Francesca Nanni

• PdD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Rome Tor Vergata

Background: Osseointegrated implants are essential for rehabilitating edentulous patients, but critical bone defects remain challenging. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) with barrier membranes is an effective approach. This study evaluated a 3D printed membrane made from acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) combined with a xenogeneic graft for GBR...

In this work, polyether‐ether‐ketone (PEEK) – magnetite nanocomposites, having filler content of 50, 60, and 70 wt%, have been developed and 3D‐printed via Fused Filament Fabrication to manufacture high‐performance space‐compliant soft magnetic parts. The nanocomposites present high thermal stability and high transition temperatures typical of the...

The intersection of mathematics and computational modeling with the mechanics of materials and structural engineering continues to yield substantial advancements in both theoretical and applied domains [...]

In this work, two types of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-derived porous supporting materials consisting of CNTs-decorated diatomite (CNT/DE) and CNT sponges (CNS) were developed to prepare novel form-stable phase-change material (PCM) composites by impregnation, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the PCM. The CNT/DE support matrix showed highly e...

In the field of regenerative medicine, acrylated epoxidized vegetable oils are emerging as a promising avenue of exploration. The aim of this study is to evaluate the degradability of two formulations of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO): pure AESO and AESO diluted with soybean oil (SO) for potential bioprintability applications. The comprehe...

Creatures such as torpedo rays and electric eels showcase the exceptional ability to convert ionic gradients inside their bodies into powerful electrical discharges. In the future, artificial power units capable of reproducing this intriguing biological phenomenon may be able to power active devices, such as pacemakers and prosthetics, directly fro...

Nanoenergetics are defined as a class of nanomaterials that possess the ability to release energy in certain situations. These properties have been studied and deepened in recent years, so much so that nanoenergetics have been introduced into the use of the weapons industry, among others. It is therefore an emerging reality that deserves attention...

In this paper, a formaldehyde-free copper electroless plating process was optimized using statistical analysis (Design of Experiment) in order to maximize the adhesion and the electrical conductivity when deposited on carbon-epoxy substrates. The coatings' morphologies, the electrical resistance, and the adhesion vary significantly as function of e...

In this paper two waste fillers, namely ground tire rubber (GTR) and coffee silverskin (CSS, a waste bio‐product from the coffee‐making process), have been used to produce sustainable ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer (EPDM) rubber compounds vulcanized on steel sheets to fabricate rubber‐to‐steel bonded systems for industrial roofing applications. T...

In the realm of material innovation, the remarkable versatility of thermoplastic-based highly filled composites emerges as a pivotal advantage for fabricating metal parts, seamlessly integrating design flexibility. This study delves into the fusion of design and manufacturing, spotlighting the convergence of material extrusion additive manufacturin...

Additive manufacturing (AM) has attracted huge attention for manufacturing metals, ceramics, highly filled composites, or virgin polymers. Of all the AM methods, material extrusion (MEX) stands out as one of the most widely employed AM methods on a global scale, specifically when dealing with thermoplastic polymers and composites, as this technique...

Most tablets put on the market are coated with polymers soluble in water. The Opadry II 85 series from Colorcon Inc., is a family of PVA-based products marketed since the 1990s. Despite numerous publications on the properties of PVA, to date, limited work has been undertaken to determine the physico-chemical parameters (i.e., UV light, high tempera...

This study aims to obtain a cyto‐compatible 3D printable bio‐resin for the manufacturing of meshes designed from acquired real patients’ bone defect, to be used in future for Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) achieving the goal of personalized medicine decreasing surgical, recovery time and patient discomfort. To this purpose, a biobased, biocompatibl...

This work is part of a research project aimed at developing a bio-based binder, composed mainly of polylactic acid (PLA), to produce Ti6Al4V feedstock suitable for use in MAM (Metal Additive Manufacturing) via mFFF (metal Fused Filament Fabrication), in order to manufacture a titanium alloy specimen. While in Bragaglia et al. the mechanical charact...

In this paper a acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) based photo-curable resin loaded with 0.25% by weight of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) was produced to manufacture biobased, self-monitoring and biodegradable materials via 3D printing digital light processing (DLP). The CNT addition plays a role in providing self-monitoring propertie...

In this paper, a biobased binder mainly composed of polylactic acid (PLA) was developed for the production of Ti6Al4V feedstock suitable for 3D printing via material extrusion. 3D printed samples were debound via solvent and thermal treatments and successfully sintered in reducing atmosphere obtaining dense metallic components. The designed and pro...

The increasing production of plastics and its resulting environmental problems and waste management issues have prompted stakeholders and communities to focus on reducing, recycling, and reusing plastic products at the industrial level. While many important initiatives have been launched with a circular economy perspective, there is still a lack of...

Additively Manufactured parts are known to be heavily affected by the 3D-printing parameters, and their layered morphology represents a challenge in the mechanical design analysis for engineering applications. In this work, the fracture mechanics of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) samples along different printing directions was simulated as a lami...

In this paper, waste fat deriving from the cooking process of pork sausages has been studied as a sustainable phase change material (PCM). The waste fat is composed of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and presents melting point and melting enthalpy values of 32°C and 20 J/g respectively. The BioPCM was confined in two different hosts, namely (...

This article aims to realize a sustainable rubber compound made in large percentage of secondary raw materials. Waste chewing gum (WCG) has been studied as source of rubber and added in 25% by weight in an ethylene propylene diene monomer based compound in view of a circular economy and eco‐friendly rubber manufacturing. Biobased CaCO3 extracted fr...

In this paper, poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) carbon-nanotube (CNT) self-monitoring composites at different levels of filler loading (i.e., 3, 5 and 10% by weight) have been extruded as 3D-printable filaments, showing gauge factor values of 14.5, 3.36 and 1.99, respectively. CNT composite filaments of 3 and 5 wt% were 3D-printed into tensile sample...

Sol-gel alumina coatings have been deposited on neodymium-iron-boron magnets for corrosion protection. The coatings present a compact amorphous structure due to the low thermal treatment (500 °C) with a thickness ranging from 0.8 to 2 microns, a Vickers hardness of 10 GPa and good adhesion to the substrate, measured by scratch test, with a failure...

In this paper self-sensing nanocomposite formulations made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and different loading (3, 5 and 10 wt%) of multi-walled carbon nanotubes have been produced and 3D printed via fused filament fabrication. The nanocomposites have been characterized from a rheological, mechanical, thermal and electrical point of view to as...

The reprocessing of vegetal-waste represents a new research field in order to design novel biomaterials for potential biomedical applications and in food industry. Here we obtained a biomaterial from Lupinus albus L. hull (LH) that was characterized micro-structurally by scanning electron microscopy and for its antimicrobial and scaffolding propert...

This work aims to better understand the type of thermoplastic binders required to produce highly loaded copper filaments that can be successfully printed via low-cost filament-based material extrusion (MEX). Compounding feedstock material with 55 vol.% of copper and three multi-component binder systems has been performed. The MEX behavior of these...

Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) nanocomposites with different amount of CNT (i.e. 3%, 5%, 10% by weight) have been produced in the form of filaments and successively 3D printed via fused filament fabrication. Different analytical models, based on rule of mixture and mechanical percolation have been applied to evaluate the elastic modulus and the ulti...

In this paper, a hybrid commercially available alumina/polymer filament was 3D printed and thermally treated (debinding and sintering) to obtain ceramic parts. Microscopic and spectroscopic analysis was used to thoroughly characterize the green and sintered parts in terms of their mesostructured, as well as their flexural properties. The sintered s...

Electroless plating is a simple method to manufacture conductive coatings on electrically insulating substrates such as polymers. In this paper silver electroless plating has been performed on 3D printed polymeric samples manufactured by stereolithographic process. Three different surface treatments using acetone, ethanol and sulfuric acid solution...

Boron nitride nano-platelets have been functionalized with oleylamine using a simple method without ultrasonication. The functionalization is effective with the formation of a coordination bonds between the boron nitride nano-platelets and the oleylamine molecules. The oleylamine functionalization allows for the production of 25% by weight loaded p...

Electric motors are ubiquitous on spacecraft and their smooth operation relies on the presence of naturally magnetic materials. The employment of conventional metal‐based magnets causes some inconveniences such as high values of specific gravity and the limited reproducibility of complicated geometries. The introduction of novel polymer‐based magne...

High-performance thermoplastic polymers, such as Poly(aryl ether ketone)s (PAEK)s, can be used in various space applications due to their high mechanical properties, low density, and low outgassing properties. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic semi-crystalline polymer belonging to the PAEKs family, which, together with its composites...

Commercially available FFF machines have limitations in process reliability and quality of the products. The live monitoring of the 3D printing process could improve quality and the produced part performance. In the present work, a print-head integrated system, based on optical and thermal sensors, for live monitoring of a FFF 3D printing process w...

Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets are essential components in many mechanical, electric and electronic devices, providing large magnetic fields with no energy consumption. Nevertheless, their poor corrosion resistance is an important issue that makes them susceptible to degradation of the magnetic properties. In this paper, the authors...

This work focuses on the replacement of mineral oils with bio-based waste cooking oils in rubber compounding. Two different waste cooking oils from potatoes and chicken frying process were analyzed by means of chemical and rheological tests to evaluate the chemical composition, the oxidative stability and the viscosity. Waste oils have been introdu...

The health monitoring of structures is of great interest in order to check components’ structural life and monitor damages during operation. Self-monitoring materials can provide both the structural and monitoring functionality in one component and exploit their piezoresistive behavior, namely, the variation of electrical resistivity with an applie...

The low-cost material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing technology can offer an economical alternative to manufacture me tal parts with complex geometry over traditional manufacturing or the more expensive powder bed fusion (PBF) techniques. In this work, a feedstock made of 316L stainless steel powder (65 % by volume) and a single component b...

Fused filament fabrication is an additive layer manufacturing technique. It was extensively used at the beginning for the manufacturing of prototypes, and it has been adopted during the last few years for the manufacturing of fully functional components. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been thoroughly investigated as a composite matrix because of i...

Thermally conductive but electrically insulating polymer matrix composites are of great interest in many engineering applications such as thermal management applications (i.e. heat sinks in microelectronic packaging, cooling of mechatronic components and mechanisms). Among possible functional fillers, hexagonal boron nitride seems to be one of the...

Strain monitoring is of great interest in order to check components structural life, to prevent catastrophic failures, and, possibly, to predict residual life in case of unexpected events. In this study, strain sensing epoxy-based coatings containing carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and a mix of the two (MWCNT+GNP) have bee...

Immiscible blends of ethylene‐propylene‐diene‐monomer (EPDM) and polyoxymethylene (POM), when EPDM is the major phase were compatibilized on the addition of an ionomer, poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid). The inclusion of the ionomer reduced the interfacial tension between the two phases, such that the diameter of the POM domains were significantly...

Recent improvements in additive layer manufacturing (ALM) have provided new designs of geometrically complex structures with lighter materials and low processing costs. The use of additive manufacturing in spacecraft production is opening up many new possibilities in both design and fabrication, allowing for the reduction of the weight of the struc...

In the paper, extruded filaments of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) filled (1%v, 3%v, 5%v) with sub-micrometric titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles have been manufactured with the aim to increase the UV radiation resistance of PEEK matrix. The TiO2 particles affect crystallinity of PEEK matrix as it increases increasing filler content. The filler presenc...

Permanent Rare Earth magnets are becoming more and more important in efficient motors and generators with high energy density. Among them NdFeB magnets are the most employed, with NdFeB having higher remanence, high coercivity and energy product. Nevertheless,their poor corrosion resistance makes them susceptible to degradation of the magnetic prop...

Il punto cardine del lavoro è la prototipazione e caratterizzazione di metamateriali fonoassorbenti, potenzialmente destinabili ad interventi di correzione acustica in ambito automobilistico, basati su un risonatore di Helmholtz a cavità irregolare implementato con filtri porosi realizzati via 3D printing. Il suddetto sistema si prefigge lo scopo d...

Permanent Rare Earth magnets are becoming more and more important in efficient motors and generator with high energy density. In space domain, they are usually the core of electrical motors used for mechanism, having a crucial importance in the success of the mission. Two compositions are mainly used for space applications: NdFeB and SmCo magnets....

Mechanical performance of 3D printed “Rubber like” commercial resins are not comparable to typical vulcanized diene rubbers since they show lower strain at break. In the present work, samples made of liquid butadiene rubber have been photocured by thiol-ene chemistry and 3D printed. Morphological features and mechanical properties have been investi...

Wet cleaning of paper artworks by using hydrogels is a recently proposed process in the cultural heritage field. In this contest, on one side, research has focused on more effective and tuned cleaning hydrogels; on the other, the cleaning performances of the proposed hydrogels have been studied on ancient paper and very little on modern paper. This...

A refinement of the Kummer friction model is considered to determine the friction coefficient through analysis of the mechanical properties of rubber compound materials. An experimental sets of trials was carried out with a linear friction tester evaluating the friction coefficient for CB filled SBR on an ideal sinusoidal substrate under lubricated...

Permanent Rare Earth magnets are becoming more and more important in efficient motors and generator for space applications. One of the magnet most diffused composition for space application is Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB). These magnets are characterized by high remanence, higher coercivity and energy product, but due to their poor corrosion resist...

Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) coatings have been deposited on epoxy resin and glass substrates by low temperature (70 °C) RF magnetron sputtering. Influence of different process parameters on coating morphological and electrical properties has been studied. Epoxy resin surface roughness influence on coating microstructure was also investigated. We h...

The frictional behaviour of elastomers has attracted a lot of attention and interest in order to better comprehend its effect on the skidding features of tires and the performance of different rubber components, such as gloves, contact rubber seals and diaphragms, and elements of weapons. In the present work, for the first time, silica coatings wer...

Development of absorbing materials at microwaves is of great interest in electronic and military applications, tuning their electromagnetic (EM) properties by varying their composition. In this paper, composite films based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles and/or multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), were pr...

In this work innovative composites were developed, using as polymeric matrix polyether-imide (PEI), a high performance thermoplastic, and as natural filler two different kindsof diatomaceous earth, i.e. uncalcined and calcined. The uncalcined powder was amino-functionalised to improve its chemical compatibility with the matrix, whereas the calcined...

The present investigation explores the microscopic aspects of cell‐laden hydrogels at high resolutions, using three‐dimensional cell cultures in semi‐synthetic constructs that are of very‐high water content (>98% water). The study aims to provide an imaging strategy for these constructs, while minimizing artifacts. Constructs of PEG‐fibrinogen (PEG...

The dilatancy (Shear-thickening) is a time-independent rheological behaviour exhibited by some non-Newtonian fluids. These fluids manifest a surge in the apparent viscosity with an increase in the shear rate. If these fluids are encapsulated, they can be used to manufacture high-end stab resistance inserts (Cecchini et al., 2018) [1]. In the first...

PEEK is an engineering biocompatible thermoplastic, showing high thermal stability, with a glass transition temperature of 143°C, and a melting point of about 340 °C. However, an important aspect to be considered is its chemical degradation when subjected to UV irradiation. Polymer chain scissions at the aromatic ether bond may occur as a result of...

Photoacoustic spectroscopy investigation was carried out on ZnO nanoparticles grown at 80 °C on porous surface of diatomite (DE) by sol–gel technique, using zinc acetate dihydrate as ceramic precursor and triethanolamine to mediate the surface growth of the nanoparticles. Absorption and scattering characteristics of hybrid ZnO/DE powder in the UV–V...

The design of biomaterial platforms able to release bioactive molecules is mandatory in tissue repair and regenerative medicine. In this context, electrospinning is a user-friendly, versatile and low-cost technique, able to process different kinds of materials in micro- and nano-fibers with a large surface area-to-volume ratio for an optimal releas...

The Italian Historical Heritage consists of masonry buildings. They have always coexisted with seismic events or natural degradation phenomena. Previous studies have shown that the addition of fibers to masonry elements, (i.e. blocks, mortar and plaster), improves their mechanical properties compressive, shear and tensile strength. The use of natur...

An advanced and inexpensive one-pot method to prepare polystyrene (PS)–barium titanate (BT) films by solution mixing is reported. The process was developed to obtain free-standing films with an increased dielectric constant (ε′). Since PS is soluble in apolar solvents, BT nanoparticles (BT-NPs) were surface-modified with palmitic acid (PAc) and emb...

The design of biomaterial platforms able to release bioactive molecules is mandatory in tissue repair and regenerative medicine. In this context, electrospinning is a user-friendly, versatile and low-cost technique, able to process different kinds of materials in micro- and nano-fibers with a large surface area-to-volume ratio for an optimal releas...

Background: The increasing use of composite structures with a high stiffness-to-weight ratio in commercial vehicles has brought about a reduction in fuel consumption but, on the other hand, has significantly increased noise transmission particularly in case of thin and lightweight structures. Noise is a primary issue for commercial vehicles, such a...

The present paper concerns the additive layer manufacturing of polyether-ether–ketone (PEEK) by means of fused deposition modelling (FDM). PEEK is a high-performance polymer (outstanding mechanical properties, high thermal stability and chemical resistance), suitable for space applications, that, however, due to its semicrystalline nature is diffic...

Puncture resistance has become one of the most requested safety features, not only for protective garments such as stab vests, but also for safety shoes and gloves. Currently, this characteristic is highly demanded in the tyre industry. Conventional protective solutions, such as metallic plates and composite inserts prove to be either bulky or inef...

In the food packaging sector many efforts have been (and are) devoted to the development of new materials in order to reply to an urgent market demand for green and eco-sustainable products. Particularly a lot of attention is currently devoted both to the use of compostable and biobased polymers as innovative and promising alternative to the curren...

In this work, we developed a novel numerical approach to the analysis of the displacement field of a Composite pentamode metamaterial. Two different approaches to the solution of the system of equations are taken into account: the first is an exact iterative approach, the second is a discrete one based on finite element modelling (FEM). The single...

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) were synthesized on diatomite (DE) surface by a low temperature sol gel technique, starting from zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH₃COO)₂ • 2H₂O ) solution in water/ethyl alcohol, in presence of triethanolamine (TEA) with functions of Zn²⁺ chelating agent, catalyst and mediator o...

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)/multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were fabricated via injection moulding and successively characterized by means of microstructural, morphological, thermal and mechanical investigations. Scanning electron microscopy observations demonstrated a uniform distribution of CNT within the matrix, while tensile tests...

Protein haze formation in white wines during storage is considered the most important instability phenomenon of non-microbial origin. The use of proteolytic enzymes, covalently immobilized on solid supports, has recently proved to be a promising approach for reducing the haze potential of white wines. In this study, supports based on chitosan and n...

In this work a new, simple and green protocol to introduce a limited content of silanol groups on the surface of an hydrophobic diatomite, in order to be slightly hydrophilic and susceptible to be silanized by bifunctional, sulfur-containing organosilanes for rubber applications, is proposed. The chemical modification was carried out at 85 °C in a...

Bare and Al2O3-coated austenitic steel samples are exposed to lead-fast-reactor relevant corrosive conditions. Selective leaching of Ni, Mn and Cr is observed in bare samples exposed to high temperature stagnant lead (550 °C, 10⁻⁸ wt.% oxygen, 1000 and 4000 hours). By contrast, corrosion is not observed in either pristine (4000 hours) or irradiated...

A native isolate of the colonial benthic diatom Staurosirella pinnata was cultivated for biosilica production. The silicified cell walls (frustules) were used as a source of homogeneous and structurally predictable porous biosilica for dye trapping and random laser applications. This was coupled with the extraction of lipids from biomass showing po...

The improvement of solubility and/or dissolution rate of poorly soluble natural compounds is an ideal strategy to make them optimal candidates as new potential drugs. Accordingly, the allyl sulfur compounds and omega-3 fatty acids are natural hydrophobic compounds that exhibit two important combined properties: cardiovascular protection and antitum...

Multifunctional fibrous systems based on poly(lactic) acid (PLA), mesoporous silica (SiO2) and ascorbic acid (AA) were produced by means of electrospinning technique, for potential applications in the active food packaging sector, as platform for the controlled release of antioxidant and/or antimicrobial agents with the additional filtering functio...

Chitosan beads from a microbial source, i.e. Aspergillus niger (An), were produced by precipitation method for the first time and compared with supports prepared from an animal source, i.e. shellfish derived chitosan with three different molecular weights (low (LMW), medium (MMW) and high (HMW)). The produced beads were used as enzyme carriers to b...

The interest towards natural rubber (NR) is progressively increasing due to its sustainable production and remarkable mechanical properties, presenting a wide application range in the automotive industry and civil engineering. In this paper we report, for the first time, the use of electrospinning technique to produce neat and graphene nanoplatelet...

Papers presented at the 2nd Bilateral Indo-Italian Workshop NEEM 2015 Rome, Italy October 12-14, 2015 Organized with the support of the Directorate General for the Country Promotion Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation by Consorzio Hypatia Department of Science & Technology of India IMEM-CNR Institute for Plasma Research (Ghand...

Passivation is a common treatment to maximize the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. Nitric acid is generally used and involves several ecological problems, citric acid could be a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to nitric acid. In this work citric acid has been extracted from lemon waste using and eco-friendly procedure. Th...