Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Automotive paints have used an ultraviolet (UV) absorbing clear coat system for nearly thirty years. These clear coats have become of forensic interest when comparing paint transfers and paint samples from suspect vehicles. Clear coat samples and their ultraviolet absorbers are not typically examined or characterized using Raman spectroscopy or microspectrophotometry (MSP), however some past research has been done using MSP. Chemometric methods are also not typically used for this characterization. In this study, Raman and MSP spectra were collected from the clear coats of 245 American and Australian automobiles. Chemometric analysis was subsequently performed on the measurements. Sample preparation was simple and involved peeling the clear coat layer and placing the peel on a foil-covered microscope slide for Raman or a quartz slide with no cover slip for MSP. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering suggested three classes of spectra, and principal component analysis confirmed this. Factor loadings for the Raman data illustrated that much of the variance between spectra came from specific regions (400 – 465 cm-1, 600 – 660 cm-1, 820 – 885 cm-1, 950 – 1050 cm-1, 1740 – 1780 cm-1, and 1865 – 1900 cm-1). For MSP, the regions of highest variance were between 230 – 270 nm and 290 – 370 nm. Discriminant analysis showed that the three classes were well-differentiated with a cross-validation accuracy of 92.92% for Raman and 91.98% for MSP. Analysis of variance attributed differentiability of the classes to the regions between 400 – 430 cm-1, 615 – 640 cm-1, 825 – 880 cm-1, 1760 – 1780 cm-1, and 1860 – 1900 cm-1 for Raman spectroscopy. For MSP, these regions were between 240 – 285 nm and 300 – 370 nm. External validation results were poor due to excessively noisy spectra, with a prediction accuracy of 51.72% for Raman and 50.00% for MSP. No correlation was found between the make, model, and year of the vehicles using either method of analysis.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Lasers are commonly used in the industry for various applications such as laser cutting, laser drilling, lithography, medical applications, surface cleaning and a myriad of other applications. In any application of a laser the beam properties are significant. In the paint removal application discussed in this thesis, the beam properties of the laser beam can have a large impact on the efficiency of the paint removal process. The pulse energy or the average output power of the laser is normally an important parameter in laser materials processing applications. The spatial profile or intensity distribution of the beam also has an influence on the process. The propagation of the laser beam from the laser to the working point is also significant in applying the laser beam to the material. In the ideal scenario one would like to control all the parameters of the laser in terms of the output, in energy or output power, the propagation of the laser beam and the intensity distribution of the beam. The process of laser-based paint removal is no different to this. In this process a TEA CO2 laser is used for the ablation of paint from a substrate. In this application high pulse energy is required from the laser together with good beam propagation properties for delivery of the beam over a long distance. For this application the multimode beam of the TEA CO2 laser can be applied for the paint removal. The multimode beam has sufficiently high pulse energy for the paint removal process, but is not suitable for propagating over long distances through a beam path with a finite aperture. Furthermore the multimode beam does not have a uniform energy intensity distribution. It would therefore be ideal if the TEA CO2 laser could be designed with a custom beam that has a uniform intensity distribution, high pulse energy and good beam propagation. These requirements lead to the study of flattened irradiance profile laser beams. In this thesis flattened irradiance profile beams in the form of Flattened Gaussian beams are investigated. The theory of the Flattened Gaussian profile as well as the propagation of the beam is investigated. Furthermore the generation of such a beam internally to the laser resonator is studied. In succession to this a custom laser resonator was designed and implemented on the TEA CO2 laser. The resulting Flattened Gaussian Beam was characterised and applied to the application of laser paint removal. It was finally shown that the Flattened Gaussian Beam could be successfully generated and applied with equal success in the application of laser paint removal. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Lasers word algemeen in die industrie gebruik vir toepassings soos laser snywerk, laser boorwerk, litografie, mediese toepassings, oppervlakreiniging en verskeie ander. In enige toepassing van 'n laser is die eienskappe van die laserbundel van groot belang vir die proses. In die verf verwydering toepassing wat bespreek word in hierdie tesis het die bundel eienskappe 'n groot invloed op die effektiwiteit van die verf stropings proses. Die pulsenergie of uitset drywing van die laser is gewoonlik 'n belangrike parameter in 'n materiaalverwerkings toepassing. Die ruimtelike profiel of energie intensiteitprofiel van die bundel het ook 'n invloed op die proses. Die voortplanting van die bundel vanaf die laser na die werkspunt het ook 'n beduidende invloed op die toepassing van die laserbundel op die materiaal. In die ideale geval sal mens graag al die parameters van die laserbundel soos pulsenergie of drywing, die bundel voortplanting en energie intensiteitprofiel wil beheer. Die toepassing van die laser vir verfverwydering vereis ook die beheer van hierdie unieke parameters wat reeds genoem is. In hierdie proses is 'n TEA CO2 laser gebruik vir die verwydering van verf van 'n substraat. Die toepassing vereis hoë pulsenergie saam met goeie bundel voortplantingseienskappe vir lewering van die bundel oor lang afstande. Die multimode bundel van die laser kan gebruik word vir hierdie toepassing. Die multimode bundel bevat genoegsame energie vir die verfstropings proses maar is nie geskik vir voortplanting oor lang afstande deur 'n bundelpad wat 'n beperking op die bundel grootte het nie. Verder het die multimode bundel ook nie 'n uniforme energie intensiteitprofiel nie. Dit sou ideal wees as die TEA CO2 laser toegerus kon word met 'n toepassingsgerigte bundel wat hoë puls energie, goeie bundel voortplanting en 'n uniforme intensiteitprofiel het. Hierdie vereiste het gelei tot die studie van laserbundels met 'n uniforme plat energie intensiteitprofiel. In hierdie tesis word plat intensiteit bundels in die vorm van plat Gaussiese bundels ondersoek. Die teorie van plat Gaussiese bundels sowel as die voortplanting van hierdie bundels word hier ondersoek. Verder word die opwekking van hierdie bundels intern tot die laserresonator ook ondersoek. Na die ondersoek is daar oorgegaan in die ontwerp en implementering van 'n doelgemaakte resonator op 'n TEA CO2 laser. Die resonator het 'n plat Gaussiese bundel as uitset gelewer. Die bundel was gevolglik gekarakteriseer en aangewend in 'n verfstropings toepassing. Ten einde is daar getoon dat 'n plat Gaussiese bundel suksesvol opgewek en toegepas kon word.

In my work, traditional printmaking techniques are pushed to their limits as a foundation for cut-paper installations and sculptures. The work reflects on notions of interiority and exteriority in relation to the body and nature, drawing from my experiences in meditation to create a two and three-dimensional visual play primarily using paper. Because of their illustrative looseness, the biomorphic structures convey a variety of sensations, shapes, and movements that are related to the interior of the body and exterior forces in nature. In this report, I plan to discuss topics of process, materiality, sensation, objecthood and phenomenology within the context of my work and as these topics relate to other artists such as: Lee Bontecou, Francis Bacon, Oskar Fischinger, Richard Serra, and Judy Pfaff. I also plan to indicate a contemporary and art historical context for the work, placing my pieces within a specific canon of visual culture. / text

<p>Due to the technical development the enterprises of today are forced to creative thinking when it comes to marketing of their products. An example of one of these new methods are the development of product placement which has come to an interesting turn namely advertiser funded programming (AFP). Instead of the product just being a small part of the storyline it has become the story itself. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the advertiser funded tv-production Roomservice, a Swedish home styling program, communicates with it’s viewers as well as how they perceive the message. The study is based on qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey. The results showed that Roomservice is communicating without an obvious source but still clearly reaching the viewers with its message. Information about paint and painting are frequently shown in the program. This has affected the viewers in means of higher appreciation of the product. The most thrilling and unexpected result was the fact that a big part of the respondents were valuing the product higher and therefore willing to spend more money on paint after having seen Roomservice. The information also gets the viewers more engaged in the subject of paint and a small but important group was even looking for more information about things they’ve seen in the program. A big majority stated that Roomservice made them feel a stronger desire to paint, due to these results it can only be said that Roomservice has had influence on the viewers. Finally, the study showed that in order to create a successful advertiser funded production the integration of the product must be done correctly, as well as the ability of the production to work as tv-entertainment.</p>

Ce travail porte sur la synthèse et la caractérisation de nouveaux pigments thermochromes irréversibles avec le cobalt divalent pour chromophore principal en vue de les intégrer à une peinture thermosensible commerciale.Le travail a été réalisé en suivant trois phases. La première phase a consisté en l’identification de matrices thermosensibles présentant des évolutions structurales irréversibles en température dues à des transitions de phase du premier ordre ou des dégradations chimiques. Puis la synthèse de ces matrices a été effectuée par des voies compatibles avec les méthodes d’élaboration industrielle et permettant un dopage au cobalt. Enfin la troisième et dernière étape est l’étude in-situ et ex-situ des propriétés thermosensibles des pigments synthétisés à l’aide de techniques comme la diffraction des rayons X et des neutrons en température, l’analyse thermogravimétrique et la réflexion diffuse en température.À l’issue de ce travail de recherche, les solutions les plus efficaces ont été synthétisées à l’échelle industrielle puis intégrées à une peinture commerciale en phase aqueuse. / This work deals with the development of new thermochromic pigment which will be the active part of an irreversible thermochromic paint.The studies moved towards three steps. Firstly, an identification of crystalline matrix offering structural rearrangement in temperature because of first order phase transition or chemical degradation were performed. Then the identified matrix were synthesised thanks to synthesis routes compatible with industrial procedures. The third and last step consisted in the in-situ and ex-situ characterization of thermochromic properties of the synthesized compounds with technics like temperature coupled X-ray and neutrons diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and temperature coupled diffuse reflectance analysis.The most efficient compounds were then industrially synthesized and integrated to a commercial aqueous paint.

Lead (Pb), a trace metal notorious for its impacts on human health, has achieved worldwide environmental dispersal resulting from centuries of use by human society. The toxicity of Pb is governed largely by its mineral form, which is in turn controlled by pH, localized reactivity and soil processes that differ according to soil type, location and Pb source. Given the context of these localized dependencies, or site specificity, efforts to predict Pb toxicity and refine sustainable remediation techniques are most useful when Pb behavior is constrained and predicted within environments with homogeneous conditions, such as a single soil. I evaluated and predicted the behavior of Pb, a typical anthropogenic contaminant, within a single soil using bioaccessibility testing and predictive geospatial modeling to assess potential impacts and refine sustainable remediation methods. To test the hypothesis that Pb speciation is influenced by competitive sorption processes in soils, I investigated changes in mobility and speciation of Pb upon addition of amendments at multiple scales using flow-through column experiments, soil characterization and synchrotron-based x-ray techniques. Kriging and cokriging maps provided a successful estimation of background and total Pb, the latter incorporating housing age as a secondary variable to increase model accuracy, though efforts to automate detection of background Pb were complicated by approximation of building extents, and overall heterogeneity of soil Pb concentration gives high error. Acute Pb heterogeneity is observed at the scale of a single site among near-structure samples. At the city-scale, determination of bioaccessibility revealed that bioaccessible and total Pb are well-correlated, to the extent that bioaccessibility may be predicted for the soil underlying Burlington, VT; this information, combined with predictive blood lead level modeling and the CDC's recent establishment of 5 μg kg-1 as a threshold for blood lead toxicity, enabled the establishment of a site-specific revised soil Pb limit of 360 mg kg-1, lower than the EPA's general soil Pb threshold of 400 mg kg-1. Characterization of leached and unleached soil using scanning electron microscope energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and microfocused x-ray techniques provided a first look at Pb paint species using synchrotron technologies. Pb was present within paint chips as hydrocerussite, but appeared to weather to anglesite over time. Pb also seemed to act as cation bridge, attracting clay minerals electrostatically and becoming incorporated into heterogeneous soil aggregates. Accessory paint elements are identified in soil and within paint chips and may further complicate these systems. Column experiments, at acidic pH, yielded little evidence of Pb mobility change in response to modification of competitive sorbents. Kinetics of Pb release were driven by pH, with Pb solubilizing at pH of ˜4.9 as column soil acidifies. This work provides evidence for changes in Pb speciation over time in urban soils impacted by Pb paint, and presents a framework for predictive risk analysis at a local site using experimental and modeling tools. Multiscale observations and analytical results can be used in future efforts to model and refine sustainable remediation solutions within a site-specific context.

This study determined whether an association exists between the perception of western wear status symbols and demographic characteristics {i.e., gender, age, income, and education level) among Texas American Paint Horse Association members.

Measurement and mapping of the pressure distribution across the surface of a suitably scaled model is an integral step in the design of any aircraft or automobile. For this purpose, the traditional workhorses of the aeronautic and automotive industries have been pressure taps--small orifices that contain electronic pressure transducers. Unfortunately, in addition to the limited spatial resolution achievable with such devices, their technical complexity and cost constitute serious disadvantages. For more than 35 years, researchers have pursued a fundamentally different alternative: indirect measurement of pressure via oxygen-induced quenching of the luminescence emitted by certain chemical species. Porphyrin complexes of dipositive palladium and especially platinum have emerged as one of the principal classes of oxygen-sensitive luminophores; ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes comprise another. Various other metals also form luminescent coordination complexes that are susceptible to quenching by O2, however, and these too have contributed to the diversity of luminophores that are now available for incorporation into pressure-sensitive paints and related films and coatings. After treating the photophysics of luminescence quenching by molecular oxygen and quantitative descriptions of this phenomenon in the ideal case and in heterogeneous media, the thesis presents a comprehensive survey of the chemical literature on oxygen-sensitive luminophores. Efforts to prepare and characterize a novel porphyrin-pillared mixed zirconium phosphonate are then detailed. Following complexation of Pt(II) ions by the porphyrin moieties, this material is expected to display oxygen-sensitive luminescence and should ameliorate such difficulties as luminophore aggregation and matrix photodegradation that are associated with many existing pressure-responsive coatings. Its preparation necessitated preliminary formation of a porphyrin functionalized with two phenylphosphonic acid groups, which was obtained by synthesizing dipyrromethane and diethyl 4-formylphenylphosphonate and condensing these two precursors. The mixed phosphonate, a layered material assembled from ZrOCl2 · 8H2O, methylphosphonic acid, and the aforementioned porphyrin, was then prepared in refluxing HF. Solid-state 31P NMR spectra and powder X-ray diffraction patterns were acquired for the final product, its estimated interlayer spacing of 22.8 Å figuring prominently in analysis and discussion of the X-ray data.

With painting I find myself asking a lot of questions and finding very few answers, but I think it is a healthy and necessary process. This constant questioning parallels life outside of art for that reason. Life is full of unanswerable questions, and that is part of the reason why I make paintings. It is a strange way of accepting and dealing with the unknown. In this thesis I explain my relationship to the practice of painting. I reveal the actual processes I go through when making a painting, and investigate the content, or lack thereof, in my abstract paintings.

The creative process offers me an escape and tranquility worthy of sharing. When creating art, I reflect on the people, places, and things that move me. I convey my frame of mind through the brush to the canvas. The result is intense strokes of color that deliver clarity of emotion for others to experience. The intention of my work is to share a world that satisfies the eyes, mind, and soul. There is something about each piece that I hope will keep the viewer returning to absorb, contemplate, and enjoy.