This research investigates the strength of kenaf or epoxy composite filled with mesoporous silica and
studies the hybrid effects between mesoporous silica or kenaf in epoxy matrix. The volume of kenaf
woven mat is maintained constantly at 7.2vol%, whereas proportion of epoxy is varied with inclusion of
mesoporous silica and silicon, keeping constant the volume of the composite at 67.5cm3. The proportion
of mesoporous silica is altered from 0.5vol%, 1.0vol%, 3.0vol% and 5.0vol%, while silicon is kept
constant at 3.0vol%. A total of 11 specimens were produced, each with its distinctive composition and
mechanical strengths. Variation of fillers composition affects the mechanical strengths of the composite.
SEM analysis shows that epoxy bonds well with silicon, kenaf and mesoporous silica. Some de-bonding
among the components is observed within the composite although there is also some tearing of fibres and
impregnation of epoxy within fibre, proving that the components have good interaction and do not act
individually. Flexural test shows that mesoporous silica improves the flexural strength of the composite,
where the highest value is 35.14MPa, obtained at 5.0vol% Mesoporous Silica in Kenaf/Epoxy (SiaK/
Ep). It also improves the flexural modulus, where the highest value is 1569.48MPa, obtained at 3.0vol%
SiaK/Ep. DMA result reveals that adding mesoporous silica increases the Tg of the composite produced.
Highest Tg is obtained at 0.5vol% Mesoporous Silica in Kenaf/Epoxy modofied Silicon (SiaK/Ep-Si)
with the value of 87.54°C.
Dispersibility of nanoparticles is the key problem in nanotechnology industries, and thus warrants
attention on the techniques of dispersion. This review paper presents dispersibility of treated nanoparticles
in polymer resin. Dispersibility of nanoparticles in polymer media is crucial in order to enhance the
mechanical and thermal properties of nanocomposite. This paper concentrates on several preparations
on how to incorporate nanoparticles in polymer to overcome the problem described in this review. A
few techniques are discussed in this paper such as by using ultra sonication or even directly mixing
nanoparticles into polymer matrix.
Medical imaging phantoms are considered critical in mimicking the properties of human tissue for calibration, training, surgical planning, and simulation purposes. Hence, the stability and accuracy of the imaging phantom play a significant role in diagnostic imaging. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of hydrogen silicone (HS) and water (H2O) on the compression strength, radiation attenuation properties, and computed tomography (CT) number of the blended Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) samples, and to verify the best material to simulate kidney tissue. Four samples with different compositions were studied, including samples S1, S2, S3, and S4, which consisted of PDMS 100%, HS/PDMS 20:80, H2O/PDMS 20:80, and HS/H2O/PDMS 20:40:40, respectively. The stability of the samples was assessed using compression testing, and the attenuation properties of sample S2 were evaluated. The effective atomic number of S2 showed a similar pattern to the human kidney tissue at 1.50 × 10-1 to 1 MeV. With the use of a 120 kVp X-ray beam, the CT number quantified for S2, as well measured 40 HU, and had the highest contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) value. Therefore, the S2 sample formulation exhibited the potential to mimic the human kidney, as it has a similar dynamic and is higher in terms of stability as a medical phantom.