Nanocellulose from abundant sources is attracting attention because it offers excellent properties. There are a number of sources that can be used to extract cellulose such as algae, bacteria, non-wood and wood materials. Numerous methods were established in order to isolate nanocellulose and each method produced different types of nanocellulose. However, there are some limitations in merging nanocellulose into polymeric material due to the presence of the hydrophilic group in nanocellulose structure. In order to overcome the limitations, surface modification method was introduced and may improve the homogeneity and interfacial interaction between nanocellulose and polymeric material. Utilising nanocellulose as reinforcement filler has successfully proved the hypothesis, where properties of the composite were enhanced according to several studies.

Solid particle erosion of squeeze-cast LM6 (Al-Si12)/cenosphere composites was investigated at ambient temperature. Experiments were performed with different weight percentages (5%, 7.5%, 10% and 12.5%) of composites, having four velocities (48 m/s, 70 m/s, 82 m/s and 109 m/s), at impact angle (30°, 45°, 60° and 90°) and with silica sand as abrasive particle. The eroded surfaces were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the particle velocity and impact angle affected the erosion behaviour of the composites. It was found that with the addition of reinforcement to the matrix, the erosion rate was increased at high particle velocities or upon increasing impact angle. The erosion mechanisms observed for the composites are micro ploughing and micro cutting at low impact angles, whereas at high impact angles the erosion of the composites is due to fracture.

Experimental studies were performed on five different marble samples, namely Makarana white, Bhainslana black, Andhi white, Udaipur sea green and Agaria white to know the influence of their mineral and physico-mechanical properties on the specific wear of the tool. To achieve this sawing experiment were performed in down cutting mode on different marble samples to find the wear rate of the tool. Marble samples were tested in the laboratory to find their mechanical properties according to ASTM standards, the further micro-structural characterisation was carried out using thin sections and was observed under a polarised microscope for identifying the mineral composition, grain size distribution, and other textural information. Statistically tested marble samples revealed that specific wear rate (SWR) increases with an increase in the grain size of quartz and lime unveiling them as dominating factors affecting wear. A weak correlation was found to be existing between the quartz content and SWR has been discussed. Except hardness, none of the other mechanical properties showed a significant correlation to SWR indicating that mechanical properties are not alone affecting the tool wear but also the mineral properties and their grain sizes.

Experimental investigations are carried out to study the influence of turning process parameters on fatigue performance of steel AISI 304-L. Cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut are selected as experimental factors to be varied over a set of fatigue test runs. Using design of experiment study optimum combinations of cutting conditions was decided. As per ASTM standard smooth hourglass shape fatigue test specimens having gauge surface turned finished using setting of cutting condition as per DOE matrix were prepared on CNC lathe. Specimens are tested under constrained strain amplitude fatigue using fully integrated servo-hydraulic, axial fatigue test system. Strain amplitude of 0.3% is applied at cyclic frequency of 0.3 Hz. All tests are performed with same fatigue experimental setting. Test results are statistically analysed using response surface regression method and fatigue life prediction model with 95% accuracy is built. Individual and interaction effect of selected factors were studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Rotational moulding of foamed polyethylene has increasingly become an important process in industry. The main focus of this article is to examine the rotomouldability of a foamed polyethylene and their impact strength. As components produced using rotational moulding process are used in outdoor applications (like overhead chemical storage tanks, water storage tanks, automobile fuel tanks, car bodies, etc), impact strength of such products is considered as one of the prime quality feature. The work centres on the use of statistical technique to analyse the impact strength of foamed rotationally moulded products. The investigations are done on a typical linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) mixed with 6% LLDPE foam material. Experimental runs and analysis based on design of experiments (DOE) revealed nonlinear effects of process parameters on impact strength. It is found that maximum impact strength of the foamed rotomoulded product could be obtained by optimal fixing of process parameters.

Cu-Ni-Sn alloys with varying nickel wt% were melted in an electric furnace under argon atmosphere and were cast into metal mould. The specimens were solutionised at 825°C for 10 hrs and were aged at 250, 300, 350, 400 and 450°C for 1 to 5 hrs. The peak hardness was determined for different ageing temperatures and wear rate, coefficient of friction, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and percentage elongation were determined with respect to the peak hardness. Peak hardness was found to be increasing with increase in nickel addition, wear rate decreased with increase in peak hardness, the coefficient of friction was found to be independent of hardness, ultimate tensile strength and yield strength was found to be increasing with increase in nickel content and percentage elongation decreased with increase in nickel content.

This paper presents an efficient method to prepare ZnO nanoporous structure via immersion of Si substrate with catalyst assistance (gold) in the mixture of zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)2.6H2O) and urea (CH4N2O). Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of nanoporous ZnO revealed it had strong UV emission with low oxygen defect. Optical properties are found to be significantly affected by varying the Zn2+: urea ratio but from surface morphology observation, the porous structure was stable and seemingly unchanged.

The aim of the present work was to explore the feasibility of different additive manufacturing techniques applied in design, diagnosis and planning of a locked intramedullary nail used in the diaphyseal femoral fractures. Using a clinical case study of a femoral diaphysis fracture, a biomodel was developed to simulate the osseointegration bone-implant. The biomechanical analysis was performed using the finite element method and different additive manufacturing techniques were applied, particularly the full colour printing to obtain the colour levels related to von Mises stresses. The biomodel and all applied prototyping techniques have proved to be important, since they allow fast reconstruction of layered prototyping models from point cloud data with a shape errors control. In surgical procedures these models can provide practice simulators, procedure guides and models against which to measure progress by helping health professionals on an accurate and safe surgical planning.

Additive manufacturing methods have been increasingly attracting the attention of researchers and engineers due to offered advantages in this regard. Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing process which is used to produce complex shaped parts. Limited research has been reported so far on the cyclic elastoplastic response of SLM Ti-6Al-4V, a technologically significant phenomenon affecting the low and high cycle fatigue performance of the fabricated parts. This research presents preliminary results obtained from an in-progress mechanical characterisation campaign conducted on SLM Ti-6Al-4V specimens. Experimental data from uniaxial strain controlled tests are presented in conjunction with surface hardness measurements and an examination of the microstructural characteristics of the materials. Wrought material data, obtained from testing and the literature are utilised for comparison. Preliminary findings of ongoing research provide an insight in the elastoplastic behaviour anticipated for this class of metals.

In this study, composites are fabricated using polyester fibre-based needle-punched nonwoven fabric mat as a reinforcement material, with different area density and at constant fabric loading. Experiments are conducted to study the effect of area density of fabric mat on mechanical and physical behaviour such as tensile strength, flexural strength, inter-laminar shear strength and density. Similarly, wear behaviour is also studied using slurry abrasion test rig by considering different parameters like sliding speed, normal load, sliding distance, silica sand size and area density. Taguchi orthogonal array is adopted to analyse the wear characteristics. Further, steady state results indicated that the wear rate of the composites decreased with the increase in normal load whereas increased with the increase in sliding velocity. The comparative analysis showed that the mechanical and physical properties of composites improved significantly with the increase in area density of the fabric.