Hard-grade asphalt binders like AC20-30 typically exhibit excessive stiffness, reduced penetration, and compromised workability, necessitating modification before use in paving applications. This study evaluates the efficacy of regular polyalphaolefin (PAO), a synthetic olefin-based lubricant, as a performance-enhancing modifying agent for such binders. AC20-30 was blended with PAO at dosages ranging from 2 wt.% to 10 wt.%, and the modified binders were characterized via penetration, ductility, softening point, and rotational viscosity measurements, alongside advanced rheological and chemical-morphological analyses. Incorporating PAO in AC20-30 asphalt progressively reduced the binder stiffness and enhanced its flexibility, with all modified formulations satisfying AASHTO M332 Grade E specifications. Linear amplitude sweep (LAS) testing indicated a substantial improvement in fatigue performance, with the 10% PAO modification exhibiting an 18 times increase in fatigue life at 5% strain relative to the unmodified control. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra revealed increased aliphatic and unsaturated functional groups associated with PAO incorporation, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging indicated a morphological transition toward more continuous and less compact microstructures. Optimal performance was observed at a PAO dosage of 6 wt.%, which provided the best balance of low-temperature flexibility, fatigue resistance, and high-temperature rheological properties. Cost analysis demonstrated that even at 10 wt.% PAO, the modified binder remains below the price of AC40-50, supporting economic feasibility. These findings show that PAO functions effectively as a dual-purpose modifier, providing a practical and cost-effective approach to enhance the performance of hard-grade asphalt binders for heavy-duty pavement applications.
This paper signifies the contradictory point of view in John Clare’s poetry. Clare (1794-1864) is an English romantic poetry in the nineteenth century, who writes more than ten volumes about nature. So, this study highlights the concept of Psychoanalytic theory which is ‘ambivalence’ and how through this theory can interpret any literary text on the basis of utilizing psychoanalytic methods to literary texts in order to reveal the author's inner emotions such as motives, dreams, as well as wishes. Consequently, the concept of ‘ambivalence’ has a lot in common with the human psyche and its struggles. Sometimes the reader finds the author/poet talking about something real or a notion with pleasant sentiments
... Show MoreNystatin is the drug of choice for treatment of cutaneous fungal infections with main disadvantage that is the need for multiple applications to achieve complete eradication which may reduce patient compliance. Microparticles offer a solution for such issue as they are one of sustained release preparations that achieve slow release of drug over an extended period of time. The objectives of this study were to fabricate nystatin-loaded chitosan microparticles with the ultimate goal of prolonging drug release and to analyze the influence of polymer concentration on various properties of microparticles. Microparticles were prepared by chemical cross-linking method using glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. Five formulas, namely N1C1, N1C2,
... Show MoreLimitations of the conventional diagnostic techniques urged researchers to seek novel methods to predict, diagnose, and monitor periodontal disease. Use of the biomarkers available in oral fluids could be a revolutionary surrogate for the manual probing/diagnostic radiograph. Several salivary biomarkers have the potential to accurately discriminate periodontal health and disease. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of salivary interleukin (IL)‐17, receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), RANKL/OPG for differentiating (1) periodontal health from disease and (2) stable a
The topic of urban transformations has attracted the attention of researchers as it is one of the basic issues through which cities can be transformed towards sustainability. A specific level of transformation levels according to a philosophical concept known as a crossing. This article has relied on a specific methodology that aims to find a new approach for urban transformation based on the crossing concept. This concept derives from philosophical entrances based on the concepts of (being, process, becoming, and integration). Four levels have been for the crossing are (normal, ascending, leap, and descending). Each of these levels includes specific characteristics that distinguish it. The results showed that there is no descending
... Show MoreThe research discussed the possibility of adsorption of Brilliant Blue Dye (BBD) from wastewater using 13X zeolite adsorbent, which is considered a byproduct of the production process of potassium carbonate from Iraqi potash raw materials. The 13X zeolite adsorbent was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction that showed a clear match with the standard 13X zeolite. The crystallinity rate was 82.15% and the crystal zeolite size was 5.29 nm. The surface area and pore volume of the obtained 13X zeolite were estimated. The prepared 13X zeolite showed the ability to remove BBD contaminant from wastewater at concentrations 5 to 50 ppm and the removal reached 96.60% at the lower pollutant concentration. Adsorption measurements versus tim
... Show MoreCoronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Certain genetic polymorphisms play an important role in this multifactorial disease, being linked with increased risk of early onset CAD.
To assess six genetic polymorphisms and clinical risk factors in relation to early onset nondiabetic Iraqi Arab CAD patients compared to controls.
This case–contro
Nitroso-R-salt is proposed as a sensitive spectrophotometric reagent for the determination of paracetamol in aqueous solution. The method is based on the reaction of paracetamol with iron(III) and subsequent reaction with nitroso-R-salt to yield a green colored complex with maximum absorption at 720 nm. Optimization of the experimental conditions was described. The calibration graph was linear in the concentration range of 0.1 – 2.0 ?g mL-1 paracetamol with a molar absorptivity of 6.9 × 104 L mol-1 cm-1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of paracetamol in pharmaceutical preparations without any interference from common excipients. The method has been statistically evaluated with British Pharmacopoeia method a
... Show MoreImproved oral bioavailability of lipophilic substances can be achieved using self-emulsifying drug delivery systems. However, because the properties of self-emulsifying are greatly influenced by surfactant amount and type, type of oil used, droplet size, charge, cosolvents, and physiological variables, the synthesis of self-emulsifying is highly complex; consequently, only a small number of excipient self-emulsifying formulations has been developed so far for clinical use. This study reports a highly effective procedure for developing self-emulsifying formulations using a novel approach based on the hydrophilic-lipophilic difference theory. Microemulsion characteristics, such as the constituents and amounts of oil and surfactant electrolyte
... Show MoreOwing to their cost-effectiveness and the natural abundance of magnesium, magnesium-ion batteries (MIBs) were introduced as encouraging alternatives to Lithium-ion batteries. Following the successful synthesis of carbon nano-tube, its B and N doped derivatives which were doped with B and N enjoyed the attention of researchers as novel anode materials (AM) for MIBs. Here, we investigated a BC2N nano-tube (BC2NNT) as an encouraging AM for MIBs. To have a deeper understanding of the electrochemical properties, cycling stability, specific capacity (SC) and the adsorption behavior of this nano-tube, first-principles density functional theory computations were performed. By performing NMR calculations, we identified two types of non-aromatic hexa
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