Natural bitumen (NB) is a highly precious material and has drawn increasing attention due to its unique properties, especially since it is available in large quantities and has been used in limited fields. In this research, the exploitation of NB from sulfur springs as an alternative energy resource in the production of asphalt pavement is evaluated. It can be concluded from the experimental results that the chemical composition and surface morphology of NB samples are different from those of base asphalt. Besides, the rheological properties of virgin NB are not sufficient for paving work. To overcome this obstacle, NB from five different springs is modified with limestone filler (LSF) to enhance its properties. LSF is a natural material and is available locally at a low price, usually used as filler material in control asphalt mixtures. The study outcomes reveal that LSF is an effective material and plays a fundamental role in improving the properties of NB since it enhances the resistance against temperature susceptibility and improves the ability of NB to disperse in asphalt mixture. Furthermore, treated NB with LSF boosts the mechanical characteristics, increases the stiffness, and strengthens the resistance against water damage for NB mixtures. Particularly, this research clarified that high Marshall stability is achieved with a treated Al-Mamora sulfur spring-NB mixture, which is 30.4% higher than that of the control mixture. At the same time, the treated Al-Askaree sulfur spring-NB mixture has a stiffness index and tensile strength ratio more than the control mixture by 45% and 3.36%, respectively. In conclusion, adding LSF to NB that is extracted from sulfur springs can produce a new type of asphalt binder more suitable for use in road pavement.
This research was aimed to determine the petrophysical properties (porosity, permeability and fluid saturation) of a reservoir. Petrophysical properties of the Shuiaba Formation at Y field are determined from the interpretation of open hole log data of six wells. Depending on these properties, it is possible to divide the Shuiaba Formation which has thickness of a proximately 180-195m, into three lithological units: A is upper unit (thickness about 8 to 15 m) involving of moderately dolomitized limestones; B is a middle unit (thickness about 52 to 56 m) which is composed of dolomitic limestone, and C is lower unit ( >110 m thick) which consists of shale-rich and dolomitic limestones. The results showed that the average formation water
... Show MoreA study of characteristics of the lubricant oils and the physical properties is essential to know the quality of lubricant oils. The parameters that lead to classify oils have been studied in this research. Three types of multi-grades lubricant oils were applied under changing temperatures from 25 oC to 78oC to estimate the physical properties and mixture compositions. Kinematic viscosity, viscosity gravity constant and paraffin (P), naphthenes (N) and aromatics (A) (PNA) analysis are used to predict the composition of lubricants oil. Kinematic viscosity gives good behaviors and the oxidation stability for each lubricant oils. PNA analysis predicted fractions of paraffin (XP), naphthenes (XN),
... Show MoreA tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding is one of the most popular kinds of welding used to join metals mainly for aluminum alloys. However, many challenges may be met with this kind of joining process; these challenges arise from decay of mechanical properties of welded materials. In the present study, an attempt was made to enhancing the mechanical properties of TIG weld joint of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy by hardening the surfaces using shoot peening technique. To optimize the shoot peening process three times of exposure (5, 10, and 15) min. was used. All peened and unpeened, and welded and unwelded samples were characterized by metallographic test to indicate the phase transformation and modification in microstructure occurring d
... Show MoreMoisture damage is one of the most significant troubles that destroy asphaltic pavement and reduces road serviceability. Recently, academics have noticed a trend to utilize fibers to enhance the efficiency of asphalt pavement. This research explores the effect of low-cost ceramic fiber, which has high tensile strength and a very high thermal insulation coefficient, on the asphalt mixture's characteristics by adding three different proportions (0.75%, 1.5%, and 2.25%). The Marshall test and the Tensile Strength Ratio Test (TSR) were utilized to describe the impact of ceramic fiber on the characteristics of Marshall and the moisture susceptibility of the hot mix asphalt mixture. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microsc
... Show MoreMechanical and thermal properties of composites, consisted of unsaturated polyester resin, reinforced by different kinds of natural materials (Orange peels and Date seeds) and industrial materials (carbon and silica) with particle size 98 µm were studied. Various weight ratios, 5, 10, and 15 wt. % of natural and industrial materials have been infused into polyester. Tensile, three-point bending and thermal conductivity tests were conducted for the unfilled polyester, natural and industrial composite to identify the weight ratio effect on the properties of materials. The results indicated that when the weight ratio for polyester with date seeds increased from 10% to 15%, the maximum Young’s modulus decreased by 54%. When the weight rat
... Show MoreAbstract: The natural dye, Curcumin, was extracted from Curcuma longa using as a sensitizer in two types of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC), and their characteristics were studied. The absorption spectrum of the dye solutions, as well as the wavelength of the maximum absorbance of the dye loaded TiO2 film has been studied. The X-Ray diffraction pattern of TiO2 film made with Doctor-Blading technique shown that the grain size of TiO2 was equal to be 40 nm. The electrical performances in terms of short circuit current, open circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency of cells were investigated.
Resilient polymeric materials such as silicone elastomers are currently used for maxillofacial prostheses construction but the strength of these materials and their clinical performance need to be optimized with the addition of reinforcing fillers. This study investigates the effect of zirconia nanopowder addition on tear strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, Shore A hardness, surface roughness and cytotoxicity of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. Silicone base was mixed with different amounts (1%, 2% and 3%) of zirconia nanopowder using a vacuum mixer. Silicone without filler was used as control for comparison. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were utilized to assess the efficiency of high-shear vacuum mixin
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