Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) embedded diglycidylether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy composites were fabricated for improving its mechanical properties and thermal stability. The mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural and impact strength of the composites changed significantly with the introduction of PES. The value of the fracture toughness of this composite also was increased remarkably about 24%. Thermal stability of PES/epoxy composites also improved 12%, which was calculated with integral procedural decomposition temperature (IPDT). From the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) result, the curing temperature and curing heat decreased according to the increase of PES contents. These were attributed to the good distribution and the formation of the semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) composed of the epoxy network and linear PES.

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Biochar, which has high alkalinity, has widely studied for amendment of soil that contaminated with heavy metals. The aim of this study is assessment of amendment for arsenic and heavy metals contaminated acidic agricultural soil using biochar that derived from buffalo weed (A. trifida L. var. trifida). Pot experiments were carried out including analysis of soil solution, contaminants fractionation, soil chemical properties and plant (lettuce) uptake rate. Arsenic and heavy metals concentrations in soil solution showed relatively low in biochar added experiments when compared to the control. In the heavy metals fractionation in soil showed decrease of exchangeable fraction and increase of carbonates fraction; however, arsenic fractionations showed constant. Soil chemical properties indicated that biochar could induce recovery of soil quality for plant growth in terms of soil alkalinity. However, phosphate concentration in biochar added soil decreased due to Ca-P precipitation by exchangeable calcium from biochar. Arsenic and heavy metals uptake rate of plant in the amended experiment decreased to 50% when compared to the control. Therefore biochar derived from buffalo weed can be used as amendment material for agricultural soil contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals. Precipitation of As-Ca and metal-carbonates are major mechanisms for soil amendment using char.

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