Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology

THE TREATMENT PROCESS OF BIOMASS ASH TO UTILIZED IN CRYSTAL GLASS MATERIAL

2025-04-25T16:44:30+07:00

This work aimed to synthesize the crystals of glass by using biomass ash as its silica source. Firstly, biomass ash was synthesized by different extraction methods with thermal treatment compared with chemical treatment to remove inorganic impurities, followed by heating at various temperatures. Secondly, silica, which was heated at the first step, was used as the raw material for crystal glass. The crystal glass was prepared by conventional melting at 1400°C. The chemical composition, phase formation, and microstructure of biomass ash were investigated and reported. Moreover, the physical properties and microhardness value of glass preparation were discussed. The highest SiO₂ content of 97.50 was obtained with the chemical treatment by HCl 3M before heating at 1100°C. The XRD pattern of the as-received material showed the presence of amorphous-phase silica. The cristobalite phase was achieved when the biomass ash was heated at 900°C and slightly increased with increasing thermal temperature. Similar results were obtained from samples that were synthesized by chemical extraction followed by a heating process with cristobalite as the main phase. The optimum conditions that showed the highest microhardness value were achieved with the sample of pretreat with HCl 3M and then heated biomass ash at 1100°C.

PHASE FORMATION AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF BCLTS CERAMICS SYNTHESIZED VIA THE SOLID-STATE COMBUSTION TECHNIQUE

2025-04-18T13:35:37+07:00

Lead-free Ba_0.93Ca_0.04La_0.03Ti_0.90Sn_0.10O₃ (BCLTS) ceramics were fabricated via solid-state combustion technique. The BCLTS powders were calcined in a temperature range of 1075-1175°C for 2 h and sintered in a temperature range of 1350-1450°C for 2 h. The BCLTS powders exhibited a pure perovskite phase when calcined above 1150°C. All BCLTS ceramic samples displayed a perovskite structure with coexisting cubic and tetragonal phases, with a secondary phase observed only at 1450°C. The growth of grain size was increased with increasing sintering temperature (0.42 to 0.65 μm.). The highest dielectric and ferroelectric properties (ε_r=3047, tan δ_r = 0.029, P_max = 9.52 μC/cm², P_r = 0.48 μC/cm², E_c = 1.04 kV/cm) were obtained at the sintering temperature of 1400°C. The altered phase structure in this research, compared to earlier studies, results in distinct outcomes for the dielectric and ferroelectric properties.

SIMPLE DNA EXTRACTION METHOD AND VALIDATION OF MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR EARLY SEX DETERMINATION IN NEW THAI Cannabis Sativar L. CULTIVARS

2025-01-27T14:17:56+07:00

Precision Agriculture (PA) utilizes cutting-edge technology and data management to optimize the efficiency and precision of farming techniques. Early and precise sex determination is essential for the production of Cannabis sativa L., as female plants have a higher concentration of cannabinoids, making them more desirable for therapeutic purposes. The objective of this study is to create a rapid and dependable method for detecting male cannabis plants right after young leaves immerge utilizing molecular markers. Thirty cannabis leaf samples of some new cultivars of known sex from Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) cannabis farm were used in the study. DNA was extracted with an innuPREP Plant DNA Kit. The DNA was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with MADC2 primers, and the products were evaluated by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results of our study showed that male plants displayed a single DNA band of 390 base pairs, whilst female plants showed two bands of approximately 560 and 870 base pairs. These findings are consistent with prior studies, validating the dependability of the MADC2 marker in identifying the gender of new cannabis cultivars. Easy and rapid DNA extraction from cannabis leaves was also developed. This study emphasizes the significance of molecular approaches in improving cannabis farming. Implementing such strategies has substantial potential for enhancing cannabis breeding and production.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SM3+ DOPED BARIUM TITANIUM BISMUTH BORATE GLASS FOR ORANGE EMISSION MATERIAL APPLICATION

2025-04-22T13:05:24+07:00

Sm³⁺–doped borate glasses were synthesized using the melt–quenching method, and luminescence characteristics were systematically investigated. Initially, the glass composition was modified by varying the Bi₂O₃ content while maintaining the Sm³⁺ concentration at 1.00 mol%. Optical absorption measurements revealed that BiBaTB1Sm glasses exhibited a prominent peak at 401 nm in the visible region, which was selected as the excitation wavelength for photoluminescence analysis. The emission spectra demonstrated a maximum intensity at 598 nm under 401 nm excitation. Notably, the glass sample without Bi₂O₃showed stronger emission compared to the Bi₂O₃-doped counterparts. In a separate study, the Sm³⁺ concentration was varied (0.0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mol%) to examine its effect on luminescence properties. luminescence intensity enhanced as the Sm content increased to 0.5 mol% before decreasing at higher concentrations due to the concentration quenching effect. Additionally, fluorescence decay time measurements indicated a reduction in lifetime with increasing Sm³⁺ content, attributed to energy transfer via cross-relaxation mechanisms. The CIE diagram confirmed that Sm₂O₃-doped glass emitted orange light. These findings suggest that Sm³⁺-doped borate glasses hold promise for applications in orange-emitting photonic devices.

EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION OF METAKAOLIN AND QUARRY DUST IN CONCRETE

2025-02-17T10:52:36+07:00

The increasing demand for sustainable and high-performance concrete has driven the exploration of alternative materials to enhance its properties. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) production significantly contributes to carbon emissions, necessitating the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials like metakaolin and quarry dust. This study investigates the combined effect of these materials on the mechanical properties of concrete, aiming to optimize its strength and sustainability. A mix design with a 1:1.62:2.89 ratio of cement, coarse aggregate, and fine aggregate was prepared with varying percentages of metakaolin (10% and 12%) and quarry dust (14%, 16%, and 18%). Experimental tests, including compressive, tensile, and flexural strength evaluations, were conducted at curing intervals of 3, 7, and 28 days. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) with Taguchi optimization to determine the significance of different parameters and optimize the mix design. Results revealed that the incorporation of metakaolin and quarry dust significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of concrete. The highest compressive strength of 40.6 MPa was achieved with 12% metakaolin and 18% quarry dust after 28 days of curing, showing a remarkable improvement over conventional concrete. Similarly, split tensile and flexural strength also exhibited notable increases, with optimal strength achieved at 12% metakaolin and 16% quarry dust. Statistical analysis confirmed the significant impact of these additives, with quarry dust emerging as the most influential factor in compressive strength improvement. This study underscores the potential of metakaolin and quarry dust as effective supplementary materials, promoting both strength enhancement and sustainability in concrete production. The findings contribute to advancing concrete technology and offer a viable approach for eco-friendly construction practices.

STUDY ON CONSISTENCY AND DENSITY OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND TUNGSTEN TRIOXIDE COATINGS ON CONDUCTIVE GLASS FROM DIPPING PROCESS AFFECTING LIGHT ABSORPTION AND TRANSMISSION

2025-04-25T14:45:11+07:00

Light property is a crucial factor in photovoltaic power generation. Therefore, the study of light absorption and transmission of materials is important for developing of solar cell coating material. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and tungsten trioxide (WO₃) are the important candidates for use as the solar cell coating material. Because TiO₂ and WO₃ have a narrow energy band gap and have photocatalytic properties which are the essential properties for the solar cell application. The aim of this work is to investigate the light absorbance ability of the TiO₂ and WO₃ coating layer. The gel of TiO₂ and WO₃ was synthesized by the sol-gel method. The synthesized gel of TiO₂ and WO₃ was coated on the conductive glass (FTO) by using the dip-coating technique. The light absorbance of the coated surface was examined by the UV-Visible Spectrophotometer technique (UV-Vis). The surface of coating homogeneity and the coating density were evaluated by 3D imaging which was investigated by 3D reconstruction of the samples by Synchrotron X-ray tomographic microscopy (SR-XTM) technique. The results show the light absorption ability of the conductive glass coated by WO₃ is higher than that of TiO₂. However, the coating homogeneity and the coating density of the WO₃ coated layer are lower than that of the TiO₂ coated layer. The unevenness of the WO₃ coated layer is the cause of non-uniform light absorption. The homogeneity of the coating layer is decreased with increasing the coating layer number because the coating is unevenly distributed resulting in some areas are denser than others. From all the experimental results, it is concluded that even the TiO₂ coated layer has a tendency to increase the absorbance less than WO₃ coated layer, but it is acceptable considering of uniformity coated layer. Consequently, TiO₂ is suitable for applying to solar cells because of its increasing of absorbance capacity and reducing of light reflection.

EFFECT OF FIRING TEMPERATURES ON THE PHASE STRUCTURE AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF BNT-BT-0.1NT CERAMICS SYNTHESIZED VIA THE SOLID-STATE COMBUSTION TECHNIQUE

2025-04-18T08:58:47+07:00

Lead-free ceramic materials of 0.9(0.92Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-0.08BaTiO₃)-0.1NaTaO₃ or BNT-BT-0.1NT were obtained using glycine as fuel by a solid-state combustion process. The significance of heat treatment conditions, including calcination at 600-800°C for 2 h and sintering at 1075-1175°C for 2 h, on the structure of the phase, microstructure, electrical and energy-storage properties of BNT-BT-0.1NT ceramics were performed. The perovskite phase was presented for all powder samples. BNT-BT-0.1NT powders calcined at the temperature of 750°C for 2 h showed a 100% pure perovskite phase. The particles morphology exhibited spherical shapes with a wide distribution. As the calcination temperature increased, the average particle size grew from 340 nm to 370 nm. Rietveld refinement confirmed that the BNT-BT-0.1NT ceramics possessed a uniform ABO₃ structure with cohabiting of rhombohedral (R), tetragonal (T), and cubic (C) phases. With a rise in sintering temperature, the average grain size expanded from 0.85 µm to 2.66 µm, while the remnant polarization (P_r) and coercive field (E_c) decreased. The samples sintered at 1150^oC for 2 h, the ceramic highlighted the highest dielectric constant (e_max ~ 1827), high density of 5.83 g/cm³. Under an applied electric field of 70 kV/cm, the maximum energy storage density reached 0.71 J/cm³.

THE ANALYSIS OF X/GAMMA-RAYS AND THERMAL NEUTRONS SHIELDING AND ELASTIC MODULI PROPERTIES OF BARIUM VANADIUM ZINC BORATE GLASS SERIES

2025-04-25T15:21:31+07:00

The barium vanadium zinc borate glass series in compositions xBaO: 30V₂O₃: 10ZnO: (60–x)B₂O₃ (where x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mol%) have been simulated and analyzed on their X/gamma-rays shielding and elastic moduli properties. The X/gamma-rays and thermal neutrons shielding properties were simulated using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. The results of gamma-rays shielding were compared with the results from WinXCom. The Makishima-Makinzie model was used to determine the elastic moduli properties of the glass series. The results found that the increasing BaO concentration by replacing B₂O₃ which causes the density to increase and improved X/gamma-rays shielding properties. Whereas the result for thermal neutrons shielding and elastic moduli properties decreased with increasing BaO content. The results of this study are useful in enhancing the efficiency of materials for shielding X/gamma-rays.

DEVELOPMENT OF GLAZE CONTAINING Eu3+ IONS FOR THE LUMINESCENT ARTWORK APPLICATION

2025-04-18T10:51:28+07:00

In this work, the luminescent properties of opaque glaze sample containing Eu3+ ions were investigated. The results revealed that the major chemical composition consisted of SiO2 and Eu2O3 which corresponds to the XRD spectrum of glaze sample. The reflectance spectra exhibit photon absorbing of Eu3+ ions in the visible to near-infrared regions at 395, 465, 534, 2048, and 2191 nm. The luminescence spectra in the visible region, under the 395 nm excitation wavelength exhibited emissions at 578 nm (5D0 → 7F0), 593 nm (5D0 → 7F1), 611 nm (5D0 → 7F2), 651 nm (5D0 → 7F3) and 703 nm (5D0 → 7F4). The decay time for the 7F2 level of Eu3+ ions was also analyzed. Additionally, the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram investigation found that the luminescence falls within the red-orange color region.