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 microscopy (SEM) analysis. The mechanical performance of the corresponding SMA mixtures was assessed through Marshall stability and flow, moisture susceptibility, crack tolerance index (CT-index), resilient modulus, and rutting resistance tests. Also, a mechanistic durability analysis was conducted using the KENLAYER software. Results indicated that both polymers enhanced the binder’s stiffness and high-temperature performance, with SBS exhibiting greater overall improvements. SBS-modified binders displayed a relatively low softening point difference (ΔT) of 5.1 °C to 5.8 °C, indicating good thermal stability and uniform polymer dispersion. In contrast, PE-modified binders exhibited significantly higher ΔT values, reaching 13.5 °C with 8% PE content, indicating a greater tendency toward phase separation. Moreover, Marshall stability improved substantially, increasing by 43% for 8% SBS-modified mixes and 28% for 8% PE-modified mixes compared to the neat SMA mix. Flow number (FN) results indicated enhanced rutting resistance, with FN values increasing by 2.45 times for SBS mixes and 2.1 times for PE mixes at 8% polymer content. Additionally, moisture susceptibility was significantly improved, as evidenced by the tensile strength ratio (TSR) values of 97% with 8% SBS and 92% with 8% PE, compared to 81% for the neat mix. Resilient modules increased notably, with a 38% rise for 8% SBS mixes and a 24% rise for 8% PE mixes, reflecting enhanced stiffness and load-bearing capacity. Also, the CT-index significantly improved, reaching values of 154 for the 8% SBS mix and 127 for the 8% PE-modified mix, compared to 86 for the neat mix, indicating enhanced resistance to cracking. Finally, both polymer-modified mixes demonstrated improved durability, where the 8% SBS mix exhibited the longest design life (21.66 years) and the highest number of allowable load repetitions (5.42 × 106), followed by 8% PE (13.98 years and 3.50 × 106 repetitions).
This study included isolation and characterization of extremely halophilic bacteria from Al-Massab Al-Aam region in South of Iraq Fifty isolates were identified by using numerical taxonomy 40 strains belonged to the genus Halobacterium which inclucted Hb. halobium Hb. cutirubrum Hb. salinarium Hb. saccharovorum Hb. valismortis and Hb. volcanii. Ten strains belonged to the genus Halococcus which included Hc. morrhuae Hc. saccharolyticus. Growth curves were sensitive mutants determined for wild type and salt Generation time in logarthmic phase was measured and found to be (10.37 2hr 7 0.59) for Hb. salinarium / 18 (6.490 hr 0.24) for Hb. cutirubrum / 32, (6.700 hr + 0.488) for Hb. valismortis / 20, (11.243 hr + 0.96) for Hb. volcanii / 7. (7
... Show MoreThis research involves the synthesis of some sulphanyl benzimidazole derivatives (Ia-c), which were prepared from reaction of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole substituted benzyl halide, and structures were identified by spectral methods[FTIR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR].These compounds were investigated as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in 1M H2SO4 solution using weight loss, potentiostatic polarization methods; obtained results showed that the sulphanyl benzimidazole derivatives retard both cathodic and anodic reactions in acidic media, by virtue of adsorption on the carbon steel surface. This adsorption obeyed Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm. The inhibition efficiency of (Ia-c) ranging between (65-92) %. By using different Ib derivative conc
... Show MoreIn this work a series of fourteen new compounds were synthesized. Compound [1] was formed from the reaction of 2-aminobenzothiazole and p-bromophenacyl bromide. Aldehyde group [2] was obtained from the reaction of compound [1] with pocl3 in presence of DMF and CHCl3 .After that shiff bases have been synthesized from the reaction of compound [2] with different aromatic amine to give new shiff bases [3- 5]. These new shiff bases have been reduced to their corresponding amine [6-8] by means of sodium borohydride. Then reaction of shiff bases [3-5] with phenyl isocyanate gives 3-cyclic lactam derivatives [9-11]. 3-cyclic Oxazepine derivatives [12-14] were obtained by reaction of shiff bases [3-5] with succinic anhydride. These new formed co
... Show MoreAbstract :In this study, amygdaline in Iraqi plant seeds was extracted and isolated from their seeds matrix using reflux procedure and subsequently identified and determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on reversed phase column of LC-18 (150mm x 4.6mm, 5?m )with actonitrile :water ( 50 : 50 ) as mobile phase at flow rate of ( 0.5 mL/min ) and detection at wavelength of 215 nm.The experimental results indicated that the linearity of calibration is in the range of 1.0-30.0 mg L-1amygdaline with the correlation coefficient of 0.9949. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for amygdaline were of 0.88 and 2.93 mg L-1 in standard pure sample. The mean recovery percent is 97.34±0.58 at 95% confidence inte
... Show MoreAbstract:
The hotel sector is one of the most vital sectors exposed to risks, and the authorities concerned with control must take their active and influential role in putting the hotel sector on the right track and compatible with the internationally approved approaches, and the importance of auditing the performance of the hotel sector in light of the (Covid-19) pandemic is embodied in the fact that it gives a clear and realistic picture to the management and regulatory bodies about the performance and activities of this sector and the shortcomings and deviations that must be addressed, and also helps government decision makers to ob
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research is to highlight the relationship between the administrative investigation and the improvement of institutional performance, and the research sought to achieve a set of cognitive and applied goals. the administrative investigation is the modern trend of managing the offices of the general hginspectors and the main source to build the necessary standards to manage and invest its resources efficiently and effectively required to achieve the goals it seeks. The institutional performance is the cornerstone for the implementation of all tasks and duties carried out by institutions operating within the borders of a particular country, The significant change
... Show MoreThe competitive environment influences the increase in exercise intensity and hence adds to the growth of training and practice. The study objective.to identify the effect of competitive speed exercises on the effectiveness of skill performance and speed of counterattack for junior boxers, as well as to know the rate of development for these variables.Materials and methods. The research sample consisted of twelve up-and-coming Al-Najda Sports Club players who participated in the national tournament and were selected with care. They were placed into two groups, control and experimental, with six boxers each in the control and experimental groups. The two groups were assigned identical weights on purpose, and their ages range from 15 to 16 ye
... Show MoreNowadays, energy demand continuously rises while energy stocks are dwindling. Using current resources more effectively is crucial for the world. A wide method to effectively utilize energy is to generate electricity using thermal gas turbines (GT). One of the most important problems that gas turbines suffer from is high ambient air temperature especially in summer. The current paper details the effects of ambient conditions on the performance of a gas turbine through energy audits taking into account the influence of ambient conditions on the specific heat capacity ( , isentropic exponent ( ) as well as the gas constant of air . A computer program was developed to examine the operation of a power plant at various ambient temperature
... Show More