Two different methods are used to prepare Cu–20 vol-% Al₂O₃ nanocomposite powders via high-energy planetary fast milling. In the solid solution method, CuO powder was added to the Cu–Al solid solution powder, and the composite was fabricated by milling after 100 h. In the direct mixing method, Cu and Al₂O₃ powders were mechanically milled via high-energy planetary fast milling for 100 h. The transition electron micrographs (dark and white fields) revealed the presence of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles in crystalline Cu matrices for both methods. However, the density and bending strength of the nanocomposites produced via the solid solution method were higher than those of the samples produced via the direct mixing method.

Heavy metals pollution is one of today's concerns of human societies. In the present project, mercapto functionalized silica aerogel was used to remove Zn²⁺ and Mn²⁺ from aqueous solution. The simultaneous adsorption of these ions has also studied. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the adsorption process as well as various isotherm models have been investigated. The results show that the adsorption process is spontaneous and favorable. The adsorption followed the Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity for manganese and zinc was 1.38 and 1.33 mmol/lit, respectively. The kinetics of the adsorption process corresponds to the pseudo-second order equation. Intra particle diffusion model illustrated a greater affinity to the zinc ion, which confirmed by simultaneous adsorption results.

In this study, Zn incorporated non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (nHAp) was synthesized via precipitation method and effect of the incorporation of Zn (fraction: 2, 4, 6 and 8 mol-%) on the microstructure of nHAp was studied by XRD, FTIR analysis and SEM-EDS techniques. The formation of nHAp was confirmed by XRD and FTIR those showed that no secondary phase was formed through the Zn incorporation. The SEM studies also revealed that particles were formed in nano-metric size (30-60 nm). It was found that crystallite and particle size of Zn incorporated nHAp gradually decreased up to 6 mol-%, and started to increase while the Zn fraction reached up to the 8 mol-% and hence the morphology of the aggregated products was also changed. It can be concluded that the incorporation of Zn cations cause to form nHAp phase. Furthermore, the nHAp microstructure has deviated from stoichiometric condition by incorporation of more Zn cations.