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Crumb rubber (CR) from scrap tires is used as a partial replacement of fine aggregates in cement paste. This promotes the sustainable development of the environment, economy, and society, as waste tires are non-biodegradable and flammable. They occupy large landfill areas and are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents. Inclusion of CR in mortar leads to several improvements on the mixture properties such as ductility, toughness, and impact resistance. However, it exhibits lower strengths and Modulus of Elasticity (ME). Therefore, to promote the use of mortar containing CR, it is vital to improve its mechanical strength. Past studies proved that nano-silica (NS) improves the strength of concrete due to the physico-chemical effects of NS. This study aims to examine the mechanical properties of crumb rubber mortar containing nano-silica (NS-CRM) and to develop models to predict these properties using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Two variables were considered, CR as partial replacement to sand by volume (0%, 7.5%, 15%), and NS as partial replacement to cement by weight (0%, 2.5%, 5%). The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of CRM when incorporating NS, and the models developed using RSM were acceptable with a 2% to 3% variation.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma14195496 | DOI Listing |
Nanoscale
September 2025
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK.
The mechanical properties of the polymeric substrate or matrix where a cell grows affect cell behavior. Most studies have focused on relating elastic properties of polymeric substrates, which are time-independent, to cell behaviors. However, polymeric substrates and biological systems exhibit a time-dependent, often viscoelastic, mechanical response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMater Horiz
September 2025
MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecule Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, PR China.
Globular proteins, traditionally regarded as non-structural biomolecules due to the limited load-bearing capacity in their monomeric states, are increasingly recognized as valuable building blocks for functional-mechanical materials. Their inherent bioactivity, chemical versatility, and structural tunability enable the design of materials that combine biological functionality with tailored mechanical performance. This review highlights recent advances in engineering globular proteins-spanning natural systems (serum albumins, enzymes, milk globulins, silk sericin, and soy protein isolates) to recombinant architectures including tandem-repeat proteins-into functional-mechanical platforms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
September 2025
Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Casilla 110V, Valparaíso, Chile.
Reversible control of spin-dependent thermoelectricity mechanical strain provides a platform for next-generation energy harvesting and thermal logic circuits. Using first-principles and Boltzmann transport calculations, we demonstrate that monolayer NiI undergoes a strain-driven semiconductor-to-half-metal transition, enabled by the selective closure of its spin-down band gap while preserving a robust ferromagnetic ground state. Remarkably, this transition is accompanied by a giant, non-monotonic violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law, with the Lorenz number enhanced up to 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemSusChem
September 2025
Stokes Laboratories, School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, V94 T9PX, Ireland.
The development of mechanically robust, biocompatible, and biodegradable hydrogels remains a significant challenge for biomedical applications involving load-bearing soft tissues. Herein, a tubular lignin-derived hydrogel is engineered to assess its physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Kraft and organosolv lignin are systematically compared at varying crosslinker concentrations to determine their effect on pore morphology, swelling behavior, and mechanical performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Comput Chem
September 2025
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh.
This study presents a comprehensive first-principles and device-performance investigation of alkali metal-based anti-perovskites ZBrO (Z = K, Rb, Cs, and Fr) for advanced optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications. Using density functional theory (DFT) with GGA-PBE and mGGA-rSCAN functionals, we analyzed the structural, electronic, optical, mechanical, phonon, population, and thermoelectric properties of these compounds. All ZBrO materials exhibit direct band gaps and strong optical absorption in the visible-UV spectrum.
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