The present study investigates the influence of hot-deformation, above β-transus and different thermal treatments on the microstructural and mechanical behaviour of a commercially available Ti-6246 titanium-based alloy, by SEM (scanning electron microscopy), tensile and microhardness testing techniques. The as-received Ti-6246 alloy was hot-deformed—HR by rolling, at 1000 °C, with a total thickness reduction (total deformation degree) of 65%, in 4 rolling passes. After HR, different thermal (solution—ST and ageing—A) treatments were applied in order to induce changes in the alloy’s microstructure and mechanical behaviour. The applied solution treatments (ST) were performed at temperatures below and above β-transus (α → β transition temperature; approx. 935 °C), to 800 °C, 900 °C and 1000 °C respectively, while ageing treatment at a fixed temperature of 600 °C. The STs duration was fixed at 27 min while A duration at 6 h. Microstructural characteristics of all thermomechanical (TM) processed samples and obtained mechanical properties were analysed and correlated with the TM processing conditions. The microstructure analysis shows that the applied TM processing route influences the morphology of the alloy’s constituent phases. The initial AR microstructure shows typical Widmanstätten/basket-weave-type grains which, after HR, are heavily deformed along the rolling direction. The STs induced the regeneration of α-Ti and β-Ti phases, as thin alternate lamellae/plate-like structures, showing preferred spatial orientation. Also, the STs induced the formation of α′-Ti/α″-Ti martensite phases within parent α-Ti/β-Ti phases. The ageing treatment (A) induces reversion of α′-Ti/α″-Ti martensite phases in parent α-Ti/β-Ti phases. Mechanical behaviour showed that both strength and ductility properties are influenced, also, by applied TM processing route, optimum properties being obtained for a ST temperature of 900 °C followed by ageing (ST2 + A state), when both strength and ductility properties are at their maximum (σUTS = 1279 ± 15 MPa, σ0.2 = 1161 ± 14 MPa, εf = 10.1 ± 1.3%).

This paper assessed the collagen glue (Col) from rabbit skin for use as a raw material in combination with different water-based dispersants of antimicrobial agents such as ZnO NPs, TiO2 NPs doped with nitrogen and Ag NPs (TiO2-N-Ag NPs), and chitosan (CS) for the production of biocompatible and antimicrobial nanofibers. The electrospun nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance in conjunction with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) analyses and antioxidant activity. The biocompatibility of electrospun nanofibers was investigated on cell lines of mouse fibroblast NCTC ((clone L929) using MTT test assays. Antimicrobial activity was performed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Candida albicans pathogenic fungus. Electrospun antimicrobial nanofibers based on collagen glue achieved reduction in the number of viable microorganisms against both fungi and bacteria and exhibited multiple inhibitory actions of fungal and bacterial strains. The electrospun nanofibers showed average dimension sizes in the range of 30–160 nm. The results indicated that both Col/TiO2-N-Ag NPs and Col/CS formulations are suitable for cell proliferation and may be useful for producing of nonactive wound dressings.

No abstract

The recycled polypropylene (rPP) materials that meet technical requirements such as reducing the dimensions and improving the tensile, elongation, impact strength, thermal stability, as well as melt processing, are required for the manufacturing industry. In this paper, we studied the mechanical and thermal properties of post-consumer rPP by adding both synthesized thermoplastic elastomers, and glass bubbles (GB) by a melt allowing process. Styrene-butadiene (SBS) and styrene-isoprene (SIS) block-copolymers that had a styrene content of 30 wt% were synthesized by anionic sequential polymerization. The obtained post-consumer rPP composites were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical analyses (tensile, density, hardness, VICAT softening temperature (VST), heat deflection temperature (HDT), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), IZOD strength) and thermal analyses (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)). Weight reduction and improvement of the tensile, elongation, impact strength, thermal stability, as well as melt processing of post-consumer recycled polypropylene (rPP) properties compounded with thermoplastic elastomers and glass bubbles, sustain the use of these formulations for engineering applications.