Study of Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3]/Polylactic Acid Composite

This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] nanocomposite particles through the application of ultrasound-assisted precipitation using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. They were collected in a water suspension with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the stabiliser. The presence of the Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] core and Ni shell was confirmed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and with electron diffraction. The TEM observations revealed the formation of round particles with an average diameter of 466 nm, while the lattice parameter on the Ni particle’s surface was measured to be 0.343 nm. The Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] nanocomposite particle suspensions were lyophilized, to obtain a dried material that was suitable for embedding into a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. The resulting PLA/Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] composite material was extruded, and the injection was moulded successfully. Flexural testing of PLA/Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] showed a slight average decrease (8.55%) in flexural strength and a small decrease from 3.7 to 3.3% strain at the break, when compared to the base PLA. These findings demonstrate the potential for utilising Ni/Y[sub.2]O[sub.3] nanocomposite particles in injection moulding applications and warrant further exploration of their properties and new applications in various fields.