PVA, Starch/PVA, and Starch/PVA/sugar samples of different
concentrations (10, 20, 30 and 40 % wt/wt) were prepared by casting
method. DSC analysis was carried; the results showed only one glass
transition temperature (Tg) for the samples involved, which suggest
that starch/PVA and starch/PVA/sugar blends are miscible. The
miscibility is attributed to the hydrogen bonds between PVA and
starch. This is in a good agreement with (FTIR) results. Tg and Tm
decrease with starch and sugar content compared with that for
(PVA). Systematic decrease in ultimate strength, due to starch and
sugar ratio increase, is attributed to (PVA), which has more hydroxyl
groups that made its ultimate strength higher than that for
starch/PVA, and starch/PVA/sugar blends. It is observed from water
uptake tests that the solubility time decreases with starch ratio; it is
attributed to decrease in hydroxyl groups caused by PVA ratio
decrease. The inter- and inter-molecular bonds of the hydroxyl
groups enhanced the solubility process of the starch/PVA blends in
water. The water immersion causes hydrogen bonds (inter and
intermolecular bonds) to decompose, that increases the film
solubility. Water absorption and capacity of degradability are most
important in biodegradable materials. The results suggest the samples
that have undergone investigation, can be used for shopping, and
food packaging.
The study of soil burial for the sample at (3cm) depth, and at (13cm)
depth has exhibited weight loss increase with soil burial time. The
biodegradability rapidly increases at the first (6-7) weeks; it is found
that the weight loss at (3cm) depth is greater than that at (13cm) that
was attributed to the differences in the availability of oxygen ratio. It
is found that PVA undergoes lowest weight loss, the weight loss
changes with starch, and sugar content. In dry soil, the weight loss is
lower. The results proved that the biodegradation decreases with soil
burial time after seven weeks of burial. It is concluded that the
samples involved are biodegradable material that can be used for
packaging applications and biologically friendly synthetic polymer
blends to solve the solid waste accumulation problem.
Exploring the antibacterial potential of neem oil (Azadirachta indica) in combination with gentamicin (GEN) against pathogenic molds, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has drawn concern due to the quest for natural treatment options against incurable diseases. Prospective research directions include looking for natural cures for many of the currently incurable diseases available now. microbial identification system, were used to identify the isolates. The research utilized a range of methods, such as the diffusion agar well (AWD) assays, TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analysis, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays, and real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) to analyze bacterial expression and the antibacterial action of neem oil (Azadira
... Show MoreExtracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is considered a standard treatment for nephrolith or kidney stones measuring less than 20 mm. Anatomical, machine-related, and stone factors play pivotal roles in treatment outcomes, the latter being the leading role. This paper examined the relationship between stone density on native CT scans and ESWL treatment to remove renal stones concerning several treatments. One hundred and twenty patients (64 males and 56 females) were enrolled and completed the study from April 2019 to September 2020. Inclusion criteria were a single renal pelvis stone of 5–20 mm to be treated for the first time in adult patients with no urinary or musculoskeletal anatomical abnormalities. We assessed patients
... Show MoreThis paper was aimed to evaluate the polyurethane (PU) and polyurethane/polyvinyl chloride (90 wt. % / 10 wt. %) as organic coating of carbon steel substrate against marine environment (3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution) as a severe corrosion environment . The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and fitting impedance data by ZsimpWin 3.22 software were used to estimate the physical barrier of the samples for different exposure times. Different equivalent electrical circuits were proposed for the physical barrier at different immersion times to get appropriate fitting .Both PU and PU/PVC coatings showed excellent corrosion protection ability for steel .The PU/PVC coating showed better protection and stability than PU coating against
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Multipoint forming process is an engineering concept which means that the working surface of the punch and die is produced as hemispherical ends of individual active elements (called pins), where each pin can be independently, vertically displaced using a geometrically reconfigurable die. Several different products can be made without changing tools saved precious production time. Also, the manufacturing of very expensive rigid dies is reduced, and a lot of expenses are saved. But the most important aspects of using such types of equipment are the flexibility of the tooling. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the effect of three main parameters which are blank holder, rubber thickness and forming speed th
... Show MoreIn this paper, thermal performance of a zig-zig solar air heater (ZZSAH) with and without using steel wire mesh on the absorber plate of the collector is experimentally investigated. The experimental work includes four inclination angles of the collector 20o, 30o, 45o, and 60o and four air mass flow rates of 0.03, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 kg/s under varieties of operating conditions of a geographic location of Baghdad. New correlation equations of Nusselt number are obtained from experimental results for both types of collectors where the effect of varying of the inclination angle of collector taken into consideration in the experiment. The correlations show good agreement wi
... Show MoreSurface water samples from different locations within Tigris River's boundaries in Baghdad city have been analyzed for drinking purposes. Correlation coefficients among different parameters were determined. An attempt has been made to develop linear regression equations to predict the concentration of water quality constituents having significant correlation coefficients with electrical conductivity (EC). This study aims to find five regression models produced and validated using electrical conductivity as a predictor to predict total hardness (TH), calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl), sulfate (SO4), and total dissolved solids (TDS). The five models showed good/excellent prediction ability of the parameters mentioned
... Show MoreThe modified Hummers method was applied to prepare graphene oxide (GO) from the graphite powder. Tin oxide nanoparticles with different loading (10-20 wt.%) supported on reduced graphene oxide were synthesized to evaluate the oxidative desulfurization efficiency. The catalyst was synthesized by the incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) technique. Different analysis methods like FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, AFM, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were utilized to characterize graphene oxide and catalysts. The XRD analysis showed that the average crystal size of graphene oxide was 6.05 nm. In addition, the FESEM results showed high metal oxide dispersions on the rGO. The EDX analysis shows the weight ratio of Sn is close to its theoretical weight.
... Show MoreThe current study included the isolation, purification and cultivation of blue-green alga Oscillatoria pseudogeminata G.Schmidle from soil using the BG-11liquid culture medium for 60 days of cultivation. The growth constant (k) and generation time (G) were measured which (K=0.144) and (G=2.09 days).
Microcystins were purified and determined qualitatively and quantitatively from this alga by using the technique of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa Kits). The alga showed the ability to produce microcystins in concentration reached 1.47 µg/L for each 50 mg DW. Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) aged two months were irrigated with three concentrations of purified microcystins 0.5 , 3.0 and 6.0
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