Pumpkin waste powder was used as a coloring and strengthening filler in epoxy to prepare a natural gelcoat . The Pumpkin powder was mixed with different weight ratios (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8%) to the epoxy matrix to select the best value of powder addition. The effect of the pumpkin particle size on the mechanical properties (impact, flexural, hardness, and wear loss) using two different sizes (2.5 and 1.25 microns) was studied. The impact strength increased from (10.09 KJ/ m2) for neat epoxy to (14.79 KJ/ m2) for epoxy with 1% of micron pumpkin fibers ( MPF) with particle size 2.5 micrometer and (14.21 KJ/ m2) for epoxy with 4% (1.25 MPF), flexural strength increased from (41.94 MPa) for neat epoxy to (~ 46 MPa) for epoxy with 1% of 2.5 MPF and to (50.17 MPa) for epoxy with 4% of 1.25 MPF, hardness of neat epoxy was (~ 77) and almost maintained its value for epoxy with 1% of 2.5 MPF and for epoxy with 4% of 1.25 MPF. At almost the weight fractions addition of pumpkin fibers to epoxy, the (EP/1.25MPF) composite shows a higher wear resistance than the (EP/2.5MPF) composite. The density, thermal conductivity, and water diffusion (for 1-4 weeks' immersion) of (EP/2.5MPF) and (EP/1.25MPF) composites were carried out at different weight percentages of pumpkin fibers. SEM and EDS techniques were employed to fix the microstructure and the elemental composition of (EP/2.5MPF) and (EP/1.25MPF) composites, respectively. The internal structure of the composites has been linked with their macroscopic characteristics, such as the color degree of natural gelcoats and their mechanical and thermal properties.
Background: Body image is one of the most important psychological factors that affects adolescents’ personality and behavior. Body image can be defined as the person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body.
Objectives: to identify the prevalence of body image concerns among secondary school students and its relation to different factors.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in which 796 secondary school students participated and body shape concerns was investigated using the body shape questionnaire (BSQ-34).
Results: The prevalence of moderate/marked concern was (21.6%). Moderate/ marked body shape concern was significantly associated
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research was to investigate the beneficial effects of phosphatidylcholine in reducing changes in both lipid and protein profiles in addition to atherogenic index in adult rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome. Thirty-six mature Wistar Albino female rats (Rattus norvegicus) (aged 12-15 weeks and weighing 200±10 g) were divided randomly into four groups (G1, G2, G3, and G4); then variable treatments were orally administered for 62 days as follows: G1 (Control group), received distilled water; G2, treated with phosphatidylcholine (PC) orally (1 g/kg BW); G3 (Fr), orally dosed with 40% fructose and 25% fructose mixed with drinking water; G4 (Fr+PC), were also intubated with 40% fr
... Show MoreBackground: The surface properties of the titanium alloy plays a significant role in the bond of the dental implant with living bone and modification of the implant surface could enhance osseointegration. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of different durations of heat treatment on the surface properties of titanium alloy for dental implants. Materials and methods: Twenty disks of (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy were prepared. The sample was divided into four test groups to study the effect of different duration of heat treatment to the surface topography; surface chemistry, titanium oxide layer thickness, blood contact angle, & blood drop diameter of titanium alloy samples were investigated to evaluate the effect of different durations of
... Show MoreThe objective of this research was to investigate the effect of replacing fat(shortening) with different percentages of tahena on the quality properties (physiochemical and sensory ) of shortened cake.The percentages of moisture,protein ,fat and ash of cake increased significantly(p<0.05) as the replacement was increased .The highest increase percentages were 10,48,5,and 90 %,respectivly, at 100% replacement .Carbohydrate,however,decreased by 10%at 100% replacement .these findings may indicate improvement of cake nutritional value.Standing height,as an indicator of cake volume, also increased significantly by 4% at the 50% replacement then it decreased by 4% 100% replacement level. Basic formula (control) has signific
... Show MoreThe work was carried out in two stages. The first stage concerned
with study of silicon carbide (SiC) ratio (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 wt%)
effect on the Thermal conductivity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC); and
the second stage concerned with the UV – weatherizing (25, 50, and
75 hr), thermal aging (40, 50, and 60 °C), and rain- weatherizing (1,
2.5, and 4 hr) effect on the samples involved. Thermal conductivity
results proved that there was slight increase in thermal conductivity
by (SiC) loading; it increased from 0.17 W/m.K for PVC to 0.19
W/m.K for 4.5% SiC/PVC; where as it was systematically decreased
by UV- weatherizing, thermal aging, and rain- weatherizing. This
property is in a good agreement with gene
This research studies the influence of water source on the compressive strength of high strength concrete. Four types of water source were adopted in both mixing and curing process these are river, tap, well and drainage water (all from Iraq-Diyala governorate). Chemical analysis was carried out for all types of the used water including (pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), Turbidity, chloride, total suspended solid (TSS), and sulfates). Depending on the chemical analysis results, it was found that for all adopted sources the chemical compositions was within the ASTM C 1602/C 1602M-04 limits and can be satisfactorily used in concrete mixtures. Mixture of high strength concrete for compressive strength of (60 MPa) was designed and checked using
... Show MoreIn Iraq most of the small buildings deployed a conventional air conditioning technology which typically uses electrically driven compressor systems which exhibits several clear disadvantages such as high energy consumption, high electricity at peak loads. In this work a thermal performance of air conditioning system combined with a solar collector is investigated theoretically. The hybrid air conditioner consists of a semi hermetic compressor, water cooled shell and tube condenser, thermal expansion valve and coil with tank evaporator. The theoretical analysis included a simulation for the solar assisted air-conditioning system using EES software to analyze the effect of different parameters on the power consumption of c
... Show MoreThe Iraqi houses flattening the roof by a concrete panel, and because of the panels on the top directly exposed to the solar radiation become unbearably hot and cold during the summer and winter. The traditional concrete panel components are cement, sand, and aggregate, which have a poor thermal property. The usage of materials with low thermal conductivity with no negative reflects on its mechanical properties gives good improvements to the thermal properties of the concrete panel. The practical part of this work was built on a multi-stage mixing plan. In the first stage the mixing ratio based on the ratios of the sand to cement. The second stage mixing ratios based on replacing the coarse aggregate quantities with the
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