Tensile and fatigue strength of hydrogen-treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Tensile, fatigue and fractographic data on Ti-6Al-4V microstructures attained through a series of post-β-annealing treatments which used hydrogen as a temporary alloying element are presented. Hydrogen-alloying treatments break up the continuous grain boundary α and colony structure, and produce a homogeneous microstructure consisting of refined α-grains in a matrix of discontinuous β. These changes in microstructural morphology result in significant increases of the yield strength (974 to 1119 MPa), ultimate strength (1025 to 1152 MPa) and high cycle fatigue strength (643 to 669 MPa) compared to respective values for lamellar microstructures (902, 994, 497 MPa). The strengths are also significantly greater than the strengths of equiaxed microstructures (914, 1000, 590 MPa). The strengths of hydrogen-alloy treated samples are therefore superior to strengths attainable via other thermal cycling techniques.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44703/1/10853_2004_Article_BF00576523.pd

Effectiveness of waste minimisation projects in reducing water demand by UK industry

There is growing interest in managing water demand in the UK. A series of waste minimization clubs have been set up within the country and this paper identifies the effectiveness of these clubs in reducing the demand for water within industry. Membership of these clubs is voluntary and the only incentive for industry to reduce water consumption, and consequently the production of effluent, is the almost immediate financial saving made by the company, often achieved by accounting for the water consumption and loss within site from the point of input from the water supplier to output in the form of effluent. On average, companies are able to reduce water consumption by up to 30 percent. If the entire industrial sector within the UK were to achieve this degree of savings, it is possible that approximately 1300Ml/d could be saved

The Dynamics of Concussion: Mapping Pathophysiology, Persistence, and Recovery with Causal-loop Diagramming

Concussion, also known as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI),1 is a significant public health issue responsible for a variety of cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms and deficits (3). It is unclear why some individuals appear to recover relatively quickly while others suffer prolonged symptoms and impairments (4–7). Robust clinical means of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are also lacking (8–11). Research is hindered by an inadequate classification system for traumatic brain injury (TBI) (12), “poor” study quality (13, 14), disagreement about appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria for concussion (8, 15), and an incomplete understanding of underlying pathophysiology (16–18). The heterogeneity and complexity seen in concussion further complicate research, particularly efforts to individualize treatment (19–22)

A review of residential water conservation tool performance and influences on implementation effectiveness.

There has been sparse coverage of advances in the application of Demand-Side Management (DSM) in the academic press in recent years. At the same time a number of important DSM studies have been reported on by non-academic institutions, and there is therefore a need for a comprehensive, up to date review of the impacts of DSM tools and the factors which influence their effectiveness. This paper aims to begin to address this apparent lack of coverage with a review of residential DSM tools using recent reports of DSM campaigns in the western (developed) world collected from a range of sources. The aims are, to understand the potential for residential DSM tools to save water in different types of household under varying conditions and, identify influences on implementation effectiveness. The current review will be of interest to, among others, water company professionals, policy makers, regulators and environmental agencies