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.
The research abstract included introduction and the importance of the research, also included display of the problem represented by weakness for the players when performing some of the basic skills in badminton and the shuttle not reaching to the back corners of the court which gives the player the opportunity to win through applying the pressure on the opponent and make him away from the control center(T) which definitely required level of a collection muscular strength contributed in performance perhaps this related to a number of reasons related with weakness in physical changes especially explosive and characterized by speed forces for the badminton players and be acquainted with them and knowing the extent of their effect in performanc
... Show MoreThe Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Al-Khwarizmi College of Engineering at Baghdad University has lately renovated its own research laboratories to comply with international safety measures and conduct undergraduate and postgraduate research. In this regard, the department has harnessed some amenities within the college to establish these laboratories taking into accounts creating a convenient, safe, and developed working environment for both researchers and students. A precise procedure was followed to establish this laboratory which includes providing new bench tops which offer spacious working places for workers. These benches were supplied with power points, gas, water, and compressed air outlets. In addition,
... Show MoreUnregulated epigenetic modifications, including histone acetylation/deacetylation mediated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), contribute to cancer progression. HDACs, often overexpressed in cancer, downregulate tumor suppressor genes, making them crucial targets for treatment. This work aimed to develop non‐hydroxamate benzoic acid–based HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) with comparable effect to the currently four FDA‐approved HDACi, which are known for their poor solubility, poor distribution, and significant side effects. All compounds were structurally verified using FTIR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and mass spectrometry. In silico ana
Advanced strategies for production forecasting, operational optimization, and decision-making enhancement have been employed through reservoir management and machine learning (ML) techniques. A hybrid model is established to predict future gas output in a gas reservoir through historical production data, including reservoir pressure, cumulative gas production, and cumulative water production for 67 months. The procedure starts with data preprocessing and applies seasonal exponential smoothing (SES) to capture seasonality and trends in production data, while an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) captures complicated spatiotemporal connections. The history replication in the models is quantified for accuracy through metric keys such as m
... Show MoreBuzurgan oil field suffers from the phenomenon of asphaltene precipitation. The serious negatives of this phenomenon are the decrease in production caused by clogging of the pores and decrease in permeability and wettability of the reservoir rocks, in addition to the blockages that occur in the pipeline transporting crude oil. The presence of laboratories in the Iraqi oil companies helped to conduct the necessary experiments, such as gas chromatography (GC) test to identify the components of crude oil and the percentages of each component, These laboratory results consider the main elements in deriving a new equation called modified colloidal instability index (MCII) equation based on a well-known global equation called colloidal in
... Show MoreBuzurgan oil field suffers from the phenomenon of asphaltene precipitation. The serious negatives of this phenomenon are the decrease in production caused by clogging of the pores and decrease in permeability and wettability of the reservoir rocks, in addition to the blockages that occur in the pipeline transporting crude oil. The presence of laboratories in the Iraqi oil companies helped to conduct the necessary experiments, such as gas chromatography (GC) test to identify the components of crude oil and the percentages of each component, These laboratory results consider the main elements in deriving a new equation called modified colloidal instability index (MCII) equation based on a well-known global equation called colloidal instabi
... Show MoreMultiplesclerosis(MS)isachronic,inflammatory,immune-mediateddiseaseof the central nervous system (CNS). More than 2 million people worldwidehave MS. The goal of the present study was to compare Iraqi patients' treat-ment satisfaction with three different disease-modifying therapies (DMTs),administeredorally,subcutaneously,andbyslowinfusion;namely,fin-golimod, interferon beta-1b (IFNβ-1b), and natalizumab, respectively. Aswell as to assess the individual differences among these therapies about theireffectiveness, convenience and global satisfaction also to assess the role ofcertain predictors on treatment satisfaction. Patient satisfaction with medi-cation assessed by the Treatment Satisfaction Questi
... Show MoreRutting is one of the most complex and widespread types of distress. The rutting is frequently observed on Iraqi roads, especially at the checkpoints, forming a significant hazard on the asphalt layers. Factors such as heavy loads and high temperatures contribute to this distress. Adding fibers to a hot mix asphalt (HMA) effectively improves performance and extends the lifespan of the flexible pavement. This article used glass, steel, and basalt fibers. The wheel tracking test assessed the fibre-asphalt mixture for rutting resistance and compared it with the mix without adding fibers (control HMA). Meanwhile, the microscopic structure of fibres and asphalt mixture modified with fibers was examined using the Field Emission Scanning E
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to evaluate the bottled water quality for the six-producing companies in Baghdad city, where selected six brands which are the most marketed in the Iraqi market, especially in Baghdad, where taking the proper amount of bottled water in September 2015 and included the studied characteristics (EC , pH ,TDS, Turbidity, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl-, No3-, So4-2, HCO3-, Na+ and K+) in addition to the total population of bacteria aerobic and coliform, and compare the results with the standard specifications of the Iraqi and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as to compare the results of sampling specifications mentioned on the packaging by the producing companies. The results showed the presence of high significant differ
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