Mohammad Khalid

Preparation, thermo-physical properties and heat transfer enhancement of nanofluids

Research interest in convective heat transfer using suspensions of nano-sized solid particles has been growing rapidly over the past decade, seeking to develop novel methods for enhancing the thermal performance of heat transfer fluids. Due to their superior transport properties and significant enhancement in heat transfer characteristics, nanofluids are believed to be a promising heat transfer fluid for the future. The stability of nanofluids is also a key aspect of their sustainability and efficiency. This review summarizes the recent research findings on stability, thermophysical properties and convective heat transfer of nano-sized particles suspended in base fluids. Furthermore, various mechanisms of thermal conductivity enhancement and challenges faced in nanofluid development are also discussed.

Effect of nanofillers on the physico-mechanical properties of load bearing bone implants.

Bones are nanocomposites consisting of a collagenous fibre network, embedded with calcium phosphates mainly hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystallites. As bones are subjected to continuous loading and unloading process every day, they often tend to become prone to fatigue and breakdown. Therefore, this review addresses the use of nanocomposites particularly polymers reinforced with nanoceramics that can be used as load bearing bone implants. Further, nanocomposite preparation and dispersion modification techniques have been highlighted along with thorough discussion on the influence that various nanofillers have on the physico-mechanical properties of nanocomposites in relation to that of natural bone properties. This review updates the nanocomposites that meet the physico-mechanical properties (strength and elasticity) as well as biocompatibility requirement of a load bearing bone implant and also attempts to highlight the gaps in the reported studies to address the fatigue and creep properties of the nanocomposites.

Experimental and numerical investigation of heat transfer in CNT nanofluids

Nanofluids with their enhanced thermal conductivity are believed to be a promising coolant in heat transfer applications. In this study, carbon nanotube (CNT) nanofluids of 0.01 wt%, stabilised by 1.0 wt% gum arabic were used as a cooling liquid in a concentric tube laminar flow heat exchanger. The flow rate of cold fluid varied from 10 to 50 g/s. Both experimental and numerical simulations were carried out to determine the heat transfer enhancement using CNT nanofluids. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out using Fluent v 6.3 by assuming single-phase approximation. Thermal conductivity, density and rheology of the nanofluid were also measured as a function of temperature. The results showed thermal conductivity enhancement from 4% to 125% and nearly 70% enhancement in heat transfer with increase in flow rate. Numerical results exhibited good agreement with the experimental results with a deviation of . CNT nanofluids at 0.01 wt% CNTs showed Newtonian behaviour with no significant increase in the density.

Physical Characterization and Pre-assessment of Recycled High-Density Polyethylene as 3D Printing Material

Abstract3D printing has received lots of attention due to its limitless potential and advantages in comparison to traditional manufacturing processes. This study focuses on the most popular type of home 3D printers, namely fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers, which use plastic filaments as the feedstock. The rather high material cost and large amount of plastic waste generated by FFF 3D printers have driven the need for plastic filaments produced from recycled plastic waste. This study evaluates, in terms of physical characterization, the feasibility of using recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE), one of the most commonly used plastics, as the feedstock for 3D printers, in comparison with the common acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic pellets. In-house extrusion using recycled HDPE pellets and flakes is possible. The diameter consistency and extrusion rate results, along with other physical characterization results, including differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and water absorption, suggest that making filaments from recycled HDPE pellets is a viable option, as the obtained filament has favorable water rejection and comparable extrusion rate and thermal stability. Existing methods for overcoming the warping and adhesion problems in 3D printing with HDPE were also reviewed. In order to increase the market competitiveness of waste-derived filaments, optimization of the extrusion process, studies on the mechanical and aging properties, and development of a standard characterization methodology and database are crucial.

Synthesis and thermo-physical properties of deep eutectic solvent-based graphene nanofluids.

This study introduces a new class of heat transfer fluids by dispersing functionalised graphene oxide nanoparticles (GNPs) in ammonium and phosphonium-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) without the aid of a surfactant. Different molar ratios of salts and hydrogen bond donors (HBD) were used to synthesise DESs for the preparation of different concentrations of graphene nanofluids (GNFs). The concentrations of GNPs were 0.01 wt%, 0.02 wt% and 0.05 wt %. Homogeneous and stable suspensions of nanofluids were obtained by high speed homogenisation and an ultrasonication process. The stability of the GNFs was determined through visual observation for 4 weeks followed by a centrifugal process (5000-20,000 rpm) for 30 min in addition to zeta potential studies. Dispersion of the GNPs in DES was observed using an optical microscope. The synthesised DES-based GNFs showed no particle agglomeration and formation of sediments in the nanofluids. Thermo-physical properties such as thermal conductivity and specific heat of the nanofluids were also investigated in this research. The highest thermal conductivity enhancement of 177% was observed. The findings of this research provide a new class of engineered fluid for heat transfer applications as a function of temperature, type and composition DESs as well as the GNPs concentration.

Sonosynthesis of cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) from kenaf fiber: Effects of processing parameters

This study optimizes the isolation parameters of cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) from kenaf fiber using central composite design (CCD). The extraction of CNP was based on three stages (i.e. 3 factors). The independent variables (factors) were NaOH dosage, amount of NaClO2, and sonication time, while the dependent variables (response) were CNP size quality and degradation temperature. Later, size quality responses were fitted with a quadratic polynomial model and degradation point responses with a 2-factor interaction model (2FI). The quadratic model and 2FI models resulted R2 values of 0.95 and 0.79, respectively. In addition, the morphological, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated a progressive removal of non-cellulosic constituents. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed reduction in fiber diameter from ~170 μm to ~100 nm. The optimal parameters for extraction of CNP were found to be 0.2 g of NaOH/4 g of fiber at first stage, 5 ml of NaClO2/4 g of fiber at the second stage, and 20 min of sonication period during the third stage. Moreover, obtained cellulose nanoparticles were thermally more stable at higher temperature.

Mechanical and thermal properties of polylactic acid composites reinforced with cellulose nanoparticles extracted from kenaf fibre

Different approaches have been attempted to use biomass as filler for production of biodegradable polymer composites. In this study, cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) extracted from kenaf fibres were used to produce polylactic acid (PLA) based biodegradable nanocomposites. CNP concentration was varied from 1–5 wt. % and blended with PLA using Brabender twin-screw compounder. Effects of CNP loading on the mechanical, thermal and dynamic properties of PLA were investigated. Studies on the morphological properties and influence of CNP loading on the properties of CNP/PLA nanocomposite were also conducted. The results show an adequate compatibility between CNP and PLA matrix. Moreover, addition of 3 wt. % of CNP improved the PLA tensile strength by 25%.

Nanohydroxyapatite synthesis using optimized process parameters for load-bearing implant

In this study, nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) was synthesized using calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate via the precipitation method assisted with ultrasonication. Three independent process parameters: temperature (T) (70, 80 and 90°C), ultrasonication time (t) (20, 25 and 30 min), and amplitude (A) (60, 65 and 70%) were studied and optimized using response surface methodology based on 3 factors and 5 level central composite design. The responses of the model were analysed with the help of the particle size measured from field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The surface area of particle was measured with BET and the thermal stability of the powder was measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, with the optimized process parameters obtained from the model, the NHA powder was synthesised and validated against the predicted value. The results show a good agreement with an average error 8% between the actual and predicted values. Moreover, the thermal stability and porosity of synthesized NHA was further improved after calcination. This improvement could be due to the removal of impurities from the NHA powder after calcination as indicated by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Effect of Annealing on Virgin and Recycled Carbon Fiber Electrochemically Deposited with N-type Bismuth Telluride and Bismuth Sulfide

N-type thermoelectric bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) were deposited on virgin carbon fiber (VCF) and recycled carbon fiber (RCF) substrates by electrodeposition. The effects of annealing on the surface morphology and the Seebeck coefficient of the Bi2Te3 and Bi2S3 films were investigated. A nearly stoichiometric N-type Bi2Te3 was obtained from an electrolyte solution of 8 mM of Bi(NO3)3.5H2O and 10 mM of TeO2, which displayed the highest Seebeck coefficient of −20.01 and −13.0 µV/K for VCF and RCF, respectively. The deposition of Bi2S3 was slightly off-stoichiometry, but the improvement was still significant with a Seebeck coefficient of −16.3 and −12.4 µV/K for VCF and RCF, respectively. The effect of varying the annealing temperature (275°C and 350°C) and annealing time (2 and 3 hours) was studied on a nearly stoichiometric N-type Bi2Te3. The result shows an improvement in the Seebeck coefficient by 1.51–1.24 times at 350°C for 2 hours.

Natural and synthetic biocompatible and biodegradable polymers

Biopolymers, biodegradable polymers, and biocompatible polymers are receiving immense limelight in today’s industry because of their ability to reduce the toxic and nondegradable waste flow. The demands of these polymers are increasing exponentially because their mechanical, physical, and other properties can be feasibly modified. Properties and applications of few most commercially used natural polymers such as collagen, gelatin, gluten, and polysaccharides such as chitin, chitosan, cellulose, and starch have been focused in this chapter. Furthermore, the properties and applications of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers such as polyglycolide, poly(butylene succinate), polyesteramides, polydioxanone, polyanhydride, polylactic acid, polyurethanes, polycarbonate etc. are also listed out. A focus on the biosynthetic pathways of biopolymers, their methods of extraction, and various approaches (chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical) involved in the production of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers is enumerated. Knowing the fundamentals of the aforementioned polymers is very vital to channel these valuable assets to rule tomorrow’s world of green material industry.