Tasneem Pervez

Herein, value-added iron oxide nanostructures are successfully synthesized directly from industrial steel mill scale via a simple precursor-free planetary ball milling technique for sustainable hydrogen production and environmental remediation. Comprehensive XRD analysis confirms heterogeneous crystalline phases comprising wüstite, magnetite, and hematite. The waste-derived catalysts demonstrate robust bifunctional electrocatalytic activity toward HER and OER in alkaline media, achieving low overpotentials of 342 and 356 millivolts at ten milliamperes per square centimeter for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, respectively, alongside favorable Tafel slopes and exceptional long-term operational stability. Furthermore, under natural sunlight, the nanostructures achieve efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, attaining 86.4 and 89.7 percent degradation efficiencies for 15 and 30 milligrams of catalyst. This comprehensive study successfully converts secondary metallurgy industrial byproducts into highly cost-effective multifunctional nanomaterials, thus presenting an exceptionally promising dual-purpose pathway for green hydrogen generation coupled with advanced industrial wastewater purification and environmental pollution control.

The present investigation provides a comparative quality evaluation of Grade-60 steel rebars produced by induction furnace (IF)-based industries. In addition to analyzing quality variations in different industrial processes, this study aims to evaluate their compliance with international standards such as ASTM A615/615M. Samples of rebars from six local producers were collected, and their chemical compositions, microstructural features, hardness profiles, and tensile properties, including yield and tensile strengths, were analyzed. A special focus was given to analyzing the case–core microstructure, the presence of martensite rings, and impurity density, which substantially affect strength and ductility. Additionally, the electrochemical investigation was conducted at different temperature ranges, from 50 °C to 100 °C. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with open-circuit potential (OCP) was used to analyze the corrosion behavior of different samples in seawater. The finding suggests that the majority of rebars achieved the minimum requirements of ASTM 615 for Grade-60, except for some manufacturers, where minor deviation was noticed. However, significant variation in mechanical properties and chemical composition was observed among all six industries (A–F). Manufacturers are consistently exhibiting the highest mechanical properties, with a maximum yield strength of 580 MPa and tensile strength of 760 MPa (12 mm diameter sample). In contrast, various samples from E and F manufacturers recorded the lowest values, such as a minimum yield strength of 365 MPa (Industry F, 16 mm diameter) and a critically low elongation of 9.5% for sample E of 16 mm diameter. Microstructural analysis further confirmed the formation of martensite rim structures in samples of manufacturer A, evidencing the efficient thermomechanical treatment system installation in industries.

Material and energy resources of the world are dwindling, coupled with rapid environmental and ecological degradation. Renewability and sustainability have become critical issues. Sustainable engineering involves enhancing the design of products, systems, and services to achieve superior environmental and social performance while ensuring economic feasibility. The challenge lies in transforming this broad concept into a robust educational framework with well-defined methods, tools, and metrics for integration into engineering curricula and professional practice. To incorporate sustainability into their curricula, some institutions have experimented with problem-based and project-based learning (PPBL) as a tool. The premise is that use of PPBL promotes cooperative learning, critical thinking, systemic reasoning, creativity, and societal awareness, all key aspects of sustainability. However, developing a practical curriculum presents challenges, including establishing suitable physical learning environments, revising instructional methods and assessment norms, ensuring foundational PPBL knowledge for educators and students, securing institutional support, and more. One specific challenge is deciding whether to create a dedicated course on sustainable engineering or to integrate modules on environmental engineering, green engineering, pollution prevention, waste minimization, and design for the environment within existing courses. The first section of this paper introduces key issues in sustainable development and engineering, the intersection of sustainable, renewable, and recyclable concepts, education for sustainable development, and pedagogy for sustainability. The second section outlines the ongoing efforts to incorporate sustainability content in the Mechanical Engineering program at our university, detailing a roadmap for curriculum development and providing examples from courses in the Applied Mechanics and Design, and Materials and Manufacturing streams. The final section touches upon significant challenges in sustainability education, including the practice of sustainability in academia, policy-making challenges, content overload, cultural considerations, and the nuanced distinction between environmental protection and sustainability.

The manufacturing of thermoplastic materials, particularly polypropylene, is crucial for various industrial applications due to their lightweight, versatile, and durable properties. Compression moulding is a favored method for producing high-strength components; however, traditional open mould systems often result in defects such as air bubbles and voids, which weaken the mechanical integrity of the final product. This research introduces an advanced vacuum-assisted closed mould system designed to enhance the compressive strength and overall mechanical performance of polypropylene specimens. By applying vacuum, entrapped air is effectively removed, ensuring uniform material flow and reducing defects. Experimental results show a substantial improvement in mechanical properties: stress at 0.4 strain increased from 34.98 MPa in conventional compression moulding to 47.2 MPa with vacuum assistance, reflecting a 35% increase. Young’s modulus increased from 432.61 MPa to 620.46 MPa, representing a 43% enhancement in stiffness. These improvements demonstrate that vacuum-assisted moulding not only enhances material properties but also promotes more efficient manufacturing by minimizing waste and reducing post-moulding machining. This advancement highlights the potential of vacuum-assisted systems to meet growing industrial demands for high-performance, mechanically robust thermoplastic components.

The Sultanate of Oman intends to diversify its energy production by transitioning from fossil fuel sources to renewable energy sources, hence reducing dependence on costly crude oil and natural gas. Hydrogen energy is considered a promising solution to the transition from conventional energy source to the renewable energy, as it has the potential of reducing the intermittency problem in renewable energy and hence could contribute toward deep decarbonisation to meet the Paris Agreement. The country is investing in the fields of wind farms, solar PV, and biogas plants under the policy of Oman Vision 2040, targeting 39% renewable energy shares by 2040. Hydrogen economy can enable Oman to achieve its zero net emission policy goals. This investment will, however, be successfully achieved when there are well-articulated national policies, appropriate technological development, skilled manpower, and capacity at the local institutional level. This paper reviews the opportunities for hydrogen energy in Oman by investigating the country's renewable resource potentials, investment avenues, and related policies. It reviews the current status of Oman in terms of renewable energy potential, ongoing efforts, institutional capacity, clean hydrogen legislation, and related environmental impacts. The research further intends to provide the required knowledge towards Oman joining the worldwide hydrogen economy on the basis of resourcing and recommending viable techno-policy frameworks combined with environmental policies.The Sultanate of Oman intends to diversify its energy production by transitioning from fossil fuel sources to renewable energy sources, hence reducing dependence on costly crude oil and natural gas. Hydrogen energy is considered a promising solution to the transition from conventional energy source to the renewable energy, as it has the potential of reducing the intermittency problem in renewable energy and hence could contribute toward deep decarbonisation to meet the Paris Agreement. The country is investing in the fields of wind farms, solar PV, and biogas plants under the policy of Oman Vision 2040, targeting 39% renewable energy shares by 2040. Hydrogen economy can enable Oman to achieve its zero net emission policy goals. This investment will, however, be successfully achieved when there are well-articulated national policies, appropriate technological development, skilled manpower, and capacity at the local institutional level. This paper reviews the opportunities for hydrogen energy in Oman by investigating the country's renewable resource potentials, investment avenues, and related policies. It reviews the current status of Oman in terms of renewable energy potential, ongoing efforts, institutional capacity, clean hydrogen legislation, and related environmental impacts. The research further intends to provide the required knowledge towards Oman joining the worldwide hydrogen economy on the basis of resourcing and recommending viable techno-policy frameworks combined with environmental policies.

The design of efficient and safe biocompatible artificial implants for bone replacement and reconstructions requires a thorough understanding of natural bone material. A new homogenization approach is therefore used to predict effective material properties of the human femur bone. The bone structure is idealized as a functionally graded (FG) composite made of different quantities of a collagen protein matrix reinforced by hydroxyapatite mineral acting as the filler. Two distinct composite models were investigated, one where the mineral reinforcements were assumed to be randomly dispersed inclusions in a matrix of collagen, and a second model wherein the minerals were assumed to be unidirectional fibers. Predicted results for longitudinal and transverse elastic modulus from the models compare very well with range of values from published experimental data. It is also compared to those predicted using classical homogenization models. These material properties are then used to obtain the structural response of a bone plate section under transverse load.

In wells with high-viscosity crude oil, steam injection is used to improve the fluidity of the heavy oil. Screens made of steel are employed for sand control, with corrosion being a serious problem. Non-metallic pipe materials, such as novel high-strength PVC, are therefore being tried out. This paper presents the results of an integrity assessment of large-diameter hard PVC pipes under compressive loading. Plain, built-up, and slotted pipes were subjected to a 3-month aging process in saline water. Strain gauge sets were used for dynamic testing of longitudinal and transverse deformations. Values of fracture strength, total deformation, and anisotropy (Poisson’s ratio) were extracted from the stress–strain graphs and analyzed. Upon aging in saline water, the stiffness of all pipes increased and was the highest for slotted pipes. Maximum stress after soaking was reduced by 11–12%. The ductility was the highest for plain pipes and the lowest for built-up pipes. Poisson’s ratio remained almost constant for all pipes and aging conditions. The good news for field applications is that overall, aging had only a minor impact on the major compressive properties. The main conclusion was that corrosion-prone steel pipes and sand screens can be successfully replaced by corrosion-free high-strength PVC pipes and screens for water transport applications in thermal wells. This work provides a scientific basis for the structural integrity assessment of this new PVC and helps field engineers in the proper pre-deployment selection of pipes for target oilfields.

In the current work, a fully implicit numerical integration scheme is developed for modeling twinning-induced plasticity using a crystal plasticity framework. Firstly, the constitutive formulation of a twin-based micromechanical model is presented to estimate the deformation behavior of steels with low stacking fault energy. Secondly, a numerical integration scheme is developed for discretizing constitutive equations through a fully implicit time integration scheme using the backward Euler method. A time sub-stepping algorithm and the two-norm convergence criterion are used to regulate time step size and stopping criterion. Afterward, a numerical scheme is implemented in finite element software ABAQUS as a user-defined material subroutine. Finally, finite element simulations are executed for observing the validity, performance, and limitations of the numerical scheme. It is observed that the simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental observations with a maximum error of 16% in the case of equivalent stress and strain. It is also found that the developed model is able to estimate well the deformation behavior, magnitude of slip and twin shear strains, and twin volume fraction of three different TWIP steels where the material point is subjected to tension and compression.

Among the critical issues dictating bio-composite performance is the interfacial bonding between the natural fibers and polymer matrix. In this regard, this article presents new synthesis routes comprising the treatment and functionalization of both date palm powder (DPP) filler and a polypropylene (PP) matrix to enhance filler–polymer adhesion in the newly developed bio-composites. Specifically, four bio-composite forms are considered: untreated DPP filled PP (DPP-UT/PP), treated DPP filled PP (DPP-T/PP), treated DPP filled functionalized PP using 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (DPP-T/PP-g-IEM), and treated and functionalized DPP using 4-toluenesulfonyl chloride filled functionalized PP using 2-acrylamide ((DPP-T)-g-TsCl/PP-g-AcAm). The functional groups created on the surface of synthesized PP-g-IEM react with activated hydroxyl groups attached to the filler, resulting in chemical crosslinking between both components. Similarly, the reaction of TsCl with NH₂ chemical groups residing on the mating surfaces of the filler and polymer generates an amide bond in the interface region. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to confirm the successful coupling between the filler and polypropylene matrix after applying the treatment and functionalization schemes. Owing to the introduced crosslinking, the DPP-T/PP-g-IEM bio-composite exhibits the best mechanical properties as compared to the neat polymer, unfunctionalized polymer-based bio-composite, and (DPP-T)-g-TsCl/PP-g-AcAm counterpart. The applied compatibilizers assist in reducing the water uptake of the manufactured bio-composites, increasing their durability.