The durability of glass fibre reinforced cements made with new cementitious matrices

Widespread use of glass fibre reinforced cement (GRC) has been impeded by concerns over its durability. Three degradation mechanisms are proposed - fibre corrosion, Ca(OHh precipitation and matrix densification - although their relative importance is debated. Matrices with reduced alkalinities and Ca(OH)2 contents are being developed; the aim of this study was to investigate their hydration and interaction with alkali-resistant fibres to determine the factors controlling their long-term durability, and assess the relevancy of accelerated ageing. The matrices studied were: OPC/calcium-sulphoaluminate cement plus metakaolin (C); OPC plus metakaolin (M); blast-furnace slag cement plus a micro-silica based additive (D); and OPC (O). Accelerated ageing included hot water and cyclic regimes prior to tensile testing. Investigations included pore solution expression, XRD, DTA/TG, SEM and optical petrography. Bond strength was determined from crack spacings using microstructural parameters obtained from a unique image analysis technique. It was found that, for the new matrices - pore solution alkalinities were lower; Ca(OH)2 was absent or quickly consumed; different hydrates were formed at higher immersion temperatures; degradation under 65°C immersion was an order of magnitude slower, and no interfilamental Ca(OH)2 was observed .It was concluded that: fibre weakening caused by flaw growth was the primary degradation mechanism and was successfully modelled on stress corrosion/static fatigue principles. OPC inferiority was attributed partly to its higher alkalinity but chiefly to the growth of Ca(OH)2 aggravating the degradation; and hot water ageing although useful in model formulation and contrasting the matrices, changed the intrinsic nature of the composites rather than simply accelerating the degradation mechanisms.

Titanium phosphate glass microspheres for bone tissue engineering

We have demonstrated the successful production of titanium phosphate glass microspheres in the size range of ~10-200 µm using an inexpensive, efficient, easily scalable process and assessed their use in bone tissue engineering applications. Glasses of the following compositions were prepared by melt-quench techniques: 0.5P2O5-0.4CaO-(0.1 - x)Na2O-xTiO2, where x = 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07 mol fraction (denoted as Ti3, Ti5 and Ti7 respectively). Several characterization studies such as differential thermal analysis, degradation (performed using a novel time lapse imaging technique) and pH and ion release measurements revealed significant densification of the glass structure with increased incorporation of TiO2 in the glass from 3 to 5 mol.%, although further TiO2 incorporation up to 7 mol.% did not affect the glass structure to the same extent. Cell culture studies performed using MG63 cells over a 7-day period clearly showed the ability of the microspheres to provide a stable surface for cell attachment, growth and proliferation. Taken together, the results confirm that 5 mol.% TiO2 glass microspheres, on account of their relative ease of preparation and favourable biocompatibility, are worthy candidates for use as substrate materials in bone tissue engineering applications.

Pyrolysis and gasification of biomass and acid hydrolysis residues

This research was carried for an EC supported project that aimed to produce ethyl levulinate as a diesel miscible biofuel from biomass by acid hydrolysis. The objective of this research was to explore thermal conversion technologies to recover further diesel miscible biofuels and/or other valuable products from the remaining solid acid hydrolysis residues (AHR). AHR consists of mainly lignin and humins and contains up to 80% of the original energy in the biomass. Fast pyrolysis and pyrolytic gasification of this low volatile content AHR was unsuccessful. However, successful air gasification of AHR gave a low heating value gas for use in engines for power or heat with the aim of producing all the utility requirements in any commercial implementation of the ethyl levulinate production process. In addition, successful fast pyrolysis of the original biomass gave organic liquid yields of up to 63.9 wt.% (dry feed basis) comparable to results achieved using a standard hardwood. The fast pyrolysis liquid can be used as a fuel or upgraded to biofuels. A novel molybdenum carbide catalyst was tested in fast pyrolysis to explore the potential for upgrading. Although there was no deoxygenation, some bio-oil properties were improved including viscosity, pH and homogeneity through decreasing sugars and increasing furanics and phenolics. AHR gasification was explored in a batch gasifier with a comparison with the original biomass. Refractory and low volatile content AHR gave relatively low gas yields (74.21 wt.%), low tar yields (5.27 wt.%) and high solid yields (20.52 wt.%). Air gasification gave gas heating values of around 5MJ/NM3, which is a typical value, but limitations of the equipment available restricted the extent of process and product analysis. In order to improve robustness of AHR powder for screw feeding into gasifiers, a new densification technique was developed based on mixing powder with bio-oil and curing the mixture at 150°C to polymerise the bio-oil.

Evidence-based nanoscopic and molecular framework for excipient functionality in compressed orally disintegrating tablets

The work investigates the adhesive/cohesive molecular and physical interactions together with nanoscopic features of commonly used orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) excipients microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and D-mannitol. This helps to elucidate the underlying physico-chemical and mechanical mechanisms responsible for powder densification and optimum product functionality. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) contact mode analysis was performed to measure nano-adhesion forces and surface energies between excipient-drug particles (6-10 different particles per each pair). Moreover, surface topography images (100 nm2-10 μm2) and roughness data were acquired from AFM tapping mode. AFM data were related to ODT macro/microscopic properties obtained from SEM, FTIR, XRD, thermal analysis using DSC and TGA, disintegration testing, Heckel and tabletability profiles. The study results showed a good association between the adhesive molecular and physical forces of paired particles and the resultant densification mechanisms responsible for mechanical strength of tablets. MCC micro roughness was 3 times that of D-mannitol which explains the high hardness of MCC ODTs due to mechanical interlocking. Hydrogen bonding between MCC particles could not be established from both AFM and FTIR solid state investigation. On the contrary, D-mannitol produced fragile ODTs due to fragmentation of surface crystallites during compression attained from its weak crystal structure. Furthermore, AFM analysis has shown the presence of extensive micro fibril structures inhabiting nano pores which further supports the use of MCC as a disintegrant. Overall, excipients (and model drugs) showed mechanistic behaviour on the nano/micro scale that could be related to the functionality of materials on the macro scale. © 2014 Al-khattawi et al.

Pharmaceutical process optimisation of bulk lyophilisates:implications of powder handling

Lyophilisation or freeze drying is the preferred dehydrating method for pharmaceuticals liable to thermal degradation. Most biologics are unstable in aqueous solution and may use freeze drying to prolong their shelf life. Lyophilisation is however expensive and has seen lots of work aimed at reducing cost. This thesis is motivated by the potential cost savings foreseen with the adoption of a cost efficient bulk drying approach for large and small molecules. Initial studies identified ideal formulations that adapted well to bulk drying and further powder handling requirements downstream in production. Low cost techniques were used to disrupt large dried cakes into powder while the effects of carrier agent concentration were investigated for powder flowability using standard pharmacopoeia methods. This revealed superiority of crystalline mannitol over amorphous sucrose matrices and established that the cohesive and very poor flow nature of freeze dried powders were potential barriers to success. Studies from powder characterisation showed increased powder densification was mainly responsible for significant improvements in flow behaviour and an initial bulking agent concentration of 10-15 %w/v was recommended. Further optimisation studies evaluated the effects of freezing rates and thermal treatment on powder flow behaviour. Slow cooling (0.2 °C/min) with a -25°C annealing hold (2hrs) provided adequate mechanical strength and densification at 0.5-1 M mannitol concentrations. Stable bulk powders require powder transfer into either final vials or intermediate storage closures. The targeted dosing of powder formulations using volumetric and gravimetric powder dispensing systems where evaluated using Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Beta Galactosidase models. Final protein content uniformity in dosed vials was assessed using activity and protein recovery assays to draw conclusions from deviations and pharmacopeia acceptance values. A correlation between very poor flowability (p<0.05), solute concentration, dosing time and accuracy was revealed. LDH and IgG lyophilised in 0.5 M and 1 M mannitol passed Pharmacopeia acceptance values criteria with 0.1-4 while formulations with micro collapse showed the best dose accuracy (0.32-0.4% deviation). Bulk mannitol content above 0.5 M provided no additional benefits to dosing accuracy or content uniformity of dosed units. This study identified considerations which included the type of protein, annealing, cake disruption process, physical form of the phases present, humidity control and recommended gravimetric transfer as optimal for dispensing powder. Dosing lyophilised powders from bulk was demonstrated as practical, time efficient, economical and met regulatory requirements in cases. Finally the use of a new non-destructive technique, X-ray microcomputer tomography (MCT), was explored for cake and particle characterisation. Studies demonstrated good correlation with traditional gas porosimetry (R2 = 0.93) and morphology studies using microscopy. Flow characterisation from sample sizes of less than 1 mL was demonstrated using three dimensional X-ray quantitative image analyses. A platinum-mannitol dispersion model used revealed a relationship between freezing rate, ice nucleation sites and variations in homogeneity within the top to bottom segments of a formulation.

Excipient characterization and particle engineering to develop directly compressed orally disintegrating tablets

ODTs have emerged as a novel oral dosage form with a potential to deliver a wide range of drug candidates to paediatric and geriatric patients. Compression of excipients offers a costeffective and translatable methodology for the manufacture of ODTs. Though, technical challenges prevail such as difficulty to achieve suitable tablet mechanical strength while ensuring rapid disintegration in the mouth, poor compressibility of preferred ODT diluent Dmannitol, and limited use for modified drug-release. The work investigates excipients’ functionality in ODTs and proposes new methodologies for enhancing material characteristics via process and particle engineering. It also aims to expand ODT applications for modified drug-release. Preformulation and formulation studies employed a plethora of techniques/tests including AFM, SEM, DSC, XRD, TGA, HSM, FTIR, hardness, disintegration time, friability, stress/strain and Heckel analysis. Tableting of D-mannitol and cellulosic excipients utilised various compression forces, material concentrations and grades. Engineered D-mannitol particles were made by spray drying mannitol with pore former NH4HCO3. Coated microparticles of model API omeprazole were prepared using water-based film forming polymers. The results of nanoscopic investigations elucidated the compression profiles of ODT excipients. Strong densification of MCC (Py is 625 MPa) occurs due to conglomeration of physicomechanical factors whereas D-mannitol fragments under pressure leading to poor compacts. Addition of cellulosic excipients (L-HPC and HPMC) and granular mannitol to powder mannitol was required to mechanically strengthen the dosage form (hardness >60 N, friability <1%) and to maintain rapid disintegration (<30 sec). Similarly, functionality was integrated into D-mannitol by fabrication of porous, yet, resilient particles which resulted in upto 150% increase in the hardness of compacts. The formulated particles provided resistance to fracture under pressure due to inherent elasticity while promoted tablet disintegration (50-77% reduction in disintegration time) due to porous nature. Additionally, coated microparticles provided an ODT-appropriate modified-release coating strategy by preventing drug (omeprazole) release.

Investigating the role of capacitive coupling between the operating table and the return electrode of an electrosurgery unit in the modification of the current density distribution within the patients’ body

Background: Electrosurgery units are widely employed in modern surgery. Advances in technology have enhanced the safety of these devices, nevertheless, accidental burns are still regularly reported. This study focuses on possible causes of sacral burns as complication of the use of electrosurgery. Burns are caused by local densifications of the current, but the actual pathway of current within patient's body is unknown. Numerical electromagnetic analysis can help in understanding the issue. Methods: To this aim, an accurate heterogeneous model of human body (including seventy-seven different tissues), electrosurgery electrodes, operating table and mattress was build to resemble a typical surgery condition. The patient lays supine on the mattress with the active electrode placed onto the thorax and the return electrode on his back. Common operating frequencies of electrosurgery units were considered. Finite Difference Time Domain electromagnetic analysis was carried out to compute the spatial distribution of current density within the patient's body. A differential analysis by changing the electrical properties of the operating table from a conductor to an insulator was also performed. Results: Results revealed that distributed capacitive coupling between patient body and the conductive operating table offers an alternative path to the electrosurgery current. The patient's anatomy, the positioning and the different electromagnetic properties of tissues promote a densification of the current at the head and sacral region. In particular, high values of current density were located behind the sacral bone and beneath the skin. This did not occur in the case of non-conductive operating table. Conclusion: Results of the simulation highlight the role played from capacitive couplings between the return electrode and the conductive operating table. The concentration of current density may result in an undesired rise in temperature, originating burns in body region far from the electrodes. This outcome is concordant with the type of surgery-related sacral burns reported in literature. Such burns cannot be immediately detected after surgery, but appear later and can be confused with bedsores. In addition, the dosimetric analysis suggests that reducing the capacity coupling between the return electrode and the operating table can decrease or avoid this problem. © 2013 Bifulco et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

A methodological evaluation and predictive in silico investigation into the multi-functionality of arginine in directly compressed tablets

The acceleration of solid dosage form product development can be facilitated by the inclusion of excipients that exhibit poly-/multi-functionality with reduction of the time invested in multiple excipient optimisations. Because active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and tablet excipients present diverse densification behaviours upon compaction, the involvement of these different powders during compaction makes the compaction process very complicated. The aim of this study was to assess the macrometric characteristics and distribution of surface charges of two powders: indomethacin (IND) and arginine (ARG); and evaluate their impact on the densification properties of the two powders. Response surface modelling (RSM) was employed to predict the effect of two independent variables; Compression pressure (F) and ARG percentage (R) in binary mixtures on the properties of resultant tablets. The study looked at three responses namely; porosity (P), tensile strength (S) and disintegration time (T). Micrometric studies showed that IND had a higher charge density (net charge to mass ratio) when compared to ARG; nonetheless, ARG demonstrated good compaction properties with high plasticity (Y=28.01MPa). Therefore, ARG as filler to IND tablets was associated with better mechanical properties of the tablets (tablet tensile strength (σ) increased from 0.2±0.05N/mm2 to 2.85±0.36N/mm2 upon adding ARG at molar ratio of 8:1 to IND). Moreover, tablets' disintegration time was shortened to reach few seconds in some of the formulations. RSM revealed tablet porosity to be affected by both compression pressure and ARG ratio for IND/ARG physical mixtures (PMs). Conversely, the tensile strength (σ) and disintegration time (T) for the PMs were influenced by the compression pressure, ARG ratio and their interactive term (FR); and a strong correlation was observed between the experimental results and the predicted data for tablet porosity. This work provides clear evidence of the multi-functionality of ARG as filler, binder and disintegrant for directly compressed tablets.

Silica promoted self-assembled mesoporous aluminas. Impact of the silica precursor on the structural, textural and acidic properties

This paper investigates the effect of silica addition on the structural, textural and acidic properties of an evaporation induced self-assembled (EISA) mesoporous alumina. Two silica addition protocols were applied while maintaining the EISA synthesis route. The first route is based on the addition of a Na-free colloidal silica suspension (Ludox®), and the second method consists of the co-hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) with aluminium tri-sec-butoxide, to favour a more intimate mixing of the Al- and Si-hydrolysed species. The properties of the so derived materials were compared to the SiO2-free counterpart. The SiO2 addition was always beneficial from a structural and textural standpoint. TEOS appears to have a truly promoting effect; the ordering, surface area and pore volume are all improved. For Ludox®, the enhancement comes from the formation of smaller pores by a densification of the structure. The crystallization of γ-alumina depends on the interaction between the Al- and Si-species in the mesophase. Ludox®-based materials achieved crystallization at 750 °C but the intimate mixing in the TEOS-based mesophases shows a suppression of the phase transformation by 50-100 °C, with respect to the SiO2-free counterpart. This reduces the textural features substantially. For all SiO2-modified materials, the enhancement in the surface area is not accompanied by a concomitant improvement of total acidity, and the formation of weak Lewis acid sites was promoted. These effects were ascribed to SiO2 migration to the surface that blocks part of the acidity.

Condensation-enhanced self-assembly as a route to high surface area α-aluminas

High surface area nanosized α-alumina has been obtained by thermally treating a sol-gel-derived mesophase at 1200 C; the mesophase was synthesized by a sol-gel route involving evaporation induced self-assembly (EISA) of a hydrolyzed gel from Al-tri-sec-butoxide in s-BuOH in the presence of a nonionic surfactant (EO20PO70EO20), HCl as catalyst, and water (H2O/Al = 6). The activated material renders moderate surface areas of about 8.4-10 m2 g-1, associated with significant crystallite coarsening. The key aspect to produce smaller crystallites is making the mesophase more resistant to coarsening. This was achieved by enhancing the condensation step by treating the hydrolyzed gel with tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) before evaporation. The characteristics of the mesophase indicate condensation of the primary particles with less AlO5 unsaturated sites, at the expense of a lower solid yield due to small crystallites dissolution. The activated TBAOH condensed EISA material is composed of α-alumina aggregated crystallites of about 60-100 nm, and the material possesses surface areas ranging from 16 to 24 m2 g -1 due to the improved resistance to coarsening. At least two aspects are suggested to play a role in this. The worm-hole morphology of the mesophase aggregates yields high particle coordination, which favors densification rather than coarsening. Furthermore, the decrease of the AlO5 defect sites by the TBAOH condensation makes the mesophase less reactive and consequently more resistant to coarsening. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Stabilization of self-assembled alumina mesophases

An efficient route to stabilize alumina mesophases derived from evaporation-induced self-assembly is reported after investigating various aspects in-depth: influence of the solvent (EtOH, s-BuOH, and t-BuOH) on the textural and structural properties of the mesophases based on aluminum tri-sec-butoxide (ATSB), synthesis reproducibility, role of nonvolatile acids, and the crystallization and thermal stability of the crystalline counterparts. Mesophase specific surface area and pore uniformity depend notably on the solvent; s-BuOH yields the highest surface area and pore uniformity. The optimal mesophase synthesis is reproducible with standard deviations in the textural parameters below 5%. The most pore-uniform mesophases from the three solvents were thermally activated at 1023 K to crystallize them into γ-alumina. The s-BuOH mesophase is remarkably thermally stable, retaining the mesoscopic wormhole order with 300 m2/g (0.45 cm3/g) and an increased acidic site density. These features are not obtained with EtOH or t-BuOH, where agglomerated γ-Al2O3 crystallites are formed with lower surface areas and broader pore size distributions. This was rationalized by the increase of the hydrolysis rate using EtOH and t-BuOH. t-BuOH dehydrates under the synthesis conditions or reacts with HCl, situations that increase the water concentration and rate of hydrolysis. It was found that EtOH exchanges rapidly, producing a highly reactive Al-ethoxide, thus enhancing the hydrolysis rate as well. Particle heterogeneity with random packing of fibrous and wormhole morphologies, attributed to the high hydrolysis rate, was observed for mesophases derived from both solvents. Such a low particle coordination favors coarsening with enlargement of the pore size distribution upon thermal treatment, explaining the lower thermal stability. Controlled hydrolysis and formation of low-polymerized Al species in s-BuOH are possibly responsible for the adequate assembly onto the surfactant. This was verified by the formation of a regular distribution of relatively size-uniform nanoparticles in the mesophase; high particle coordination prevents coarsening, favors densification, and maintains a relatively uniform pore size distribution upon thermal treatment. The acid removal in the evaporation is another key factor to promote network condensation in this route. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum based nanocomposite fabricated by thermal spray forming

The present research concentrates on the fabrication of bulk aluminum matrix nanocomposite structures with carbon nanotube reinforcement. The objective of the work was to fabricate and characterize multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced hypereutectic Al-Si (23 wt% Si, 2 wt% Ni, 1 wt% Cu, rest Al) nanocomposite bulk structure with nanocrystalline matrix through thermal spray forming techniques viz. plasma spray forming (PSF) and high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray forming. This is the first research study, which has shown that thermal spray forming can be successfully used to synthesize carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites. Microstructural characterization based on quantitative microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms (i) retention and macro/sub-macro level homogenous distribution of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the Al-Si matrix and (ii) evolution of nanostructured grains in the matrix. Formation of ultrathin β-SiC layer on MWCNT surface, due to chemical reaction of Si atoms diffusing from Al-Si alloy and C atoms from the outer walls of MWCNTs has been confirmed theoretically and experimentally. The presence of SiC layer at the interface improves the wettability and the interfacial adhesion between the MWCNT reinforcement and the Al-Si matrix. Sintering of the as-sprayed nanocomposites was carried out in an inert environment for further densification. As-sprayed PSF nanocomposite showed lower microhardness compared to HVOF, due to the higher porosity content and lower residual stress. The hardness of the nanocomposites increased with sintering time due to effective pore removal. Uniaxial tensile test on CNT-bulk nanocomposite was carried out, which is the first ever study of such nature. The tensile test results showed inconsistency in the data attributed to inhomogeneous microstructure and limitation of the test samples geometry. The elastic moduli of nanocomposites were computed using different micromechanics models and compared with experimentally measured values. The elastic moduli of nanocomposites measured by nanoindentation technique, increased gradually with sintering attributed to porosity removal. The experimentally measured values conformed better with theoretically predicted values, particularly in the case of Hashin-Shtrikman bound method.

Developing a high density platinum/alumina hermetic feedthrough

Typically, hermetic feedthroughs for implantable devices, such as pacemakers, use a alumina ceramic insulator brazed to a platinum wire pin. This combination of material has a long history in implantable devices and has been approved by the FDA for implantable hermetic feedthroughs. The growing demand for increased input/output (I/O) hermetic feedthroughs for implantable neural stimulator applications could be addressed by developing a new, cofired platinum/alumina multilayer ceramic technology in a configuration that supports 300 plus I/Os, which is not commercially available. Seven platinum powders with different particle sizes were used to develop different conductive cofire inks to control the densification mismatch between platinum and alumina. Firing profile (ramp rate, burn- out and holding times) and firing atmosphere and concentrations (hydrogen (wet/dry), air, neutral, vacuum) were also optimized. Platinum and alumina exhibit the alloy formation reaction in a reduced atmosphere. Formation of any compound can increase the bonding of the metal/ceramic interface, resulting in enhanced hermeticity. The feedthrough fabricated in a reduced atmosphere demonstrated significantly superior performance than that of other atmospheres. A composite structure of tungsten/platinum ratios graded thru the via structure (pure W, 50/50 W/Pt, 80/20 Pt/W and pure Pt) exhibited the best performance in comparison to the performance of other materials used for ink metallization. Studies on the high temperature reaction of platinum and alumina, previously unreported, showed that, at low temperatures in reduced atmosphere, Pt 3Al or Pt8Al21 with a tetragonal structure would be formed. Cubic Pt3Al is formed upon heating the sample to temperatures above 1350 °C. This cubic structure is the equilibrium state of Pt-Al alloy at high temperatures. The alumina dissolves into the platinum ink and is redeposited as a surface coating. This was observed on both cofired samples and pure platinum thin films coated on a 99.6 Wt% alumina and fired at 1550 °C. Different mechanisms are proposed to describe this behavior based on the size of the platinum particle

A Comparison Between Graphene and WS2 as Solid Lubricant Additives to Aluminum for Automobile Applications

The purpose of this thesis was to compare graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) and WS2 as solid lubricant additives to aluminum in order to reduce friction and wear. The central hypothesis of this work relied on lubricating properties of 2D materials, which consist layers that slip under a shear force. Two aluminum composites were made (Al-2 vol.% GNP and Al-2 vol.% WS2) by spark plasma sintering. Tribological properties were evaluated by ball-on-disk wear tests at room temperature (RT) and 200°C. WS2 not only presented the lowest COF (0.66) but also improved the wear resistance of aluminum by 54% at RT. Al-2 vol.% GNP composite displayed poor densification (91%) and low hardness resulting in poor wear resistance. The wear rate of Al-2 vol.% GNP composite increased by 233% at RT and 48% at 200°C as compared to pure aluminum. GNP addition also resulted in lower COF (0.79) as compared to pure aluminum (0.87).

Densificação e microestrutura de um compósito Mo-Cu preparado a partir de um pó de heptamolibidato de amônia e cobre

The Cu-Mo system is a composite used in the electrical industry as material for electrical contact and resistance welding electrode as well as the heat sink and microwave absorber in microelectronic devices. The use of this material in such applications is due to the excellent properties of thermal and electrical conductivity and the possibility of adjustment of its coefficient of thermal expansion to meet those of materials used as substrates in the semiconductor micoreletrônic industry. Powder metallurgy through the processes of milling, pressing shaping and sintering is a viable technique for consolidation of such material. However, the mutual insolubility of both phases and the low wettability of liquid Cu on Mo impede its densification. However, the mutual insolubility of both phases and the low wettability of liquid Cu on Mo impede its densification. The mechanical alloying is a technique for preparation of powders used to produce nanocrystalline composite powder with amorphous phase or extended solid solution, which increases the sinterability immiscible systems such as the Mo-Cu. This paper investigates the influence of ammonium heptamolybdate (HMA) and the mechanical alloying in the preparation of a composite powder HMA-20% Cu and the effect of this preparation on densification and structure of MoCu composite produced. HMA and Cu powders in the proportion of 20% by weight of Cu were prepared by the techniques of mechanical mixing and mechanical alloying in a planetary mill. These were milled for 50 hours. To observe the evolution of the characteristics of the particles, powder samples were taken after 2, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 hours of milling. Cylindrical samples 5 to 8 mm in diameter and 3 to 4 mm thickness were obtained by pressing at 200 MPa to the mixed powders so as to ground. These samples were sintered at 1200 ° C for 60 minutes under an atmosphere of H2. To determine the effect of heating rate on the structure of the material during the decomposition and reduction of HMA, rates of 2, 5 and 10 ° C / min were used .. The post and the structures of the sintered samples were characterized by SEM and EDS. The density of the green and sintered bodies was measured using the geometric method (weight / volume). Vickers microhardness with a load of 1 N for 15 s were performed on sintered structures. The density of the sintered structures 10 ° C / min. reached 99% of theoretical density, how the density of sintered structures to 2 ° C / min. reached only 90% of the theoretical density