Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Andrews Nirmala Grace
Professor, Director at Vellore Institute of Technology(VIT)
Keynote: Pt-free metal nitride counter electrode based Dye Sensitized solar cells - Current status and Future scope
Time : 10:00-10:30
Biography:
Andrews Nirmala Grace Professor and Director, Centre for Nanotechnology Research, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
Abstract:
Fossil fuel depletion and environmental concerns trigger the global energy sectors invest on renewable, sustainable and cost effective alternate source of energy. Solar energy is the primary source of clean and green energy, which drives solar cells by photoelectric effect to generate electricity. Among the different generations of solar cells, DSSCs are peculiar in view of low-cost device production, easy fabrication processes and wide choice of material selectivity for power conversion efficiency improvement. Additionally, dye sensitized solar cells has a great demand for current consumer market fascinated with solar powered portable electronic devices, solar energy vehicles and solar-powered wearable clothing. The efficient standard structure of DSSC comprises sandwiching dye sensitized TiO2 photo anode and Pt CE with iodide/triiodide redox electrolyte. Platinum as a counter electrode show an excellent electro catalytic performance in reducing the iodide/triiodide redox couple, and possess good corrosion resistance towards iodide species. But, the high cost and sustainability hinder the large scale production and commercialization of the conventional DSSC. Hence, tremendous research is going on in replacing Pt with different nanostructured materials as counter electrodes for DSSCs. Of it, transition metal nitrides (TMNs) are attractive due to its unique electronic structure and metal like chemical and physical characteristics. These characteristics significantly increase the d state electron density and reduce the d-band that makes the electronic structure of transition metal nitrides behave like that of noble metals like Pt and Pd up to the fermi level. In addition to the metallic conductivity, TMNs have very high corrosion resistance towards aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes, which has put forward the metal nitride as a potential candidate to replace noble platinum as counter electrode for DSSCs. The overall work discusses the material choice of metal nitride nanostructure and its efficiency improvement of the DSSC device, performance evaluation, stability, durability and its way to mass production and commercialization.
Keynote Forum
Ratnesh Das
Professor
Keynote: Carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles as an efficient electrochemical sensor for the analysis of calcium channel blockers
Time : 10:30-11:00
Biography:
Ratnesh Das is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Dr.Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, India. He commands a rich experience in teaching, and research of about 16 years during which he has supervised many sponsored research projects. His active research areas includeHeterocyclic synthesis, medicinal chemistry , electro-organic chemistry, synthesis of nano-catalysts and green chemistry. He has authored about 60 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals and refereed conferences organized by professional societies around the world. He is an active member of several professional bodies and societies, both in India andAbroad. He is a vibrant speaker and delivered many lectures in conferences, workshops, and seminars organized both in India and abroad..
Abstract:
The electrochemically functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes/copper nanoparticles(fMWCNT/CuNPs) carbon paste electrode (fMWCNT/CuNPs-CPE) was successfully modifiedby silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via electrocatalytic process. The formation of modified electrode (AgNPs/fMWCNT/Cu NP-CPE) was observed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The as-prepared electrodes were explored for thetrace recognition of calcium channel blocker drug amlodipine besylate (ADB) using cyclicvoltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Kinetic parameterslike electron transfer coefficient (α), charge due to adsorption (Qads), surface coverage (Γ),charge transfer coefficient (Rct), and apparent electron-transfer rate constant (kapp) for the designed electrodes were evaluated. The nanoparticles based electrochemical sensor displayed highsensitivity, good selectivity and favorable catalytic ability for the oxidation of calcium channel blocker drug.
Keynote Forum
Roberto Alejandro Rojas Holden
PHD, Professor at Universidad National de Asunción, Paraguay
Keynote: Theoretical approach to the Mechanism of adherence during Ceramics´ Manufacture
Time : 11:00-11:30
Biography:
Dr. Roberto Rojas Holden. PhD in Higher Education, Master in Environmental Impact Evaluation, Civil Engineer at UNA, Asuncion National University. Director of Extension, Faculty of Engineering UNA. Professor of Environmental Management for Civil Construction of Postgraduate Program at Faculty of Engineering UNA, Main Professor of Concrete Technology at UNCA, Caaguazú National University, Associate Professor of Mathematics 1 at Economy Sciences Faculty UNA, Assistant Professor of Civil Materials 1&2 at Engineering Faculty UNA Professor of Strength of Materials at Chemistry Faculty, Member of Technical committees for standards on ceramics, concrete and glass at INTN, National Institute of Technology, Standards and Metrology.
Abstract:
The research project will allow to understand furthermore the operation of physical mechanism of clay adherence to sand and lime during the process of kneading, drying and firing in manufacturing ceramics, in order to lead to a contribution to the theory that explains the interactions of both phases and how they work to achieve mechanical properties and little absorption, important requirements for the quality of these products, some of them structural. Raw material is obtained from deposits that are used to manufacture ceramics in the Western and Eastern Regions of Paraguay. The importance of this theory is that this traditional ceramic material will be studied again which like advanced ceramic materials deserve new technological treatments and theories that explain or describe better the behavior of the mechanism of union between particles that make up the raw material. Here it is provided results from XRD and SEM, as other tests carried out to have a better approach to understand the final grain composition of the former raw materials now turned ceramic
Keynote Forum
Saja M. Nabat Al-Ajrash
Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Dayton
Keynote: Additive Manufacturing of Hybrid Silicon Carbide/Carbon Fiber Nano-composites
Time : 11:30-12:00
Biography:
Saja M. Nabat Al-Ajrash is a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Dayton
Abstract:
A novel route to fabricate a hybrid ceramic matrix composite by utilizing preceramic polymers, chopped carbon nanofiber (CNF) precursors and subsequent additive manufacturing was introduced in this study. An allyl hydrido polycarbosilane (SMP-10) and 1,6-dexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) were mixed with a photo initiator to form a photo sensitive resin. The resulting resin was loaded with distinct weight percentages of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Nano fiber. These mixtures were 3D printed followed by pyrolysis. The end objective of the pyrolysis cycle is that the plycarbosilane resin is converted into a silicon carbide matrix, with the PAN converted into reinforcing carbon nanofibers. The impact of the CNF percentages on structural and mechanical properties was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nano-indentation characterization techniques, respectively. The prepared precursor resin proved to have outstanding photo-curing properties and the ability to transform to the silicon carbide phase at temperatures as low as 850 oC. The result of this work showed that ceramic matrix composite components can be successfully fabricated using 3D printing and a specific pyrolysis cycle. The obtained ceramic hybrid composite was fully dense with nearly linear shrinkage and a shiny, smooth surface after pyrolysis. Furthermore, around 60% retained weight after pyrolysis to 1350 oC was confirmed by thermo gravimetric analysis. In terms of crystallography, the ceramic matrix composite appeared to have three coexisting phases including silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, and turbostratic carbon. The results are very promising to fabricate hybrid composites working at high temperatures with improved mechanical properties and complex geometries.
Keynote Forum
ALFONSO MENESES AMADOR
mechanical engineer ,National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico
Keynote: Mechanical properties of borided AISI 316L steels
Biography:
Alfonso Meneses Amador is a mechanical engineer and received his doctoral degree from the National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico) for a work on fracture toughness in hard coating in 2013. During his postdoc phase he extended these activities to the mechanical properties in hard coating by the finite element method. His current research interests are related to numerical evaluation of mechanical properties in thermochemical process such as boriding and nitriding by the finite element method. In addition, he has a focus on mechanical contact, particularly with indentation experiments
Abstract:
Reducing wear on mechanical components that have a metal-metal sliding contact has always been a challenge in the study of tribology. In this context, thermochemical treatments are an effective option to improve surface mechanical properties and prolong the life of mechanisms subjected to wear, corrosion and abrasion. In this study, the resistance to adhesive wears of layers of iron boride generated on the surface of AISI 316L steel was evaluated experimentally and numerically. The borurization treatment in AISI 316L steel was carried out by the pack-boriding process at different time and temperature conditions. The tribological behavior of the layer-substrate system was estimated by performing wear tests, with the configuration rotatory pin on disk, without lubricant and using an Al2O3 ball. Experimental results showed that the borurization treatment significantly improved the wear resistance of AISI 316L steel compared to the untreated material. The wear depth was estimated by Archard’s linear wear law. It was found that the results of the numerical model by means of finite element method are consistent with those obtained experimentally