Hard-grade asphalt binders, such as AC 20–30, offer excellent resistance to permanent deformation but are inherently brittle, making them highly susceptible to fatigue and low-temperature cracking. While polymer modification addresses these issues, virgin polymers remain expensive. Despite the growing interest in recycled plastics, the rheological impact of complex waste streams, specifically polyvinyl chloride (PVC) derived from flex banners containing plasticizers, on excessively stiff binders within the complete Superpave Performance Grading (PG) framework remains critically underexplored. This study introduces a novel valorization approach by utilizing solvent-extracted flex banner waste (WPVC) as a dual-action modifier. It leverages

The object of this work is to investigate the effect of the addition of methanol on the shelf life and color characteristics of novolak resin. Different percentages were added and two mechanisms were suggested for the addition. High ortho structure (1, 2-3) novolak resin was prepared and used in the above investigation. Experimental determination using FT-IR and UV-spectroscopy showed that on the addition of 30% of methanol and according to the second mechanism of addition novolak shelf life increased to 12 months without obvious decomposition and color change. It is suggested that methanol plays an important role in the inhabitation of the reactive sites on the resin that are responsible for the oxidation of the polymer when exposed to

This experimental research was conducted to quantify the combined effect of the external bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plate width and prestressing on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams in terms of strength improvement. Seven beams (one control and six strengthened) were subjected to two-point loading tests. The experimental methodology consisted of the testing of three different widths of the CFRP plates (25, 40, and 60 mm) in non-prestressed and prestressed conditions. Prestressing was accomplished by tensioning the plates to 23% of the CFRP tensile strength using a novel, locally developed mechanical anchorage system, which is one of the key experimental contributions that distinguishes thi

الخلفية: إن سمية الدواء والآثار الجانبية للعلاج الكيميائي تؤثر سلبا على مرضى سرطان الثدي. الأهداف: لتقييم فعالية التدخلات الصيدلانية في تحسين معرفة مرضى سرطان الثدي ومواقفهم وممارساتهم فيما يتعلق بالعلاج الكيميائي لسرطان الثدي.

This paper presents a vibration suppression control design of cantilever beam using two piezoelectric ‎patches. One patch was used as ‎an actuator element, while the other was used as a sensor. The controller design was designed via the balance realization reduction method to elect the reduced order model that is most controllable and observable. ‎the sliding mode observer was designed to estimate six states from the reduced order model but three states are only used in the control law. Estimating a number of states larger than that used is in order to increase the estimation accuracy. Moreover, the state ‎estimation error is proved bounded. An ‎optimal LQR controller is designed then using the ‎estimated states with the slid

Thin films of pure and doped nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) were prepared using a chemical pyrolysis technique (CPS), with different nanosize graphene oxide (GO) concentrations in the range (3-9)wt%. The structural, morphological andoptical characteristics of these films were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique measurements revealed that the structure properties of TiO2have polycrystalline structure with anatase phase. AFM analysis showed the grain size of TiO2 films with different concentrations was decreased after doping with high concentration of GO ratio. Roughness of these films decreased too after adding of GO impurity for all films from (7.65-5.6)nm except 5wt% percentage where increased to 13.7nm. Optical

In the present work the preparation of Cu2S alloy was done throughout mixing the sulphur and copper elements according to the proper atomic weight and then put in an evacuated quartz ampoule which then sealed and heated at 1273 K for five hours and left to cool. Thin films from Cu2S powder thicknesses of ~300nm were prepared by thermal evaporation technique on a glass substrate and under vacuum of 10 -5 mbar with rate of deposition 25nm/sec. The prepared thin films subjected to heat treatment at different temperatures(300, 373 , 473 and 573 K)for half an hour. The structures of Cu2S powder and films have been studied by X–ray diffraction technique. The result reveals that the preparedalloy has cubic structure a