Acrylic polymer is derived from the monomer methyl metharcrylate or MMA Essay

When modern man discovered plastic and its myriad of uses, there was no turning back. Today, plastics figured prominently in the lives of 21st century people. It is almost impossible to live comfortably without this substance. And among the many kinds of polymer there is perhaps nothing more versatile and very much in demand than acrylic polymers. This paper will look into the chemical properties and the myriad of uses for the compound normally designated as PMMA or Polymethyl methacrylate. Chemistry Acrylic acid (H2C – CHCOOH) was synthesized in 1843 according to Charles Carraher (2003, p. 160). Then he goes to add that ethyl methacrylate (H2C – C(CH3)COOC2H5) was synthesized and polymerized in 1865 and 1877, respectively (2003). With regards to polymerization e.g. acrylic or methacrylic acid, it must be done in an aqueous solution at less than 20-30% concentration (Feldman & Barbalata, 1996). â€Å"Besides water, a conventional recipe involves an initiating system (potassium persulfate and sodium thiosulfate) and chain transfer agent† (Feldman & Barbalata, 1996). Acrylic polymer is derived from the monomer methyl metharcrylate or MMA. Polymers can be divided into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosets. And that majority of them are thermoplastics meaning once the polymer is formed it can be heated and reformed over and over again (see American Chemistry Council, 2007). This major attribute alone is enough to make scientists and businessmen to be very interested in the application of the product. But interestingly there are many more surprises up the sleeves of the thermoplastic polymer. Properties The following attributes can be seen in most polymers and especially so to acrylic polymers: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has a light transmittancy of about 92% – with particular clarity at lower wavelength of 270 to 350 nm (Whitaker, 1996) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has good resistance to weathering 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good mechanical strength 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dimensional stability along with high tensile and flexural strength (Whitaker, 1996) 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chemical resistance – including salts, bases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, fats and oils, most common gases, and inorganic chemicals as well as dilute and concentrated solutions of most alkali Applications According to Feldman and Barbalatat, the most important usage of acrylic polymer is in the manufacture of adhesives, thickeners, coatings, flocculants, dispersants, fluidizers, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, ion exchange processes and textile processing (1996). Now, a few years after acrylic polymer was first introduced by the scientific community, the said substance was first used as interlining for automobile windshields (Carraher, 2003). Since acrylic polymers exhibit good resistance to weathering it is widely used in thermoformed signs, aircraft windshields, and bathtubs. Acrylic polymers have long been used in the manufacturing of cuvettes, tubing connectors, speculums,and many other medical devices requiring impact strength, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, and clarity. In fact it occupies a, â€Å"†¦prominent place in the market for clear, disposable plastic – only glass transmits light as well† (Whitaker, 1996). In the medical field, acrylic polymers have shown its versatility and all around usefulness. From the start medical professionals were already well acquainted with the substance because it was used in the manufacture of incubators. In 1955 its range of usage was expanded when the first acrylic prosthesis was implanted. This probably came after its success as a primary material for aircraft canopies during World War II – pilots suffered fewer infections from shards of acrylic than they had from glass (Whitaker, 1996). Aside as an important component of cuvettes and tubing connectors, it is also used to produce test kits, luers, drainage wands, syringes, blood filters, blood pump housings, fluid silos, surgical blade dispensers, surgical trays etc. Finally, acrylic polymers is not only superior in terms of chemical resistance, clarity as a thermoplastic, and durability which is highly prized in the medical field. This substance is also easily recyclable, â€Å"Acrylic burns extremely clean [†¦] with end products of carbon dioxide and water. In addition, the material offers superior recyclability: acrylic can be reground and reused, which results in less material waste during molding† (Whitaker, 1996). But there is more. The said material can be depolymerized back to its monomer, thoroughly purged of its impurities, and then can go full circle back into PMMA. This is a true recycling process, whereas most other recycling processes involve crushing the material and using it in applications with lower specifications (Whitaker, 1996). In the world of plastic, acrylic polymers belong to the top shelf. The range of its applications is a great help in the development of many industries especially in the medical field. Among other things it has provided cost-efficiency and safety concerning the medical practice and other industrial purposes. References American Chemistry Council. (2007). The Basics – Polymer Definition and Properties. PlasticResource.com [online] Accessed 08 May 2007 from http: www.plasticresource.com/s_plasticresource/sec.asp? TRACKID=&CID=124&DID=226 Carraher, C. (2003). Giant Molecules: Essential Materials for Everyday Living and Problem Solving. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Feldman, D. & Barbalata, A. (1996). Synthetic Polymers: Technology, Properties, Applications.    New York: Chapman and Hall. Whitaker, W. (1996). Acrylic Polymers: A Clear Focus. Medical Device Industry [online] Accessed 08 May 2007 from http: www.devicelink.com/mpb/archive/06/01/001.html.

2.Discuss the extent to which Equal Opportunity policies and practices Essay

2.Discuss the extent to which Equal Opportunity policies and practices are an important aspect of people management practices in organisations across Europe - Essay Example Disability Discrimination Act was passed in 1995 and was amended in 2005, Age Discrimination Act in 2006 while Gender Equality Act came into action in 2007. The European Union has put in place various statutory bodies to ensure the legislations are enacted such as the equal opportunity commission, disability rights commission and the equal and human rights commission which covers all the other equality policies (Klarsfeld, 2010). Most organizations across Europe have put in place equality policies but in some other organizations especially the small scale firms lack equality policies. Despite all these measures put in place it is still evident that inequalities exist at workplaces. For example, the European working conditions survey of 2005 revealed that men dominated senior management positions with 79% compared to 29% women (Eurofound, 2008). The same survey also revealed existence of sectoral segregation with majority of women in the service sector and men dominating manufacturing and construction sector. European countries have put various measures in place to ensure organizations implement the equal opportunity policies in their management practices. In Finland, funds are channelled to the female dominated sectors to enhance pay increments so that women can have same pay as men. The UK carries out voluntary pay audits to ensure equal pay policies are adhered to. Equality plans are enacted in Sweden while France strives to narrow the gender pay gap and address labour market segregation by use of national intersectoral agreements (Eurofound, 2008). The extent to which organizations in European countries attach importance to equal opportunity policies varies. Some view the policies and practices as a means to achieve business success while others perceive the policies as a burden as they favour employees thus some companies have

Issues in crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Issues in crime - Essay Example Punishments have to be understood in the proper context to state the least. Punishment in modern societies is being seen with a skeptical eye because it creates a sense of empathy and sympathy for the people yet is often viewed as a corrective exercise all the same. This paper shall outline and evaluate the key justifications for the use of punishment in modern societies. The reason why punishment comes into the equation is because the basis of justice is being imparted in a manner that it should be in the first place. It is right to suggest that justice within a society is not all about being fair but about holding a great deal of importance on being just and timely, which unfortunately does not manifest truly in the time and age of today. It is a true saying that justice delayed is justice denied; for this reason justice takes both these things when it is defined in the truest sense of the word. Punishment needs to be understood within the dictums of justice because it is radically associated with the mighty men – the rulers and the ones who govern a particular area or a regiment of soldiers (Marsh, 1984). The concepts of civil rights and of civil law are both functions of the concept of civil society whereby it is that bubble of private action free of government control. It is not free of government action, because government action secures the nature of civil society by the protection of persons against criminal wrongs. The essence of civil society is thus that people are left by government to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, while the government protects the citizens from criminal wrongs of violence, theft, fraud as well as many others. Punishment makes sure the civil society remains in order, and is not given the room to exploit the people in a negative way (Tonry, 2000). To quote as an example of punishment, one could understand the same in this notion. A commoner in today’s society is enticed every now and then to n ewer and fancier products and indeed adopt a similar way of life. For this, he wishes to have more money and if he works, he expects his employers to pay him more than his actual wage. White-collar crime is one form of crime that is on the escalation everywhere in the Western world. It ranges from breach of trust in highly technologically skilled societies to fraudulent charges and computer pilfering. It has been estimated to continue for an indefinite period of time in the future generations (Staddon, 1995). This sort of crime is difficult to define and hence few countries have been able to ascertain its origin, its perspectives and its rationale. This one is literally very hard to describe and examine and equally harder to enforce and arbitrate. The irony with white-collar felonies is that government and the people in particular do not pay heed to its curtailment and if something for the better is not done in this era, then it will surely become a super menace in tomorrow’s age. Within the modern societies, these punishments keep away the offenders and make them feel guilty because this is what is needed in the long run. The crime rate goes down and the people feel contented about the different punishments because these are correcting them more than anything else. However, if these punishments are geared to bring down their personalities, then the end result would be that they become hard core criminals and take law into their own hands, once they are set free from

Announced Firm Negotiation Position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Announced Firm Negotiation Position - Essay Example Sometimes, including the product price or service fee in the company portfolio listing may not be advantageous at all. In this case, the company’s weak side may be exposed to the buyer and may give a certain impression that may actually affect the buyer’s interest to the deal. To avoid such, both the buyer and the seller should research well not only on the current market but the social factors which affect the negotiation process. For the seller, it is important to know the type of buyers to be able to adjust strategies during the negotiation process before announcing any negotiation position. More often than not, negotiation can actually be flexible for both parties. Metz reported that â€Å"the seller can bend to the time constraints and resource limitations of a particular buyer.† There are a handful of reasons a buyer would be highly interested to the offered deal. It can be his desire to the product’s innovative technology, or his interest in the company’s market position, or his confidence to the seller’s customer base. Negotiation can be absolutely strategic if there is a diversity of buyers that range from a number of large firms to a few small buyers. The seller’s problem lies in the situation where there is only one or no buyer. This case may be used by the buyer to his advantage if he is the only buyer in the negotiation. During the negotiation process, defining your official standpoint or stance is of prime importance important before finally entering the process itself. This negotiation position, regardless you are the seller or the buyer, should be strongly defended by the negotiator during the negotiation process. Practically, the main reason why many people can’t find a good agreement is that each has taken of his own announced position. Your negotiation position is determined by the interests in the

Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Article Review - Essay Example In his work, his aim is to keep readers entertained, but in his view to entertain, it is clear the author disregards the Populist Party. In the author’s argument on politics and money, the symbols he uses for representation are characterized. Dorothy symbolizes the medium of transport for the local currency; silver is the value of money, and she wears silver shoes, gold also represents the value of money, while green is neutral. The common farmer believed that the yellow brick road† which was the term used to represent gold would cause harm†, but in the real sense it was what was needed to solve all the problems experienced. The argument that populist use the power they have to their advantage shows, as he uses the wizard who takes on many forms, the wizard only agrees to help if there is something to return the favor. The populist showed people a side of them that they knew would be convincing; their true characters and intentions were hidden. The author Frank Baum was not a politician; he was a writer, and that is why he was well informed in the political settings. The article shows how some people are perceived, dumb and stupid. These people never get the chance give their own opinion. The scarecrow in the article represents this group of people. It is lifeless and without a brain, what people do not know is that the scarecrow has a brain. The article engages the addressees; the symbols used help one to understand why this article was reviewed. Each symbol used is relevant to what it represents. In the symbol of the wizard, it represents bad leaders as the article explain how the wizard transform’s, this clearly shows how bad leaders hide who they really are. The article does not explain in depth, how money and politics play a part in this article, it shows their symbols but does not really explain, how this relates with the common people who are the mice, in this article. The articles’ focus is mainly on the populist, it needs to cover all

MGT 501 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 501 SLP - Essay Example On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by my score in the quiz on African affairs. This is because I have not particularly taken a course to do with African affairs, and yet I got only one question wrong. 2.0 How Culturally Aware Am I? From my experience in dealing with people from various cultural backgrounds, I have learnt that I have strength in establishing mutually beneficial relationships with culturally different people. Sometimes, a person from a different cultural background and I can reach a mutual agreement on how to do something, even though we do not particularly hold the same views. Most of the times, this is achieved through compromise and an evaluation of which way best suits the situation, thus ascribing to the â€Å"my way and their way† form of cultural awareness (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2001). In such cases, therefore, I chose to appreciate our cultural differences and not try to force similarities. This way, if the chosen way does not work, we can always resort to the way of the other culture, where possible. This has taught me that there is no single culture that has â€Å"one best way† of doing something (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2001). Nonetheless, I recognise that I am not fully culturally aware. Although I recognise that there are different cultures, I am sometimes biased in passing cultural judgments on people. For example, I question the necessity of bowing to a senior person while greeting them, as the Chinese do. I sometimes think that such an action portrays inferiority on the part of the person doing the bowing. In addition, I am particularly judgmental of those cultures that, for example, still practice female circumcision in Africa. I question their beliefs and end up convinced that nothing could, in my culture, rationalise such practices. My primary step is devising ways of appreciating people, given that I am familiar with the fact that I am capable of building rapport with people from numerous cultures and I inte nd to build on that. Next in plan should be identifying the reasons why some persons from some cultural milieu conduct themselves in a specific way whilst others react to other situations in a different way. Later on, I should use my connections with persons from varied cultures to allow me to gain a clear understanding of their conduct and opinions. Consequently, I will get to a point where I am on recognisable terms with the fact that I have an approach of doing things, while a different person has their way of conducting themselves. I think I should first of all do more research, for instance, on why some Africans observe female genital mutilation, so as to evade my shortcoming in making judgment on the culture of other persons. I believe more research will allow me to be more knowledgeable of the reasons why female genital mutilation is such a critical ritual of passage. Secondly, I should endeavour to put myself in the situation of the person I criticise on the basis of their c ulture and see if I would have done anything in a different way, if I were the one in the alleged culture. 3.0 The Significance of Cultural Understanding to Managers It is fundamental in a managerial setting that managers increase their levels of cultural awareness, as this goes a great mile in determining the outcome of organisational activities. As Gardenswartz and Rowe (2001) put it, a manager may be required to pass information to employees, or to solve conflicts among employees. Since the workplace is

Intercultral Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intercultral Experience - Essay Example I googled ‘Tibetan Meditation’ and a rather large list of meditiation classes, books and journals popped up. I decided to check out one of them, which said that 15 minutes per day was all that was required. When I entered the site, there was soft music playing and text slowly scrolled down the page, asking me to read something about this type of meditation. I almost closed the site but then I decided to continue and suddenly, it was 20 minutes later. I had learned something about Tibetan history, of the destructive power of stress and of the healing power of meditation. When I had finished reading, there was a little questionnaire, asking me about my sleeping habits, the way I breathe and a number of other questions, all related to stress. After I had answered everything, I had to give my first name – which I was ok with – and a little folder popped up with my name on it. When I opened it, it had in it a series of exercises, 10 of them, with repetitions and some buttons to chose music and the pace at which I wanted to do the exercises. By now I was thoroughly hooked and I did the exercises straight away. The first set just asked me to sit quietly and close my eyes. The next one asked me to rotate my head, first forward, then sideways, backwards and to the other side.