Background: The influx of 3D printing in organ transplantation is currently a rigorous area of research, and its success is still cynical. This review article focuses mainly on the scope and challenges in the applications of 3D printing in organ transplantation. The basic idea of the article is to highlight the current status of 3D printing in the area of organ transplants. Introduction: The review article covers the highlights about the 3D printing, major steps incurred in the 3D printing of organs, challenges in the 3D printing and transplantation of organs, and future prospects (scope) in the area with special reference to the problem and failures encountered in organ transplantation of 3D printed organs. Method: The findings from available studies have been consolidated in the review article to provide insight into the scope and challenges in the area of 3D printed organ transplantation. Result: In the review study, it has been found that there are certain limitations of the 3D printed material based on the survival and multiplication in the in-vivo environment, which subsequently leads to the bio incompatibility of the organs. In addition to this, some other limitations which provide further scope of research in this area are also included. Conclusion: It has been concluded that 3D printing is an emerging solution in organ transplantation and prosthetics, but still more refinement and technological advancement is needed to make it a completely feasible solution. Doctors, scientists, and engineers need to work in a cross-disciplinary manner to overcome the limitations and develop this technique further for the betterment of mankind.
Background: Utilization of animal wastes in algal culture has proven to be challenging. The utilization of “free” nutrients has drawn researchers and industry to develop business models that call for the use of these free nutrients, which comes at a cost. Some of these costs include reduced productivity, increased contamination, lower value target markets, and lower treatment capabilities (for wastewater treatment applications). This paper evaluates the impact of dairy lagoon effluent on productivity and wastewater treatment ability. Methods: Screened dairy lagoon wash water was fed to four three square meter outdoor open paddlewheel algal cultivation reactors. The units were operated semi-continuously for one and a half years. Seasonal productivity and nutrient uptake rates, for nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) were measured against wastewater dilution requirements. Seasonal algal species dominance was also recorded. Wastewater was added at two levels, and the lower level was supplemented with synthetic fertilizer. Results: Seasonal N uptake rates ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 grams of N uptake per square meter per day, while P uptake ranged from 0.17 to 0.3 grams of P per square meter per day depending on season and Hydraulic Residence Time (HRT). N removal efficiency ranged at 40 to 70% for semicontinuous operation, depending on HRT, season, and dilution of influent wastewater, which was made up from 1.5% to 13% of the daily water exchange. Conclusion: Algal reactors tended to be N limited due to the inability to add enough dairy wastewater to mitigate the high turbidity and dark color. Treatments with lower levels of added dairy wastewater tended to show higher nutrient removal. Algal culture from dairy wash water could benefit from a pretreatment step to reduce turbidity and color, thereby promoting algal growth and productivity.
Background: Global seafood production has doubled over the last two decades with aquaculture now contributing nearly 50% of supply. Pressure to reduce or eliminate water and waste discharge from aquaculture increases with each passing year. In response to this pressure, producers have adopted increasingly sophisticated technology, expanding fish and shellfish production from 2,000 kg/ha to over 40,000 kg/ha. While water discharge has been drastically reduced, waste solids production from intensive aquaculture continues to pose a management challenge. One potential solution is to co-culture filterfeeding aquatic organisms with higher-value aquaculture species as a technique to harvest and covert excess bacterial and algal biomass into useful co-products and biofuels. Methods: Over a period of twenty years, the author and co-workers have designed and operated catfish and marine shrimp production systems employing co-culture of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and brine shrimp (Artemia) to remove, concentrate, and convert microbial solids into animal biomass and biofertilizer. Past system operations are reviewed, and additional methods and data are presented and discussed. In the case of tilapia, a technique entitled “tilapia enhanced sedimentation” is evaluated for use in converting algae into concentrated fertilizer and fish flesh. Alternatively, brine shrimp are used to harvest and convert microbial solids into a potential fish-meal replacement. Results: Tilapia co-culture was shown to be cost-effective in controlling aquaculture system algal species and density, selectively removing cyanobacteria from culture water promoting green algal dominance, reducing off-flavor in cultured fish species. Tilapia co-culture at biomass levels from 20-25% of targeted fish carrying capacity was required to reduce algal and bacterial levels, significantly reducing oxygen demand and aeration requirements, Tilapia enhanced sedimentation was demonstrated to be effective in removing suspended algal and bacterial solids, concentrating excreted biomass into rapidly settling fecal pellets. Brine shrimp culture has been demonstrated at densities of 2,000-4,000 animals/ liter, corresponding to 4 gm/liter of dry weight animal biomass concentration. Brine shrimp are capable of conversation efficiencies as high as 50% of microbial dry weigh to brine dry shrimp weight, as opposed to <3% conversion with tilapia. However, successful Artemia culture necessitates unique culture system design and management, requiring two-stage, multiple-batch cultures of uniformly sized cohorts to yield maximum growth and conversion efficiency. Unique pH and ammonia toxicity response of brine shrimp necessitates management protocols very different from typical aquatic animal culture. Tilapia harvested algal sludge is limited to fertilizer application, yielding a value of $0.10/kg at 98% dry weight. On the other hand, brine shrimp biomass can be used as a potential fish-meal replacement at a value of $ 1.50/kg dry weight. Conclusion: Utilization of co-culture of filter-feeder organisms such as tilapia and brine shrimp to harvest, concentrate, and convert algal and bacterial solids into concentrated sludge or animal biomass offers potential to provide value-added products from integrated aquaculture operations as a more environmentally friendly practice.
Background: A giant amount of poultry waste represents one of the threats to the environment, or conversely, a significant source of peptides and other substances in demand. Rational use of huge quantities of poultry waste, especially after industrial chicken processing, is one of the pillars of biorefinery of animal wastes. Introduction: Six different animal wastes: chicken feathers, cartilages and the residue after meat separation, sheep wool, rabbit hair, and the rest of the goose feathers from blankets after cleaning were chosen for a hydrolysis test with malic acid as the initiator. Result: The newly designed hydrolysis of animal wastes at 140 oC with malic acid for initiation was successfully verified for all animal wastes. The resulting hydrolysates contained a mixture of amino acids, peptides, proteins, glycoproteins, and no salts. Conclusion: Hydrolysate applications for agriculture was successfully tested as a biostimulant in the form of a 10% water solution.
Background: Hairy root culture has been widely used in the production of metabolites in dicotyledons, and a large number of food crops and medicinal plants in monocotyledons need to be developed. However, there are many difficulties in the induction of hairy roots in monocotyledons. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the inducing methods, influencing factors, and application of hairy roots in monocotyledons, and to promote the development of hairy root system in monocotyledons. Methods: The mechanism of action of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and the current situation of hairy root induction, induction methods and influencing factors of monocotyledons were summarized to provide convenience for efficient acquisition of hairy root of monocotyledons. Results: Monocotyledons are not easy to produce phenols. Cells are prone to lignification, adverse differentiation and selective response to Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains. It is proposed that before induction, plant varieties and explants should be selected, and different infection strains should be screened. In the process of hairy root induction, exogenous inducers such as acetosyringone can be added. Although these factors can provide some help for the induction of hairy roots in monocotyledons, we still need to pay attention to the disadvantages of monocotyledons from dicotyledons at the cellular level. Conclusion: A large number of food crops and medicinal plants are monocotyledons. Hairy root culture can be used to help the breeding and production of medicinal substances. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the selection of varieties and explants, the selection of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and the addition of acetosyringone in the process of hairy root induction to improve the production efficiency and facilitate the development and utilization of monocotyledons.
Exploring low-cost, green, and safe technologies to provide an alternative to the conventionally selective catalytic reduction process is key to control the NOx emission from small-scale boilers and other industrial processes. For meeting this demand, the chemical absorption-biological reduction integrated system has been developed recently. This system applies Fe(II)EDTA for NO absorption and for the absorbent regeneration by iron-reducing and denitrifying bacteria . Many studies have focused on the enhancements of mass transfer and biological reaction, among which the biological processes were the rate-limiting steps. This review summarizes the current researches on the biological processes in the CABR system, which focuses on the mechanism and enhancement of biochemical reactions, and it also provides the possible directions for future research.
Algae (both micro and macro) have gained huge attention in the recent past for their high commercial value products. They are the source of various biomolecules of commercial applications ranging from nutraceuticals to fuels. Phycobiliproteins are one such high-value low volume compounds that are mainly obtained from micro and macroalgae. In order to tap the bioresource, a significant amount of work has been carried out for large scale production of algal biomass. However, work on downstream processing aspects of phycobiliproteins (PBPs) from algae is scarce, especially in the case of macroalgae. There are many difficulties in cell wall disruption of both micro and macro algae because of their cell wall structure and compositions. At the same time, there are several challenges in the purification of phycobiliproteins. The current review article focuses on the recent developments in downstream processing of phycobiliproteins (mainly phycocyanins and phycoerythrins) from micro and macroalgae. The current status, recent advancements and potential technologies (that are under development) are summarised in this review article besides providing future directions for the present research area.
Background: Plastics are widely used in almost every manufacturing industry ranging from automobiles to medicine. Plastics take years to get degrade and have become a threat to the environment. Therefore there is a necessity to use biodegradable plastics in place of such non-biodegradable plastics. Polyhydroxybutyrate or PHB is a type of biopolymer which has similar properties to that of synthetic plastics and is susceptible to degradation by microbes in the environment itself. PHB is produced in microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast under stress conditions. As the yeast has a large cell size, it can accumulate more PHB than bacteria and is also physiologically flexible, in addition to the advantage of using yeast rather than the bacterial cell for the production of PHB. Therefore, the aim of the study was to isolate PHB producing yeast strain from the agricultural field. Methods: Primary screening of isolates was performed using Sudan Black B for PHB production. The extraction of PHB was done using sodium hypochlorite digestion method. The quantification of extracted PHB was done by UV-VIS spectroscopy. Results: The percentage and amount of PHB extracted were found to be 13.4 % per biomass and 1.6mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: A quite amount of PHB was able to be extracted from yeast isolate. As a future perspective, the enhancement of PHB production can be done using agricultural residues like sugarcane bagasse, corn cob, teff, banana peel, etc.
Background: Preventing substantial environmental hazards caused by noxious gases and solutes from sanitary landfills necessitates adequate regulations that require knowledge of the underlying mechanisms involved and the effect of various strategies. Mathematical models have been used to understand the development of landfill gas based on sequential biological growth and certain simple chemical and physical processes. Methods: The single-stage and multi-stage Monod landfill degradation model is based on a coupled system of rate equations containing a nonlinear term related to Michaelis- Menten kinetics of the enzymatic reaction. In this communication, an approximate analytical solution of the nonlinear differential equations is solved using a new approach of the homotopy perturbation method. Results: Substrate and biomass concentrations for the single-stage Monod landfill degradation model as well as biomass, solid, aqueous, acetic, and gases for the multi-stage model are derived for all possible values of parameters. Theoretical evaluations of the kinetic parameters such as the constant of Michaelis- Menten, mass-specific growth rate, half-saturation, and the death rate are reported. Conclusion: The accuracy of the proposed analytical expressions is validated by direct comparison with numerical simulations generated by MATLAB. A sensitivity analysis is presented to report the effect of all parameters on the governing model and the time required to reach the steady-state. The obtained analytical results are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the model and the effect of parameters and hence a better designing of experiments.
Background: The Fe3O4 nanoparticles have been highly regarded in recent years due to their unique properties and different applications. Magnetic separation capability of Fe3O4 nanoparticles provides an environmentally friendly procedure for the synthesis of this nanoparticle and its derivatives. Objective: There are many methods for synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles, and the properties of these nanoparticles are largely dependent on their synthesis method. Magnetite has many applications in various fields, one of the most important of which is the application of electrochemical sensors. These nanoparticles attached to the surface of different electrodes and used for the sensitive and selective electrochemical determination of trace amounts of several combinations. In this review paper, recently suggested synthesis methods of Fe3O4 and its derivatives and their electrochemical application are discussed.
Background:“Health is wealth” and to maintain it 7 essential nutrients are required. Among these, Vitamin is one that has great importance in very low concentration. As per the solubility, it divides into water-soluble and water-insoluble vitamins. This study concentrates on Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin which is essential for human growth due to its activity in the synthesis of carnitine, collagen, and neurotransmitter. It possesses antioxidant, antiatherogenic, and immunomodulatory functions, which may lead to the activity of Vitamin C in many diseases. But humans and some other non-human primates are unable to produce Vitamin C from glucose due to the absence of enzyme gulonolactone oxidase. As a result, humans are dependent on various dietary sources of Vc especially citrus fruit. But these dietary supplies also fail to achieve the required level in the body due to its poor bioavailability and storage.Method:Vitamin C has already proven its activity in cancer therapy. It is also used as a prodrug of H2O2. But due to the poor bioavailability and storage of Vitamin C in the human body, mankind is unable to avail the benefits of Vitamin C. These problems lead to generating different and suitable nanoformulations to incorporate Vitamin C and its derivatives into it. Different research work shows several ways to develop nanoformulations. Amongst all liposomes, microsphere, nanocarriers are of great importance. For Vitamin C incorporation into the nanoformulation, nanocarriers become the most popular choice for researchers. There were several nanocarrier systems developed using Chitosan- Alginate, Silica-Coated-Au Nanoparticles, Chitosan, Mesoporous-silica NCs for suitable incorporation of Vitamin C into these. The performances were assured by performing different in vitro and in vivo tests which will be discussed here.Result:As a result, Vitamin C is now in use for many purposes. It includes not only the above mentioned functions but also other functions too. Due to an antioxidant property, Vitamin C is able to quench reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inhibiting ROS-mediated Nitric Oxide (NO) inactivation. Vitamin C helps to elevate the level of absorption of iron within the cell from dietary iron sources. It also prevents the oxidation of drugs. To achieve all these functions, NCs or nanoformulation plays a great role.Conclusion:It can be concluded that depending on the biocompatibility, loading capacity, protection of the loading molecule, efficiency of cellular uptake, controllable rate of release to achieve the desired effect, and many more factors, the choice of different Nanocarriers (NCs) will be done which ultimately help the human to use it for different purposes. This paper tries to gather some information in one place with respect to different experimental studies.
Background:: Microbial phytases are added to animal feed to hydrolyze phytic acid (myoinositol hexakisphosphate, IP6) and phytate (salt of phytic acid) increasing phosphorus bioavailability. Novel phytases with enhanced bio-efficacy are being developed. Objective:: To characterize the biochemical and enzymatic properties of a novel consensus bacterial 6- phytase and its variant (PhyG), produced in Trichoderma reesei. Methods:: The in vitro specific activity, kinetic parameters, pH-activity profiles (relative to pH5.5), IP6 degradation, hydrolysis products and phosphate release of the phytases were determined using sodium phytate substrate. Melting point (Tm) was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermostability assessed by measuring residual activity at different temperatures. In vivo effects of PhyG supplementation at 0 to 1,000 FTU/kg on ileal IP6 digestibility and IP ester concentrations were determined in piglets. Results:: Both phytases exhibited pH optima of 3.5-4.5, high relative activity over a wide pH range (pH2.0-5.0), and substantial relative activity at pH1.5. At pH3.0, the specific activity of the PhyG variant was 1487 U/mg protein and at pH3.5 the kinetic constants were 240 μM (Km) and 1873 s-1 (Kcat). The hydrolysis of IP6 by both phytases was rapid. The major initial hydrolysis product was DLI( 1,2,3,4,5)P5, designating the phytases as bacterial 6-phytases (EC 3.1.3.26). Hydrolysis occurred at the D-3 (L-1) position in ~30% of instances, indicating a dual-specificity. Conclusion: Both phytases showed high thermostability compared to wild type and existing commercial bacterial 6-phytases; PhyG exhibited 95% residual activity after 20 min incubation at 85.4ºC (pH5.5), Tm50 of ~93.2ºC and Tm of 98.8ºC. In vivo, PhyG at 1,000 FTU/kg achieved an ileal digestibility of IP6 of 89.3%.
Background: Nanotechnology involves the study of materials having dimensional range 1 to 100 nm. When the concept of nanotechnology is applied in the medical field, the resulting outcome is known as ‘Nanomedicine’. Nanomedicine generally includes nanoparticles, which are explored for various therapeutic applications. Various properties of nanoparticles like high reactivity, large surface area, and ultra small size make them highly efficient compared to conventional therapeutic agents. Methods: Present review discloses applications of various nanoparticulate systems in drug delivery and therapeutics. We searched nanoparticulate systems like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, lipidic nanoparticles, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, and gold nanoparticles using search engines like PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: Results of a literature review regarding the use of nanoparticulate systems revealed their high preclinical efficacy, safety, and reduced toxicity compared to various traditional systems used for the delivery of various therapeutic agents. Implementation of targeting moieties like peptides, antibodies, or aptamers in nanoparticulate systems shows a synergistic effect in their efficacy. Conclusion: Nanoparticulate systems have shown significant effects on different areas of the medical field. However, clinical exploration of various nanoparticulate systems is still a challenge and this fact should be taken into consideration by pharmaceutical scientists. Despite this, nanomedicine is expected to have a tremendous effect on various areas of the medical field in the future.
Background:: In the long run, synthetic tints were found to be harmful to the chemicals. As a result natural tints have come to be used for their many intrinsic values. The main reason being, then availability of local plants as the main source of natural colorants. Their easy availability in the country being zero cost – effective and planted for other purposes are the main reasons for utilizing them as natural tints. Almost all the parts of the plants, namely stem, leaves, fruits, seeds, barks etc. are used for extracting natural colour. In addition, they are antimicrobial antifungal, insect – repellant deodorant, disinfectant having medicinal values. Methods:: Sweet Indrajao leaves were cleaned by washing with water and dried under direct sunlight and ground as fine powder. A fine strainer was used to remove the wastages. After all these processes, 1-kilogram leaves weighed 318 grams. Then, it is put in 75% ethanol 25% water and heated in a breaker which in kept over a water bath for 2 hours. After this, the contents were filtered and kept in a separate beaker. Bleached fleece draperies stained with stain extract were made to become wet and put into different stain baths which contain the required amount of stain extract and water. Acetic acid was added to it after 20 minutes. The fleece drapery was stained for about one hour at 60oC. The draperies thus stained were removed, squeezed, and put to treatment with metal salts without washing. Different metal salts were used for the treatment using 3% of any one of the chemical mordants like alum, stannous chloride, potassium dichromate, ferrous sulphate, nickel sulphate, copper sulphate and natural mordants such as myrobolan, turmeric, cow dung, Banana sap juice at 60oC for 30 minutes with MLR of 1:30. The stained draperies were washed repeatedly in all the three methods in water and dried in air. At last, the stained draperies were put to soap with soap solution at 60oC for 10 minutes. The draperies were repeatedly washed in water and dried under the sun. Results:: Sweet Indrajao leaves discharged colour easily in alcoholic water. The fleece draperies were stained with chemical and natural mordants. It was observed that the stain uptake was found to be good in post-mordanting method. Ultrasonication has clearly improved the stainability of the draperies at pH 3 and 3.5 values. The pH decreases the stain ability under both Conventional and Ultrasonic conditions. The colour strength increases with an increase in staining temperature in both cases of US and CH methods. Conclusion:: Sweet Indrajao.L has been found to have good ultrasonic potential as a stain plant. The stain uptake as well as the fastness properties of the fleece drapery were found to enhance when metal mordant was used in conjugation with ultra-sonication for the extract of Sweet Indrajao. It was also found that the enhancement of staining ability was better without mordant draperies. The dye extract showed good antibacterial activity against the three bacterial pathogens. Among the three bacterial pathogens, dye extract showed more effective against Escherichia coli pathogens and dye extract showed more effective against Aspergillus pathogens. Hence, the ultrasonic method of drapery staining may be appropriate and beneficial for society at large in future.
Background: Enhancing the heat transfer rate in solar collectors is an essential factor for reducing the size of the system. Yet, various methods have been presented in the literature to increase the heat transfer rate from an absorber to the heat transfer fluid. The most important methods are: the use of evacuated receivers, addition of swirl generators/turbulators and use of various nanofluids as the heat transfer fluid. Objective: The current study reviews the achievements in the enhancement of solar collectors’ heat transfer process using various types of nanofluids. The review revealed that the most widely employed nanoparticles are Al2O3 and Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the most popular base fluid is water. Most of the investigations are performed on indirect solar collectors, while recently, the researchers focused on direct absorption methods. In the indirect absorption collectors, the thermal conductivity of the working fluid is essential, while in a direct absorption collector, the optical properties are also crucial. Optimization of the optical parameters along with the thermophysical properties of the nanofluid is suggested for the applications of solar collector.
Background: Ionic liquids (ILs) are claimed as green solvents and have demonstrated ability in the dissolution of several biomaterials and polymers, thus promoting their applications in wide scope. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yeast cells in the ionic liquid (IL), choline acetate [Cho]OAc as an eco-friendlier IL for their growth and ability of fermentation of the empty fruit bunch (EFB) biomass for ethanol production via monitoring the cell growth curve and kinetics. Methods: The Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cultured for five days on yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) agar and the sub-culturing was carried out every two weeks to evaluate the growth of yeast in [Cho]OAc at different concentrations; 5%, 10%, and 20%, where it was pre-cultivated for 24 h at 30 °C and 150 rpm in a shaking incubator as a control culture. Yeast cell number was determined by counting using a hemocytometer. Also, the kinetic growth of yeast during the fermentation of EFB was evaluated. Result: Cell concentration increased, ethanol production increased along with the optical density with the peak reached at 72 h, then declined. Enzymatic hydrolysis process followed by fermentation of EFB using [Cho][OAc] improved the yield of sugar, saccharification and ethanol around 1.938, 2.879, and 2.165 times in comparison with untreated EFB with IL. Furthermore, values of specific growth rates obtained in IL-medium and non-IL-medium are applicable for ethanol production to take place. The results showed the ability of yeast cells for fermentation even in the presence of IL. Conclusion: The results showed that the presence of the IL did not suppress the growth of the yeast cells and did not impair the fermentation productivity.
Background: It is a great challenge for scientists to overcome the barrier of Antibiotic resistance by imparting new technologies to form structurally unique and robust antibiotics in an economically scalable way. Rapamycin is a well-known macrolide with numerous applications in the medical field. It is one of the most effective and efficient immunosuppressant antibiotic available in recent history. With the increase of its application, decreasing its production cost stands as one of the most critical challenges. Therefore, the selection of a suitable and potent strain of higher yield has emerged to be of great necessity in the present scenario. Methods: Spores prepared from lyophilised culture when treated with different exposure to UV light, showed a decrease in survival rates in comparison to the untreated sample. Combined treatment of spores with UV mutagenesis and chemical mutagen (NTG) was done. Spores were incubated at 30°C at 120 rpm for 2 hr, and some of them were found viable after the treatment. Agar-disc diffusion method, turbidimetric assay and HPLC analysis were carried out to study the rapamycin concentration by potent strain. Results: Macrolide production was seen to be maximum on the 11th day of fermentation which is 1.76 folds higher as compared to wild type Streptomyces hygroscopicus in shake flask. Structural confirmation and conformation study were supported by the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique. Conclusion: The maximum amount of antibiotic produced was observed to be 284 mg/L.
Background: Vegetable oil of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) that is obtained by triglycerides of transesterification in the presence of methanol, recently, has been highly regarded by scholars for use in diesel engines. These oils can be used as biodiesels in diesel engines and have various benefits (these fuels are renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic). Objective: In this work, many studies are reviewed in the field of using vegetable oils as biodiesel in diesel engines. Moreover, a simulation study is conducted to compare oxygen and peak pressure of a diesel engine fueled by three different biodiesels in comparison to diesel fuel. We have examined the chemical ignition delay time and kinetic viscosity of biodiesel in the combustion process of diesel engine and the effects of these factors are evaluated on air–fuel mixing and subsequent combustion.
Background: Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an efficient process for solid-state joining of two different material without melting by using a non-consumable tool. FSW process was developed for the modification of metallic material microstructure. FSW requires a precise investigation of the process, microstructure, and the welds mechanical properties in order to be used in the fabrication of high- quality engineering components. Through the efforts of improving the weld's mechanical and microstructural properties and conveying the current knowledge of the friction stir to other applications, multiple new technologies have been developed over the time. One of the latest methods to fabricate high performance joints or Nanocomposites alloys is the addition of nano- reinforcements to the joint in Friction Stir Welding (FSW) or the metal matrix in Friction Stir Processing (FSP). Objective: In this study, an overview of effect of nanoparticles on mn this study, an overview of the effect of nanoparticles on microstructural and mechanical properties of the FSW/ FSP joints is presented. The review revealed that the most widely employed additions are SiC, SiO2, Al2O3, and graphite nano-powders. Microstructural evolutions, such as grain size, second phase particles, and reinforcement distribution, usually are investigated using optical methods and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the joints, such as tensile strength, hardness, and wear performance, are also investigated. Based on most of the researches, microstructural evolution associated with adding nanoparticles led to improve the joints mechanical properties.icrostructural and mechanical properties of the FSW/ FSP joints is presented. The review revealed that the most widely employed additions are SiC, SiO2, Al2O3, and graphite nano-powders. Microstructural evolutions such as grain size, second phase particles and reinforcement distribution usually are investigated using optical methods and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the joints, such as tensile strength, hardness, and wear performance, are also investigated Based on most of researches, microstructural evolution associated with adding nanoparticles led to improve the joints’ mechanical properties.
