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Neoprene is the name given to a synthetic elastomer based on polychloroprene. When neoprene is vulcanised, a. product having similar physical properties to cured natural rubber, but generally more abrasion‐ and chemical‐resistant, is produced. Various types of neoprene can be produced by different techniques in the manufacture of the polymer, all types having their own characteristics. This article surveys the neoprene materials used in the protective coating and lining fields—liquid and sheet neoprene, caulking compounds, putties and adhesives—and some of the practical applications to which they have been put.

In healthcare, there is limited knowledge of and experience with patient choice management. The purpose of this paper is to focus on patient choice, apply and test demand-supply-based operating (DSO) logic integrated with clinical setting in clarifying choice contexts, investigate patient’s choice-making at different contexts and suggest context-based choice architectures to manage and develop patient choice.

Prenatal screening and testing in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS), Finland, was taken as an example. Choice points were contextualized by using the DSO framework. Women’s reflections, behaviors and experience at different choice contexts were studied by interviewing women participating in prenatal screening and testing. Semi-structured interview data were processed by thematic analysis.

By applying DSO logic, four choice contexts (prevention, cure, electives and continuous care) were relevant in the prenatal screening and testing episode. Women had different choice-making in prevention and cure mode contexts regarding choice activeness, information needs, social influence, preferences, emotion status and choice-making difficulty. Default choice was widely accepted by women in prevention mode and individual counseling can help women make informed choice in cure mode.

The authors apply the DSO model to contextualize the patient choice in one care episode and compare patient choice-making at different contexts. The authors also suggest the possible context-based choice architectures to manage and promote patient choice

This paper aims to investigate the effect of delayed water curing on the mechanical and microstructural properties of fly ash-based geopolymer paste-blended with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) with different rest periods.

The blended geopolymer paste was composed of GGBS (15 per cent of the total weight) and the base material, Fly Ash (FA). The blended mix was activated by activator solution (Sodium hydroxide and Sodium silicate) containing 6 per cent Na₂O of total base material. The effect of delayed water curing has been studied by gradually increasing the aging period (Rest Period) from 2 hours to 24 hours in the formation of activated outcome along with Calcium Silicate Hydrate (CSH). To analyze the mechanical and microstructural properties of the resultant blended geopolymer paste, compressive strength test, FESEM and XRD have been carried out. Moreover, a long-term durability test subjected to sulphate exposure has been performed to evaluate the durability of the designed sustainable geopolymer paste.

The present paper shows that the delayed water curing incorporates secondary heat input enhancing the partial polymer formation along with CSH. Slag-blended AAFA-based geopolymer paste is seen to exhibit quick setting property. Also, AAFA-based geopolymer paste samples subjected to longer rest period show early strength gain at a high rate under water curing as compared to those subjected to the shorter rest period.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, the effect of delayed water curing on the mechanical and microstructural properties of slag-blended AAFA-based geopolymer paste has not been studied before.

This chapter renews the thought on conceptualizing customer experience (CX) through the perspective of customer knowledge management (CKM). It bridges two pathways: Tacit Knowledge and Lived experience of the customer. Hence, refreshing the CX conceptualization aims to grasp the depths of the in situ service lived experience by examining the tacit knowledge forms issued from the lived experience of the client-curist in the well-being tourism. Dealing primarily with the consumption of service experience into the thalassotherapy centers is already an uphill task. This is due to its subtle and embedded experiential nature. Notwithstanding these challenges, it offers substantial knowledge about the conceptualized customer experiential knowledge (CEK). Hence, a generation of a pool of items measuring the customer experiential knowledge-process competence construct (CEK-PC) comes to begin the empirical development of the customer experiential knowledge management (CEKM) approach (as developed by Jaziri, 2013, 2019a). It also offers empirical evidence that corroborates CEK conceptualization (Jaziri-Bouagina, 2017). Through the CEK-PC, this chapter explores the competence of management levels in adopting a phenomenological vision and a global approach of ethnography to acquire CEK for treating, sharing, and using it to implement an experience-based innovation. The thrust of the construct was preserved via the Q-sort technique that has assessed the content validity through two sorting rounds. Forty-two items are retained representing a first step of the measure development.

UV light curing of adhesives has become the method of choice for many more industrial bonding, sealing, coating, potting and tacking applications. Because faster cures provide more efficient manufacturing processes and lower total assembly cost, and because light curing adhesives are being used in more kinds of applications, both the range of resins and curing equipment now available has expanded dramatically. Outlines the performances of currently available UV adhesives, their application and selection of UV light sources.

Polymer thick film resistors are selected for various commercial applications in view of their performance, reliability and cost advantages. They are, however, only as efficient as the processing procedures used in their production. This paper outlines the factors that require control and presents test data relating to the important parameters. The value of laser trimming of polymer resistors is assessed.

There are many considerations that have to be taken into account when balancing the properties epoxy‐based laminate and prepreg materials must have in order to meet the array of electrical, thermal and mechanical demands of today's multilayer printed circuit boards. Aims to discuss two different curing systems that are commonly employed in current laminate and prepreg materials.

An examination of the two different curing systems – phenol novolac (PN) and dicyandiamide (DICY) based – that are commonly employed in current laminate and prepreg materials.

DICY curing systems have properties such as good flexibility, good adhesion and good processability but have poor thermal resistance, higher water absorption and poor anti‐CAF capability. Because PN resin systems utilize an aromatic ring structure, traditional PN cured epoxy resin results in having excellent thermal resistance, low water absorption and anti‐CAF capability.

Provides a comparison of interest to all those involved with laminate and prepreg materials in the circuit board industry.

To prepare modified epoxy resins from resorcinol, cresol and phenol for improved adhesion and chemical resistance. To evaluate the properties of such modified epoxy resins.

Epoxy novolac resins (ENRs) were synthesised by condensing epichlorohydrin with novolacs based on different types of substituted phenols for improving adhesion and chemical resistance. Various compositions were made by incorporating different proportions of polyamide resin. The chemical and adhesive strengths of the conventional epoxy and the modified epoxy resins were characterised.

The modified ENR using substituted phenols showed significant enhancement of chemical and adhesive strengths over the conventional DGEBA resin. The modified ENR had an increased number of glycidyl groups (thus increased functionality) of resin, which was responsible for improved chemical and adhesive strengths over the conventional DGEBA resin.

The EPN resins used in the present context was synthesised from phenol, resorcinol and cresol and cured by polyamide resin of different amine values. Besides, it could be synthesised from phenolphthalein p‐aminophenol and p‐ter‐butylcatachol, etc.

The method developed provided a simple and practical solution to improving the adhesive and chemical resistance of cured epoxy phenol novolac resins.

The method for enhanced adhesive and chemical resistance of cured epoxy was novel and could find numerous applications in surface coating and adhesive.

Studies of solder‐bumped flip chips on organic substrates reported in the literature have so far suggested the necessity of a polymeric underfill to compensate for the large thermal mismatch between the silicon and the substrate. In this company's target applications of this process, the underfill not only has to meet the much published mechanical and chemical requirements, but also has to flow through a vertical clearance of 0.020 to 0.0375 mm quickly as well as being cured in a relatively short time. The evaluation of the underfill materials starts with some basic understanding of how the different ingredients in the underfill formulation might affect its physical and chemical properties. The flow characteristics of the underfills were a first priority in the selection. A detailed thermal‐mechanical analysis then helped to determine the optimal cure schedule with the desired physical properties. A simple test die/test board system has been designed to evaluate how the underfill might work in a quasi‐production process and to allow for subsequent reliability evaluation. This paper highlights the ‘pluses and minuses’ of the currently available commercial underfills in relation to the optimisation of a high‐volume production process.