Filler Ratio Research Articles

Effect of Filler to Bitumen Weight Ratio on Low-temperature Cracking Performance of Asphalt Mixture

The effect of mineral filler weight ratio on the low-temperature performance of hot asphalt mixtures with continuous gradation has been a subject of significant interest in the field of pavement engineering. This study focused on testing mastic, which is a bitumen mixture with mineral filler passing through a No. 200 sieve, using various tests, such as the bending beam rheometer test (BBR), direct tensile (DT) test, Infrared spectroscopy test (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) test, and semi-circular bending (SCB) test. Different weight ratios of mineral filler to useful bitumen ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 were investigated for PG 70-16 bitumen. According to the SHRP-A-407 standard, the weight ratio of mineral filler to useful bitumen plays a crucial role in determining the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. The research findings confirm this fact, indicating that the weight ratio of mineral filler to bitumen plays a crucial role in determining the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. As the filler-to-bitumen ratio increased, the stiffness of the bituminous mastic increased, leading to reduced fracture strain and decreased low-temperature cracking life. The optimal filler-to-bitumen ratio was recommended to be a maximum of 0.8 to balance performance and control low-temperature behavior. The results of this study underscore the importance of considering the rheological properties of bitumen mastic in addition to bitumen and asphalt mix when evaluating lowtemperature performance. Keywords: Asphalt mixing, Filler-to-bitumen ratio, Cracking performance, Lowtemperature, cracking.

Prospects of artificial soil substrate use for flower crops cultivation in protected ground

Harsh continental climate of Orenburg region is characterized by extremely low rates of precipitation at vegetation period, so the cultivation of flowers with protected root system has wide usage and is highly developed. The search for the optimal combined artificial soil in terms of physico-chemical composition is of great scientific and practical importance. In the short-term model experiment, variants of artificial soils are under exploration, with differing ratios of basic fillers that cover the physiological needs of flower crops when grown with a closed root system in greenhouse complexes. The results of laboratory study of artificially constructed soils based on essential materials (peat, coconut filler, river sand) and agricultural waste (horse manure, sunflower seed husk, raw fawl dung) are also presented. Combined soils are developed for the purpose of growing gerbera on “Bounty” soil and garden chrysanthemum on “Elysium” soil. These soils take into account the bioecological and agrotechnological features of greenhouse cultivation of these types of flower plants. The studied flower crops respond quite well to the physico-chemical composition of soils, showing stable growth of vegetative and generative organs.

Determination of mechanical performance of boric acid filled polypropylene based polymer composites

Polypropylene (PP) polymer, which is one of the indispensable materials of our daily life and stands out with its lightness, low cost and chemical resistance properties in the industry, was used. In industrial applications where the properties of polymers without additives are not sufficient, composite materials are produced by adding some additives to the polymer. In this experimental study, the mechanical properties of composites produced by adding boric acid (BA) to PP polymer at 5 wt.% (PP/5BA), 10 wt.% (PP/10BA) and 15 wt.% (PP/15BA) ratios were investigated. the effect of both BA filler and optimum BA filler ratio on mechanical properties were investigated. In the production of PP/BA composites, granules were first produced in an industrial twin screw extruder. Then, PP/BA composite tensile and impact test specimens were moulded on a conventional injection moulding machine. As a result, it was observed that the tensile modulus, tensile and yield strength of the composite materials decreased with increasing boric acid filler content in PP polymer. Depending on the boric acid filler content, the tensile strength decreased by an average of 18.3% and the breaking strength decreased by 14.8%. The lowest tensile modulus was obtained with a value of 2713 MPa at 10wt.% boric acid filler addition. The impact strength increased slightly at 5 wt.% boric acid filler addition and decreased at 10wt.% and 15wt.% boric acid filler addition.

Fluorinated Graphene Fillers for High-Performance Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are expected to revolutionize the field of energy storage due to their superior safety and high energy density, which result from the use of lithium metal as the negative electrode. However, the development of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), the key component of SSBs, is quite crucial. SSEs have high thermal stability, high mechanical strength, and a wide electrochemical window but lack enough ionic conductivity; which is one of the most challenging aspects. Incorporating suitable active or inert fillers in the solid polymer electrolyte matrix is one of several methods adopted to improve the ionic conductivity of pure polymer SSEs. Two-dimensional graphene-based fillers are a promising option as they provide a high surface area for creating an abundant interface with the polymer matrix creating a continuous pathway for lithium-ion transport and simultaneously their robust nature improves the mechanical strength of the electrolyte. Pristine graphene is electronically conducting in nature owing to the continuous sp2 carbon linkages, but the electronic conductivity can be suppressed by disrupting the sp2 bonds by heteroatom functionalization on the graphene. This study investigates the heteroatom functionalization of graphene to obtain various graphene-based fillers such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO) and their effectiveness when introduced into a polymer SSE matrix for LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2-based SSBs. FGO filler outperforms others in terms of ionic conductivity, thermal stability, enhanced electrochemical potential window, and compatibility of the SSE. The optimized ratio of FGO fillers in SSE demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, enabling long-term Li plating/stripping with small overpotential and stable cycling of Li/ LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 full cells. This work highlights the notable potential of FGO materials in improving the comprehensive properties of polymer SSEs and promoting the applications of polymer SSEs in high-performance SSBs.

Experimental investigation on triglycidyl isocyanurate‐based tribologically functional composites

AbstractThe aim of this study is to prepare epoxy/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/glass fiber (GF) composites (EPGs) with the unique characteristics of low friction and high wear resistance based on triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC). The tribological properties of composites with different filler ratios under different working conditions were systematically studied. At the maximum filler content of 40 wt% PTFE, the minimum coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate reached 0.079 and 0.45 × 10−6 mm3/N·m. The hardness decreased by 44.2% and the density increased by 18.3%. The worn surfaces and transfer films were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon‐rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films. It is proved that the tribological properties of TGIC‐based epoxy composites are higher than those of other types of epoxy composites. This study offers great insight into the tribological applications of TGIC‐based epoxy composites.Highlights Epoxy/PTFE/GF composites (EPGs) were prepared using TGIC as the base material. EPGs have good mechanical and tribological properties. The COF of EPG3 reaches 0.079 and the wear rate becomes 0.45 × 10−6 mm3/(N·m). The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon‐rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films.

Research on the Proportion and Strength of Joint Filler Materials for External Wall Tiles

Tile is the main exterior material of reinforced concrete building in Taiwan. However, the tiles are peeled off due to the deterioration of the building or the force of the earthquake recently. The construction sequence of exterior wall tiles includes cement mortar, waterproof layer, adhesive layer, paste tile and caulk. Most of tiles peel off from the adhesive layer so there are many studies focusing on the construction of adhesive layers. If the adhesive is not applied during construction or deteriorates over the years, it will lose its adhesion, and the caulk plays an important role in fixing the tile to the wall. Therefore, it is necessary to study the joint filling of exterior wall tiles. In this study, the exterior wall construction problems are sorted out, workers often ignore the proper water-cement ratio due to rush work in the construction site. The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of the water-cement ratio of the tile joint filler on the strength by pull-off and shear experiments. Set the water-cement ratio of joint filler to 1:4, 1:2, 1:1.3, 1:1, and quantitatively use in the same area. The results showed that the caulk with a water-cement ratio of 1:4 showed the best pull-off strength, which is 4.5 times that of 1:2. The increase in water volume at the construction site due to rush would lead to a significant decrease in strength. We look forward to providing a reference for on-site construction in this study.

Implementation of the PECVD process to produce a novel range of filler-polymer-coated perlites for use in epoxy composites

This study examines the use of expanded perlite powder (ExP), a natural rock, as reinforcement in bisphenol-A type epoxy resin. The surface of ExP has been coated using the PECVD method with different polymers such as poly(hexafluorobutyl acrylate) (PHFBA) and poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA). ExPs before and after the coating process underwent characterization using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The effects of filler ratio and different polymer coatings on composite properties were investigated. The higher tensile strengths for uncoated, PHFBA-coated, and PGMA-coated ExP composites were determined as 109 MPa, 132 MPa, and 152 MPa, respectively. The surfaces of the polymer-coated ExP composites were found to be hydrophobic and water sorption was lower in these composites. ExPs have improved thermal stability and flammability properties. In addition, PHFBA-coated ExP composite was found more resistant to UV radiation and the hydrothermal environment.

Fabrication of a Fluorocarbon Low Surface Energy Coating for Anti-Stain Applications.

In the long-term working state, stains such as dust, oil, and charged particles in the environment are prone to deposit on the surface of the power equipment, which has great security risks. To achieve anti-stain performance, fluorocarbon composite coating with a low surface energy was prepared and studied. In this paper, SiO2 nanoparticles were used as inorganic fillers and fluorocarbon resin was used as the substrate to form anti-stain coatings. By adjusting and optimizing the ratio of fillers and organic resins, coatings with different static contact angles were constructed. The optimum composite coating has a contact angle of 151 ± 2° and a surface energy of 9.6 mJ/m2. After high-temperature treatment (up to 200 °C), immersion in corrosive solutions (pH 3-11), and sandpaper abrasion (after 5 abrasion cycles), the coating has been proven to show good thermal, chemical and mechanical stability. Our study provides significant research and market opportunities for the anti-stain application of the fluorocarbon composite coating on power equipment.

Examining Automatic Generated Language Features of Chinese Spontaneous Speech for Early Detection of Cognitive Decline

AbstractBackgroundConnected speech is sensitive on detecting cognitive decline in early Alzheimer disease. In this study, we apply artificial intelligence to develop an automatic assessment for analyzing speech data.Method79 samples of picture description speech data were collected. All participants were native Chinese speakers including 31 normal controls (59‐88 yrs) and 49 patients (amnestic mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s disease) (58‐88 yrs). We extracted 16 linguistic features from the manually transcribed text. These linguistic features were generated by well‐trained linguists or automatically processed by the machine. We also trained decision tree models with those two sets of linguistic features. Seventy percent of the data was used for training and the remainder was used for testing. We also applied a cross‐validation method to avoid overfitting.ResultTotal words, unique words, and content words generated from linguists or machines were highly correlated (about r = 0.99, p < .001). However, the correlations between verb ratio, mean length of sentences, and filler ratio were relatively low (about r = 0.75, p < .001). With manually corrected features, the model could achieve 91.67% accuracy. Among them, the pronoun ratio and MLU (mean length of utterance) appeared to be equally crucial for model prediction. By contrast, with automatically generated features, the model achieved 83.33% accuracy only. MLU and MLS (mean length of sentences) were essential features for prediction.ConclusionAutomatic assessment could also achieve a good accuracy rate compared to humans (83.33% v.s. 91.67%). Some linguistic features such as fillers or sentences were still highly dependent on the expert’s judgment. Interestingly, MLU was critical in the prediction model of automatic or experts.

Physical, morphological, mechanical and thermal properties of polyester composites reinforced with orientation of purun fiber (Eleocharis dulcis) composition

Purun fiber (PF), which has been used as a raw material for handicrafts, can be used as a filler in composite materials. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of polyester composites with the addition of PF filler at concentrations (5, 10, and 15 %) with arrangements, namely parallel, random, and woven. In this study, the method used was the press molding method with a size of 20 × 20 × 0.3 cm. The resulting composite was analyzed for functional groups, physical properties, morphological properties, mechanical properties, and thermal properties. The functional group results of PF treatment showed a sharp absorption at wave numbers 1724–2983 cm−1, indicating the presence of C=C vibrations in the aromatic ring. For all fiber arrangements, the addition of 10 % PF resulted in the best composite structure. The results of the highest composite physical properties include density, water absorption, and thickness swelling of 0.958 g/cm−3, 10.079 %, and 24.57 × 10−3, respectively. The results of the highest composite mechanical properties are tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation, and flexural strength of 813.9519 MPa, 9345.737 MPa, 14.06 MPa, and 58.8399 MPa, respectively. While the results of the thermal properties that can be seen from the percent weight loss of the composite obtained the best results in random samples with a variation of 10 %, the effect of the PF filler ratio on composite heat flow obtained the best results, namely in samples parallel to 5 % with a temperature of 500.87 °C. It can be summarized that PF has the potential as a filler in the manufacture of composites.

CoFe@C composites decorated with residual carbon as an ultrathin microwave absorber in the X and Ku bands

Achieving a wide effective absorption bandwidth in 8.0–18.0 GHz under ultrathin thickness (d < 2.0 mm) with a low filler ratio is difficult. Herein, Co/Fe metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived CoFe@C composite-decorated residual carbon (CoFe@C/RC) hybrids collected from coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) by removing the inorganic oxide components were synthesized via a technology by modulating the molar ratio of Co/Fe. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized CoFe@C/RC with different molar ratios of Co/Fe were studied via various analytical techniques, and then the electromagnetic parameters associated with the above research results were analyzed. The defects, microstructure and electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) performance of CoFe@C/RC changed with the change in the Co/Fe molar ratio. Impressively, the Co1Fe3@C/RC hybrids exhibited excellent EMWA capacity. Under a filler content of 20 %, the ternary hybrid with a molar ratio of Co/Fe of 1:3 showed a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −20.0 dB and a broad absorption bandwidth (fe,RL ≤ −10 dB) of 3.95 GHz at a thickness of 1.7 mm. Importantly, the ultrabroad fe reached 10.0 GHz (8.0–18.0 GHz); it covered the whole Ku and X bands by simply adjusting the thicknesses of the CoFe@C/RC absorber in 1.5–3.0 mm. The CoFe@C/RC hybrids possessed outstanding EMWA because of the excellent effective synergy of magnetic and dielectric losses. This work realizes the high-value application of coal gasification solid waste and offers an efficacious strategy for creating novel CGFS residual carbon-based ultrathin EMW absorbing materials at 8–18 GHz.

Enhancement of the flame retardant properties of PPS-based composites via the addition of melamine-coated CaAl-LDH fire-retardant filler

Addressing the global energy crisis and its environmental implications has become a critical challenge, prompting a growing interest in electric vehicles (EVs) as an alternative to fossil fuel-dependent vehicles. Engineering plastics (EPs), with their lightweight and cost-effective properties, are attractive candidates for various applications, including automotive components. However, certain drawbacks, such as poor thermal conductivity and fire resistance, have limited their widespread adoption. In this study, we focus on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) as a promising super-engineering plastic with high thermal stability and mechanical properties but low thermal conductivity. To enhance its properties, we explore the incorporation of CaAl layered double hydroxide (CaAl-LDH) as a fire-retardant filler, with melamine coating to improve thermal stability. When fabricating composites at high filler ratio (over 30 %), the CaAl-LDH filler thermally decomposes and loses its flame retardant performance. To prevent this, our group attempted to provide thermal stability through melamine coating. The resulting PPS/GF/40 m-CaAl-LDH composites exhibited improved thermal conductivity of 0.37 W/m•K which is almost twice that of the PPS/GF composite, and mechanical properties, along with exceptional flame-retardant behavior, achieving a UL94 V-0 rating and limited oxygen index of 52.74 %. After a fire test, PPS/GF/40 m-CaAl-LDH composites shows improved tensile strength due to the molten m-CaAl-LDH wrapped the entire surfaces protecting from the flames. This research presents a promising strategy for developing high-performance PPS-based materials with applications in diverse industrial fields, including the automotive industry.

Enhanced organic matter degradation in shale gas wastewater treatment using Biofilm-Membrane bioreactors with varied filler Types, Pre-ozonation, and filler ratios

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is a promising technology for the treatment of shale gas wastewater (SGW); however, there exists an urgent need for improvement in the degradation of organic matter. This study delves comprehensively into the impact of different filler types within a biofilm-membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) for the treatment of SGW. Furthermore, the impact of pre-ozonation and filler ratios on the performance of BF-MBR is explored. Through the synergistic implementation of pre-ozonation and meticulously optimized filler ratios, a significant enhancement in removing dissolved organic carbon is achieved, notably reaching 36.0%-38.3% as opposed to the initial values of 14.4%-14.9%. Remarkably, groups subjected to pre-ozonized display membrane flux levels 42.2%-53.4% higher than non-pre-ozonated group. In the pre-ozonation phase, aerogel fillers (AF) demonstrate exceptional effectiveness. AF achieves the highest DOC removal (33.3%) and UV254 removal (70.6%). At the same time, AF group has a better effect of ameliorating membrane fouling. In addition, Pseudomonas and Constrictibacter are unveiled to be significantly correlated with the organic matter removal. In essence, this study provides practical insights that serve to optimize the treatment of SGW through the BF-MBR approach, effectively addressing its inherent challenges.

Characteristics of Honey Powder with Maltodextrin And Gum Arabic Addition Using Vacuum Foam-Drying Method

Honey powder is a solution to overcome the weakness of liquid honey. This study aims to determine the characteristics of the addition of maltodextrin and gum arabic as fillers and their ratio to produce the best honey powder characteristics in terms of water content, water activity (aw), hygroscopicity, reducing sugar content, solubility, and dissolving time. This study consisted of 6 treatment levels, namely Maltodextrin 1 (MD1) with a ratio of honey and filler of 2:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) of 40:20, Maltodextrin 2 (MD2) with a ratio of honey and filler of 1:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) of 40:20. b) and filler (g) 40:40, Maltodextrin 3 (MD3) with a ratio between honey and filler of 1:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) 40:60, followed by Gum Arabic 1 (GA1), Gum Arabic 2 (GA2), and Gum Arabic 3 (GA3) which have the same ratio and concentration as the treatment using maltodextrin. In addition, commercial honey powder data was also included as a control (CHP). This study showed that the best moisture content was in MD3, with a value of 0.591%. Then, MD1 at 0.301% had the best result in water activity. In addition, the use of gum arabic has better hygroscopicity compared to maltodextrin. Meanwhile, the results showed that gum arabic gave high reducing sugar content in honey powder compared to the addition of maltodextrin; the more the addition of gum arabic, the higher the sugar content. The use of maltodextrin as a filler in honey powder provides better solubility compared to gum arabic. In addition, the reported addition of maltodextrin can reduce the dissolving time of food powders.

Improved Thermomechanical and Viscoelasticity Properties of Bio-Epoxy/date Palm Fiber Composite by Addition of Eggshell Particles

ABSTRACT In this research, a novel eco-friendly green composite is fabricated by combining a biomatrix composed of a biopolymer, date palm fiber, and a filler obtained from discarded eggshell (ES) waste material. This research aims to check the influent of ES filler on thermal and viscoelasticity properties of bio-epoxy composite with incorporation of 40 wt.% date palm (DP) fiber. Various ES filler ratios, specifically 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.%, are dispersed into the composite. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) approach were employed to investigate the properties of fabricated composites as a function of temperature in terms of storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E′′), Tan delta (Tan δ), glass transition temperature (Tg), and Cole-Cole plot. Overall, incorporating ES filler into the bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites increased E′, E′′, and Tg significantly. ES-filled composites containing 5 and 10 wt.% exhibited properties comparable to 15 wt.% but less than 20 wt.% ES filler. Thermal tests result show that 20 wt.% ES-filled materials outperform their counterparts in terms of heat resistance or thermal stability. The evidence suggests that the embodiment of ES filler in bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites yields enhancements in both thermal and dynamic mechanical properties. This indicates the potential for utilizing ES filler loading in advanced composite applications that prioritize thermal stability and sustainability.

Heterostructure design of hydrangea-like Co2P/Ni2P@C multilayered hollow microspheres for high-efficiency microwave absorption

Structural design and elemental doping are research hotspots for the preparation of lightweight absorbers with high absorption performance and low filling ratio. Herein, a P-doped hydrangea-like layered composite (Co2P/Ni2P@C) encapsulated with Ni-LDH was successfully synthesized by solvothermal method followed by phosphorization. The defects generated by P doping and the generation of multilayered nonuniform interfaces enhance the dielectric loss induced by polarization. Simultaneously, the magnetic phosphides induce magnetic loss and modulate the dielectric properties of the carbon matrix to enhance the conductive loss. The multilayered hollow structure of this composite promotes the scattering and reflection of electromagnetic waves and optimizes the impedance characteristics. As a result, the multilayered hollow Co2P/Ni2P@C composite exhibits an optimum reflection loss value (RL) of –64.6 dB at 15.1 GHz with a thickness of 2 mm and a filler ratio of only 10 wt%. The radar cross-section (RCS) attenuation further demonstrates that the material can dissipate microwave energy in practical applications. Overall, this work provides an effective development strategy for the design of multilayered high-performance electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers doped with strongly polarized elements.

Ultrasonic Field Induces Better Crystallinity And Abundant Defects at Grain Boundaries to Develop Cus Electromagnetic Wave Absorber.

Ultrasonic field (USF) is widely used to regulate the intrinsic properties of materials that have not been applied in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. One reason is that the lack of a response mechanism for the materials to USF hinders the expansion of their EMW absorption performance. Therefore, to address this issue, a series of CuS nanoparticles with diverse anions wereconstructed in the presence or absence of USF. The ultrasonic-induced cavitation effect can significantly promote CuS crystallization and lead to the accumulation of S defects at the grain boundaries (GBs). Furthermore, the S defects at the GBs wereeasily oriented and arranged, allowing the polarization relaxation retention to be maintained at 10wt.%. Consequently, the CuS with a nitrate precursor under USF showed an optimum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 10.24GHz at a thickness of 3.5mm, which was228.6% more than that without the USF. CuS with a chloride precursor also achieved an EAB of 3.92GHz, even at a considerably low filler ratio. Thus, ourstudy demonstrates the response mechanism of diverse anions to the USF for the first time and provides a novel technique to optimize the EMW absorption performance of semiconductors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of a Fish-Bone-Inspired Inorganic-Organic Composite Membrane.

Biological materials have properties like great strength and flexibility that are not present in synthetic materials. Using the ribs of crucian carp as a reference, we investigated the mechanisms behind the high mechanical properties of this rib bone, and found highly oriented layers of calcium phosphate (CaP) and collagen fibers. To fabricate a fish-rib-bone-mimicking membrane with similar structure and mechanical properties, this study involves (1) the rapid synthesis of plate-like CaP crystals, (2) the layering of CaP-gelatin hydrogels by gradual drying, and (3) controlling the shape of composite membranes using porous gypsum molds. Finally, as a result of optimizing the compositional ratio of CaP filler and gelatin hydrogel, a CaP filler content of 40% provided the optimal mechanical properties of toughness and stiffness similar to fish bone. Due to the rigidity, flexibility, and ease of shape control of the composite membrane materials, this membrane could be applied as a guided bone regeneration (GBR) membrane.

RESEARCH ON FORMULATION OF HARD CAPSULES CONTAINING EXTRACTS OF HOUTTUYNIA CORDATA THUMB (SAURURACEAE), MORUS ALBA L. (MORACEAE), AND CARICA PAPAYA L. (CARICACEAE)

Background: previous studies have demonstrated that Houttuynia cordata Thumb (Saururaceae), Morus alba L. (Moraceae), and Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) are effective against various viruses, especially the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In Vietnam, even though the three of these plant species are grown quite popularly and are pretty commonly consumed by residents regularly, there have not been any applications to the dosage forms to promote their full potential effects and make these dosage forms easy to use and preserve. Furthermore, no research has been conducted on a capsule form that combines all three of these medicinal herbs. Objectives: the research focuses on the composition of a hard capsule formula containing the extracts of Houttuynia cordata, Morus alba, and Carica papaya as well as the development of testing standards for prepared hard capsules. Materials and methods: the ratio of adsorbents and fillers in the formula was investigated so that the granules had low moisture, a suitable flow rate, and the appropriate apparent density for packaging; standards for testing capsules were developed according to current regulations. Results: the selected adsorbent was light MgCO3, with a ratio of plant extract: filler: adsorbent of 10: 5: 0.5 and a ratio of Avicel: Starch 1500 of 1: 3. Conclusions: a hard capsule containing medicinal plant extract was formulated with a moisture content of &lt; 5% and well-flowing granules that had the suitable apparent density for packing the capsule size of 0. Capsules met standards in terms of appearance, weight uniformity, disintegration, heavy metal and microorganisms, with a quercetin content of 74.45 ± 0.23 mg. The result of the study is considered one of the most essential bases for further research on determining the effectiveness of medicines derived from medicinal plants and applied to support the treatment of COVID-19, which is still happening in a quite complicated way at the moment.

The effect of hexagonal boron nitride nanopowders addition on the mechanical behaviors of basalt fabric reinforced composites

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of doping element on the structural, thermal properties, mechanical performance and the failure mechanism of hexagonal nano boron nitride (h-BN)-reinforced basalt fabric (BF)/epoxy composites produced by hand lay-up and vacuum bagging technique. h-BN particles doped to composite materials increased the tensile, bending and impact strength of the composite at certain rates while 1 Wt. % h- BN addition shows the highest tensile and flexural strength. Design/methodology/approach The epoxy resin was doped with h-BN nanopowder at the certain rates (0, 1, 2 and 4 Wt.%) and the epoxy: hardener ratios used in the study were selected as 80%: 20% by weight. Then, with the aid of a roller by hand lay-up method, a mixture of epoxy + hardeners containing nanoparticles and nanoparticle-free were fed onto BFs, 12 layers of each dimension 30 cm × 30 cm. The surplus epoxy resin was moved away from the composite sheets using the vacuum bagging process and left to cure at room temperature for 24 h. ASTM D3039 for tensile, D7264 for three-point bending and D256 for Izod impact test were performed for the mechanical tests. After the tensile test, the morphologies of the fracture surface were examined with a stereomicroscope and various failure mechanisms are highlighted. Findings In this study, a series of basalt/epoxy composites with h-BN nanopowders have been prepared to identify the effect of filler ratio on mechanical properties. It has been known from the results of mechanical experiments that the addition of h-BN improves the mechanical performance of materials at a certain rate. The tensile and flexural strengths of h-BN doped composites, increase for concentrations of 1 Wt.% h-BN, but decrease with the increasing content of it. The basalt/epoxy resin composite with higher mechanical properties could be a potential material in the automotive and aerospace industries. Originality/value The aim of this study is to contribute to literature within the context of this new combination of composites and their mechanical properties, failure mechanisms. It presents detailed characterization of each composite by using X-ray differaction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy.