Synthesis of NiO and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles by ultrasonic method and investigation of microhardness of polymer composites made with these nanoparticles and epoxy resin

In this article, nickel oxide and nickel ferrite nanoparticles were first synthesized using an ultrasonic method as a simple, fast, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method. To ensure the properties of the nanoparticles and to avoid problems in the following steps, the nanoparticles are synthesized under various analyzes such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, infrared spectroscopy (IR), an X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), and Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). In the next step, using these nanoparticles and epoxy resin, a polymer matrix composite was made. Then, the composites were tested for corrosion against acid and hardness tests based on the ASTM D2583-13 standard. The results showed that the structure of the manufactured nanoparticles is very uniform and homogeneous. In addition, the hardness of composites made from nickel ferrite and nickel oxide nanoparticles was improved compared to pure polymer, and composites made from nickel ferrite had better hardness than composites made from nickel oxide. Also, the acid corrosion test results showed that creating a composite layer around aluminum can protect it against acid corrosion.