This study aimed at evaluating the torsional capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally wrapped with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. An analytical model was described and used as a new computational procedure based on the softened truss model (STM) to predict the torsional behavior of RC beams strengthened with FRP. The proposed analytical model was validated with the existing experimental data for rectangular sections strengthened with FRP materials and considering torque-twist relationship and crack pattern at failure. The confined concrete behavior, in the case of FRP wrapping, was considered in the constitutive laws of concrete in the model. Then, an efficient algorithm was developed in MATLAB environment t

This study investigates the characterization and mechanical performance of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) mixtures modified with two types of polymers: styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) and high-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE). Neat asphalt cement PG 64-16 was modified using a higher content of SBS and PE at concentrations of 6%, 7%, and 8% by weight of asphalt through the dry blending method to produce Highly Modified Asphalts (HiMA). The physical and rheological properties of the modified binders were evaluated using penetration, softening point, rotational viscosity, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. Also, their phase compatibility and morphological changes were evaluated using the storage stability testing and scanning electron

Abstract

    Binary polymer blend was prepared by mechanical mixing method of unsaturated polyester resin with Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) with different weight ratios (0, 5, 10 and 15) % of (NBR). Tensile characteristics and wear rates of these blends were studied for all mixing ratios. The microstructure of fracture surfaces of the prepared samples were investigated by optical microscope. The results were showed that strain rates of the resin material increase after blending it with rubber while the ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus values of it will decrease. It is also noticed that the wear rate of resin decreases with increasing of (NBR) content.

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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of coating titanium (Ti) dental implant with polyether ketone ketone (PEKK) polymer using magnetron sputtering on osseointegration, trying to overcome some of the problems associated with Ti alloys. Material and Methods: Implants were prepared from grade (II) commercially pure titanium (CP Ti), then laser was used to induce roughness on the surface of Ti. PEKK was deposited on the surface of Ti implants by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The implants were divided in to three groups: without coating (Ls), with PEKK coating using argon (Ar) as sputtering gas (Ls-PEKK-Ar), and with PEKK coating using nitrogen (N) as sputtering gas (Ls-PEKK-N). All the implants were implante

Blend solid polymer electrolytes (BSPEs) comprising PVA/HPMC/CuSO4 were prepared using a solution casting approach. BSPEs were synthesized with varying weight percentages of CuSO4 (0, 10, 20, and 30 wt.%). A variety of experimental methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), were used to characterize these BSPE systems. The polymer blend matrix underwent structural alterations, according to the XRD data. The standard data from JCPDS card numbers for copper sulfate matches well with the observed strong peaks of PVA/HPMC+20 wt.% of CuSO4 BSPE. The complex