In this study, improving the mechanical properties of Porcelain-CaSiO3 bioactive composites has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), flexural strength, and Vickers microhardness tester. Preparing the porcelain-CaSiO3 composite has been done using the sol-gel method from Si(OC2H5)4, Ca (NO3)2.4H2O as starting materials and HNO3 used as a catalyst and mixed the sol of CaSiO3 with Porcelain IPS inline powder with three different weight percentages of CaSiO3 (P90CS10, P80CS20 and P70CS30 wt. %). Structural characterization revealed the amorphous phase of CaSiO3 when heated at 700 °C and phase transition to the crystalline phase when heated at 950 °C, where pseudowollastonite (α-CaSiO3) and Ca2(SiO4) phases have appeared. Concerning the mechanical properties, flexural strength, and Vickers microhardness for porcelain-CaSiO3 composites were increased with increasing CaSiO3 content in the composites. The maximum values of flexural strength and Vicker microhardness were recorded at P70CS30, and they were 99.85 MPa and 1604 MPa, respectively.
The cement industry is one of the essential industries in Iraq that has taken a wide range of attention in many applied fields, but this industry faces some technical and engineering problems. One of these problems may cause consumption sliding bearing used in the kiln rotary of the Kufa cement plant. In this study, the effect of Antimony as an alloying element on the wear resistance behavior of tin bronze alloys produced by die and sand mold casting technique was investigated. The alloying element (Sb) was added with a percentage of 3, 5, and 8 wt. %. Wear tests were carried out using pin-on-disc. In the wear test, the applied load and rotating speed were selected to be 10, 20, 30 N, and 250 rpm, respectively. The prepared alloys have been characterized using the SEM and XRD techniques. It was concluded that the loss of CuSn12 alloy produced by the die mold casting technique was lower due to its higher hardness and wear resistance increased in general with increasing the applied load. The tin bronze + 8 wt% Sb has more wear resistance than tin bronze +5 wt% Sb, tin bronze +3 wt% Sb, and tin bronze alloys.
A significant amount of apiaries is destroyed in most areas of Iraq by attacking of the hornet Vespa orientalis Linnaeus, 1771, as well as the deterioration of European honey bees’ Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 productivity recently because the environmental changes and pollutions; this effect was evident in the economy and plant production, because the bees as the most popular species of pollinator of crops globally. There is no effective and environmentally safe method yet; Therefore, this study suggested to use essential oils of Mediterranean cypress Cupressus sempervirens L., 1753 (Pinales: Cupressaceae), and testing as a repellant substance. In the current investigations, we used three concentrations: 25000, 50000 and 100000 ppm to test efficacy the essential oil as a repellant with cow spleen as attractive bait for this wasp, in addition to, the extract was tested it within the apiary beehives to prevent wasps attacking and catching the worker bees. The result showed that the concentrations of 50000 and 100000 ppm were high repellant material, without finding any significant difference in statistical analysis; although it’s found between these concentrations and other treatments including the control. Therefore, we recommend using the concentration 50000 ppm in the apiaries to give it amazing results and a clear repellant of wasps, as they avoid getting close to the beehives openings at a distance of 45 cm. In addition, this essential oil did not effect on the activity of bees during the field observations.
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