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Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by DanielQuick, Mar 5, 2012.
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This morning, the news was saturated with warnings of the impending storms and possible tornadoes, so I finally went out and bought neon orange spray paint. And..an orange vest and orange tape. While I was off the farm, although I had a half a tank, I filled the truck to FULL with diesel.
I'd already put together an emergency phone number list, but have been meaning to add these other items to my barn emergency kit. If I thought a severe threat was imminent and felt I needed to set my farm animals loose so that they might have any chance to survive a catastrophe, I would spray paint my initials (should be the phone number, but I know that would take too long) on the side of each animal. I heard this was done on some livestock as the wildfires burned so horrifically out west.
The orange vest and tape would be for any volunteers needing to stand out. I couldn't afford to buy a bunch of vests, but thought the tape would do the job just as well as an identifier.
Flashlights and knives (the wallpaper kind that could go in a pocket) were also in the bags for each barn.
The only thing I didn't get to, but will now, is printing up a document with each animal's photo and name, and any other pertinent information and distribute it to my friends, Albany County CCE, and Animal Control. (Yes, they are all micro-chipped.)
Phew. You know, of course, that if I DIDN'T do this, the tornadoes would have come and swept my animals to hmmm, Kansas. Glad I got my act together, it was easy.
Other news: Tomorrow I will be spinning in the Wool Nook at the Cobleskill Sunshine Fair during the afternoon. The Schoharie Spinner and Weavers Guild has taken on the Wool Nook this year and it is AMAZING! Please visit if you're there.
I'm ecstatic that I found an amazing box of Lisel fiber locks from last year all ready to spin. I thought I'd used her all up, and haven't had time to wash this year's. So tomorrow, I will be spinning Lisel locks wrapped around Tank – SO HAPPY!!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Stoke City boss Mark Hughes insists Jonathan Walters did not deserve his red card in their 1-1 draw at Norwich City.
Bradley Johnson had put Norwich ahead at Carrow Road just after half-time as the Canaries looked to pull further clear of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone, but Chris Hughton's side were pegged back courtesy of a Walters penalty 17 minutes from time.
Sebastien Bassong was guilty of bundling down Stoke substitute John Guidetti and former Ipswich man Walters silenced the home faithful as he smashed the resulting spot-kick past John Ruddy.
But Walters' celebrations were short-lived as he was shown a straight red card less than five minutes later after catching Alex Tettey with a high challenge.
"I've looked at the incident and there is contact and Jon has accepted that he caught him," he said.
"But both players had their feet high and I think the punishment was too harsh for the crime. Both players just intended to win the ball and Jon just caught him with his follow through.
"It was the first sending off of Jon's senior career so he is obviously very disappointed and he now misses three games.
"As for the penalty, Guidetti was impeded and Jon as always, took responsibility and dispatched it with aplomb. At that stage I thought we would go on and win the game but then the sending off changed everything."
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US skeptical about Pak peace deal with pro-Taliban militants in NWFPJune 18th, 2008 - 3:51 pm ICT by ANI
Washington , June 18 (ANI): Citing the failed peace deals with extremists in the past, the US State Department has said that it was skeptical about the peace deal signed earlier this month between Pakistani authorities and pro-Taliban Islamist militants in NWFP areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The peace deal was signed with the tribal areas elders, according to which the extremists would not launch attacks on the civilians and, in return, the Pakistan government would not attack the terrorists sanctuaries along the Pak-Afghan international border.
A State Department spokesman said that care should be taken to ensure nothing is done that would undermine the security either of Pakistan or of Afghanistan . We've seen similar kinds of agreements reached in the past that have not been successful, The News quoted the US State Department spokesman Tom Casey as telling reporters.
He added: I think there's a healthy degree of skepticism as to exactly how effective these kinds of agreements can be. Certainly, while we are open to any kind of agreement that would in fact end terrorist violence and bring those outside the political process into it.
Casey further said: In the end, we want to make sure that nothing is done that would undermine the security either of Pakistan or of Afghanistan . (ANI)
Tags: afghan, afghanistan, civilians, elders, extremists, international border, islamist militants, nwfp, pakistan government, pakistani authorities, peace deal, skepticism, state department spokesman, taliban, terrorist violence, terrorists, tom casey, tribal areas, us state department


text:
Air Riding Seal Technology for Advanced Gas Turbine Engines
Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-FG02-12ER90387
Agency Tracking Number: 87618
Amount: $149,970.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Awards Year: 2012
Solicitation Year: 2012
Solicitation Topic Code: 18 b
Solicitation Number: DE-FOA-0000628
Small Business Information
1701 Military Trail Suite 110, Jupiter, FL, -
HUBZone Owned: N
Woman Owned: Y
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: N
Principal Investigator
Name: Jose Paulino
Title: Mr.
Phone: (561) 427-6376
Email: email@example.com
Title: Mr.
Phone: (561) 427-6376
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Business Contact
Name: Lloyd Mazer
Title: Mr.
Phone: (561) 427-6337
Email: email@example.com
Title: Mr.
Phone: (561) 427-6337
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Research Institution
Name: Stub
AbstractTo meet future power generation needs, Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (FTT) proposes the development of an innovative design approach to provide a highly durable contactless air riding rotating-to-static seal. Rotating-to-static seals are critical components of all gas turbine engines. The seals can significantly affect the efficiency, operability, and durability of a gas turbine engine. As such, any improvements to these seals are highly desirable. Improvements may come in the form of reduced leakage and/or improved seal durability. Air riding seals provide benefits that other rotating-to-static seals cannot achieve. These include reduced gaps resulting in lower leakages and improved durability due to the fact that the static seal is not designed to contact the rotating component while maintaining very tight clearances to control leakage to the lowest levels possible. The efficiency of future power production facilities must be increased to address well-known problems of increasing global energy usage and emissions from the combustion of carbon-based fuels. These emissions, carbon dioxide in particular, are increasingly accepted as a significant cause and contributor to global warming. More and more, initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are being legislated throughout the world. The goal of this effort is to introduce an improved rotating-to-static seal to be used in turbomachinery. The proposed seal is designed to passively follow the rotating surface during transients, allowing a near constant leakage gap throughout all engine operating conditions, and drastically reduces the chance of rubbing. Preliminary studies show air riding seals also provide benefits by reducing leakage and overall size of the seal. These benefits have a significant impact to small/mini gas turbine engines as it allows the use of a tangential onboard injector (TOBI), and a cooled turbine allowing for higher turbine inlet temperatures. All of these improvements ultimately result in greater cycle efficiency and reduced fuel consumption.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *


text:
Having problems with your Vacmaster Vacuum Pack Machines: VP540C Floor Model Vacuum Packaging Machine ?
Vp 540 keeps printing magenta over print - Vacmaster Vacuum Pack Machines: VP540C Floor Model Vacuum Packaging Machine
Answers :
Repair Help & Product Troubleshooting for Vacmaster Vacuum Pack Machines: VP540C Floor Model Vacuum Packaging Machine
Tips for a great answer:- Provide details, support with references or personal experience .
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box .
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Suggested Questions/Answers :
Vp 540 keeps printing magenta over print - Vacmaster Vacuum Pack Machines: VP540C Floor Model Vacuum Packaging Machine
... Vacmaster Vacuum Pack Machines: VP540C Floor Model Vacuum Packaging Machine
The rubber seal strip inside of the vacuum system on top and on the bottom has started coming off. I was wondering if I could reorder this rubber seal stripping to replace on my system. The model number on my system is #91740. MV 261414/1 is another number that was labeled on the back of machine as well. We ordered it off of QVC and the name of this vacuum system is called, Cook's Essentials's Vacuum Packaging System. Thank you for you time. Look forward to hearing back from you soon.
... Vacuums
I brought an eureka model 2591av shapoo machine in 2004 I've only used the machine 4 times. now the it does not spray out the solution on the floor but it will **** up water, the vacuum part works. I took it to a repair shop, they said it was the pump that was broke and will cost $95.00 to fix. The purchase price of unit was only $129.00 My question to you is does that sounds like an honest or comparible diagnosis.please respond at ([email protected])
Http://www.geeksquad.fixya.com/ThreadView.aspx?prdid=0&thid=559297\015\012Generic problem for all Vacuums\015\012I brought an eureka model\015\012Posted by wadda08 on Apr 3 ... Vacuums
Hi I have a Vollrath vacuum packing machine the Model is Grande and is getting the error of ALL what is this ?
... Vacuums
I have a kirby vacuum model G7D when engaging the tech drive, the machine zips forward to fast, the main suction mech rears up and won't stay on the floor. A technician replaced the nutural drive assy. Could he have caused some mechanical malfunction to occur??
My understanding of Kirby vaccums is that they are lifetime warranty. It appears that the drive assembly that was installed was not adjusted properly after it was put in or it is defective. I would see about getting it back to the tech for further wo ... Vacuums
Hoover vacuum machine model:HWD020, blowing dust out?
... Vacuums
I have a Model 116.35922500 Kenmore upright vacuum cleaner. It makes a loud air noise when using the vacuum. I have disconnected and removed the hose to see if anything is lodged in the hose and it appears clear. It makes the noise when the hose is connected. When I remove it, the noise stops. When I place my hand over the hose, the nose re appears. I sounds as though the noise is coming from the fan or internal parts of the machine. So, when there is a load or pull on the machine, it mak
... Kenmore Progressive 35922 Bagged Upright Vacuum
I have a Kirby G4 Vacuum Cleaner - MOdel G4 D. I have never had any problems or repairs done to it in the past ten plus years that I've had it. This is an upright vacuum. I was vacuuming the carpet floor and was not having any trouble at all. I switched the vacuum off and moved it into a different room. When I tried to turn on the vacuum, it would not turn on. I checked with different outlets, used both front attachment and hose attachment. Checked the front part of the motor/ spiral case. This
Hello,\015\012My educated guess is that it's either the switch or the power cord. Here are a couple of guides to help with diagnosis and repair...\015\012\015\012 ... Kirby G4 Bagged Upright Vacuum
I just received an older model Dyson DCo7 animal vacuum. When it is turned on and you are vacuuming, should there be suction at the top of the handle while vacuuming the floor?
No it should not ... Dyson DC07 Animal Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
I have a multifunction robotic auto vacuum cleaner model number XR210. It doesn't seem to be charging when at the docking station. The light is flashing on the docking station as if it was charging, but then I am getting intermittent noises like the vacuum is about to start up, then it beeps and goes silent again. I have emptied the machine. The display does not read 88 as if there is a malfunction, so I'm really not sure what's wrong with it. If I put the vacuum to the docking station the displ
... Vacuums
Wiring diagram for bissell upright vacuum - Oreck Orbiter Floor Machines ORB-500, ORB-550, ORB-600 Vacuum
... Oreck Orbiter Floor Machines ORB-500, ORB-550, ORB-600 Vacuum
I purchased a Miele Model S518 vacuum cleaner yesterday at Canadian Tire but they could not find the manual or floor brush. I would like a manual please? and how much is a new floor brush?
... Miele Leo S5381 Canister HEPA Vacuum Cleaner Bagged Vacuum
... Bosch Vacuums
Electrolux floor shampooer model#s105l - Electrolux Floor Pro Vacuum
... Electrolux Floor Pro Vacuum
I have an Eureka Express canister vacuum - I believe it's model 8284 - that just stopped working. Plug it in, turn it on, and absolutely nothing happens. I took it to the local sew and vac place and they say it's a circuit board that is no longer available. I've looked at all the parts lists and diagrams for that vacuum and I would swear there isn't a circuit board there. (I wouldn't have even thought that in 1989 they would have used circuits.) In any case, I absolutely love this machine a
Given the age of the machine weighed against you fondness for it, unless you can find a fault with either the switch or the cord, there is little else that can be done. With time the electrical lead can break down and one o ... Electrolux Vacuums
I have a Hoover WindTunnel Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, Model #U5753-900, Serial number 110600215585, which I purchased from Loew's on 3/31/07. With it, came a Hoove Slider for hard floor surfaces, Model #S2105, Serial number 050500084989. The Slider strted making a noise--I thought something had been caught in the roller, but discovered, it had not; so I and my husband proceeded to take the Slider apart. I believe one of the belts had come off; but when we took the screws off the bottom to check
... Vacuums
I bought a used vacuum seal machine (hobart model ht-120) it does excellent vacuum but it doesnt seal correctly all the time. it seems like there is something wrong with the valve that activates the bar that goes up and makes pressure and heats the bag for complete sealing. The heating is perfect but what is not working is what make the bar go up and down.
... Vacuums
I have a Bissell Powersteamer Pro Deluxe, Model 8804 shampooer. I got this bright idea to take the brush off as it was full of hair and debree. Upon putting it back on it appears I'm not getting the brush on properly. Does the belt go around the end with the grooves? Also do the grooves go on the right or left side? From my view point I am looking at the machine with it lying on it's back and I am sitting on the floor looking at the bottom of machine. Sure hope I haven't confused you too m
... Bissell 1697-7 Powersteamer Pro Deluxe Vacuum
I live in Mexico and have a Electrolux Easy Box Vacuum...I am looking for a hard floor brush that will fit the hose as my old Sears brushes are a little too small.This model is bagless and may only be sold here,but I do not care for the floor/rug brush combo brush as it does not clean tile floors very well.I would order and have a friend in the states bring to me.Thank you,Linda Staton Cozumel Mexico
... Electrolux Vacuums
Hello, I just bought a Bissell Powergroom (model 92L3-W) vacuum and a Bissell Proheat Pet (model 8910-3) deep cleaner and I love them both. My problem is, when we unpacked them we somehow lost the manuals; I think I had too many helpers that night – they may have gone out to the trash with the boxes. I need replacement manuals if you would be so kind as to help me out. Could you email me a manual for each of these two machines, or tell me exactly where to find them online? I've been looking, but
Follow the link below and enter the model numbers to access the User's Guides.\015\012http://www.bissell.com/customer-support/ ... Bissell 8910 ProHeat Clear View Upright Vacuum
Just purchased a floor model Kenmore Progressive vacuum 2009 Model... no instruction manual was available at the store. Where Can I get one
Hi There,Here's a link to the owners manual for the Kenmore upright which this question was listed under, the 116.35913. You can find the model number on the back or the bottom of the machine on a sticker that also contains the serial nu ... Kenmore 35912 / 35913 Progressive Upright Vacuum
For a dyson manual for the floor model dc24 - Dyson DC14 All floors Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
User manuals can be downloaded from www.dyson.com but Dyson service manuals are apparently unavailable anywhere. ... Dyson DC14 All floors Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
I have an old Progressive vacuum cleaner that says "Hepa Filter" and "Whisper Belt". Not sure what the model # is. The problem is that the vacuum part itself (the part that touches the floor and rolls over) has ejected its filter that we can see through the little window- it just came out under the rollers under the device... we cannot see how to re-insert this piece of filter which looks like a kind of round, flat grey foam/fabric and clearly goes inside- (top of the part that touches the flo
Check this procedure:\015\012\015\012Unplug the appliance that you will be \015\012changing the filter in.\015\012\011\011\011\011\011\011\011\015\012\015\012\011\011\011\011\011\011\011\011\015\ ... Kenmore 23313 Whispertone Bagged Canister Vacuum
Vacuum Model 116.24614400 Unplugged working machine to move to a new area. Plugged it in and NO POWER TO MACHINE. Checked plug and it is working fine. Is there a reset button? thanks You, Barb [email protected]
... Kenmore Vacuums
Dyson animal D28 suction on floor vacuum mode is so strong I can't push the machine. Last used for hand tools, is there some mechanism that is stuck?
... Vacuums


text: Robert Black writes: > On Nov 11, 12:05pm, "Erik E. Fair" (Time Keeper) wrote: > > Subject: Re: Mail list envelope sender address > > > > Qmail achieves its "low latency" goal by beating remote SMTP servers to > > death - i.e. it shifts the delivery burden there by opening up multiple > > SMTP connections to a given remote (one per recipient!), when it should not . > > Well, actually, the way qmail achieves lower latency over sendmail is by > opening multiple connections to *different* hosts at the same time. No, this has been a big argument. Dan actually claims that opening three connections to one machine and sending three copies of the same message when you want to deliver the same message to three recipients is somehow a performance win. See the DRUMS archives for details. > Unfortunately it can't handle multiple mails over the same connection so it > does tend to open multiple connections to the same host as an unfortunate > side-effect. If you want a mailer that will do parallel delivery of different > hosts *and* multiple mails over a single connection then exim (version 0.57 o r > later) is worth taking a look at. I know of several people who are using it f or > high mail bandwidth sites including Sunsite Northern Europe > (sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk) who use it for ftpmail, and at least two sites using i t > in conjunction with majordomo. > > > Cheers > > Rob Black > > PS Exim is also pretty friendly to configure. > > --


text:
Last month we reviewed the RF EFO Wireless Keyboard and Touchpad and now they are offering the same keyboard in wired (USB) and Bluetooth versions. The Bluetooth version will be priced at $60 and the USB version can be purchased for $22 directly from EFO.
1 thought on "EFO Keyboards Go Bluetooth and Wired"
Bluetooth I can see… sort of. But wired? Unless you need a remote that's within what, 3-5 meters? And don't mind the cable across the floor.
Unless you are going to use it as a touch pad for a PC that doesn't have one — and would like the ability to kick back in your chair out of arms reach of your keyboard and still fully control your PC. THAT I can see. But it's still WAY too specialized.
Side note: I have the wireless (non-bluetooth) version of this. Damn nice, too. Can't recommend it highly enough.


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Robert John Moncrief, 77, a former Bridgeton area resident died in Punta Gorda, FL on September 16, 2013. He was the son of the late Frazeur Moncrief and the late Elaine Corcoran Moncrief. Raised by his grandmother, he was also predeceased by his step-mother, Caroline J. Moncrief. After Bridgeton High School, Robert followed his dream of becoming a Marine and enlisted in the
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. He was a parachute instructor during most of his time as a Marine. He completed more than a 100 jumps in bases across America. Robert also served a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he served in the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies providing air, sea and land fire support. He saw combat in fire-fights with enemy forces and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge after 14 years of service. After the Marine Corp, Robert founded an upholstery company. His original office was in Millville, but he later moved it to Fairton. His craftsmanship was always of the highest quality. He eventually moved his business to Miami and upon his retirement, relocated to Punta Gorda, FL. Robert had a daredevil spirit as well as a lifelong passion for racing, riding and touring on motorcycles. He was an expert motorcycle mechanic and loved riding on cross-country tours with his friends. He continued to ride into his 70's. While a Florida resident, he took up the Chinese martial art and spiritual practice of Tai Chi. He became a Tai Chi instructor and had been teaching Tai Chi at senior centers in Florida. He is survived by his siblings, Janet Gray (John) of Crossville, TN, John Moncrief (Debra) of North Oaks, MN, Susan Leyman (Charles) of Bridgeton, Frank Moncrief (Beatrice) of Palm Springs, CA, Angela Ogden (Marty) of Hopewell Twp., and Violet Taylor (Tommy) of Lakeland, FL and several nieces and nephews. He was a courageous Marine, a fine brother and a good man. He will be missed. Friends are invited to attend a graveside funeral service with full military honors on Monday morning November 11th at 9:30 at the Cumberland County Veteran's Cemetery, Trench Road in Hopewell Twp. with Rev. Dr. Robin Weinstein officiating. Memorial contributions may be made in Robert's memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or to Bethany Grace Community Church, 31 N. Pearl Street, Bridgeton, NJ 08302. Written condolences and tributes may be offered to the family via the funeral home website,
. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the FREITAG FUNERAL HOME, 137 W. Commerce Street in Bridgeton.
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In recent years, taxation has been one of the most prominent and controversial topics in economic policy. Taxation has been a principal issue in every presidential election since 1980—with a large tax cut as a winning issue in 1980, a pledge of "Read my lips: no new taxes" in the 1988 campaign, and a statement that "It's your money" providing an enduring image of the 2000 campaign. Taxation was also the subject of major, and largely inconsistent, policy changes. It remains a source of ongoing debate.
Economists specializing in public finance have long enumerated four objectives of tax policy: simplicity, efficiency, fairness, and revenue sufficiency. While these objectives are widely accepted, they often conflict, and different economists have different views of the appropriate balance among them.
Simplicity means that compliance by the taxpayer and enforcement by the revenue authorities should be as easy as possible. Further, the ultimate tax liability should be certain. A tax whose amount is easily manipulated through decisions in the private marketplace (by investing in "tax shelters," for example) can cause tremendous complexity for taxpayers, who attempt to reduce what they owe, and for revenue authorities, who attempt to maintain government receipts.
Efficiency means that taxation interferes as little as possible in the choices people make in the private marketplace. The tax law should not induce a businessman to invest in real estate instead of research and development—or vice versa. Further, tax policy should, as little as possible, discourage work or investment, as opposed to leisure or consumption. Issues of efficiency arise from the fact that taxes always affect behavior. Taxing an activity (such as earning a living) is similar to a price increase. With the tax in place, people will typically buy less of a good—or partake in less of an activity—than they would in the absence of the tax.
The most efficient tax system possible is one that few low-income people would want. That superefficient tax is a head tax, by which all individuals are taxed the same amount, regardless of income or any other individual characteristics. A head tax would not reduce the incentive to work, save, or invest. The problem with such a tax, however, is that it would take the same amount from a high-income person as from a low-income person. It could even take the entire income of low-income people. And even a head tax would distort people's choices somewhat, by giving them an incentive to have fewer children, to live and work in the underground economy, or even to emigrate.
Within the realm of what is practical, the goal of efficiency is to minimize the ways in which taxes affect people's choices. A major philosophical issue among economists is whether tax policy should purposefully deviate from efficiency in order to encourage taxpayers to pursue positive economic objectives (such as saving) or to avoid harmful economic activities (such as smoking). Most economists would accept some role for taxation in so steering economic choices, but economists disagree on two important points: how well policymakers can presume to know which objectives we should pursue (e.g., is discouraging smoking an infringement on personal freedom?), and the extent of our ability to influence taxpayer choices without unwanted side effects (e.g., will tax breaks for saving merely reward those with the most discretionary income for actually saving little more than they would without a tax break?).
Fairness, to most people, requires that equally situated taxpayers pay equal taxes ("horizontal equity") and that better-off taxpayers pay more tax ("vertical equity"). Although these objectives seem clear enough, fairness is very much in the eye of the beholder. There is little agreement over how to judge whether two taxpayers are equally situated. For example, one taxpayer might receive income from working while another receives the same income from inherited wealth. And even if one taxpayer is clearly better off than another, there is little agreement about how much more the better-off person should pay. Most people believe that fairness dictates that taxes be "progressive," meaning that higher-income taxpayers pay not only more, but also proportionately more. However, a significant minority takes the position that tax rates should be flat, with everyone paying the same proportion of their taxable income. Moreover, the idea of vertical equity (i.e., the "proper" amount of progressivity) often directly contradicts another notion of fairness, the "benefit principle." According to this principle, those who benefit more from the operations of government should pay more tax.
Revenue sufficiency might seem a fairly obvious criterion of tax policy. Yet the federal government's budget has gone from enormous deficit to large surplus, and back again, in just ten years. Part of the reason for the deficit is that revenue sufficiency may conflict with efficiency and fairness. Economists who believe that income taxes strongly reduce incentives to work or save, and economists who believe that typical families already are unfairly burdened by heavy taxes, might resist tax increases that would move the federal budget toward balance.
Likewise, other objectives of tax policy conflict with one another. High tax rates for upper-income households are inefficient but are judged by some to make the tax system fairer. Intricate legal provisions to prevent tax sheltering—and thus make taxes fairer—would also make the tax code more complex. Such conflicts among policy objectives are a constant constraint on the making of tax policy.
The U.S. Tax System
At the federal level, total tax collections have hovered in a fairly narrow range around 19 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) since the end of the Korean War, though the percentage was down sharply in 2003 (see Table 1). The individual income tax has provided just under half of that revenue over the entire period. The corporation income tax was the source of almost a third of total revenue at the beginning of the period, but it has declined dramatically to under 10 percent today. In mirror image, the payroll tax for Social Security began at just under 10 percent of total revenue but increased sharply to about 40 percent as the elderly population and inflation-adjusted Social Security benefits grew and as the Medicare program was added to the system. The relative contribution of excise taxes (primarily on alcohol, tobacco, gasoline, and telephone services) has declined significantly.
One little-recognized aspect of the development of federal taxes is the gradual decline of revenues other than those earmarked for the Social Security and Medicare programs. Although total federal taxes are a roughly constant percentage of GDP, the Social Security payroll tax has increased significantly while other taxes have been cut in approximately equal measure. The result has been that federal revenues available for programs other than Social Security and Medicare have been squeezed from almost 17 percent of GDP in 1954 to as little as 10 percent in 2003.
States rely primarily on sales taxes, but income taxes are becoming increasingly important. Local governments rely most heavily on property taxes. Contrary to what many believe, any explosion in taxation has been at the state and local levels. Unlike federal taxes, state and local taxes have increased substantially—from about 6 percent of GDP in 1954 to 9 percent in 2002 (see Table 2).
Thus, although the level of federal taxes has been relatively constant for nearly thirty years, total taxes have increased because state and local taxes have increased. (The data in Tables 1 and 2 are computed on different accounting years and procedures, and thus cannot be added together; the general picture they suggest is, however, accurate.) The increase in state and local taxes has added to the taxpayers' burden and has limited the federal government's ability to cut the federal deficit and to increase spending. It is true, though, that the federal government requires state and local governments to provide various government services.
Recent Tax Policy Changes
Much of the recent interest in tax policy has focused on the federal individual and corporate income taxes. Advocates of "supply-side economics" (most prominently, Arthur Laffer) believed that income taxes had severely blunted incentives to work, save, and invest and that the income tax burden had become excessive. Congress passed substantial income tax cuts in 1981, 2001, and 2003, which provided for substantial cuts in income tax rates along with significant tax inducements for business investment. In the face of a rapidly rising budget deficit, some of the 1981 tax cuts were partially repealed in 1982, 1990, and 1993.
An even more radical tax restructuring was passed in 1986. This law, like the 1981 law, also significantly reduced income tax rates. It was, however, radically different from the 1981 tax cuts in a more meaningful sense, in that all of the tax rate cuts were "paid for" by the elimination of tax incentives—including the remaining business investment inducements from 1981. While this tax "reform" simplified the tax law in some respects, it also included complicated provisions designed to prevent tax sheltering and provided significant tax relief for low-income taxpayers, especially families with children.
Tax scholars observed the experience of the 1980s closely to learn more about how taxes affect economic choices. While much controversy remains, certain results seem clear. First, as many economists expected, the two reductions of tax rates over the 1980s apparently did induce greater work effort, especially by married women. In 1988, according to Brookings Institute economists Barry Bosworth and Gary Burtless, men between the ages of twenty-five and sixty-four worked 5.2 percent more hours than they would have under the pre-1981 tax code; women aged twenty-five to sixty-four worked 5.8 percent more; and married women worked 8.8 percent more. These increased hours would translate into the equivalent of almost five million full-time jobs.
Second, household saving fell in the face of tax rate cuts and substantial targeted tax incentives for saving, strongly suggesting that taxes have a limited impact, at best, on saving. Studies by economists Steven F. Venti and David Wise (1987) suggest that individual retirement accounts (IRAs) were successful in encouraging new saving, but a study by William G. Gale and John Karl Scholz (1994) indicates that much of the IRA deposits came from households that had already accumulated considerable wealth and could simply transfer it into the tax-favored accounts. Subsequent papers by James Poterba, Venti, and Wise (1996) and by Eric Engen, Gale, and Scholz (1996) reinforced these contrary positions, while more recent work by Orazio Attanasio and Thomas DeLeire (2002) found very little positive impact of IRAs on saving. And finally, while business investment did increase after the 1981–1982 recession (as documented by Harvard's Martin S. Feldstein), other economists (notably Barry P. Bosworth of Brookings) argue that this increase came primarily in assets (such as computers) that were not highly favored by the tax law. In fact, investment in equipment increased to a record percentage of GDP in the 1990s after the incentives were repealed in the 1986 tax reform, though Alan Auerbach and Kevin Hassett (1991) argue that it would have increased even more strongly if investment incentives had been continued.
Distribution of the Tax Burden
Many economists judge the fairness of the tax system largely on how the tax burden is distributed among different income groups. Further, some economists use the distribution of the tax burden as a major criterion of the success or failure of the tax changes of recent years. Despite considerable effort and innovative methods, however, estimates of the distribution of the tax burden are still limited by imperfect data and the differing perspectives of investigators.
Economists with the Congressional Budget Office have attempted to measure what percentage of overall income is paid in federal taxes of all kinds by various income groups. They assumed that all the corporate income tax is borne by owners of business capital and that the employer's share of the Social Security payroll tax is borne by workers, through lower wages. With these assumptions, they reached two important findings, both summarized in Table 3. First, the higher a family's income, the higher the percentage of income that family pays in federal taxes. In other words, the federal tax system as a whole is highly progressive. Second, between 1980 and 2000, the percentage of income paid in federal taxes of all forms decreased for the 80 percent of families with the lowest incomes taken as a group, and increased for the 20 percent with the highest incomes (see Table 3). The increases were small, with no identified group paying as much as one percentage point of their income more. Likewise, the declines among lower-income households were no more than two percentage points of income. Since 2000, there have been substantial new tax cuts, providing relatively more relief for upper-income households.
Although upper-income families paid a larger percentage of their income in tax in 2000 than they did in 1980, they received a much larger share of total taxable income by the end of the period. One reason the taxable income of upper-income families is higher is that changes in the tax law, particularly in 1986, caused many upper-income families to reallocate their portfolios from nontaxable instruments like municipal bonds to assets that yield taxable income. But there also is evidence that the distribution of income simply became less equal. The net result is that upper-income families now pay a larger share of the total tax burden, but also have much higher after-tax incomes. So, for example, the 1 percent of households with the highest incomes paid 14.2 percent of all federal taxes in 1980 and 25.6 percent in 2000—and still saw their share of after-tax income more than double, from 7.7 percent in 1980 to 15.5 percent in 2000.
Current Tax Issues
Tax policy remains controversial, and some economists continue to argue for large-scale revision of the federal tax system. Princeton's David F. Bradford and Stanford's Robert E. Hall have advocated slightly different forms of a flat-rate tax on labor income coupled with immediate deduction ("expensing") of the cost of all investment for the corporate income tax. Some conservative economists, such as Charles E. McLure Jr., and some liberal ones, such as Alice M. Rivlin, argue for a broad-based federal tax on consumption, like the sales taxes imposed by the states or the value-added tax (VAT) widely used in Europe. A key issue to consumption-tax advocates is how the proceeds of the tax would be used. Some would insist that the money go to increase federal spending; some would demand that it be used to cut federal income taxes; and some would require that it reduce the deficit. Advocates argue that a tax on consumption would encourage saving; opponents claim that such a tax would unfairly burden low-income families.
In past years, some economists, including Princeton's Alan Blinder, argued that the income tax should provide a comprehensive adjustment ("indexation") for inflation to eliminate the inflationary mismeasurement of interest income and expense, depreciation of business investment, and capital gains. A few economists would maintain that indexation should be pursued today. However, an adjustment for inflation would be quite complex; and with inflation as low as 2 percent now, and with little short-term prospect of a substantial increase in inflation, many economists contend that the costs in complexity would exceed the benefits in precise measurement of income.
Some economists, including Martin S. Feldstein and R. Glenn Hubbard, argue for targeted tax cuts for capital gains (the profit from the sale of assets such as corporate stock or real estate) and dividends paid on corporate stock (to reduce or eliminate the so-called double tax on dividends, in which profits are taxed under the corporate income tax and then again when distributed to shareholders as dividends). Such initiatives are typically claimed to add to fairness (through attenuating "double taxation") and to increase economic growth. Opponents, such as Brookings's Henry J. Aaron, believe that they would be ineffective and would unduly benefit upper-income groups, who own the most capital assets and have the most discretionary income to save. The 2003 tax law cut the already reduced tax rates on capital gains and established similar reduced individual income tax rates for corporate dividend income. Because these provisions were both controversial and temporary, they will remain the subject of debate. Likewise, the general tax rate cuts enacted in 2001 and accelerated in 2003 remain temporary, expiring at the end of 2010.
Other, more conservative economists advocate greater incentives for household saving, such as allowing withdrawals of nondeductible deposits into designated savings accounts to be tax free. Advocates, such as Eric M. Engen, argue that greater freedom with respect to withdrawals from tax-favored savings accounts would encourage even people with modest incomes, who cannot risk "locking up" their limited funds until retirement, to save. Opponents, including Leonard E. Burman, William G. Gale, and Peter R. Orszag, fear that wealthy people would be able to shield past savings from taxation in perpetuity, thus increasing the federal deficit without undertaking any new saving.
The estate tax will be phased down until it is totally eliminated in 2010, only to return under its pre-2001 configuration in 2011. This provision has proved particularly controversial. Advocates of repeal, such as Council of Economic Advisers Chair N. Gregory Mankiw, argue that the estate tax, whose highest pre-2001 rate, at 55 percent, was significantly higher than the income tax, constituted double taxation and both discouraged effort and increased consumption on the part of older wealthy people. Advocates contend that successful small businesses and farms could be forced to shut down because of insufficient liquidity to pay the tax. Opponents, including William G. Gale, argue that efficiency concerns about the estate tax, whose exemptions were already so high as to excuse 98 percent of all decedents from any tax, were exaggerated. They maintain that much accumulated wealth (such as unrealized capital gains) might not be taxed at all upon death, that policies were already in place to postpone tax for estates with small businesses or farms that might have liquidity problems, and that the new law's phase-down, repeal, and reinstatement of the estate tax would make sound financial planning virtually impossible.
With taxpayers enjoying tax reductions today that are scheduled to fade away entirely in 2011—and with a sizable and possibly enduring budget deficit—these tax issues will surely remain prominent in the public-policy debate.
Further Reading
Attanasio, Orazio, and Thomas DeLeire. "The Effect of Individual Retirement Accounts on Household Consumption and National Saving." Economic Journal 112, no. 6 (2002): 504–538.
Auerbach, Alan J., and Kevin Hassett. "Investment, Tax Policy, and the Tax Reform Act of 1986." In Joel Slemrod, ed., Do Taxes Matter? The Impact of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1990.
Blinder, Alan. Hard Heads, Soft Hearts: Tough-Minded Economics for a Just Society. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1987.
Bosworth, Barry P. "Taxes and the Investment Recovery." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, no. 1 (1985): 1–38.
Bosworth, Barry P., and Gary Burtless. "Effects of Tax Reform on Labor Supply, Investment, and Saving." Unpublished report prepared for the Brookings Institution.
Bradford, David F. Untangling the Income Tax. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
Burman, Leonard E., William G. Gale, and Peter R. Orszag. "Key Thoughts on RSAs and LSAs." Urban Institute, Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, February 4, 2004.
Engen, Eric M. Testimony on the Economic Report of the President. U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee, February 26, 2003.
Engen, Eric M., William G. Gale, and John Karl Scholz. "The Illusory Effects of Saving Incentives on Saving." Journal of Economic Perspectives 10, no. 4 (1996): 113–138.
Feldstein, Martin S., and Joosung Jun. "The Effects of Tax Rules on Nonresidential Fixed Investment: Some Preliminary Evidence from the 1980s." In Martin S. Feldstein, ed., The Effects of Taxation on Capital Accumulation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.
Feldstein, Martin S., Joel Slemrod, and Shlomo Yitzhaki. "The Effects of Taxation on the Selling of Corporate Stock and the Realization of Capital Gains." Quarterly Journal of Economics 94 (June 1981): 777–791.
Gale, William G. "Estate Tax: Tax Needs Reform, but Repeal Would be a Giveaway to the Wealthy." Spartanburg Herald-Journal, July 27, 2003.
Gale, William G., and John Karl Scholz. "IRAs and Household Saving." American Economic Review 84, no. 5 (1994): 1233–1260.
Goode, Richard. The Individual Income Tax. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1976.
Hall, Robert E., and Alvin Rabushka. The Flat Tax. 2d ed. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 1995.
Hubbard, R. Glenn. Testimony Before the Joint Economic Committee. U.S. Congress, January 30, 2003.
Lindsey, Lawrence. The Growth Experiment: How the New Tax Policy Is Transforming the U.S. Economy. New York: Basic Books, 1990.
Mankiw, N. Gregory. Remarks at the National Bureau of Economic Research Tax Policy and the Economy Meeting. National Press Club, November 4, 2003.
McLure, Charles E. Jr. The Value-Added Tax: Key to Deficit Reduction? Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1987.
Minarik, Joseph J. "Capital Gains." In Henry Aaron and Joseph A. Pechman, eds., How Taxes Affect Economic Behavior. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1981.
Minarik, Joseph J. Making America's Budget Policy. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 1988.
Pechman, Joseph A. Federal Tax Policy. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1987.
Poterba, James M., Steven F. Venti, and David A. Wise. "How Retirement Saving Programs Increase Saving." Journal of Economic Perspectives 10, no. 4 (1996): 91–112.
Rivlin, Alice M. "Strengthening the Economy by Rethinking the Role of Federal and State Governments." Distinguished Lecture on Economics and Government. Journal of Economic Perspectives 5, no. 2 (1991): 3–13.
Slemrod, Joel, ed. Do Taxes Matter? The Impact of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1990.
Venti, Steven F., and David Wise. "IRAs and Saving." In Martin S. Feldstein, ed., The Effects of Taxation on Capital Accumulation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.
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text:
Patent application title: Metallocene-Produced Polyethylene For Glossy Plastic Containers
Eric Maziers (Seneffe, BE)
IPC8 Class: AB29C4900FI
USPC Class:
Class name: Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes direct application of fluid pressure differential to permanently shape, distort, or sustain work including application of internal fluid pressure to hollow finite length parison to expand same into conformity with female mold part
Publication date: 2012-03-22
Patent application number: 20120068385
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A high gloss plastic container prepared from a metallocene-produced
polyethylene having a density of from 0.930 to 0.966 g/cm3 and a
melt index MI2 of from 0.5 to 2.5 g/10 min.
1-9. (canceled)
10. A process for forming a plastic container comprising: preparing a catalyst system comprising a metallocene catalyst represented by the following formula (C5R'k).sub.gR''s(C5R'k)MQ3-g wherein (C5R'k) is a cyclopentadienyl or substituted cyclopentadienyl, each R' is the same or different and is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical such as alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or arlalkyl radical containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or two carbon atoms are joined together to form a C4-C6 ring, R'' is a C1-C4 alkylene radical, a dialkyl germanium or silicon or siloxane, or an alkyl phosphine or amine radical bridging two (C5R'k) rings, Q is a hydrocarbyl radical such as aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl, or aryl alkyl radical having from 1-20 carbon atoms, hydrocarboxy radical having 1-20 carbon atoms or halogen and can be the same or different from each other, and M is a group 4b, 5b, or 6b transition metal; contacting the metallocene catalyst with at least one monomer, wherein the at least one monomer comprises ethylene to form an ethylene polymer; blow molding the ethylene polymer to form the container, wherein the container has a container wall formed of at least one layer having an external surface a gloss of at least 40.
11. The process of claim 10 wherein the layer comprises a polyethylene homopolymer.
12. The process of claim 10 wherein the layer comprises a copolymer of ethylene and a higher molecular weight α-olefin.
13. The process of claim 10 wherein said higher molecular weight α-olefin is a C4-C8 α-olefin.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein said higher molecular weight α-olefin is hexene.
15. The process of claim 10 wherein the ethylene polymer has a density within the range of 0.930 to 0.966 g/cm3 and a melt index MI2 within the range of 0.5 to 2.5 g/10 min.
16. The process of claim 10, wherein the catalyst system further comprises an alumoxane cocatalyst.
17. The process of claim 10, wherein the catalyst system further comprises an aluminumalkyl.
18. The process of claim 17, wherein the aluminumalkyl is a trialkylaluminum.
19. The process of claim 10, wherein the metallocene catalyst is a bridged bis indenyl or a bridged bis tetrahydroindenyl metallocene catalyst.
20. The process of claim 10, wherein the process of blow molding further comprises incorporating a fluoroelastomer into the ethylene polymer.
21. The process of claim 10, wherein the metallocene catalyst is incorporated into the ethylene polymer.
22. The process of claim 10, wherein the layer has a swell in diameter of less than 40 mm as measured by a Gottfert 2002 capillary rheometer at 210.degree. F.
[0001] This invention is related to plastic containers having a glossy
outer surface and in particular to the production high gloss bottles,
jars, etc. formed of polyethylene.
[0002] Several methods have been sought to produce high gloss bottles presenting good processability and good mechanical properties but all the blends and techniques used so far present various disadvantages.
[0003] High gloss high density polyethylene (HDPE) has been used: it is characterised by a very narrow molecular weight distribution that is typically inferior to 8. The molecular weight distribution can be completely defined by means of a curve obtained by gel permeation chromatography. Generally, the molecular weight distribution (MWD) is more simply defined by a parameter, known as the dispersion index D, which is the ratio between the average molecular weight by weight (Mw) and the average molecular weight by number (Mn). The dispersion index constitutes a measure of the width of the molecular weight distribution. It is known that a resin of narrow molecular weight distribution will produce plastic containers of very high gloss but simultaneously, that such resin will be very difficult to process and will be characterised by very poor mechanical properties. It has also been observed that said resins have poor mechanical properties, particularly, a very low environmental stress crack resistance (Modern Plastic International, August 1993, p. 45).
[0004] The coextrusion of high density polyethylene (HDPE) with a thin external layer of polyamide has been used to produce bottles of very high gloss but that method suffers the major drawback of necessitating an adhesive layer between the HDPE and the polyamide layers.
[0005] The coextrusion of high density polyethylene and an external layer of low density polyethylene leads to bottles with a fair gloss. These bottles however have an unpleasant greasy touch and offer a very poor resistance to scratching.
[0006] Metallocene-catalysed polyolefins have been used in transparent multilayer films suitable for packaging, for example in EP-A-756,931, WO-98-32601, WO-99-10430, WO-95-21743, Wo-97-02294. None of these prior art documents has addressed the problem of this invention: the production of plastic container having a glossy outer surface.
[0007] In another method, disclosed in co-pending patent application, high gloss plastic containers comprise an internal layer including a polyolefin and an external layer including a styrenic component containing from 40 to 85 wt % of styrene, based on the weight of the external layer.
[0008] There is thus a need for a method for efficiently producing plastic containers of very high gloss as well as good processability and mechanical properties.
[0009] An aim of the present invention is to produce plastic containers that offer simultaneously the desired glossy appearance, a good resistance to scratching and very low swell.
[0010] It is also an aim of the present invention to obtain glossy plastic containers with good processability and good mechanical properties.
[0011] It is another aim of the present invention to produce a resin that can be utilised in coextrusion.
[0012] The present invention provides single layer or multi-layer plastic containers, for which the external layer consists essentially of a metallocene-produced polyethylene having a density of from 0.930 to 0.966 g/cm3 and a melt index MI2 of from 0.5 to 2.5 g/10 min.
[0013] In this specification, the density of the polyethylene is measured at 23° C. using the procedures of ASTM D 1505.
[0014] The melt index MI2 is measured using the procedures of ASTM D 1238 at 190° C. using a load of 2.16 kg. The high load melt index HLMI is measured using the procedures of ASTM D 1238 at 190° C. using a load of 21.6 kg.
[0015] When multi-layer plastic containers are produced, the external layer is prepared with a metallocene-produced polyethylene resin, the inner layer(s) is (are) prepared with any one of the known catalysts, such as a chromium or a Ziegler-Natta or a metallocene catalyst, said metallocene catalyst being either the same as or different from the metallocene catalyst used to prepare the external layer.
[0016] A number of different catalyst systems have been disclosed for the manufacture of polyethylene, in particular medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) suitable for blow moulding. It is known in the art that the physical properties, in particular the mechanical properties, of a polyethylene product vary depending on what catalytic system was employed to make the polyethylene. This is because different catalyst systems tend to yield different molecular weight distributions in the polyethylene produced
[0017] It is known in the art to use chromium-based catalysts to polymerise HDPE and in particular to produce high-density polyethylene having high resistance to environmental stress cracking. For example, EP-A-0,291,824, EP-A-0,591,968 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,834 each disclose mixed catalyst compositions, incorporating chromium-based catalysts, for the polymerisation of polyethylene.
[0018] Alternatively, the HDPE can be produced using a conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyst or a supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst comprising metallocene sites such as described in EP-A-0,585,512.
[0019] The HDPE can further be polymerised with a metallocene catalyst capable of producing a mono- or bi- or multimodal distribution, either in a two step process such as described for example in EP-A-0,881,237, or as a dual or multiple site catalyst in a single reactor such as described for example in EP-A-0,619,325. Any metallocene catalyst known in the art can be used in the present invention. It is represented by the general formula:
(Cp)mMRnX.sub.q I
wherein Cp is a cyclopentadienyl ring, M is a group 4b, 5b or 6b transition metal, R is a hydrocarbyl group or hydrocarboxy having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen, and m-1-3, n=0-3, q=0-3 and the sum m+n+q is equal to the oxidation state of the metal.
(C5R'k).sub.gR''s(C5R'k)MQ3-9 II
R''s(C5R'k)2MQ' III
wherein (C5R'k) is a cyclopentadienyl or substituted cyclopentadienyl, each R' is the same or different and is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical such as alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or arylalkyl radical containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms or two carbon atoms are joined together to form a C4-C6 ring, R'' is a C1-C4 alkylene radical, a dialkyl germanium or silicon or sitoxane, or a alkyl phosphine or amine radical bridging two (C5R'k) rings, Q is a hydrocarbyl radical such as aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl, or aryl alkyl radical having from 1-20 carbon atoms, hydrocarboxy radical having 1-20 carbon atoms or halogen and can be the same or different from each other, Q' is an alkylidene radical having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, s is 0 or 1, g is 0, 1 or 2, s is 0 when g is 0, k is 4 when is 1 and k is 5 when s is 0, and M is as defined above.
[0020] Among the preferred metallocenes used in the present invention, one can cite among others ethylene bis-(tetrahydroindenyl) zirconium dichloride and ethylene bis-(indenyl) zirconium dichloride as disclosed for example in WO 96/35729.
[0021] The metallocene may be supported according to any method known in the art. In the event it is supported, the support used in the present invention can be any organic or inorganic solids, particularly porous supports such as talc, inorganic oxides, and resinous support material such as polyolefin. Preferably, the support material is an inorganic oxide in its finely divided form.
[0022] An active site must be created by adding a cocatalyst having an ionising action.
[0023] Preferably, alumoxane is used as cocatalyst during the polymerization procedure, and any alumoxane known in the art is suitable.
[0024] The preferred alumoxanes comprise oligomeric linear and/or cyclic alkyl alumoxanes represented by the formula:
for oligomeric, linear alumoxanes and
for oligomeric, cyclic alumoxanes, wherein n is 1-40, preferably 10-20, m is 3-40, preferably 3-20 and R is a C1-C8 alkyl group and preferably methyl.
[0025] Methylalumoxane is preferably used.
[0026] When alumoxane is not used as a cocatalyst, one or more aluminiumalkyl represented by the formula AIRx are used wherein each R is the same or different and is selected from halides or from alkoxy or alkyl groups having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and x is from 1 to 3. Especially suitable aluminiumalkyl are trialkylaluminium, the most preferred being triisobutylaluminium (TIBAL).
[0027] The metallocene catalyst utilised to produce a polyethylene, as required for preparing the high gloss plastic containers of the present invention, can be used in gas, solution or slurry polymerisation. Preferably, the polymerization process is conducted under slurry phase polymerization conditions. The polymerisation temperature ranges from 20 to 125° C., preferably from 60 to 95° C. and the pressure ranges from 0.1 to 5.6 Mpa, preferably from 2 to 4 Mpa, for a time ranging from 10 minutes to 4 hours, preferably from 1 and 2.5 hours).
[0028] It is preferred that the polymerization reaction be run in a diluent at a temperature at which the polymer remains as a suspended solid in the diluent.
[0029] A continuous loop reactor is preferably used for conducting the polymerisation.
[0030] The average molecular weight is controlled by adding hydrogen during polymerisation. The relative amounts of hydrogen and olefin introduced into the polymerisation reactor are from 0.001 to 15 mole percent hydrogen and from 99.999 to 85 mole percent olefin based on total hydrogen and olefin present, preferably from 0.2 to 3 mole percent hydrogen and from 99.8 to 97 mole percent olefin.
[0031] The density of the polyethylene is regulated by the amount of comonomer injected into the reactor, examples of comonomer which can be used include 1-olefins butene, hexene, octene, 4-methyl-pentene, and the like, the most preferred being hexene.
[0032] The densities of the polyethylenes required for preparing the plastic containers of the present invention range from 0.930 g/cm3 to 0.966 g/cm3.
[0033] The melt index of polyethylene is regulated by the amount of hydrogen injected into the reactor. The melt indexes useful in the present invention range from 0.5 g/10' to 2.5 g/10'.
[0034] The polyethylene resin used in the present invention can be prepared with either a single site metallocene catalyst or with a multiple site metallocene catalyst and it has therefore either a monomodal or a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The molecular weight distribution is of from 2 to 20, preferably, of from 2 to 7 and more preferably of from 2 to 5.
[0035] The polyethylene resins produced in accordance with the above-described processes have physical properties making them particularly suitable for use as blow moulding grade polyethylenes. In addition, it has surprisingly been observed that they have good processability even when their molecular weight distribution is narrow.
[0036] The polyethylene resins of the present invention are used preferably for producing containers of a capacity ranging from 0.005 to 5 l. They are more preferably used for producing food packaging, particularly milk bottles and juice bottles, cosmetic packaging and household packaging such as detergent packaging.
[0037] The blow moulding machine, incorporating a coextrusion die for extruding a parison to be blow moulded, can be any one of the machines generally used for blow moulding. The following have been used for processing the polyethylene: [0038] a Battenfeld Fisher VK1-4 available from Battenfeld: this is a continuous extrusion or co-extrusion blow moulding machine with up to 6 extruders for the production of polyethylene bottles of 0.5 litre capacity, the bottles being either single layer or multi-layer with up to 6 layers; [0039] a high productivity wheel configuration machine with 6 cavities for continuous extrusion.
[0040] The plastic containers of the present invention are characterised by a very high gloss, as measured using the ASTM D 2457-90 test, a low haze as measured by ASTM D 1003-92, a very low swell and a outstanding resistance to drop.
[0041] The swell is measured with the Gottfert 2002 capillary rheometer: it measures the diameter of the extruded product for different shear velocities. The capillary selection corresponds to a die having an effective length of 10 mm, a diameter of 2 mm and an aperture of 180°. The temperature is 210° C. Shear velocities range from 7 to 725 see, selected in decreasing order in order to reduce the time spent in the cylinder; 7 velocities are usually tested. When the extruded product has a length of about 7 cm, it is cut, after the pressure has been stabilised and the next velocity is selected. The extruded product (sample) is allowed to cool down in a rectilinear position.
[0042] The diameter of the extruded product is then measured with an accuracy of 0.01 mm using a vernier, at 2.5 cm (d2.5) and at 5 cm (d5) from one end of the sample, making at each position d2.5 and d5 two measurements separated by an angle of 90°.
[0043] The diameter d0 at the one end of the sample selected for the test is extrapolated:
[0044] The swell G is determined as
wherein df is the die diameter.
[0045] The test is carried out only on the samples that are free of melt fracture.
[0046] The swell value is measured for each of the selected shear velocities and a graph representing the swell as a function of shear velocity can be obtained.
[0047] The drop resistance test is performed on one-litre bottles prepared in accordance with the present invention.
[0048] The drop resistance is measured using the following procedure:
A. Preparation of the equipment and bottles: [0049] the die and pin of the blow moulding equipment was cleaned on the day of production of the bottles; [0050] the bottles had a fairly homogeneous thickness; [0051] the net weight of bottles was 0.8 kg [0052] the empty bottles were stored at room temperature for about 20 hrs; [0053] the bottles were then filled with fluid, closed and brought to the desired conditioning as follows: 1) room temperature, water, 24+-3 hrs; [0054] 2) -18° C., water+anti-freeze, 24+-3 hrs; B. A test run on a sample of 20 bottles included the following steps: [0055] definition of the zero height; [0056] selection of a starting height for the drop test; [0057] selection of a homogeneous step distance in order to ensure the use of at least three different heights for each bottle tested; [0058] rejection of the test if the impact was equivocal or if the cap was leaky; [0059] recording of the result in a grid shown in Table I; [0060] modification of the height by subtracting or adding one step distance depending upon whether the bottle broke or not; [0061] after 14 bottles were tested, [0062] 1) the test was interrupted if the number of ruptures N=7; [0063] 2) the test was continued until N=7, if N was <7; [0064] 3) the test was continued until the number of non-ruptures [0065] is 7, if N was >7 [0066] the calculation of the height of rupture HF was then given by the formula
wherein [0067] H0 is the minimum height, [0068] ΔH is the step distance, [0069] A is given by the product (i*nl) wherein ni represents the number of ruptures at each height considering only the last 7 ruptures and i is an integer 0, 1, 2, . . . indicating the number of steps above the minimum height H0, [0070] N is the total number of ruptures.
[0071] In all the tests performed either on the resins of the present invention or on the comparative resins, the bottles were dropped from a maximum height of 6.5 m. No ruptures occurred (nl=0 and i*nl=0).
[0072] On the VK1-4 machine, it is possible to incorporate fluoroelastomer in the resin allowing for very low transformation temperatures of from 140 to 180° C., preferably, around 160° C. These temperatures are 30 to 40° C. lower than the transformation temperature normally used.
[0073] The typical weight of the container can be reduced by as much as 50% if so desired.
[0074] It is also possible to produce coextruded plastic containers wherein the external layer is a metallocene-produced polyethylene and the internal layer is a polyethylene produced by any conventional method. The external layer represents from 5 to 14%, preferably about 10%, of the total wall thickness.
[0075] On the wheel machine, the transformation temperatures are higher than on the VK1-4 machine, they range from 170 to 190° C.
[0076] Additionally and quite surprisingly, the production rate is very high even though the melt index is low.
[0077] Several polyethylene resins were prepared and tested for swell, gloss, haze and drop.
Resins R1 and R2.
[0078] They are monomodal polyethylene resins produced with a chromium catalyst. Resin R1, commercialised under the name Finathene SR572, was prepared with a titanated supported chromium catalyst and resin R2, commercialised under the name Finathene 5502 was prepared with a supported chromium catalyst
Resin R3.
[0079] This is a bimodal polyethylene resin that was prepared with a conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyst.
Resin R4.
[0080] The polyethylene resin was obtained by continuous polymerisation in a loop slurry reactor with a supported and ionised metallocene catalyst prepared in two steps by first reacting SiO2 with MAO to produce SiO2.MAO and then reacting 94 wt % of the SiO2.MAO produced in the first step with 6 wt % of ethylene bis-(tetrahydroindenyl) zirconium dichloride. The dry catalyst was slurried in isobutane and pre-contacted with triisobutylaluminium (TiBAl, 10 wt % in hexane) before injection in the reactor. The reaction was conducted in a 70 l capacity loop reactor during ? hour with the polymerisation temperature being maintained at 85° C. The operating conditions are summarised in Table I.
Resin R5.
[0081] The polyethylene resin was obtained by continuous polymerisation in a loop slurry reactor with a supported and ionised metallocene catalyst prepared in two steps by first reacting SiO2 with MAO to produce SiO2.MAO and then reacting 96 wt % of the SiO2.MAO produced in the first step with 4 wt % of ethylene bis-(indenyl) zirconium. The dry catalyst was slurried in isobutane and pre-contacted with triisobutylaluminium (TiBAl, 10 wt % in hexane) before injection in the reactor. The reaction was conducted in a 70 I capacity loop reactor during ? hour with the polymerisation temperature being maintained at 90° C. The operating conditions are summarised in Table I.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE I Pol. Temp. TiBAl iC4 C2 C6 H2 Resin ° C. cm3/h kg/h Kg/h cm3/h Nl/h R4 90 120 26 9 50 1.2 R5 85 140 26 10 760 4.0
[0082] All these resins were prepared with hexene as comonomer.
[0083] The properties of these resins are summarised in Table II.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE II Density HLMI MI2 MW Resin g/cm3 g/10' g/10' Mn Mw Mz D R4 0.934 25.1 0.96 34083 88134 167888 2.6 R5 0.951 30.8 0.63 29037 134438 520624 4.6 R1 0.955 20 0.18 16222 212677 2198839 13.1 R2 0.953 17.65 0.19 19620 153558 1333100 7.8 R3 0.959 18.7 0.19 12100 214000 1528000 17.7
[0084] These five resins were extruded or coextruded with the VK-14 Battenfeld extruder or with the wheel configuration extruder under conditions summarised in Tables III and IV respectively. The die was 10 mm for all examples. The properties of the extruded articles so produced are also described in Tables III and IV.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE III Processing Bottle Int. Ext. Temp. weight gloss gloss Haze Resin ° C. g % % % R4 155 65 45 37 49 R4 155 30 51 44 40 R1 200 65 8.4 9.1 64
[0085] During processing, resin R4 showed very low swell and a transparent parison. The bottles obtained were very glossy and transparent as compared to those obtained with resin R1, R2 and R3.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE IV Process. Die Product. Bottle Swell in Temp Amper. gap rate weight diam. Resin ° C. A RPM1 mm Nb*/min g Mm R1 215 53 34 2.05 26 45 50 R2 190 53 34 2.05 28 41 47 R3 170 45 32 2.05 40 31 41 R4 205 45 30 2.05 40 28 38 R5 215 48 43 2.05 44 22 34 R4 190 55 56 2.71 40 39 41 RPM1 is the number of rotations per minute. Nb*/min is the number of bottles produced per minute
[0086] All the bottles produced from resins R4 and R5 had a very high gloss and it was observed that adjusting the equipment accordingly could have increased the rate of production.
[0087] The resins' properties are further displayed in FIGS. 1 to 4.
[0088] FIG. 1 displays the bottle's weight for the five resins tested.
[0089] FIG. 2 represents the swell in % as a function of shear rate.
[0090] FIG. 3 represents the production rate for the five resins tested.
[0091] FIG. 4 represents the gloss in % for resins R4 and R1 when used as external layer or as internal layer.
[0092] These four figures show unambiguously the improved qualities of swell and gloss of the plastic containers obtained with metallocene-produced polyethylene.
Patent applications by Eric Maziers, Seneffe BE
Patent applications in class Including application of internal fluid pressure to hollow finite length parison to expand same into conformity with female mold part
Patent applications in all subclasses Including application of internal fluid pressure to hollow finite length parison to expand same into conformity with female mold part
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text:
A highly virtualized datacenter is just the beginning for realizing large scale benefits like improved utilization and reduced costs. And with virtualization as the starting point, you can add on that foundation with highly agile and flexible services for private cloud computing.
To help you gain those benefits of virtualization and cloud computing quickly, HP and Microsoft are introducing the new HP VirtualSystem VS3 for Microsoft. This is a jointly architected solution based on the Microsoft Private Cloud FastTrack architecture, which couples HP Converged Infrastructure with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center. It integrates HP ProLiant Generation 8 servers, 3PAR F400 storage, and Virtual Connect Flexible Fabric into shared pools of interoperable resources—all managed through a common management platform that can save you precious time and resources.
The first HP VirtualSystems for Microsoft (VS1 and VS2) were introduced back in Oct. 18, 2011 and were primarily targeted at cost-conscious mid-market and small enterprise customers (VS1) and mid-size enterprise customers with more demanding requirements (VS2). And now HP has announced the latest member of the HP VirtualSystem for Microsoft family 'VS3' at MMS (April 17th2012) http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Converged-Infrastructure/How-HP-VirtualSystem-VS3-takes-Microsoft-Private-Cloud-to-New/ba-p/111221, that can meet the scalability, management and performance needs of the very largest organizations.
So what's new in HP VirtualSystem VS3 for Microsoft? Well first, it is built on tight management integration between System Center 2012 and the new version of HP Insight Control v7.01, which enables end-to-end management of your infrastructure and your applications. With System Center 2012 you can deliver applications on a self-service basis and manage them across private cloud environments. And with a new way to see what's happening inside the performance of your applications, you can remediate issues faster—before they become show-stoppers.
Second, HP VirtualSystem VS3 for Microsoft is built on the latest Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track reference architecture which means that it's pre-validated to deliver predictable, scalable performance based on proven specifications and deployment best practices.
Third, VS3 is built on HP ProLiant Generation 8 Servers that optimize performance for your most demanding workloads and gives you as much as 6x better performance than previous server generations. VS3 also takes advantage of 3PAR F400 storage with automated storage tiering that simplifies the provisioning, management and scale out for multiple workloads. And it is configured with HP's Virtual Connect Flexible Fabric networking, which enables the predictable performance, high availability, and comprehensive management needed to support large-scale virtualization and convergence implementations.
Speaking of performance, the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) announced new performance benchmarks for HP VirtualSystem for Microsoft at MMS http://www.esgontrack.com. These results show that Microsoft workloads, namely Exchange Server 2010 and SQL Server 2012, work best on a Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track platform like the HP VirtualSystem.
And finally, a consistent advantage across all versions of HP VirtualSystem for Microsoft (including the new VS3) is HP Factory Express services. This offering eliminates the need to rack, cable and configure the virtualized infrastructure yourself. It gives you built-in HP Start Services, where HP experts install and configure HP Insight Control and System Center 2012 for you and integrate HP VirtualSystem into your existing Active Directory environment. HP estimates that by taking advantage of a standard, factory-installed platform and proven integration services, you can save 50% of the cost of labor and self-installation and configuration – potentially a huge saving! And with several new consulting services that HP also announced http://www8.hp.com/us/en/business-services/it-services.html?compURL=1078262, you can get the help and support you need to make your journey to the cloud.
So if you are at MMS, I encourage you to check out the new HP VirtualSystem VS3 for Microsoft in the ServerQuarium, which is the infrastructure for all of the hands-on labs at the show. And if you are not able to get to Las Vegas, you can learn more about VS3 at the HP VirtualSystem website at http://www.hp.com/solutions/microsoft/virtualsystem. HP VirtualSystem VS3 for Microsoft is scheduled to be available to order in mid-summer.


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Product Overview
Main Features
- 42" Class
- PN-Y Series LED display
- digital signage
- 1080p (Full HD) 1920 x 1080
- edge-lit
Sharp's multi-purpose, user-friendly PN-Y425 LED display delivers your message with the eye-catching impact of Full HD resolution. Sized to match a wide variety of installation locations, this professional monitor performs equally well in public areas, offices, and retail spaces, whether in a landscape or a portrait orientation. A built-in USB media player supports playback of both still images and videos and allows the PN-Y425 to be used as a standalone signage solution even in the absence of a PC or network connection.


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Nearly 4,000 homes in North Kirklees are at risk of flooding, environment agency data reveals.
And Kirklees Council's own analysis ranks Kirklees as the seventh most at risk local authority throughout the country, excluding London boroughs and county councils.
There are 3,280 homes at risk in Dewsbury, with 2,598 deemed to be at significant risk. In Batley and Spen, 596 homes are at risk from flooding, with 213 at significant risk.
The data, collected by Friends of the Earth, follows weeks of flooding across the south of England. The organisation said the government is spending £500m less on flood defences than is required to keep pace with climate change.
At a Kirklees Council meeting last week, flooding expert Tom Ghee said 15 per cent of households in Kirklees were at risk of flooding from river, minor watercourses and surface water.
Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood said: "Local people should be very worried by the announcement from the head of the UK Statistics Agency who said that is a fact that public spending on tackling flooding between 2011 and 2015 is £247m less than it was in the preceding four years.
"This is on top of the massive job cuts the government has planned for the Environment Agency. This is a very troubling approach to such a serious and devastating problem."
Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Simon Reevell raised questions about the accuracy of the £500m figure. He also pointed out that it was not clear how the number of 'at risk' properties had been calculated. "I wouldn't want 2,598 families thinking they are at risk of flooding," he added.
"But the sensible point is that if this news about flooding doesn't tell people in local authorities not to build on flood plains, what will?"


text:
5 SEO Tips That Will Shoot Your Website To Page 1 Of Google
SEO tips are commonly thrown around on sites like forums and blogs, and of course there is some good information out there on the world wide web, but you've got to be careful.
Some ideas seem good at first but are really just bad information. Luckily, these SEO tips will always stand true, and if you aren't implementing them as a part of your strategy for better rankings then you will be missing out.
#1 – Use your main keyword in your domain name. More importantly, always go for a.com,.net, or.org domain. If your first choice is already taken, you can insert dashes between the words to still get your key phrase in there. Another alternative is to use what is known as a stop word or letter at the end. These are items that Google discounts as unimportant. Letters like X, Y, Z and words such as "and", "com" and "go". Googling a list of stop words will bring up a list of them for future reference.
#2 – Put your main keyword in your title tag. This is one of the best SEO tips by far that can give you great success. Properly title your page, but be careful – search engines will only display up to 70 characters in their
listings. Try to stay within this boundary and make sure that your title both describes the content of your page and is worthy of a click.
#3 – Use the header 1 tag to title your page. Place your main key phrase that you want to get ranked for in the H1 tag at the top of your page. I see a lot of websites neglecting to do this, but it's super important. You may have the urge to use a fancy graphic to name your site or page, but images aren't as search engine optimization friendly as good old fashioned practices.
Also, use your H2 tag for keyword variations or sub-key phrases on your site. This tag can be used as many times as you like on a page, but should be used beneath H1 to list sub topics or additional information.
#4 – Build a diverse collection of back links. This is probably one of the best SEO tips that I can give. Everyone gets crazy over dofollow and high page rank links, but diversity is key. This means getting links from articles, blog comments, forums, social bookmarking, video hosting sites, PDF document sharing sites and even getting links from different domain extensions as in.net,.uk,.co and.info.
#5 – Write solid content that has never been seen before. You've heard that content is king, well it really is true. You articles should be informative, entertaining, feature your keyword throughout and should contain other related search terms. You content should also be at least 500 words long, and it's OK if it offers common
knowledge found elsewhere, but it should have your special touch on it.
Listen. SEO tips are great, but you've got to have the whole picture to be successful online. Want to dominate the search results, get more traffic and make more money as a result? then go here.
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text: One of those Thursdays. Air, already, smells like Friday and weekend. Yet, obligations does not know which day, temperature and time is, so today's outfit was a version of a business look for +35 C. Comfortable and easy, at first place. Traffic jam and important meeting just needed important break after. A drop of juice, with lots of ice and few snacks of creme brulee. As I said, one of those particularly good Thursday.


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Cuts the SCARY, MEAN GUN factor by 10x!
Whereas THIS must be EVIL!
It is BLACK!
It has a Pistol grip! (sort of)
It is a semi-AUTOMATIC!
It has a high capacity magazine! (14 rounds)
Caliber is almost identical to that most evil of evil weapons, the M-16 (.22 vs .223)
PS "I remember reading somewhere of experiments where a number of popular .22 rifles, including a Nylon 66, were converted to fully automatic fire. It was found to be the speed king of all the .22's tested, with a cyclic rate of fire that far exceeded that of any conventional machine gun in the world."
Does Sen Feinstein know about this?
Wow! That's gotta be the eeeeevulest thing ever!
Quick! Paint it pink. Otherwise, it might jump up, run around, and start shooting randomly.
Polymer frame too. The horror!
First production polymer frame in the world.
Nylon 66
Whew !! Mine's brown.
I own one. Had it since about 1975. Great little rifle. Has a cheap tasco scope on it and when I used to shoot a lot at 50 yds it would put round after round in virtually the same hole. Prolly a couple thousand rounds through it and never cleaned other than a squirt of CLP every now and then. No jams, not one.
Don't know exactly why Remington replaced it.
Apparently not, since she specifically exempted .22 rimfire rifles with fixed tubular magazines, even if they can hold more than 10 evil baby poisoning lead bullets.
Now if it had been a nearly identical Nylon 77, which had a removable box magazine, and was never popular, it would be banned under FineSwine's bill.


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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The chief Brexit negotiators of the European Union and Britain began talks on Monday by stressing the need to quickly tackle uncertainties in the process and underlining their constructive attitude to reach a deal that is good for all.
The European Union's Michel Barnier said he hoped the talks, starting almost a year to the day after a British referendum vote to leave the EU, would establish a timetable for the negotiations.
"We must first tackle the uncertainties caused by Brexit - first for citizens but also for the beneficiaries of the EU policies and for the impact on borders, in particular Ireland," Barnier told reporters at the start of the talks.
"I hope that today we can identify priorities and a timetable that would allow me to report to the European Council later this week that we had a constructive opening of negotiations," he said.
Britain's Brexit minister David Davis said London wanted a deep and special relationship with the EU after the divorce and that he would conduct the talks in a constructive tone.
"There's more that unites us than divides us, so while there will undoubtedly be challenging times ahead of us in the negotiations, we will do all that we can to ensure that we deliver a deal that works in the best interests of all citizens," Davis said.
"To that end we are starting this negotiation in a positive and constructive tone, determined to build a strong and special partnership between ourselves and our European allies and friends for the future," he said.
Reporting By Jan Strupczewski and Elizabeth Miles; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Gareth Jones