Living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether, 2

Summary Living cationic polymerization of isobutul vinyl ether (IBVE), initiated by1-iodo-1-(2-methyl propyloxy)-ethane (1) and tetraalkylammonium perchlorate yields polymers of well defined molar masses and end groups. The controlled introduction of end groups was confirmed by a model reaction and was then applied to introduce and azo initiator function. The resulting polymeric initiator was used for the synthesis of a blockcopolymer.     

A proposal for a structured approach for cross-company teamwork: a case study of involving the customer in service innovation

This paper outlines the results of a project aiming to develop and apply methods for service co-creation with customers, focusing on the early phases of service development. The project is collaboration between a manufacturing firm in the automotive industry, one of their B2B-customers (a transportation firm), as well as a university, all in Sweden. The research team selected and developed methods and work practices for problem analysis, idea generation, development and evaluation of services. Thus doing, methodological influence was taken from the area of engineering design. The proposed approaches were applied in a service development experiment mainly based on workshops. The experiment was followed up by an analysis of the resulting output, an interview series, and an evaluation by peers in focus groups. The goal of this article is to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the industrial applicability of co-creating services using a structured approach, e.g. what are the benefits and challenges? (2) What do the different actors contribute with using this approach, and what possible factors influence the nature and quality of the actors’ contributions? (3) Based on the answers to the questions above, what aspects should be considered to support situated planning and execution of future service co-creation projects? A central conclusion is that a structured approach is industrially applicable, but it is also evident that there is no completely universal recipe for service innovation. Addressing these insights, the paper also contributes with guidelines to support the situation-adapted set-up of future service co-creation projects.     

Redistribution of wastewater alkalinity with a microbial fuel cell to support nitrification of reject water

In wastewater treatment plants, the reject water from the sludge treatment processes typically contains high ammonium concentrations, which constitute a significant internal nitrogen load in the plant. Often, a separate nitrification reactor is used to treat the reject water before it is fed back into the plant. The nitrification reaction consumes alkalinity, which has to be replenished by dosing e.g. NaOH or Ca(OH)₂. In this study, we investigated the use of a two-compartment microbial fuel cell (MFC) to redistribute alkalinity from influent wastewater to support nitrification of reject water. In an MFC, alkalinity is consumed in the anode compartment and produced in the cathode compartment. We use this phenomenon and the fact that the influent wastewater flow is many times larger than the reject water flow to transfer alkalinity from the influent wastewater to the reject water. In a laboratory-scale system, ammonium oxidation of synthetic reject water passed through the cathode chamber of an MFC, increased from 73.8 ± 8.9 mgN/L under open-circuit conditions to 160.1 ± 4.8 mgN/L when a current of 1.96 ± 0.37 mA (15.1 mA/L total MFC liquid volume) was flowing through the MFC. These results demonstrated the positive effect of an MFC on ammonium oxidation of alkalinity-limited reject water.     

The effects of pigments on the photostability of polyethylene

The affect of carbon black and various colourizing pigments on the ultraviolet (UV) stability of high and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) was determined using a novel method for the analysis of oxygen uptake profiles. Samples were exposed to 0.27 Wm⁻² (measured at 340 nm) UV irrdiation at 25.0±0.1° C in air at 1.0 atm. The usefulness of this method of assessment of UV stability is demonstrated. The method also enables the rapid collection of data that enable the comparison of the relative photostabilities of experimental and commercial formulations containing pigments and stabilizing additives. The results show that carbon black is an effective UV screening agent for HDPE when added at levels as low as 0.05% (wt/wt) and that increased photoprotection is achieved with increasing concentration of carbon black, up to 5% (wt/wt), above which there is no further significant increase in photostability. LDPE containing ultramarine blue pigment (Na₇Al₆Si₆O₂₄S₃) exhibits relatively poor photostability, whereas ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) and chrome orange (PbCrO₄.PbO) pigments are better photostabilizers for this material. Cadmium sulphide (CdS) was found to photosensitize LDPE. A compound containing 0.10% (wt/wt) carbon black, 0.12% (wt/wt) titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and 1.78% (wt/wt) phthalocyanine green (C₃₃H₂N₈Cl₁₄Cu) is an effective formulation for the stabilization of LDPE. Formulations of LDPE containing ultramarine blue-TiO₂ or ferric oxidecarbon black combinations absorb heat on exposure and this may affect their photostability.     

Development of a model for the simulation of the transfer of surface structure in the temper-rolling process

In the temper rolling process the effect of transferring the roll-surface structure to the steel sheet is purposely used to adjust a defined sheet-surface structure required for further processing. At the moment four different texturing techniques (SBT, EDT, EBT, LT) are available for the production of specified roll-surface structures; these techniques are based on two fundamental mechanisms; plastic deformation and local melting. The objective of the investigation presented in this paper is to analyze the transfer behaviour specific to the texturing technique used and, in addition to that, to develop a model for the simulation of these transfer characteristics. For this purpose in the first part the results of a comparative study on the basis of rolling tests on an industrial temper mill are presented. These results do not only point out the basic transfer mechanisms – penetration processes and reverse extrusion phenomena – but beyond that also lead to an explanation of the transfer behaviour specific to the texturing systems by the application of similarity numbers (substitute profile model). Possible reasons for the different transfer behaviour are on the one hand wear effects and on the other hand process-induced characteristics of the structure itself (e.g. isolated lubrication pockets). On the basis of these results in the second part a model is developed to simulate the transfer characteristics by the application of the finite element method (FEM).     

Untersuchungen an bewitterten Holzoberflächen—4. Mitteilung: Versuche mit einem Imprägnieranstrich auf Basis der Madison-Formula

Zusammenfassung Auf der Grundlage der vorangegangenen Untersuchungen wurde der ziemlich wetterbest?ndige, feuchtigkeitsschützende Impr?gnieranstrich “Madison-Formula” des Forest Products Laboratory/Madison, USA, unterschiedlich pigmentiert und, anstelle von Pentachlorphenol der Originalrezeptur, mit verschiedenen Fungiziden gegen dunkelf?rbende Schimmelpilze versehen. Die unpigmentierte Anstrichvariante erwies sich als zu wenig halthar, die wei? und die umbra pigmentierte dagegen als recht dauerhaft. 4 organische Metallsalzverbindungen, die im Laborversuch als die wirksamsten Fungizide ermittelt worden waren, konnten aufgrund der Ergebnisse der Freiland-Bewitterungsversuche nur teilweise befriedigen. Die beste Wirksamkeit zeigte eine Cu-Verbindung, die allerdings eine ausgepr?gte Eigenf?rbung besitzt. Einige Schutzmittel beeintr?chtigten die Anstrichhaltbarkeit. Pigmentierung und Fungizide hatten teilweise einen starken Einflu? auf die Holzfeuchte der Probebretter und auf die Holzfeuchteschwankungen.

---

Investigations on weathered wood Surfaces—Part IV: Tests with an impregnating paint on “Madison Formula” basis

Summary On the basis of the previous investigations the rather weather and moistureproof impregnating paint “Madison-Formula” of the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, USA, was pigmented to different degrees and provided with various fungicides against dark-staining mould fungi, instead of pentachlorphenol of the original formula. The non-pigmented paint was found to be less permanent, the white and umbra pigmented paint, however, proved quite resistant. Four organic metal salt composites, found to be the most efficient fungicides in laboratory experiments, were satisfactory only to some extent, as the results of field weathering revealed. A copper compound proved most efficient, which possesses, however, a pronounced natural colour. Some preservatives affect the durability of the paint. Pigmentation and fungicides partly had a strong effect on the wood moisture of the board specimens and on wood moisture variations.

---

---

1. Mitteilung: Kühne, H., Leukens, U., Sell, J., W?lchli, O. [1970]; 2. Mitteilung: Sell, J., Leukens, U. [1971]; 3. Mitteilung: Sell, J. Leukens, U. [1971].     

Effect of deformation conditions on the transformation of micro-alloyed medium-carbon forging steels

The CCT diagrams of three medium-carbon steels without and with microalloying by vanadium and titanium were constructed by applying direct cooling of as-deformed austenite. Deformation parameters corresponding to those of industrial forging were varied with a laboratory simulation technique by using the plane strain hot compression test. The effect of microalloying, deformation, and deformation temperature on the amount of structural substituents was quantified. For practical application of the study the as-forged controlled cooling conditions were determined to achieve the desired bainite-free ferritic-pearlitic microstructure with beneficial mechanical properties.     

Parameterized High Throughput Function Evaluation for FPGAs

This paper presents parameterized module-generators for pipelined function evaluation using lookup tables, adders, shifters, multipliers, and dividers. We discuss trade-offs involved between (1) full-lookup tables, (2) bipartite (lookup-add) units, (3) lookup-multiply units, (4) shift-and-add based CORDIC units, and (5) rational approximation. Our treatment mainly focuses on explaining method (3), and briefly covers the background of the other methods. For lookup-multiply units, we provide equations for estimating approximation errors and rounding errors which are used to parameterize the hardware units. The resources and performance of the resulting design can be estimated given the input parameters. A selection of the compared methods are implemented as part of the current PAM-Blox module generation environment. An example shows that the lookup-multiply unit produces competitive designs with data widths up to 20 bits when compared with shift-and-add based CORDIC units. Additionally, the lookup-multiply method or rational approximation can produce efficient designs for larger data widths when evaluating functions not supported by CORDIC.