Faculty Publications
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Item Polymorph nickel titanate nanofibers as bifunctional electrocatalysts towards hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019) Kumar, B.; Tarafder, K.; Shetty, A.R.; Hegde, A.C.; Gudla, V.C.; Ambat, R.; Kalpathy, S.K.; Anandhan, S.Producing pure H2 and O2 to sustain the renewable energy sources with minimal environmental damage is a key objective of photo/electrochemical water-splitting research. Metallic Ni-based electrocatalysts are expensive and eco-hazardous. This has rendered the replacement or reduction of Ni content in Ni-based electrocatalysts a decisive criterion in the development of bifunctional electrocatalytic materials. In the current study, spinel/ilmenite composite nickel titanate (NTO) nanofibers were synthesised using sol-gel assisted electrospinning followed by pyrolysis at different soaking temperatures (viz., 773, 973, and 1173 K). The presence of a defective spinel NTO phase (SNTO) distributed uniformly along the nanofibers was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy. The electron micrographs revealed the morphological change of NTO nanofibers from a mosaic to bamboo structure with an increase in pyrolysis soaking temperature. The electrocatalytic activity of NTO nanofibers obtained at different pyrolysis soaking temperatures for alkaline water-splitting was studied. The highly defective SNTO manifests properties similar to metallic Ni and favours H2 evolution through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by adsorbing more H+ ions on active sites. In contrast, the ilmenite NTO favours O2 discharge. These results are explained based on the morphology of the NTO nanofibers. The mosaic structure which has higher porosity and greater SNTO content shows excellent HER performance. In contrast, the large bamboo structured NTO nanofibers which have lesser porosity and SNTO content cage the bigger (OH)ads ions at their catalytic sites to facilitate OER performance. 2019 © The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Influence of weave pattern and composite thickness on mechanical properties of bamboo/epoxy composites(Institute of Physics Publishing helen.craven@iop.org, 2019) Kanaginahal, G.M.; Hebbar, H.S.; Kulkarni, S.M.The results of an attempt made for studying the influence of weave pattern and composite thickness of plain and twill weave bamboo fabric reinforced epoxy/phenalkamine composites on static mechanical properties are reported in this paper. Plain weave and Twill weave bamboo fabric of 125 gsm were used as reinforcements with medium viscous epoxy B-11 resin and highly viscous AI 1041 phenalkamine bio-based hardener. Thickness of composite achieved were 3.1, 4.3 and 5.4 mm with fiber weight fraction at 18% by hand layup method. The aim was to study the influence of weave pattern and thickness of composite on the tensile, flexural and impact properties. Fourier Transform Infra-Red results showed the presence of cellulose, polysaccharides, cardanol groups and hydrogen bonding of reinforcement and matrix. X-Ray Diffraction peaks displayed higher intensities for twill weave fabric. Tensile studies of fabrics showed 7% higher strength for twill weave compared to that of plain weave fabric in warp direction. Twill weave composites with 5.4 mm thickness showed an increase of 12% in tensile strength and 8% increase in stiffness compared to plain weave composite of same thickness. Twill weave composite with 5.4 mm thickness showed an increase of 22% in flexural strength and 28% in stiffness compared to plain weave composite of same thickness. Izod impact results displayed an increase of 16% in absorbed energy for 5.4 mm thickness twill weave composite when compared with plain weave composite of same thickness. Fractography of fractured specimens of tensile test displayed fiber pullouts for plain weave composites and fiber breakage for twill weave composites. Twill weave composites have shown better wettability than that of plain weave composites. © 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd.Item Effect of clamshell powder on the mechanical and damping properties of epoxy-bamboo composites(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2024) Anand, K.J.; Ekbote, T.; Doddamani, S.; Ashoka, E.Compared to single natural fibre composites, hybridising natural fibres with filler particles presents a promising avenue for enhancing composites physical, mechanical, and damping properties. This study delves into incorporating clamshell powder, a filler derived from clams’ hard protective outer shells, into polymer composites. The focus is on investigating the potential of clamshell powder as a filler material to augment the mechanical and damping properties of epoxy-bamboo mat composites. The weight ratio of clamshell fillers varied from 0% to 9%, and the compression moulding method was used to fabricate the composites. As per ASTM standards, mechanical properties were evaluated by conducting tensile and flexural tests. Free vibration tests by impact hammer technique were employed to evaluate the natural frequency, damping ratio, and mode shapes of developed composites to measure damping properties. Results revealed that adding clamshell filler significantly improved composites tensile strength, flexural strength, and damping properties. The addition of clamshell elevated the tensile strength by 18.5%, and flexural strength by 24.2% for composite with 6 wt% filler, which can be attributed to the efficiency of load transfer and the interfacial bonding between fillers and epoxy matrix. SEM analysis supported the experimental results obtained. The highest damping value is received for 9 wt% filler, showing 30% enhancement compared to composites without clamshell filler. Modal analyses using ANSYS software further validated the positive impact of clamshell filler. This study underscores the potential of clamshell filler in enhancing the mechanical and damping properties of epoxy-bamboo composites, broadening their applicability in various fields. © IMechE 2024.Item Seashell-based filler as sustainable reinforcement: a novel approach to enhance wear performance of bamboo-epoxy composites(Institute of Physics, 2025) Anand, K.J.; Murthy, A.G.S.; Ekbote, T.; Doddamani, S.; Madhusudhana, H.K.; Patil, A.S.Seashell wastes are discarded in landfills, causing environmental problem. This study presents a novel approach to valorize seashell waste by converting them into filler particulates and incorporate it into bamboo–epoxy composites. Composites of varying clamshell filler (0–9 wt%) loading were prepared using compression molding method. The wear behavior of composites was studied under dry sliding conditions on a pin-on-disc tribometer following ASTM G99 standard. Taguchi-ANOVA method was employed for statistical analysis of results and to identify the significant factors affecting wear rate. The results showed that adding seashell particles improved the hardness and wear resistance of the bamboo composites. ANOVA results indicated that load has the maximum effect of 47.4% and speed has the effect of 29.4%. Optimal performance was achieved for 6 wt% filler addition, exhibiting 17% improvement in hardness and wear rate was reduced by 60%. The enhancement in wear resistance of bamboo composite was correlated with an increase in hardness and a decrease in damage to the impact surface, as observed in SEM micrographs. These findings establish clamshell filler as an effective reinforcement for improving wear performance of bamboo composites. © 2025 IOP Publishing Ltd. 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