In this study the results of simultaneous measurements of dynamic viscosity, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and pH of two nanofluids, i.e., thermal oil/Al2O3and thermal oil/TiO2are presented. Thermal oil is selected as a base liquid because of possible application in ORC systems as an intermediate heating agent. Nanoparticles were tested at the concentration of 0.1%, 1%, and 5% by weight within temperature range from 20°C to 60°C. Measurement devices were carefully calibrated by comparison obtained results for pure base liquid (thermal oil) with manufacturer’s data. The results obtained for tested nanofluids were compared with predictions made by use of existing models for liquid/solid particles mixtures.

The suitability of a new wireless smart farming system for controlling irrigation and fertilization of horticultural plants was assessed in the study. The system (name: AGREUS®) includes sensors (soil moisture, salinity, weather data), executive modules (valve modules), and an application available on the web portal (accessed through computers and mobile devices). The studies were performed under laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory tests included appraisal of the precision of soil moisture and salinity measurements carried out with the soil probe (comparison with the results obtained by laboratory methods). Operational tests were conducted in field trials. In these trials, assessment of the possibility of practical control of irrigation and monitoring soil salinity was performed in an apple orchard. The conducted analyses have shown the usefulness of the system, not only for automatic control of irrigation but also for making decisions about the necessity to fertilize plants. The system enables continuous monitoring of changes in soil moisture and salinity, including the migration of minerals across the soil profile (using a probe with several measuring elements) as a result of the applied irrigation or rainfall. The system allows for automatic application of irrigation or fertigation depending on the adopted soil moisture and salinity thresholds. However, the tests showed that a salinity index calculated by the system does not directly correspond to the salinity values determined by laboratory methods. For this reason individual interpretation and determination of optimal ranges for plants is required.

This study investigated the improvement in the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties obtained by adjusting the amount of the Sr addition to the Al-Zn-Mg-Mn alloy. The addition of Sr formed an intermetallic compounds, and the volume fraction of the intermetallic compounds increased with increasing Sr content. As the amount of Sr added increased from 0 to 1.0 wt%, the electrical conductivity of the extruded alloy decreased to 48.9, 45.2 and 42.5% IACS. As the addition amount of Sr increased, the average grain size of the rolled alloy decreased to 55.5, 53.1 and 42.3 μm. And, the ultimate tensile strength increased to 195, 212 and 216 MPa.

We have presented dielectric and conductivity studies of two liquid crystal (LC) compounds- p-octyloxybenzoic acid (8OBA) and p-decyloxybenzoic acid (10OBA). Dielectric permittivity study of those compounds gives the evidence of space charge polarization and ionic conductance in the samples. Dielectric permittivity is found to be the highest for 8OBA than 10OBA. Both compounds found to exhibit positive dielectric anisotropy. Splay elastic constant as a function of temperature has also been investigated. Frequency and temperature dependent electrical conductivity of these two LC compounds have been studied in detail. Activation energy has been estimated from both dc and ac conduction process.

The study investigates the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure evolution and properties of an age-hardened ­Cu-3Ti-2Mg alloy. The precipitated Cu2Mg and β'-Cu4Ti phases consequently yield a depletion of the Cu matrix in regards to Ti and Mg solutes, which enhances the electrical conductivity. The Cu2Mg Laves phase and β'-Cu4Ti phase precipitates increase the hardness of the alloy due to the consistency and coherency of the later phase. However, the decrease of hardness is mainly associated with the coarse microstructures, that can be formed due to the phase transformation from metastable β'-Cu4Ti phase to more stable Cu3Ti phase. In the range of experiments, the optimum process is solution treatment at 700°C for 4 h, with subsequent age-hardening at 450°C for 4 h. The electrical conductivity, hardness, tensile strength, and elongation of the Cu-3Ti-2Mg alloy were 15.34 %IACS, 344 HV, 533 MPa, and 12%, respectively.

This paper presents the results of obtaining and investigations of Pb1–xBax(Zr1–yTiy)1–zSnzO3 (PBZTS) ceramics with constant x = 0.03 and y = 0.02, and variable z = 0, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 (abbreviations of the samples were following PBZTS0, PBZTS4, PBZTS6, PBZTS8, respectively). The investigated compositions are close to rhombohedral-orthorhombic morphotropic phase boundary. The ceramic samples have been obtained by conventional ceramic technology from simple oxides PbO, ZrO2, TiO2, SnO2 and barium carbonate BaCO3. The ceramic powders, after calcination, have been pressed into discs and sintered using free sintering (FS) method. For samples obtained in such a way, the dielectric properties at various frequencies and electrical conductivity have been investigated. The increase of Sn content orders the microstructure of ceramics, and as a result the improvement of the dielectric properties of ceramic samples can be obtained.

Nonlinear phenomena of the planar and quasi-planar magnetoacoustic waves are considered. We focus on deriving of equations which govern nonlinear excitation of the non-wave motions by the intense sound in initially static gaseous plasma. The plasma is treated as an ideal gas with finite electrical conductivity permeated by a magnetic field orthogonal to the trajectories of gas particles. This introduces dispersion of a flow. Magnetoacoustic heating and streaming in the field of periodic and aperiodic magnetoacoustic perturbations are discussed, as well as generation of the magnetic perturbations by sound. Two cases, corresponding to magnetosound perturbations of low and high frequencies, are considered in detail.

The aim of this paper was to attain defect free, pure copper castings with the highest possible electrical conductivity. In this connection, the effect of magnesium additives on the structure, the degree of undercooling (ΔTα = Tα-Tmin, where Tα – the equilibrium solidification temperature, Tmin – the minimum temperature at the beginning of solidification), electrical conductivity, and the oxygen concentration of pure copper castings have been studied. The two magnesium doses have been investigated; namely 0.1 wt.% and 0.2 wt.%. A thermal analysis was performed (using a type-S thermocouple) to determine the cooling curves. The degree of undercooling and recalescence were determined from the cooling and solidification curves, whereas the macrostructure characteristics were conducted based on a metallographic examination. It has been shown that the reaction of Mg causes solidification to transform from exogenous to endogenous. Finally, the results of electrical conductivity have been shown as well as the oxygen concentration for the used Mg additives.

The aim of this work is the development of Cu-Al2O3 composites of copper Cu-ETP matrix composite materials reinforced by 20 and 30

vol.% Al2O3 particles and study of some chosen physical properties. Squeeze casting technique of porous compacts with liquid copper

was applied at the pressure of 110 MPa. Introduction of alumina particles into copper matrix affected on the significant increase of

hardness and in the case of Cu-30 vol. % of alumina particles to 128 HBW. Electrical resistivity was strongly affected by the ceramic

alumina particles and addition of 20 vol. % of particles caused diminishing of electrical conductivity to 20 S/m (34.5% IACS). Thermal

conductivity tests were performed applying two methods and it was ascertained that this parameter strongly depends on the ceramic

particles content, diminishing it to 100 Wm-1K-1 for the composite material containing 30 vol.% of ceramic particles comparing to 400

Wm-1K-1 for the unreinforced copper. Microstructural analysis was carried out using SEM microscopy and indicates that Al2O3 particles

are homogeneously distributed in the copper matrix. EDS analysis shows remains of silicon on the surface of ceramic particles after

binding agent used during preparation of ceramic preforms.

In this study, two different compositions of submicron-structured titanium (760 nm) and micron-structured chromium (4.66 μm) powders were mixed to fabricate Cr-31.2 mass% Ti alloys by vacuum hot-press sintering. The research imposed various hot-press sintering pressures (20, 35 and 50 MPa), while the sintering temperature maintained at 1250°C for 1 h. The experimental results showed that the optimum parameters of the hot-press sintered Cr-31.2 mass% Ti alloys were 1250°C at 50 MPa for 1 h. Also, the relative density reached 99.94%, the closed porosity decreased to 0.04% and the hardness and transverse rupture strength (TRS) values increased to 81.90 HRA and 448.53 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the electrical conductivity is enhanced to 1.58 × 104 S·cm–1. However, the grain growth generated during the high-temperature and high-pressure of the hot-press sintering process resulted in the grain coarsening phenomenon of the Cr-31.2 mass% Ti alloys after 1250°C hot-press sintering at 50 MPa for 1 h. In addition, the Cr-31.2 mass% Ti alloys were fabricated with the submicron-structured titanium (760 nm) and chromium (588 nm) powders showed more effective compaction than the micron-structured titanium (760 nm) and chromium (4.66 μm) powders did. The closed porosity decreases to 0.02% and the hardness values increase to 83.23 HRA. However, the agglomeration phenomenon of the Cr phase and brittleness of the TiCr2 Laves phases easily led to a slight decrease in TRS (400.54 MPa).

The study has been carried out at two experimental sites. It aims to assess the impact of the reuse of raw wastewater, purified and diluted with conventional water on the physicochemical quality of soils compared to irrigated soils with con-ventional drilled water and non-irrigated soil. The obtained results show that the electrical conductivity EC and sodium gradually increase in all the plots irrigated with wastewater. Additionally, a slight increase in the pH levels at the first site and a slight decrease in the second site was seen, but at both sites the soils remained alkaline. The infiltration rate of water slide decreases in relation to the amount of irrigation, especially in plots irrigated by raw and treated wastewater. For the same plots, the values of organic matter increased, and the values obtained for the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) became high in the third year and reached 17.0% and 16.7% respectively.

In this research, Co-30 mass% Cr alloys were fabricated by a vacuum hot-press sintering process. Different amounts of submicron cobalt and chromium (the mean grain size is 800 and 700 nm, respectively) powders were mixed by ball milling. Furthermore, this study imposed various hot-press sintering temperatures (1100, 1150, 1200 and 1250°C) and pressures (20, 35 and 50 MPa), while maintaining the sintering time at 1 h, respectively. The experimental results show that the optimum parameters of hot-press sintered Co-30 mass% Cr alloys are 1150°C at 35 MPa for 1 h. Meanwhile, the sintered density reaches 7.92 g·cm–3, the closed porosity decreases to 0.46%, and the hardness and transverse rupture strength (TRS) values increase to 77.2 HRA and 997.1 MPa, respectively. While the hot-press sintered Co-30 mass% Cr alloys at 1150°C and 20 MPa for 1 h, the electrical conductivity was slightly enhanced to 1.79 × 104 S·cm–1, and the phase transformation (FCC → HCP) of cobalt displayed a slight effect on sintering behaviors of Co-30 mass% Cr alloys. All these results confirm that the mechanical and electrical properties of Co-30 mass% Cr alloys are effectively improved by using the hot-press sintering technique.

The aim of the research was to study the temporal and spatial dynamics of a set of agronomic criteria for irrigation water in the process of transporting it from the Southern Buh River intake site to the lands of the Southern Buh and Kamianska irrigation systems situated in southern Ukraine. Six stationary research sites for monitoring the quality of irrigation water were established along the route of irrigation water transportation. Determination of agronomic criteria for irrigation water quality was carried out in two terms: at the beginning of the irrigation season, in May, and at the end, in September. The content of cations of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and anions of chlorine, sulphates, carbonates, and bicarbonates was determined. In the field, the pH and electrical conductivity of water, the total salt content, and the total amount of dissolved solids were determined. It is determined that waters have an average level of danger from the point of view of salinisation of soils. This fact leads to a decrease in yield of sensitive to salinity crops (corn, alfalfa and most vegetables). The high content of sodium cations along with the low content of calcium and magnesium cations indicates the danger of degradation of the physical properties of the southern chernozems and the need to use the meliorants containing calcium. There is a high probability of toxic effects on crops caused by sodium cations. At the same time, it is stated that there is no negative effect of chlorine anions on plants.

In this work, nanosized Ni (nNi) powders of 50 nm are mixed with Cr and Ni submicron-powders (600 nm) to fabricate ­Cr-50 mass% Ni alloys by vacuum hot pressing. In order to evaluate the influence of the nanosized Ni powders, different amounts of nanosized Ni powders are added to produce the Cr-(50-x) mass% Ni-x mass% nNi alloys (x = 0, 10, 20 , and 30). The hot pressing was maintained at 1275°C, 48 MPa for 1 h. The microstructure evaluation, mechanical, and electrical properties were performed. The results reveal that mechanical and electrical properties are enhanced when increasing the nNi addition. The Cr-20 mass% ­Ni-30 mass% nNi presents the highest relative density of 96.53% and the electrical conductivity of 2.18×104 Scm–1, moreover, the hardness and transverse rupture strength values increase to 76.1 HRA and 1217 MPa, respectively. Moreover, a more homogeneous microstructure and a decrease in the mean grain size to 3.15 μm are acquired. Significantly, this fabrication procedure (adding 30 mass% nanosized nickel powders) results in the optimal microstructure, electrical and mechanical properties of submicron-structured Cr-(50-x) mass% Ni-x mass% nNi alloys.

New methods for identifying the material properties of planar objects as a result of measurements by the eddy current method are proposed. The methods are based on the latest surrogate strategies and advanced optimization techniques that improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption of problem solutions, and balance computational complexity with the accuracy of the results. High-performance metamodels for global surrogate optimization are based on deep truly meaningful fully connected neural networks, serving as an additional function of accumulating apriori information about objects. High accuracy of the approximation of the multidimensional response surface, which is determined by the “exact” electrodynamic model of the testing process, is ensured by performing calculations according to the computer design of a homogeneous experiment with a low weighted symmetric centered discrepancy. The results of numerical experiments performed for full and reduced dimensional search spaces, which can be obtained by linear transformations using the principal component method, are presented. The verification of the methods proved their sufficiently high accuracy and computational performance.