Search results for: thermoplastic pavement marking

Authors: Vasu Velagapudi, G. Suresh

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PTFE/HNTs nanocomposites are fabricated with 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight fraction, and the optimization study of wear parameters are performed using response surface methodology (RSM). The experiments are carried out on a pin on disc (POD) wear tester under different operating parameters planned according to Taguchi L27 orthogonal array. The input factors considered are wt% HNTs addition, sliding velocity, load, and distance with three levels for each factor. From ANOVA: The factors load, speed and distance and their interactions have a significant effect on COF. Also for SWR, composition factor and interaction of load and speed are observed to be significant ( < 0.05) Optimum input parameters corresponding to desirability 1 are found to be: COF (0.11) and SWR (17.5)×10⁻⁶ (mm3/N-m) at 6.34 wt% of composition, 5N of load, 2 km of distance and 1 m/sec of velocity.

Keywords: PTFE/HNT, nanocomposites, response surface methodology (RSM), specific wear rate

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Authors: Pallab Bhattacharya, C. K. Das

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Development of microwave absorbing material is a growing field of research in both the commercial and defense sector, and also to enrich the field of stealth technology. The recent work is attentive to the preparation of nanocomposite based on acid modified MWCNT, hexagonal shaped magnetic M-type hexaferrite (CuFe10Al2O19) and polyaniline. CuFe10Al2O19 was prepared by a facile chemical co-precipitation method. An in-situ approach was employed for the coating of polyaniline on MWCNT/CuFe10Al2O19 nanocomposite. The final fabrication of this nanocomposite for microwave measurements was done suitably in the matrix of thermoplastic polyurethane with 10% filler content. The nanocomposites showed the maximum reflection loss of -60.2 dB (in X-band) at the thickness of 2.5 mm with a broad absorption range in contrast to the pristine MWCNT and CuFe10Al2O19. Addition of PANI improves the microwave absorption property of the nanocomposites. The thermal stability of the prepared nanocomposites is also very high.

Keywords: magnetic materials, microwave absorption, MWCNT, nanocomposites

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Authors: Siham Mezher Yousif, Intisar Yahiya Mohammed, Salma Nagem Mouhy

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Low Density Polyethylene is a thermoplastic resin extracted from petroleum based, whereas the wax is an oily organic component that is contains of alkanes, ester, polyester, and hydroxyl ester. The purpose of this research is to find out the optimum conditions of the wax produced by inducing with LDPE. The experiments were carried out by mixing different percentages of wax and LDPE to produce different polymer/wax compositions, in which lower values of the penetration, thickness, and electrical conductivity are obtained with increasing of mixing ratio of LDPE/wax which showed results of 19 mm penetration, 692 micron thickness and 5.9 mA electrical conductivity for 90 wt % of LDPE/wax) maximum mixing ratio (. It’s found that the optimum results regarding penetration, enamel thickness, and electrical conductivity “according to the enamel hardness, insulation properties, and economic aspects” are 20 mm, 276 micron, and 6.2 mA respectively.

Keywords: paraffin wax, low density polyethylene, blending, mixing ratio, bleaching

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Authors: Diana Grguric, Robert Svetlacic, Vladimir Simovic

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Scientific research analytically explores database playlists by studying the memory culture through Croatian popular radio music. The research is based on the scientific analysis of databases developed on the basis of the playlist of ten Croatian radio stations. The most recent Croatian song on Statehood Day 2008-2013 is analyzed in order to gain insight into their (memory) potential in terms of storing, interpreting and presenting a national identity. The research starts with the general assumption that popular music is an efficient identifier, transmitter, and promoter of national identity. The aim of the scientific research of the database was to analytically reveal specific titles of Croatian popular songs that participate in marking memories and analyzing their symbolic capital to gain insight into the popular music experience of the past and to develop a new method of scientifically based analysis of specific databases.

Keywords: specific databases, popular radio music, collective memory, national identity

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Authors: Levan Nadareishvili, Roland Bakuradze, Barbara Kilosanidze, Nona Topuridze, Liana Sharashidze, Ineza Pavlenishvili

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Some regularities of formation of a new structural state of the thermoplastic polymers-gradually oriented (stretched) state (GOS) are discussed. Transition into GOS is realized by the graded oriented stretching-by action of inhomogeneous mechanical field on the isotropic linear polymers or by zonal stretching that is implemented on a standard tensile-testing machine with using a specially designed zone stretching device (ZSD). Both technical approaches (especially zonal stretching method) allows to manage the such quantitative parameters of gradually oriented polymers as a range of change in relative elongation/orientation degree, length of this change and profile (linear, hyperbolic, parabolic, logarithmic, etc.). Uniaxial graded stretching method should be considered as an effective technological solution to create polymer materials with a predetermined gradient of physical properties.

Keywords: controlled graded stretching, gradually oriented state, linear polymers, zone stretching device

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Authors: Monica Puri Sikka, Subrato Ghosh Arunangshu Mukhopadhyay

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Appropriate compression bandaging is important for compression therapeutic medical diseases. The high compression approach employed for treating venous leg ulcers should be used correctly so that sufficient (but not excessive) pressure is applied. Bandages used to treat venous disease by compression should achieve and sustain effective levels and gradients of pressure and minimise the risk of pressure trauma. To maintain graduated compression on the limb the bandage needs to be applied at same tension for each layer from ankle to the knee. In this paper the geometry for various bandaging procedures is used to wrap each layer of bandage by marking the relaxed length of the bandage. The relaxed length is calculated depending on the stretch, average circumference of the limb on which it is to be applied and the bandaging technique to be used. This paper aims at developing a scientific approach while applying the bandage to reduce the inter operator variability in applying same tension on each successive layer of bandage.

Keywords: bandaging, compression, inter operator variability, graduated, relaxed length, stretch

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Authors: Moroof, O. Oloruntola, Sunday Oladele, Daniel, O. Obasaju, Victor, O Ojekunle, Olateju, O. Bayewu, Ganiyu, O. Mosuro

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Integrated geophysical methods involving Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and 2D resistivity survey were deployed to gain an insight into the influence of the two varying rock types (mica-schist and granite gneiss) underlying the road alignment to the incessant highway failure along Ajaokuta-Anyigba, North-central Nigeria. The highway serves as a link-road for the single largest cement factory in Africa (Dangote Cement Factory) and two major ceramic industries to the capital (Abuja) via Lokoja. 2D Electrical Resistivity survey (Dipole-Dipole Array) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) (Schlumberger array) were employed. Twenty-two (22) 2D profiles were occupied, twenty (20) conducted about 1 m away from the unstable section underlain by mica-schist with profile length each of approximately 100 m. Two (2) profiles were conducted about 1 m away from the stable section with a profile length of 100 m each due to barriers caused by the drainage system and outcropping granite gneiss at the flanks of the road. A spacing of 2 m was used for good image resolution of the near-surface. On each 2D profile, a range of 1-3 VES was conducted; thus, forty-eight (48) soundings were acquired. Partial curve matching and WinResist software were used to obtain the apparent and true resistivity values of the 1D survey, while DiprofWin software was used for processing the 2-D survey. Two exposed lithologic sections caused by abandoned river channels adjacent to two profiles as well as the knowledge of the geology of the area helped to constrain the VES and 2D processing and interpretation. Generally, the resistivity values obtained reflect the parent rock type, degree of weathering, moisture content and competency of the tested area. Resistivity values < 100; 100 – 950; 1000 – 2000 and > 2500 ohms-m were interpreted as clay, weathered layer, partly weathered layer and fresh basement respectively. The VES results and 2-D resistivity structures along the unstable segment showed similar lithologic characteristics and sequences dominated by clayey substratum for depths range of 0 – 42.2 m. The clayey substratum is a product of intensive weathering of the parent rock (mica-schist) and constitutes weak foundation soils, causing highway failure. This failure is further exacerbated by several heavy-duty trucks which ply the section round the clock due to proximity to two major ceramic industries in the state and lack of drainage system. The two profiles on the stable section show 2D structures that are remarkably different from those of the unstable section with very thin topsoils, higher resistivity weathered substratum (indicating the presence of coarse fragments from the parent rock) and shallow depth to the basement (1.0 – 7. 1 m). Also, the presence of drainage and lower volume of heavy-duty trucks are contributors to the pavement stability of this section of the highway. The resistivity surveys effectively delineated two contrasting soil profiles of the subbase/subgrade that reflect variation in the mineralogy of underlying parent rocks.

Keywords: clay, geophysical methods, pavement, resistivity

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Authors: Amit Kumar, Himanshu Singal, Arnav Bhavsar

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In this modern era of automation, most of the academic exams and competitive exams are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). The responses of these MCQ based exams are recorded in the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) sheet. Evaluation of the OMR sheet requires separate specialized machines for scanning and marking. The sheets used by these machines are special and costs more than a normal sheet. Available process is non-economical and dependent on paper thickness, scanning quality, paper orientation, special hardware and customized software. This study tries to tackle the problem of evaluating the OMR sheet without any special hardware and making the whole process economical. We propose an image processing based algorithm which can be used to read and evaluate the scanned OMR sheets with no special hardware required. It will eliminate the use of special OMR sheet. Responses recorded in normal sheet is enough for evaluation. The proposed system takes care of color, brightness, rotation, little imperfections in the OMR sheet images.

Keywords: OMR, image processing, hough circle trans-form, interpolation, detection, binary thresholding

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Authors: Mokhtar Nikgoo

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Road definition and road construction: in engineering literature, a road is defined as a means of communication between two different places by air, land, and sea. In this way, all sea, land, and air routes are considered as roads. Road construction is an operation to create a road on the ground between 2 points with a specified width, which includes works such as subgrade, paving, placing tables, and traffic signs on the road. In this article, the stages of road construction are explained from the beginning to the end. Road construction is generally done in the construction of rural, urban, and inter-city roads, and according to the special conditions of this area, the precision of engineers in its design and calculations is very important. For example, if the design of a road does not pay enough attention to the way the road curves, there will undoubtedly be countless accidents. Also, adjusting the road surface and its durability and uniformity are among the things that engineers solve according to the upcoming obstacles.

Keywords: road construction, surveying, freeway, pavement, excavator

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Authors: Jeevan Balaji, Shreyas Chigurupati

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Pneumatic gripper use compressed air to operate its actuators (fingers). Unlike the conventional metallic gripper, a soft pneumatic actuator (SPA) can be used for relocating fragile objects. An added advantage for this gripper is that the pressure exerted on the object can be varied by changing the dimensions of the air chambers and also by the number of chambers. SPAs have many benefits over conventional robots in the military, medical fields because of their compliance nature and are easily produced using the 3D printing process. In the paper, SPA is proposed to perform pick and place tasks. A design was developed for the actuators, which is convenient for gripping any fragile objects. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is used for 3D printing the actuators. The actuator model behaves differently as the parameters such as its chamber height, number of chambers change. A detailed FEM model of the actuator is drafted for different pressure inputs using ABAQUS CAE software, and a safe loading pressure range is found.

Keywords: soft robotics, pneumatic actuator, design and modelling, bending analysis

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Authors: Douglas N. Simões, Michele Pittol, Vanda F. Ribeiro, Daiane Tomacheski, Ruth M. C. Santana

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The increasing demand of thermoplastic elastomers is related to the wide range of applications, such as automotive, footwear, wire and cable industries, adhesives and medical devices, cell phones, sporting goods, toys and others. These materials are susceptible to microbial attack. Moisture and organic matter present in some areas (such as shower area and sink), provide favorable conditions for microbial proliferation, which contributes to the spread of diseases and reduces the product life cycle. Compounds based on SEBS copolymers, poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene, are a class of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), fully recyclable and largely used in domestic appliances like bath mats and tooth brushes (soft touch). Zinc oxide and zinc ions loaded in personal and home care products have become common in the last years due to its biocidal effect. In that sense, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of zinc as antimicrobial agent in compounds based on SEBS/polypropylene/oil/ calcite for use as refrigerator seals (gaskets), bath mats and sink squeegee. Two zinc oxides from different suppliers (ZnO-Pe and ZnO-WR) and one masterbatch of zinc ions (M-Zn-ion) were used in proportions of 0%, 1%, 3% and 5%. The compounds were prepared using a co-rotating double screw extruder (L/D ratio of 40/1 and 16 mm screw diameter). The extrusion parameters were kept constant for all materials. Tests specimens were prepared using the injection molding machine. A compound with no antimicrobial additive (standard) was also tested. Compounds were characterized by physical (density), mechanical (hardness and tensile properties) and rheological properties (melt flow rate - MFR). The Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) Z 2801:2010 was applied to evaluate antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) NBR 15275:2014 were used to evaluate antifungal properties against Aspergillus niger (A. niger), Aureobasidium pullulans (A. pullulans), Candida albicans (C. albicans), and Penicillium chrysogenum (P. chrysogenum). The microbiological assay showed a reduction over 42% in E. coli and over 49% in S. aureus population. The tests with fungi showed inconclusive results because the sample without zinc also demonstrated an inhibition of fungal development when tested against A. pullulans, C. albicans and P. chrysogenum. In addition, the zinc loaded samples showed worse results than the standard sample when tested against A. niger. The zinc addition did not show significant variation in mechanical properties. However, the density values increased with the rise in ZnO additives concentration, and had a little decrease in M-Zn-ion samples. Also, there were differences in the MFR results in all compounds compared to the standard.

Keywords: antimicrobial, home device, SEBS, zinc

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Authors: R. Vishnu, K. S. Reddy, Amrendra Kumar

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The present guideline for the construction of flexible pavement in India, IRC 37: 2012 recommends to use viscous grade VG 40 bitumen in both wearing and binder bituminous layers. However, most of the bitumen production plants in India are unable to produce the air-blown VG40 grade bitumen. This requires plant’s air-blowing technique modification, and often the manufactures finds it as uneconomical. In this context, stiffer grade bitumen can be produced if bitumen is modified. Gilsonite, which is naturally occurring asphalt have been found to be used for increasing the stiffness of binders. The present study evaluates the physical, rheological characteristics of Gilsonite modified binders and the performance characteristics of these binders when used in the mix.

Keywords: bitumen, gilsonite, stiffness, laboratory evaluation

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Authors: Shugufta Mohammad Zubair

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This study explores the Effect of the new food System Inspection system also called the new inspection color card scheme on reduction of critical & major food safety violations in Dubai. Data was collected from all retail food service establishments located in two zones in the city. Each establishment was visited twice, once before the launch of the new system and one after the launch of the system. In each visit, the Inspection checklist was used as the evaluation tool for observation of the critical and major violations. The old format of the inspection checklist was concerned with scores based on the violations; but the new format of the checklist for the new inspection color card scheme is divided into administrative, general major and critical which gives a better classification for the inspectors to identify the critical and major violations of concerned. The study found that there has been a better and clear marking of violations after the launch of new inspection system wherein the inspectors are able to mark and categories the violations effectively. There had been a 10% decrease in the number of food establishment that was previously given A grade. The B & C grading were also considerably dropped by 5%.

Keywords: food inspection, risk assessment, color card scheme, violations

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Authors: Ji-Hun Choi, Kyoung-Suk Cho, Seung-Un Chae

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Consisting of organic compounds, plastic ignites easily and burns fast. In addition, a large amount of toxic gas is produced while it is burning. When plastic is heated, its volume decreases because its surface is melted. The decomposition of its molecular bond generates combustible liquid of low viscosity, which accelerates plastic combustion and spreads the flames. Radiant heat produced in the process propagates the fire to increase the risk of human and property damages. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to identify chemical, thermal and combustion characteristics of thermoplastic plastics using the fire propagation apparatus based on experimental criteria of ISO 12136 and ASTM E 2058. By the experiment result, as the ignition time increased, the thermal response parameter (TRP) decreased and as the TRP increased, the slope decreased. In other words, the large the TRP was, the longer the time taken for heating and ignition of the material was. It was identified that the fire propagation speed dropped accordingly.

Keywords: fire propagation apparatus (FPA), ISO 12136, thermal response parameter (TRP), fire propagation index (FPI)

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Authors: Marylene N. Tizon

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English instructors pay attention on errors committed by students as errors show whether they know or master their oral skills and what difficulties they may have in the process of learning the English language. This descriptive quantitative study aimed at identifying and categorizing the oral presentation errors of the purposively chosen 118 English 2A students enrolled during the first semester of school year 2013 – 2014. The analysis of the data for this study was undertaken using the errors committed by the students in their presentation. Marking and classifying of errors were made by first classifying them into linguistic grammatical errors then all errors were categorized further into Surface Structure Errors Taxonomy with the use of Frequency and Percentage distribution. From the analysis of the data, the researcher found out: Errors in tenses of the verbs (71 or 16%) and in addition 167 or 37% were most frequently uttered by the students. And Question and negation mistakes (12 or 3%) and misordering errors (28 or 7%) were least frequently enunciated by the students. Thus, the respondents in this study most frequently enunciated errors in tenses and in addition while they uttered least frequently the errors in question, negation, and misordering.

Keywords: grammatical error, oral presentation error, surface structure errors taxonomy, descriptive quantitative design, Philippines, Asia

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Authors: Moureen Nanteza

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This paper examines the pragmatic inferences of locative enclitics in Luganda (JE 15). Locative enclitics are words which cannot stand alone but are attached to a verb to make meaning. Their status is ambiguous between free word and affix, hence motivating their analysis as enclitics. The enclitics are attached on the post-final position of their hosts. Although the locative enclitics occur regularly in some Bantu languages (Luganda, Runyankore-Rukiga, Runyoro-Rutooro, Lunda, Ikizu, Fwe, Chichewa, Kinyarwanda among others), they have not been widely studied in the literature. The paper looks at verbal locative enclitics only but the locative enclitics also appear in other word categories in Luganda. This study is descriptive, with a qualitative approach. The data used in this study was collected through reviewing documents in Luganda - novels and plays and also the spoken discourses. In this study, the enclitic in Luganda serves many non-locative discourse-pragmatic functions which include showing urgency, politeness, showing the idea of ‘instead of’ and also emphasis. It has also been observed that enclitics are widely used in the urban youth languages (‘Luyaaye’) but this was not the focus of the current study. The results from the study offer explanations of key areas of syntax, morphology, and pragmatics relating to the form and functions of locative enclitics and the whole system of locative marking in Luganda and other Bantu languages.

Keywords: Bantu, locative enclitics, Luganda, pragmatic inferences

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Authors: Sajjad H. Kasanagh, Perviz Ahmedzade, Alexander Fainleib, Taylan Gunay

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Modification of asphalt is a fundamental method around the world mainly on the purpose of providing more durable pavements which lead to diminish repairing cost during the lifetime of highways. Various polymers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) make up the greater parts of the all-over asphalt modifiers generally providing better physical properties of asphalt by decreasing temperature dependency which eventually diminishes permanent deformation on highways such as rutting. However, some waste and low-cost materials such as recycled plastics and ground rubber tire have been attempted to utilize in asphalt as modifier instead of manufactured polymer modifiers due to decreasing the eventual highway cost. On the other hand, the usage of recycled plastics has become a worldwide requirement and awareness in order to decrease the pollution made by waste plastics. Hence, finding an area in which recycling plastics could be utilized has been targeted by many research teams so as to reduce polymer manufacturing and plastic pollution. To this end, in this paper, thermoplastic dynamic vulcanizate (TDV) obtained from recycled post-consumer polyethylene and ground tire rubber (GTR) were used to provide an efficient modifier for asphalt which decreases the production cost as well and finally might provide an ecological solution by decreasing polymer disposal problems. TDV was synthesized by the chemists in the research group by means of the abovementioned components that are considered as compatible physical characteristic of asphalt materials. TDV modified asphalt samples having different rate of proportions of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 wt.% TDV modifier were prepared. Conventional tests, such as penetration, softening point and roll thin film oven (RTFO) tests were performed to obtain fundamental physical and aging properties of the base and modified binders. The high temperature performance grade (PG) of binders was determined by Superpave tests conducted on original and aged binders. The multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test which is relatively up-to-date method for classifying asphalts taking account of their elasticity abilities was carried out to evaluate PG plus grades of binders. The results obtained from performance grading, and MSCR tests were also evaluated together so as to make a comparison between the methods both aiming to determine rheological parameters of asphalt. The test results revealed that TDV modification leads to a decrease in penetration, an increase in softening point, which proves an increasing stiffness of asphalt. DSR results indicate an improvement in PG for modified binders compared to base asphalt. On the other hand, MSCR results that are compatible with DSR results also indicate an enhancement on rheological properties of asphalt. However, according to the results, the improvement is not as distinct as observed in DSR results since elastic properties are fundamental in MSCR. At the end of the testing program, it can be concluded that TDV can be used as modifier which provides better rheological properties for asphalt and might diminish plastic waste pollution since the material is 100% recycled.

Keywords: asphalt, ground tire rubber, recycled polymer, thermoplastic dynamic vulcanizate

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Authors: M. Naveed Akhter, Jawad Aslam, Omer Gillani

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To aid and rehabilitate increasing number of patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke, a lightweight, wearable, and 3D printable exoskeletal glove has been developed. Unlike previously developed metal or fabric-based exoskeletons, this research presents the development of soft exoskeletal glove made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The drive mechanism consists of a single motor-driven antagonistic tendon to perform extension or flexion of middle and index finger. The tendon-based differential drive has been incorporated to allow for grasping of irregularly shaped objects. The design features easy 3D-printability with TPU without a need for supports. The overall weight of the glove and the actuation unit is approximately 500g. Performance of the glove was tested on a custom test-bench with integrated load cells, and the grip strength was tested to be around 30N per finger while grasping objects of irregular shape.

Keywords: 3D printable, differential drive, exoskeletal glove, rehabilitation, single motor driven

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Authors: Lina, Arlends Chris, Bagus Mulyawan, Agus B. Dharmawan

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Blood cell analysis plays a significant role in the diagnosis of human health. As an alternative to the traditional technique conducted by laboratory technicians, this paper presents an automatic white blood cell (leukocyte) detection system using Image Stitching and Color Overlapping Windows. The advantage of this method is to present a detection technique of white blood cells that are robust to imperfect shapes of blood cells with various image qualities. The input for this application is images from a microscope-slide translation video. The preprocessing stage is performed by stitching the input images. First, the overlapping parts of the images are determined, then stitching and blending processes of two input images are performed. Next, the Color Overlapping Windows is performed for white blood cell detection which consists of color filtering, window candidate checking, window marking, finds window overlaps, and window cropping processes. Experimental results show that this method could achieve an average of 82.12% detection accuracy of the leukocyte images.

Keywords: color overlapping windows, image stitching, leukocyte detection, white blood cell detection

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Authors: Andrés Calvillo Téllez, Marianne Martínez Zanzarric, José Cruz Núñez Pérez

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A modular system that performs basic monitoring of both water and air quality is presented. Monitoring is essential for environmental, aquaculture, and agricultural disciplines, where this type of instrumentation is necessary for data collection. The system uses low-cost components, which allows readings close to those with high-cost probes. The probe collects readings such as the coordinates of the geographical position, as well as the time it records the target parameters of the monitored. The modules or subsystems that make up the probe are the global positioning (GPS), which shows the altitude, latitude, and longitude data of the point where the reading will be recorded, a real-time clock stage, the date marking the time, the module SD memory continuously stores data, data acquisition system, central processing unit, and energy. The system acquires parameters to measure water quality, conductivity, pressure, and temperature, and for air, three types of ammonia, dioxide, and carbon monoxide gases were censored. The information obtained allowed us to identify the schedule of modification of the parameters and the identification of the ideal conditions for the growth of microorganisms in the water.

Keywords: calibration, conductivity, datalogger, monitoring, real time clock, water quality

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Authors: A. Hamma, A. Pegoretti

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The paper focuses on the evaluation of mechanical performances and viscoelastic behaviour of starch-grafted-PP reinforced with kenaf fibres. Investigations were carried out on composites prepared by melt compounding and compression molding. Two aspects have been taken into account, the effects of various fibres loading rates (10, 20 and 30 wt.%) and the fibres aspect ratios (L/D=30 and 160). Good fibres/matrix interaction has been evidenced by SEM observations. However, processing induced variation of fibre length quantified by optical microscopy observations. Tensile modulus and ultimate properties, hardness and tensile impact stress, were found to remarkably increase with fibre loading. Moreover, short term tensile creep tests have proven that kenaf fibres improved considerably the creep stability. Modelling of creep behaviour by a four parameter Burger model was successfully used. An empirical equation involving Halpin-Tsai semi empirical model was also used to predict the elastic modulus of composites.

Keywords: mechanical properties, creep, fibres, thermoplastic composites, starch-grafted-PP

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Authors: N. Naz, A. D. Domenico, M. N. Huda

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Soft Robotics is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary field where robots are fabricated using highly deformable materials motivated by bioinspired designs. The high dexterity and adaptability to the external environments during contact make soft robots ideal for applications such as gripping delicate objects, locomotion, and biomedical devices. The actuation system of soft robots mainly includes fluidic, tendon-driven, and smart material actuation. Among them, Soft Pneumatic Actuator, also known as SPA, remains the most popular choice due to its flexibility, safety, easy implementation, and cost-effectiveness. However, at present, most of the fabrication of SPA is still based on traditional molding and casting techniques where the mold is 3d printed into which silicone rubber is cast and consolidated. This conventional method is time-consuming and involves intensive manual labour with the limitation of repeatability and accuracy in design. Recent advancements in direct 3d printing of different soft materials can significantly reduce the repetitive manual task with an ability to fabricate complex geometries and multicomponent designs in a single manufacturing step. The aim of this research work is to design and analyse the Soft Pneumatic Actuator (SPA) utilizing both conventional casting and modern direct 3d printing technologies. The mold of the SPA for traditional casting is 3d printed using fused deposition modeling (FDM) with the polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic wire. Hyperelastic soft materials such as Ecoflex-0030/0050 are cast into the mold and consolidated using a lab oven. The bending behaviour is observed experimentally with different pressures of air compressor to ensure uniform bending without any failure. For direct 3D-printing of SPA fused deposition modeling (FDM) with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and stereolithography (SLA) with an elastic resin are used. The actuator is modeled using the finite element method (FEM) to analyse the nonlinear bending behaviour, stress concentration and strain distribution of different hyperelastic materials after pressurization. FEM analysis is carried out using Ansys Workbench software with a Yeon-2nd order hyperelastic material model. FEM includes long-shape deformation, contact between surfaces, and gravity influences. For mesh generation, quadratic tetrahedron, hybrid, and constant pressure mesh are used. SPA is connected to a baseplate that is in connection with the air compressor. A fixed boundary is applied on the baseplate, and static pressure is applied orthogonally to all surfaces of the internal chambers and channels with a closed continuum model. The simulated results from FEM are compared with the experimental results. The experiments are performed in a laboratory set-up where the developed SPA is connected to a compressed air source with a pressure gauge. A comparison study based on performance analysis is done between FDM and SLA printed SPA with the molded counterparts. Furthermore, the molded and 3d printed SPA has been used to develop a three-finger soft pneumatic gripper and has been tested for handling delicate objects.

Keywords: finite element method, fused deposition modeling, hyperelastic, soft pneumatic actuator

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Authors: Ainura Kairanbayeva

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Currently, the issue of maintaining the operational condition of highways at the required level is acute in Kazakhstan. The impact of landslides on the state of the road industry in Kazakhstan has been poorly studied. This article presents the classification of natural hazards and examines the influence of atmospheric natural processes on the operational condition of the sections of the highway "Ayusai–Kosmostantsia" passing along the mountain slopes of the Trans-Ili Alatau. According to the results of field studies, multi-turn reflected cracks have been identified, this is also due to the fact that the base of the road is made of a sand-gravel mixture and is not treated with reinforcing additives and the actual density of the asphalt concrete pavement is below regulatory requirements.

Keywords: building materials and products, construction of highways and engineering structures, construction processes, displacements of the earth's surface, geodynamic processes

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Authors: A. Hamidi, S. Khelladi, L. Illoul, A. Tcharkhtchi

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Reactive rotational molding (RRM) is a process to manufacture hollow plastic parts with reactive material has several advantages compared to conventional roto molding of thermoplastic powders: process cycle time is shorter; raw material is less expensive because polymerization occurs during processing and high-performance polymers may be used such as thermosets, thermoplastics or blends. However, several phenomena occur during this process which makes the optimization of the process quite complex. In this study, we have used a mixture of isocyanate and polyol as a reactive system. The chemical transformation of this system to polyurethane has been studied by thermal analysis and rheology tests. Thanks to these results of the curing process and rheological measurements, the kinetic and rheokinetik of polyurethane was identified. Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, a Lagrangian meshless method, was chosen to simulate reactive fluid flow in 2 and 3D configurations of the polyurethane during the process taking into account the chemical, and chemiorehological results obtained experimentally in this study.

Keywords: reactive rotational molding, simulation, smoothed particle hydrodynamics, surface tension, rheology, free surface flows, viscoelastic, interpolation

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Authors: Shajaratuldur Ismail, Nurlidia Mansor, Zakaria Man

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Thermoplastic starch (TPS) plasticized by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Emim][OAc] were obtained through gelatinization process. The gelatinization process occurred in the presence of water and [Emim][OAc] as plasticizer at high temperature (90˚C). The influence of [Emim][OAc] and water on the gelatinization and interactions with starch have been studied over a range of compositions. The homogenous mass was obtained for the samples containing 35, 40 and 43.5 % of water contents which showed that water plays important role in gelatinization process. Detailed IR spectroscopy analysis showed decrease in hydrogen bonding intensity and strong interaction between acetate anion in [Emim][OAc] and starch hydroxyl groups in the presence of [Emim][OAc]. Starch-[Emim][OAc]-water mixture at 10-3-8.7 presented homogenous mass, less hydrogen bonding intensity and strong interaction between acetate anion in [Emim][OAc] and starch hydroxyl groups.

Keywords: starch, ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, plasticizer, gelatinization, IR spectroscopy

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Authors: Romel N. Georgees, Rayya A Hassan, Robert P. Evans, Piratheepan Jegatheesan

Abstract:

Among other traditional and non-traditional additives, polymers have shown an efficient performance in the field and improved sustainability. Polyacrylamide (PAM) is one such additive that has demonstrated many advantages including a reduction in permeability, an increase in durability and the provision of strength characteristics. However, information about its effect on the improved geotechnical characteristics is very limited to the field performance monitoring. Therefore, a laboratory investigation was carried out to examine the basic and engineering behaviors of three types of soils treated with a PAM additive. The results showed an increase in dry density and unconfined compressive strength for all the soils. The results further demonstrated an increase in unsoaked CBR and a reduction in permeability for all stabilized samples.

Keywords: CBR, hydraulic conductivity, PAM, unconfined compressive strength

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Authors: Carina Emminger, Umut D. Cakmak, Evrim Burkut, Rene Preuer, Ingrid Graz, Zoltan Major

Abstract:

Damping accompanies us daily in everyday life and is used to protect (e.g., in shoes) and make our life more comfortable (damping of unwanted motion) and calm (noise reduction). In general, damping is the absorption of energy which is either stored in the material (vibration isolation systems) or changed into heat (vibration absorbers). In case of the last, the damping mechanism can be split in active, passive, as well as semi-active (a combination of active and passive). Active damping is required to enable an almost perfect damping over the whole application range and is used, for instance, in sport cars. In contrast, passive damping is a response of the material due to external loading. Consequently, the material composition has a huge influence on the damping behavior. For elastomers, the material behavior is inherent viscoelastic, temperature, and frequency dependent. However, passive damping is not adjustable during application. Therefore, it is of importance to understand the fundamental viscoelastic behavior and the dissipation capability due to external loading. The objective of this work is to assess the limitation and applicability of viscoelastic material damping for applications in which currently coil-over shock absorbers are utilized. Coil-over shock absorbers are usually made of various mechanical parts and incorporate fluids within the damper. These shock absorbers are well-known and studied in the industry, and when needed, they can be easily adjusted during their product lifetime. In contrary, dampers made of – ideally – a single material are more resource efficient, have an easier serviceability, and are easier manufactured. However, they lack of adaptability and adjustability in service. Therefore, a case study with a remote-controlled sport car was conducted. The original shock absorbers were redesigned, and the spring-dashpot system was replaced by both an elastomer and a thermoplastic-elastomer, respectively. Here, five different formulations of elastomers were used, including a pure and an iron-particle filled thermoplastic poly(urethan) (TPU) and blends of two different poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). In addition, the TPUs were investigated as full and hollow dampers to investigate the difference between solid and structured material. To get comparative results each material formulation was comprehensively characterized, by monotonic uniaxial compression tests, dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DTMA), and rebound resilience. Moreover, the new material-based shock absorbers were compared with spring-dashpot shock absorbers. The shock absorbers were analyzed under monotonic and cyclic loading. In addition, an impact loading was applied on the remote-controlled car to measure the damping properties in operation. A servo-hydraulic high-speed linear actuator was utilized to apply the loads. The acceleration of the car and the displacement of specific measurement points were recorded while testing by a sensor and high-speed camera, respectively. The results prove that elastomers are suitable in damping applications, but they are temperature and frequency dependent. This is a limitation in applicability of viscous material damper. Feasible fields of application may be in the case of micromobility, like bicycles, e-scooters, and e-skateboards. Furthermore, the viscous material damping could be used to increase the inherent damping of a whole structure, e.g., in bicycle-frames.

Keywords: damper structures, material damping, PDMS, TPU

Procedia PDF Downloads 89

Authors: Djamel–Eddine Yassine Boutiba

Abstract:

In this present memory, we present the various impacts deflectometer leading to the sizing by strengthening of existing roadways. It reminds that the road network in Algeria plays a major role with regard to drainage in major strategic areas and especially in the fringe northern Algeria. Heavy traffic passing through the northern fringe (between 25% and 30% heavy vehicles) causes substantial degradations at both the surface layer and base layer. The work on site by means within the laboratory CTTP such as deflectographe Lacroix, allowed us to record a large number of deflection localized bending on RN19A (Carrefour CW73-Ain- Merane), whose analysis of the results led us to opt for a building throughout the band's project . By the recorder against HWD (Heavy Weight déflectometer) allowed us to learn about the behavior of the pavement on the banks. In addition, the Software Alize III has been essential in the verification of the increase in the thickness dimensioned.

Keywords: capacity, deflection, deflectograph lacroix, degradation, hwd

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Reyhan Özdoğan, Özgür Ceylan, Mehmet Arif Kaya, Mithat Çelebi

Abstract:

Food packaging is important for the food industry. Bioplastics have been used as food packaging materials. According to the European Bioplastics organization, bioplastics can be defined as plastics based on renewable resources (bio-based) or as plastics which are biodegradable and/or compostable. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has an industrially importance of bioplastic polymers. PLA is a family of biodegradable thermoplastic polyester made from renewable resources. It is produced by conversion of corn, or other carbohydrate sources, into dextrose, followed by fermentation into lactic acid through direct polycondensation of lactic acid monomers or through ring-opening polymerization of lactide. The processing possibilities of this transparent material are very wide, ranging from injection molding and extrusion over cast film extrusion to blow molding and thermoforming. In this study, PLA films were prepared by solution casting method. PLAs which are different molecular weights were plasticized with glycerol and the morphology of films was monitored by optical microscopy. Properties of mechanical and film of PLA were researched with the mechanical testing machine.

Keywords: biodegradable, bioplastics, morphology, solution casting, poly(lactic acid)

Procedia PDF Downloads 345

Authors: I. Paeglite, A. Paeglitis

Abstract:

The paper presents a study of dynamic effects obtained from the dynamic load testing of the city highway bridges in Latvia carried out from 2005 to 2012. 9 pre-stressed concrete bridges and 4 composite bridges were considered. 11 of 13 bridges were designed according to the Eurocodes but two according to the previous structural codes used in Latvia (SNIP 2.05.03-84). The dynamic properties of the bridges were obtained by heavy vehicles passing the bridge roadway with different driving speeds and with or without even pavement. The obtained values of the Dynamic amplification factor (DAF) and bridge natural frequency were analyzed and compared to the values of built-in traffic load models provided in Eurocode 1. The actual DAF values for even bridge deck in the most cases are smaller than the value adopted in Eurocode 1. Vehicle speed for uneven pavements significantly influence Dynamic amplification factor values.

Keywords: bridge, dynamic effects, load testing, dynamic amplification factor

Procedia PDF Downloads 354