Orientador: Cecília Amélia de Carvalho Zavaglia / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T06:22:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Saito_Lia_M.pdf: 10338325 bytes, checksum: 36e37affce64dade6095d6f2d7761537 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A necessidade de substituintes ósseos está crescendo rapidamente no campo da cirurgia reconstrutiva. Os cimentos à base de fosfato de cálcio são largamente empregados no reparo do tecido ósseo devido a uma série de propriedades atrativas, como excelente bioatividade e biocompatibilidade. São muitos os estudos feitos em busca da otimização das propriedades desses materiais ou a análise do comportamento biológico desses substitutos, entretanto esses estudos analisam essas propriedades isoladamente, sem se atentar para que as duas variáveis devem ser analisadas simultaneamente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da distribuição granulométrica do pó de ?-TCP no comportamento biológico do cimento ósseo que utiliza este pó precursor através de uma análise simultânea de propriedades físico-químicas, mecânicas e morfológicas e do comportamento biológico do material. Para isso, o pó de ?-TCP foi obtido em laboratório a fim de se alcançar elevada pureza de fase. Este mesmo pó passou por diferentes protocolos de moagem a fim de se obter duas faixas de distribuição granulométrica. Finalmente, os cimentos que apresentaram potencial para aplicação como implantes de acordo com as caracterizações prévias do material passaram por avaliação das suas propriedades biológicas através de testes in-vitro e in-vivo. Ambos as amostras apresentaram pureza de fase, livres de contaminações. Além disso, obtiveram valores de resistências mecânicas semelhantes ou maiores do que consta na literatura e resultados positivos em relação à biocompatibilidade / Abstract: Bone substitutes are largely used in reconstructive medicine, especially calcium phosphate cements to repair bone tissue due to its attractive properties as excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. There are several studies about the increase of these materials¿ properties or the analysis of biological behavior from these substitutes, however the researches only show the properties separately, instead of analyze the two variables simultaneously. The aim of this project was to analyze the influence of two different particle size distribution of ?-TCP powder on biological behavior of its bone cement through simultaneous analysis of physical-chemical, mechanical and morphological properties and biological behavior of the material. Thus, ?-TCP powder was obtained in laboratory to reach the maximum purity level. The same powder was processed by different milling protocols to obtain two distinct ranges of particle size distribution. Finally, the cements that presented high potential application as implants from its characterization methods were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo essays. Both samples presented phase purity without contamination, mechanical resistance similar or superior than described on literature and positive results in biocompatibility tests / Mestrado / Materiais e Processos de Fabricação / Mestra em Engenharia Mecânica

Orientador: Marcelo Ferraz Mesquita / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T20:44:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valverde_GuilhermeBonecker_D.pdf: 4037993 bytes, checksum: 26ba8c00883b626cc58bc5c0cba10331 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Um esforço considerável tem sido feito pelos fabricantes e pesquisadores em alterar a propriedade das superfícies de materiais odontológicos como a zircônia e o titânio, através de tratamentos químicos e mecânicos. A nova tecnologia de plasmas atmosféricos não térmicos (NTP) tem o potencial de alterar quimicamente a superfície tanto da zircônia quanto do titânio. A proposta dos trabalhos realizados foi analisar a possível alteração química promovida pelo NTP através da determinação dos níveis de energia das superfícies (SE) de Y-TZP e Ti após o tratamento com NTP (1), caracterização química de suas superfícies (2), avaliação dos parâmetros de rugosidade e níveis de SE de superfícies de Y-TZP jateadas e polidas antes e após a aplicação do NTP (3), e a resistência à microtração (MTBS) de palitos de Y-TZP com diferentes métodos de tratamento, cimentados em palitos de reina composta (4). Para tal, discos de Y-TZP e Ti foram obtidos, submetidos à aplicação de NTP e avaliados quanto ao nível de SE. A quantificação de elementos químicos de ambas as superfícies foi realizada via espectroscopia de fotoelétrons excitados por raios x (XPS), antes a e após a aplicação do NTP. Os parâmetros de rugosidade, Sa e Sq, para a superfície de YTZP jateada e polida, foram estabelecidos por interferometria (IFM), e níveis de SE, estabelecidas pelo emprego do medidor óptico de ângulo de contato. Amostras de Y-TZP sem e com aplicação de NTP receberam um dos quatro tratamentos a seguir: jateamento de Al2O3, aplicação de 10-metacriloiloxidecil dihidrogeno fosfato, jateamento + MDP; sem tratamento e submetidos ao MTBS. Os dados foram submetidos a análises de variância one way, modelo misto de anova, teste de comparação múltipla de Tukey e test-t. Foi observado aumento significativo nos valores de SE para todas as superfícies submetidas à aplicação de NTP. A análise de XPS detectou principalmente, aumento da presença do elemento O e diminuição do elemento C, tanto na superfície da Y-TZP quanto na do Ti. As superfícies polida e jateada da Y-TZP apresentaram o mesmo nível de SE após a aplicação do NTP e todas as superfícies de Y-TZP tratadas com NTP apresentaram valores mais elevados de MTBS. A tecnologia de NTP alterou quimicamente as superfícies de Y-TZP e do Ti. Os resultados mostram que a utilização de NTP no processo de adesão pode ser promissor, no sentido de aumentar a adesão de materiais cerâmicos e metálicos / Abstract: There have been considerable efforts by many manufacturers and researchers to modify the surface properties of zirconia and titanium, mechanically and chemically by various surface treatments. Novel non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology has the potential to address surface changes of Y-TZP and Ti surfaces. The aim of the following studies was (1) to determine the surface energy (SE) levels of Y-TZP and Ti surfaces after NTP treatment; (2) chemically characterize their surfaces; (3) evaluate roughness parameters and SE levels of roughened YTZP specimens before and after NTP treatment; and (4) test the microtensile strength (MTBS) of Y-TZP specimens after a combination of different surface conditioning methods. Y-TZP and Ti discs were obtained from the manufacturer and were treated with a handheld NTP device followed by SE evaluation. Survey scans and quantification of the elements were also performed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) prior and after NTP. Roughness paramenters, Sa and Sq, for the roughened Y-TZP surfaces were determined by Interferometry (IFM) and SE levels evaluated by the optical contact angle meter OCA 20. Furthermore, Y-TZP specimens with and without NTP application received one of the four following treatments: sand-blasting, 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogenphosphate application (MDP), sand-blasting + MDP, or baseline (no treatment) and were submitted to MTBS. Data analysis was performed by one-way anova, mixed model, Tukey test and t-test. Significant augmentation of SE values was observed in all NTP treated groups. XPS detected a large increase in the O element fraction and a decrease in C element on both Y-TZP and Ti surfaces. Different roughness profiles of Y-TZP specimens showed the same SE levels after NTP treatment, and all Y-TZP NTP treated specimens showed higher bond strength than the untreated counterparts. The non-thermal plasma technology had the capability of changing the surface chemistry of the different substrates tested and it appears to be very promising in adhesion processes / Doutorado / Protese Dental / Doutor em Clínica Odontológica

Orientador: Wilkens Aurelio Buarque e Silva / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T14:47:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lameira_DeborahPacheco_M.pdf: 1236385 bytes, checksum: d60f94ad13b9c4dba0926134be673c29 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a discrepância marginal vertical de copings zircônia, Zirkonzahn® CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing). Foram confeccionados 30 copings de zircônia tetragonal policristalina estabilizada por ítrio (Y-TZP) do sistema CAD/CAM e 30 copings metálicos (grupo controle). Os copings foram cimentados com dois tipos de cimento: fosfato de zinco (SS White®) e cimento resinoso (Rely X ARC®, 3M¿ ESPE¿), constituindo dois subgrupos de 15 unidades cada. O desajuste marginal foi mensurado antes e após a cimentação com auxílio de um microscópio comparador 3D computadorizado em aumento de 120 vezes. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e ao teste t de Student com nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados mostram que antes da cimentação os copings de zircônia apresentaram média de desajuste marginal maior do que o grupo controle. Após a cimentação, a média de desajuste dos copings de zircônia (89,71 ?m) foi maior do que o a do grupo controle (40,04 ?m) quando cimentados com cimento de fosfato de zinco, porém não houve diferenças significativas entre os dois materiais quando cimentados com cimento resinoso (metal: 48,88 ?m e zircônia: 47,62 ?m). Quando comparados os cimentos estudados, não houve diferença significativa de desajuste entre os dois cimentos para o grupo controle (fosfato de zinco: 40,04 ?m e resinoso: 48,88 ?m), enquanto que para os copings de zircônia o desajuste marginal dos cimentados com cimento de fosfato de zinco (89,71 ?m) foi maior do que os cimentados com cimento resinoso (47,62 ?m). Os resultados sugerem que o cimento resinoso é mais indicado para cimentação dos copings de zircônia, pois apresentou menor desajuste vertical quando comparado com cimento de fosfato de zinco / Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the marginal vertical discrepancy of zirconia copings, Zirkonzahn ® CAD / CAM (Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing).Thirty copings of (Y-TZP) yttrium tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline were fabricated by the CAD / CAM system and thirty metal copings served as control group. The copings were cemented with zinc phosphate (SS White ®) and resin cement (Rely X ARC ®, 3M ¿ ESPE ¿), and assigned four groups of 15 units each. The marginal misfit was measured before and after cementation with a computerized microscope at a magnification of 120 X. Data were submitted to ANOVA and Student's t-test at a significance level of 5%. Before the cementation, the marginal discrepancy found for zirconia copings was greater than that observed for the control. After the cementation with zinc phosphate the marginal gap of zirconia copings (89.71 ?m) was larger than that found for the control (40.04 ?m). No significant difference was found in marginal discrepancy between the systems after cementation with resin cement (metal: 48.88 ?m and zirconia: 47.62 ?m). When the two cements are compared, there was no difference in the marginal discrepancy for the control (zinc phosphate: 40.04 ?m and resin cement: 48.88 ?m). However, for the zirconia copings, the marginal discrepancy was greater when cemented with zinc phosphate (89.71 ?m) than when cemented with resin cement (47.62 ?m). The results suggest that the resin cement is more suitable for cementation of zirconia copings, as presented lower marginal vertical discrepancy than zinc phosphate cement / Mestrado / Protese Dental / Mestre em Clínica Odontológica

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:30:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Gloria_Beatriz_de_Azevedo_Cubas.pdf: 366173 bytes, checksum: 72f44b204986b41bc060a7a0f6a0541d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-24 / O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência de óxidos metálicos presentes na composição de revestimentos refratários, utilizados no preparo de troquéis para confecção de restaurações cerâmicas livres de metal, na coloração de cerâmicas. Para a avaliação, foram utilizadas cinco cerâmicas (Vitadur Alpha, Vision Esthetic, Noritake, Halo Vintage e IPS Classic V) e quatro revestimentos refratários para troquel (Duravest, Vitadurvest, Ducera Lay e Fortune). Com o auxílio de uma gelatina duplicadora elástica (Duplicador VIPI) foram confeccionados 100 corpos de prova com 3 cm de diâmetro e 2 cm de altura, os quais serviram de molde para vazamento dos revestimentos, com os quais foram confeccionados 25 troquéis refratários com cada um dos revestimentos, constituindo quatro grupos. Os troqueis foram submetidos a uma queima inicial para eliminação de gases e óxidos.Posteriormente, foi realizada a aplicação das cerâmicas sobre os troquéis. Para cada revestimento, cinco troquéis foram confeccionados para cada cerâmica testada (n=5), resultando em 20 grupos experimentais. As cerâmicas foram queimadas e glazeadas conforme orientação dos fabricantes. Ainda, 5 espécimes de cada cerâmica foram confeccionados sem o uso de revestimento refratário, servindo como controles. A análise da cor das cerâmicas foi realizada com o auxílio de um espectrocolorímetro. Os revestimentos produziram alterações de cor significativas (p<0.05) nas cerâmicas testadas. Foram detectadas alterações de cor significativas (LE*) na cerâmica Vision Esthetic para todos os revestimentos.Também foram encontradas alterações significativas nos parâmetros a*, b* e L* utilizando dois revestimentos (Duravest e Fortune) em três das cinco cerâmicas testadas, variando o parâmetro de cor afetado conforme a combinação do revestimento e da cerâmica. Conclui-se que houve influência dos revestimentos sobre a coloração das cerâmicas testadas, resultando em alterações cromáticas clinicamente inaceitáveis (LE*)

Decorative, polychrome ceramics from Corinth, Greece, produced during the 8th-6th centuries B.C.E. are luxury goods that were widely traded throughout Greece and the Mediterranean. The decorated ceramics were produced in a variety of shapes, including aryballos, alabastron, and olpe. They were decorated with slip-glazes in distinctive white, black, red, yellow, and purple colors, and in a variety of surface finishes, matte, semi-matte and glossy. Artisans in Corinthian workshops experimented to change the colors of the slips by varying the type and amount of iron-rich raw materials. They also varied the composition of the clay used as a binder and the amount of flux used as a sintering aid to promote glass formation. This research reconstructs the technology used by the Corinthian craftsmen to produce the Archaic polychrome ceramics, and shows how these technologies differed from the production of better known, more prestigious Athenian black-figure and red-figure ceramics. Through microstructural examination of archaeological samples and replication experiments, this thesis proposes that the purple iron oxide pigment is the result of acid treatment and oxidation of iron metal. The firing temperature range of the Corinthian polychrome ceramics was determined experimentally to be 925-1025° C, which is higher than previously reported and similar to that reported for Corinthian transport amphoras. The firing range is higher by 50-150° C than the Athenian black-figure and red-figure ceramics. Samples of Corinthian polychrome and Athenian black-figure ceramics from the Marie Farnsworth collection at the University of Arizona were tested and compared to Corinthian clay collections. Analytical techniques included Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning-electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and wavelength-dispersive electron microprobe (EPMA with BSE-SEM).

Abstract In gravure offset printing, ink is transferred with the help of an offset material from a patterned gravure plate to a substrate. This thesis is concerned with the study and further development of this printing process for electronics; on alumina, glass and polymers. The work has been divided into five parts. In the first section, the printing process is described. The second section describes the composition of the inks for gravure offset printing and the resulting ink properties. It also presents the ink transfer mechanism; the model that explains how the ink is transferred between an offset material and a substrate. The third chapter details the printing process explained by a solvent absorption mechanism. The forth chapter describes the firing/curing of printed samples and their properties. The last chapter describes applications of the method. The inks used to produce conductors on ceramics (ceramic inks) and conductors on polymers (polymer inks) contain silver particles, and were under development for gravure offset printing. The major achieved properties were the high ink pickup to the offset blanket and high transfer percentage to the substrate. 100% ink transfer from blanket to substrate for ceramic inks and almost 100% ink transfer for polymer inks was obtained. The printing of ceramic inks was able to produce 8 μm of relatively thick, 300 μm wide lines with &lt; 10 mΩ/sq. resistance. The minimum line width for conducting lines was 35 μm, with one printing. Multi printing was applied producing as many as 10 times wet-on-wet multiprinted lines with 100 % ink transfer from blanket to substrate resulting in a square resistance of 1mΩ/sq. Polymer inks were able produce a square resistance of 20 mΩ/sq. for 300 μm wide lines after curing at 140 °C for about 15 min, and the minimum width was down to 70 μm. In the optimised manufacturing process, the delay time on the blanket was reduced to 3 s. In addition to ultra-fine-line manufacturing of conductors, the method enables the manufacture of special structures e.g. laser-solder contact pads with 28/28 μm lines/spaces resolution. With industrial printing equipment it is possible to produce 100 m2/h with the demonstrated printing properties.

Abstract The thesis describes the development of a novel LTCC material system for RF and microwave telecommunication purposes. The work has been divided into three parts. In the first section, the compositional and firing properties of this novel LTCC dielectric have been studied as well as its thermomechanical and dielectric properties. The second section describes the multilayer component preparation procedure for the ceramic material including tape casting and lamination parameters and the selection of the conductor paste. In the last section, the novel LTCC material system has been used to demonstrate its properties in RF multilayer resonators and a bandpass filter. The dielectric material for the novel LTCC system was prepared using magnesium calcium titanate ceramic, the firing temperature of which was decreased to 900°C by the addition of a mixture of zinc oxide, silicon oxide and boron oxide. The powder was made without any prior glass preparation, which is an important process advantage of this composition. The fired microstructure was totally crystalline with high density (3.7 Mg m-3) and low porosity (0.5 %). The mechanical properties were virtually identical to the values of the commercial LTCCs, but the higher thermal expansivity makes it most compatible with alumina substrates. The dielectric values were also good. The permittivity was 8.5 and the dissipation factor (0.9·10-3 at 8 GHz) less than that of the commercial LTCCs. Furthermore, the temperature coefficient of the resonance frequency was demonstrated to be adjustable between the range of +8.8 ... -62 ppm/K with a simple compositional variation of titanium oxide. The slurry for the tape casting was prepared using poly(vinyl butyral) -base organic additives and the 110 μm thick tapes had a smooth surface (RA &lt; 0.5 μm). The multilayer components were prepared using 20 MPa lamination pressure, 90°C temperature and 1 h dwell time. The most suitable conductor paste for this composition was found to be commercial silver paste (duPont 6160), which produced satisfactory inner and outer conductor patterns for multilayer components. Finally, resonators with a resonant frequency range of 1.7 ... 3.7 GHz were prepared together with a bandpass filter suitable for the next generation of telecommunication devices. This demonstration showed the potential of the developed novel LTCC material system at high RF frequencies.

Submitted in full compliance with the requirements for the Master of Health Science Degree: Dental Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Background Shade matching is a challenging aspect of aesthetic dentistry (Vichi et al., 2011). For a long time, aesthetically pleasing prostheses have been achieved using the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown whereby the metal is masked with an opaque layer and then consecutive layers of veneering ceramic are built up (McLean, 1979). The growing popularity of all-ceramic restorations has created a need for an understanding of its colour characteristics in preference to porcelain fused to metal restorations. The study aims to assist dental technicians in making a more informed decision when choosing an all-ceramic system in terms of colour stability. Objectives The objectives were to identify colour changes of the zirconia after each firing cycle and defining if there are any microstructural changes in the zirconia cores after subsequent firing. Methods This is a quantitative study with a sample size of eighteen which was used for each experimental group. Green state zirconia blocks from Cercon (Dentsply DeguDent, USA), Lava (3M ESPE,USA), and Zirkon Zahn (Zirkonzahn Gmbh, Bruneck, Italy) were trimmed, finished and sintered to a final thickness of 0.5mm according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Each sample group was obtained directly from the manufacturer. In each group, nine specimens were shaded and nine were unshaded. The colour of each specimen was recorded before being exposed to firing cycles. This data formed the control group. All specimens were subjected to three firings and spectrophotometer reading. After each firing, SEM analysis was done after one and three firings. There was a total of thirty six specimens x three firings; n = 108. The raw data for the statistical analysis was obtained from the spectrophotometer readings recorded after the firings (n=108). The data of the study was analyzed using the SPSS version 22.0. The data were compared among the three groups using Pearsons chi square tests, where the data of the firings were measured as a binary or nominal variable, and using t-tests where a measured normally distributed variable was compared. The general linear model (GLM) looked at combinations of the variables and their effects on the dependant variable. The Multivariate tests table indicates the actual result of the one-way MANOVA. Results The Cercon results for both the control and experimental groups reveal the same result patterns and was maintained before and after firing. Lava also revealed the same results before and after firing, however, the cores in the control group differed in colour. The Zirkon Zahn system proved to be the least stable in colour. Conclusion This study supports the hypothesis that colour differences would occur relative to the number of firings for shaded zirconia. It can be concluded that Cercon displayed the most stable results in terms of colour. The acumen gained in this study may better assist dental technicians in their selection of an all-ceramic zirconia system. / M

The technique of Raman spectroscopy was used in a study of shards of known (Ming and Meissen) and unknown (archaeological) origin. A tile shard from the Citadel of Algiers was included in this study as further confirmation of the consistency of the methods that are developed. The Citadel from which the tile shard was obtained was built in 1516 and represents a landmark from pre-colonial Algeria. The results were compared with those obtained from studies on intact museum pieces of known (Ming) origin. A consistent method of studying underglaze pigments on glazed ceramic artifacts by directing the laser beam through the predominantly silicate glaze was developed. The glaze depth profiling method developed proved to be very useful in the analysis and gives not only a detailed composition for the glaze/ceramic interfacial pigment, but also the order in which the various interfacial pigment layers were applied at the time of manufacture. The information acquired leads to an understanding of the level of technological development of the manufacturers. The detailed study and characterisation of the pigments that were analysed in this way gives insight into trade relations among ancient societies of the Mediterranean and will also assist archaeologists in establishing cut-off dates for the archaeological sites from which the artifacts were recovered. All the shards, except one from Meissen (Germany), were provided by the National Cultural History Museum of South Africa and the intact Ming dynasty plates were provided by the J.A. van Tilburg Museum of the University of Pretoria. The tile shard sample from the Citadel of Algiers was donated for the study. The results indicate that none of the archaeological shards could possibly be of Ming dynasty origin based on, firstly, the use of amorphous carbon to darken the cobalt blue (CoAl2O4) used as decoration on the shards, and secondly on the use of white (synthetic) anatase to whiten the ceramic surface before the application of the pigment since this synthetic anatase is known to have been manufactured for the first time around 1920. An ancient rediscovered ternary pigment (Pb2SnSbO6.5) previously found on Italian paintings of the 16th century, for example, “Lot and his daughters” by G.B. Langetti and “Entrance of Christ in Jerusalem” by Luca Giordano, was identified on the Citadel tile and successfully characterised. A Pb-O vibrational Raman band at 127 cm-1 for this pigment was assigned for the first time. Additional pigments identified on the tile include Naples yellow (Pb2Sb2O7), lead (II) stannate (Pb2SnO4), cobalt blue (CoAl2O4) and cassiterite (SnO2). The bulk of the tile body is composed mainly of hematite (á-Fe2O3), maghemite (ã-Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4) and quartz (á-SiO2), with traces of calcite (CaCO3) and amorphous carbon. The unique non destructive depth profiling method that was developed in this study can now be applied to the study of underglaze pigments on intact porcelain artifacts in museums and private collections around the world for authentication purposes and for comparison with archaeological shard samples. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Chemistry / unrestricted

In this thesis, a novel in-situ method for incorporating nanoscale ceramic particles into metal has been developed. The ceramic phase is introduced as an organic-polymer precursor that pyrolyzes in-situ to produce a ceramic phase within the metal melt. The environment used to shield the melt from burning also protects the organic precursor from oxidation. The evolution of volatiles (predominantly hydrogen) as well as the mechanical stirring causes the polymer particles to fragment into nanoscale dispersions of a ceramic phase. These “Polymer-based In-situ Process-Metal Matrix Composites” (PIP-MMCs) are likely to have great generality, because many different kinds of organic precursors are commercially available, for producing oxides, carbides, nitrides, and borides. Also, the process would permit the addition of large volume fractions of a ceramic phase, enabling nanostructural design, and production of MMCs with a wide range of mechanical properties, meant especially for high temperature applications. An important and noteworthy feature of the present process, which distinguishes it from other methods, is that all the constituents of the ceramic phase are built into the organic molecules of the precursor (e.g., polysilazanes contain silicon, carbon, and nitrogen); therefore, a reaction between the polymer and the host metal is not required to produce the dispersion of the refractory phase. The polymer precursor powder, with a mean particle size of 31.5 µm, was added equivalent to 5 and 10 weight % of the melt (pure magnesium) by a liquid metal stir-casting technique. SEM and OM microstructural observations show that in the cast structure the pyrolysis products are present in the dendrite boundary region in the form of rod/platelets having a thickness of 100 to 200 nm. After extrusion the particles are broken down into fine particles, having a size that is comparable to the thickness of the platelets, in the 100 to 200 nm range, and are distributed more uniformly. In addition, limited TEM studies revealed the formation of even finer particles of 10-50 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the presence of a small quantity of an intermetallic phase (Mg2Si) in the matrix, which is unintended in this process. There was a significant improvement in mechanical properties of the PIP-MMCs compared to the pure Mg. These composites showed higher macro-and micro-hardness. The composite exhibited better compressive strength at both room temperature and at elevated temperatures. The increase in the density of PIP-composites is less than 1% of Mg. Five weight percent of the precursor produced a two-fold increase in the room-temperature yield strength and reduced the steady state creep rate at 723 K by one to two orders of magnitude. PIP-MMCs showed higher damping capacity and modulus compared to pure Mg, with the damping capacity increasing by about 1.6 times and the dynamic modulus by 11%-16%. PIP-composites showed an increase in the sliding wear resistance by more than 25% compared to pure Mg.