If you are running an email marketing campaign, you need to ensure that the email mass software application is optimized for email inbox. Email campaigns experience problems and it is thought that the most challenging aspect in mass email software application is not the use of HTML code but delivering the content.
Different email reader programs interpret email campaign contents differently. If you read emails regularly in your smartphone, you may probably know that it can offer an awful experience in displaying the content. Email newsletters delivered through mass email software look superb when in the inbox but because smartphone screens are small, the newsletters are squeezed on those tiny screens and this can cause problems.
The newsletters distributed through mass email software can be distorted with narrow columns, fonts, and broken layouts. When using mass email software for your marketing campaigns, you need to emphasize on design for mobile devices. Considering the large number of users using smartphones to read their emails, it is necessary that mass email software campaigns look at these issues.
The mass email software should cover the fundaments of designing and building a smartphone or mobile-friendly email marketing. Getting your email newsletters display properly on mobile devices is as essential as ensuring that it reads well in long-standing email clients like Googlemail and Outlook. Email marketers who are not tracking which devices their subscribers are reading their mails or those who are not optimizing their emails for mobile devices stand losing out in their mass email software applications.
How an HTML-coded email displays will vary from one inbox to another. For example, while the default android email program or client that appears on Google Nexus is believed to have a superior CSS support, the Gmail client program that is also shipped with the handset is likely to ignore styles within the tags and it cannot make head or tail of many run-of-the mill CSS2 properties.
When you use mass email software, you need to ensure that these aspects are addressed. Your email should not be wider than 600 pixels and keeping the size less than this helps display the content properly in all email clients including the mobile phones. The iPhone preview pane is 320px wide and Blackberry is about 360pixels. Most mobile users scroll horizontally to enable them view the content delivered through mass email software in a better way, but an email wider than 600 pixels may not fit on one pane and therefore will not display correctly.
When using mass email software program, the images included in the newsletter or other contents need to be about 480 x 480 pixels or smaller. Moreover, as you use the mass email software, you also need to clean up your plaintext. You need to give attention to your plaintext by switching the view of your newsletter campaign in the top right corner to plaintext rather than code view.
Because of the large number of email clients, security setting, and browsers, it is difficult to know how JavaScript is received when sent through the mass email software. JavaScript not only causes browser problems at the recipient’s end but it is also stripped out of the email. Therefore, it is better you avoid JavaScript in the mass mail software application.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Payday Loans: Are the Easy Fast Cash Payday Loans a Better Option?
Until you face a situation where you do not have cash in your account and no one to lend you money, you may not know the importance of payday loans. Financial stability is an aspect that many people strive to achieve but it doesn’t always happen to many people. Even with a substantial income stream and good personal financial planning strategies, at times you run short of cash and you are placed in an urgent need for money to settle a financial emergency need. This is the high time you realize the benefits of payday loans.
These types of loans are specially designed for the most pressing financial needs and its imperative to point out they may not be the right loan facilities for everyone.
There are immediate benefits that are attached to these types of short term loans and these include;
• Easy application process.
• Disbursed within a short time.
• You do not need to provide your credit worthiness.
• Can apply online.
When you are faced with a cash emergency such as medical bills, you need money in the least time possible so that you can resolve the financial need. With the conventional financial institutions, the process of loan application may not be easy and it may take you a while. This is where payday loans come in handy.
These cash advance loan facilities can help you when you need cash fast and have no alternative to get the money. The loans can be applied and released pretty within hours or a day. The process is simple and does not require you present a lot of information about your credit worthiness.
With the challenges people are facing from bad credit report, the payday loans have provided a relief for those people seeking for financial assistance when they need them most. Banks and other financial institutions are shying away from lending people with bad credit and this means that people cannot access loan facilities from these institutions.
Even in cases where people have stabilized in their finances, bad credit reports continue to affect them for years thus being locked out from accessing loan facilities from the traditional banking institutions. This is the reason why payday loans have been praised of offering tailored services that are most beneficial to people who are still suffering from effects of bad credit.
In addition, these payday loans can easily be applied online and may not require you to fax information or wait in queue in a payday loans store. It is also important that people anticipating to borrow these fast cash, they understand that there are pros and cons of the loans.
Although these loans are very convenient to obtain, they can also be quite technical in their payment. They mature pretty fast and require that you have a promising employment in order to be able to pay them. One of the limitations is that these loans have a relatively very high annual percentage rate APR. This means that they may not be appropriate for long term loan facilities.
If you have to take these loans, you need to ensure that you observe strict repayment plan to avoid any delinquencies. If these loans are borrowed appropriately, these can indeed help repair your credit report. When you are borrowing payday loans, you need to understand the benefits and limitations so that you do not mess up on the repayment, which can worsen your credit report.
These types of loans are specially designed for the most pressing financial needs and its imperative to point out they may not be the right loan facilities for everyone.
There are immediate benefits that are attached to these types of short term loans and these include;
• Easy application process.
• Disbursed within a short time.
• You do not need to provide your credit worthiness.
• Can apply online.
When you are faced with a cash emergency such as medical bills, you need money in the least time possible so that you can resolve the financial need. With the conventional financial institutions, the process of loan application may not be easy and it may take you a while. This is where payday loans come in handy.
These cash advance loan facilities can help you when you need cash fast and have no alternative to get the money. The loans can be applied and released pretty within hours or a day. The process is simple and does not require you present a lot of information about your credit worthiness.
With the challenges people are facing from bad credit report, the payday loans have provided a relief for those people seeking for financial assistance when they need them most. Banks and other financial institutions are shying away from lending people with bad credit and this means that people cannot access loan facilities from these institutions.
Even in cases where people have stabilized in their finances, bad credit reports continue to affect them for years thus being locked out from accessing loan facilities from the traditional banking institutions. This is the reason why payday loans have been praised of offering tailored services that are most beneficial to people who are still suffering from effects of bad credit.
In addition, these payday loans can easily be applied online and may not require you to fax information or wait in queue in a payday loans store. It is also important that people anticipating to borrow these fast cash, they understand that there are pros and cons of the loans.
Although these loans are very convenient to obtain, they can also be quite technical in their payment. They mature pretty fast and require that you have a promising employment in order to be able to pay them. One of the limitations is that these loans have a relatively very high annual percentage rate APR. This means that they may not be appropriate for long term loan facilities.
If you have to take these loans, you need to ensure that you observe strict repayment plan to avoid any delinquencies. If these loans are borrowed appropriately, these can indeed help repair your credit report. When you are borrowing payday loans, you need to understand the benefits and limitations so that you do not mess up on the repayment, which can worsen your credit report.
A 3-Month Old Baby Catches Fire with No External Fire Source
Mystery surrounds a 3 months old baby that is believed to be suffering from one of the rarest condition every reported in human history. The boy is believed to suffer from a condition known as Spontaneous Human Combustion where the body catches fire as a result of excretion of inflammable gases through the skin.
Rahul, the name of the boy came to headlines when he was first admitted at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital on Thursday. The boy was admitted at the hospital early August 2013 and has been the cover story on many news resources in the Asian countries and around the world. The body is a native of Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu and according to doctors; he is believed to be suffering from a rare medical condition known as Spontaneous Human Combustion.
Close to over a dozen of tests have been performed on the baby to establish the functions of the body but the results from the tests appear normal. Tests of the kidney and liver are normal and X-rays conducted do not indicate any damage to the bones. Medical experts are also suspecting that this could be a hoax and the child may have suffered a burn out of a child abuse.
However, it is early to rule out the possibility of the Spontaneous Human Combustion condition and doctors are performing more tests. Doctors are also examining if there are any genetic makeup that could have triggered this condition. Apparently, there is no specific cure for this condition and what doctors are doing is treating the symptoms as any other burn incident. The child was admitted to the hospital with 10 degree burns on the body owing to the said condition.
The boy is undergoing treatment at the Chennai hospital facility and is in the intensive care unit of the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital. According to Dr R Narayana Babu who is the head of the paediatrics department, Kilpauk Medical College, when a patient suffers from Spontaneous Human Combustion, "The body burns spontaneously due to combustible gases emitting from the patient's body, without any external source of ignition,"
Dr R Narayana further elaborated that "Clothes and other things nearby that are inflammable may also catch fire." The boy is receiving further test analysis such as urine and sweat to check for any toxic substances that could cause the condition. A biopsy of the boy’s skin is scheduled to be done after he recovers from the burns in order to shed some more light on this mysterious condition.
According to the parents Rajeswari and Karna, baby Rahul first caught fire close to four times since his birth. The first fire incident occurred nine days following his birth. Baby Rahul’s father, Karnan said that he did not believe what doctors were telling him because he saw the boy catch fire with his own eyes. As at now, the baby Rahul is receiving treatment for burns with administration of antibiotics.
The Spontaneous human combustion theory has been dished by many medical experts citing that the body cannot catch fire on its own without any external source. However, there have been over 200 cases cited in the past 300 years for possible Spontaneous Human Combustion condition. Some of the natural explanations to the cause of this rare condition are that the intestinal conversion of food into methane can happen through methanogens.
When methane is released through skin pores, fire may be triggered by other sources like static electricity of silk clothes. Concentrated gas and raised blood alcohol may also cause ignition to occur. In February 2013, a 65-year-old man from Muldrow, Okla is believed to have passed away from Spontaneous human combustion where his body was found burnt without any possible course of fire by an external source.
Rahul, the name of the boy came to headlines when he was first admitted at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital on Thursday. The boy was admitted at the hospital early August 2013 and has been the cover story on many news resources in the Asian countries and around the world. The body is a native of Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu and according to doctors; he is believed to be suffering from a rare medical condition known as Spontaneous Human Combustion.
Close to over a dozen of tests have been performed on the baby to establish the functions of the body but the results from the tests appear normal. Tests of the kidney and liver are normal and X-rays conducted do not indicate any damage to the bones. Medical experts are also suspecting that this could be a hoax and the child may have suffered a burn out of a child abuse.
However, it is early to rule out the possibility of the Spontaneous Human Combustion condition and doctors are performing more tests. Doctors are also examining if there are any genetic makeup that could have triggered this condition. Apparently, there is no specific cure for this condition and what doctors are doing is treating the symptoms as any other burn incident. The child was admitted to the hospital with 10 degree burns on the body owing to the said condition.
The boy is undergoing treatment at the Chennai hospital facility and is in the intensive care unit of the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital. According to Dr R Narayana Babu who is the head of the paediatrics department, Kilpauk Medical College, when a patient suffers from Spontaneous Human Combustion, "The body burns spontaneously due to combustible gases emitting from the patient's body, without any external source of ignition,"
Dr R Narayana further elaborated that "Clothes and other things nearby that are inflammable may also catch fire." The boy is receiving further test analysis such as urine and sweat to check for any toxic substances that could cause the condition. A biopsy of the boy’s skin is scheduled to be done after he recovers from the burns in order to shed some more light on this mysterious condition.
According to the parents Rajeswari and Karna, baby Rahul first caught fire close to four times since his birth. The first fire incident occurred nine days following his birth. Baby Rahul’s father, Karnan said that he did not believe what doctors were telling him because he saw the boy catch fire with his own eyes. As at now, the baby Rahul is receiving treatment for burns with administration of antibiotics.
The Spontaneous human combustion theory has been dished by many medical experts citing that the body cannot catch fire on its own without any external source. However, there have been over 200 cases cited in the past 300 years for possible Spontaneous Human Combustion condition. Some of the natural explanations to the cause of this rare condition are that the intestinal conversion of food into methane can happen through methanogens.
When methane is released through skin pores, fire may be triggered by other sources like static electricity of silk clothes. Concentrated gas and raised blood alcohol may also cause ignition to occur. In February 2013, a 65-year-old man from Muldrow, Okla is believed to have passed away from Spontaneous human combustion where his body was found burnt without any possible course of fire by an external source.
Loan Refinancing...4 Options to Consolidate Your Debt
Debt consolidation is simply taking multiple unsecured debts and combining them into one monthly debt with one monthly installment. Debt consolidation helps reduce interest rates on your debts something that slows down the rate at which your loans build up and how fast you have to pay the debts.
Consolidating is only applicable to unsecured types of debts such as credit card debt and unsecured personal loans. The problem with debt consolidation is that it does not work for every situation or every other person with a debt. There are different ways you could consolidate your loans and one is use of debt consolidating companies.
When you opt for these companies, you need to be wary of their operations. They charge for the services and the fees and interest rates could stretch enormously particularly if you have poor to fair credit score, which is common with people who are struggling with debts.
In addition, debt consolidation companies could subject you to a longer repayment plan that could result to payment of more interest in the long run even when the interest rates are lower than you had before. You may also decide to consolidate your credit card debts with home equity line of credit.
A home equity loan or home equity line of credit- HELOC can offer lower interest rates compared to other loans. However, you need to be careful and therefore you should consider the difference between your mortgage and the credit card. This is so because your credit card is unsecured while the mortgage loan is secured.
If you do not pay your credit card bill then the lending institution will not automatically take any collateral. Another way you may consolidate loans is by making use of 0 percent credit card balance transfer. You can use this option to consolidate your credit card debts in one card but you also have to be careful. You should read the fine prints on the offers. You need to consider your ability to repay the loan within the shortest time possible.
However, if you will not be able to settle the debt in short period, it may also be costly to go for the 0 percent interest credit card. This is because when the introductory period is over, the APR shoots up and it is better you opt for the low balance transfer credit cards.
Recently, there has been a new way of consolidating loans and this is peer-to-peer lending option. There are peer-to-peer lending companies that can help you connect you with a person who can invest small amount of money. You can get consolidation loan at good rates than you may find anywhere.
Consolidating is only applicable to unsecured types of debts such as credit card debt and unsecured personal loans. The problem with debt consolidation is that it does not work for every situation or every other person with a debt. There are different ways you could consolidate your loans and one is use of debt consolidating companies.
When you opt for these companies, you need to be wary of their operations. They charge for the services and the fees and interest rates could stretch enormously particularly if you have poor to fair credit score, which is common with people who are struggling with debts.
In addition, debt consolidation companies could subject you to a longer repayment plan that could result to payment of more interest in the long run even when the interest rates are lower than you had before. You may also decide to consolidate your credit card debts with home equity line of credit.
A home equity loan or home equity line of credit- HELOC can offer lower interest rates compared to other loans. However, you need to be careful and therefore you should consider the difference between your mortgage and the credit card. This is so because your credit card is unsecured while the mortgage loan is secured.
If you do not pay your credit card bill then the lending institution will not automatically take any collateral. Another way you may consolidate loans is by making use of 0 percent credit card balance transfer. You can use this option to consolidate your credit card debts in one card but you also have to be careful. You should read the fine prints on the offers. You need to consider your ability to repay the loan within the shortest time possible.
However, if you will not be able to settle the debt in short period, it may also be costly to go for the 0 percent interest credit card. This is because when the introductory period is over, the APR shoots up and it is better you opt for the low balance transfer credit cards.
Recently, there has been a new way of consolidating loans and this is peer-to-peer lending option. There are peer-to-peer lending companies that can help you connect you with a person who can invest small amount of money. You can get consolidation loan at good rates than you may find anywhere.
Acer Shifts Focus on Chromebooks and Android after Recording Losses
 |
| "Acer Chromebook" |
The falling demand for desktop computers and laptops owing to the increased use of smartphones as seen mixed reactions from PC makers and Acer does not take this lightly. Acer is the fourth largest computer maker but over the past few years, things have not been on their side. The chairman of Acer, J.T. Wang hinted that this giant computer maker was shifting focus to diversify its market by growing its non-windows range of products.
Speaking to investors, Wang noted that the move would take effect as soon as possible. Wang warned that Microsoft needs to build confidence with its associates as far as windows products are concerned otherwise it risks falling into dark times in future where its windows products may become irrelevant.
With increasing use of smartphones, and tablets in the recent years, it has seen the demand for traditional laptops and desktop computer diminish. This is an aspect, which has sent the sales, and profits of computer chip making companies like Intel to remain tumbling. According to a statement by Acer’s chairman Wang, the company would focus on android, a mainstream Google product on the smartphone market.
In addition, it would also shift more attention to chromebook operating system. Considering that Microsoft is a rival for Google, this could mean positive news for Google. Acer’s strategy may be beneficial to Google’s android development. Android has been very popular with smartphones and tablets and the Acer’s move would further build more confidence with the growth of android operating system.
Microsoft has created a situation where there is lack of confidence in windows products something that has led to consumers being hesitant in buying windows computers. In the second quarter of 2013, Acer posted a net loss of £7.3 million equivalent to $343 million and when this is compared to the results of second quarter in 2012, where the company recorded a net profit of $68 million equivalent to £1.5 million, it clearly shows that Acer is facing tough times ahead.
Its move may help in keeping the company in the right track as far as profitability is concerned. However, there are concerns that with too many smartphones on the market, there is more to be done by Acer. With the Intel Corp showing slow trend in its chip products’ demand, a common consensus is needed to make the demand for PC computers and laptops increase in coming years.
The shipment of personal computers has dwindled despite the introduction of windows 8, which has been designed to make PCs look like tablets. According to a research firm IDC, the word-wide shipment of desktop and laptops including those of giant makers like Dell Inc. and Hewlett Packard has fell significantly in 2013.
IDC noted that this is the sharpest drop in the shipment of personal computers and laptops since the research firm began tracking PC and laptop data in 1994. The shipment fell by 14 percent in the first quarter of 2013. Gartner Inc, another research firm also gave similar results after it cited that the estimated global shipments of laptops and personal computers sank by 11.2 percent.
The move by Acer to shift its attention to chromebooks and android operating systems may be welcomed as a good strategy for turning around the sapping demand for PCs and laptops. But can Acer impact the already ill-hurt PC and laptop market?
How Sealcoating Prevents Damages on Asphaltic Pavements
Sealcoats provide a protective barrier on asphaltic pavements, which allows the asphalt material to oxidize slowly. The sealcoating prevents ultraviolet rays from directly reaching and heating the blacktop. When ultraviolet rays directly heat the asphalt material, they accelerate the natural or normal oxidizing process meaning that the pavements dry up and harden too fast than expected. This results to premature damages of roads and parking lots since fine hairline cracks start forming.
A sealcoat provides a membrane cover, which bars the ultraviolet rays from directly baking the asphalt material. When cracks are formed due to effects caused by ultraviolet rays, they allow water to penetrate and settle at the subgrade layer of roads and parking lots. Water causes more harm to the aggregate base, which is the building block for your roads. The base of roads supports the pavement layer and the loads that turns over the roads.
Water loosens the aggregate material and thus makes it start crumbling down. In addition, when water remains in the cracks, during the winter condition, it may freeze. As it freezes, the water expands and it enlarges the cracks in areas where is has collected. After the cold season, that frozen water melts down through the process of thawing and the enlarged cracks are left as empty spaces or voids.
What happens is that the material, which is on top of the void, that is, the asphalt pavement material, collapses and fills the empty space. This leads to formation of potholes in roads and parking lots. One thing with potholes and extensive deep cracks is that they are costly to repair. When sealcoats are applied in the right time, they prevent the speedy drying or oxidation of asphalt material. Sealcoats help improve the elasticity of asphalt pavements ensuring that they easily expand when heated and contract when cooled. This way, cracking is minimized.
Chemical substances like gasoline, de-icing salts, oil spillage, and transmission fluids also accelerate the oxidizing process in asphalt material. When a sealcoat is applied, it helps prevent these chemicals from coming into direct contact with the asphaltic pavement thus preventing premature damages.
In short, the oxidation process of asphalt is a complex molecular behavior, which can help understand how asphalt pavements are affected or damaged by factors like sunlight, water, snow, de-icing salts, oils, gasoline, and transmission fluids. A pavement, which is treated with use of sealcoats, can last for long thus helping prevent unnecessary expenses associated with premature damages on asphalt pavements.
When is sealcoating done?
Sealcoating is done regularly as part of the maintenance process of asphalt pavements. When a new pavement is constructed, it should be allowed to cure or dry the surface oils before a sealcoat is applied. This may take a couple of months depending on the viscosity of the asphalt and how fast it dries up. If the sealcoat is applied before the asphaltic blacktop cures properly, the coating may not fasten or bond well with the asphalt material.
After the first coating is done, other coats are applied in a period of about 2 to 5 years. This is a continuous process, which should be undertaken periodically until the end of the life of the pavements. When you notice that the color of your asphaltic pavements has changed from dark black to gray, you need to ensure that you sealcoat your drives, parking lots, and road surfaces to prevent further damages from occurring due to accelerated oxidation.
| "Sealcoating preserves the blacktop" |
Water loosens the aggregate material and thus makes it start crumbling down. In addition, when water remains in the cracks, during the winter condition, it may freeze. As it freezes, the water expands and it enlarges the cracks in areas where is has collected. After the cold season, that frozen water melts down through the process of thawing and the enlarged cracks are left as empty spaces or voids.
What happens is that the material, which is on top of the void, that is, the asphalt pavement material, collapses and fills the empty space. This leads to formation of potholes in roads and parking lots. One thing with potholes and extensive deep cracks is that they are costly to repair. When sealcoats are applied in the right time, they prevent the speedy drying or oxidation of asphalt material. Sealcoats help improve the elasticity of asphalt pavements ensuring that they easily expand when heated and contract when cooled. This way, cracking is minimized.
Chemical substances like gasoline, de-icing salts, oil spillage, and transmission fluids also accelerate the oxidizing process in asphalt material. When a sealcoat is applied, it helps prevent these chemicals from coming into direct contact with the asphaltic pavement thus preventing premature damages.
In short, the oxidation process of asphalt is a complex molecular behavior, which can help understand how asphalt pavements are affected or damaged by factors like sunlight, water, snow, de-icing salts, oils, gasoline, and transmission fluids. A pavement, which is treated with use of sealcoats, can last for long thus helping prevent unnecessary expenses associated with premature damages on asphalt pavements.
When is sealcoating done?
Sealcoating is done regularly as part of the maintenance process of asphalt pavements. When a new pavement is constructed, it should be allowed to cure or dry the surface oils before a sealcoat is applied. This may take a couple of months depending on the viscosity of the asphalt and how fast it dries up. If the sealcoat is applied before the asphaltic blacktop cures properly, the coating may not fasten or bond well with the asphalt material.
After the first coating is done, other coats are applied in a period of about 2 to 5 years. This is a continuous process, which should be undertaken periodically until the end of the life of the pavements. When you notice that the color of your asphaltic pavements has changed from dark black to gray, you need to ensure that you sealcoat your drives, parking lots, and road surfaces to prevent further damages from occurring due to accelerated oxidation.
How Environmental and Man-Made Factors Cause Damages On Asphalt Pavements
Asphalt undergoes chemical changes at the molecular level and the intermolecular level also known as microstructure. Because of the complex nature of molecular interactions in asphalt, the oxidation of this material is complicated by the different molecules interrelation. There is a mixture of polar and non-polar molecules in asphalt. Polar molecules have a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other side while non-polar molecules have their electrons distributed in a way that there is no abundance of charges on both sides.
In essence, there are predominantly thousands of chemicals with open chain structure in asphalt, which makes the material to have a considerable level of un-saturation in its molecular structure. It is this open chain molecular structure of asphalt, which allows it to easily interact with weather elements, chemicals, and salts. Molecules from other substances can attack and disintegrate the asphaltic material molecules leading to changes in its structural composition.
In the microstructure of asphalt, there are three-dimensional relations of polar molecules, which are referred to as asphaltenes, and these are dispersed in a fluid made up of non-polar or low-polarity molecules, which are known as maltenes. The intermolecular bonds are weaker than the bonds of the fundamental hydrocarbons in asphalt material. This means that these intermolecular bonds break up first and determine the behavioral patterns of asphalt material.
The intramolecular and intermolecular relationships in asphalt material make it behave in two major ways. First, it is elastic due to the effects caused by polar molecules interrelation. Second, it is viscous since the different parts of the polar molecules are able to move relative to one another when dispersed in the fluid non-polar molecules.
When oxidation occurs in asphalt pavement, it makes the material become dry and brittle. Exposure of asphalt to oxygen triggers a molecular process, which leads to creation of new polar bonding sites or zones. What happens is that the increased polar sites or zones in asphalt materials make the molecules to rearrange and shuffle about as they search for bonds that can create equilibrium or bring a thermodynamic stable state.
This is a self-assemblage process, which continues for the rest of the life of the asphaltic pavement material. With time, as the polar sites discover molecules to attach on, the asphalt molecules bond firmly together with the aggregate material. The result is a pavement, which is stiffer, harder, and brittle. As asphalt oxidizes and dries up, it loses its elasticity and starts to fail.
One sign that signifies the failure of asphalt due to oxidation is the change in color. Initially, asphalt has a jet-black color but over time, due to oxidation process, it turns to light black and ultimately changes to gray. The drying asphaltic material begins to crack as it loses its bonding properties. Before the oxidation process reaches an equilibrium point, it may take about 5 to 15 years depending on how the material is affected by other factors like sunlight, chemicals, and water. This substantiates the reason why the estimated lifespan of asphalt pavements is about 20 to 25 years.
When oxidation process stiffens the paving materials, its ability to support heavy loads is reduced. This causes asphalt fatigue leading to formation of cracks and premature failure of asphalt. Heat from the sun causes the asphalt material to cure and dry fast than intended. Moisture from rainfall can accelerate the damage on oxidizing asphalt since it contains a large amount of polar-constituent molecules, which in turn attract the water molecules. Sealcoating can help delay or slow the rate at which asphalt naturally oxidizes.
| "Cracks developing on asphalt surface" |
In the microstructure of asphalt, there are three-dimensional relations of polar molecules, which are referred to as asphaltenes, and these are dispersed in a fluid made up of non-polar or low-polarity molecules, which are known as maltenes. The intermolecular bonds are weaker than the bonds of the fundamental hydrocarbons in asphalt material. This means that these intermolecular bonds break up first and determine the behavioral patterns of asphalt material.
The intramolecular and intermolecular relationships in asphalt material make it behave in two major ways. First, it is elastic due to the effects caused by polar molecules interrelation. Second, it is viscous since the different parts of the polar molecules are able to move relative to one another when dispersed in the fluid non-polar molecules.
When oxidation occurs in asphalt pavement, it makes the material become dry and brittle. Exposure of asphalt to oxygen triggers a molecular process, which leads to creation of new polar bonding sites or zones. What happens is that the increased polar sites or zones in asphalt materials make the molecules to rearrange and shuffle about as they search for bonds that can create equilibrium or bring a thermodynamic stable state.
This is a self-assemblage process, which continues for the rest of the life of the asphaltic pavement material. With time, as the polar sites discover molecules to attach on, the asphalt molecules bond firmly together with the aggregate material. The result is a pavement, which is stiffer, harder, and brittle. As asphalt oxidizes and dries up, it loses its elasticity and starts to fail.
One sign that signifies the failure of asphalt due to oxidation is the change in color. Initially, asphalt has a jet-black color but over time, due to oxidation process, it turns to light black and ultimately changes to gray. The drying asphaltic material begins to crack as it loses its bonding properties. Before the oxidation process reaches an equilibrium point, it may take about 5 to 15 years depending on how the material is affected by other factors like sunlight, chemicals, and water. This substantiates the reason why the estimated lifespan of asphalt pavements is about 20 to 25 years.
When oxidation process stiffens the paving materials, its ability to support heavy loads is reduced. This causes asphalt fatigue leading to formation of cracks and premature failure of asphalt. Heat from the sun causes the asphalt material to cure and dry fast than intended. Moisture from rainfall can accelerate the damage on oxidizing asphalt since it contains a large amount of polar-constituent molecules, which in turn attract the water molecules. Sealcoating can help delay or slow the rate at which asphalt naturally oxidizes.
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