No description available.

ABSTRACT Introduction Laboratory fume hoods are mechanical devices used to extract harmful vapours from indoor workplaces in order to prevent human exposure thereto. Laboratory fume hoods are considered an engineering control in the hierarchy of control and are ubiquitous in the modern laboratory. Protection offered by the fume hood depends on whether it is performing according to its original design. This performance needs to be maintained for as long as the fume hood is in use. Gaining a better understanding of this performance and the limitations of the fume hood are essential in ensuring constant operator protection. No performance or measurement standard to which fume hoods need to comply exists in South Africa. The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act no. 85 of 1993) requires engineering controls to be evaluated every 24 months. The Act does not stipulate how such evaluations need to be conducted. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) of the South African Police Service has 49 fume hoods installed in its facility in Silverton, Pretoria. The FSL set a performance standard for its fume hoods at 0.51 m.s-1 ± 20% average across the face of the fume hood. The FSL selected the ANSI/ASHRAE 110 test method to evaluate the performance of its fume hoods against this standard. v Objectives The first objective of the study was to measure face velocities of fume hoods as installed in a forensic science laboratory and calculate the averages, and to determine whether these comply with the set standard. The second objective was to measure face velocities of fume hoods as installed in a forensic science laboratory and calculate the average in order to determine their performance over time. The third study objective was to observe laboratory fume hoods as installed in a forensic science laboratory to see whether fans were operational each month for 11 months (i.e. down time). Methods 10 Observations and 10 tests were carried out on each fume hood. Observations related to whether fume hood fans were functioning or not. Testing was a measure of performance and required the actual measurement of face velocities. A calibrated thermal anemometer was used to take velocity measurements. Measurements taken represent standard velocities. Fume hood faces were divided into imaginary grids not exceeding 30 cm x 30 cm. Velocity measurements were taken at the centre points of these grids. The arithmetic means were calculated for these measurements. The mean of the test means was then vi calculated for every fume hood. This, so that a comparison could be made between the mean and the set standard. Observations indicated that at the onset of the study 14% of fume hoods were not operational. By the end of the study 27% were not operational. A decline of 13% over the study period. At one point during the study 47% of the fume hoods were not functioning. Results 82% of the fume hood population performed outside the standard. 12% underperformed at less than 0.41 m.s-1 while 70% overperformed at velocities exceeding 0.61 m.s-1. ANOVA and regression analyses revealed that performance of the fume hoods over time remained fairly constant (e.g. regression analyses p-value = 0.8538). Discussion and conclusion Fume hood operability and performance results indicate the need for urgent investigation into the correct use of this resource within the FSL. Results are less than satisfactory with the health of laboratory personnel being potentially compromised. Comprehensive procurement, installation, operating and testing procedures need to be compiled, or if available, reviewed and implemented. Further study into the performance of the fume hoods may also be necessary using additional performance indicators.

Under unsaturated conditions, both moisture flow and the transport of ions strongly depend on the degree of saturation in concrete. In the current literature, most theories and empirical models describe moisture flow and the transport of ions in concrete based on the assumption that concrete is fully submerged in a liquid phase. This simplistic assumption often leads to a systematic underestimation in the amount of ions, such as chlorides, especially in the case of concrete applications subjected to cyclic wetting and drying conditions. In this study, an experimental program was established to determine the key hydraulic parameters needed for modeling the moisture flow and the transport of ions in five types of concrete mixes under unsaturated conditions. The required hydraulic parameters of the five concrete mixes include the saturated hydraulic permeability, the moisture retention function, and the dependency of the relative diffusion coefficient on degree of saturation. A centrifuge technique was used to determine the saturated hydraulic permeability of the five concrete mixes. The moisture retention data of all concrete mixes were determined using a vapour equilibrium technique. The moisture retention data were then used to determine the van Genuchten empirical parameters for an analytical characterization of the capillary pressure-degree of water saturation and the relative permeability-degree of saturation relationships. The dependency of the relative diffusion coefficient on the degree of water saturation was characterized for each type of concrete mix indirectly using an electrical resistivity technique. The experimental results of this study were used in different empirical models that have been originally developed for soils to examine whether they could be applied for concrete The five concrete mixes used in this study were characterized by the usage of a different proportion of dry densified silica fume in each concrete mix. Those mixes were used to determine the effect of silica fume on the experimental and the empirical key hydraulic parameters considered in this study.

Thesis (MAppSc)--University of South Australia, 1995

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 235 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-216).

From constructing buildings to manufacturing ships, welding is the structural backbone to numerous industries. With over one hundred welding techniques, primarily driven by the base metals, filler rods, electrodes, and environmental factors, welding is a major process used in industry, commerce, and service sectors. The focus of this research is to understand the fumes generated by the Tungsten Inert-Gas (TIG) welding on Aluminum-Lithium Alloy (Al-Li Alloy), estimate applicable emission factors, and identify the heavy metal concentrations of lead, manganese, and chromium. Although there are numerous metals and various welding procedures this study will focus on three main factors: 1. Base metals comprised of Aluminum Lithium Alloy 2195 and 2219 an agehardened copper containing aluminum alloy 2. Weld wire 4043 comprised of aluminum silicone and 2319 comprised of copper silicone 3. Weld techniques of Variable Polarity Plasma Arc (VVPA) and Tungsten inertgas (TIG).

Fume, sub-micron aerosal particles in the combustion gases, have been identified as a cause of extensive plugging and fouling in the heat transfer section of a kraft recovery boiler in kraft pulp mills. After the deposition on the heat transfer surface, fume deposits will undergo the sintering process which causes densification and hardening, making them hard to remove. There has been relatively little information available on the kinetics of the sintering of fume particles, and no information on the modeling of the sintering process of this particular material. No conclusion about the effect of chloride species on the sintering of fume particles has been made. A series of sintering tests in air at various temperatures were conducted using dense pellets made from a specific fume dust which contains a low amount of chlorides. Each pellet was heated at a constant temperature, ranging from 300��C to 550��C, for a different time interval. By the study of the microstructural change of each sintered specimen, the initial stage, intermediate stage, and final stage of sintering were identified. By the presence of an empirical constant K���, the relative linear shrinkage data in the initial stage sintering fit well with the model proposed by Kingery and Berg��� when volume diffusion is the controlling mechanism. By the presence of an empirical constant K2 and the application of grain growth data, the porosity-time data in the intermediate stage sintering fit well with the model proposed by Coble����� when volume diffusion is the controlling mechanism. The apparent activation energy obtained from the initial stage sintering is equal to 54.5 �� 27.7 kcal/mol which is in good agreement with the apparent activation energy obtained from the intermediate stage sintering which is equal to 56.0 �� 31.3 kcal/mol. A semi-empirical model for the sintering process of this particular well-packed fume dust was formulated. The model does not apply well to the loosely packed fume dust due to some unidentified factors The same experiment was carried out for the other fume dust which contains a high amount of chloride. By the use of the fractional density, the qualitative comparison of the sintering of the low chloride and high chloride dusts was made. At low temperatures, the sintering rate of the high chloride fume dust is lower than that of the low chloride fume dust. At high temperatures, both dusts have the same sintering rate and can sinter close to the theoretical density. It is postulated here that the retarded grain growth rate for the high chloride dust can improve the densification process in the intermediate stage sintering. / Graduation date: 1996

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The thermal plasma production of fumed silica in a transferred arc consists of the decomposition of quartz to SiO (g) and oxygen followed by an oxidizing quench back to SiO2. The particles formed have diameters of the order of 10 to 20 nm and are linked in a three dimensional branched chain aggregate. Previous work by Addona and Munz (1999) demonstrated the technical feasibility of producing fumed silica using this method, but was unable to demonstrate the special rheological properties of the powder. The most important characteristic of fumed silica is the presence of hydroxyls on the surface of the particles, in the form of isolated hydroxyl groups, hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups and siloxane groups. / In the present work, we studied the changes in the powder quality by varying the quench conditions used for the production of the powder and by agglomerating the obtained particles. The fumed silica was agglomerated by conveying in a length of tubing with sharp bends. The powder was characterized using BET, Viscosity tests, FT-IR, TEM, SEM and XRD. The product was compared to both a commercial product (Aerosil 200) and the material previously produced by Addona. Tests were done before and after the agglomeration experiments. / The experimental results showed that the agglomeration had no effect on the powder's rheological properties. We concluded that the smaller viscosity values obtained for the plasma produced fumed silica were due to the lack of the free hydroxyl groups from the surface of the particles.

No description available.