Investigation on the Influence of Basalt Short Fiber on Thermo-Physical Properties of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites.
The objective of this research work was to investigate 
on the influence of basalt fiber on the microstructure and thermo-physical properties of Al /basalt short fiber metal matrix composites (MMCs). The MMCs were fabricated by liquid metallurgical technique and the basalt short fiber varies from 0 to 10 wt. %. The developed MMCs were characterized for damping, coefficient of thermal expansion, specific heat and electrical resistance using dynamic mechanical analyzer, thermal mechanical analyzer, differential scanning calorimeter and four probe electrometer respectively. The results shows that the specific damping properties and specific heat increase with increasing basalt fibers addition\ but, electrical resistivity and coefficient of thermal expansion decreased.
Continuous-fiber reinforced composites: A new generation
The mechanical and physical properties of aluminum-matrix composites reinforced with high-performance continuous alumina fibers are reviewed and compared with those of other structural materials. Continuous-fiber reinforced aluminum-matrix compositesoffer outstanding improvements in specific strength and specific stiffness over conventional alloys and particulate composites. Thelongitudinal tensile strength of an aluminum matrix reinforced with 55–65 vol.% alumina fibers is in the range ofl.4-1.9 GPa, the longitudinal Young's modulus is 220–240 GPa, and the density is 3.2-3.4 g/cm3. The mechanisms of strengthening and fracture under longitudinal, transverse, and shear loading are reviewed. Examples of applications are presented that are representative of the range of product forms being developed.
Improved Skin Penetration Using In Situ Nanoparticulate Diclofenac Diethylamine in Hydrogel Systems: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Delivering diclofenac diethylamine transdermally by means of a hydrogel is an approach to reduce or avoid systemic toxicity of the drug while providing local action for a prolonged period. In the present investigation, a process was developed to produce nanosize particles (about 10 nm) of diclofenac diethylamine in situ during the development of hydrogel, using simple mixing technique. Hydrogel was developed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (5.8% w/w) and carbopol 71G (1.5% w/w). The formulations were evaluated on the basis of field emission scanning electron microscopy, texture analysis, and the assessment of various physiochemical properties. Viscosity (163–165 cps for hydrogel containing microsize drug particles and 171–173 cps for hydrogel containing nanosize drug particles, respectively) and swelling index (varied between 0.62 and 0.68) data favor the hydrogels for satisfactory topical applications. The measured hardness of the different hydrogels was uniform indicating a uniform spreadability. Data of in vitro skin (cadaver) permeation for 10 h showed that the enhancement ratios of the flux of the formulation containing nanosize drug (without the permeation enhancer) were 9.72 and 1.30 compared to the formulation containing microsized drug and the marketed formulations, respectively. In vivo plasma level of the drug increased predominantly for the hydrogel containing nanosize drug-clusters. The study depicts a simple technique for preparing hydrogel containing nanosize diclofenac diethylamine particles in situ, which can be commercially viable. The study also shows the advantage of the experimental transdermal hydrogel with nanosize drug particles over the hydrogel with microsize drug particles.