The article presents an assessment of the possibilities of producing viscoelastic open cell polyurethane (PUR) foams produced with a natural filler in the form of mint leaves. PUR foams containing from 10 to 30 wt % of mint were produced. Chemical structure, thermal and mechanical properties of the foams were assessed. It was found that the filler containing 7 wt % of water caused significant changes in the foam characteristics. In composite foams, the content of urea and hydrogen bonds increased with higher mint contents. The hardness and comfort factor of composite foams also increased. The introduction of a filler containing a significant amount of water caused a change in the porosity and wall thickness of composite foams resulting in a significant increase in their permanent deformations

Ceramic proppants are classified as propping agents commonly used for the shale gas industry. Fractures created in shale deposits due to high fluid pressure (hydraulic fracturing) have to be propped allowing unconventional gas migration to a borehole. Ceramic granules located in the newly created fissures act as a prop so that the shale gas can flow up the well. It occurs if the proppants can resist the huge forces of the closing fractures at high temperature. Due to these strict geological conditions and processing requirements the proppants have to be characterized by proper physico- mechanical properties. The aim of this research was to study, compare and select the ceramic proppants characterized by the most appropriate parameters. The investigation relates to the industrial granules obtained by the mechanical granulation method and afterwards sintered which were confronted and analyzed. Utility of the proppants was estimated basing on bulk density and roundness coefficient. Structure, morphology and chemical composition of the samples were determined by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The sintered proppants were also characterized with X-Ray Tomography, turbidity and solubility in acid additionally. The crucial parameter as mechanical strength was established during the propping samples subjection to the crush tests. The obtained outcomes prove that chemical composition, pores distribution, grain size and mechanical strength influence the integrity of created fractures and therefore the extraction of the unconventional gas out of the well.

Ceramic metal composites from the ternary Al2O3-Cu-Cr system were fabricated with the use of the slip casting method. Densities of the obtained composites with 15 vol.% of metal content and different percentage composition of Cu and Cr were examined by the Archimedes method. The samples’ microstructures, observed by scanning electron microscope, were analysed with image analysis program in order to determine size distribution of the metallic areas in the structure. Phase composition of the sintered samples was examined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Vickers hardness of the samples was tested along with their fracture toughness with the use of the Vickers indentation technique. The conducted research revealed the correlation between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the obtained specimens. It has demonstrated the possibility of manufacturing composites from ternary system with the use of the slip casting method. It was revealed that the addition of the chromium particles to the metallic phase enhances hardness of the composites. Also, the metallic phase composition of the samples affects mechanism of the crack propagation in the material. Although the mechanical properties have been improved, it was found that the density of the samples was not satisfying and the need for further analysis has been identified.