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A total of 40 titanium screws were implanted in the tibia of ten New Zealand rabbits in order to evaluate bone-to-implant contact (BIC) after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of healing. Silane-coated surface presented higher nitrogen content in the XPS analysis, while micro- and nano-topography of the surface remained unaffected. No difference between the groups was observed after 3 and 6 weeks of healing (p > 0.05, independent t-test), although an increase in BIC occurred over time. These results indicate that silanization of a titanium surface with APTES did not impair the bone formation, indicating that this can be a reliable tool to anchor osteogenic molecules on the surface of implant devices.

Shaping and silane coating of a diamine-grafted metal-organic framework for improved CO2 capture

Although metal-organic framework (MOF) powders can be successfully shaped by conventional methods, postsynthetic functionalization of the shaped MOFs remains almost unexplored, yet is required to overcome intrinsic limitations, such as CO2 adsorption capacity and stability. Here, we present a scalable synthesis method for Mg2(dobpdc) MOF and its shaped beads, which are obtained by using a spray dry method after mixing Mg2(dobpdc) powders with alumina sol. The synthesized MOF/Al beads have micron-sized diameters with a moderate particle size distribution of 30–70 μm. They also maintain a high mechanical strength. N-ethylethylenediamine (een) functionalization and coating with long alkyl chain silanes results in een-MOF/Al-Si, which exhibits a significant working capacity of >11 wt% CO2 capture and high hydrophobicity. The een-MOF/Al-Si microbeads retain their crystallinity and improved CO2 uptake upon exposure to humid conditions for three days at a desorption temperature of 140 °C.