Generation of energy across the world is today reliant majorly on fossil fuels. The burning of these fuels is growing in line with the increase in the demand for energy globally. Consequently, climate change, air contamination, and energy security issues are rising as well. An efficient alternative to this grave hazard is the speedy substitution of fossil fuel-based carbon energy sources with the shift to clean sources of renewable energy that cause zero emissions. This needs to happen in conjunction with the continuing increase in the overall consumption of energy worldwide. Many resources of renewable energy are available. These include thermal, solar photovoltaic, biomass and wind, tidal energy, hydropower, and geothermal. Notably, tidal energy exhibits great potential with regard to its dependability, superior energy density, certainty, and durability. The energy mined from the tides on the basis of steady and anticipated vertical movements of the water, causing tidal currents, could be converted into kinetic energy to produce electricity. Tidal barrages could channel mechanical energy, while tidewater river turbines can seize the energy from tidal currents. This study discusses the present trends, ecological effects, and the prospects for technology related to tidal energy.
Performance of new engineered material from epoxy resins with modified epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) and nanofillers were investigated. ENR from renewable natural crop resources is a type of green material with potential to partially substitute or replace and toughen petrochemical-based polymers. Nanocomposites (epoxy resin/ENR/fillers nanoparticles) were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscope (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparison of characterized and mechanical properties of nanofiller reinforced with both nanocellulose and nanosilica were studied. The nanocomposites were characterized for their mechanical properties (e.g., impact strength, tensile strength) and thermal degradation behaviour by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechanical property investigation results show that, the impact strength of nanocomposites, can be improved by blending in ENR 50 mixed with nanofiller, relative to the baseline nanocomposite mixers. The nanofiller loading in epoxy composite showed the highest improvement in mechanical properties at 0.75 phr (parts per hundred of resin). Effects of accelerated weathering aging were evaluated, and the observed changes were larger with nanosilica than with nanocellulose filler. Here, the accelerated aging increase in tensile properties was found to be 10% after 14 days in both nanofillers, while the other mechanical properties did not change significantly. These nanocomposites are expected to have high wear rates limiting their service life.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.