Effect of environmental parameters on the degradability of polymer films in laboratory-scale composting reactors

Previous research in our laboratory reported a convenient laboratory-scale composting test method to study the weight loss of polymer films in aerobic thermophilic (53°C) reactors maintained at a 60% moisture content. The laboratory-scale compost reactors contained the following synthetic compost mixture (percentage on dry-weight basis): tree leaves (45.0), shredded paper (16.5), food (6.7), meat (5.8), cow manure (17.5), sawdust (1.9), aluminum and steel shavings (2.4), glass beads (1.3), urea (1.9), and a compost seed (1.0) which is designated Mix-1 in this work. To simplify the laboratory-scale compost weight loss test method and better understand how compost mixture compositions and environmental parameters affect the rate of plastic degradation, a systematic variation of the synthetic mixture composition as well as the moisture content was carried out. Cellulose acetate (CA) with a degree of substitution (DS) value of 1.7 and cellophane films were chosen as test polymer substrates for this work. The extent of CA DS-1.7 and cellophane weight loss as a function of the exposure time remained unchanged when the metal and glass components of the mixture were excluded in Mix-2. Further study showed that large variations in the mixture composition such as the replacement of tree leaves, food, meat, and sawdust with steam-exploded wood and alfalfa (forming Mix-C) could be made with little or no change in the time dependence of CA DS-1.7 film weight loss. In contrast, substituting tree leaves, food, meat, cow manure, and sawdust with steam-exploded wood in combination with either Rabbit Choice (Mix-D) or starch and urea (Mix-E) resulted in a significant time increase (from 7 to 12 days) for the complete disappearance of CA DS-1.7 films. Interestingly, in this work no direct correlation was observed between the C/N ratio (which ranged from 13.9 to 61.4) and the CA DS-1.7 film weight loss. Decreasing moisture contents of the compost Mix-2 from 60 and 50 and 40% resulted in dramatic changes in polymer degradation such that CA DS-1.7 showed an increase in the time period for a complete disappearance of polymer films from 6 to 16 and 30 days, respectively.Guest Editor: Dr. Graham Swift, Rohm & Haas.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Second National Meeting, August 19–21, 1993, Chicago, Illinois.     

能力验证的方案设计与实施综述

随着能力验证计划活动的广泛应用,能力验证活动的组织者在设计与实施能力验证计划方案过程中会遇到一些问题,本文试着从对一些共性问题进行分析及探讨,以期为今后的能力验证工作提供参考.     

汽车NVH测试评价方法

本文针对汽车NVH测试评价,分别从汽车NVH关注点、评价要求和条件做了介绍,并就汽车车内噪声、动力总成悬置隔振和支架共振频率、悬挂隔振特性等方面进行了较详细的实例评价.     

电磁兼容测量结果可追溯性技术探讨

无线电波因其具有较强的方向性和反射性等传播特点,往往会引起电磁兼容测量结果的不稳定甚至有较大的偏差,如果不对测量过程中的测量和试验布置、试品的工况、记录报告等要素进行可追溯性分析和控制,势必会造成测量结果的随意和不确定性.因此在电磁兼容测量实验室,非常有必要对测量过程和测量结果进行可追溯性研究、分析和控制,一是提供准确可再现的测量数据,对客户负责,二是通过可追溯性控制,再现试验和测量过程,验证测量结果,对实验室的风险进行预见和预防.本文主要立求通过实际案例的分析,畅述和分析在电磁兼容测量实验室如何建立可追溯性的控制体系.     

基于预测有效度一致的城市生活垃圾产生量预测

提出了基于预测有效度一致的城市生活垃圾产生量最优组合预测模型,该模型在组合预测之前利用Kendall一致性检验法对参加组合的单项预测模型值的拟合精度进行一致性检验,在通过检验之后再利用方差倒数法求解最优组合权重,建立组合预测模型。通过实例分析,表明其预测精度高于参加组合的各单项模型预测值,在城市生活垃圾产生量的预测工作中有一定的应用价值。     

伺服阀性能测试系统的研制

在LabWindows/CVI环境下,提出了基于PCDAQmx数据采集卡（6014）的伺服阀测试系统实现的原理与方法,并研究了伺服阀参数指标的算法.重点介绍了关键功能实现的方法,如流量特性曲线的测量及拟合算法、实现频率特性测试的关键技术及算法以及硬件接线自动控制的实现方法.     

BIM技术在钢结构建筑抗震减灾管理中的应用

为提高钢结构建筑抗震减灾性能,降低建筑坍塌风险,研究BIM技术在钢结构建筑抗震减灾管理中的应用方法是非常必要的.利用BIM技术在钢结构建筑整体建造中的动态建模、可视化、信息共享管理以及抗震减灾性能检测等优势,在建筑抗震减灾管理决策阶段,选出最优方案,针对方案中影响建筑抗震减灾性能风险制定管理策略;在设计阶段,创建三维建...     

Simulated single-bicycle crashes in the VTI crash safety laboratory

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the influence of bicycle design and speed on the head impact when suffering from a single-bicycle crash, and the possibility to study this using crash tests.

Methods: Simulations of single-bicycle crashes were performed in the VTI crash safety laboratory. Two bicycle crash scenarios were simulated: “a sudden stop” and “sideways dislocation of the front wheel”; using four different bicycle types: a “lady’s bicycle”, a commuter bicycle, a recumbent bicycle and a pedelec; at two speeds: 15 and 25?km/h. In addition, sideway falls were performed with the bicycles standing still. All tests were done with a Hybrid II 50^th percentile crash test dummy placed in the saddle of the bicycles, with acceleration measurements in the head.

Results: The crash tests showed that a sudden stop, e.g. a stick or bag in the front wheel, will result in a falling motion over the handle bars causing a forceful head impact while a sideways dislocation of the front wheel will result in a falling motion to the side causing a more moderate head impact. The falling motion varies between the different bicycle types depending on crash test scenario and speed. The pedelec had a clearly different falling motion from the other bicycle types, especially at a sudden stop.

Conclusions: The study implies that it is possible to examine single-bicycle crashes using crash tests, even though the setup is sensitive to minor input differences and the random variation in the resulting head impact values can be large. Sideway falls with the bicycles standing still were easier to perform with a good repeatability and indicated an influence of seating height on the head impact.     

Polygyny in the red-winged blackbird: do females prefer monogamy or polygamy?

Five hypotheses have been proposed to explain polygyny in the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). We categorized the hypotheses into three groups based on female preference for unmated versus monogamously mated males: (1) the “polygyny threshold” model, “sexy son” hypothesis and the “asynchronous settlement” model, which assume that females prefer unmated males to mated males on breeding situations of homogeneous quality; (2) the “neutral mate choice” hypothesis, which assumes that females have no preference; and (3) the “cooperative female choice” model, which assumes that females prefer monogamously mated males to unmated males. We tested the direction of female preference in two field experiments. In both experiments, newly settling females were given a choice of two adjacent territories, one defended by an unmated male and the other by a monogamously mated male. Male mating status was randomized with respect to the variation in territory quality and male quality. Early in the breeding season, significantly more females settled with the unmated males than with the mated males. Although more females settled with the unmated males than with the mated males late in the breeding season, the difference was no longer significant. Female settlement late in the season appeared to be related to the tenure of the resident females: the new females avoided territories where the resident females were in early stages of their nesting, but settled on territories where the resident females were in late stages. The pattern of female settlement shows that females prefer unmated males to mated males. The preference is consistent with the polygyny threshold model, sexy son hypothesis and the asynchronous settlement model, and inconsistent with the neutral mate choice hypothesis and the cooperative female choice model. For this reason, the latter two hypotheses are unlikely to explain the occurrence of polygyny in our population of red-winged blackbirds. Received: 1 December 1994 / Accepted after revision: 28 October 1995     

Discharge of oilfield-produced water in nueces bay,texas: A case study

During oil and gas production, water is often extracted from geological formations along with the hydrocarbons. These "produced waters" have been discharged to Nueces Bay since the turn of the century. These effluents were found to be highly toxic, and sediments in the vicinity of the discharges were also toxic. We developed a map of wells and produced-water discharge sites in the vicinity of Nueces Bay and identified numerous unplugged wells suitable for conversion to produced water disposal wells. An economic analysis of conversion to subterranean injection of produced water indicates that most of the wells currently in production could pay out the cost of conversion to injection in one to three years. The use of one injection well for two or more water-producing wells could yield greater savings. Wells that could not support the cost of injection are small producers, and their loss would not constitute a major loss of jobs or dollars to the area. This study could serve as a useful model for evaluating the economic feasibility of conversion to injection in other areas of Texas and Louisiana.