Dielectric Properties of Nanocomposites Based on Epoxy Resin

Nanocomposites are subject of research in many fields of science. Electrical technology focused on the study of electrical properties of nanocomposites including breakdown strength, relative permittivity, resistivity and other. This paper describes the results of measurement of electrical parameters of a nanocomposite at various temperatures. The nanocomposite matrix was casting epoxy resin and nanoparticles were made of TiO2 powder at different concentrations.

Gelatin Reinforced with CNCs as Nanocomposite Matrix for Trichoderma harzianum KUEN 1585 Spores in Seed Coatings

Increasing interest on sustainable agriculture has led to the development of new materials which can be used as seed coating agents. In this study, a new material was developed based on gelatin film reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) which was further used as nanocomposite matrix for Trichoderma harzianum KUEN 1585 spores. The nanocomposite films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing the formation of new hydrogen bonds between the components with a good compatibility between them. Measurements of water contact angles and tests of water vapor sorption and swelling degree revealed an improvement in the water vapor absorption properties of the films as a result of their reinforcement with CNC. Furthermore, by adding the Trichoderma harzianum KUEN 1585 spp. in the seed coating material, the germination percentage, speed of germination and roots length of the corn seeds improved. The polymeric coating did not inhibit the growth of T. harzianum KUEN 1585, with this material being a good candidate in modern agriculture.

SYNTHESIS OF THE NANOCOMPOSITE BASED ON IMPACT DIAMONDS AND SILICON CARBIDE UNDER CONDITIONS OF HIGH PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE

The article studies the structure, phase composition and physicomechanical characteristics of the nanocomposite based on impact diamonds. It is shown that the additions of a binder based on SiC and Si lead to reduction of the defectiveness of the nanocomposite and increase in the uniformity of its structure compared to the material without additives. Moreover, increase in the binder content also leads to the inversion of the structure type of the nanocomposite from polycrystalline to matrix. It is established that the addition of amorphous carbon black and boron affects the refinement of the nanocomposite matrix structure due to the formation of secondary finedispersed nanostructured SiC and boron carbide. Preliminary mechanical activation of the reaction mixture leads to structural changes in the synthesized material in comparison with the material obtained without the use of mechanical activation. In this case, the hardness of the samples obtained under comparable synthesis modes increases, which is associated both with the formation of a fine-grained structure of the material and with the phase transformation of lonsdaleite to diamond. An analysis of the microhardness and heat resistance of the obtained samples makes it possible to conclude that the achieved level of physicomechanical parameters of the diamond nanocomposite allows it to be used in a stone-processing tool for treating medium hard rocks.