December 19th, 2009
sunny asked:
Wood plastic composites, often used for such things as outdoor decking, are one of the fastest growing components of the wood composites industry. Some projections have suggested that these products, which were used for less than 1 percent of decking in the mid-1990s, may capture 20 percent of that market by 2010.
“Composite products made from wood and plastic are highly desirable for their low maintenance and ability to resist rot,” said Kaichang Li, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Wood Science and Engineering. “But their use has been limited because of high cost and low strength, a result of inadequate adhesion between the wood fibers and plastic.”
Fundamentally, Li said, this is because wood and plastic are like oil and water, and do not mix well. Wood is hydrophilic – it absorbs water – and plastic is hydrophobic, repelling it. A “compatibilizer,” typically a polymer that bridges the interface between the wood and plastic in these products, improves stress transfer and increases their strength and stiffness.
The new wood plastic composites use superior compatibilizers developed in Li’s laboratory, and an innovative technology for mixing wood and thermoplastics such as nylons, in which the melting temperature of the plastic is higher than the wood degradation temperature.
With this approach, the new wood-plastic composites can use very inexpensive plastics such as those found in old carpet fibers – about 4.4 billion pounds of which are now wasted every year, going into landfills where they are extremely slow to biodegrade and pose a significant waste disposal problem.
They could also open the door for improved utilization of low-grade woody biomass from needed thinning of Oregon forests, which is increasingly being done to improve forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfire. A better “value added” use for that wood fiber could be important, experts say.
The technology may prompt a major expansion of the wood plastic composite industry into new types of products and uses, experts say. In particular, such products may help further replace wood treated with chemical preservatives, some of which have already been banned due to health and environmental concerns.
Hanna Hunt
Tags: Oil And Water, Osu Department, Woody Biomass
Posted in Business | 1 Comment »
December 18th, 2009
Beth Fork asked:
Plastic Pallets – why are they used
Pallets are more commonly made from wood, but today you also come across pallets that are available in plastic and many places across Europe use them. There are advantages to using plastic pallet trucks over wooden pallets such as they are easier to clean and they are more hygienic, they don’t soak in any odors, they have a longer life span and a lighter weight and so its easier to maneuver them. Many people in the food industry use plastic pallets due to hygiene regulations (HACCP) but they do tend to be more expensive than wooden pallets, plastic pallet trucks are becoming increasingly popular although 90% of pallets are made from wood and 2% are made from plastic.
How to choose the best plastic pallet for its job
It is essential to choose the right kind of pallet for the job at hand, if you choose the wrong pallets you won’t be able to use them and you may have wasted your money. How can you be sure you are buying the right plastic pallets for the right job? You’ll need to know how much weight the pallets will be expected to hold, what type of pallet truck do you own and will the new plastic pallets work with your pallet truck, or you’ll need to consider this if you are purchasing a new pallet truck, are the pallets going to be used for shipping, and ask yourself will you need stackable pallets for example how much space do you have to store unused pallets.
Your pallet truck and your plastic pallets
There is no point in buying plastic pallets if the pallet truck you own does not cater for plastic pallets, unless you are wanting to buy a new pallet truck or exchange it. Some pallet trucks are better suited to some pallets than others and so it is important to check before you buy your pallets. Plastic pallets come in all different shapes and sizes and so check the measurements of your pallet truck when ordering your plastic pallets and the shape to ensure the forks will fit into the pallets.
Kallie Reeves
Tags: Plastic Pallet, Right Job, Shape
Posted in Business | 4 Comments »
December 18th, 2009
John Steel asked:
In the past, automakers designed headlight lenses made from glass so they were limited in the size and shape they could produce. Since then, auto manufacturers began designing cars with plastic headlights. This modification mainly occurred due to the change in the design of cars—cars became lighter and more aerodynamic, plus plastic was by far less expensive to produce than glass. Today this plastic material is the chosen choice because it is very light and can be transformed into unlimited sizes and shapes to satisfy new car designs.
Polycarbonate has its advantages but also has its disadvantages—namely oxidation / discoloration. To the naked eye one cannot tell that these plastic lenses are actually a porous material that expands ever so slightly when it gets hot. Degradation of the lens occurs over time. Having your headlights on or being exposed to the heat of the day causes the pores to open allowing debris from the road to get in. Debris, together with a combination of environmental factors such as the sun (UV rays), smog, acid rain, car exhaust, and harsh chemicals used to wash you car can cause the plastic headlight lenses to become oxidized.
Plastic oxidation leads to lens discoloration, which transforms new, clear, bright, shiny plastic to a dull yellow tint that appears to be foggy, hazy, or cloudy. This process (oxidation), as described above, not only becomes an eyesore but also is unsafe. Because of the degradation of the plastic lens, less light passed through resulting in diminished visibility during night driving. The car owner either had to deal with these cloudy yellow, oxidized headlight lenses posing serious safety issues or purchase expensive replacement headlights costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.
“The Headlight Solution” at www.headlightsolution.net wants the public to know and learn how to restore, clean, polish, and clear those cloudy, yellow plastic headlight lenses on their own without putting more money into the car manufacturer’s pocket. One can restore headlights to like-new condition by taking off the top layer of oxidized plastic. This can be achieved through polishing, wet sanding, or through the use of chemicals. Auto manufacturers would rather you go to them for a headlight repair (charging as much as $150) or headlight replacement ($100-$1,000). The top layer of plastic on the headlights contains a UV polymer that retards or slows down the aging of the plastic lens. Therefore, it is important to use a polish (containing UV polymers) or UV coating to slow down the oxidation or discoloration of the lens. Parking your car in the shade or garage, or maintaining the lens by washing, waxing, and polishing a minimum of every three months, could avoid damage to the headlight lens.
“The Headlight Solution” specializes in headlight restoration. The products we use on a daily basis to renew headlights are indeed the products we sell. Rest assured that when placing an order for any of our headlight restoration kits you are getting the real deal and top quality products. Our business is restoring headlights on used vehicles, as well as restoring the emergency lighting on service vehicles. We not only come to your home or place of business to refinish your headlight lens, but also sell a headlight cleaner or headlight lens cleaner. As a matter of fact, we sell two types of plastic lens cleaners:
1. Basic Headlight Restoration Kit (for light discoloration)
2. Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit (for more severe discoloration)
Both kits work extremely well. Choosing a kit depends on the severity of your vehicle’s lenses. Our kits are very easy to use and do not require the use of special tools or training. Beware of kits that offer backing plates and drill attachments. While they may save time, they may cause irreversible damage due to various drill speeds causing burning or swirls in the plastic lens. First-time users should avoid these kits because it takes skill and practice to control the drill from making these mistakes and possibly slipping off and ruining a perfectly fine paint job.
In our Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit, we even supply a small roll of blue painters tape to mask your headlight to protect your paint job during the restoration process. Along with both kits, one also receives a step-by-step brochure outlining how to clean headlights appropriately to obtain bright, shiny headlamps while restoring optical clarity to your lenses. Both of our kits carry a satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with either of our products, simply return the remaining contents of the kit for a full refund. If anyone has any questions while reconditioning their headlamps, feel free to email us and one of our trained technicians can walk you through the quick and easy process of headlight restoration.
Got Yellow Headlight Lenses? Need a Headlight Cleaner? Want Us to Restore Your Vehicle’s Yellow Headlight Lenses? Contact The Headlight Solution.
Astrid Kim
Tags: Car Exhaust, Oxidation, Uv Rays
Posted in Automotive | 20 Comments »
December 17th, 2009
Robert Johnston asked:
If you have been going around the Internet looking at business card designs then you probably encountered a lot of wild and creative layouts. There those business cards with wild shapes. There are those with seeds placed inside them. Also there are others that are made from rubber, metal wood and plastic. By far however, the plastic business card is the most practical of them all. If you haven’t yet thought about printing plastic business cards this may be the time to consider them. A lot of online business card printing services are offering plastic printing these days, including business cards. This is because there are a lot of advantages in printing in plastic.
One of these advantages is its longevity. plastic business cards can, invariably last forever. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, so if you print your color business cards on it, your cards will last your lifetime, and even more. This presents some very good advantages to your business cards. On your end, you can print a lot of plastic business cards all at once. You won’t worry about them fading or tearing as you wait for business contacts to give them away to. On the receiving end, your contacts will always have your business card. Since it won’t easily tear, break or get damaged, they will always have a reliable printout to get your contact details easily. You will be their contact forever in a sense.
Besides staying power however, as was discussed, plastic business cards are very durable. Not only are they resistant to water and dust, they are also tear and scratch proof. This means that whatever happens to your business card, be it be thrown in a river, forgotten in the washing machine or run over by a truck it will still retain its structure to a reasonable degree. It will survive in environments where normal paper business cards cannot last.
Along with the staying power of its structure, a plastic business card also can maintain its color quality in a very long amount of time. Unlike paper business cards which run the risk of ink smudging when exposed to water, plastic business cards have the colors “locked in”. This means it will never “run” like ink in paper, and it will never fade as time passes. The colors and images will almost be always like the first print of the business card.
Of course, as a final note, plastic business cards still offer the advantages of a normal business card, if not more. It is a vehicle for your contact information and professional image. Your business contacts will appreciate the nature of your plastic business card. You can consider is as a mark of an undying partnership in business and a stamp of never-ending loyalty and friendship.
So, on your next visit to your online printing service check if they offer plastic business card printing. If they do, don’t miss the opportunity to print your name and contact details in undying plastic.
Katharine Robbins
Tags: Business Contacts, Plastic Business Cards, Water And Dust
Posted in Printing | 2 Comments »
December 16th, 2009
Jose asked:
I don’t understand why they put the plastic insulator in the car door. It looks like you won’t have any problem without it. I just replace one window regulator in my car door and throw the plastic insulator away.
Arlene Alvarez
Tags: Car Door, Insulator, Window Regulator
Posted in Maintenance & Repairs | 3 Comments »
December 15th, 2009
Gareth Parkin asked:
Choosing the perfect plastic pens for your business promotion means considering who will use it, when, where and what you’re trying to say about your company. Of course, budget plays a role as well. From grip to clip, you want to make sure you make all the proper considerations before ordering hundreds or thousands of writing sticks.
Ink Type
While nearly all plastic pens used for promotion are ballpoint, there are gel, rollerball and highlighter pens available as well. Ballpoint pens are the least expensive and least desirable. They are, however, the easiest to use and last longer than gel pens and nearly as long as those with a rollerball. The pasty ink tends to dry out within a month or two and even a little dirt can render a ballpoint pen unusable.
Rollerball, gel and highlighter plastic pens will help you stand out from the common ballpoint giveaways. They will cost you a bit more but if different is what you want then one of these choices might be ideal.
Barrel Size
The barrel of the pen is the outer plastic sheath that holds in the mechanism and ink stick or reservoir. In addition to the length and width of the barrel, you should consider the shape and any features like clip or ergonomic grip. Wider barrels are more comfortable to write with for most hands. If you can find room for it in your budget, consider a rubber grip and a fatter lower barrel.
If you are promoting to an elderly or disabled community, you definitely need a wider pen. The pressure is spread out over a wider surface, requiring less of a grip.
One of the great benefits of choosing plastic pens for promotion is that plastic is malleable and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Metal pens are almost always more narrow and without a soft grip.
Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of your printed plastic pens depends on whether you choose disposable or refillable. So does the price you’ll pay per pen. Nearly all plastic pens are disposable to keep the prices down. If you choose refillable plastic pens, your choices will be considerably reduced and your cost will rise significantly.
If you are really set on the idea of refillable pens, you might want to consider metal, rather than plastic. The cost is about the same and the writing weight is a bit more comfortable.
Form and Function
Besides a quality writing instrument, many businesses realize the importance of multi-functionality. If your clientele is technologically savvy, consider a plastic pen and stylus pair or a mechanical pencil and plastic pen duo.
There are plastic pen and tape measure combos, pens coupled with a carabiner clip and others with bubble fluid and a wand on the end. With multiple color choices and great space for a logo or other message, the bubble wands are perfect for promoting to children, families or brides to be.
When choosing plastic pens for marketing, you shouldn’t be overwhelmed with the options. Take it one decision at a time and you can eliminate many of the choices all at once.
Katerina Rodgers
Tags: Budget, Rollerball, Soft Grip
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »
December 14th, 2009
Janice Jenkins asked:
My experiences with plastic posters have always been unique and interesting ones. If you print posters all the time, be it for business or just for fun, I can tell you that plastic posters offer a unique set of abilities that you can really take advantage of. It has saved me valuable money, especially in terms of long term poster printing and it really has been useful especially on environments where normal posters won’t last too long. It is indeed a new way to print posters that you should look in to.
Plastic printing is actually just part of a new wave of printing style. With the advancements in plastic manufacturing and printing technologies, people have taken advantage of the durability of plastic materials and combined it with the beauty of digital color printing. This merger creates a stunning blend of colorful and photo-realistic printouts with the toughness, longevity and durability of plastic.
So what does this mean for your posters? This means that you can create posters that can last a lifetime which are resistant to water and other fluids. These posters will not tear easily, and their colors and images will never ever fade. I was truly amazed at this collection of properties.
Now, the important thing to take with you here is that you can capitalize on those abilities for your business or for your community. For example, since plastic posters are water resistant, you can place them in locations where no ordinary paper poster has gone before. Maybe you can place promotional posters on the bottom of public or community pools? Cafeterias and coffee shops can also print plastic advertising posters and don’t have to worry about printing new posters all the time because of the possibility of spillage. Local governments, organizations and communities can also use them to print warnings and reminders in their locales even when extreme weathering is present. There are a myriad of ways where you can apply a plastic poster’s abilities to your advantage.
However, there are some drawbacks. One of the big drawbacks of plastic poster printing is the initial cost. It will cost two to three times the normal cost of poster printing. Of course this is an acceptable investment if you plan on using those plastic posters for a long time, but for short term messages it is virtually uneconomical. Also, there is the concern for the environment since plastic posters are non-biodegradable. So if they are not used all the time, they might just pollute the environment by filling up our dump sites.
So printing posters is a double-edged sword really. It has advantages and disadvantages.
But my unique experience with it tells me that if you use those posters right, you can gain all those benefits without impacting too much on the environment and your printing budget. All it takes is a little planning and creativity which we all have plenty of. So think about it and see if plastic poster printing can apply to you.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Plastic Posters, Print Posters
Gillian James
Tags: Local Governments, Myriad, Plastic Materials
Posted in Online Business | 1 Comment »
December 12th, 2009
amandahope_1981 asked:
I got my nano but it came with this white plastic thing that looks like a holder to stand the ipod up. I don’t get it though because it has a hole in the bottom of it also and then a couple little notchy things under there as well. Why would I need to store my ipod in this plastic thing? It already will stand up on its own if I want it to. I just don’t get it.
Helen Perkins
Tags: Ipod Nano, Plastic Piece
Posted in Music & Music Players | 10 Comments »
December 11th, 2009
sitsinfish asked: I have trouble getting smells out of plastic dishes — in particular, plastic coffee mugs. They seem to absorb smell very quickly, and after only a couple uses, if I try drinking anything other than coffee out of them I can still taste the coffee!
This is especially a problem when my housemates leave food in dishes instead of washing them immediately — coffee mugs, plastic drinking glasses, tupperware, etc.
I have found that normal dish soap can leave behind a “soapy” taste/smell in plastic dishes, so I have switched to an unscented dish soap. But no dish soap I’ve used has effectively rescued plastic coffee mugs and other dishes like this.
Other than NOT using plastic dishes, how can I extend the life of the dishes and keep them from getting smelly… without leaving behind a chemical smell/taste that’s even worse?
Thanks for any advice.
Tessa Colon
Tags: Coffee Mugs, Plastic Glasses, Smell Taste
Posted in Cleaning & Laundry | 13 Comments »
December 10th, 2009
Awinita Smith asked:
If you need to make a change to improve your personality, look and your confidence, there is an answer: Cosmetic plastic surgery.
But you find yourself wondering, “What is plastic surgery?” By definition plastic surgery is any surgical procedure that deals with the reconstruction or improvement of a body part to enhance the shape and appearance of that part of the body.
Whether you are considering facial plastic surgery, breast augmentation, breast reduction or rhinoplasty it is important to make sure that you completely understand the intricacies of the procedure you are interested in before you make your decision. It is important to remember that although plastic surgery usually has more to do with your appearance than function of your body, it is still major surgery and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The great thing about plastic surgery is that benefits can be both physical and emotional, both external and internal.
The effect of plastic surgery depends on the person and the procedure. Most plastic surgery requires that the patient be given general anesthetic so most people wake up after surgery feeling groggy and or nauseous. Some people wake up in pain and others have sore throats and are extremely thirsty, it varies. Usually it takes two or three hours to recover from the effects of anesthetic.
The risks of plastic surgery will differ depending on the individual and the procedure they opt for.
Scarring is one of the most common risks that people considering plastic surgery should be aware of. Most surgeons will try to hide incision lines in places where they aren’t noticeable, like under the crease of the breast in breast augmentation plastic surgery and in the hairline in facial plastic surgery, but most surgeries will still result in permanent scarring.
Bleeding, infection and hematomas are possible after surgery, but if these complications are caught early on they can usually be treated.
Before you undergo plastic surgery it is important to have blood tests and a physical done to ensure that you are a good candidate for surgery. In addition you should make sure to look into the procedure you are considering and learn about the risks involved so that you can be as prepared inside and out for your transformation.
Diane Hood
Tags: Breast Augmentation, Personality, Plastic Surgery
Posted in Health | 2 Comments »
