Smells like teen spirit / Nirvana, arranged and played by Feng E, ukulele

How Big Business is Stymying Makers' High-Res, Colorful Innovations | Wired Design | Wired.com

How Big Business is Stymying Makers' High-Res, Colorful Innovations | Wired Design | Wired.com:

'via Blog this'

Top Five Benefits of Additive Manufacturing (You Never Considered)

Top Five Benefits of Additive Manufacturing (You Never Considered):

'via Blog this'

8 Inch Test Sieves - affordablesieves.com

8 Inch Test Sieves - affordablesieves.com:

'via Blog this'

2013 New Years Resolution: Returning to the blog

My none technical book shelves

Well it has been a while since posting here, and I've done a bit of writing off line, including finishing my dissertation and doing some heavy editing on the dissertation of my friend and fellow engineer, who will remain nameless for the moment.  I have decided to make a new commitment to doing even more writing in the future, and am hereby giving all fair warning.  

A muck up a the steel plant

Video: Charging Takes a Toll on a Battery's Insides - ScienceNOW

Video: Charging Takes a Toll on a Battery's Insides - ScienceNOW

GeNeuro - (HERVs) Human endogenous retroviruses

"The sequencing of the human genome revealed that nearly one-half of the genome is composed of repeated or retrotransposable elements. Among them, human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent more than 8% of the human genome and result from integration of exogenous retroviruses that have infected the germline of their host during the primate evolution.

HERVs appear to have a critical significance in physiology and in diseases, at the crossroads of genetics, virology and physiopathology.

A human endogenous retrovirus, the MS associated retrovirus (MSRV), a member of the HERV-W family, had been initially isolated in cell cultures from patients affected with MS. MSRV is normally latent in the genome of individuals, but when activated by certain co-factors, it can be reactivated and express an envelope protein (HERV-W/ENV). This appears to be a major triggering and aggravating factor in the development and progression of MS. Depending on environmental co-factors, HERV-W MSRV could be involved in both Multiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia."

The World's Best Gallium Nitride

A little Polish company you've never heard of is beating the tech titans in a key technology of the 21st century

By RICHARD STEVENSON / JULY 2010

Anti-Matter here we come

CERN "has successfully produced and trapped atoms of antihydrogen."...

Impossible motion: magnet-like slopes

Gever Tulley, Big Ideas Fest 2009

Free Robots to Good Home

(from their webpage)

Willow Garage invites proposals from research organizations interested in using the PR2 to accelerate robotics research, drive open source robotics development, and contribute to the open source robotics community. Approximately ten PR2s will be made available to research organizations that will make rigorous and creative use of the robot in existing or planned research projects.

By making the PR2 platforms available to researchers and developers, Willow Garage's objectives for this beta program are fourfold:

• enable scientific breakthroughs in personal robotics
• expand the open source robotics community
• develop reusable components and tools
• explore new applications for personal robots

Willow Garage’s goal is to facilitate progress in the area of personal robotics, and to develop a world-wide community of researchers and developers contributing to open-source. Willow Garage works to facilitate progress in the area of personal robotics by sponsoring community-building activities and events, internship programs and visiting scholars.

This Call for Proposals is the beginning of an important open source robotics community-building effort. It is our hope that the PR2 platform will focus attention and foster the sharing of open source code to enable the development of new robotics systems, tools and applications

Polyolefin Elastomer

Polyolefin elastomer (or POE) is a relatively new class of polymers that emerged with recent advances in metallocene polymerisation catalyst. It represents one of the fastest growing synthetic polymer. POE’s can be substituted for a number of generic polymers including ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR or EPDM), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene-block copolymers (SBCs), and poly vinyl chloride (PVC).

Polyolefin elastomers are compatible with most olefinic materials, are an excellent impact modifier for plastics, and offer unique performance capabilities for compounded products.

Polyolefin elastomers are copolymers of ethylene and another alpha-olefin such as butene or octene. The metallocene catalyst selectively polymerises the ethylene and comonomer sequences and increasing the comonomer content will produce polymers with higher elasticity as the comonomer incorporation disrupts the polyethylene crystallinity. Furthermore, the molecular weight of the copolymer will help determine its processing characteristics and end-use performance properties with higher molecular weights providing enhanced polymer toughness.

Polyolefin elastomers are produced using refined metallocene catalyst often referred to as single-site or constrained geometry catalysts. These catalysts have a constrained transition metal (generally a Group 4B metal such as titanium, zirconium, or hafnium) sandwiched between one or more cyclopentadienyl ring structures to form a sterically hindered polymerisation site. This unique catalyst provides a single polymerisation site instead of the multiple sites of conventional catalysts and provides the capability to tailor the molecular architecture of ethylene copolymers. (Note: Metallocene catalysts and process technologies can also be used to produce ethylene propylene rubbers).

Polymerisation is very exothermic and requires efficient heat removal from the transport media of gas or solvent. Furthermore, reactor conditions must be carefully maintained to avoid loss of process control. Post-reactor processes involve additives addition and isolation of the polymer from the transporting media and the high catalyst efficiencies generally do not require removal of the deactivated catalysts. The final product is then packaged per manufacturer capability and end-user need, but can range from bags to railcars.

Source: The Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers.

For more information on this source please visit The Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers.

Art vs. Science

I'm working on co-extrusion or burnout problems and eventually someone says well it's more of an "art" that a "science". I developed a snappy answer something like that "art" is what we call "science" that is too hard, too intericate or that we just don't understand.

But now I'm working on a new angle. Accept and extend, finda like a warped version of a Mircosoft meme. So yes it's an "art" so let's get us some artists. Seriously though I think adding art to my art may be inorder.

Lanthanum Aluminate

I've recently discovered the FSU microscopy pages and I must say I'm quite impressed.  Makes me think about "teaching" verses "research" universities.  I quite like research but then teaching has it's joy.  Anyway as a sampling of what I've seen so far on their page here is interesting page about Dr. Goodenough like materials...how about that .. so for all your questions about perovskites, supercondutor and dipole moments  Check this out.

from the page

Aluminum, oxygen, and lanthanum comprise lanthanum aluminate. Lanthanum is a rare earth metal that is silvery white in appearance and very ductile. The metal is so soft that the blade of a knife can cut in two with relative ease. Lanthanum was discovered in the late 1830s by C. G. Mosander, but was unable to be successfully isolated until the following century in the 1920s. The name of the element was coined from the Greek lanthanein, which means “to be concealed.” The moniker reflects the substantial difficulty involved in isolating the element in a considerably pure form.

The 13-metal medal - Periodic Table of Videos

Machine Tools on the go

American Machinist has a story about large portable machine tools.

polymer abbreviations

Abbre- viation Trade name   A/B/A K Acrylonitrile/Butadien/Acrylate   A/MMA Acrylonitrile/Mcthlmethacrylate   A/S Acrylat/Styrol-Pvc Modifier   ABA Acrvionitrile-Butadiene Acrylate   ABS Acrvlonitrile/Butadien/Styrene   ABS/PC Acrylonitrile/Butadien/Styrene/ Polycarbonate   ABS/PVC Acrylonitrile/Butadien/Styrene/ Polyvinylchlorid   ABS+PUR Blend Of Acrylonitrile/Butadien/ Styrene And Polyurethane   ACS Acrylonitrile/Chlorinated Polyethylene/ Styrene   AES Acrylonitrile/Ethlene-Propylenediene/ Styene   AMA Acrylate Maleic Anhyride Terpolymer   AMMA Acrylonitrle-Methyl Methacrylate   APO Amorphous Polyolefin   AS Acrylonitrile/Styrene   ASA Acrylonitrile/Styrene/Acrylate   ASA+PC Blend OAcrylonitrile/Styrene/Acrylate And Polycarbonate   BMC Bulk Molding Compound   BMI Bis Malcimide   CA Cellulose Acetat   CAB Celluose Acetate Butyrate   CAP Cellulose Acetate Proprionate   CF Cresole-Formaldehyde   CMC Carboxylmethyl Cellulose   CN Cellulose Nitrate(Celluoid)   COC Cycoolefin Copolymer   COP Copolyester Thermoplastic Elastomer   CP Cellulose Propionate   CPE Chlorinated Polyethylene   CPVC Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride   CSF Casein-Formaldehyde   CTA Cellulose Tracetate   CTFE Chlorotrifluoroethylene   DAP Diallyl Phthallate(Thermoset)   E/BA Ethylene/Butylacetate   E/CTFE Ethylene/Chlorotrifluorethylene   E/EAK Ethylene/Ethylacrylate   E/MA Ethylene/Methacrylic Acid   E/P Ethylene/Popylene   E/TFE Ethylene/Tetrafluoroethylene   E/VA Ethylene/Vinylacetat   E/VAC Ethylene/Vinyl Acetate Copolymer   EAA Ethylene Acrylic Acid Copolymer   EC Ethyl Cellulose   ECTFE Ethylene Chiorotrifluoroethylene   EMAC Ethylene-Methyl Acrylate Copomer   EnBA Ethylene N-Butyl Acetate       EP Epoxy   EPDM Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber   EPM Ethylene Propylene Copolymer Rubber   EPR Ethylene Propylene Rubber   EPS Expandable Polystyrene   ETFE Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene   EVA Ethylene Vinyl Acetate   EVOH Ethylene/Vinylalcohol   EVOH Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol   FEP Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene   FF Furan-Formaldehyde   FRP Fiber Reinforced Plastic   HDPE High Density Polyethylene   HIPS High Impact Polystyrene   HMC High Strength Molding Compound   HMWHDPE High Molecular Weight High Density Polyethyene   I Ionomer   IPN Interpenetrating Polymer Network   LCP Liquid Crystal Polymer   LDPE Low Density Polyethylene   LLDPE Lincar Low Density Polylene   LPE Lincar Polyethylene   MA Maleic Anhydride   MABS Methylmathacrylate/Acrylonitrile/ Butadiene/Styrene   MBS Methacrylate/Butadiene/Styrene   MC Methyl Cellulose   MDPE Medium Density Polyethylene   MF Melamine Formaldetyde   MP Melamine Phenolic   MPF Melamine/Phenol-Formaldehyde   NBR Nitrile Butadiene Rubber   OSA Olefin Moldified Styrene Acrylonitrilc   P Phenolic   PA Polyamide (Nylon)   PA/ABS Polyamide/Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/ Styrene   PA 11 Polyamide 11   PA 12 Polyamide 12   PA 46 Polyamide 46   PA 6 Polyamid e6   PA6/EVOH Polyamide 6/Ethylene/Vinyalcohol   PA 6/12 Polyamide 6/Polyamide 12   PA 6/66 Polyamide 6/Polyamide 66   PA 6/69 Polyamide 6/Polyamide 69   PA 6/6T Polyamide 6/Polyamide 6t   PA 610 Polyamide 610   PA 612 Polyamide 612   PA 6-3-T Polytrimethylene Hexamethylene Terephthalamide       PA 66 Polyamide 66   PA 66/6 Polyamide 66/Polyamide 6   PA 66/610 Polyamide 66/Polyamide 610   P A68 Polyamide 68   PAMXD 6 Polyxylyene Adipamide   PA+PPE Blend Of Polyamide And Polyphenylene Ether   PAA Poly Acetic Acid   PAEK Polyacryletherketone   PAEK Polyaryletherketone   PAI Polyamide-Imide   PAK Polyester Alkyd   PAL Polyanaline   PAN Polyacrylonitrile   PAR Polyarylate   PARA Polyaryl Amide   PAS Polyarylsulfone   PASU Polyarysulfone   PB Polubutylene   PBAK Polybutylacrylate   PBAN Polybutadiene Acrylonitrile   PBD Polybutadine   PBI Polybenzimidazole   PBN Polybutylene Napthalate   PBS Polybutadiene Styrene   PBT Polybutylene Terephthalate   PBT+ASA Blend Of Polybutylene Terephthalate And Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/Styrene   PBT+PC Bland Of Polybutylene Terephthalate And Polycarbonate   PC Polycarbonate   PC/PBT Polycarbonate/Polybutylene Terephthalate   PC/PET Polycarbonate/Polyethylene Terephthalate   PC/ABS Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Blend   PCL Polycaprolactone   PCT Polycyclohexylene Terephthallate   PCTFE Polymonochlorotrifluoroethylene   PCT-G Glyeol Modified Polycyclohexyl Terephthallate   PDAP Polydially Phthalate   PDCPD Polydicyclopentadiene   PE Polyethylene   PEBA Polyether Block Amide Or Polyester Block Amide   PE-C Chlorinated Polyethylene   PEE Polyester Elastomer   PEEK Polyetheretherketone   PEEKK Polyetheretherketoneketone   PEEST Polyetherester       PE-HD High-Density Polyethylene   PEI Polytherimide   PEK Polyetherktone   PEKEKK Polyetherketone Etherketone Ketone   PEKK Polyetherketoneketone   PE-LD Low-Density Polyethylene   PE-LD/PE  -HD Low-Density Polyethylene/High-Density Polyethylene   PE-LL/VLD Linear Low-Density Polyethylene/ Very Low-Density Polyethylene   PE-LLD Linear Low-Density Polyethylene   PEN Polyethylene Napthalene   PEO Polyethylene Oxide   PEOX Polyethyleneoxide   PES Polyether Sulfone   PEST Polyester   PESTUR Polyesterurethane   PET Polyethlene Terephthalate   PET-G Glycol Modified Polyethlene Terephthalate   PEUR Polyether Urethane   PE-VLD Very Low-Density Polyethylene   PE-X Crosslinked Polyethylene   PF Phenol-Formaldehyde   PFA Perfluoro Alkoxy Alkene Polymer   PI Polyimide Or Polyisoprene   PIB Polyisobutylene   PIR Polyisocyanurate   PK Polyketone   PMAN Polymethactylonitrile   PMI Polymethacrylimide   PMMA Polymethylmethacrylate (Acrylic)   PMMI Poly-N-Methyl Methacrylimide   PMP Poly-4-Methylpentene-1   PMS Poly-Alpha-Methylstyrene   PO Polyolefin   POM Polyoxymethylene (Acetal)   PP Polypropylene   PP+E/P Blend Of Polypropylene And Ethylene/Propylene   PP+EPDM Blend Of Polypropylene And Polyethylene-Popylenediene   PP+NBR Blend Of Polypropylene And Nitrile Butadiene Rubber   PPA Polyphthalamide   PPC Chlorinated Polypropylene Or Polyphthalate Carbonate   PPE Polyphenylene Ether   PPE+PA Blend Of Polyphenylene Ether And Polyamide   PPE+PS Blend Of Polyphenylene Ether And Polystyrene   PPE+SB Blend Of Polyphenylene Ether And Styrene/Butadien       PPI Polymeric Polyisocyanate   PPO Polyphenylene Oxide   PPO/PA Polyphenylene Oxide/Polyamide   PPO/PS Polyphenylene Oxide/Polystyrene   PPOX Polypropylene Oxide   PPS Polyphenylene Sulfide   PPSU Polyphenylene Sulfone   PPT Polyphenylene Terephthalate   PS Polystyrene   PS/PPO Polystyrene/Polyphenylene Oxide   PS+PE Blend Of Polystyrene And Polyphenylene   PS-b-PI Polystyrene/Polyisoprene Block Copolymer   PSO,PSU Polysulffone   PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene   PTMT Polytetramethylene Terephthalate   PU,PUR Polyurethane   PUR-S Polyurethane Thermosetting   PUR-T Polyurethane Thermoplastic   PVA Polyvinyl Alcohol (Sometimes Polyvinyl Acetate)   PVAC Polyvinyl Acetate   PVAL Polyvinyl Alcohole   PVB Polyvinyl Butyryl   PVC Polyvinyl Chloride   PVC+ABS Blend Of Polyvinyl Chloride And Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/ Styrene   PVCA Polyvinyl Chloride Acetate   PVDA Polyvinylidene Acetate   PVDC Polyvinylidene Chloride   PVDF Polyvinylidene Fluoride   PVF Polyvinyl Fluoride   PVFM Polyvinyl Formal   PVK Polyvinyl Carbazole   PVOH Polyvinyl Alcohol   PVP Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone   SAN Styrene Acrylonitrile   SB Styrene Butadiene   SBR Styrene Butadiene Rubber   SBS Styrene Butadiene Styrene Block Copolymer       SEBS Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene Block Copolymer   SEP Styrene/Ethylene/Propylen   SI Silicone   SIS Styrene Isoprene Styrene Block Copolymer   SMA Styrene Maleic Anhydride Copolymer   SMC Sheet Molding Compound   SMMA Styrene Methyl Methacrylate   SMS Styrene/A-Methyl Styrene   SP Saturated Polyester   SVA Styrene Vinyl Acrylonitrile   TEO Thermoplastic Elastic Olefin   TMC Thick Molding Compound   TPE Thermoplastic Elastomer   TPE-O,TPO Thermoplastic Elastomer-Olefinic   TPE-S Thermoplastic Elastomer-Styrenic   TPU Thermoplastic Urethane   TVO Thermoplastic Vulcanites   UF Urea Formaldehylde   UHMWPE Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene   ULDPE Ultra Low Density Polyethlene   UP,UPE Unsaturated Polyester(Thermoset)   VA Vinyl Acetate   VAE Vinyl Acetate Ethylene   VC/MMA Vinyl Chlorid/Methyl Methacrylate   VC/A Vinylchloride/Acetate   VC/E Vinylchloride/Ethylene   VC/E/MAK Vinylchloride/Ethylene/Methylacrylate   VC/E/VAC Vinylchloride/Ethylene/Vinylacrylate   VC/MAK Vinylchloride/Methylacrylate   VC/OAK Vinylchloride/Octylacrylate   VC/VAC Vinylchloride/Vinylacetate   VC/VDC Vinylchloride/Vinylidene Chloride   VLDPE Very Low Density Polyethlene   XPS Expandable Polystyrene