In this research, the effect of Samarium Oxide (Sm) doped (mol%) NiO as a dopant and added (wt%) in NiO as ceramic composite were investigated. The comparison of both doped and added ceramic in their dielectric properties was studied. Both electroceramic Ni(1-x)SmxO and NiSmO3 were prepared by using a solid-state reaction method. Samarium was added with five different concentrations, which are 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.10 mol% for dopant and another five different concentrations which are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt% for addition in NiO. The XRD results show that both ceramic doped and added samples did not change the NiO cubic structure. Besides, a high concentration of Sm3+ causes the lattice parameter of NiO to increase. The dielectric behavior was observed in a frequency range of 100 to 100 000 Hz. The optimum composition for Ni(1-x)SmxO and NiSmO3 was obtained at × = 0.01 mol% and 5.0 wt% sample with highest ε° (2.4 × 104 and 9.3 × 104) respectively but at the same time, they exhibit high dielectric loss (tan δ) with value 4.9 and 10.5 respectively.

No abstract

Clay brick is one of the most widely used conventional materials in the masonry construction throughout the world. Despite living in cement age, bricks still have a defined space in our societies. Clay bricks are good for construction activities in dry zones because of its better thermal insulation and moisture control properties. With around 39 percent of the home’s energy use going towards maintaining a pleasant temperature, it has become increasingly important to build a home that will minimize the energy required for heating and cooling, from both a cost savings and sustainability perspective [1]. Bricks made with clay material can be the better option to neutralize the above condition since bricks offer superior thermal mass.