Preparing structures with the sol-gel method often requires control of the basal plane of crystallites, crystallite structures, or the appearance of the voids. One of the critical factors in the formation of a layer are additives, such as aminoalcohols, which increase the control of the sol formation reaction. Since aminoalcohols differ in boiling points and alkalinity, their selection may play a significant role in the dynamics of structure formation. The main aim of this work is to examine the properties of ZnO layers grown using different aminoalcohols at different concentration rates. The layers were grown on various substrates, which would provide additional information on the behavior of the layers on a specific substrate, and the mixture was annealed at a relatively low temperature (400 °C). The research was conducted using monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA). The aminoalcohols were added to the solutions in equal concentrations. The microscopic image of the structure and the size of the crystallites were determined using micrographs. X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy were used for structural studies, phase analysis and to establish the purity of the obtained films. UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence were used to evaluate structural defects. This paper shows the influence of the stabilizer on the morphology of samples and the influence of the morphology and structure on the optical properties. The above comparison may allow the preparation of ZnO samples for specific applications.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the wide-bandgap semiconductors, which may be useful in a plethora of electronic, optical, piezoelectric, and scintillating applications. The following article consists in a structural and luminescence analysis of ZnO microfilms grown on a sapphire substrate with a sol–gel method. The films were annealed at different temperatures. The structures were investigated with the XRD and Raman methods, by which the influence of the substrate on the structure of the film was determined. The luminescence of films was investigated with room-temperature fluorescence, radioluminescence, and thermoluminescence.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is the most widely used material for bio coating. The functional layer can be produced by many methods, however, the most perspective by its utility, easy to scale up, and simplicity aspects remains a hydrothermal treatment approach. In this work, an HAp coating was produced by low-temperature hydrothermal treatment on the ultrafine-grain beta Ti-xMo (x = 23, 27, 35 wt.%) alloys. The proposed surface treatment procedure combines acid etching, alkaline treatment (AT), and finally hydrothermal treatment (HT). The uniqueness of the approach relies on the recognition of the influence of the molar concentration of NaOH (5 M, 7 M, 10 M, 12 M) during the alkaline treatment on the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals. Obtained and modified specimens were examined structurally and microstructurally at every stage of the process. The results show that the layer after AT consist of titanium oxide and phases based on sodium with various phase relations dependent on NaOH concentration and base composition. The AT in 7 M and 10 M enables to obtain the HAp layer, which can be characterized as the most developed in terms of thickness and porosity. Finally, selected coated samples were investigated in terms of surface wettability test managed in time relation, which for the results confirm high hydrophilicity of the surfaces. Conducted research shows that the low-temperature hydrothermal processing could be considered for a possible adaptation in the drug encapsulation and delivery systems.

Ti(β) alloys have become an important class in the biomedical field due to low Young’s modulus, excellent physical properties, and biocompatibility. However, their properties, like biocompatibility and, also, low wear resistance, can be still enhanced. To improve those properties, a composites approach can be applied. This research shows a new approach of the composite structure fabrication by powder metallurgy methods which for a stabile yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) reinforcement phase could be obtained in the ultra-fine grain range beta-titanium matrix. In this work, the composites based on ultrafine-grain Ti-xMo (x = 23 wt%, 27 wt%, 35 wt%) alloys with addition 3 wt%, 5 wt% or 10 wt% YSZ, and 1 wt% Y2O3 were fabricated by the mechanical alloying and hot-pressing approach. Obtained composites were characterized in terms of their phase composition, microstructure, Young’s modulus, hardness, surface free energy (SFE), and corrosion resistance. The structure of composites consists of phases based on Ti–Mo, Ti(α), and YSZ. The oxide (YSZ) powder tends to agglomerate during processing, which is revealed in composites based on Ti23Mo and Ti27Mo. However, composites based on Ti35Mo are characterized by a high degree of dispersibility and this influences significantly the hardness value of the composites obtained. Only in the case of composites based on Ti35Mo, the decrease in Young’ Modulus is observed. All composites possess a hydrophilic surface property and good corrosion resistance.

In this work, NiAl-xWC (x = 0 − 90 wt.% WC) intermetallic-based composites were successfully synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and a hot-pressing approach. As initial powders, a mixture of nickel, aluminum and tungsten carbide was used. The phase changes in analyzed systems after mechanical alloying and hot pressing were evaluated by an X-ray diffraction method. Scanning electron microscopy and hardness test examination were used for evaluating microstructure and properties for all fabricated systems from the initial powder to the final sinter stage. The basic sinter properties were evaluated to estimate their relative densities. Synthesized and fabricated NiAl-xWC composites showed an interesting relationship between the structure of the constituting phases, analyzed by planimetric and structural methods and sintering temperature. The analyzed relationship proves that the structural order reconstructed by sintering strongly depends on the initial formulation and its decomposition after MA processing. The results confirm that it is possible to obtain an intermetallic NiAl phase after 10 h of MA. For processed powder mixtures, the results showed that increased WC content intensifies fragmentation and structural disintegration. The final structure of the sinters fabricated in lower (800 °C) and higher temperature regimes (1100 °C), consisted of recrystallized NiAl and WC phases. The macro hardness of sinters obtained at 1100 °C increased from 409 HV (NiAl) to 1800 HV (NiAl + 90% WC). Obtained results reveal a new applicable perspective in the field of intermetallic-based composites and remain highly anticipated for possible application in severe-wear or high-temperature conditions.