Development of plastic heat absorbers for effective energy management in bioclimatic buildings

This research is focused on the preparation and characterizations of plastic heat absorbers based on recycled polyethylene and paraffin wax which can be used as the components that improve the passive heating or cooling of buildings to save electrical energy so that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Utilisation of renewable natural waste for   advanced applications

This research deals with the preparation of environmentally friendly cellulose micro and nano-fibers by a chemical/thermo/mechanical process from date palm wood waste. There are large nanocellulose applications in the area of paper and paperboard manufacture, polymeric nanocomposites preparation where nanofibers can replace common inorganic fibers for material reinforcement, in medical cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, in oil recovery application, membranes designing etc.

Sol-Gel Chemistry and Technologies

Our research effort has been mainly focused to the surface treatment of fabrics by silica thin films to improve hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity or electrical conductivity of those materials.

Highly electrically and thermally conductive composites

Common industrial polymers, in general, are materials with very low value of thermal and electrical conductivity.   However, many industrial applications including circuit boards, heat exchangers, electronics protection, etc. require an improvement the thermal conductivity of plastics. Similarly, electrically conductive composites are used as heating elements, temperature-dependent resistors and sensors, self-limiting electrical heaters and switching devices, antistatic materials for electromagnetic interference shielding of electronic devices. Metal-coated inorganic fibres are   used as a substitute for metals in electrically and thermally conductive composites. The advantages are the easiness of metallization of convenient substrates, high conductivity, low density and lower prices when compared to metals.   Another types of highly thermally conductive composites is based on the graphite and it derivatives.