Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effects of disinfectant solutions, namely, the alcoholic extract of Salvadora persica L. (A1 = 10% and A2 = 15%) and chlorhexidine digluconate (A3 = 2%), on the tear strength and hardness of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) VST50F and heat temperature vulcanizing (HTV) Cosmesil M511 silicone elastomers before and after reinforcement with nanofillers (TiO2) and intrinsic pigment. Materials and Methods: A total of 320 specimens were prepared, with 160 specimens each for RTV and HTV silicone. Forty specimens were evaluated before disinfection and divided into two equal groups, namely, control (without additive) and experimental (with additive) groups, for tear strength and hardness tests. The 120 specimens were divided into three equal groups, with two equal subdivisions for tear strength and hardness tests, and were evaluated after disinfection. ANOVA and Tukey's honest significant difference tests were conducted for group comparisons (significance level set at P < 0.05). Results: The tear strength of all groups decreased after disinfection, with the highest values in the experimental group. Most comparisons showed significant differences. A1 exhibited no significant effect on the tear strength and hardness of the HTV control and the hardness of the RTV experimental specimen. The hardness of the HTV control was not significantly affected by A3. A1 with A3 did not significantly affect the tear strength and hardness of the RTV control and the tear strength of the RTV experimental specimen. The results of comparisons between A1 and A2, and A1 and A3 in the HTV tear strength of the experimental group and the A2 and A3 of the control and experimental groups were not significant. Conclusions: S. persica L. can be used as a natural disinfectant agent. The reinforcement of maxillofacial silicone prosthesis can extend its survival duration.
Among a collection of leafhoppers from Erbil Province in Kurdistan/Iraq, a new species of the genus Arboridia Zakhvatkin, 1946 was designated and described here as a new species to the science. The erection of this species was mainly built on the external characters included the male genitalia. Sites and dates of collections so as the host-plants were verified.
A quantitative description of microstructure governs the characteristics of the material. Various heat and excellent treatments reveal micro-structures when the material is prepared. Depending on the microstructure, mechanical properties like hardness, ductility, strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, etc., also vary. Microstructures are characterized by morphological features like volume fraction of different phases, particle size, etc. Relative volume fractions of the phases must be known to correlate with the mechanical properties. In this work, using image processing techniques, an automated scheme was presented to calculate relative volume fractions of the phases, namely Ferrite, Martensite, and Bainite, present in the
... Show MoreThe earth-air heat exchanger (EHX) has a promising potential to passively save the energy consumption of traditional air conditioning systems while maintaining a high degree of indoor comfort. The use of EHX systems for air conditioning in commercial and industrial settings offers several environmental benefits and is capable of operating in both standalone and hybrid modes. This study tests the performance and effectiveness of an EHX design in a sandy soil area in Baghdad, Iraq. The area has a climate of the subtropical semi-humid type. Ambient air temperatures and soil temperatures were recorded throughout the months of 2021. During the months of January and June, the temperatures of the inlet and outflow air at varying air veloci
... Show MoreIn this study, the potential of adsorption of amoxicillin antibiotic (AMOX) from aqueous solutions using prepared activated carbon (AC) was studied. The used AC was prepared from an inexpensive and available precursor (sunflower seed hulls (SSH)) and activated by potassium hydroxide (KOH). The prepared AC was examined for its ability to remove AMOX from aqueous contaminated solutions and characterized with the aid of N2 -adsorption/desorption isotherm Brunauer–Emmett– Teller, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared. Zeta potential of the prepared activated carbon from sunflower seed hulls (SSHAC) were studied in relation to AMOX adsorption. The physical and chemical propert
... Show MoreThe tight gas is one of the main types of the unconventional gas. Typically the tight gas reservoirs consist of highly heterogeneous low permeability reservoir. The economic evaluation for the production from tight gas production is very challenging task because of prevailing uncertainties associated with key reservoir properties, such as porosity, permeability as well as drainage boundary. However one of the important parameters requiring in this economic evaluation is the equivalent drainage area of the well, which relates the actual volume of fluids (e.g gas) produced or withdrawn from the reservoir at a certain moment that changes with time. It is difficult to predict this equival