Planetary Ball Milling Method Research Articles

Al–B4C-(Gd, Gd2O3) composite materials: Synthesis and characterization for neutron shielding applications

In this study, Al–20%B4C-x%Gd and Al–20%B4C-x%Gd2O3 (x = 1, 3, 5) composite powders were prepared using a high-energy planetary ball milling method to enhance the physical properties of Al–B4C neutron shielding composites. The prepared powders were subjected to uniaxial cold compaction at 500 MPa, resulting in cylindrical specimens. Subsequently, the specimens were sintered in a tube furnace at 600 °C for 1 h under an Ar atmosphere to prevent oxidation. The microstructure of the resulting composites was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). Archimedes density, hardness, and corrosion tests were performed on the compacted samples. Moreover, the composite's thermal and fast neutron absorption rates were calculated using the MCNP6.2 simulation code. The neutron equivalent dose rate was experimentally determined using the Am–Be neutron source. The simulation results demonstrated that the composite materials containing Gd exhibited the highest thermal neutron absorption rate, while those containing Gd2O3 demonstrated the highest fast neutron absorption rate. This research contributes valuable insights into the design and utilization of neutron-absorbing materials with suitable mechanical properties.

Ionic conductivity and relaxation dynamics in amorphous Li2.94Mn0.06/nPS4 (M = Mg, Ca, Al) and Li2.94CaPS3.94Xy0.06/y (X = I, N) solid electrolytes

Amorphous Li3PS4, Li2.94Mn0.06/nPS4 (M = Mg, Ca, Al) and Li2.94Ca0.03PS3.94Xy0.06/y (X = N, I) solid electrolytes were successfully prepared by planetary ball-milling method. Their structure was investigated using XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The data obtained from complex impedance spectroscopy was analyzed to study the ionic conductivity and relaxation dynamics in the prepared samples. The data was interpreted using conductivity isotherms, electrical modulus and dielectric loss tangent. Among the samples, Li2.94Al0.02PS4 exhibited highest ionic conductivity at 25 °C, which was about 6.6 x 10−4 Scm−1. Electrical modulus and dielectric loss tangent analysis suggested that grain boundary polarization and ionic conductivity increased with multivalence cation doping.

Performances of NiFe2O4/TiO2 spinal photocatalyst prepared by planetary ball mill method for degradation of dye

Performances of NiFe2O4/TiO2 spinal photocatalyst prepared by planetary ball mill method for degradation of dye

Preparation and characterization of LLZO-LATP composite solid electrolyte for solid-state lithium-ion battery

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLB) demonstrate significant advancements in energy density and safety comparing the traditional lithium-ion batteries, which using liquid electrolyte. The performance of ASSLBs strongly depends on the characteristics of solid electrolyte materials. Currently, Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) and Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) have the best individual performances in the field of solid ceramic electrolytes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the LLZO-LATP composite electrolyte sintering at various temperatures. The dense LLZO-LATP solid composited electrolyte with acceptable electrochemical performance is successfully prepared using planetary ball-mill method. The phase and morphology of the samples were assisted by X-ray diffraction and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The LLZO-LATP composite sintered at 800 °C has less chemical reaction with small amount of second phase with high sintering density of 88.4%. The ionic conductivity of LLZO-LATP sintered at 800 °C is 1.3 × 10−6 Scm−1. This study addresses the lowering of sintering temperature of a composite solid electrolyte with two different structure electrolyte materials, is informative for its future research and to be promising in solid-state batteries.

Preparation of Seaweed Nanopowder Particles Using Planetary Ball Milling and Their Effects on Some Secondary Metabolites in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seedlings.

Due to their distinctive physicochemical characteristics, nanoparticles have recently emerged as pioneering materials in agricultural research. In this work, nanopowders (NP) of seaweed (Turbinaria triquetra) were prepared using the planetary ball milling procedure. The prepared nanopowders from marine seaweed were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). When the seaweed nanopowder of Turbinaria triquetra was subjected to FT-IR analysis, it revealed the presence of different functional groups, including alkane, carboxylic acids, alcohol, alkenes and aromatics. Moreover, the methanol extract was used to identify the polyphenolic components in seaweed (NP) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the extract revealed the presence of a number of important compounds such as daidzein and quercetin. Moreover, the pot experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the effects of prepared seaweed (NP) as an enhancer for the growth of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). The date palm seedlings received four NP doses, bi-distilled water was applied as the control and doses of 25, 50 or 100 mg L-1 of seaweed liquid NP were used (referred to as T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively). Foliar application of liquid NP was applied two times per week within a period of 30 days. Leaf area, number of branches, dry weight, chlorophylls, total soluble sugars and some other secondary metabolites were determined. Our results indicated that the foliar application of liquid NP at T3 enhanced the growth parameters of the date palm seedlings. Additionally, liquid NP at T3 and T4 significantly increased the photosynthetic pigments. The total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activities were stimulated by NP foliar application. Moreover, the data showed that the T3 and T4 doses enhanced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POX or PPO) compared to other treatments. Therefore, the preparation of seaweed NP using the planetary ball milling method could produce an eco-friendly and cost- effective material for sustainable agriculture and could be an interesting way to create a nanofertilizer that mitigates plant growth.

Anhydrous proton-conducting imidazole triflate-SiO2 composite

ImidazoleTriflate (ITF)—SiO2 composites xITF-(100-x)SiO2 were prepared by planetary ball-milling method. The structure of the composites was studied by TG-DTA, XRD and FT-IR methods. The ionic conductivity was assessed by alternative current (AC) electrochemical impedance measurement. From XRD results, the crystal size of imidazole triflate became smaller as its loading in xITF-(100-x)SiO2 decreased. With x = 40 weight percent, the calculated crystal size was about 7.3 nm. FT-IR spectra showed the existence of CF3SO3-···H+ ion aggregates and imidazole—proton bonds. The electrical conductivity of sample x = 50 was about 6.3 × 10−3 Scm−1 at 130 °C under anhydrous condition and about 30 times higher than that of sample x = 100.

Size Reduction of Dolomite into Nano-Size Range through Milling and Tip-Sonication Processes

Dolomite has great potential to be employed as filler or nanofiller in polymer composite/nanocomposite system. However, the research on dolomite as filler or nanofiller in polymer composite is still immature, requiring further investigations on how to optimize the dispersion of the dolomite in the polymer matrix, thus improving its properties. Particle size reduction of dolomite can be an efficient approach to increase its surface area and facilitate its dispersion and distribution within polymer matrix in order to develop homogeneous composite/nanocomposite system. In this study, the dolomite in pulverized form was obtained from Perlis Dolomite Industry, Malaysia with the average particle size of 150μm. In order to reduce the size of this dolomite, we have initially employed the planetary ball milling method. Results indicate that the particle size of dolomite has been reduced from 150μm to 2μm after subjected to ball milling process. This shows that upon ball milling procedure, the size of dolomite particle is still in micronmeter. Next, the ball milled dolomite was subjected to tip-sonication process to obtain dolomite in nanosize range. Several tip-sonication parameters, which were; amplitude and number of sonication repetition were applied in order to select the best parameters that can produce the finest dolomite powder. SEM and TEM were used to characterize the microstructure of the raw dolomite and the size reduced dolomite. Our results show that when the ball milled dolomite was tip-sonicated, much smaller particle size was obtained. Dolomite with the smallest particle size (~200nm) was obtained when the tip-ultrasonication was performed 3 times at amplitude of 50. These findings indicate that the combination of ball milling and tip-sonication is an efficient method to produce very fine dolomite particles, up to nanosize range. Furthermore, it is a clean, simple method and not involved any toxic and harmful chemicals.

Fe (III) doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by high energy ball milling as booster for non-enzymatic, mediator-free and sensitive electrochemical sensor

In this paper, pure and Fe (III) doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared in order to fabricate a nano sensor for electrochemical sensing of paracetamol. TiO2 nanoparticles as anatase phase were synthesized using a solvothermal method and doped with Fe (III) by mechanochemical planetary ball mill method. For structural and chemical characterization of the as-synthesized nanoparticles, techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed. XRD proved that the nanoparticles, after doping, consist of a mixture of anatase and brookite phases. The performance of the modified electrode was characterized with cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse-voltammetry techniques. The.Fe (III)TiO2/GCE modified electrode represents excellent electrocatalytic activity for paracetamol detection in phosphate buffer (pH = 7) solution, with a considerable enhancing of the peak current and decrease of overvoltage in comparison with the bare GCE. It poses a low limit of detection (LOD) and a good linear relationship. The nano sensor showed good sensitivity, selectivity, stability, reproducibility, and fast response. Furthermore, to demonstrate the rapid and convenient determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical samples, this sensor has been successfully utilized in analyzing real samples, and satisfactory results have been achieved. The response of the nano sensor was linear over the paracetamol concentration range of 1.50–10.2 μM and 10.2–62 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 0.52 μM (S/N = 3).

Magnetic phase diagram of BHF-NZFO composite at room temperature

Composites of barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) and nickel zinc ferrite (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) have been prepared by the high-energy planetary ball mill method. The magnetic composites are characterized by employing X-ray Diffraction and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The percentage of barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) and nickel zinc ferrite (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) in the composite has been obtained from the Rietveld analysis of XRD patterns. The average crystallite sizes of BHF and NZFO are found to be comparable in the composites. The magnetic properties of (1-x) BHF-(x) NZFO with x = 0 to 1 have been studied by measuring the magnetic hysteresis loop (M-H loop) for all the samples. The M-H loops are analyzed by plotting the loop width (ΔH) versus magnetization (M). The magnetic hysteresis loops for the BHF and NZFO are found to be symmetric in all the quadrants. However, symmetry breaks in M-H loops for composites. The symmetry breaking in magnetic hysteresis loops of the bi-magnetic composite suggests a new approach to analyzing the magnetic interaction between magnetic phases in the magnetic composites.

Viscous Solvent-Assisted Planetary Ball Milling for the Scalable Production of Large Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Materials.

Ball milling is a widely used method to produce graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials for both industry and research. Conventional ball milling generates strong impact forces, producing small and thick nanosheets that limit their applications. In this study, a viscous solvent-assisted planetary ball milling method has been developed to produce large thin 2D nanosheets. The viscous solvent simultaneously increases the exfoliation energy (Ee) and lowers the impact energy (Ei). Simulations show a giant ratio of η = Ee/Ei, for the viscous solvent, 2 orders of magnitude larger than that of water. The method provides both a high exfoliation yield of 74%, a high aspect ratio of the generated nanosheets of 571, and a high quality for a representative 2D material of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs). The large thin BNNSs can be assembled into high-performance functional films, such as separation membranes and thermally conductive flexible films with some performance parameters better than those 2D nanosheets produced by chemical exfoliation methods.

Mechanical Characterization and Tensile Fractography of Al7075-WCP-CoP Composite

The demand for materials with an unusual combination of properties has increased tremendously at a level that cannot be attained through the use of conventional materials. This is especially true for materials used in aircraft, automotive and power generation applications. The microstructure and mechanical properties of Al7075 – 6, 9 and 12 wt.% WC-Co particles reinforced composites are shown in this study. Liquid metallurgy is used to create the composites. The planetary ball milling method is utilized to turn the WC-Co mixtures into cermets, and the particles with a size range of 30-40 µm are employed as reinforcement. SEM and EDS analyses were used to characterise the microstructure. ASTM standards are used to test the mechanical characteristics of both as cast Al7075 and Al7075-6, 9 and 12 wt.% WC-Co composites. SEM was used to perform fractography study on the prepared composite.

Electrical, Thermal, and Mechanical Characterization of Hot Coined Carbon Fiber Reinforced Pure Aluminium Composites

Poor interfacial structure and severe agglomerations of carbon fiber (CF) are significant problems that face carbon fiber reinforced aluminium (CF/Al) composites. Thus, CF was surface modified with nano copper particles (Cu) to overcome these problems. Two groups of CF/Al composites (uncoated and coated) at different weight percentages of reinforcement (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20) were fabricated using the planetary ball milling method and then uniaxially hot coined at 550 ℃ under 700 MPa. The results showed that CF refined the crystallite size of the Al matrix, and no {mathrm{Al}}_{4}{mathrm{C}}_{3} or {mathrm{Al}}_{2}mathrm{Cu} were detected in XRD patterns. The density and thermal expansion of composites reduced with increasing CF percentage in all samples. The electrical and thermal conductivities are improved up to 10 wt% of uncoated reinforcement and 15 wt% of coated one. The mechanical test results revealed that by increasing CF, the compressive strength of composites decreased while the wear properties improved for both groups. Cu deposition on CF improved the bonding between reinforcement and matrix, producing composites with better interfacial bonding, fewer agglomerations and porosity, and higher values of the properties of the composites.Graphic Preparation and characterization of carbon fiber reinforced aluminium composites by hot coining technique

Synthesis of an AlI3-doped Li2S positive electrode with superior performance in all-solid-state batteries

A (100 − x)Li2S·xAlI3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 30) positive electrode was prepared by the planetary ball-milling method for application in all-solid-state Li–S batteries.

Effect of Cellulose Nanofibers (CNF) as Reinforcement in Polyvinyl Alcohol/CNF Biocomposite

This research was targeted to use the planetary ball milling method to extract cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from commercial microcrystalline cellulose and also to utilize the obtained extracted cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as reinforcement in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin film. The effect of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) on the mechanical and physical properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin films was investigated. As a result of the study, we found that the thin film’s tensile strength is good, and the surface morphology of the CNFs suspension enhances the bonding between the PVA and the reinforcement. Tyndall effect was accurate with the visible light scattering through CNF suspension, and the CNF/PVA thin film exhibited transparent thin film. In contrast, the CNF/PVA composite’s mechanical and physical properties are good due to the excellent dispersion and absence of agglomeration of CNFs. The prepared PVA/CNF biocomposite would be a suitable candidate to be implemented as biodegradable food packaging material.

Investigation on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of CNTs-AlSi10Mg Composites Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting.

CNT-AlSi10Mg composites fabricated by SLM have drawn a lot attention in structural application due to its excellent strength, elasticity and thermal conductivities. A planetary ball milling method was used to prepare the carbon nanotube (CNT)-AlSi10Mg powders, and the CNT-AlSi10Mg composites were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). The density, microstructure and mechanical properties of CNT-AlSi10Mg composites were studied. The density of the test samples increased at first and then decreased with increasing scan speed. When the laser scan speed was 800 mm/s, the test sample exhibited the highest density. The hardness increased by approximately 26%, and the tensile strength increased by approximately 13% compared to those values exhibited by the unreinforced AlSi10Mg. The grains of CNT-AlSi10Mg composite are finer than that in the AlSi10Mg. The CNTs were distributed along the grain boundaries of AlSi10Mg. Some of the CNTs reacted with Al element and transformed into Al4C3 during SLM, while some of the CNTs still maintained their tubular structure. The combination of CNTs and Al4C3 has a significant improvement in mechanical properties of the composites through fine grain strengthening, second phase strengthening, and load transfer strengthening.

Preparation of Li2-3xAlxS for All-Solid-State Li-S Battery

Li2-3xAlxS (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1667) was prepared via the planetary ball-milling method. Diffuse reflection UV-Vis measurements revealed that the band gap and electronic structure of Li2S changed with the formation of defective Li2-3xAlxS. Compared with x = 0, the ionic conductivity for the sample with x = 0.1334 improved by ∼3 orders of magnitude. The lithium movement activation energy and pre-exponential factor A were found to be dependent on the x value. Compared with Li2S, a ∼10-fold improvement in the electronic conductivity was realized with the addition of Al2S3. Additionally, the all-solid-state Li-S battery cell performance also displayed an enhancement in both the initial capacity and stability for sample x = 0.1667 compared with x = 0. This study highlighted the importance of the intrinsic electronic conductivity of the active materials (but not the electrode) on the performance of the all-solid-state Li-S battery.

Dual effect of MgS addition on li2s ionic conductivity and all-solid-state Li–S cell performance

The effect of a multivalence cation, i.e. Mg2+, on both the ionic conductivity of Li2-2xMgxS (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) and the all-solid-state Li–S cell performance employing Li2−2xMgxS as an active material is investigated. MgS was added to Li2S (Li2−2xMgxS) using the planetary ball milling method. No trace of MgS was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD) with x ≤ 0.05. Improvement of the ionic conductivity upon addition of MgS was observed even in the samples with 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.2, where the remaining MgS was detected by XRD analysis. Vacancy formation and the nanoionic effect were the governing factors for Li+ conduction. Stabilization of the cycle capacity was also achieved in the cell containing Li1.7Mg0.15S when compared with that employing bare Li2S as the electrode active material. Improvement of the ionic conductivity by approximately 2 orders of magnitude at 90 °C was obtained with x = 0.15 compared with that with x = 0. In addition, the charge–discharge capacities of the cell with x = 0.15 were stable up to 50 cycles, while the cell with x = 0 began to degrade after the 25th cycle.

Enhanced Band Gap, Optical and Near-Infra-Red Reflecting Properties of Environmentally Benign Synthesized Nanocrystalline Gd₂Ti₂O7 Pyrochlore Materials.

The recent trend of reflecting the NIR rays with cool and color pigments to reduce the transfer of heat inside the buildings is highly encouraged. In this work, the pyrochlore-type Gd₂Ti₂O7 nanomaterials were synthesized through a hybrid process comprising planetary ball milling and chloride salt flux method. Different combination of alkali metal chloride fluxes was used to enhance the phase formation and purity. In order to investigate the phase formation, purity, particle size, optical property, morphology and elemental composition of the prepared samples, many characterization techniques including XRD, RAMAN, FT-IR, UV-vis, NIR, PL, and HRSEM-EDX were carried out. The XRD patterns revealed that the annealed materials crystallized in cubic structure with lattice parameter, a = 1.019(1) nm, and the ball milled product annealed with LiCl:NaCl and LiCl:CsCl flux crystallized in a single cubic phase with high purity. The FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of metal oxide bonds (Gd-O vibration and Ti-O-Ti bending vibration) in the wavenumber regions 400 cm-1 and 500 cm-1. The band gap of the Gd₂Ti₂O7 powder is enhanced from 2.77 eV to 3.27 eV through the addition of LiCl:CsCl flux. The PL emission property of Gd₂Ti₂O7 is enhanced by annealing with flux under the excitation wavelength of 230 nm. Further, the band gap and NIR reflectivity of the nanomaterials are enhanced by the conditions employed in the synthesis method.

Effects of milling time on structural, electrical and ferroelectric features of mechanothermally synthesized multi-doped bismuth ferrite

The Ni- and Ti-modified BiFeO3 nanoceramic (i.e., Bi(Ni0.45Ti0.45Fe0.10)O3) with various effective ball milling times (i.e., 10 h, 20 h and 30 h) were blended by planetary (high energy) ball milling method in conjunction with a traditional solid-state reaction route. The outcome of milling time on various properties, such as structural, electrical and ferroelectric features of Ni/Ti modified BiFeO3, was investigated thoroughly. These properties were interpreted using distinct characterization tools, such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, dielectrics and ferroelectric measurements. The particle size of as-synthesized compounds and the intensity of diffraction peaks decline obviously as the milling time rises due to the compression stress, shear friction and other mechanical forces, which are created inside ball mill jars. Investigation of dielectric properties (frequency dependent) displayed the boosted tendency of dielectric constant with increased co-doping concentration. Elaborated analysis of impedance data at selected sets of frequency/temperature estimates the grains influence and boundaries in the capacitive and resistive parameters of the synthesized samples. An elaborated investigation of the impedance spectroscopy spectrum evidently exhibited the size dependence impedance/dielectric relaxation features of the synthesized compounds. The frequency and/temperature dependence of conductivity (alternating current) confirmed the universal power law of Jonscher. The observed ferroelectric hysteresis loop trend reveals that the nanoceramic holds good ferroelectric properties.

Effects of Different Stimuli on the Structure of Nano-Anatase and Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) in the Nano-Anatase/Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Composites.

Nanocomposites based on poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) containing functional nano-anatase particles were produced by mixing and mechanical grinding of mixtures of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) and Hombifine N (nano-anatase) powders in a porcelain mortar (method 1) and by mechanical milling of the same powders using a high-energy planetary ball mill (method 2). Differences in the diffraction patterns of nanocomposites prepared by method 1 (partial crystallization and an amorphization of nano-anatase particles in the nano-anatase/poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) composite) and method 2 (amorphization of nano-anatase particles) were found. An increase in the X-ray intensity was found to cause physical degradation of the polymer in nano-anatase/poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) composites depending on its prehistory. The preparation of nanocomposites by method 2 was shown to increase photocatalytic activity in the degradation of the dye methyl orange under ultraviolet light irradiation.