Investigations into the burning-out of organic substances in the ceramic body

Pressed compacts were made of spray dried alumina containing water soluble polyvinyl alcohol or cellulose derivative binder. The burning out of organic binder on gradual heating was investigated by visual and microscopic observations of the cross section and by thermogravimetry. Burning out proceeds inward from the peripheries, gradually reducing the size of the black core, which first consists of a dark boundary layer and later turns uniformly black with a sharp boundary. A detailed mechanism of the burning out process between and within the spray dried granules is observed under the microscope. Oxygen atmosphere accelerates the burning out process

Chinese and Western Ways of War and Their Ethics

US officials often portray the Chinese government as having few, if any, ethical boundaries in its pursuit of power. This article argues China, like Western countries, has a rich tradition of constraining this pursuit that can impact the nation’s policies. With a focus on the relationship between ways of war and ethics of war, it relies on traditional and contemporary scholarship from both the East and the West to highlight differences in how each military views the practical and ethical aspects of war and how these views can interact. Understanding the ethical logic available to one’s adversaries will allow US leaders and planners to leverage China’s behavior and optimally shape US policies and actions

Coercing Fluently: The Grammar of Coercion in the Twenty-first Century

To illustrate the logic and grammar of coercion, this analysis relies on decision-theory methods, such as game theory, that examine the strategic decision-making process in interactions with adversaries and partners. The intent here is not to offer predictive models of rational-actor behavior. Rather, the intent is to use game-theory and similar approaches to understand how coercion works better. This analysis considers competitive interactions between actors that have discrete and qualifiable, if not quantifiable, preferences and who behave rationally, though this analysis acknowledges the behavior that is considered rational is frequently informed by nonrational social, cultural, and psychological factors. Considering these competitive interactions allows one to identify “rules of thumb” that can orient and guide actors as they compete. This analysis emphasizes coercion does not depend simply on imposing costs; rather, it depends on placing adversaries in positions in which they must act and their most rational option is the one most beneficial to one’s own cause. To achieve this result, actors must carefully calibrate their demands to ensure their adversary’s cost of concession is as low as possible. To prevent challenges in the first place, actors should convince the adversary acting on a threat is one’s most rational response. If convincing the adversary is not possible, then one must find ways to decrease the value of the adversary’s challenge. When none of those options are possible, preparing for conflict is likely one’s rational option. This analysis then applies the rules of thumb to US relations with China, Russia, and Iran.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1948/thumbnail.jp

The synthesis of trans-diaquobis(ethylenediamine) iridium(III)

The work reported here is part of an effort to develop a new method for studying the kinetics of transition metal substitution reactions. In the past, reactions have been studied at high, constant ionic strength following from the assumption that this maintains constant values of the activity coefficients. This assumption has been shown to be invalid. In the novel approach, no substitutionally inert salt is added to maintain a constant ionic strength necessitating the calculation of activity coefficients and the inclusion of them in all kinetic expressions. In order to establish the validity of the novel approach, a course of study was initiated. The results of the studies of two reactions are reported. The reaction of aquopentaamminerhodium(III) with chloride proceeds via an interchange mechanism as determined from the results of batch kinetic, potentiometric ion-pairing, and spectrophotometric ion-pairing experiments. The novel method yielded values which compare well with those given by the traditional approach but allows resolution of the parameters instead of the composite constants yielded by the traditional approach. The reaction of trans-diaquobis(ethylenediamine)rhodium(III) with chloride proceeds via the dissociative mechanism. The values of the kinetic parameters obtained agree well with those from traditional experiments. In this reaction, resolution of the parameters was not possible due to the complexity of the system but the novel approach outperformed the traditional method. The attempted synthesis of trans-diaquobis(ethylenediamine)iridium(III) is also discussed

Strategic Insights: Proxy War Norms

Current trends in international relations suggest the United States will place a greater reliance on international partners in securing vital national interests. Growing assertiveness by regional state actors, increasingly capable nonstate actors, and a “war-weary” American public suggest the emergence of a “polyarchic” world order that will strain the United States’ ability to maintain sufficient forces overseas, where it currently exchanges defense commitments for access and basing. Rather, the United States may have to commit to a strategy broadly described as “off-shore balancing” that would rely on regional partners to uphold the balance of power in their own neighborhood, exchanging indirect U.S. support for the partner’s willingness to act in the interests of the United States. Even if it does not commit to such a strategy, current events suggest working through others to achieve strategic ends will be a feature in any future approach to international relations