Natural minerals play a key role in the burgeoning field of mineral-reinforced polymers, providing an important element in strengthening and toughening the properties of composite materials. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the use of minerals in mineral-reinforced polymers, covering various aspects of their applications and impact on the final properties of these materials. The potential of various types of natural minerals (for example talc, montmorillonite, halloysite, diatomite) as reinforcements in mineral-reinforced polymers is discussed. Techniques for producing mineral-reinforced polymers using minerals, including the mixing method, impregnation, and coating application, are presented in detail. In addition, the effects of process parameters and component ratios on the final properties of mineral-reinforced polymers are discussed. The latest research on the use of minerals in mineral-reinforced polymers is also presented, including their effects on the strength, stiffness, resistance to environmental conditions, and biodegradation of the materials. Finally, the development prospects and potential applications of mineral-reinforced polymers with minerals in various industrial sectors, including packaging, automotive, construction, and medicine, are discussed.

Both geraniol and the products of its transformation, thanks to their beneficial properties, find a variety of applications in cosmetics. Due to their antioxidant and moisturizing properties, these compounds can be added to skin care products such as face creams, lotions, oils, and masks. In addition, these compounds show some antibacterial and antifungal properties, making them suitable for application in skin care products to help fight against bacteria or fungi. This study determined the antimicrobial activity of geraniol and the compounds which were formed during its transformation in relation to selected Gram-positive bacteria, and the preliminary assessment was made whether these compounds can act as ingredients of preparations with potential antimicrobial activity in the treatment of various human diseases (for example diseases of the skin, digestive system, or urinary tract). In addition, this work presents studies on the microbiological purity of cream samples obtained with different contents of geraniol and its transformation products (contents of the tested compounds: 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 4%, 8%, and 12%). Antibacterial activity tests were performed using the disc diffusion method against Gram-positive cocci, including the reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and against the clinical strains Staphylococcus aureus MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis VRE VanB, Enterococcus faecium VRE VanA, and Enterococcus faecium VRE VanB. The most active ingredient against bacteria of the Staphylococcus genus was citral, followed by linalool and then geraniol. During our tests, in the case of bacteria of the Enterococcus genus, citral also showed the highest activity, but linalool, ocimenes, and geraniol showed a slightly lower activity. Moreover, this study examined the microbiological purity of cream samples obtained with various contents of geraniol and its transformation products. In the tests of the microbiological purity of cream samples, no growth of aerobic bacteria and fungi was found, which proves the lack of microbiological contamination of the obtained cosmetic preparations. On this basis, it was assessed that these compounds have preservative properties in the prepared creams. The addition of the analyzed compounds also had influence on the durability of the creams and had no effect on the change in their consistency, did not negatively affect the separation of phases during storage, and even had a positive effect on organoleptic sensations by enriching the smell of the tested samples.

The article presents research on the erosion of the metamorphic rock - marble by the Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ). The fragmentation of abrasive grains during the erosion process is demonstrated. The effect of the cutting process's most important parameters as traverse speed, nozzle ID, and abrasive mass flow rate, on the maximum cutting depth, is shown. To create a mathematical-statistic model of the erosion process, the methodology of the response surface (RSM) was used for modeling. The polynomial equation of the second degree is chosen for developing the regression model. Studies have shown the optimal parameters of the process, to reach the highest depth of the cut. Additionally, the erosion wear of a focusing tube under different process conditions is presented.

In the current study, the isomerization of geraniol over a natural sepiolite as a catalyst was investigated and optimized. Prior to application in the isomerization process, the physical and chemical properties of sepiolite were characterized using a battery of instrumental techniques, including XRD, nitrogen adsorption at 77 K, SEM, EDXRF, UV–Vis and FT-IR. Results indicated that geraniol isomerization is very complicated due to the large number of reactions taking place. The catalytic studies showed that the main reaction products were β-pinene, ocimenes, linalool, nerol, citrals, thunbergol and isocembrol; all chemical products with commercial applications. The quantity of each of these products depended on the temperature, catalyst content and reaction time employed in the isomerization process. During the current study, these parameters were varied in a step-wise approach over the ranges 80–150 °C (temperature), 5–15 wt% catalyst content and reaction time of 15–1440 min. As linalool is one of the most commercially important reaction products, the geraniol isomerization method was studied to identify conditions producing the highest selectivity for this compound. The most beneficial conditions for geraniol conversion and linalool formation were established as a temperature of 120 °C, catalyst content of 10 wt% and a reaction time of 3 h. Graphic

The paper introduces the study on the cutting of the industrial composite phenolic resin, based on the thermoset materials reinforced with cotton cloth by the Abrasive Water Suspension Jet (AWSJ). The size reduction of abrasive grains during the formation of the jet and the erosion phenomenon are shown. The results of the machining process's critical factors as nozzle length, nozzle diameter, and abrasive mass flow rate on the maximal cutting depth, are indicated. To build a model of the process, the method of the response surface (RSM) was applied. The second-degree multinomial equation is selected for creating the cutting model. The research indicates the optimal control factors of the process, to achieve the best cutting depth performance.

High-pressure water jet machining is characterized by wide possibilities of cutting diverse materials together with multi-layer materials with dissimilar properties, accurate cutting complex profiles, as well as conducting them in uncommon conditions, especially in cases of thick materials. An additional advantage of water jet technology is its environmental friendliness. This paper presents tests of the cutting performance of tool steel with the use of an abrasive water jet (AWJ). The state-of-the-art has shown insufficient scientific evidence in AWJ tool steels cutting using recycled abrasive materials. Therefore, the main motivation for this paper was to carry out research from an environment aspect. The reuse of abrasives and the use of recycled materials have immense potential to reduce processing costs while remaining environmentally friendly. The RSM method was used for modeling and optimization. A response surface design (RSM) is a package of an advanced design-of-experiment (DOE) approaches that support better understanding and optimize response, exploring the relationships between several explanatory variables and one or more response variables. Based on this research, feed rate is the key factor influencing the depth of cut, while the water nozzle diameter has a secondary effect, and the concentration of abrasive has the least influence on the depth of cut. High level of variance (the percentage of variability in the reaction that is interpreted by the formula) confirms that the models fit well to the investigational data.