COMPARISON OF TWO STAINING METHODS FOR ANODIZING IN ALLOY 6063 ALUMINUM PROFILES
Background: Aluminum stands out for being a light, corrosion-resistant, and recyclable metal, achieving wide coverage in the market. When incorporated into alloying elements, it is possible to acquire other desirable characteristics. Alloy 6063, intended for architectural purposes, has aesthetic, structural, and strength functions. Anodized finishing is performed through an electrolytic process, ensuring a more resistant aluminum oxide film than that formed naturally. For decorative purposes, the anodic film coloration can be performed by several methodologies, in this case, for the coloration by organic adsorption, with the use of aniline, and the electrolytic coloration, composed of tin sulfate salts, both for obtaining the black color. Aim: Compare of two different staining methods on the surface of anodized profiles of aluminum alloy 6063. Methods: Profile samples were collected and tests were carried out to measure the thickness of the anodic layer, immersion tests with 3,5 percent sodium chloride, for 1000 hours, and neutral saline mist, for 600 hours. Results and Discussion: Both methodologies proved to be resistant to immersion tests with sodium chloride, as well as with neutral saline mist, and these tests are quite aggressive and provide corrosion of the material when not well treated. Corrosion points were only seen at the intersections performed, and in the rest of thearea, no points were detected. Conclusions: The result of both methodologies was positive, considering tht there was no corrosion in the tested samples, except in the intersections performed, as well as the maintenance of the color in both tested methodologies, which was not expected in the literature. For future work, it is suggested to deepen the study to perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests for exaluate the strength of the anodic film and perform anodizing with the same parameters, however, with different anilines to analyze their behavior.
Read ArticleE-SELECTIN AS A BIOMARKER IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH Β-THALASSEMIA IN AL- NAJAF PROVENCE, IRAQ
E-selectin, as identified (CD62E), is expressed on endothelial cells after stimulation with inflammation cytokines. β-Thalassemia diseases (βT) and early diagnosis are of utmost significance in the entire world population. This study was performed in the Thalassemia Center of the Al-Zahraa Educational Hospital in Al-Najaf Province, Iraq, on sixty-nine with β-thalassemia (54 βT major and 15 βT Intermedia) aged 8-40 years who transfused blood. Compared to 20 healthy volunteers as a control group. In both βT patients and healthy groups were assessed serum E-selectin levels. It was investigated the relationship with RBC, Hb, PCV, WBC, PLT, BMI, splenic status, iron, and ferritin levels. The results revealed a significant (P<0.05) decreased values of HB, RBC, P.C.V, and BMI. In contrast, values of WBC, PLT, Iron, and Ferritin were significantly increased in βT patients as compared to the healthy control groups. A significant (P<0.05) increase in serum E- Selectin level in βT patients (20.55±0.47) ng/ml to compare with the healthy group (9.16±0.50) ng/ml. Furthermore, it was a significant decrease in groups of βT major (19.87±0.42) ng/ml more than in βT intermedia (23±1.42) ng/ml. E-Selectin revealed a significant increase (P<0.05) in progress age and associated with splenectomies and underweight groups compared to splenectomies and the normal weight groups, respectively. Also, E-Selectin levels significantly positively correlated with WBC, PLT value, iron, and Ferritin levels. However, it was no significant with RBC, PCV, Hb. As a conclusion from this study, E- Selectin is an important biomarker in β-thalassemia patients can be identified as the complications associated with iron overload, inflammatory process, and endothelial dysfunction in βT disease.
Read ArticleINQUIRY FOR SUITABLE LOCATIONS FOR A DRILLING REGIME AT AN UPSLOPE ROCKY KNOLL OF LAWU ESTATE, WESTERN BYPASS, MINNA, NIGERIA
Background: A client requested that the study group help determine suitable locations for a drilling regime on his lot, located on an upslope rocky knoll in Lawu Estate, Minna, Nigeria. There is no luxury of conducting an unimpeded wide-area survey for this housing Estate, as it is built up almost entirely. Therefore, the constrained area to be surveyed necessitated the adoption of the "electrical drilling," or vertical electrical sounding, mode of the geoelectrical method to satisfy the client's inquiry. Aim: To carry out a purpose-specific survey to pinpoint the best location in a built-up property at the upmarket Lawu Estate that would be suitable for a drilling regime targeted for household consumption. The specific objectives are to determine the subsurface layer structure, to identify fracture zones with potential for water accumulation, and to estimate the depths of potential aquifers. Methods: The survey crew reconnoitered the study area to georeference locations for the VES survey within the 30 m x 20 m lot. Owing to the extensive build-up at this lot, only a four-point traverse along the 30-metric dimension of the building's frontage was demarcated in the northeasterly direction, thereby limiting the survey crew's desire to define an appropriate survey grid. The VES data acquisition followed the "traditional" sequence of Schlumberger array layout measurements, in which the current and potential probes are maintained at the same relative spacing and the whole spread is progressively expanded about a fixed central point. Results: Log-log and pseudosection plots were generated from the acquired data, from which the conventional three-layer structure is deciphered, with a desired 193 Ωm for VES Station 4 at the third layer. Discussion: The acquired and processed data for this study were subjected to a suite of empirical rules-of-thumb procedures for interpreting VES data in the Nigerian Basement Complex geological province, with VES Station 4 showing the most encouraging 100% result. Conclusion: Drilling to a depth of 100 m at Station 4 is recommended based on the identified fractured basement at this depth.
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