Sand Composite Research Articles

Highly efficient green-synthesized sucrose-derived graphene silica and carbonate sand composites for copper (II) ions removal

Highly efficient green-synthesized sucrose-derived graphene silica and carbonate sand composites for copper (II) ions removal

Penetration resistance of honeycomb ceramic matrix composites with filler material

The major purpose of this study is to analyze the resistance of honeycomb ceramic matrix composites to penetration and to explore the effect of the performance characteristics of the filler materials on this capability. We used alumina ceramics, polyurea, quartz sand powder, and boron carbide powder to manufacture composite materials, and conducted impact tests and numerical simulations on them. The simulation results of Abaqus were found to be very consistent with the test results. The results demonstrate that the polyurea coating and filler materials may effectively improve the anti-penetration penetration performance of the composites, and different filler materials have varying energy absorption effects. Extended research on composites was carried out utilizing experimentally validated numerical models with filler materials comprising silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride. After a comparative analysis of the simulation results of different composites, compared to quartz sand composites, the energy absorption efficiency of boron carbide composites increased by 12.03 %, silicon carbide composites increased by 14.63 %, aluminum nitride composites increased by 15.16 %, and silicon nitride composites increased by 18.29 %. Among the relevant materials in this study, there exists an optimal value of the stress wave impedance difference between the matrix material and the filler material. Honeycomb ceramic matrix composites with an ideal combination of stress wave impedance differences can considerably increase the anti-penetration efficiency of the composites.

Manufacture and Characterization of Lightweight Sand-Plastic Composites Made of Plastic Waste and Sand: Effect of Sand Types

Over the past decade, many types of waste have been exploited as feedstocks in different industries. Recycled plastics are among the waste sought for several civil engineering applications. In this work, various plastic-bonded sand composites based on polypropylene waste and silica sand were produced to serve as building materials in many construction applications. Many tests and analysis were carried out in this investigation. First of all, two initial used compounds (waste PP and various silica sand) were analyzed by using ATR-FTIR, XRF, and grain size distribution. In the second time, the different plastic-bonded sand composites were analyzed by using ATR-FTIR to assess their composition. On the other hand, mechanical, and physical tests such as three-point flexural strength, compressive strength, water absorption, and optical observation were applied on different produced composite samples, then the results were examined and analyzed. The results showed that the developed composites exhibit commendable mechanical properties, especially flexural and compression resistance, and minimal water absorption. It is worth noting that the plastic-bonded sand containing Khobana sand showed the highest flexural and compressive strength at 11.56±0.36 and 26.19±0.27 MPa, respectively, along with the lowest water absorption rate of 0.46%. This study confirms its contribution to enhancing sustainability and promoting the principles of the circular economy.

Magnesium Addition and Treatment of Reinforcement Particles in Al6061 – Sea Sand Composite on Coefficients Friction and Wear Rate

Aluminium matrix composite is a composite material that can be used as reinforcement to increase the tribological properties of composite. The process of manufacturing the Al6061-Sea sand composite used the stir casting method with stirring time of 10 minutes and speed of 600 rpm. Stir casting specimens were manufactured with height dimension of 20 mm and diameter of 10 mm. After that, the specimen was friction tested using the pin on disc method. The highest coefficient of friction was the specimen without electroless coating with the addition of 2 wt% Mg of 0.634. The more mass fraction of sea sand, the higher the porosity, and the lower the density. An electroless coating process can be carried out on reinforcing particles. This study aims to determine the effect of addition of Mg and treatment of reinforcing particles on the Al6061-Sea sand composite on the coefficient of friction and wear rate. The coefficient of friction, the specimen density increased, the porosity and the wear rate, decreased. This occurred because the reinforcement particle size of sea sand bonded strongly to aluminium matrix. The highest coefficient of friction was the electroless coating with the addition of 2 wt% Mg of sea sand, which was 0.646.

Studies of forging on the aluminium-sea sand composites

The goal of this research was to determine the impact of cold forging on the mechanical characteristics and microstructure of Al MMCs at various sea sand percentages and forging deformations. The wettability of sea sand was improved by applying an electroless coating just before the stir-casting procedure. Using the stir casting technique, a composite material of Al6061 and sea sand was fabricated at several percentages of sea sand in weight, such as 2, 4, and 6%. In addition, open-die forging in cold settings was studied to learn more about the deformation characteristics of Al6061-sea sand composite. Composites were tested for density, porosity, microstructure, macrostructure, and hardness. The behaviour of microstructures was studied with an optical microscope. Brinell hardness readings taken according to ASTM E-10 were used to characterize the composite. The stir casting method was used to investigate and analyse the samples characteristics. More sea sand particles are distributed throughout the matrix as the composite’s density decreases. Increases in porosity are associated with an increase in reinforcement percentage, as this leads to more matrix-reinforcement surface contact and hence more porosity. The hardness diminishes with an increase in the proportion of sea sand particles. The mechanical qualities of the composite were enhanced by an oxide compound found on the sea sand. Evidence suggests that forging enhances mechanical and microstructure qualities.

Determination of Viscoelastic Characteristics of Epoxy–Sand Composites Used in Repair of Road Machinery

Determination of Viscoelastic Characteristics of Epoxy–Sand Composites Used in Repair of Road Machinery

Criteria for the Operational and Economic Estimation of the Efficiency of Epoxy–Sand Composites of Different Compositions as Abrasive-Resistant Coatings of Parts of Tillow-Tool Implements

Criteria for the Operational and Economic Estimation of the Efficiency of Epoxy–Sand Composites of Different Compositions as Abrasive-Resistant Coatings of Parts of Tillow-Tool Implements

Cleaner production of iron-coated quartz sand composites for efficient phosphorus adsorption in sanitary wastewater: A design of experiments (DoE) approach

Phosphorus (P) adsorption and recovery from sanitary wastewater is a promising route to produce more sustainable fertilizers. Multivariate Design of Experiments (DoE) techniques were used to develop a cleaner process to produce Fe-coated quartz sand composites with applications in Phosphorus (P) adsorption from sanitary effluents. Nine different process parameters were investigated and correlations between process inputs and physicochemical characteristics of adsorbents were elucidated. It was found that Goethite and Magnetite phases with different degrees of crystallinity were obtained depending on the conditions applied during the synthesis by coprecipitation. Statistical models fitted to an experimental multivariate database were used to predict the best conditions for synthesizing an efficient P adsorbent. In addition, a zero-waste process for the production of the adsorbents is reported. The best adsorbent produced, an aqueous suspension containing particles of a SiO2@FeOOH composite, exhibited a P (KH2PO4) adsorption capacity of 12.4 mg P/g (C0 = 10 mg P/L, pH 6.0) and robust performance when applied in simulated sanitary effluent, reaching 97% of P removal efficiency (C0 = 5 mg P/L). Considering the value of the green star area index (GSAI), the optimized method (suspension) was 65% green, reaching the maximum score for four of the ten principles involved, denoting the greenness of the proposed method. The optimized adsorbent has appropriate characteristics to be applied in sanitary effluent treatment processes for capturing and recovering residual P, contributing to a more sustainable management of natural resources.

Itaconic Anhydride as a Bio-Based Compatibilizer for a Tung Oil-Based Thermosetting Resin Reinforced with Sand and Algae Biomass

In this work, renewable composites were prepared by the association of a thermosetting resin synthesized via free-radical polymerization, using a mixture of tung oil, n-butyl methacrylate, and divinylbenzene, with silica-rich fillers, namely an algae biomass with high silica content, and a well-sorted sand. Furthermore, to investigate if the interaction between the non-polar resin and polar reinforcements could be improved, enhancing the materials’ mechanical properties, itaconic anhydride, a bio-derived molecule obtained from itaconic acid, was introduced to the resin composition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) suggested that the thermal stability of the composites was overall not changed with the addition of itaconic anhydride. The mechanical properties of the sand composites, however, did improve, as the storage modulus at room temperature, measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), almost doubled in the presence of itaconic anhydride. The glass transition temperatures of the materials increased by approximately 30 °C when sand was used as a reinforcement. Water absorption experiments validated an increase in the polarity of the unreinforced resin by the addition of itaconic anhydride to its formulation. The composites, however, did not exhibit a significant difference in polarity in the presence of itaconic anhydride. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), demonstrated better matrix–filler adhesion in the presence of itaconic anhydride for high-silica algae composites.

Studying Resistance of Epoxy Sand Composites against Impact of Aggressive Mediums

Studying Resistance of Epoxy Sand Composites against Impact of Aggressive Mediums

Sustainable synthesis of graphene sand composite from waste cooking oil for dye removal

Waste cooking oil (WCO) appears to be a potential carbonaceous source for synthesizing graphene sand composite (GSC) adsorbent in removing pollutants. This study presents a green synthesis method of GSC using WCO as a sustainable carbon source for the synthesis of GSC through the thermal graphitization method. Characterization analysis conducted on GSCWCO verified the successful coating of WCO onto the sand surface and conversion to graphene, which possessed distinct functional groups and features of graphene materials. GSCWCO adsorbent effectiveness in removing Congo Red dye through batch adsorption was studied under the influence of different initial concentrations (20 to 100 mg/L), and the optimum pH (pH 2 to 10), contact time (5 to 240 min), and temperature (25 to 45 °C) were investigated. The GSCWCO showed removal rates of 91.5% achieved at an initial dye concentration of 20 mg L−1, 1.0 g of adsorbent dosage, a temperature of 25 °C, and 150 min of contact time. The GSCWCO exhibited a maximum capacity of 5.52 mg g−1, was well-fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model with an R2 value of 0.989 and had an adsorption mechanism that followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Negative values of enthalpy (ΔH) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) revealed that CR adsorption onto GSCWCO was a spontaneous and exothermic process. The presence of functional groups on the surface of GSCWCO with such interactions (π–π attractive forces, hydrophobic forces, and hydrogen bonding) was responsible for the anionic dye removal. Regeneration of GSCWCO adsorbent declined after four cycles, possibly due to the chemisorption of dyes with GSC that resulted in inefficient adsorption. Being a waste-to-wealth product, GSCWCO possessed great potential to be used for water treatment and simultaneously benefited the environment through the effort to reduce the excessive discharge of WCO.

Mechanical characterization of low temperature thermomechanical treated AA6061-silica sand composites

In the present work efforts are made to confirm the effects of reinforcement and thermomechanical treatment (TMT) on the mechanical properties of aluminium matrix composite (AMC) produced through stir casting technique. Silica sand particles with varying weight percentages were used to fabricate the composites and the extracted particle analysis revealed the retention of a minimum of 97% of reinforcement particles. The composites are subjected to conventional age hardening and low temperature thermomechanical treatment (LTMT) to enhance their mechanical properties. The mechanical characterization of the composites subjected to heat treatment processes include hardness and tensile tests. Nearly 20–30% increase in peak hardness, 30% decrease in aging time and 15% increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was observed in LTMT treated composites as compared to age hardened composites. The best results of peak hardness and UTS of 139.76 HV and 274 MPa respectively were achieved by composite containing 6 wt.% silica sand reinforcement subjected to 15% deformation and aged at 100 °C.

Dry sliding wear investigation of graphene reinforced copper-silica sand composite by response surface methodology

In the present investigation, Cu-based metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been fabricated through powder metallurgy using silica sand micro-particles and graphene as nano-fillers, and their influence on wear behavior has been studied. The weight fraction of silica sand has been fixed to 5 wt. % and graphene nanoparticles have been varied from 0.1 to 0.3 wt. % in the steps of 0.1 wt. %. The investigated samples have been fabricated by cold pressing at 500 MPa, followed by sintering (750-900 °C × 2 h) in a nitrogen atmosphere. The wear behaviour of all fabricated samples has been done on a pin-on-disc wear tester at ambient conditions. Microstructural characterization such as Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy showed uniform dispersion of both silica and graphene nanoparticles. Relative density, hardness and wear resistance increased with the addition of graphene nanoparticles up to 0.2 wt. %. The electrical conductivity of the samples has been evaluated using four probes setup. Increasing the amount of graphene nanoparticles from 0.1 to 0.3 wt. % resulted in a decrease in the electrical conductivity of the sintered copper silica composite. The wear mechanism of worn surfaces has been analyzed and discussed using scanning electron microscopy. Adhesive wear, abrasive wear and delamination were the dominant wear mechanisms during the dry sliding wear test. Further, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique have been employed to investigate the influences of most dominating process parameters on responses like sintered density, hardness and wear loss. Finally, based on error analysis, model-predicted results and experimental data have been compared and found to be satisfactory. The percentage errors during the confirmatory test for sintered density, hardness and wear loss are 1.59, 2.06 and 2 respectively, which justify the worth of present research work.

Study on shear resistance and crack resistance and toughening mechanism of fiber reinforced cement stabilized aeolian sand

With an aim to elucidate the shear performance of the fiber reinforced cement stabilized aeolian sand aggregates, herein, glass fiber was uniformly incorporated into the cement stabilized aeolian sand composites. Unconsolidated undrained shear (UU) triaxial compression tests were carried out on specimens under different coupling effects, and the structural performance was improved and control tests were carried out. The mechanism of fiber crack resistance and toughening was analyzed at a micro level through SEM based on the fiber structure performance degradation control technology. The results showed that the fiber can effectively improve the failure strength of the cement-stabilized aeolian sand. The fiber added in cement-stabilized Aeolian sand had an optimal reinforcement ratio and length of 2.4 ‰ and 12 mm, respectively. The incorporation of fiber can significantly improve the overall stability of the blend material and alleviate the strength attenuation caused by the freeze–thaw cycle. As a deformation aggregate with continuous distribution defects, the fiber inhibits the initiation and propagation of cracks during the loading process of the specimen. The crack resistance effect is generated in the blend system and runs through the whole process before and after the loading, which eases the stress concentration at the tip of the crack. When the comprehensive amount of stress and strain reaches a certain critical value, the crack becomes unstable and expands. The research results can provide a reference for theoretical research and engineering practice of glass fiber reinforced cement curing aeolian sand.

Photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue dye using sand-graphite composite under visible light irradiation

The present work aims to synthesize a new graphite-sand composite based on sand and natural sugar with a simple method for photocatalysis application. The obtained photocatalyst was characterized by different techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Ultra-violet Visible (UV–vis). The photocatalytic performances of the synthesized samples were studied for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye as a model pollutant under visible light irradiation. Natural sand, the prepared graphite, and sand-graphite (SG) composite samples were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in aqueous solution. The effects of different experimental parameters on the adsorption capacity and degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye were investigated, such as pH, photocatalyst weight, and contact time. Furthermore, the MB centration, time irradiation, and temperature were fixed for all experiment tests: 10 mg/L, 60 min, and 20–25 °C, respectively. The optimized conditions for best adsorption were determined as follows: pH = 9, photocatalyst mass = 2.4 g/l for graphite sand composite, and pH = 12, photocatalyst mass = 0.2 g/l. According to the results, the sand-graphite composite showed the best photocatalytic performance with a removal efficiency of 87.12 % degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye compared to graphite and sand with a rate of 70.52 % and 38.13 %, respectively. These results indicate that the combination of sand and graphite particles enhanced the photocatalytic performance and adsorption capacity of the composite. The pseudo-first-order (PFO) and second-first-order (PSO) were applied for kinetic adsorption study. The kinetic data matched well with PSO model. The thermodynamic investigation shows that the adsorption of MB on SG composite was an exothermic and spontaneous process. According to this, the synthesized sand-graphite photocatalyst can be used as an alternative material for the degradation of dye wastewater under visible light irradiation.

Effects of Stir Casting Baffles on Hardness and Microstructure: Investigation of Designed Aluminum Composites

The increasing demand for lightweight material specifications has forced researchers to develop lightweight materials that are inexpensive, can be produced on a large scale, and are environmentally friendly. One solution that has been developed is an aluminum composite reinforced with sea sand. Indonesia has the second longest coastline in the world, which means that the country is rich in maritime resources, one of which is sea sand. The ceramic contents of SiO2, SiC, and Al2O3allow sea sand to be used as a reinforcement in aluminum composites for engineering purposes. The most effective manufacturing method of AA6061–sea sand composites is stir casting, but the homogeneity and distribution of particles are the main disadvantages of the stir casting method. Various factors affect particle distribution and homogeneity, one of which is the flow during the stirring process. The increase in turbulent flow in the stirring process affects the homogeneity and distribution of the particles. One way to create a turbulent flow when stirring is to add baffles. This paper examines the effect of adding baffles during the stir casting process on the mechanical properties of AA6061–sea sand composites. The mechanical properties of AA6061–sea sand composites were characterized using the Brinell hardness test according to ASTM E-10. The test results show that the addition of baffles during the stir casting process decreases the hardness of the AA6061–sea sand composites due to the turbulent flow that occurs. This makes the material more porous, which makes the AA6061–sea sand composites less hard. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-08-04 Full Text: PDF

Adsorption of Some Heavy Metals from Wastewater using Fine Sand and Zeolite

In this study, successive columns containing different types of solid state materials were used to investigate the treatment efficiency of soya bean oil mill wastewater (soap stock) using heavy metals analysis. Soap stock is a liquid waste obtained from soya bean oil industry from the neutralization process which has several environmental issues due to its high amount of organic and inorganic pollutants. Soap stock emerges from the refining process when oil is treated with a dilute alkali solution separating the FFAs as soaps. In this present study, an attempt was made at treating the wastewater using successive columns containing different types of solid state materials. The wastewater was passed through successive columns of fine sand, Zeolite and Zeolite/fine sand composite.. This treatment method decreased the toxic concentration of heavy metals assessed which include Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd by mean percentages of 96.60%, 100%, 62.0%, 16.10% and 96.60% respectively. Most contaminants were removed in the Zeolite/sand composite column possibly as a result of ion exchange capacity in addition to high sorption affinity of Zeolite on its active sites. This simple Zeolite based method enable us to obtain environmentally friendly treated soya bean oil water that can be safely used for irrigation purposes.

Sugar molasses as a sustainable precursor for the synthesis of graphene sand composite adsorbent for tetracycline and methylene blue removal.

Sugar molasses from agricultural waste could be a sustainable carbon source for the synthesis of graphene adsorbent introduced in this work. The sugar molasses was successfully converted to graphene-like material and subsequently coated on the sand as graphene sand composite (GSC), as proven by XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM with EDX mapping analyses. The adsorption performance of GSC was evaluated against the removal of Tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) pollutants from an aqueous solution in a fixed bed column continuous-flow adsorption setup. The effect of different process conditions: bed height (4-12cm), influent flow rate (3-7mL/min), and contaminants' concentration (50-150ppm) was investigated. The results revealed that column performance was improved by increasing the bed depth and lowering the flow rate and concentration of the pollutants. The best removal efficiency was obtained when the bed height was 12cm, the influent flow rate of 3mL/min, and the pollutants' initial concentration was 50mg/L. Thomas, Adams-Bohart, and Yoon-Nelson models were attempted to fit the breakthrough curves. Regeneration of the GSC indicated the decline of breakthrough time from 240-280 to 180min, reflecting the decrease in adsorptive sites due to the incomplete regeneration process. Overall, sugar molasses was shown to be a low-cost precursor for synthesizing valuable graphene material in the form of GSC, which can reduce the problem for industrial waste management of sugar molasses, and the GSC could be used as an adsorbent for environmental application.

Sand/polyethyleneimine composite microparticles: Eco-friendly, high selective and efficient heavy metal ion catchers

The modification of natural sand surface with a high number of amino groups represents an interesting route to obtain organic nanostructured films onto solid surfaces aiming heavy metal ion decontamination of surface waters. Herein, one weak polycation (branched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI)) and one weak polyanion (poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)) were one-step deposited through non-stoichiometric interpolyelectrolyte coacervate precipitation method onto different sizes sand fractions (F70, F100, F200, F355) followed by glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linking. The sand composites, with ten times higher and fast sorption properties toward heavy metal ions compared with bare sand, were obtained only after PAA extraction in strong basic media from previously cross-linked sand//(PEI-GA/PAA) composite surfaces. The sorbed amount of heavy metal ions in column experiments depended on the amount of organic material deposited on the sand particles, amount which depended on the sand fraction size. The maximum recorded value, after 5 cycles of loading/release of copper ions onto F70//(PEI-GA), was ~7 mg Cu2+/mL column composite (or ~80 mg Cu2+/g composite shell). Natural sand composites based on cross-linked PEI chains on the solid surface could be very promising by scaling up the production, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly solid sorbents used in multiple water cleaning processes (non-competitive conditions) and copper separation from an aqueous mixture (competitive conditions).

Reuse of Waste Plastics in Developing Countries: Properties of Waste Plastic-Sand Composites

Waste plastics are a major problem in developing countries, where efficient collection and recycling systems often do not exist. Plastic bonded sand composites provide a low-cost recycling alternative for selected waste plastics. This research has investigated the production and properties of plastic bonded sand manufactured using low-density and high-density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE). Plastic bonded sand production in The Gambia was used as a case study to identify potential barriers to the technology. Processing was done by oven moulding, or a heat-mixing technique, and the properties of the LDPE and HDPE bonded sand samples formed have been determined. Processing at temperatures between 250 °C and 325 °C produced optimum compressive and flexural strengths. Higher processing temperatures reduced strength and lower temperatures produced inhomogeneous samples. Thermal plastic degradation occurs at 400 °C in N2 and 250 °C in air. Processing at temperatures below 250 °C in anoxic conditions is necessary to control off-gases. The optimum sand addition to produce the highest compressive strength was between 65 and 80%, depending on the sand particle size. HDPE produced higher maximum compressive strengths (37.1 MPa) compared to LDPE (27.2 MPa). Plastic bonded sand has increased strength, toughness, ductility, and thermal conductivity compared to C20/25 concrete and sandcrete and it can be used for wall construction blocks and paving tiles. The potential applications and implications of processing waste plastics in developing countries into plastic bonded sand are discussed.Graphical