Search results

The purpose of this paper is thus to develop a hybrid decision-making model for optimal coal blending strategy. Coal is one of the major resources contributing to generation of electricity and anthropogenic carbon-dioxide emission. Being formed from dead plant matter, it undergoes a series of morphological changes from peat to lignite, and finally to anthracite. Because of non-uniform distribution of coal over the whole earth and continuous variation in its compositions, coals mined from different parts of the world have widely varying properties. Hence, it requires an ideal blending strategy such that the coking coal having the optimal combination of all of its properties can be used for maximum benefit to the steel making process.

In this paper, a multi-criteria decision-making approach is proposed while integrating preference ranking organization method for enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE II and V) and geometrical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) method to aid in formulating an optimal coal blending strategy. The optimal decision is arrived at while taking into account some practical implications associated with blending of coal, such as coal price from different reserves.

Different grades of coal are ranked from the best to the worst to find out the composition of constituent coals in the final blending process. Coals from the mines of two different geographical regions are considered here so as to prove the applicability of the proposed model. Adoption of this hybrid decision-making model would subsequently improve the performance of coal after blending and help in addressing some sustainability issues, like less pollution.

As this model takes into account the purchase price of coals from different reserves, it is always expected to provide more realistic solutions. Thus, it would be beneficial to deploy this decision-making model to different blending optimization problems in other spheres of a manufacturing industry. This model can further accommodate some more realistic criteria, such as availability of coal in different reserves as a topic of future research work.

Increasing scarcity of natural resources and the adverse effects of unsustainable practices call for more and more efficient management strategies in the energy industry. The quality of the coke plays a significant role in the quality and durability of the output steel which is produced using the energy from the coal. This paper aims to investigate the dynamic coal blending problem under overall cost and coke quality constraints in the steel industry within a periodic cycle of operations.

Considering the variability of the natural properties over a periodic cycle, this study proposes a multi-period mixed-integer non-linear programming formulation to optimize the total blending costs while taking various coke quality constraints into account. Besides, this study applies factorial design to investigate about the significant effect of coal proportions as well as improvement into the overall cost of blending.

In this case study, utilizing real data from a coal blending facility in India, through a factorial design, the authors obtain optimal desirable levels of coal proportions and their criticality levels towards the total cost of blending (TCB) or objective function. This analysis reflects the role of the coke quality constraints in the objective function value while characterizing the price of sustainability for the case study among other critical insights.

Objective function (or TCB) includes basic coal cost, movement cost and environmental costs during the coal and coke processing at a coke-oven and blast furnace of steel industry. The price of sustainability provides managerial insights on that sacrifices the industry has to make in order to become more “sustainable”.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of the components of whey‐protein based aqueous polymer‐isocyanate (API) adhesives on the bond strength.

The bond test (according to the JIS K6806‐2003 standard), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterise the whey‐protein based API adhesives with various formulations and processing technologies.

The good bond strength of the optimised whey‐protein based API adhesive was attributed to the formation of strong chemical bonds in the bondline and to the additions of polyisocyanate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nano‐CaCO₃ powder that improved adhesive cohesive strength by either chemical crosslinks or mechanical interlocking. The blending procedures of whey protein, PVA, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and p‐p‐MDI had great impacts on the performances of the whey‐protein based API adhesives.

SEM micrographs showed that the effects of blending processes on the bond strength, pot life and colour might be attributed to the particle size of hydrophobic p‐MDI droplet and p‐MDI distribution in the protein‐PVA matrix.

The study lays the foundations of the formulation design and the processing technology for preparing whey‐protein based API adhesives.

The effects of the components of whey‐protein based API adhesives and the effects of blending processes on the bond strength were investigated by means bond strength evaluation, FTIR and SEM analyses; whey protein is utilised successfully to prepare novel API adhesives for structural uses.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a more thorough understanding of cognitive social capital (shared representations) building in a multicultural marketing context.

An ethnographic study with in-depth interviews and observations are used to explore how Chinese entrepreneurs utilize cultural metaphors to build their cognitive social capital in the USA. Both Chinese entrepreneurs and their American stakeholders (consumers and business associates) are interviewed.

The three themes from the findings are cultural conceptual blending, frame shifting with stereotype dilution and metaphor conversion. These form the sub-processes of an overall process the authors name “cross-cultural shifting.” The use of visual and verbal cultural metaphors by the Chinese entrepreneurs leads to conceptual blending, a process of blending of elements and relations from various scenarios in the mind. A frame shifting and stereotype dilution follows, culminating in the conversion of the cultural metaphors into the deep (universally recognized) metaphors of resource and connection.

Given that metaphors are one manifestations of culture and also effective for communicating universally, they play a role in cognitive social capital building in a multicultural context. This exposition calls for further research the utilization of cultural metaphors in international marketing.

The variability in communication and comprehension of business stakeholders from different cultures influence their cognitive social capital building (cooperative behavior to exchange resources). This makes it imperative for multicultural marketers to understand the use of cultural metaphors to enhance cognitive social capital in a multicultural context.

This exposition on cross-cultural frame shifting will result in improved knowledge of the role of cultural metaphors in enhancing multicultural understanding, shared representations and cognitive social capital in international marketing.

The main purpose of this research work is to study the effect of poly lactic acid (PLA) addition into poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) matrices, as well the influence of the mixing process on the morphological, thermal, chemical, mechanical and biological performance of the 3D constructs produced with a novel biomanufacturing device (BioCell Printing).

Two mixing processes are used to prepare PCL/PLA blends, namely melt blending and solvent casting. PCL and PCL/PLA scaffolds are produced via BioCell Printing using a 300-μm nozzle, 0/90° lay down pattern and 350-μm pore size. Several techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), simultaneous thermal analyzer (STA), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), static compression analysis and Alamar BlueTM are used to evaluate scaffold's morphological, thermal, chemical, mechanical and biological properties.

Results show that the addition of PLA to PCL scaffolds strongly improves the biomechanical performance of the constructs. Additionally, polymer blends obtained by solvent casting present better mechanical and biological properties, compared to blends prepared by melt blending.

This paper undertakes a detailed study on the effect of the mixing process on the biomechanical properties of PCL/PLA scaffolds. Results will enable to prepare customized PCL/PLA scaffolds for tissue engineering applications with improved biological and mechanical properties, compared to PCL scaffolds alone. Additionally, the accuracy and reproducibility of by the BioCell Printing enables to modulate the micro/macro architecture of the scaffolds enhancing tissue regeneration.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of particle size distribution, component ratio, particle packing arrangement, and chemical constitution on the laser sintering behaviour of blended hypoeutectic Al‐Si powders.

A range of bimodal and trimodal powder blends were created through mixing Al‐12Si and pure aluminium powder. The powder blends were then processed using selective laser sintering to investigate the effect of alloy composition, powder particle size and bed density on densification and microstructural evolution.

For all of the powder blends the sintered density increases with the specific laser energy input until a saturation level is reached. Beyond this saturation level no further increase in sintered density is obtained for an increase in specific laser energy input. However, the peak density achieved for a given blend varied significantly with the chemical constitution of the alloy, peaking at approximately 9 wt% Si. The tap density of the raw powder mixture (assumed to be representative of bed density) was also a significant factor.

This is the first study to consider the usefulness of silicon as an alloying element in aluminium alloys to be processed by selective laser sintering. In addition the paper outlines the key factors in optimising processing parameters and powder properties in order to attain sound sinterability for direct laser sintered parts.

Grey cotton fibers with a mean fiber length and fineness of 29 mm and 4.2 micronair was pretreated, scoured and dyed. Three ring yarns were spun separately from 100% grey cotton (R.R.Y.), 50% dyed and 50% grey cotton blend (M.R.Y.) and 100% dyed cotton (D.R.Y.). The extent of fiber damage was assessed by measuring the length and the mechanical characteristics of cotton fibers after passing the fibers through the lap machine and the draw frame II. Properties of R.R.Y., M.R.Y. and D.R.Y. samples were examined. In terms of tenacity and elongation at break, grey and dyed cotton fibers, which were selected after being processed by the lap machine and the draw frame II, were very similar. The fiber length by number and weight of grey cotton was longer than that of dyed cotton, while the amount of fiber nep and short fiber content of dyed cotton were more than those of grey cotton.

The three yarn samples were the same in terms of elongation at break. The tenacity of R.R.Y. was the highest but the yarn sample was the lowest in terms of coefficients of mass variation (Cv%), imperfection and hairiness in comparison with the M.R.Y. and D.R.Y. samples.

The practice of theory borrowing from other research fields is common in interdisciplinary and applied research. Nevertheless, educational administration researchers seldom discuss this phenomenon and its complexities in depth.

This essay provides an overview of what has been written about the practice of theory borrowing.

After presenting the criticism on misusing theory borrowing, it outlines several recommendations to improve theory borrowing in education administration research by domesticating it through conceptual blending.

The purpose of this essay is to motivate educational administration scholars to reflect on the practice of theory borrowing. The guidelines offered here for promoting conceptual blending serve as a middle ground for mitigating a key problem of theory borrowing.

This paper aims to explore the topic of embodiment as a gap in meaning-making within the literature on business relationships in IMP and business marketing academic discourse. Referring to the theories of embodiment, the authors question the dominant worldview of Cartesian dualism which marginalizes the influence of the body in meaning-making and explore relevant implications of an embodiment agenda for research and practice. The aim is to demonstrate that embodiment has a vitally important influence in the construction of meanings.

The paper provides a review of theoretical and empirical literature on embodied cognition and theories of embodiment to construct a cooking metaphor as an analogical vehicle for exploring meanings within business relationships.

The authors use a cooking metaphor to explore how meaning is created in human interaction. Body and mind blended together produce meaning through the catalyst of discourse and semiotics. Cognition is described as a mixture of rational and non-rational processes involving blended elements of embodied perceptions and psychological ideas stirred and heated in a semiotic “sauce” of discourse (language, communication, information, power/knowledge).

The contribution of the paper is in proposing that both body and mind influence the creation of meanings in business relationships blended through the mediation of language and discourse. The authors aim to advance a “practice” and “linguistic” turn in the business marketing discourse by proposing that embodied, discursive and cognitive processes are more effectively conceived as blended influences.