Influence of nano wollastonite on physical, mechanical and morphological properties of gypsum composites manufactured from bagasse

We investigated the effect of adding nano-wollastonite on the physical, mechanical and morphological properties of gypsum Composites. The ratio percentage of bagasse mixing as lignocellulosic material with gypsum at three levels (85:15; 75:25; 65:35) and nano-wollastonite at three levels of 0 %, 5 % and 10 %. Specimens were prepared according to the ISO 11925 specifications for the fire resistance (weight loss) properties and according to the DIN EN 634-1: 1195-04 specifications for the mechanical and physical properties. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were also used to study the properties of composite morphology and distribution of samples. The results showed that by increasing the amount of nano wollastonite, physical and mechanical properties improved. The MOR, MOE and IB of boards decreased with increased bagasse usage amount, and its maximum value was obtained in using 15 % bagasse. The results also showed that increasing the amount of bagasse in boards caused a significant increase in the TS of the boards. The results from microscopic images showed that the optimal level of nano-wollastonite can fill the empty holes and create a uniform structure, thereby improving the properties of the boards

US hegemony and the origins of Japanese nuclear power : the politics of consent

This paper deploys the Gramscian concepts of hegemony and consent in order to explore the process whereby nuclear power was brought to Japan. The core argument is that nuclear power was brought to Japan as a consequence of US hegemony. Rather than a simple manifestation of one state exerting material ‘power over' another, bringing nuclear power to Japan involved a series of compromises worked out within and between state and civil society in both Japan and the USA. Ideologies of nationalism, imperialism and modernity underpinned the process, coalescing in post-war debates about the future trajectory of Japanese society, Japan's Cold War alliance with the USA and the role of nuclear power in both. Consent to nuclear power was secured through the generation of a psychological state in the public mind combining the fear of nuclear attack and the hope of unlimited consumption in a nuclear-fuelled post-modern world