Effect of Surface Roughness on the Electrochemical Behavior and Corrosion Resistance of TiTaNbZrAg Alloy with Different Amounts of Tantalum in Bulk Composition.

The corrosion behavior of the TiTaNbZrAg alloys with different amounts of tantalum (0%, 10% and 20%) and with distinct surface topography (smooth and rough) was investigated in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) for long-time immersion (1000 h). By this approach, we expect to bring about new insights into the influence of both the amount of Ta in the alloy composition and the surface topography on the corrosion behavior of the Ti-based alloys. The corrosion resistance was studied by Open Circuit Potential (OCP), Potentiodynamic Polarization (PP), and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS).

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Corn Starch Films for Sustainable Food Packaging by Optimizing Enzymatic Hydrolysis.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis using α-amylase from on the mechanical properties of starch-based films. The process parameters of enzymatic hydrolysis and the degree of hydrolysis (DH) were optimized using a Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). The mechanical properties of the resulting hydrolyzed corn starch films (tensile strain at break, tensile stress at break, and Young's modulus) were evaluated.

Accelerated Shelf-Life and Stability Testing of Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Films.

Nonbiodegradable food packaging films are made from plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, which can take hundreds of years to decompose and create environmental hazards. On the other hand, biodegradable food packaging films are made from renewable materials such as corn starch or cellulose, that degrade within a few weeks or months and prove to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In this work, we used corn starch hydrolyzed (CSH) with α-amylase to prepare a film with biodegradable properties.

Self-Sustained Three-Dimensional Macroporous TiO-Graphene Photocatalyst for Sunlight Decolorization of Methyl Orange.

The development of highly efficient sunlight-driven photocatalysts has triggered increased attention due to their merit in effluent treatment through a chemically green approach. To this end, we present herein the synthesis and characterization of the TiO/3D-GF/Ni hybrid emphasizing the main structural and morphological properties and the photodegradation process of a highly resistant aromatic azo dye, methyl orange, under both UV light and simulated sunlight. Three-dimensional (3D) graphene was grown by the thermal CVD method on the nickel foam and subsequently coated with thin films of anatase employing the sol-gel method.