Ti-based alloys are an important class of materials suitable especially for medical applications, but they are also used in the industrial sector. Due to their low tribological properties it is necessary to find optimal technologies and alloying elements in order to develop new alloys with improved properties. In this paper, a study on the influence of sintering treatments on the final properties of a titanium alloy is presented. The alloy of interest was obtained using the powders in following weight ratio: 80% wt Ti, 8% wt Mn, 3% wt Sn, 6% wt Aluminix123, 2% wt Zr and 1% wt graphite. Two sintering methods were used, namely two-step sintering (TSS) and multiple-step sintering (MSS), as alternatives to conventional sintering which uses a single sintering dwell time. Evolution of sample morphology, composition and crystalline structure with sintering method was evidenced. The lower values for the friction coefficient and for the wear rate was attained in the case of the sample obtained by TSS.

A new mononuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu(L₂)(H₂O)₂], where L is the Schiff base 2-[2-(3-bromopropoxy)benzylideneamino] benzoic acid, was synthesized and covalently anchored onto an amino-functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica in order to obtain an efficient heterogeneous catalyst. The elemental, structural, textural and morphological characterization confirmed the coordination of the central Cu(II) ion with two ligands and two H₂O molecules in the synthesized complex and its successful immobilization into the inner pore surface of the NH₂-functionalized support without the loss of the mesoporous structure. The catalytic activity of the free or immobilized Cu(II) complex was tested in the oxidation of cyclohexene with H₂O₂ under an air atmosphere and the dismutation reaction of the superoxide radical anions with very good results. In addition, catalyst reuse tests claim its suitability in alkene oxidation processes or as a biomimetic catalyst.

Experimental and theoretical studies were applied to investigate the adsorption properties of testagen (KEDG) peptide on copper surfaces in sodium chloride solution and, implicitly, its inhibition efficiency (IE) on metal corrosion. The tetrapeptide synthesized from the amino acids lysine (Lys), glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), and glycine (Gly), named as H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH, achieved an inhibition efficiency of around 86% calculated from electrochemical measurements, making KEDG a promising new copper corrosion inhibitor. The experimental data were best fitted to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The standard free energy of adsorption ($\mathsf{\Delta }{\mathrm{G}}_{\mathrm{a}\mathrm{d}\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{o}}$) reached the value of −30.86 kJ mol⁻¹, which revealed a mixed action mechanism of tetrapeptide, namely, chemical and physical spontaneous adsorption. The copper surface characterization was performed using optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analysis. In the KEDG presence, post-corrosion, SEM images showed a network surface morphology including microdeposits with an acicular appearance, and EDS analysis highlighted an upper surface layer consisting of KEDG, sodium chloride, and copper corrosion compounds. The computational study based on DFT and Monte Carlo simulation confirmed the experimental results and concluded that the spontaneous adsorption equilibrium establishment was the consequence of the contribution of noncovalent (electrostatic, van der Waals) interactions and covalent bonds.

This study investigates the utilization of Abies alba exudate resin for the development of hybrid resins intended as matrices for composite materials. The novelty of this work lies in demonstrating that physically hybridized, bio-derived resin systems based on Abies alba exudate can exhibit distinct mechanical and dynamic behaviors solely by adjusting the solvent-assisted formulation route, without intentional chemical modification and without spectroscopic evidence of co-network formation within the limits of ATR-FTIR analysis, although limited interfacial interactions cannot be excluded. Two formulation routes were explored: (i) dilution of Abies alba exudate in turpentine derived from pine buds, (ii) dilution in ethanol (96%). The diluted resins were subsequently blended with a commercial epoxy system, which was cured with its amine hardener to form solid matrices in which the Abies alba component was physically incorporated. The resulting hybrid resins were characterized by multiple testing methods and further applied in the fabrication of cotton fiber-reinforced composites. The turpentine-based hybrid resin (HR1) showed a rigid mechanical response, with tensile strengths of approximately 13.2–13.5 MPa, compressive strengths of about 30 MPa, Shore D hardness values of 56–58.5, and a low damping ratio (≈0.026). In contrast, the ethanol-based hybrid resin (HR2) exhibited a highly deformable mechanical response, characterized by low tensile strength (≈0.5 MPa), very high elastic recovery, low hardness (<10 Shore D), and a significantly higher damping ratio (≈0.139). To demonstrate their applicability in composite manufacturing, the HR1 matrix was reinforced with cotton fabric, leading to a substantial improvement in tensile strength (25–26 MPa) and flexural strength (35–36 MPa), together with an increased natural frequency. Water absorption tests revealed limited moisture uptake for the neat hybrid resins (≤0.04 g), while the cotton-reinforced composite exhibited higher but largely reversible water absorption (≈21.5%), associated with the hydrophilic nature of the reinforcement.