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17 pages, 11168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

pH-Responsive Gold Nanoparticle/PVP Nanoconjugate for Targeted Delivery and Enhanced Anticancer Activity of Withaferin A

by Velmurugan Sekar, Amutha Santhanam and Paulraj Arunkumar

Processes 2025, 13(5), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13051290 - 23 Apr 2025

Viewed by 149

Abstract

The development of advanced high-capacity nanoparticle-based drug loading, precise targeting, low toxicity, and excellent biocompatibility is critical for improving cancer therapeutics. Withaferin A, a natural steroidal lactone derived from Physalis minima, exhibits potential biological activity and holds promise as a therapeutic agent. [...] Read more.

The development of advanced high-capacity nanoparticle-based drug loading, precise targeting, low toxicity, and excellent biocompatibility is critical for improving cancer therapeutics. Withaferin A, a natural steroidal lactone derived from Physalis minima, exhibits potential biological activity and holds promise as a therapeutic agent. In this study, a novel nanoconjugate (NC) was developed using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Withaferin A drug, and folic acid for targeted drug delivery in cancer treatment. The AuNPs–PVP–Withaferin A–FA nanoconjugate was synthesized through a layer-by-layer assembly process and was confirmed using UV–visible and FTIR spectroscopy. The hydrodynamic radius, surface charge, and morphology of the NC were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis, and electron microscopy, respectively. The nanoformulation demonstrated a pH-responsive drug release, with 92% of Withaferin A released at pH 5, mimicking the tumor microenvironment. In vitro cytotoxicity studies conducted on MCF-7 cells using MTT assays, dual dye staining, and protein expression analysis revealed that the nanoconjugate effectively induced apoptosis in cancer cells. These outcomes emphasize the prospect AuNPs–PVP–Withaferin A–FA nanoconjugate as a targeted and efficient Withaferin A delivery system for cancer therapy, leveraging the inherent anticancer properties of Withaferin A. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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19 pages, 3052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling the Permeabilities of Dry Filament Wound Cylindrical Reinforcements for RTM Simulation

by Souheil Somrani, Eric Jacques, Benjamin Weiss and Boris Duchamp

Processes 2025, 13(4), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041071 - 3 Apr 2025

Viewed by 222

Abstract

The production rate of filament wound composites can be improved by using the resin transfer moulding (RTM) process on dry filament wound reinforcements. Finite-element simulation of the resin flow in the porous dry fibre preform is needed to understand and improve the RTM [...] Read more.

The production rate of filament wound composites can be improved by using the resin transfer moulding (RTM) process on dry filament wound reinforcements. Finite-element simulation of the resin flow in the porous dry fibre preform is needed to understand and improve the RTM process and to lower development time and cost. However, in a filament wound preform, the fibre volume content and the stacking sequence related to winding angles vary with geometry. This paper presents a new and simple modelling approach which quickly predicts the local principal directions and values of the permeabilities of a dry filament wound preform. In dry filament winding, dry unidirectional fibres are wound on a mandrel so that each element in the RTM simulation contains a multidirectional stacking. Thus, the model uses experimental permeabilities of a unidirectional stacking to predict the permeabilities of a multidirectional stacking for each element. Comparisons between calculated and experimental permeabilities of flat multidirectional stackings show a nesting effect on the permeabilities of the unidirectional stacking used as model input. A calculation method to recalibrate the input permeabilities of the dry unidirectional tape, based on measurements with minimal nesting, is offered. Better predictions are then obtained. The absolute percentage changes with experimental values were limited to 63.9% and 103.6% on in-plane and out-of-plane permeabilities, which had an order of magnitude of 1 × 10⁻¹² and 1 × 10⁻¹³, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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29 pages, 3699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Analysis of Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene Copolymer and Its Irradiated Products Under Constant and Cyclic Thermal Processes

by Lee Tin Sin, Soo-Tueen Bee and Guo-Jun Chin

Processes 2025, 13(3), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13030723 - 3 Mar 2025

Viewed by 513

Abstract

This study focuses on using constant and ramp cyclic processes to evaluate the performance of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymer with electron beam irradiation cross-linking. The main objective of this study is to compare the effects of both constant and ramp cyclic thermal processes on [...] Read more.

This study focuses on using constant and ramp cyclic processes to evaluate the performance of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymer with electron beam irradiation cross-linking. The main objective of this study is to compare the effects of both constant and ramp cyclic thermal processes on ABS where the results demonstrated degradation effects on ABS and its irradiated products. Under constant thermal ageing at 100 °C, the impact strength of the samples decreased drastically with increasing irradiation dosage, reaching a minimum value of 54 J/m² at 250 kGy. Tensile strength also showed a significant reduction, with values dropping from 49 MPa to 43 MPa for samples aged for 2 and 8 days, respectively, when dosages exceeded 100 kGy. This degradation is attributed to the chain scission process induced by prolonged thermal ageing and heating effects. In the ramp cyclic thermal ageing condition (Ramp-100), the impact strength followed a trend similar to the constant 100 °C thermal effect but exhibited less severe degradation. The impact strength decreased from 72 J/m² to 58 J/m² for the ramp cyclic effect compared to the greater reduction in the constant 100 °C condition (73 J/m² to 54 J/m²). This difference is likely due to the less harsh, intermittent heating ramp cyclic process compared to the continuous heating, suggesting that intermittent heating mitigated thermal degradation and chain scission mechanisms. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis verified the effects of irradiation and thermal ageing on thermal properties. For unaged samples, the melting temperature remained low at 106.24 °C. With irradiation dosages of 100 and 200 kGy, the melting temperature increased to 107.76 °C and 111.43 °C, respectively, likely due to enhanced intermolecular bonding from increased cross-linking. Overall, cyclic thermal ageing caused less significant degradation of ABS products compared to constant thermal ageing. This suggests that ABS products have a longer service life in environments with ramp cyclic temperature variations compared to constant temperature conditions, which accelerate degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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11 pages, 2752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study on Preparation of Aluminum-Rare Earth Master Alloy Fine Powders by Mechanical Pulverization and Gas Atomization Methods

by Huiyi Bai, Yunping Ji, Yiming Li, Haoqi Wang, Xueliang Kang, Huiping Ren and Wei Lv

Processes 2025, 13(2), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020548 - 15 Feb 2025

Viewed by 456

Abstract

Aiming at the high-value application of rare earth elements lanthanum (La), an Al-50% La alloy was selected and prepared in a vacuum medium-frequency induction furnace. The geometric characteristics of the Al-50% La alloy powders were compared and studied, with the powders prepared by [...] Read more.

Aiming at the high-value application of rare earth elements lanthanum (La), an Al-50% La alloy was selected and prepared in a vacuum medium-frequency induction furnace. The geometric characteristics of the Al-50% La alloy powders were compared and studied, with the powders prepared by two different methods: mechanical pulverization and gas atomization. The results showed that an Al-49.09% La master alloy was obtained, and the only intermediate phase containing La in the experimental alloy was Al₁₁La₃. From the perspectives of chemical and phase composition, La has a high yield. Additionally, an Al-La alloy with controllable rare earth intermediate phases can be obtained. The Al-La alloy powders prepared by the mechanical pulverization method are irregular in shape, but the particle size is relatively small, ranging from 0.25 to 66.9 μm. Submicron powders were obtained, with 4.38% of the powders having an equivalent particle size of less than 1 μm. Considering the characteristic of the selective laser melting (SLM) process forming micro-melt pools, a small amount of submicron Al-La alloy powders prepared by the mechanical pulverization method can be used as a trace additive for SLM preparation of CP-Ti. The powders prepared by gas atomization have good sphericity, with a particle size range of 1.65 to 76.0 μm. Among them, the powders with a size of 2–10 μm account for 75.52%, and this part of the powders can be used for the powder metallurgy preparation of composite materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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12 pages, 5741 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Study of Helium Irradiation Effect on Al6061 Alloy Fabricated by Additive Friction Stir Deposition

by Uttam Bhandari, Huan Ding, Congyuan Zeng, Shizhong Yang, Abdennaceur Karoui, Hyosim Kim, Pengcheng Zhu, Matthew Ryan Chancey, Yongqiang Wang and Shengmin Guo

Processes 2024, 12(10), 2144; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102144 - 2 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1038

Abstract

Additive friction stir deposition (AFS-D) is considered a productive method of additive manufacturing (AM) due to its ability to produce dense mechanical parts at a faster deposition rate compared to other AM methods. Al6061 alloy finds extensive application in aerospace and nuclear engineering; [...] Read more.

Additive friction stir deposition (AFS-D) is considered a productive method of additive manufacturing (AM) due to its ability to produce dense mechanical parts at a faster deposition rate compared to other AM methods. Al6061 alloy finds extensive application in aerospace and nuclear engineering; nevertheless, exposure to radiation or high-energy particles over time tends to deteriorate their mechanical performance. However, the effect of radiation on the components manufactured using the AFS-D method is still unexamined. In this work, samples from the as-fabricated Al6061 alloy, by AFS-D, and the Al6061 feedstock rod were irradiated with He+ ions to 10 dpa at ambient temperature. The microstructural and mechanical changes induced by irradiation of He+ were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoindentation. This study demonstrates that, at 10 dpa of irradiation damage, the feedstock Al6061 produced a bigger size of He bubbles than the AFS-D Al6061. Nanoindentation analysis revealed that both the feedstock Al6061 and AFS-D Al6061 samples have experienced radiation-induced hardening. These studies provide a valuable understanding of the microstructural and mechanical performance of AFS-D materials in radiation environments, offering essential data for the selection of materials and processing methods for potential application in aerospace and nuclear engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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19 pages, 7897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparisons of the Performance of Novel Lightweight Three-Dimensional Hybrid Composites against GLARE Fiber–Metal Laminate

by Ke Wang and Farid Taheri

Processes 2023, 11(10), 2875; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11102875 - 29 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1496

Abstract

The objective of the work presented in this paper is to overcome several major shortcomings of the recently introduced 3D composites (3DCs) and their fiber–metal-laminate renditions (3DFMLs). A new class of lightweight, stiff, and resilient three-dimensional hybrid composites (3DHCs) is introduced in this [...] Read more.

The objective of the work presented in this paper is to overcome several major shortcomings of the recently introduced 3D composites (3DCs) and their fiber–metal-laminate renditions (3DFMLs). A new class of lightweight, stiff, and resilient three-dimensional hybrid composites (3DHCs) is introduced in this study, referred to as “inserts enhanced 3D hybrid composites” (IE3DHCs). The performances of all configurations were characterised by conducting three-point flexural tests using a span-to-thickness ratio of 32:1. The flexural performance of 3DFMLs with different core thicknesses was first compared using GLARE-3/2-0.4 as a baseline, revealing the superior performance of 3DFMLs; the optimal performance was exhibited by 3DFML with a 3 mm 3DC core. However, the lower ductility of 3DFMLs, as well as their poorly controlled and time-consuming fabrication process were recognized. The newly developed materials (IE3DHCs) had a comparatively simpler fabrication processes with significantly higher quality control. More importantly, IE3DHCs exhibited an approximately 160% improvement in ductility and as much as a 250% improved design strength compared to 3DFMLs. These findings showcase the promising potential of IE3DHCs for future research and real-world applications. Additionally, robust finite element models were developed to simulate flexural tests and optimize future renditions of the IE3DHCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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13 pages, 3197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal-Mechanical Analysis of a Metro Station’s Concrete Structure

by Zongyuan Ma, Wei Li, Zhaoyu Li, Xuefei Ruan and Kai Jiao

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041124 - 5 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2117

Abstract

The problem of temperature variation in mass concrete construction is a crucial problem in civil engineering. The problems of the temperature field, damaged areas, and the cracking of the structure during the construction process of concrete pouring are analyzed in this paper. An [...] Read more.

The problem of temperature variation in mass concrete construction is a crucial problem in civil engineering. The problems of the temperature field, damaged areas, and the cracking of the structure during the construction process of concrete pouring are analyzed in this paper. An elastic and damaged constitutive model for concrete and a fully coupled analysis method for analyzing the temperature-stress field was proposed to simulate and predict the construction process of a concrete structure in a metro station. The influence of different concrete compositions and material properties was not taken into account in this study. The results show that the temperature-stress complete coupling analysis method can be applied to the calculation and analysis of cracking in a concrete structure that is caused by internal temperature variations during the pouring process of complex concrete structures. An efficient method and research approach is proposed by this study to analyze the damage and cracking issues caused by temperature changes during the pouring process of concrete structures in metro stations. The area and extent of the damage and cracking during the construction can be predicted and evaluated, and a reference for metro station construction and operation is proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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14 pages, 6527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Ni−MOF−74@PA−PEI for Radon Removal under Ambient Conditions

by Xi Liu, Yuan Sun, Chunlai Wang, Li Lv and Yun Liang

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1069; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041069 - 2 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6395

Abstract

Radon is one of the 19 carcinogenic substances identified by the World Health Organization, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment. Properly removing radon under ambient conditions remains challenging. Compared with traditional radon−adsorbent materials such as activated carbon and zeolite, [...] Read more.

Radon is one of the 19 carcinogenic substances identified by the World Health Organization, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment. Properly removing radon under ambient conditions remains challenging. Compared with traditional radon−adsorbent materials such as activated carbon and zeolite, metal–organic framework (MOF) materials provide a high specific surface area, rich structure, and designability. However, MOF material powders demonstrate complications regarding practical use, such as easy accumulation, deactivation, and difficult recovery. Ni−MOF−74 was in situ grown on a porous polyacrylic acid (PA) spherical substrate via stepwise negative pressure impregnation. Ni−MOF−74 was structured as one−dimensional rod−shaped crystals (200–300 nm) in large−pore PA microspheres, whose porous structure increased the diffusion of radon gas. The radon adsorption coefficient of a Ni−MOF−74@PA−polyethyleneimine composite material was 0.49 L/g (293 K, relative humidity of 20%, air carrier). In comparison with pristine Ni−MOF−74 powder, our composite material exhibited enhanced adsorption and longer penetration time. The radon adsorption coefficient of the composite material was found to be from one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of zeolite and silica gel. The proposed material can be used for radon adsorption while overcoming the formation problem of MOF powders. Our preparation approach can provide a reference for the composite process of MOFs and polymers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials Processing, Modeling and Simulation)

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