{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T05:16:08Z","timestamp":1788412568944,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787875200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100009392","name":"Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["PSAU\/2026\/R\/1448"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PSAU\/2026\/R\/1448"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100009392","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["PSAU\/2026\/R\/1448"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PSAU\/2026\/R\/1448"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04jt46d36","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aimed to develop polymer matrix nanocomposites reinforced with Al2O3 nanoparticles to enhance the mechanical properties of PMMA. The composite was fabricated via friction stir processing (FSP) to ensure the homogenous dispersion of Al2O3 nanoparticles in the polymer. A grid of 5 holes in a 7 \u00d7 7 mm2 area was made in which the hole diameter was varied from 1.77 mm to 2.28 mm to obtain different volume fractions of reinforcement ranging from 15% to 25%. The holes were made with a depth of 3 mm in a 4 mm-thick PMMA sheets. After packing the Al2O3 powder in the holes, a 2 mm-thick PMMA sheet was used as a cover to prevent the sputtering of nanoparticles. A number of FSP parameters were examined. The tool rotation rates ranged from 800 to 1200 rpm, traverse speeds of 25 and 50 mm\/min, and tool tilts of 1 and 2\u00b0 were used. A soft paraffin (Vaseline) layer was used on the top surface to prevent severe shoulder friction with the PMMA plate, which caused severe wear and thinning on the surface. For the developed PMMA\/Al2O3 nanocomposites, the surface quality, SEM microstructure, impact energy, and transverse hardness were investigated. Good surface quality and dispersion of nanoparticles were attained by employing adequate processing conditions. The experimental results indicated that as the nanoparticle percentage increased, impact energy, hardness, and tensile strength increased, reaching 2 kJ\/m2, 14.7 HV, and 52.1 MPa at a nanoparticle concentration of 25%. This means that the polymer ceramic composite\u2019s toughness, hardness, and tensile strength are higher than those of unprocessed PMMA by 66%, 33%, and 23%, respectively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18172093","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T18:33:52Z","timestamp":1787942032000},"page":"2093","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Microstructure Evaluation and Mechanical Properties of PMMA\/Al2O3 Nanocomposite Fabricated via Friction Stir Processing"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Reham K.","family":"Elsawah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, Universities of Canada, Cairo 11835, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"N. S. M.","family":"El-Tayeb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Suez Desert Road, Al-Shorouk, Cairo 11837, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9550-7431","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed M. Z.","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering at Al Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Atat\u00fcrk University, Erzurum 25240, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5774-0566","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Salem M.","family":"Aldosari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Material Science Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6836-3874","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed M. El-Sayed","family":"Seleman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez 43512, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2674","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matpr.2020.12.680","article-title":"Review on history and characterization of polymer composite materials","volume":"44","author":"Godara","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mater. Today Proc."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1007\/s10443-012-9258-7","article-title":"Manufacturing Aspects of Advanced Polymer Composites for Automotive Applications","volume":"20","author":"Friedrich","year":"2012","journal-title":"Appl. Compos. 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