An Essay on Railway Track Bed Failure Issues, Analysis and Remedy

The polymer cures as it enters the ballast, forming a three-dimensional geo-composite reinforcing cage. Although there will be some adherence to the ballast in dry conditions, the polymer's primary job is to construct this reinforcing cage. Polymer penetration is controlled by altering the rheology of the polymer. The method is also said to include a built-in safety system, with the track reverting to a ballast state in the event of a polymer or geo-composite failure. Many of the sites were considered unmaintainable before the polymer was put. The design method was utilized to forecast track behaviour before and after treatment, allowing the most appropriate polymer rheology, polymer distribution, and loading levels to be designed in order to achieve optimum performance and confirm that the procedure worked. This method can be utilized to tackle these types of long-standing problems by displaying actual polymer application profiles at a typical important location.

Polymer coating in soybean seed treatment and their relation to leaching of chemicals

This study evaluated the physiological quality and quantified the efficiency of polymer in reducing the loss of phytosanitary products by leaching from soybean seeds of different diameters and in different treatments. Two lots of seed and two types of treatments were tested: polymers associated with seed treatment, and polymer application in layers after the seed treatment. For that, the following treatments were analyzed: Control= no seed treatment; Treat+pol= seed treatment + polymers in the mix; Treat/pol= seed treatment + polymers applied in layers; Treat= seed treatment. To evaluate seed treatment retention by the polymers, extraction equipment was employed and leaching of the active ingredient thiamethoxam was quantified. Evaluation of physical quality was conducted with tests of germination rate, first count, emergence rate, accelerated aging, seedling length, seedling dry mass and moisture content. Polymer application associated with seed treatment was efficient in reducing losses by leaching, reducing product loss by 20%. No significant differences in retention and physiological quality were found when different methods for polymer application were compared. Bigger seeds presented greater vigor, but the germination rate was unaffected.

Superabsorbent polymer: application in natural rubber for making rubber roofing sheets

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to prepare superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) based on acrylic acid, which is considered hygroscopic material to incorporate in rubber formulation, which results in producing moisten rubber that is used as roofing sheets. Design/methodology/approach SAPs were synthesized via free radical bulk polymerization technique using different content of cross-linker N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide and potassium persulfate. Differential scanning calorimeter, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize SAPs and confirmed the formation of cross-linked hydrogel structure. The water absorbency and the gel fraction for sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) were investigated. Then, the influence of obtained NaPA on the swelling behavior of the prepared natural rubber (NR) compound has been discussed. Findings Absorption characteristics and gel fraction of NaPA were found to depend on the content of the cross-linker in the system. SAPs are used to improve the absorbance behavior and performance of the NR to produce, roofing sheets using in hot weather. The morphology of the obtained rubber compound was well-explained by using a scanning electron microscope. Research limitations/implications The research provides a simple way to produce moisten rubber that can be used as a roofing sheet to overcome warm weather. Originality/value Moisten rubber roofing sheets provide a low-cost option in many developing countries with hot climates, and thus, help save the environment from global warming.