The growing demand for sustainable and high-performance asphalt binders has prompted the exploration of waste-derived modifiers. This study investigates the performance enhancement of Natural Asphalt (NA) using Sugarcane Molasses (SM) and Waste Engine Oil (WEO). The modified blends were prepared by partially replacing 50 % NA with varying proportions of SM and WEO ranging from 10 % to 40 % of the total weight of NA. Comprehensive testing was conducted, including penetration, softening point, ductility, viscosity, Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR), Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that modified blends with a high WEO content significantly increased fluidity, reducing rotational viscosity by up to 91 % for the blend with 40 % WEO and 10 % SM at 135 ◦C. Conversely, higher SM content increased stiffness, as seen in the blend with 40 % SM and 10 % WEO, with penetration values rising by 305 % compared to unmodified NA. Rheological testing showed that the 40 % SM and 10 % WEO blend achieved the highest rutting resistance with a Performance Grade (PG) of 88 ◦C, while the 40 % WEO and 10 % SM blend exhibited the best fatigue resistance with a 55 % reduction in G* .sinδ. Low-temperature performance was significantly improved across all blends, with the 40 % WEO and 10 % SM blend achieving the lowest creep stiffness and highest m-value, ensuring superior thermal cracking resistance. Chemical analysis revealed increased oxygen content (18.6 %) and reduced sulfur content (60 %) in the 40 % SM and 10 % WEO blend, indicating enhanced oxidation resistance. SEM analysis confirmed the development of dense morphology in the 40 % SM and 10 % WEO blend, correlating with superior structural integrity. Grey decision analysis identified the 40 % SM and 10 % WEO blend as the optimal blend with the lowest bull’s-eye distance, reflecting balanced performance across all parameters. These findings highlight the complementary effects of SM and WEO in enhancing the performance of NA, with the 40 % SM and 10 % WEO blend emerging as the most promising blend for bio-asphalt applications.
This work focuses on the use of biologically produced activated carbon for improving the physi-co-chemical properties of water samples obtained from the Tigris River. An eco-friendly and low-cost activated carbon was prepared from the Alhagi plant using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as an impregnation agent. The prepared activated carbon was characterised using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to determine the functional groups that exist on the raw material (Alhagi plant) and Alhagi activated carbon (AAC). Scanning electron microscope–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope was also used to investigate the surface shape and the elements that compose the powder. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis was used to evaluate the spe
... Show MoreTwelve samples of cigarettes have been collected from local markets of different types and origins by using (HPGe) detector, and measurement of the specific activity for series U238 and series Th232 in addition to K40 in order to estimate the health risk of cigarettes their by smokers, the results shown that highest specific activity value were be (12. 8±6. 3 Bq/kg, 8. 41±5. 8 Bq/kg, 125. 16±58. 3 Bq/kg), respectively, in the sample (MAC) MacBeth type cigarettes in Brazilian origin, this paper reports data such as (specific activity of K40, series U238, series Th232
The primary objective of this paper is to improve a biometric authentication and classification model using the ear as a distinct part of the face since it is unchanged with time and unaffected by facial expressions. The proposed model is a new scenario for enhancing ear recognition accuracy via modifying the AdaBoost algorithm to optimize adaptive learning. To overcome the limitation of image illumination, occlusion, and problems of image registration, the Scale-invariant feature transform technique was used to extract features. Various consecutive phases were used to improve classification accuracy. These phases are image acquisition, preprocessing, filtering, smoothing, and feature extraction. To assess the proposed
... Show MoreThe process of accurate localization of the basic components of human faces (i.e., eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) from images is an important step in face processing techniques like face tracking, facial expression recognition or face recognition. However, it is a challenging task due to the variations in scale, orientation, pose, facial expressions, partial occlusions and lighting conditions. In the current paper, a scheme includes the method of three-hierarchal stages for facial components extraction is presented; it works regardless of illumination variance. Adaptive linear contrast enhancement methods like gamma correction and contrast stretching are used to simulate the variance in light condition among images. As testing material
... Show MoreThe present work describes numerical and experimental investigation of the heat transfer characteristics in a plate-fin, having built-in piezoelectric actuator mounted on the base plate (substrate). The geometrical configuration considered in the present work is representative of a single element of the plate-fin and triple fins. Air is taken as the working fluid. A performance data for a single rectangular fin and triple fins are provided for different frequency levels (5, 30 and
50HZ) , different input power (5,10,20,30,40 and 50W) and different inlet velocity (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6m/s) for the single rectangular fin and triple fins with and without oscillation. The investigation was also performed with different geometrical fin
Performance of gas-solid spouted bed benefit from solids uniformity structure (UI).Therefore, the focus of this work is to maximize UI across the bed based on process variables. Hence, UI is to be considered as the objective of the optimization process .Three selected process variables are affecting the objective function. These decision variables are: gas velocity, particle density and particle diameter. Steady-state solids concentration measurements were carried out in a narrow 3-inch cylindrical spouted bed made of Plexiglas that used 60° conical shape base. Radial concentration of particles (glass and steel beads) at various bed heights and different flow patterns were measured using sophisticated optical probes. Stochastic Genetic
... Show More