Hard-grade asphalt binders, such as AC 20–30, offer excellent resistance to permanent deformation but are inherently brittle, making them highly susceptible to fatigue and low-temperature cracking. While polymer modification addresses these issues, virgin polymers remain expensive. Despite the growing interest in recycled plastics, the rheological impact of complex waste streams, specifically polyvinyl chloride (PVC) derived from flex banners containing plasticizers, on excessively stiff binders within the complete Superpave Performance Grading (PG) framework remains critically underexplored. This study introduces a novel valorization approach by utilizing solvent-extracted flex banner waste (WPVC) as a dual-action modifier. It leverages the stiffening effect of the PVC network alongside the softening effect of leached plasticizers to redistribute the viscoelastic properties of hard-grade bitumen. The primary objective is to upgrade AC 20–30 into a balanced, climate-resilient binder. WPVC was incorporated at 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight. A comprehensive evaluation was performed using microstructural and chemical analyses, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and optical microscopy, along with advanced rheological testing such as frequency sweep (master curve), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), linear amplitude sweep (LAS), and the Glover–Rowe (G–R) index. Results demonstrated that WPVC integration significantly improved microstructural homogeneity without accelerating oxidative aging. The 20% WPVC dosage emerged as the optimum configuration, effectively reducing rotational viscosity and excessive high-temperature stiffness while maintaining exceptional rutting resistance suitable for extreme traffic (PG82-E). Crucially, the intermediate-temperature performance was remarkably enhanced; the WPVC20 blend exhibited a 918% increase in fatigue life (at 2.5% strain) in the LAS test compared to the base binder. Furthermore, the G-R index confirmed a substantial reduction in cracking susceptibility. Ultimately, this research provides a sustainable, data-driven pathway for transforming hazardous flex banner waste into a high-value modifier for durable flexible pavements.
This study aims to assess the removal efficiency andestablish the BOD5 and COD statisticalcorrelation of the sewage flowing in Al-Diwaniyah wastewater treatment plant in Iraq during the study period (2005-2016). The strength of the influent wastewater entering the plant varied from medium to high in strength. High concentrations of BOD5 and COD in the effluent were obtained due to the poor performance of the plant. This was observed from the BOD5 /COD ratios that did not confirm with the typical ratios for the treated sewage. To improve the performance of this plant, regression equations for BOD5 and COD removal percentages were suggested which can be used to facilitate evaluation of liquid waste and optimal control process. The equations
... Show MoreThis work is concerned with designing two types of controllers, a PID and a Fuzzy PID, to be used
for flying and stabilizing a quadcopter. The designed controllers have been tuned, tested, and
compared using two performance indices which are the Integral Square Error (ISE) and the Integral
Absolute Error (IAE), and also some response characteristics like the rise time, overshoot, settling
time, and the steady state error. To try and test the controllers, a quadcopter mathematical model has
been developed. The model concentrated on the rotational dynamics of the quadcopter, i.e. the roll,
pitch, and yaw variables. The work has been simulated with “MATLAB”. To make testing the
simulated model and the controllers m
Software-defined networks (SDN) have a centralized control architecture that makes them a tempting target for cyber attackers. One of the major threats is distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. It aims to exhaust network resources to make its services unavailable to legitimate users. DDoS attack detection based on machine learning algorithms is considered one of the most used techniques in SDN security. In this paper, four machine learning techniques (Random Forest, K-nearest neighbors, Naive Bayes, and Logistic Regression) have been tested to detect DDoS attacks. Also, a mitigation technique has been used to eliminate the attack effect on SDN. RF and KNN were selected because of their high accuracy results. Three types of ne
... Show MoreThe current research aims to identify the effect of the hands_on strategy on the life effectiveness skills of the first grade students in the government's daytime middle schools. The Umm al-Mu 'minin school was intentionally chosen to be the research sample of the second Rusafa Directorate for the academic year 2021-2022. Then, two divisions were randomly chosen for the first of the six divisions to represent the experimental group that is studying according to the strategy of the hands_on and the other the control group that is studying according to the usual method. The equivalence of the two research groups was verified by a set of variables. The two groups were found to be equivalent. As for the research tool, the life effectiveness sca
... Show MoreThis work investigates the effect of the gas nitriding process on the surface layer microstructure and mechanical properties for steel 37, tool steel X155CrVMo12-1 and stainless steel 316L. Nitriding was conducted at a temperature of 550 °C for 2 hours during the first stage and at 750 °C for 4 hours during the second stage. SEM and X-ray diffraction tests were performed to evaluate the microstructural features and the major phases formed after surface treatment. SEM and X-ray diffraction tests were performed to assess the microstructural features and the primary phases formed after surface treatment. The new secondary precipitates were identified as γ′-Fe4N, ε (Fe2–3N), and α-Fe, exhibiting an uneven chain-like pattern wit
... Show MoreBackground: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory disorders caused by the accumulation of oral biofilm and the host response to this accumulation which characterized by exaggerated leukocytes and neutrophils attraction to the sites of inflammation by chemoattractants which are a very important part of the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. This study aimed to determine and compare the clinical periodontal parameters and the leukocyte cell types in the peripheral blood between patients with gingivitis and periodontitis with different severities compared to healthy controls. Materials and methods: This study included 150 male subjects aged between 35-50 years. They were divided into three groups: gingivitis group (n=30), periodontitis p
... Show MoreDirect contact membrane distillation is an effective method for production of fresh water from saline water. In this study two samples were used as feed solutions; the first one was RO waste from Al-Hilla Coca-Cola Factory (TDS= 2382 mg/l) and the other was Haji Ali drainage water (TDS= 4127 mg/l). Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hydrophobic membrane supported with polypropylene (PP) was used as flat sheet form with plate and frame cell. Results proved that membrane distillation is an effective technique to produce fresh water with high quality from brine with low salinity content. With membrane area of 8x8 cm2, the volume of treated water decreased from 34.97 ml at first half hour to 33.02 ml after 180 min of
... Show MoreA field experiment was conducted in an agricultural field in Al-Hindia district, Karbala governorate in a silty clay soil during the year 2020. The research included a study of two factors, the first is the depth of plowing at two levels, namely 13 and 20 cm, which represented the main blocks. The second is the tire inflation pressure at two levels, namely (70 and 140 kPa), which represented the secondary blocks. Slippage percentage, field efficiency, leaf area, and 300 grain weight were studied. The experiment was carried out using a split-plot system under a Randomized complete block design, at three replications. The tillage depth of 13 cm exceeds/transcend by giving it the least slippage of (11.01%), the highest field efficiency of (50.
... Show MoreOne of the major problems facing the road construction engineer is the collapsible granular soil which may be used for embankment construction. Problems appears when such compacted soil come in touch with water, it exhibits cracking and uncontrolled settlement. Collapsible soils are defined as any unsaturated soil that goes through a radical rearrangement of practice and great loss of volume upon wetting, with or without additional loading. An attempt has been made in this investigation to stabilize the collapsible soil of Nasiriya with asphalt emulsion. Specimens of pure and asphalt emulsion stabilized soil have been prepared using optimum fluid content and tested. The first group of specimens of (60x60x20) cm have been tested for direct s
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