COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TENSILE STRENGTH AND BREAKING EXTENSION OF THE SHEEP, GOAT AND SHEEP/GOAT FELT FABRICS

The comparative analysis of the tensile strength and breaking extension of the sheep, goat and sheep/goat blend has been done. This research shows that the sheep felt fabrics has higher tensile strength followed by the sheep/goat felt fabric and lastly by the goat felt fabrics. While the goat felt fabrics has higher breaking extension followed by the sheep/goat felt fabrics and lastly by the sheep felt. This can be attributable to the nature of their felt fabrics which depends on their fibre characteristics. The sheep felt fabric is regarded as a strong fabric and less extensible because of the ease in which the protruding fibre scales interlocks and therefore can withstand more stress. The goat felt fabric has higher breaking extension properties because of the elastic nature of their fibres and as such can be regarded as a tough fabric.

MICRONIZED CRUMB RUBBER INFLUENCE ON INDEX PROPERTIES OF WARM ASPHALT BINDERS

Primarily, the main aim of recycling waste tires in the form of micronized crumb rubber into asphalt cement as modifiers are to enhance their engineering properties in addition to the associated solid waste management benefits. Often, these modifiers are used to achieve reasonably stiffer binders i.e.; low penetration; high softening point; and high penetration index, to realize higher resistance to deformation under the influence of traffic and temperature. The study assessed the effects of Micronized Crumb Rubber (MCR) on the penetration, softening point, and penetration index of 80-100 PEN bitumen impregnated with 2.5 % Sasobit (fixed by weight). The MCR modified warm asphalt binders were prepared by further blending with different percentages of minus 40 mesh size MCR powder (from0 – 15 % by weight of the bitumen stepped at 2.5%). Subsequently, penetration and softening point tests were conducted on each blend, and the corresponding penetration indices were evaluated. The results show that MCR addition gradually decreases the penetration values while conversely increases both the softening point values and the penetration indices as well. Thus, MCR might be used to improve the flow and thermal susceptibility resistance of warm asphalt binders

PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FROM CORN COB

The use of an agricultural waste product corn cob for the production of biodiesel has been performed. Biodiesel was obtained by extraction of the corn cob and used to produce biodiesel by transesterification, using a mixture of methanol and potassium hydroxide (methanoxide). The produced biodiesel was characterized, and the results of the physiochemical properties were as follows: viscosity, density, flash point, pH and refractive index. These values compare favourably with corresponding values of standard biodiesel.