The most common scientific analysis of archaeological ceramics aims to determine the raw material source and/or production technology. Scientists and archaeologists widely use XRF-based techniques as a tool in a provenance study. After conducting XRF analysis, the results are often analyzed using multivariate analysis in addition to interpretation and conclusions. Various multivariate techniques have already been applied in archaeological ceramics provenance studies to reveal different raw material sources, identify imported pieces, or determine different production recipes. This study aims to evaluate the results of multivariate analysis in the provenance study of ceramics that belong to three cultures that settled in the same area during various prehistoric periods. Portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pEDXRF) was used to determine the elemental composition of the ceramic material. The ceramic material was prepared in two different ways. The ceramic body material was ground into powder, homogenized, and then pressed into tablets. After that, the same fragments are polished in suitable places. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on the tablets and polished pieces. The results were subjected to both unsupervised and supervised multivariate analysis. Based on the results, it was concluded that qualitative analysis of the well-prepared shards’ surface using EDXRF spectrometry could be utilized in provenance studies, even when the ceramic assemblages were made of similar raw materials.

Background: Portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (pEDXRF) spectrometry analysis was applied for the characterisation of archaeological ceramic findings from three Neolithic sites in Serbia. Two dimension reduction techniques, principal component analysis (PCA) and scattering matrices-based dimension reduction were used to examine the possible classification of those findings, and to extract the most discriminant features.Results: A decision-making procedure is proposed, whose goal is to classify unknown ceramic findings based on their elemental compositions derived by pEDXRF spectrometry. As a major part of decision-making procedure, the possibilities of two dimension reduction methods were tested. Scattering matrices-based dimension reduction was found to be the more efficient method for the purpose. Linear classifiers designed based on the desired output allowed for 7 of 8 unknown samples from the test set to be correctly classified.Conclusions: Based on the results, the conclusion is that despite the constraints typical of the applied analytical technique, the elemental composition can be considered as viable information in provenience studies. With a fully-developed procedure, ceramic artefacts can be classified based on their elemental composition and well-known provenance.

Rice husk was used to produce silica particles, which were then used to reinforce the polymer matrix. The synthesized SiO2 particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy with EDS. In a PMMA matrix, prepared SiO2 particles in amounts of 1, 3, and 5 wt.% were used as reinforcing agents. The goal of this research was to see if SiO2 particles had any effect on the mechanical properties of polymer composite materials. The morphology of the composites was examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Vickers microindentation hardness and impact testing were used to determine the mechanical properties of the obtained composites. The indentation creep?s behavior of a polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) composite material with varying amounts of nanoparticles (SiO2) was investigated and analyzed.

It is well known that alumina possesses good mechanical and chemical properties. Nanofibers having ? - alumina structure was used as reinforcement for metal, polymer and ceramic matrix composites. In this study, three series of nanofibers were prepared. The first series was made from 10 % water solution of the aluminium chloride hydroxide/polyvinyl alcohol with a mass ratio of 5:1. The other two series were made with the addition of 1 wt.% of MgCl2 or 1 wt.% of FeCl3 regarding the aluminium chloride hydroxide content. Nanofibers were prepared using the electrospinning technique and they were characterized by the TGA/DTA, XRD and FESEM methods. It was proven that addition of FeCl3 into the initial spinning solution lowers the temperature for the corundum structure formation while the addition of MgCl2 results if the formation of mixed oxides that eases the sintering process.

This study presents an analysis of films which consist of two layers; one layer is PVDF as the matrix, along with fillers BaTiO₃ (BT), and the second is one bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) filled with Fe₃O₄. The mass fraction of BT in PVDF was 5%, and the samples were differentiated based on the duration of the mechanical activation of BT. This innovative PVDF laminate polymer with environmentally friendly fillers aligns with the concept of circular usage, resulting in a reduction in plastic content and potential improvement of the piezoelectric properties of the entire composite. This work presents new, multifunctional “green” packaging materials that potentially could be a good alternative to specific popular materials used for this purpose. The synthesis of the films was carried out using the hot press method. Tensile tests, water vapor permeability examination, and structural analyses using SEM-EDS and FTIR have been conducted. The sample PVDF/BT20/BNC/Fe₃O₄ exhibited the best barrier properties (impermeability to water vapor), while the highest tensile strength and toughness were exhibited by the PVDF/BT5/BNC/Fe₃O₄ sample.