ADVANCED MATERIALS

TOP DOWN AND BOTTOM UP APPROACH

Sol-gel process (bottom up)
• The sol-gel process, involves the evolution of
inorganic networks through the formation of a
colloidal suspension (sol) and gelation of the sol to
form a network in a continuous liquid phase (gel).
• Sol-gel processing refers to the hydrolysis and
condensation of alkoxide-based precursors such as
Si(OEt)4(tetraethyl orthosilicate, or TEOS). The
reactions involved in the sol-gel chemistry based on
the hydrolysis and condensation of metal alkoxides
M(OR)zcan be described as follows:
• MOR + H2O → MOH + ROH (hydrolysis) MOH +
ROM → M-O-M + ROH (condensation)
• Sol-gel method of synthesizing nanomaterials is
very popular amongst chemists and is widely
employed to prepare oxide materials. The sol-gel
process can be characterized by a series of distinct
steps.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:
Thermal conductivity:
• As the grain boundaries increase the the phenon
scattering also increases in disorderly manner
within the boundaries hence lowering the thermal
conductivity compared to conventional materials.
• In addition to size the thermal conductivity also
changes as per the shape of the nano materials.
• For eg, 1D none wires may offer ultralow thermal
conductivities

Melting point:
• Melting point depression is the phenomenon of
reduction of melting point of the material with
reduction of its size.
• This phenomenon is very prominent in nano scale
particles which have low melting point than the
bulk materials
• Melting point depression is most evident in
nanowires, nano tubes and nano particles, which is
lower than the melting point of the bulk materials
of the same particle.
 • Changes in melting point occurs due to hight
surface to volume ratio than bulk materials,
drastically changing their thermal and
thermodynamic properties.

Electrical properties:
• Electrical property like conductivity does not
depend on dimensions such as diameter, area of
cross section and twist in wire.
• However it is found that in carbon nano tubes the
conductivity changes with change in area of cross
section.
• Conductivity of multi wall nanotube is different
from that of single nano tubes of same dimensions.

NUCLEAR REACTOR:
Pressurized water reactor:
• The core inside the reactor vessel creates heat.
• Pressurized water in the primary coolant loop
carries the heat to the steam generator.
 • Inside the steam generator, heat from the primary
coolant loop vaporizes the water in a secondary
loop, producing steam.
• The steamline directs the steam to the main
turbine, causing it to turn the turbine generator,
which produces electricity.
• The unused steam is exhausted to the condenser,
where it is condensed into water.
• The resulting water is pumped out of the
condenser with a series of pumps, reheated, and
pumped back to the steam generator.
• The reactor’s core contains fuel assemblies that are
cooled by water circulated using electrically
powered pumps.
• These pumps and other operating systems in the
plant receive their power from the electrical grid.
Boiling water reactor:
• The core inside the reactor vessel creates heat.
• A steam-water mixture is produced when very pure
water (reactor coolant) moves upward through the
core, absorbing heat.
• The steam-water mixture leaves the top of the core
and enters the two stages of moisture separation
 where water droplets are removed before the
steam is allowed to enter the steamline.
• The steamline directs the steam to the main
turbine, causing it to turn the turbine generator,
which produces electricity.
• The unused steam is exhausted to the condenser,
where it is condensed into water.
• The resulting water is pumped out of the
condenser with a series of pumps, reheated, and
pumped back to the steam generator.
• The reactor’s core contains fuel assemblies that are
cooled by water circulated using electrically
powered pumps.
• These pumps and other operating systems in the
plant receive their power from the electrical grid.