AEEC | October 2011

1

Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine
AUGUST 2014
VOL 5 NO. 2

DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD FOR SELAM KIDS SOCCER CLUB
RECYCLING ENHANCING THE PROPRIETIES OF SCRAP TIRES THROUGH POLYMER BLEND





ENGINEERS WEEK & AEEM 4TH ANNIVERSARY
LIST OF ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES
AEEC
e
AEEC celebrated
Engineers week
on Sunday
February 16
th
at
MLK located in
Oakland CA

AEEC | August 2014
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CONTENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS
DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD FOR
OAKLAND ERITREAN KIDS SOCCER CLUB
BY MUSSIE MANNA
RECYCLING ENHANCING THE PROPRIETIES OF
SCRAP TIRES THROUGH POLYMER BLEND
BY FEVEN MATTEWS
ENGINEERS WEEK & AEEM 4
TH
ANNIVERSARY
BY YOSIEF WOLDEMARIAM
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
BY FILIPOS ABRAHAM &
- YOSIEF WOLDEMARIAM


EDITORS
SEBLE GEBREMEDHIN, M.S. IN
PSYCHOLOGY
DR. ADIAM WOLDEGERGISH, PH.D IN
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
SAMSON GONNETZ, B.A. IN
CIVIL ENGINEERING
FILIPOS ABRAHAM, M.S, IN
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND
YOSIEF WOLDEMARIAM, B.A. IN
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


AEEC | August 2014
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A Message from one of the editors

In order to understand where we are heading, it sometimes helps to take a look at where we
have been. While Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine is a relatively young, it has an
abundant and colorful history of publishing informative, inspiring and educational
magazines. So far, the ALPHA team consistently brought you diverse engineering topics.
The number of Alpha Eritrean Engineering Magazines (AEEM) we have published over the
years have been read by thousands of people here in USA and around the globe. Knowing
people have vested interest in Alpha magazine and reading constructive comments have
given us particular satisfaction.
Here is something delightful I learned from the popularity of ALPHA magazines: You, the
Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine readership have an enthusiasm not only the audacity of
Alpha engineers and their positive energy infused articles but also the untapped and untold
worthy reading history of professionals other than in the field of engineering. We have
sought to nourish your enthusiasm and who else would do that other than talented and
highly accomplished with exceptionally strong research background Dr. Medhanit Bahta.
We will have Dr. Medhanit on the next issue as for now we present you Engineer Mussie, an
organizer and positive force of Oakland Eritrean kids soccer club and Engineer Fevens
article. An article and pictographic depiction of National Engineers week and Alpha
magazines 4
th
year anniversary dinner party held at MLK restaurant & sports bar with none
other than Eritrean Engineers of Bay Area is also included in this edition.
We have no doubt you, our readers will feel your genuine and sincere comments are heard
and we are delivering what is expected of us with August 2014 AEEM issue. We have often
believed and said Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine is the most positive and optimistic
magazine and I feel nothing but it will inspire, inform, educate and at times entertain you.
The ALPHA team constantly brings you not whats trending on the Internet; but those who
are making constructive contributions to themselves, to the community and the world at
large.
To those who worked diligently and thoroughly throughout the years to publish an online
engineering magazine contributing their articles, those who helped us in editing each and
every article to make it better and presentable and to those who are generous in comments,
ideas and wisdom, we would like to say thank and congratulation for making Alpha Eritrean
Engineers Magazine possible, popular and global.
Sincerely yours,
Yosief Woldemariam




























AEEC | August 2014
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DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD

First and foremost we would like
to thank you for accepting our
invitation for this conversation
and your participatory time with
Alpha.

Alpha: Would you briefly tell us

about yourself?
Mussie: My name is Mussie Manna, however people
call me Wedi Manna, I currently reside in San
Francisco, California.

Alpha: Where did you grow up and what was it
like growing up where you did?

Mussie: I grew up in Asmara at a place called
Maywolaku. In this region, it has been said; some
well-known soccer players have grown up. I can
describe Maywolaku as been a loving and peaceful
neighborhood to grow up in.

Alpha: Any memory or memories of the place or
time that stand out?

Mussie: Maywolaku is a nice neighborhood and its
inhabitance are very united in every occasion that
occurs. The best memory I have growing up in
Maywolaku is winning a soccer championship
tournament in Lassalle, a tournament which is held
around the neighborhood called kebele.

Alpha: Which college or university did you attend?

Mussie: I attended Asmara University for two
semesters as an extension student. I then had the
opportunity to go to America for schooling to study
Civil Engineering at Alabama A&M University. While
attending school I received an Athletics scholarship
and played soccer for four years. The school was






giving me a scholarship which helped me pay my
tuitions, books and food expenses.

Alpha: Tell us what you like and dislike the most
of Alabama A&M University (college) life?

Mussie: I would say I really liked college life in
general. The only thing I was not happy about was
that I was lonely, especially during the holidays
when parents came to pick up their sons or
daughters. I didn't have that, and thats when I felt it

Alpha: What have you learned at Alabama A&M
University other than what the institutions
teaches you?

Mussie: The transition from being a young boy to an
adult was something I learned. The responsibilities
are all on you in college. Especially being an
international student, I had to make daily decision
which taught me who I really am. There are many
things that you learn while living on your own.

Alpha: What are your best and worst memories of
University of Alabama A&M University?

Mussie: One of the best memories I have is the full
soccer scholarship I was given and being able to play
soccer for the school. Playing soccer allowed me to
travel and play in different states. The worst
memory was when I first arrive to the campus it was
at night and my coach had to drop me off at the
boys dorm. The next day when it was time to eat
breakfast, I asked someone where the cafeteria was
and they pointed to a sign but I could not find it. So, I
went back to my room and I did it again for Lunch
and dinner. Because I could not find the cafeteria,
the whole day, I ate Kolo that I brought with me
from home and a soda. The next day my coach came
to pick me up for practice and I told him I am not







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AEEC | August 2014
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going to practice because I am hungry and need to
eat. To make the long stories short, I told him what
happened and how I could not find the cafeteria and
the coach share my story with the players.

Alpha: We have heard that you like interacting
with kids and have initiated in starting an
Eritrean kids soccer tournament (Selam
Soccer Club) in Alameda. Could you please
tell us why and how it started and the
challenges you have had to overcome?

Mussie: Being a soccer player and having the
passion for the game, I always want to be a coach.
So, I decided to be a coach along with my friend
Mohamed who is a coaching director. He invited me
to coach, with pay, and I decided to do it. The
regions I coached in were Lomorinda Soccer Club
located in Moraga, Lafayette, and Orinda area. I
coached for six years, two days a week plus games
on the weekend. The time I spent coaching was after
my regular work hours. Throughout the years that I
have coached I never had any habesha kid playing
soccer and I always wondered why? There are many
habesha's around the Bay Area but no one
participated in this wonderful sport. After coaching
for about two years I met an Eritrean family living in
Concord whose daughter played against our team
and she was a very good soccer player. I asked her
parents to come play on my team but due to
distance and commuting difficulties she was not
able to join our team. Thus, having not seen young
Eritreans like her made me think the big question of
why not have an Eritrean youth team. Since I have
the experience and desire, I discussed it with friends
and the rest is History. There are challenges of
having a team but we have a fantastic group helping
tackle all the challenges. Overall having this club has
been a blessing.

Alpha: why in Alameda?

Mussie: When we first started the team, most of the
members resided in Alameda. Alameda has a great




open space and soccer field than any other cities
around.


Alpha: How many kids did you have when you
started?

Mussie: We start with 12 kids.

Alpha: Why that many? Was it difficult to convince
people at the beginning?

Mussie: People follow what they see, not what you
tell them. To a lot of people it stared out as a joke
and was said that it's not going to last. But, when
they saw the progress of the children others started
coming and asking us if they can join. This is a
typical human behavior to everyone at first but
when they see the result everyone want to be part of
it.

Alpha: we believe you are doing well while doing
good nurturing the kids. How many kids
are you currently training?

Mussie: We have 6 teams in different age group U8,
U10, 2/U12, U13G, and U13. Overall we have of a
total Selam member of 63 children. We also have
non-members practicing with us just only for game
purpose.





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AEEC | August 2014
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Alpha: How does it feel to see your idea grow this
much and the improvement you have seen
in the kids soccer skills?

Mussie: Outstanding!!! It feels great.
I also want to mention how this idea begins and
why. I had mentioned the why part in the previous
question but how the idea came to life is very
interesting. The whole idea started because of Lily
Hagos as we talked over Lunch at her restaurant
called Athenian, in Downtown Oakland. Lili is a
good friend of the family who is godly, has a positive
attitude towards life and is always helping people.
Her husband Fitsum Worrede, is one of the Board
Member to Selam club. Having the soccer teams is a
fantastic idea and it helps our community especially
the kids. The way it grew was very surprising to all
of us. When we started, most of the kids were 3 and
4 years old and now they are 10 and 11 years old. It
is amazing and priceless the development over time
in their soccer ability, maturity, confidence and
health.

Alpha: If any Eritrean family would like their
children to join the soccer team what do
they need to do?

Mussie: It's a simple process. If they are invited by a
member of the team the instructions are given at the
field. If invitees are asked by the coaches they will
give them the instruction. Invitees are allowed three
free practices to get to know the players and parents
along with all the coaches and active members. After
three practices the coaches discuss and evaluate
which age group need more player and decide based
on the interest of the family and the child. Most of
the time, the players qualify but sometimes we do
not add them into a team because we do not want to
have too many kids in one team. If the team is too
large we may not get the result that we want to
have.






Alpha: Would you like to share with us the need
for these procedures?

Mussie: It's always good to have rules. It makes the
coachs job easy and provides a productive result for
what one do.

Alpha: What do you see in the future for soccer
training?

Mussie: I see bright future for the kids. Their
confidence level is high and they are aware of who
they are culturally and spiritually. It's not only sport
that is being taught but also discipline, respect, and
how to become a better citizen.



Alpha: Back to your personal story. How long have
you been in America and how different is
it from the place you grew up? Would you
tell us the pluses and minus of you
adapted country?

Mussie: I have been in the U.S. for 24 years. The
difference between U.S. and Eritrea is big, culturally
and socially. To name few, family value I believe are
better in Eritrea. But there are more opportunities
here such as the educational system, healthcare,







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AEEC | August 2014
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better life standard and job opportunity. As
individuals I feel no one should take this for granted
but we can use this great opportunity to better our
family life and beyond.

Alpha: Are you currently married or single?

Mussie: I am married and have two wonderful
children, Ahewa Manna and Bassan Manna both 10
years old.

Alpha: How do you juggle both family and
profession as an engineer?

Mussie: As long as you like what you do, it's all
good. And with the support of my lovely wife, she
makes life even better.



Alpha: How is life here in America as a Father and
an Engineer?

Mussie: It's great. Life is what you make of it and a
positive attitude always helps.

Alpha: Were you familiar with Alpha Eritrean
Engineers Community before we
approached you for this interview?

Mussie: Yes, I met Yosief (one of the organizer)




through a family member. We got to know each
other as we talked about life and him telling me that
he is an engineer. Through our discussion he
mentioned Alpha Engineer and that's how I know
about AEEC.

Alpha: What is your take on it?

Mussie: I think it is a great idea to have this type of
an organization, and exchanging ideas within the
same profession. Who knows what will come out of
this, it's always good to discuss with purpose, and I
believe this is one of them.

Alpha: Have you read any of the online magazines
Alpha published?

Mussie: Yes, I have.

Alpha: What do you think of Alpha magazine?


Mussie: Great idea and keep up the good work.

Alpha: How many articles in a magazine have you
read?

Mussie: Maybe two and I have just went through a
couple more but didn't read much.

Alpha: What is your impression of the engineers
articles you have read so far?

Mussie: I do not remember the exact details but its
about a young Eritrean lady growing up here in the
US. She was not an engineer but studied business
and the discussion was how she became what she is
doing and what challenges she had in pursuing her
education. Next time I will read more, I promise.

Alpha: Would you tell us the importance of AEEM
magazine?







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AEEC | August 2014
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Mussie: AEEM is a very important information
center concentrating on Eritrean professionals
around the world that are within the Engineering
field. Everybody wants know how Eritreans are
doing in their professional field and how they are
making a difference within their communities. I
think this is such a profound idea and I wish AEEM
the best. Success is not about making more money,
but about making a difference in someone else life.
Thank you may God Bless you for what you do.





































































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Bringing the best and the brightest together
Hard to reach doesnt have to mean hard to
do

Alpha Eritrean Engineers Community
will be holding its second dinner party
on 26
th
of October at MLK Restaurant
and Sports Bar located at 3860 Martin
Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94609.
You are invited. Join us. Be amongst
your peers. Let us know if you are
coming at meharigrw@yahoo.com

AEEC | August 2013
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Intelligence is like a river: the deeper it is, the less noise it makes

Unknown






It was great to meet you yesterday, and I had a wonderful time meeting the
others. I truly enjoyed the meeting. I only have one feedback: I would like to
see a regular get together (either every 2 months or less), and probably
should have been part of the agenda yesterday.

Once again thank you for your hard work. I look forward to more meetings
and get together.

Dr. Temesghen Kahsai, Software engineer, PHD


Thank you very much for inviting me for this wonderful gathering. It was
fantastic getting together with fellow engineers under one roof and share
ideas and experience. In general it was very well organized and productive
for me as it is my first one. Next time may be it is good to have an agenda in
writing and sent before the meeting and strictly follow the time allocated
for each subject (like dinner time, introduction time etc.) We may need to
get more Engineers involved in this because I know there are a lot more
engineers in Silicon Valley than anywhere else.

Scientist Amanuel Gebrebrhan, Software engineer





ALPHA ERITREAN ENGINEERS


Comments & Suggestions
Page


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AEEC | August 2014
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I was born in Jeddah Saudi Arabia,
on October 1990. I moved to Eritrea
with my family in 1995. I got a
chance to learn more about my
traditions, culture, my language and
had the privilege of attending
elementary and middle school at the
Finland Mission. I attended two years
high school in Kenya and then
completed the remainder two years in Saudi Arabia. I
then attended college in Malaysia as an undergraduate
where I completed my degree in Chemical Engineering
at University College Sedaya International, UCSI
University. Throughout my studies I was able to
maintain exemplary academic results and this would not
have been possible without the everlasting support of
my parents, who are my INSPIRATION. I still plan to
pursue my graduate program in the future for a PhD, as I
am a great believer of continued learning.
As for now, it is a privilege and a great honor for me to
share this article which I have written for Alpha Eritrean
Engineers Magazine.
INTRODUCTION
Tires are made from natural rubber, synthetic rubber,
elastomers, polymers and other additives which highly
contribute in their ability to withstand the rigidity of the
environment. Tires have high durability and hence are
safe when used in vehicles. The fact that tires cannot be
easily decomposed when disposed makes them the main
threat to the environment due to its continuous increase
in demand. However, when scrap tires catch fire, they
release very toxic gases contributing to the greenhouse
effect.
The same distinctiveness that makes tires undesirable
for disposal makes them perfect for recycling and
reusing them for different applications including mats,
carpets, moisture barriers, rubber-modified asphalts and
playgrounds. Consequently, to minimize the effect of




waste tire on the environment and use them for safe
application, a greener way was established with the help
of polymer blend.
This research endeavor to enhance the property of the
waste tire through the technology of polymer blend by
combining waste tire dust (WTD) with an elastomer that
is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in presence of bisphenol
a diglycidyl ether (BADGE) act as a compatibilizer. The
blend is also irradiated in order to improve the cross-
linking between the components. Finally the effects of
BADGE composition and irradiation dosage on the
mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of the
blend were analyzed. These procedures are summarized
in figure 1.
BACKGROUND
The history of recycling materials started during the
times of Plato in 400 BC. It was not until 19
th
and 20
th

centuries the need for raw materials required in
industrial development caused cheaper option of reusing
scrap materials rather than buying a new one. In 21
st

century, the main motivation of recycling materials
became the fact when natural resources were reducing in
quantity while emission of carbon dioxide was
increasingly leading to the greenhouse effect. A perfect
example of justifying the objectives of recycling in 21
st

century is recycling of scrap tires.
Alexander Parkes discovered polymer blend during
Queen Victoria 9
th
year reign. During this period, two
isomers which are cis-1,4-polyisoprene (natural rubber)
and rigid trans-1,4-polyisoprene (gutta percha) were
blended. They were then softened in a mixture of CS2
with SCl2 and milled with SCl2 in a hot rubber mill. This
product showed cross-linking taking place and the
rigidity of the material varied with composition. After
150 years, the fundamental behind polymer blend has
not changed much. It is based on the selection of
components with complementary properties, then
generation of the desired, stable morphology by means
of compatibilization.




RECYCLING ENHANCING THE PROPRIETIES OF SCRAP TIRES THROUGH POLYMER BLEND


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AEEC | August 2014
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olymeric plasticiser used to further make polyvinyl chloride.

During 19
th
century, the polymer industry started dealing with rubber and thermosets. Subsequently, synthetic
polymers were introduced dominated by thermoplastics. The first thermoplastic produced had poor mechanical
properties. Thus, it was blended with rubber to implement and enhance the rigidity of the thermoplastic to produce a
high impact polystyrene an
In the 1960s, Allan Hay accidentally discovered polyphenylene ether when blending high impact polystyrene which
resulted in improving the processability of the material at a high temperature. In the 1980s, with the help of automotive
industries the cost, paintability, solvent and scratch resistance was improved, in addition to mechanical properties and
processability. The growth in need of recycling polymers developed better technologies of blending over time.

Figure 1: Schematic flow of the process
OBJECTIVES FOR RECYCLING TIRES
Scrap tires are unsuitable for use due to wear and irreparable damage. There is no known method for tire disposal
without adverse effects. Hence, the recycling of polymers after their intended use continues to be an important subject
having various advantages such as:
a. Reduces the amount of rubber produced in future
b. Prevent environmental pollution by reducing the production of greenhouse gases and mitigating global
warming effect




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AEEC | August 2014
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c. Save energy as producing a raw material consumes
considerable amount of energy resource

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCEDURE
The scrap tires used in this research were grinded into
different sizes from 40 to 80 mesh. Generally, there are
many methods used to blend polymers such as melt
mixing, solvent mixing, in-situ polymerization and
many more. In this research, the grinded tire was
blended with EVA through a melt mixing process using
Haake Rheomix Polydrive R600/610 machine.

EVA is copolymer of ethylene and Vinyl Acetate (VA).
The weight percentage of Vinyl Acetate affects the
rigidity of the polymer and can vary from 5 to 18 wt%.
The lower the percentage of VA (5%) the more rigid the
end product will be. A higher the percentage of VA (15-
18%) produces a more flexible film having higher
degree of toughness and better elongation. Therefore, in
this research the EVA blended contained 15 wt% of VA
with a melting flow index of 1.478g/10min and a
density of 0.93 g/cm
3
.

The compatibilizer used that is BADGE, acts as a
lubricating agent during the blending process. In order
to analyze its effect on the blending process, the amount
of BADGE added varied from 0wt% to 5wt% with an
increment of 1wt% for each blend.

The blended sample was hot and cold pressed into 1mm,
3mm and 6mm sheets which were further cut into
BS6747, ASTM D256, and ASTM D2765 standards
respectively. These standards are used for tensile,
impact and hardness testing respectively.

Later, the mechanical, thermal and morphological tests
were conducted on the blend to determine the effect of
the BADGE added and irradiation dosage applied.

PROPERTY TESTED
Polymer blend materials, imposed by the requirements
of specific application, must perform under exhausting






mechanical, chemical, thermal, and electrical conditions.
The mechanical properties include tensile impact and
hardness which play a major role in our everyday life.

Mechanical behavior implies any reaction of the
material when under mechanical stress result in
deformation. Information obtained during mechanical
tests of polymers, can determine how strong or stiff a
material is, whether it is brittle or ductile, hard or soft
and if it can hold up well under constant stress.


I still plan to pursue my graduate program in the
future for a PhD, as I am a great believer of continued
learning.
Tensile properties: include young modulus,
modulus 100, elongation percentage, and tensile
strength. These properties determine how a
polymer will react to forces applied during
tension. They are very important to determine
when dealing with materials that need to be
stretched during application. They are also
greatly affected by temperature.
Impact properties: can be measured using izod,
charpy, Gardner, tensile impact and many more.
The results obtained from these impact tests can
be used for material selection or quality control.









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AEEC | August 2014
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Polymers are sensitive to stress concentration at
a notch. The information obtained from this will
help to prevent designing of materials with polymers
that cannot withstand the required high stress
concentration at the edge or sharp corners.

Hardness properties: is measured using
Durometer test or Rockwell hardness test.
Durometer test is used as an alternative for
flexibility for the specification of elastomers.
The hardness value is determined by the
penetration of the Durometer indenter foot into
the sample.
Gel content property: provides a means of
controlling the process and rating the quality of
finished products. The degree of cross-linking is
resolute by measuring the swell and extraction
occurring in a solvent where the portion of the
polymer is not cross-linked.
Thermal properties or thermal analysis is a technique in
which a property of the sample is monitored against




time or temperature while the temperature of the sample
in a specified atmosphere is programmed. The thermal
analysis techniques are categorized based on the
variables they are designed to examine. The two
techniques used in this research are:
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): is
defined as a technique in which heat flow into
sample and reference is measured as a function
of temperature. The sample is subjected to a
controlled temperature program. The
information obtained from this test then
determines glass transition temperature, heat
capacity jump at the glass transition, melting
and crystallization temperatures, heat of
reaction, characterization of thermosets and
measurement of liquid crystal transitions.
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA): is used to obtain
the onset temperature of initial polymer weight loss, as
well as the extent of oxidative effects or char formation.
It
Involves measurement of the weight gain or loss
of a polymer as a function of temperature and
time, and utilizes an extremely sensitive
electronic microbalance.
In polymer science, the word morphology means to
form an organization on a size scale above the atomic
arrangement but smaller than the size and shape of the
whole sample. The morphology of a polymer sample is
determined by a wide range of optical, electron and
scanning probe microscopy techniques. In here,
resolution and contrast are the major parameters of
microscopy studies. Among many techniques, the one
used during this research was scanning electron
microscopy (SEM).
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): is one
of the most versatile instruments available for
the examination and analysis of the
microstructural characteristics of polymers. The
major reason for the SEM usefulness is the high







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AEEC | August 2014
13

resolution and large depth of field which is responsible
for the three dimensional appearance of the specimen
image.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The main parameters affecting the property of the blend
of EVA and WTD, are the weight ratio of polymer and
compatibilizer blended, mixing time, blending
temperature and particle size. Previous researchers have
studied the effect of weight ratio, temperature and time
to find out the optimum conditions for EVA:WTD
(80:20) wt%, 140
o
C and 10 mins. respectively.

In this research, how the particle size of WTD had
affected the mixing torque and tensile properties of the
blend was examined. Torque can be related to resistance
of flow in which an increase in melting decreased the
viscosity hence reducing in what happens to the torque.

The sizes of WTD chosen for this study were 40 mesh
and 80 mesh. In comparison between the two, the torque
for 40 mesh gave a higher value indicating the blending
process was less viscous. This is because the finer the
size of the WTD, the more surfaces area provided for a
better homogeneity and distribution.
When comparing the tensile properties, elongation %
and tensile strength favors 80 mesh whereas young
modulus and modulus 100 favoured 40 mesh. Generally,
80 mesh size is preferable, but the low availability of it
caused to proceed with 40 mesh size.

The EVA and WTD blend in presence of BADGE was
greatly affected in its mechanical, thermal and
morphological properties by the irradiation dosage
applied and the ratio of BADGE added. The mechanical
properties were seen to improve as the irradiation
dosage was increased from 0 kGy to 200 kGy except for
elongation percentage and impact properties. This is
because irradiation causes cross-linking between the
blends hence encouraging brittle behavior. The presence
of a BADGE as a compatibilizer causes lubrication
effect within the blend. As a result, the mechanical





properties are seen to increase with increase of BADGE
composition except for elongation percentage, impact
and hardness properties.

The thermal and morphological properties of pure EVA
were improved by blending EVA with WTD.
The stability of EVA and WTD blend was reduced
when the ratio of BADGE and irradiation dosage
increased. The morphology of the impact samples
showed the smooth cracking and homogeneity of the
blend causing the impact property to reduce.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it was seen that BADGE as a
compatibilizer does not accelerate the irradiation
induced cross-linking between EVA and WTD. This
being said, the EVA and WTD blend can be used for
different R-resistant, ozone resistant applications
including bottles, oil and gas ceiling as the
mechanical, thermal and morphological properties
are improved.
Reference
1. L.A. Utracki, Compatibilization and Recycling in
Polymer Blends. RAPRA technology Ltd, 2000, Ch 3 and
9, pp 9-28.
2. C. Sawyer, T. Grubb, and F. Meyers, Polymer
Morphology and Polymer Characterization in Polymer
Microscopy 3
rd
ed. Springer, Ch 1, pp 1-21.
3. J. Scheirs, Sample preparation, Thermal analysis and
Microscopy of polymers in Compositional and Failure
Analysis of Polymers. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, 2005,
Ch 3-5, pp 37-107.
4. Thermal Analysis and Thermal Properties in
Characterization and Failure Analysis of Plastics. ASM
International, 2003, Ch 11, pp 115-142.
5. F. Ciardelli and S. Penczek, Processing for Ultimate
Properties in Modification and Blending of Synthetic
and Natural Macromolecules. Kluwar Academic
Publishers, 2003, Ch 10, pp 201-205.






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6. M.L. Robeson, Fundamentals of polymer blends,
Compatibilization methods, Types of polymer blends,
7. and Properties of polymer blends in Polymer Blend. Carl
Hanser Verlag, 2007, Ch 2-4,6, pp 11- 250, 333-350.
8. J.E. Mark, B. Erman, and F.R. Eirich, Elastomer blends,
Thermoplastic elastomers, Tire engineering and
Recycling of Rubber in The Science and Technology of
Rubber 3
rd
ed. Elsevier Academic Press, 2005, Ch 12-15,
pp 529-665.
9. Polymer blend technologies in Review of Science and
Technology in Escwa Member Countries Issue 4. United
Nations, Ch 3, pp 28-31.
10. J.G. Drobny, Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on
Recycled Rubber and Plastics in Handbook of
Thermoplastic Elastomers. William Andrew Inc, 2007, Ch
14, pp 277-280.
11. V. Mittal, J.K. Kim, K. Pal, Recycling of Elastomeric
Nanocomposites in Recent Advances in Elastomeric
Nanocomposites. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg,
2011, Ch 2, pg 179-181.
12. W. Grellmann, S. Seidler, Mechanical Properties of
Polymers, in Polymer Testing. Carl Hanser Verlag, 2007,
Ch 4, pp 73-218.
13. Z.D. Cheng, Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry of
elastomers, Polymer degradation and Temperature
moduluated Differential Scanning Calorimetry in
Handbook of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. Elsevier
Science B.V., 2002, Ch 13-14 and 16, pp 519-650 and 713-
810.
14. H. Lobo and J.V. Bonilla, Thermogravimetric Analysis of
Polymers in Handbook of Plastics Analysis. Marcel
Dekker, Inc., 2003, Ch 4, pp 1-18.
15. G. Raju et al., Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Acrlate
onto Oil Palm Empty fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fiber journal
of Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, Volume
46, pp 949-955, 2007.
16. I. Banik, A.K. Bhowmick, Effect of electron beam
irradiation on the properties of crosslinked rubbers
journal of Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Volume 58,
pp 293-298, 2000.
17. D. De et al., Reclaiming of ground rubber tire (GRT) by
18. novel reclaiming agent journal of European Polymer
Journal, Volume 42, pp 917-927, 2006.
19. R.L. Clough, High-energy radiation and polymers: A


review of commercial processes and emerging
applications journal of Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Volume 185, pp 8-33, 2001.
20. KIM ET AL., THERMAL PROPERTIES OF AGRO-FLOUR-FILLED
BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER BIO-COMPOSITES JOURNAL OF
THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY, VOLUME 81, PP 299-
306, 2005.
21. C.K. HSU, THERMAL DECOMPOSITION PROPERTIES OF POLYMER
FIBERS JOURNAL OF THERMOCHIMICA ACTA, VOLUME 392-393,
PP 163-167, 2002.
22. J. FROHLICH ET AL., THE EFFECT OF FILLER-FILLER AND FILLER-
ELASTOMER INTERACTION ON RUBBER REINFORCEMENT
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES: PART A, VOLUME 36, PP 449-460,
2005.
23. M. TAMADA ET AL., CROSSLINKING OF POLYVINYLCARBAZOLE
WITH ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION JOURNAL OF RADIATION
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, VOLUME 54, PP 409-411, 1999.
24. YANG ET AL., THERMAL PROPERTIES OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC
FILLER-THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER BIO-COMPOSITES JOURNAL
OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY, VOLUME 82, PP
157-160, 2005.
25. Z. MOHAMAD ET AL., CHARACTERIZATION OF EPOXIDIZED
NATURAL RUBBER/ETHYLENE VINYL ACETATE (ENR-50/EVA)
BLEND: EFFECT OF BLEND RATIO JOURNAL OF APPLIED
POLYMER SCIENCE, VOLUME 99, PP 1504-1515, 2006.
26. Z.A. ANIS ET AL., PERFORMANCE OF IRRADIATED AND
CROSSLINKED ETHYLENE VINYL ACETATE/WASTE TIRE DUST
BLEND JOURNAL OF ELASTOMERS AND PLASTICS, VOLUME 43,
PP 239-256, 2011.
27. A. BHATIA ET AL., COMPATIBILITY OF BIODEGRADABLE POLY
(LACTIC ACID) (PLA) AND POLY (BUTYLENE SUCCINATE) (PBS)
BLENDS FOR PACKAGING APPLICATION JOURNAL OF KOREA-
AUSTRALIA RHEOLOGY, VOLUME 19, PP 125-131, 2007.
28. Z.A. ANIS ET AL., EFFECT OF MIXING CONDITIONS ON THE
TENSILE PROPERTIES OF ETHYLENE VINYL ACETATE/WASTE
TIRE DUST (EVA/WTD) BLEND JOURNAL OF POLYMER-
PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING, VOLUME 48, PP
1139-1142, 2009.
29. B.A. IBRAHIM ET AL., INFLUENCE OF POLYMER BLENDING ON
MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES IN JOURNAL MODERN
APPLIED SCIENCE, VOLUME 4, PP 157-161, 2010.

~ Engineer Feven Mathews







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AEEC







An artist gazes upon a reality and creates his own
impression. A viewer gazes upon the impression and
creates his own reality. ~ Robert Braul
Eritrea purely magnificent
delightful streets of asmera
! choice!

AEEC | August 2014
16


I have been to many events that
are very delightful and worthy
of my time and effort. But some
are simply the best. They have
special meaning and
undoubtedly leave a pleasantly
long lasting impression. The
party I attended on February 16,
2014 celebrating National
Engineers week and the fourth anniversary of Alpha
Eritrean Engineers Magazine was certainly amongst one
of the very best. Since its inception and in celebrating
National Engineers week, it has always been in the
minds of many like-minded individuals to gather, in the
same room, to share not only delicious food but also
have constructive dialog and discussion of professional
life experiences with respect.
The Alpha Eritrean Engineers in the Bay Areas were
particularly pleased to host this party since it
represented a dream that has taken many years to come
to fruition. The idea began, way back in 2008, while
attending San Francisco State University. A few of us
likeminded professionals gathered regularly, shared and
along the way helped each other discuss our experiences
constructively and regularly. Similar gatherings with
few attendees were held locally in other location as well.
At each get-together the experiences shared were very
enriching, in that we all felt that someday a similar
events with larger attendees should be held at one site.
For many years it remained a dream until finally in 2013
we began to make plans for such gathering. As our plans
came together, we began to see what it would look like
and what was needed for the event to occur.




Additionally, the vision and journey in preparing the
Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine semiannually
publication, though extremely rewarding, was not
without its challenges. However, with the support of one
another and some not even within the Alpha Eritrean
Engineers Community initiates, we have been able to
overcome many challenges. We continue producing
high class complimentary publication of Alpha Eritrean
Engineers Magazine to the community. Here we are
today, six years later witnessing the dream that has
blossomed and continues to grow to become a reality.
Now that I have shared a little bit of my thoughts and
dreams of AEEM, please indulge me in sharing with
you a bit of the background about the party that came
together, how enjoyable it was and the events that led up
to it.
After graduating in 2008, four to five of engineers
started meeting regularly for dinner to catch up on our
personal and professional lives. In late 2013, we invited
additional people to join us for dinner. To our delight
every invitee came and had a wonderful time. Each
individual that attended liked the gathering and had an
amazing time. Right then everyone knew we needed to
replicate this gathering at a larger scale. Thus, in order
to celebrate National Engineers Week held on February
16th and Alpha Eritrean Engineering Magazines 4th
anniversary, electronic invitations were sent to local
engineers in the Bay Area informing them of a dinner
party to be held at MLK Restaurant & Sports club. To
our delight positive response for attendance was
provided to us by most invitation recipient and we were
able to plan our preparation for the gathering. Food,




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ENGINEERS WEEK & AEEM 4
TH
ANNIVERSARY


AEEC | August 2014
17

drinks and cake were ordered and some relevant posters
of Alpha Eritrean Engineers Magazine were prepared.
On the day of the event, as promised, attendees showed
up on time, better yet a little early. Being punctual and
showing up on time not only shows dependability but it
also showed how attendees valued their time. Often we
underestimate and undervalue the power of a smile, a
kind word, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of
kindness, all of which have the potential to turn ones
life around. Having said that, I would like to
acknowledge and recognize Isaac, Fitsum, Mekonen,
and Samson & Andai in presenting our celebratory
gathering of AEEC and AEEM and how it came to be.
Our invited guests, who came from far and close,
battling the weekend traffic from San Jose and San
Francisco, were all happy to attend such an amazing
occasion. All attendees enjoyed their time at MLK
Restaurant and Sports Club and being able to share such
special time with us. We also would like to thank the
MLK staff for preparing a variety of delicious Eritrean
traditional dishes. To celebrate our 4
th
year of AEEM
the owner of MLK provided an amazing Italian cake for
us. The staff couldn't have been friendlier and they went
out of their way to accommodate us, make us feel
comfortable and at home. Again, although we may have
verbally expressed our thank you to the staff for being
flexible with us throughout the entire planning process,
we find it highly appropriate to follow up with a simple
yet powerful word of Thank You on behalf of Alpha
Eritrean Engineers Magazine.
Finally, as the Gathering progressed, we discussed the



inception of AEEM, and briefly discussed the purpose
of this social gathering at MLK (which is a short stroll
from the McCarter Bart station).
The primary purpose of our gathering was mainly for
networking.

Although everyone was enjoying themselves and the
evening progressed, no one realized how time went by
so quickly and was getting late so the party was
adjourned. Those of us who had a stupendous time are
looking forward to a time of great renewals and to a
further commitment on the part of each of us to this
noble idea of networking that we have started. We are
determined to strengthen the bonds which we have
established and to continue bring a fuller understanding
of the concept of the engineering professional
community as it relates to our relationships with each
other and the community. We are dedicated to spreads a
consistent message about the importance of Alpha
Eritrean Engineering Community through its
complimentary an online magazine (AEEM)

~ Engineer Yosief Woldemariam









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AEEC | August 2014
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AEEC | August 2013
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Alpha Eritrean Engineers at
MLK Restaurant and Sports
Bar


AEEC | August 2014
20
























































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AEEC
. Sense of humor from engineers prospective
www.microwavesoftware.com

Engineer and his wife
A wife asks her husband, a software engineer...
"Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk, and if they have
eggs, get 6!" A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk. The wife
asks him, "Why the hell did you buy 6 cartons of milk?" He replied, "They had eggs."
~ ~
Woman vs. Bicycle
Two engineering students were walking across campus when one said, "Where did you
get such a great bike?
The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own
business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the
ground, took off all her clothes and said, Take what you want."
The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't
have fit."
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AEEC

AEEC | August 2014
21














AEEM

AEEC | August 2014
22

Current Job Opportunities
Companies or Government Jobs Location & Number Closing Date
Electrical Engineering
http://jobs-
boeing.com/maryland/engineering/jobid5609284-digital-
hardware-engineer-1--drt-jobs
Digital Hardware Engineer 1 DRT
14-1012001, Germantown, MD
September 22, 2014
http://jobs-
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electrical-systems-design-and-analysis-engineer-3-jobs
Electrical Systems Design and
Analysis Engineer 3 14-1013040,
Long Beach, CA; Seal Beach, CA
September 15, 2014
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Electrical Systems Design and
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September 15, 2014
Software Engineering
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Software Engineer 1\2, 14-
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Software Engineer 1\2, 14-
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Java Software Engineering
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Java Software Engineer 2, 14-
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Java Software Engineer 3, 14-
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Java Software Engineer, 1 14-
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October 20, 2014
Structural Engineering
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engineering/jobid5651246-structural-analysis-engineer-
3-jobs
Structural Analysis Engineer 3
14-1012712, Long Beach, CA; Seal
Beach, CA
September 5, 2014






AEEC | August 2014
23




























Authors
Mussie Manna temiet@yahoo.com received
his B.S. in Civil Engineering from University
of Alabama A&M University. Currently, he is
employed at California Department of
Transportation, Caltran.

Feven Mattews fevu_alem2000@yahoo.com
received her BS in Chemical Engineering
from University College Sedaya
International, UCSI, and currently Feven is
working with Malaysian Nuclear Agency.
Yosief Woldemariam
meharigrw@yahoo.com earned his B.S. in
Electrical Engineering from San Francisco State
University. Currently, he is employed at Syska
Hennessy Group, consulting firm as designer
engineer.




If you need an updated information,
discussions or got an Engineering
experiences that you want share
your knowledge or ideas with your
fellow professionals.
You will find us on
www.linkedin.com/groups/Alpha-
Eritrean-Engineers-Community

ALPHA ERITREAN ENGINEERS COMMUNITY
When we get too caught up in the busyness
of the world, we lose connection with one
another and ourselves. Never lose sight that
we are better when connected