Electron Beam Irradiation on the Production of a Si- and Zr-Based Hybrid Material: A Study by FTIR and WDXRF

Abstract

Sol-gel production of hybrid materials has, to some extent, revolutionised materials’ engineering and the way science and technology perceive the creation of new materials. Despite that, the method presents some limitations that are circumvented by radiation processing. Electron beam irradiation was used to promote synthesis of hybrid structures while using silanol-terminated PDMS, TEOS and TPOZ as precursors. Evaluation of the method’s performance was executed by gel fraction determination, WDXRF and FTIR-ATR. Results showed that, although there is some pre-irradiation reactivity between precursors, radiolysis induces scission on multiple sites of precursor’s structures, which induces hybrid network formation to a greater extent. Characterisation allowed determining electron beam irradiation to be effective in the creation of Si–O–Zr bonds, resulting in the production of a Class II hybrid material.

Production of Zirconium-Niobium Alloys for Nuclear Reactors Fuel Rods via SHS Process

“…(7) The combination of SHS processes of zirconium alloy with 1% niobium with ELP provides compact ingots with a diameter of 200 mm for the production of tube billets and tubes for fuel elements. (8) The properties of the experimental zirconium alloy with 1% niobium meet the requirements of international standard ASTM B350/B350M-11 (Reapproved 2016) and the standard of Ukraine TU 001.257-85.…”

“…The development of electron-beam technologies has made it possible to intensify the process of purification of zirconium from metal impurities. This made it possible to obtain an alloy with a purity of more than 99.9% [8]. Electron-beam installations do not require the production of large-tonnage ingots, the melting of which requires an energy-intensive vacuum-arc process.…”

Fabrication and characterization of epoxidized natural rubber nanocomposites reinforced with mercapto‐functionalized nanozirconia filler

“…54 The FTIR spectrum obtained for MTS-coated ZrO 2 NPs reveals the presence of new peaks compared to the unmodified nanoparticles, including peaks in the range of 2925-2855 cm À1 indicating the stretching vibration of C H bonds and a distinct peak at around 1030 cm À1 corresponding to the Zr O Si stretching band. 55 Furthermore, a reduction in the intensity of bands at 3440 and 1630 cm À1 , associated with OH groups on the nanozirconia surface, indicates the successful grafting of MTS molecules onto the nanozirconia surface.…”