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Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-Bioglass (BG) matrix composite was fabricated using a facile and scalable aqueous colloidal processing method without using any surfactants followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) consolidation. The individual MWCNTs were initially uniformly dispersed in water and then entirely immobilized on the BG particles during the colloidal processing, avoiding their common re-agglomeration during the water-removal and drying step, which guaranteed their uniform dispersion within the dense BG matrix after the consolidation process. SPS was used as a fast sintering technique to minimise any damage to the MWCNT structure during the high-temperature consolidation process. The electrical conductivity of BG increased by 8 orders of magnitude with the addition of 6.35 wt% of MWCNTs compared to pure BG. Short-duration tests were used in the present study as a preliminary evaluation to understand the effect of incorporating MWCNTs on osteoblast-like cells. The analysed cell proliferation, viability and phenotype expression of MG-63 cells showed inhibition on 45S5 Bioglass(®)-MWCNT composite surfaces.

Well dispersed 45S5 Bioglass(®) (BG)-graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) composites were prepared after optimising the processing conditions. Fully dense BG nanocomposites with GNP loading of 1, 3 and 5 vol% were consolidated using Spark plasma sintering (SPS). SPS avoided any structural damage of GNP as confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. GNP increased the viscosity of BG-GNP composites resulting in an increase in the sintering temperature by ~50 °C compared to pure BG. Electrical conductivity of BG-GNP composites increased with increasing concentration of GNP. The highest conductivity of 13 S/m was observed for BG-GNP (5 vol%) composite which is ~9 orders of magnitude higher compared to pure BG. For both BG and BG-GNP composites, in vitro bioactivity testing was done using simulated body fluid for 1 and 3 days. XRD confirmed the formation of hydroxyapatite for BG and BG-GNP composites with cauliflower structures forming on top of the nano-composites surface. GNP increased the electrical conductivity of BG-GNP composites without affecting the bioactivity thus opening the possibility to fabricate bioactive and electrically conductive scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Abstract: A low‐permittivity dielectric ceramic Li2GeO3 was prepared by the solid‐state reaction route. Single‐phase Li2GeO3 crystallized in an orthorhombic structure. Dense ceramics with high relative density and homogeneous microstructure were obtained as sintered at 1000‐1100°C. The optimum microwave dielectric properties were achieved in the sample sintered at 1080°C with a high relative density ~ 96%, a relative permittivity εr ~ 6.36, a quality factor Q × f ~ 29 000 GHz (at 14.5 GHz), and a temperature coefficient of resonance frequency τf ~ −72 ppm/°C. The sintering temperature of Li2GeO3 was successfully lowered via the appropriate addition of B2O3. Only 2 wt.% B2O3 addition contributed to a 21.2% decrease in sintering temperature to 850°C without deteriorating the dielectric properties. The temperature dependence of the resonance frequency was successfully suppressed by the addition of TiO2 to form Li2TiO3 with a positive τf value. These results demonstrate potential applications of Li2GeO3 in low‐temperature cofiring ceramics technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaBiZnVO ceramic was investigated as a promising microwave dielectric material for the ultra-low-temperature co-fired ceramic (ULTCC) technology. Dense NaBiZnVO ceramic was prepared using the conventional solid-state method from 560 to 640 °C. X-ray diffraction data show that NaBiZnVO ceramic crystallized into a cubic garnet structure with a space group Ia-3 d. The sample sintered at 600 °C for 4 h has the highest relative density of 96.3 % and exhibits the optimum microwave properties with a relative permittivity of 22.3, a quality factor of 19,960 GHz (at 8.7 GHz), and a temperature coefficient of resonance frequency of +15.5 ppm/°C. The NaBiZnVO ceramic was found to be chemically compatible with highly conductive aluminum and sliver electrode. These results confirm that NaBiZnVO ceramic can be a promising candidate for the ULTCC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Ag-containing microwave dielectric ceramics AgCa 2 B 2 V 3 O 12 (B = Mg, Zn) with garnet structure were prepared through solid-state reaction method. Dense ceramics were obtained at low sintering temperatures, 665 °C for AgCa 2 Zn 2 V 3 O 12 and 730 °C for AgCa 2 Mg 2 V 3 O 12 . Their microwave dielectric properties were characterized for the first time and analyzed by means of packing fraction, bond valence, octahedral distortion, Raman spectra and infrared reflectivity spectra. Both compounds displayed high chemical compatibility with Ag electrodes. Additionally, thermally stable ceramics with near-zero temperature coefficients of resonance frequency ( τ f ) were achieved by forming ceramic composites with CaTiO 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]