text:
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Some are calling toxic “burn pits” near military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan the “new Agent Orange.” Veterans at an event in Waterbury Friday say they had to live and breath contaminated air from the burn pits for extended periods of time, and now they’re worried about their health.
This appears to be emerging as a new health problem for veterans coming home from the recent wars. It’s now being reported that some active duty personnel have complained about respiratory difficulties and headaches, and now disability claims are staring to show up.
Some veterans say the pits burn constantly and fumes are spread through sandstorms. They say the military puts everything from batteries to munitions and plastics in the burn pits because it’s easier than packing the stuff up for proper disposal.
“I’ve heard from individual service men and women pretty much every time I have a veterans’ event that involves Iraq and Afghanistan veterans,” said Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. “I hear from them, ‘oh and by the way, there were these burning pits of tires and munition, batteries and human waste,’ and it’s appalling.”
The V.A. has admitted some veterans could have long-term aftereffects, especially those with preexisting conditions like asthma or other heart or lung conditions. They have established a burn pit exposure registry and are conducting research into it. For more information, click here.


text:
Rodney King‘s youngest daughter was arrested and sitting in jail for the 11 days her family thought she was missing.
On Tuesday, the LAPD confirmed that Tristan Uniqua King, 29 was in police custody on suspicion of a residential burglary. King was reported missing on Friday after last being seen in Las Vegas on April 26, NBC News reports.
“She told her family she was traveling to the Los Angeles area to ‘visit the beach in Santa Monica and family in Fullerton,”‘ Santa Monica police Lt. Rudy Flores said on Tuesday morning while her whereabouts were still unknown.
King had last contacted her family on April 27 and “told them that she lost her cell phone and was using a ‘stranger’s phone,’” Flores said.
Authorities confirmed King was taken into custody around 11:50 a.m. April 28 and charged with burglary. She pleaded not guilty on May 3 but remains at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood in lieu of $25,000 bail.
News of the arrest came one day after King’s sister took to Facebook to reveal her sister had been missing for 11 days after traveling to Los Angeles from Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Lora King updated her followers and said her sister had been found safe in Lynwood.
“Again, thank you so much for all of your help,” Lora captioned an Instagram post. “My sister has been found safe in Lynwood California Thank you LORD.”
View this post on Instagram
King is the youngest daughter of Rodney King. He became a national sensation after being a victim of police brutality and his beating by LAPD officers was caught on video. Outrage over the footage sparked the 1992 LA Riots after the officers involved were acquitted.
Tristan King is due back in court on May 16 for a preliminary hearing, Fox LA reports.

domain: law


Paul Reed Smith Guitars is one of the
world’s premier guitar and amplifier manufacturers. Since
1985, PRS Guitars has strived to create the highest
quality instruments possible. The results –
The SE Series of Guitars and Basses, The S2 Series of
Guitars, The Core Series of Guitars and Basses, Private
Stock. PRS takes guitar and amplifier
building very personally. And this year
with the addition of the Mark Tremonti MT15 Amp, PRS has
set the bar even higher.
Dave sat down with Brian Ewald to look over the many
new additions to the PRS guitar line and talk about all
that is new for 2018. Check out the video!


text:
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF FITOSANITARIAN PROTECTION.
BUENOS AIRES, September 29, 1953
The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation,
in Congress, etc.
SANCIONA WITH FORCE OF LEY
Article 1.- Approve the accession to the International Plant Protection Convention, recommended at the sixth session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, by decree 4325, issued by the Executive Power on 18 August 1952.
Art. 2.- Contact the Executive.
Annex A: International Plant Protection Convention, recommended at the sixth session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Purposes and responsibilities
ARTICLE I 1. In order to act effectively and jointly to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant and plant pests and diseases and to promote measures to combat them, contracting Governments undertake to adopt the legislative, technical and administrative measures specified in this Convention or in the supplementary agreements concluded in accordance with article 2. III. 2.- Each contracting government shall assume the responsibility of enforcing all the requirements of this Convention within its territory.
ARTICLE II 1. For the purposes of this Convention, the term "Plants" designates living plants and parts of them, including seeds, in cases where contracting governments consider it necessary to monitor their importation or issue the corresponding health certificates, in accordance with art. VI, with the inc.
(a), (iv) of art. IV and art. V of this Convention and the term "plant products" designates unmanufactured and ground products of vegetable origin, including seeds that are not included in the definition of the term "plants". 2.- The provisions of this Convention may also apply, if the contracting governments consider it appropriate, to storage sites, containers, vehicles, packaging materials and all other materials that accompany the plants, including land that enters the international transport of plants and plant products. 3.- This Convention refers especially to pests and diseases of relevance to international trade.
ARTICLE III 1. The organization of the United Nations for agriculture and food (hereafter referred to as FAO) may, on the recommendation of a contracting Government or on its own initiative, propose supplementary agreements concerning specific regions to certain pests or diseases, certain plant and plant products, to certain methods of international transport of plant and plant products, or agreements that, in any other way, supplement the provisions of this Convention, with the aim of solving special plant care problems. 2.- Any supplementary agreement of this kind shall enter into force, for each contracting government, after its acceptance, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the FAO internal regulations.
National Plant Protection Organization
ARTICLE IV 1. Each contracting government shall make the necessary arrangements to organize as soon as possible, and in the best possible manner: (a) An official plant protection organization, primarily responsible for (i) The inspection of plants in cultivation, of cultivated lands (including fields, plantations, nurseries, gardens and greenhouses) and of plant and plant products in warehouses and in transit, particularly with a view to pointing out the existence or spread of pests and plant diseases and to combat them (ii) The inspection of plant and plant products items that circulate in international traffic and, to the extent possible, the inspection of items of other goods or products that circulate in international traffic in conditions in which they may act incidentally as carriers of pests and plant and plant diseases, and the inspection and monitoring of all types of storage and transport facilities that are used in international traffic, whether from plant and plant products The disinfectation or disinfection of plant and plant products that circulate international traffic and its containers, storage sites and all kinds of means of transport (iv) The issuance of certificates (hereinafter referred to as "phytosanitary certificates") concerning the state of health and the origin of plant and plant products parts (b) An information service responsible for the distribution within the country, reports on pests and diseases of plant and plant products and on ways to prevent and combat them (c) A research facility in the field of phytosanitary protection. 2.- Each contracting government will present a description of all the activities of its national plant protection organization to the Director-General of FAO, who will provide such information to all contracting Governments.
ARTICLE V 1. Contracting Governments shall make appropriate arrangements for the issuance of phytosanitary certificates in accordance with the phytosanitary protection regulations of other contracting Governments, and in accordance with the following stipulations: (a) The inspection shall be carried out and the certificates issued only by technically competent and duly authorized officials, or under their responsibility, and in such circumstances and in possession of such knowledge and information, that the authorities of the importing countries may accept them with the confidence that they are fruitful documents (b) Certificates that endorse the planting or propagation material shall be drafted in the form indicated in the Annex to this Convention and shall include all additional declarations required by the importing country. The certificate model may also be used for other plants or plant products when deemed appropriate and provided that such a procedure is not in line with the requirements imposed by the importing country (c) Certificates should not present alterations or scrapes. 2.- Contracting Governments undertake not to require that plant remittances for planting or propagation, which are imported into their territories, be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates issued differently to the model set out in the Annex to this Convention.
ARTICLE VI 1. In order to prevent the introduction of plant diseases and pests in their respective territories, contracting Governments shall have full authority to regulate the entry of plant and plant products and, to this end, may: (a) To impose restrictions or requirements on the import of plant and plant products (b) To prohibit the importation of certain plants or plant products or of certain items of plant or plant products (c) to require or retain certain remittances of plants or plant products (d) 2.- In order to minimize the difficulties that may arise in international trade, contracting Governments undertake to implement the provisions referred to in paragraph 1 of this article, in accordance with the following conditions: (a) The contracting Governments, in implementing their phytosanitary protection regulations, shall not take any of the measures specified in paragraph 1 of this article, unless necessary due to phytosanitary considerations (b) If a contracting government establishes restrictions or requirements on the import of plant and plant products within its territory, it must make such restrictions or requirements public and immediately communicate them to the phytosanitary protection services of the other contracting Governments and FAO (c) If a contracting government, in accordance with the provisions of its phytosanitary protection legislation, prohibits the importation of any plant or vegetable product, shall publish its decision, together with the reasons on which it is based, and immediately inform the phytosanitary protection services of other contracting Governments and FAO (d) If a contracting government requires remittances from certain plants or plant products to be imported only through certain entry points, such points should be selected so that international trade is not impeded without need. The respective contracting government will publish a list of such entry points, which will be transmitted to the phytosanitary protection services of the other contracting Governments and FAO. These restrictions on entry points shall not be established, unless the plants or plant products in question need to be covered by phytosanitary certificates or be subject to inspection or treatment (e) Any inspection of the phytosanitary protection service of a contracting government, with respect to the plant remittances offered for import, shall be carried out as soon as possible, taking due account of the alteration of the respective products. If it is found that a remesa does not conform to the requirements of the phytosanitary protection legislation of the importing country, the phytosanitary protection service of the exporting country should be informed. If the remittance is destroyed, an official report must be sent immediately to the phytosanitary protection service of the exporting country f) Contracting Governments should take measures that, without endangering their own plants, minimize the number of cases in which a phytosanitary certificate is required for the entry of plants or plant products not intended for plantation, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables and flowers in stem (g) Contracting Governments shall make the necessary arrangements to permit the importation, for scientific purposes, of plant and plant products, as well as of specimens of diseases and pests, in conditions that facilitate the adoption of extensive precautions against the risk of spreading such diseases and pests. 3.- The measures specified in this article shall not apply to goods in transit through the territory of each Contracting Government, unless such measures are necessary for the protection of their own plants.
ARTICLE VII Contracting Governments shall cooperate to the greatest extent possible for the purposes of this Convention, and in particular: (a) All Contracting Governments agree to cooperate with FAO in the establishment of a global phytosanitary information service, using fully the means and services of organizations that already exist for this purpose, and, once established, to provide FAO with the following information on a regular basis: (i) Data on the existence, appearance and dissemination of pests and diseases of plant and plant products that are considered economically important and which may constitute an immediate or potential hazard (ii) Data on ways and means considered effective in combating plant and plant diseases and pests. (b) Contracting Governments shall, to the extent possible, participate in all special campaigns to combat certain pests or destructive diseases that may seriously threaten crops and require international measures to address emergencies.
Regional plant protection organizations
ARTICLE VIII 1. Contracting Governments undertake to cooperate in themselves to establish regional phytosanitary protection organizations in appropriate areas. 2.- Regional phytosanitary protection organizations will function as coordinating agencies in the areas of their jurisdiction and will participate in the various activities aimed at achieving the objectives of this Convention.
ARTICLE IX 1. If any dispute arises with respect to the interpretation or application of this Convention, or if one of the contracting Governments considers that the attitude of another contracting Government is in conflict with the obligations imposed on it by articles V and VI of the Convention and, in particular, with regard to the reasons for prohibiting or restricting the imports of plant or plant products from their territories, the Government or Governments concerned may request the FAO Director-General to designate a committee for consideration. 2.- The Director-General of FAO, having consulted with the Governments concerned, shall appoint an expert committee which shall be part of representatives of those Governments. The Committee will consider the issue in dispute taking into account all documents and other credible evidence submitted by the Governments concerned. The committee shall submit a report to the Director-General of FAO, who, in turn, shall transmit it to interested Governments and other contracting Governments. 3.- The contracting Governments agree that the recommendations of that committee, although not binding, will provide the basis for the interested Governments to reconsider the issues that gave rise to disagreement. 4.- The cost of the experts shall be borne equally by the Governments concerned.
Substitution of previous agreements
ARTICLE X This Convention shall terminate and replace, among the Contracting Governments, the International Convention with respect to measures to be taken against the vast Phylloxera, signed on 3 November 1881, and the additional Convention signed at Bern on 15 April 1889, and the International Plant Protection Convention signed at Rome on 16 April 1929.
ARTICLE XI 1. Any Government may, at the time of ratification or accession, or thereafter, send to the Director-General of FAO the declaration that this Convention shall be extended to all or some of the territories of which international relations is responsible, and this Convention shall apply to all the territories specialized in that declaration, beginning on the thirtieth day on which it has been received by the Director-General. 2.- Any government that has sent to the Director-General of FAO a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article may, at any time, send a new declaration by modifying the scope of any previous declaration or terminating the application of the provisions of this Convention in any of its territories.
Ratification and accession
ARTICLE XII 1. This Convention shall be open for signature by Governments until 1 May 1952 and shall be ratified as soon as possible. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited in the office of the Director-General of FAO, who shall notify all signatory Governments of the date on which the deposit has been verified. 2.- As soon as this Convention has entered into force, in accordance with the provisions of art. XIV. It will be open to non-signatory Governments. Accession will be made through the delivery of the instrument of accession to the Director-General of FAO, who will notify all signatory and adhered Governments.
ARTICLE XIII 1. Any proposal made by a contracting government to amend this Convention shall be communicated to the Director-General of FAO. 2.- Any proposed amendment to this Convention, which is received by the FAO Director-General of a Contracting Government, shall be submitted at a regular or special session of the FAO conference for approval and, if the amendment involves major technical changes, or imposes additional obligations on contracting Governments, it shall be considered by a consultative committee of specialists convened by FAO prior to the conference. 3.- The Director-General of FAO shall notify the Contracting Governments of any draft amendment to this Convention, before the agenda of the session of the Conference in which such amendment shall be considered has been circulated. 4.- Any of the amendments to the Convention, as proposed, will require approval of the FAO conference and will enter into force after thirty days of acceptance by the two thirds of the contracting Governments. Amendments involving new obligations to contracting Governments shall enter into force, for each of those Governments, only after they have accepted it and for thirty days after such acceptance. 5.- Instruments of acceptance of amendments involving new obligations should be deposited with the dispatch of the Director-General of FAO who in turn should inform all Contracting Governments of the receipt of acceptances and the entry into force of the amendments.
ARTICLE XIV As soon as this Convention has been ratified by three of the signatory governments will enter into force among them. For each government ratifying or acceding to it, it will enter into force from the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession.
ARTICLE XV 1. Any contracting government may at any time denounce this Convention by notification addressed to the Director-General of FAO. The Director-General shall immediately inform all signatory and acceding Governments. 2.- The complaint shall take effect one year after the date on which the FAO Director-General has received the notification.
Annex B: Phytosanitary Certificate Model

domain: agronomy


- Irrigation Booster Systems
- Water Features
- Energy & Water Savings
- Sewage Systems
- Stormwater Systems
- Remote Monitoring
As a team of experienced professionals, we understand the importance of keeping your golf course or property’s pumps in top condition to ensure a smooth and efficient operation.
PumpMan Phoenix is highly skilled in identifying and repairing all types of pump issues, from simple repairs to complex overhauls. We use the latest tools and technologies to diagnose and fix any problems that may arise, ensuring that your pumps are running smoothly and efficiently for maximum performance.
In addition to our repair services, we also offer planned maintenance programs to help prevent pump breakdowns and extend the life of your equipment. Our team will work with you to develop a customized maintenance plan that meets your specific needs and budget, ensuring that your pumps are always in top condition.
We pride ourselves on our collaborative approach, working closely with our clients to provide the best possible service. Our team is dedicated to delivering quality workmanship and exceptional customer service, ensuring that you can rely on us for all your pump maintenance and repair needs.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help keep your golf course or property’s pump systems running smoothly.


By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
On the most recent episode of “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Kandi Burruss accused Phaedra Parks of cheating on Apollo with a man they are calling “Mr. Chocolate.”
As Kandi is only getting messier when it comes to her former best friend, Phaedra remains unbothered.
Click next for the details.


text:
The World Cup has once again made Russia the focus of the world. Many qualified people have gone to Russia to watch the ball. In China, one city is deeply influenced by Russia. It is Harbin with Eastern Moscow. In the Sun Island Scenic Area in Harbin, there is a unique Russian-style town. The whole town consists of 27 villas and houses with Russian style. The colorful buildings blend well with the green trees and flowers, just like they came to the Russian countryside.
As soon as you arrive at the entrance you receive a little Russian passport to stamp at each ‘house’ you enter, then keep as a souvenir - this was interesting! I felt like I was in Russia!
Located in the Sun Island Scenic Area, Russian-style Town is a Russian-themed tourist spot and sightseeing area. The town retains a few dozen Russian-style villas and private residences. You can walk into these buildings for a visit. Sometimes, you might even meet Mandarin-speaking Russians, who will be happy to explain the household furnishings and decorations. The entrance tickets for this town are uniquely designed in the form of a commemorative passport. You can bring this passport to each of the cabins, and affix a stamp to it for remembrance. In addition, each of the many cabins sports different themes. For instance, the "A Hundred Years of Time" cabin has a collection of timepieces, while the cabin named "A Hundred Years of Sound" contains a collection of old music records. Each cabin allows visitors to leave commemorative messages.

domain: travel


text:
#NCDC reaches milestone of 60,000 #Covid-19 tests conducted in 29 labs; confirms 9,855 cases out of which 2,856 patients were discharged and 273 passed away.
#Coronavirus: On 29 May 2020, Nigeria's #NCDC confirmed 387 new cases and two deaths from Covid19, pushing up total cases to 9,302 and 261 deaths nationwide
The NCDC announced 389 new cases of Covid19 in Nigeria, as Kogi State joins the league of states where the virus has made a landfall in the country
On 26 May, NDDC reported 276 new cases of Covid-19 in Nigeria, in addition to the 19 patients that were discharged and 16 others that succumbed to the virus
Nigeria records 229 new cases to close the national total at 8.062 cases of Covid-19 attacks. Low low incidence South East crosses 100 cases, propelled by Imo and Ebonyi States
Two out of every three Covid-19 cases as well as deaths in Nigeria have occurred in this month of May 2020, making it the worst month so far.
Imo discharges all #Covid19 cases as Ebonyi and Enugu continue to record new cases pushing south east to 45 cases

domain: medical


text:
But the past two years I have been concentrating on re-decorating this old house we bought (tiling, painting, laying wooden floors) and getting the new extension sorted while also trying to sort out our garden and fence some of it in (fence the neighbours goats out more like).
But at the back of my mind I have yearned to to something more creative than making raised beds and fences!
So over the last couple of weeks I have gotten the chance to try out some of my ideas and as scary as it sounds in my head I have decided to open a Facebook page and 'inflict' my ideas on others.
I started with my easiest idea.....
|Heart on a String Chalk Board|
Then decided I would stick the chalk board and letters together....
So 'Little Crafts' was born....
I would love if you had a look and if you like what you see please feel free to 'like' my page : ))
Back to the gardening the last time I posted here I had chitted the potatoes, not much has changed since.
Although the potatoes are ready to be planted but their raised beds are not, just yet.
I have 4 tonne bags of top soil sitting outside waiting to be distributed among the sunken beds and I have the final raised bed to make/put in place.
When I get this bed in place I will have six 16ft x 4 ft beds in our garden. Plenty for crop rotation in the future!
Last year I promised myself that I would start sowing my seeds early but I have only managed to sow our Peas and Tomato seeds this week! (bad gardener).
We have been saving our toilet roll holders for the Peas!
So this fortnight, with the help of the boys (who are on school holidays) I hope to weed and refill all of the raised beds, plus make and fill the last remaining one. Then we can plant our spuds!
Now, back to the scribbling/sketching of ideas for my 'Little Crafts' eeek.


text:
Ottawa : Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, 1937.; 4 pages, 2 with full-text search [?]
There was an error retrieving this page.
|Creator||New Zealand. Treaties, etc. Canada 1932 May 24.|
Trade agreement between Canada and New Zealand.
Canada treaty series ; 1936 no. 11.
|Published||Ottawa : Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, 1937.|
CA1 EA10 36T11 ENG
New Zealand -- Commerce -- Canada.
Canada -- Commerce -- New Zealand.
3 p. ; 25 cm. --
Signed at Ottawa and Wellington April 23, 1932; in force May 24, 1932.
Extended in May and November, 1933, for six months, in May, 1934, for a period of one year and in May, 1935, for a new period of six months.
Extended and modified in November 1935, until July 31, 1936.
Extended in July, 1936 until September 1937, as modified in November, 1935.

domain: history


text:
Debt. I think that capitalism and it's debt is the tool needed to "convert" a ideology. Nothing stops a guy from protesting in the streets like the wife telling him it's time for work. Of course this takes proper government, a decent economy and the infrastructure to accommodate such employees. How does one convert a dictatorship into the western world, I guess time and collective want.
7/21/16 at 7:47am

domain: sociology


text:
Singer Roop Kumar Rathod, the best singer of Indian cinema, has spread his melodious voice in many Bollywood films. He is such a singer who even if he hums any nagma in a gathering, he gets stunned. Sartaj of such singing, Roop Kumar Rathod has once again presented a very heart touching song. Hearing whose words you will become intoxicated. Yes, this song is ‘Dil Nasheen’. Which Rathod has made sweeter by singing in his melodious voice.
Akanksha won the heart
In the song, Roop Kumar Rathod tells how a lover praises his girlfriend and tells, like ‘Dil nasheen har ada hai teri dilruba ye laughter chandni aina hai tera’. This song can be seen and heard on the official YouTube channel of Worldwide Records. In this song, Kamariya Girl i.e. Bhojpuri actress Akanksha Dubey has performed. Although she is seen raising the hearts of the fans with her boldness in every song, but this time she has won the hearts of the audience with her boldness instead of boldness and her expressions.
Learn about songs
The audience could not stop themselves from praising him. Akanksha Dubey has given her best performance till date in this song. ‘Dil Nasheen’ has been shot on a grand scale. Presented by Worldwide Records ‘Dil Nasheen’ is produced by Ratnakar Kumar. The song is sung by singer Roop Kumar Rathod, features Akanksha Dubey. The same lyrics have been written by Naksh Lyal Puri. Its music is given by Vijay Batalvi. The song is directed by Sumit Bharatdwaj. The full rights of the song are with Worldwide Records.

domain: celebrity


text:
Tokyo’s most fashionable district, Aoyama, is home to the newly constructed AO Building, an angular glass structure that glows with pink and blue lights at night. On the fifth floor is Two Rooms Grill & Bar, opened in March 2009 and already established as a place to be seen in Tokyo.
The two rooms of the name are an architect-designed open kitchen dining area with a granite counter, and a stylish bar/lounge across a water terraced bridge, which affords incredible views of Shinjuku in the distance. San Francisco-based Eight Inc., the firm behind the Apple Store concept, brought the layout to life.
From the extensive menu I tried the chef’s personal recommendation and favorite dish: teppan grilled scallops (¥1,800). They were deliciously crispy on the outside and topped with a smooth and light avocado and olive oil mousse and contrasting bacon ‘dust.’ Director and chef Matthew Crabbe’s cuisine reflects his passion for food, combining Old and New World techniques. He focuses on simple elegance with a twist. The menu is selected from specially sourced produce, focusing on fresh local seafood, premium beef and seasonal Japanese vegetables. Choice selections from the menu include char-grilled quail (¥1,800), Japanese kinkai red tuna (¥3,500), fresh daily fish from Tsukiji (¥2,400) and a wide selection of quality wagyu beef from ¥5,600.
Two Rooms was created by a trio of entrepreneurs, but the phrase ‘too many cooks’ doesn’t apply here, as each brings his expertise in a different field. Bar director Edward Baffoe utilizes the skills he honed running another Tokyo favorite, the Oak Door. He recommended I try a delicious fresh fruit martini bursting with kiwi (¥1,400). The bar uses a diverse selection of fresh fruits to satisfy the most demanding clientele. Keeping the unique concept running smoothly, third director and Grand Hyatt veteran Nathan Smith brings it all together through outstanding service.
Open daily (11:30am–2:30pm and 6–10pm)
3-11-7 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku
Photos courtesy of Two Rooms

domain: food


text:
BEWARE of sentient spell books!
Lana's plan to create a better life for the gnomes meets a deadly setback. The gnomes' defeated queen has a sentient spell book with a bad attitude and instructions for revenge. Outsmarting the castle's wards and booby traps turns into a daily challenge, and Lana and her companions hope that's the worst they face. Unfortunately, the imprisoned queen would sooner die than let the gnomes rule themselves, and unless Lana and her allies can stop the disasters the spell book has set in motion, the gnomes may not survive long enough to enjoy their newfound freedom.
In this unique portal story, readers travel to the gnome world where gemstones have amazing powers and wonders and perils await. Sequel to Beyond the Forest, praised as: "A bright fantasy for readers who are tired of exaggerated violence and slippery morals." -- Kirkus Reviews
About Kay L. Ling (Rochester, New York Author)
Kay L. Ling began writing fiction at an early age. In grade school, her stories evidenced a sense of wonder and love of adventure. In one, mythical creatures lived and traveled inside a rainbow, and in another, a bored sixth-grader turned her teacher into a maroon sofa and then teleported herself to London.
As she grew up, Kay never lost her ability to imagine strange and wondrous peoples and places, and now she would like to share her unique fantasy adventures with others.

domain: literature


Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.I haven't read House File 171, but this seems a little over the top, even for Republicans. That said, I understand the need to do something about those who abuse the public assistance program, and quite frankly, make it that much harder for those truly in need to receive assistance.
People who receive assistance currently receive their benefits through a EBT debit card. I'm not sure if the card can be used like a bank card (aka Visa), but with the right embedded technology, to prevent liquor store purchases and disallow the benefactor from using the card outside a radius of their home city, there would be no need for the recipient to have an over abundance of cash that could be used in the underground economy (aka drug dealers).
If you've paid any attention to this blog, or our show, you know that I think we have an obligation to help the needy. That said, those who are being helped have an obligation to the taxpayers who are paying the freight.
We will cover this more in depth, this Saturday at noon, CDT.


text:
As a player, one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in roleplaying is exploring a story which your character has a personal stake in, and which is tailored specifically to your character. It’s one thing to raid a tomb full of undead with your pals, but it’s entirely another to explore the tomb of your ancestors, fighting the spectres of long dead family
members and searching for a priceless heirloom.
Engaging individual characters within the party can be a fantastic way to develop characters
and make players feel badass, and these personal storylines can often develop into entire
plot arcs and adventures. However, the logistics of keeping the whole group entertained
while your game focuses on one character can be difficult. It’s often difficult for people to
find time to game together, and the last thing you want is for people to show up and then
spend the whole session watching somebody else play the game.
To help you explore the stories of the characters in your game, here are some tips to keep
the whole group engaged while one character is in focus.
The simplest strategy is scene switching – if you have characters in different places doing different things, make sure you swap focus regularly to keep all the players in the game.
Even if some characters aren’t doing anything exciting or relevant to the story, always give
them an opportunity to play their character and try not to make them feel like they’re in the
Something I see a lot is parties being split up for combats or other exciting moments in the
game. Sometimes this will just naturally happen and you roll with it, but there’s nothing
more boring for a player than to sit and watch someone else do a combat. If part of your in-
focus character’s story involves a fight or some other challenge, try to make sure the rest of
the party is there for it. Maybe the party gets ambushed by bounty hunters searching for
one of the characters, or the character needs to attend a shady meeting and asks the party
for backup. Having the whole party helping a character achieve their own personal goals can
develop character relationships and provide some really interesting roleplaying, so try to
give other characters an incentive to come along – sometimes just xp and loot is enough.
Following on from this point, create some opportunities for the other characters to
meaningfully assist the in-focus character using their unique skills and abilities. The
character might be exploring a personal story arc, but they’re part of a team and it’s likely
that someone in that team can help them out. Maybe the rogue can tail a person of interest
for them, or the spellcaster can help them understand some ancient runes.
Don’t undermine the importance of the in-focus character, but acknowledge that others can assist
Storytelling techniques like letters and notes, voices in characters’ heads and the like are
great, but the group can feel alienated if the GM keeps passing notes or taking a player
aside for secret discussions. While sometimes it might be dramatically appropriate to
privately give a player some information, try opening up more of your communication with
the group. Even if the characters are unaware of what’s going on, it can be cool for the
players to hear what’s happening and be a part of an awesome roleplaying exchange
between the GM and the in-focus character.
Something I’ve tried recently with great success is a technique suggested by Scott Garibay, allowing your players to run NPCs if their character isn’t present in a scene. When used with
tact this one can be heaps of fun, and players will inject some great personality into NPCs
that you might have otherwise glossed over. Obviously it’s wise to limit their interaction
with the story and not to give them anybody too important, but just letting your players
interact with the world from a different point of view can be great, while keeping them
entertained when their character is out of scene.
Finally, usually as a last resort, you can always run some out of session roleplaying with the
player of the in-focus character, over email or phone or what have you. This can be handy to
discuss the character’s plans between sessions, and to help you as the GM to prepare for
what might happen in the next session. You can roleplay scenes involving just the character
like this, but I prefer to keep all of the serious roleplaying at the gaming table where
everybody can be a part of the experience.
Hopefully this will help all you GMs keep the whole group happy while you explore personal
stories, so get out there and create some awesome moments for your characters! Until next
time, stay nerdy.

domain: game


text:
Canberra and Region Visitors Centre, 330 Northbourne Ave,
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2602
Australian Capital Territory
61 02 6205 0044
Canberra isn't all new and planned. The region has a long and diverse history prior to its development as the nation's capital. Canberra tracks are six self-drive heritage trails that will enhance your appreciation of the ACT. Interpretive signs on each route bring Canberra's heritage to life. Track 1 is Ngunnawal Country, Track 2 the Limestone Plains, Track 3 Looking at Canberra, Track 4 the ACT Pioneers Cemetery Track, Track 5 Gungahlin and the latest Track 6 is the Belconnen Heritage Track. There are also Canberra Tracks signs along the lakeside cycleways and many other sites of interest.

domain: geography


text:
|Publication number||US5595609 A|
|Application number||US 08/563,435|
|Publication date||Jan 21, 1997|
|Filing date||Nov 24, 1995|
|Priority date||Apr 9, 1993|
|Publication number||08563435, 563435, US 5595609 A, US 5595609A, US-A-5595609, US5595609 A, US5595609A|
|Inventors||David E. Gay|
|Original Assignee||General Motors Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (14), Non-Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (35), Classifications (8), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This patent application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/976,859 filed Nov. 16, 1992, abandoned, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/243,051 filed May 13, 1994 as a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/044,421 filed Apr. 9, 1993, all now abandoned.
This invention relates to a soft magnetic core made by a method in which a compression molded magnetic article is formed from soft ferromagnetic metal particles which are coated with a polymeric material, and then annealed so as to substantially relieve the stresses induced in the particles during the compression molding process without significantly deteriorating the polymeric coating material. The resulting magnetic article exhibits enhanced magnetic permeability and reduced coercivity without a significant loss in mechanical properties.
The use of powdered metals, and particularly iron and its alloys, is known for forming magnets, such as soft magnetic AC cores for transformers, inductors, motors, generators, and relays. An advantage to using powdered metals is that forming operations, such as compression, injection molding, or isostatic pressing techniques, can be used to form intricate molded part configurations, such as magnetic cores, without the requirement for additional machining and/or piercing operations. As a result, the formed part is often substantially ready for use within its working environment as formed by the molding process.
Molded soft magnetic cores for AC applications generally should have low magnetic core losses. To provide low core losses, the individual metal particles within the magnetic core must be electrically insulated from each other. Numerous types of insulating materials, which also act as the binder required for molding, have been suggested by the prior art, including inorganic materials such as iron phosphate and alkali metal silicate, as well as an extensive variety of organic polymeric materials. It is also known to coat a powdered metal with an inorganic undercoating and then provide an organic topcoat. In addition to providing adequate insulation and adhesion between the metal particles upon molding, the coating material should also have the ability to provide sufficient lubrication during the molding operation so as to enhance the flowability and compressibility of the particles, therefore enabling the particles to attain maximum density and strength.
A shortcoming of the prior art arises in that a magnetic core's maximum operating temperature will often be determined by the heat resistant properties of the insulating material used to adhere the metal particles together. It is essential that the integrity of the insulating material be maintained so as to insulate the individual metal particles and thereby provide low core losses for AC applications. If the magnetic core is exposed to a temperature which exceeds the degradation temperature of the coating material, the ability of the coating material to encapsulate and adhere the particles will likely be degraded, which could ultimately destroy the magnetic core. Even where physical destruction of the magnetic core does not occur, the magnetic field characteristics of the magnetic core will likely be severely impaired because of the degradation of the insulating capability of the coating material due to the elevated temperatures.
As disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/976,859, filed Nov. 16, 1992, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, polybenzimidazole (PBI), aromatic polyamides such as polyphthalamide (PPA), and certain polyimides have been found to perform well as the coating material for powdered iron and/or powdered iron alloys. Each of these preferred thermoplastic polymers have operating temperatures, as defined by their heat deflection temperatures, which permit their use in high temperature applications of greater than about 270° C. As a result, these preferred polymers perform well, particularly with respect to their ability to withstand relatively high operating temperatures such that the mechanical properties and desired magnetic characteristics of the molded magnetic core do not deteriorate at high temperatures.
Polybenzimidazole, an aromatic polyamide such as polyphthalamide, and the preferred polyimides also have the ability to adhere well to the underlying iron particle, bind the iron particles together, and resist thermal and chemical attack, while also serving as a lubricant during the compression molding process so as to promote high density and strength of the magnetic core. The ability of an encapsulating material to serve as a lubricant during the molding process is also important in that unsuitably low densities correspond to a lower magnetic permeability of the magnetic core.
However, a shortcoming associated with compression molded magnetic cores is that work hardening of the metal particles occurs during the compression molding process, inducing stresses within the magnetic cores that result in reduced magnetic permeability, increased coercivity and possibly higher core losses. As an example, the magnetic permeability of magnetic cores formed by conventional compression molding techniques typically does not exceed about 125 Gauss/Oersteds (G/Oe) at about 50 oersteds field intensity and about 100 to about 400 Hz. As a result, magnetic cores which are compression molded from encapsulated iron particles generally do not exhibit sufficiently high magnetic permeability to be useful in AC applications such as generators, stator cores, transformers and the like, which require magnetic permeability in excess of about 175 G/Oe as measured at about 50 oersteds field intensity and about 100 to about 400 Hz. Moreover, work hardening of the metal also increases the coercivity of soft magnetic cores. Coercivity is that property of the metal that is measured by the maximum value of coercive force (Hc) which is the magnetizing force required to bring the induced magnetism to zero in a magnetic material which is in a symmetrically cyclically magnetized condition. High coercivity is undesirable in soft magnets because energy is wasted bringing the induced magnetism back to zero. Moreover, in low frequency (i.e., less than about 200 Hz) applications most of the core losses are attributable to hystersis losses which are controlled by the metal component of the core and can only be reduced by attention to the metal component. Stress relieving the metal component is one way to reduce its coercivity.
To relieve the undesirable stresses induced into the metal particles during compression molding, it would be necessary to anneal a magnetic core at a temperature of at least about 450° C., and then cool the magnetic core without quenching. However, polymer coatings generally cannot withstand such temperatures, and tend to degrade and pyrolyze, causing a significant loss of strength and magnetic properties in the magnetic core.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method for enhancing the magnetic permeability of compression molded magnetic cores which are formed from encapsulated powdered metals, wherein the coating material has the ability to withstand processing temperatures which are sufficient to anneal the magnetic core so as to relieve the stresses induced by the compression molding process. Furthermore, it would be desirable that such a method not cause a corresponding loss in the mechanical properties and magnetic characteristics of the molded magnetic core as a result of the degradation and/or pyrolyzation of the coating material during annealing. In addition, such a coating material should be soluble in a suitable solvent, and capable of improving lubrication during the molding process and providing adhesion between the metal particles after molding, so as to attain maximum density and strength of the as-molded article.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for enhancing the magnetic permeability of compression molded magnetic cores which are formed from encapsulated powdered metals.
It is a further object of this invention that such a method entail the use of a coating material for encapsulating the powdered metal particles, wherein the coating material is capable of withstanding temperatures sufficient to anneal a magnetic core which has been compression molded from the encapsulated metal particles, such that stresses induced in the magnetic core by the compression molding process can be relieved without a significant deterioration in the mechanical properties and magnetic characteristics of the magnetic core as a result of the degradation and/or pyrolyzation of the coating material during annealing.
It is yet another object of this invention that such a coating material have high strength and insulating properties, such that the coating material is capable of strongly adhering the metal particles together so as to permit immediate handling and use of the magnetic core after the molding process, and such that the metal particles are sufficiently insulated from each other so as to promote low core losses in the magnetic core.
It is a still a further object of this invention that such a coating material also exhibit high compressibility so as to facilitate compression molding of the metal particles, thereby optimizing the density of the magnetic core produced.
Lastly, it is yet another object of this invention that such a coating material be capable of being deposited onto the metal particles using such methods as a fluidized bed process.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, these and other objects and advantages are accomplished as follows.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for enhancing the magnetic permeability and reducing the coercivity of compression molded soft magnetic cores which are formed from encapsulated powdered metals, wherein the method entails the use of thermoplastic coating materials for encapsulating or coating the powdered metals, such as iron and iron alloys, which are capable of withstanding temperatures that are sufficient to anneal the metal. As a result, the stresses induced in the metal by the compression molding process can be relieved without a substantial loss in the mechanical properties and magnetic characteristics of the magnetic core as a consequence of the degradation of the coating material during annealing.
Thermoplastic coating materials which have been determined to be most capable of withstanding the necessary annealing temperatures are polybenzimidazole (PBI) and specific polyimides (PI) having a heat deflection temperature of at least about 400° C.
It has been determined that soft magnetic articles compression molded from metal particles encapsulated with these preferred coating materials can sustain temperatures, generally in excess of about 450° C., for a duration which is sufficient to relieve the work hardening stresses that are induced into the metal particles by the compaction process. The elimination of these stresses is believed to enhance the magnetic permeability and reduce the magnetic coercivity of the magnetic article. According to this invention, the preferred coating materials do not significantly degrade or pyrolyze at these annealing temperatures, thus alleviating any loss in mechanical properties such as strength, and/or magnetic properties such as permeability, of the magnetic core.
Each of the preferred coating materials has a heat deflection temperature in excess of about 400° C., such that soft magnetic articles molded from metal particles coated with any of the preferred coating materials are particularly suitable for use at relatively high operating temperatures. Specifically, these coating materials enable the magnetic core to substantially retain its mechanical and magnetic properties at operating temperatures up to at least the corresponding heat deflection temperature of the particular coating material used.
The preferred thermoplastic coating materials are also sufficiently soluble, highly resistant to chemical attack, and exhibit relatively high strength and good dielectric properties. As a result, the coating materials can be applied by fluidized bed processes, and are suitable for use in applications which require high strength and insulating properties within a relatively high temperature environment. The coating materials are capable of adhering the metal particles together strongly so as to form a molded article using a compression molding process. Furthermore, core losses produced by the insulating effect of the coating materials are suitably low to ensure the desired magnetic characteristics of the magnetic core. Finally, the coating materials are sufficiently lubricous to promote compaction and densification during the compression molding process. The above capabilities are particularly advantageous for the manufacture of magnetic cores which are compression molded from the coated metal particles.
The preferred coating materials can achieve the above advantages while being present in relatively low quantities, i.e., less than about one weight percent as compared to the mass of the encapsulated metal particles. The coated metal particles are introduced into a suitable molding apparatus, such as a compression or injection molding machine or isostatic press, where the coated metal particles are compressed within a heated mold cavity under a suitably high pressure to compact the coated metal particles to produce a dense, strong and solid magnetic article.
The soft magnetic article is annealed at a temperature and for a duration which are sufficient to relieve the work hardening induced into the metal particles by the molding process, so as to enhance the magnetic permeability and reduce the magnetic coercivity of the magnetic article, and is then allowed to cool, preferably at a rate slow enough to avoid the formation of thermally-induced stresses. The preferred thermoplastic coating materials are capable of withstanding the annealing process, such that there is no significant degradation or pyrolyzation of the coating material. Consequently, no significant loss in the strength or the AC magnetic properties of the magnetic article occurs as a result of a detrimental change in the preferred coating materials. Thus, soft magnetic cores which are compression molded from metal particles encapsulated with the preferred coating materials of this invention exhibit sufficiently high magnetic permeability to be useful in AC applications such as generators, stator cores, transformers and the like, which require magnetic permeability such as in excess of about 175 G/Oe as measured at about 50 oersteds field intensity and about 100 to about 400 Hz. Moreover, such cores are useful in low frequency (i.e., <200 Hz) applications owing to their reduced coercivity.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.
The above and other advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are graphs which illustrate the effect that various annealing temperatures have on the mechanical properties of magnetic articles formed in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 3 is a graph which illustrates the effect that annealing has on the permeability of magnetic articles formed in accordance with this invention; and
FIGS. 4-7 are graphs which illustrate the effect that annealing has on the coercivity of soft magnetic particles formed in accordance with this invention.
The method of this invention involves the use of a group of thermoplastic polymeric coating materials for coating powdered materials, and more particularly, for encapsulating powdered iron and ferromagnetic iron alloys which are molded under pressure so as to form, for example, soft magnets that are particularly suitable for use as AC magnetic cores used in the automotive industry. The preferred polymeric coating materials are capable of withstanding elevated temperatures which are sufficient to anneal the magnetic cores for the purpose of relieving stresses induced into the metal during the molding process, so as to result in the enhancement of the magnetic permeability and reduction of the coercivity of the magnetic cores. It is to be noted that the molding of other types of articles is also within the scope of the teachings of this invention.
According to the present invention, the preferred thermoplastic polymeric materials are polybenzimidazole (PBI) and polyimides (PI) having heat deflection temperatures of at least about 400° C. Such polyimides include those derived from 3-4'oxydianiline and polymethylene dianiline. Polybenzimidazole is available under the tradename Celazole U-60 from the Hoechst Celanese Corporation. A preferred polyimide that is derived from 3-4'oxydianiline and polymethylene dianiline is available under the tradename Imitech 201A from Imitech. It is to be noted that although these are the preferred polymeric coatings of this invention, it is foreseeable that other thermoplastic polyimides and polybenzimidazoles having a suitably high heat deflection temperature could also be foreseeably used.
Each of the preferred thermoplastic coating materials is characterized by excellent mechanical properties and dielectric characteristics over a temperature range which exceeds at least about 400° C., as generally determined by a standardized heat deflection temperature per ASTM test D-648 entitled "Deflection Temperature of Plastics Under Flexural Load", wherein a sheet of the polymeric material is supported at three points and deflection is measured as a function of increasing temperature.
Thermoplastic polybenzimidazole has a heat deflection temperature of about 435° C., while the preferred thermoplastic polyimides, which are derived from 3-4'oxydianiline and polymethylene dianiline, have a heat deflection temperature of at least about 400° C. It was first thought that these materials would not retain their integrity at higher annealing temperatures, thus causing a degradation in the integrity of the molded article formed from the mass of encapsulated particles. Yet, it was determined that molded articles formed from ferromagnetic metal particles coated with the preferred polybenzimidazole are able to withstand annealing temperatures of at least about 500° C. for an hour, allowing such magnetic cores to be annealed to relieve the stresses induced into the metal particles during the molding process. In addition, molded articles formed from ferromagnetic particles coated with the preferred polyimide, such as those derived from 3-4'oxydianiline and polymethylene dianiline, are also able to withstand annealing temperatures of at least about 450° C. for an hour. Even at these relatively high temperatures, the integrity of the physical and dielectric properties of the magnetic core are retained, resulting in little, if any, degradation in the magnetic characteristics of the molded article, such as measured by magnetic core loss.
In addition, the preferred coating materials are each soluble in a suitable solvent, thereby permitting their use in the preferred Wurster-type fluidized coating process described above and known in the art. Specifically, polybenzimidazole is soluble in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with lithium chloride, and the preferred polyimides are generally soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, though it is foreseeable that other suitable solvents exist and could be used. However, the preferred coating materials of this invention tend to be insoluble in solutions other than their named solvents, thereby making them substantially impervious to chemical attack within most environments, such as that for an engine component of an automobile.
The solubility of both polybenzimidazole and the preferred polyimide in at least one solvent is advantageous in view of the preferred coating and molding processes utilized by the present invention. Though it is foreseeable that the preferred coating materials, and particularly polybenzimidazole, could be used in a slurry coating process which does not require that the coating material be first dissolved in a solvent. However, it is generally preferable to use a fluidized coating process, wherein the preferred polymer is in solution so as to achieve a more uniform coating on the powdered materials, thereby promoting low core losses.
According to the present invention, magnetic articles which are molded from ferromagnetic particles encapsulated with the preferred coating materials are capable of withstanding annealing temperatures of at least 450° C. for a duration sufficient to relieve the stresses induced into the metal by the molding process, so as to enhance the magnetic article's permeability. After annealing, the mechanical and physical properties of the preferred coating materials are retained to provide sufficient adhesion between adjacent metal particles, so as to sustain the desired strength and shape of the magnetic core after molding. Furthermore, the insulating capability of the preferred coating materials is sufficiently retained to minimize magnetic core losses in the molded article.
The usable temperature for ferromagnetic metal particles coated with any of the preferred coating materials is in excess of about 375° C., thus permitting their extended use in high temperature applications. Correspondingly, the magnetic core loss properties of the molded article are also retained at these elevated temperatures.
The preferred coating materials also have desirable flow and feed properties, and are compressible and dense, making them highly suitable for use in compression molding processes. As a result, the preferred coating materials can be readily handled with conventional delivery equipment. Furthermore, maximum metal particle density can be achieved with a compression molding process.
Each of the preferred coating materials is able to achieve the above advantages while being present in quantities lower than about one weight percent, as compared to the total weight of the encapsulated metal particles. Most preferably, polybenzimidazole is present in the range of about 0.5 to about one weight percent, and the preferred polyimide is present in the range of about 0.25 to about 0.75 weight percent. It is foreseeable that greater quantities of the preferred coating materials could be used, though a corresponding change in physical properties and/or a reduction in magnetic permeability of the molded article may result.
The balance of the molded article, about 99 weight percent, consists of ferromagnetic metal particles sized preferably in the range of about 5 to about 400 microns, and more preferably in the range of about 25 to about 350 microns, so as to attain magnetic cores of high permeability, as is discussed more fully later.
The preferred method for coating the ferromagnetic metal particles utilizes a Wurster-type spray-coating fluidized bed of the type known to those skilled in the art, although other methods which produce a uniform coating on the particles could also be used. The fluidized bed essentially includes a concentric pair of upright cylindrical vessels, one within the other. The outer vessel has its lower axial end closed to form a floor for the outer vessel only, with the inner vessel being suspended above this floor. The floor has perforations of various sizes through which heated air is drawn through both vessels. The perforations are sized and located such that the majority of the air flow will occur up through the inner vessel, and then down between the inner vessel and the outer vessel. Prior to introduction into the fluidized bed, it may be preferred, although not necessary, that the metal particles be presorted according to size, so as to promote substantially uniform coating thicknesses on the metal particles during the coating process.
At start-up, a batch of the powdered metal is deposited onto the floor of the vessel, and then circulated with heated air at a rate sufficient to fluidize the particles. According to the batch size and particle sizes, the flow rate of the air will generally be in the range of about 100 to about 200 cubic meters per hour. Also, the air temperature will generally range between about 55° C. and 80° C. when the coating process begins, but will vary during the coating process with the introduction and evaporation of the solvent. If the air temperature is too low, the solvent will not evaporate upon contact with the metal particle thereby resulting in a poorly coated particle, while if the air temperature is too high, the solvent evaporates too quickly thereby also preventing the formation of a uniformly thick coating on the particles. As the coating process progresses, each of the particles are randomly coated an extraordinarily large number of times, so as to ensure a uniformly thick coating on the particle.
A spray nozzle located on the floor under the inner chamber serves to introduce one of the preferred coating materials, which is dissolved in an appropriate solvent, into the chamber. The solution is preferably about 5 to about 15 weight percent coating material, and more preferably about 10 weight percent coating material, so as to maximize the efficiency of the coating procedure, though suitable coating results can be obtained with an extremely large range of solutions.
The solution is then sprayed into the fluidized bed. Within the fluidized bed, the solvent is evaporated, leaving the coating material encapsulated onto the particles. Once coated, the encapsulated metal particles are recirculated by the action of the heated air between the confined volumes defined by the inner and outer vessels. Circulation is continued until each metal particle has acquired a uniform and sufficiently thick coating of the particular coating material used, preferably in accordance with the respective weight percentages indicated above for each of the coating materials of this invention. Typically, the coating thickness will be in the range of about 0.3 to about 4.5 microns for metal particles in the preferred range of about 5 to about 400 microns.
As stated previously, other deposition methods may also be employed so long as a substantially uniform coating on each particle is obtained.
Thereafter, the coated metal particles may be introduced into a suitable molding apparatus. Typical molding processes used to form, for example, magnetic cores, include compression and injection molding and isostatic pressing, and are generally performed at mold temperatures ranging from about room temperature to about 370° C., and more preferably from about 260° C. to about 370° C., with the particles being pre-heated to about 150° C. to about 175° C. At these temperatures, the preferred coating materials are sufficiently fluid to flow under pressure during the molding operation, while also being sufficiently viscous to adhere to the metal particles and provide a lubricating action between adjacent metal particles. As a result, automated handling equipment can be used to process and feed the coated metal particles throughout the coating and molding processes, resulting in shorter cycle times. Yet the compaction molded articles, such as soft magnetic cores, formed by these processes are characterized by being physically strong and dense, so as to generally enable immediate handling and use of the as-formed molded articles, as well as permit machining of the molded articles if necessary.
In that the coated metal particles and the mold cavity are preheated, the coated metal particles will readily flow into the mold cavity and, when subjected to typical molding pressures of about 20 to about 50 tons per square inch (tsi), will flow sufficiently to become compacted and form a molded article, such as a ferromagnetic core whose density is preferably greater than about 7.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The coating and molding processes described above can be widely varied to alter the physical and magnetic properties of the molded article, as is known in the art.
The molded article is then annealed at an appropriate temperature so as to relieve the work hardening stresses induced into the metal during the molding process. The preferred temperature range for the annealing process of this invention depends in part on the particular coating material chosen. Generally, an annealing temperature of between about 425° C. and about 550° C. is preferred for the coating materials of this invention, with a more preferred range of about 475° C. to about 550° C. for molded articles formed with polybenzimidazole, and a more preferred range of about 425° C. to about 500° C. for molded articles formed with the preferred polyimide. The duration of the annealing process is preferably about 0.5 to about 2 hours for typical AC applications. While a duration of about 1 hour appears to be sufficient for most applications, the optimal duration for any given molded article will be extremely dependent on the mass and geometry of the molded article. Accordingly, it is foreseeable that annealing durations of less than 0.5 hours or in excess of 2 hours may be preferable under some circumstances.
After annealing, the molded article is allowed to cool without quenching, preferably at a rate slow enough to avoid the formation of thermally-induced stresses within the molded article. A suitable method is to allow the molded article to cool by natural convection within the annealing oven as the oven cools from its heating cycle.
To determine the preferred annealing temperature for magnetic bodies formed from ferromagnetic particles coated in accordance with this invention, individual quantities of ferromagnetic particles (i.e., Hoeganaes 1000C iron powder) were selectively coated with one of the preferred coating materials in accordance with the fluidized bed process described above. The ferromagnetic particles generally had a particle size of about 5 to about 300 microns, and were coated with either polybenzimidazole (Celazole U-60 from the Hoechst Celanese Corporation), or the preferred polyimide (Imitech 201A from Imitech). For the particles encapsulated with polybenzimidazole, the coating material was deposited to a thickness sufficient to result in it being about 0.75 weight percent of the mass of the coated ferromagnetic particles, while particles encapsulated with the polyimide were coated to a thickness sufficient to result in the polyimide being about 0.375 weight percent of the mass of the coated particles. These particular weight percents were determined to be the optimal amount for each of the polymeric coatings.
For comparison, ferromagnetic particles were also coated with a polyphthalamide obtained from Amoco Performance Products, Inc., under the tradename Amodel AD-1000. Polyphthalamide is disclosed as a preferred coating for forming molded magnetic articles suitable for high temperature use in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/976,859. The polyphthalamide was deposited in accordance with the teachings of Ser. No. 07/976,859, so as to compose about 0.75 weight percent of the coated ferromagnetic particles.
A transverse rupture bar of each of the selected coating materials was then formed by room temperature compression molding at a molding pressure of about 50 tsi. The transverse rupture bar samples were approximately 1.25 inches long, 0.5 inch wide, and 0.375 inch thick. The polyimide-coated transverse rupture bars had densities of about 7.4 g/cm3, while the polybenzimidazole-coated transverse rupture bars had densities of about 7.5 g/cm3.
After forming, test bars for each of the coating materials were selectively annealed at temperatures of about 180° C., 290° C., 400° C., 450° C. and 510° C., with one sample of each being left unannealed for comparison. The annealing time for the samples was about one hour. Strength tests were then conducted to determine the test bars' loads at 0.2% offset and loads at failure, in accordance with ASTM test B528-83A, entitled "Transverse Rupture Strength of Sintered Metal Powder Specimens."
Results of the tensile tests are provided below in Table I, as well as FIGS. 1 and 2. In Table I and FIGS. 1 and 2, "PI" is used to indicate the results corresponding to the polyimide-coated transverse rupture bars, "PBI" is used to indicate the results corresponding to the polybenzimidazole-coated transverse rupture bars, and "PPA" is used to indicate the comparative results corresponding to the polyphthalamide-coated transverse rupture bars. The lack of data for an entry indicates that the coating material degraded to the extent that testing was not possible.
TABLE I______________________________________No Post Bake PPA PI PBI______________________________________Max Failure Load (psi) 1855 2962 23100.2% Offset Load (psi) 1542 2923 2181180° C. AnnealMax Failure Load (psi) 5537 2258 29110.2% Offset Load (psi) 5325 2240 2750290° C. AnnealMax Failure Load (psi) 5964 9213 112700.2% Offset Load (psi) 5721 6542 7621400° C. AnnealMax Failure Load (psi) 4277 12590 142200.2% Offset Load (psi) 3353 7698 8642450° C. AnnealMax Failure Load (psi) -- 13170 153600.2% Offset Load (psi) -- 7526 9788510° C. AnnealMax Failure Load (psi) -- 9932 154000.2% Offset Load (psi) -- 6751 9730______________________________________
The above data illustrates that the preferred coating materials of this invention exhibited suitable strength after annealing at the selected temperatures. In fact, the test bars actually required a heavier load for failure as the annealing temperatures were increased, with the polybenzimidazole (PBI) requiring the heaviest loads for failure at elevated temperatures up to and including 510° C. The specimens utilizing the preferred polyimide as the coating material exhibited some degradation in mechanical properties at about 510° C., indicating that a more optimum annealing temperature is closer to about 450° C. In contrast, the test bars utilizing polyphthalamide as the coating material exhibited the lowest mechanical properties at annealing temperatures above 180° C., with thermal degradation resulting in these specimens being too deteriorated for further testing at annealing temperatures above about 400° C.
It is believed that at their respective preferred annealing temperatures, the polybenzimidazole material and the preferred polyimides derived from 3-4'oxydianiline and polymethylene dianiline, sufficiently soften so as to allow the stresses present within the metal particles to be relieved, while the preferred polyimides also possibly imidize at the relatively high temperature, thereby resulting in a stronger, stress-free article.
The mechanical strength data was used to indicate the extent of polymer degradation. The results illustrate that the mechanical properties were enhanced after annealing these ferromagnetic bodies at temperatures of up to at least about 450° C.
To evaluate the effect that annealing has on the magnetic properties of magnetic bodies formed from the preferred coating materials, toroidal test samples were formed utilizing polybenzimidazole as the coating material by compression molding at about 290° C. with a molding pressure of about 50 tsi. The toroidal test samples had an outer diameter of about 2 inches, an inner diameter of about 1.7 inches, and a cross sectional thickness of about 0.25 inch. The toroidal samples were annealed at various temperatures for a duration of about one hour. An additional sample was not annealed for purposes of comparison. The polybenzimidazole coating was deposited such that the polybenzimidazole composed about 0.75 weight percent of the coated ferromagnetic particles.
The samples were then tested to determine permeability (m) when exposed to 100 Hz and 400 Hz AC currents. The best test results were achieved for the samples annealed at either 450° C. or 510° C., the data for these samples being illustrated in FIG. 3. The data obtained from these samples indicated that a substantial increase in permeability occurred for the samples which were annealed, in comparison to the sample which was not. Such results are compatible with the position that the compression molding process work hardens the molded articles, causing a corresponding decrease in magnetic permeability. By annealing the test samples, the stresses resulting from work hardening were sufficiently relieved so as to cause an increase in magnetic permeability, as shown by the results in FIG. 3. It is anticipated that the annealing method of this invention can readily increase magnetic permeability in excess of about 210 G/Oe as measured at about 50 oersteds field intensity and about 100 to about 400 Hz, for a given magnetic article formed from ferromagnetic particles encapsulated with the preferred coating materials of this invention, such that the magnetic article could be used in demanding AC applications.
To further evaluate the magnetic properties of magnetic bodies formed from the preferred coating materials, toroidal test samples of each preferred coating material were again formed by the compression molding method described above. Polybenzimidazole was deposited so as to compose about 0.75 weight percent of its respective coated particles, while the preferred polyimide was deposited so as to compose about 0.375 weight percent of its respective coated particles. The polyimide-coated samples had densities of about 7.4 g/cm3, while the polybenzimidazole-coated samples had densities of about 7.5 g/cm3.
A sample of each preferred coating material was then annealed in accordance with the best results achieved under the mechanical tests described above. The sample formed from ferromagnetic particles encapsulated with polybenzimidazole was annealed at about 510° C. for a duration of about one hour. The sample formed from ferromagnetic particles encapsulated with the preferred polyimide was annealed at about 450° C. for a duration of about one hour.
The samples were then tested to determine the magnetic field intensity (Hmax) in oersteds, flux density (Bmax) in gauss, total core loss (Pcm) in watts per pound, and permeability (m) when exposed to a DC current, a 100 Hz AC current and a 400 Hz AC current. Results of these tests are provided below in Table II. In the table, each of the coating materials are identified as before in Table I.
TABLE II______________________________________DC current PI PBI______________________________________Hmax (Oe) 160 159Bmax (G) 16,000 16,800Permeability (m) 100 106Freq = 100 HzHmax (Oe) 59.1 75.9Bmax (G) 12,520 15,100Permeability (m) 212 198Core Loss (W/lb) 23.0 39.8Freq = 400 HzHmax (Oe) 58.9 78.6Bmax (G) 12,520 15,100Permeability (m) 213 192Core Loss (W/lb) 120 326______________________________________
Finally, toroidal test samples made as described above with 0.75 weight percent of polybenzimidazole and 0.375 weight percent polyimide and molded at about 50 tsi were tested to determine the effects of heat treating temperature (i.e., for 1 hour) on coercivity measured at different frequencies and field intensities. In FIGS. 4-7, the solid line is the test results for polyimide while the dashed line is the test results for polybenzimidazole. FIG. 4 shows the results for samples tested at 50 oersteds field intensity and direct current. FIG. 5 shows the results for samples tested at 150 oersteds field intensity and 50 Hz frequency. FIG. 6 shows the results for samples tested at 50 oersteds field intensity and 100 Hz frequency. FIG. 7 shows the results for sample tested at 50 oersteds field intensity and 400 Hz frequency. The results of these tests show that coercivity begins to drop significantly at heat treatment temperatures of about 400° C. or more, which corresponds to the 1 hour annealing temperature of the particular metal particles used.
The above data, in conjunction with the results shown in FIG. 3, illustrates that useful magnetic core bodies having enhanced permeabilities and reduced coercivities were obtained by annealing the samples. While the polyimide (PI) samples exhibited lower core losses than the polybenzimidazole (PBI) samples, it is expected that improvements could be made to the polybenzimidazole (PBI) by achieving a more uniform coating on the individual ferromagnetic particles, or by using lower molding pressures. A possible explanation for the polyimide samples having lower core losses is that it is believed that the preferred polyimide partially imidizes during molding and almost fully imidizes during annealing.
From the above, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that a significant advantage of the present invention is that there is provided a group of thermoplastic polymeric coatings for encapsulating powdered metals which are capable of withstanding temperatures sufficient to anneal a magnetic core that has been compression molded from the coated metal particles. As a result, the stresses induced into the metal through work hardening of the magnetic core during the compression molding process can be relieved without a significant loss in the mechanical properties of the magnetic core as a consequence of the degradation and/or pyrolyzation of the coating material during annealing. Furthermore, it is apparent that significant improvements in magnetic properties, more specifically, improvements in magnetic permeability and reduced coercivity can be achieved using the preferred coating materials in accordance with this invention. As a result, magnetic cores made in accordance with this invention are able to exhibit sufficiently higher magnetic permeability (on the order of about 210 G/Oe) and reduced coercivity so as to be useful in AC applications such as generators, stator cores, transformers and the like, which require magnetic permeability (such as in excess of about 175 G/Oe at about 50 oersteds field intensity and about 100 to about 400 Hz), and particularly low frequency species thereof which are particularly sensitive to high coercivities.
As noted in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/976,859, the temperature capabilities of the preferred coating materials are also beneficial for magnetic cores used in thermally hostile environments. The preferred coating materials imbue mechanical properties to the magnetic cores which include strength and high density as a result of strongly adhering the metal particles together.
Furthermore, the resistance of the preferred coating materials to high temperatures includes the ability to electrically insulate the metal particles from each other, so as to result in acceptable core losses for many applications, a critical magnetic characteristic for AC applications. The preferred coating materials are also highly resistant to a wide variety of chemicals, making their magnetic cores suitable for use in chemically hostile environments, such as the engine compartment of an automobile. In addition, the coating materials are sufficiently lubricous so as to enable high densities at typical molding temperatures.
While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art; for example, by substituting other thermoplastic polymers having a heat deflection temperature of at least about 400° C., or by modifying the processing parameters such as the temperatures or pressures employed, or by substituting other appropriate powdered materials such as other magnetic or magnetizable materials, or by utilizing the particular materials and methods for use in alternative applications. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US3725521 *||Oct 29, 1970||Apr 3, 1973||Smith Corp A||Method of making steel powder particles of select electrical resistivity|
|US4358419 *||Nov 12, 1980||Nov 9, 1982||The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy||Method of making amorphous metal composites|
|US4543208 *||Dec 23, 1983||Sep 24, 1985||Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha||Magnetic core and method of producing the same|
|US4601765 *||May 5, 1983||Jul 22, 1986||General Electric Company||Powdered iron core magnetic devices|
|US4713288 *||Jun 4, 1986||Dec 15, 1987||Hitachi, Ltd.||Magnetic recording medium|
|US4725490 *||May 5, 1986||Feb 16, 1988||Hoechst Celanese Corporation||High magnetic permeability composites containing fibers with ferrite fill|
|US4957668 *||Dec 7, 1988||Sep 18, 1990||General Motors Corporation||Ultrasonic compacting and bonding particles|
|US5028497 *||May 1, 1989||Jul 2, 1991||Sony Corporation||Magnetic recording medium utilizing a fungicide|
|US5096509 *||Dec 13, 1988||Mar 17, 1992||501 Hitachi Metals, Ltd.||Anisotropic magnetic powder and magnet thereof and method of producing same|
|US5098940 *||Mar 21, 1990||Mar 24, 1992||Amoco Corporation||Crystalline polyphthalamide composition having improved properties|
|US5211896 *||Jun 7, 1991||May 18, 1993||General Motors Corporation||Composite iron material|
|US5268140 *||Jan 31, 1992||Dec 7, 1993||Hoeganaes Corporation||Thermoplastic coated iron powder components and methods of making same|
|US5271891 *||Jul 20, 1992||Dec 21, 1993||General Motors Corporation||Method of sintering using polyphenylene oxide coated powdered metal|
|EP0112577A1 *||Dec 27, 1983||Jul 4, 1984||Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba||Magnetic core and method of producing the same|
|1||"Technical Data Sheet I-201A Cable Coating", IMITEC Inc., P.O. Box 1412, 1990 Maxon Road, Schanectady, New York 12301, Mar. 1991.|
|2||*||E. J. Powers et al, History and Development of Polybenzimidazole, Hoechst Celanese, American Chemical Society, New York, Apr. 15 18, 1986.|
|3||E. J. Powers et al, History and Development of Polybenzimidazole, Hoechst Celanese, American Chemical Society, New York, Apr. 15-18, 1986.|
|4||*||Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 2 A Wiley Interscience Publication, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 43 53, 1985.|
|5||Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 2-A Wiley-Interscience Publication, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 43-53, 1985.|
|6||*||Hawley s Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Eleventh Edition 1987, Anode Process, p. 83.|
|7||Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Eleventh Edition 1987, Anode Process, p. 83.|
|8||S. Minakawa et al, "Warm Consolidation of Amorphous Metallic Powder Composites for AC Applications", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 23, No. 5, Sep. 1987, pp. 3245-3247.|
|9||*||S. Minakawa et al, Warm Consolidation of Amorphous Metallic Powder Composites for AC Applications , IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 23, No. 5, Sep. 1987, pp. 3245 3247.|
|10||*||Technical Data Sheet I 201A Cable Coating , IMITEC Inc., P.O. Box 1412, 1990 Maxon Road, Schanectady, New York 12301, Mar. 1991.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US6054210 *||Apr 9, 1997||Apr 25, 2000||The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration||Molded magnetic article|
|US6063209 *||Apr 17, 1998||May 16, 2000||Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.||Magnetic core and method of manufacturing the same|
|US6136265 *||Aug 9, 1999||Oct 24, 2000||Delphi Technologies Inc.||Powder metallurgy method and articles formed thereby|
|US6284060 *||Sep 4, 1998||Sep 4, 2001||Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.||Magnetic core and method of manufacturing the same|
|US6287513 *||Aug 24, 1999||Sep 11, 2001||Delphi Technologies, Inc.||Method of shaping powder metal parts|
|US6372348 *||Nov 23, 1998||Apr 16, 2002||Hoeganaes Corporation||Annealable insulated metal-based powder particles|
|US6548012||May 2, 2001||Apr 15, 2003||National Research Council Of Canada||Manufacturing soft magnetic components using a ferrous powder and a lubricant|
|US6635122||Oct 3, 2001||Oct 21, 2003||Hoeganaes Corporation||Methods of making and using annealable insulated metal-based powder particles|
|US7041148||Mar 3, 2003||May 9, 2006||General Electric Company||Coated ferromagnetic particles and compositions containing the same|
|US7455905||Sep 8, 2004||Nov 25, 2008||Höganäs Ab||Iron based soft magnetic powder having an insulating coating|
|US7504920||Sep 26, 2001||Mar 17, 2009||Tekonsha Engineering Company||Magnetic brake assembly|
|US7510766||Feb 4, 2004||Mar 31, 2009||Corporation Imfine Inc.||High performance magnetic composite for AC applications and a process for manufacturing the same|
|US7803457||Sep 28, 2010||General Electric Company||Composite coatings for groundwall insulation, method of manufacture thereof and articles derived therefrom|
|US8075838 *||Jul 16, 2010||Dec 13, 2011||Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha||Composite metal molding and method for manufacturing thereof|
|US8111122||Feb 7, 2012||Cequent Performance Products, Inc.||Magnetic brake assembly|
|US8187394||Dec 6, 2007||May 29, 2012||Hoganas Ab||Soft magnetic powder|
|US9153368||Dec 19, 2011||Oct 6, 2015||Hoganas Ab (Publ)||Soft magnetic powder|
|US20040084112 *||Nov 5, 2002||May 6, 2004||General Electric Company||Insulating coating with ferromagnetic particles|
|US20040086708 *||Nov 4, 2002||May 6, 2004||General Electric Company||High permeability soft magnetic composites|
|US20040173287 *||Mar 3, 2003||Sep 9, 2004||General Electric Company||Coated ferromagnetic particles and compositions containing the same|
|US20050016658 *||Jul 24, 2003||Jan 27, 2005||Thangavelu Asokan||Composite coatings for ground wall insulation in motors, method of manufacture thereof and articles derived therefrom|
|US20050019558 *||Jul 24, 2003||Jan 27, 2005||Amitabh Verma||Coated ferromagnetic particles, method of manufacturing and composite magnetic articles derived therefrom|
|US20050142349 *||Dec 29, 2003||Jun 30, 2005||Irwin Patricia C.||Composite coatings for groundwall insulation, method of manufacture thereof and articles derived therefrom|
|US20050265883 *||Jul 9, 2003||Dec 1, 2005||Kei Ishii||Dust ccre and process for producing the same|
|US20060011103 *||Jul 1, 2004||Jan 19, 2006||Qiping Zhong||Dry powder coating of metals, oxides and hydroxides thereof|
|US20060214138 *||Sep 8, 2004||Sep 28, 2006||Zhou Ye||Iron based soft magnetic power|
|US20070243400 *||Oct 28, 2004||Oct 18, 2007||Mitsubishi Materials Pmg Corporation||Method for Producing Composite Soft Magnetic Material Exhibiting Excellent Magnetic Characteristics, High Strength and Low Core Loss|
|US20090045020 *||Oct 23, 2008||Feb 19, 2009||Richeson William E||Magnetic brake assembly|
|US20100193726 *||Aug 26, 2008||Aug 5, 2010||Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.||Soft magnetic material, dust core, method for producing soft magnetic material, and method for producing dust core|
|US20100276832 *||Jul 16, 2010||Nov 4, 2010||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Composite metal molding and method for manufacturing thereof|
|WO1998041662A1 *||Feb 4, 1998||Sep 24, 1998||Hoeganaes Corporation||Ferromagnetic powder compositions formulated with thermoplastic materials and fluoric resins and compacted articles made from the same|
|WO2002089154A1 *||May 2, 2002||Nov 7, 2002||National Research Council Of Canada||Manufacturing soft magnetic components using a ferrous powder and a lubricant|
|WO2012084801A1||Dec 19, 2011||Jun 28, 2012||Höganäs Ab (Publ)||Soft magnetic powder|
|WO2012136758A2||Apr 5, 2012||Oct 11, 2012||Höganäs Ab (Publ)||New composition and method|
|WO2015091762A1||Dec 18, 2014||Jun 25, 2015||Höganäs Ab (Publ)||Soft magnetic composite powder and component|
|U.S. Classification||148/104, 419/35, 419/10, 419/29, 148/105|
|Nov 24, 1995||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, MICHIGAN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GAY, DAVID EARL;REEL/FRAME:007997/0618
Effective date: 19951117
|Jul 6, 2000||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Aug 11, 2004||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Jan 21, 2005||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Mar 22, 2005||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20050121

domain: chemistry


text:
Washington D.C. - March 20, 2013
Navigating U.S. and International Cross Currents
As cross currents ripple and pressures mount, what changes will 2013 bring to the insurance industry?
- Foreign and domestic pressures are mounting for new capital requirements and accounting changes.
- Tax reform and financial markets threaten the viability of insurance products.
- The Financial Stability Oversight Council may designate large insurance companies as systemically important financial institutions and insurers.
- The Federal Insurance Office's report to Congress on the state of the industry is greatly anticipated.
Networks Financial Institute is uniquely positioned to bring insight and information on these issues and more; register today to be on hand for new perspectives on the broad cross currents of public policy.
Congressional, Administration and industry leaders along with expert researchers have been invited to present at the Summit.
March 20, 2013. 8am - 2pm
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
All attendees should have a Photo ID (Driver’s License, Passport, etc) to gain entry to the building.
There are several entrances to this building and it is recommended that the one on Pennsylvania Avenue is used.
Directions to the Rotunda by car, cab and the Metro are available here (PDF format)
For more information contact
Networks Financial Institute, Indiana State University
This is a free and widely attended event organized by Networks Financial Institute
Networks Financial Institute's 9th Annual Insurance Public Policy Summit is generously supported by

domain: politics


Nagpur: A man who had assaulted a police constable during a public function in Nagpur in 2004 was on Tuesday fined Rs 10,000 for the incident by a local court.
Additional Sessions Judge RS Pavaskar fined Omprakash Yadav alias Munna Rs 10,000 and also ordered that he would spend a month in jail in case he failed to pay the amount, a police official said.
Yadav had brought firecrackers to burst during BJP's 'Bharat Uday Yatra' at Ajni Square on March 19, 2004, and hit constable Rajendra Sarode when the latter seized the crackers, he said.
An offence under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Dhantoli police station at the time, the official said.
Yadav was chairperson of Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board under the previous BJP government.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)


text:
The former CTO of the troubled BitMEX exchange has been released from remission after a bond for $5 Mln was paid within the United States.
Within the document revealed, Samuel Reed pledged to come to court and comply with sentencing or risk the loss of the bond.
He was further arrested in Massachusetts earlier on 1st Oct., as the United States CFTC [Commodities Futures Trading Commission] and therefore the DoJ [Department of Justice] both announced charges against BitMEX, one among the leading cryptocurrency derivatives trading platforms, and its senior executives.
The charges embody offering illicit trading of derivatives to United States retail investors as well as violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
Earlier on 8th Oct., BitMEX’s parent firm 100x Group announced that its CEO Arthur Hayes and Reed – both founders – had both stepped down from their management positions following the fees.
Greg Dwyer, the lead of business development, would take a leave of absence, the exchange added.


text:
WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney has said he supports finding a solution for undocumented students. But you wouldn't know it from his Wednesday speech on education to Latino business leaders, where the issue went untouched, leaving some audience members concerned that he simply doesn't have a plan.
Romney's 20-minute speech mentioned higher education, District of Columbia schools and teachers' unions. Even though the address at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was specifically for members of the Latino Coalition, he barely discussed Hispanic-specific education issues -- other than a quick mention of former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush's efforts to raise reading scores of Hispanic students -- and entirely skipped undocumented students, whom a majority of Latino voters believe should get U.S. help in gaining legal status.
It wasn't for lack of interest from the audience. Ramiro Morganes of the Coalition for Democracy, who attended, said he thought what Romney said was "great." But he added that he was disappointed that the Dream Act, which would provide legal status to some undocumented young people, was not mentioned.
"Romney needs to work on the Dream Act. He didn't say anything about it," Morganes said. "Someone needs to think about the Dream Act."
Romney spent more time talking about K-12 education than on colleges and universities, where undocumented students are affected by laws that often require them to pay out-of-state tuition, even if they are longtime residents of their state. Romney attacked then-candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2011 for signing a bill to allow some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition, saying it could serve as a magnet for unauthorized immigration.
Romney has been more open to the idea of other legislation to help undocumented students. He said in January that he would veto the current version of the Dream Act, which passed the House and was narrowly defeated by the Senate in 2010. That bill would allow some undocumented young people to obtain legal status if they entered the U.S. as children and either join the military or attend college.
Romney also has said he could support other efforts to help those young people, including a bill proposed by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) with the same broad stroke, but no path to citizenship for the students.
"I'm taking a look at his proposal; it has many features to commend it, but it's something that we’re studying,” Romney told reporters in April.
Rubio talked about the need for his bill during an appearance at the Chamber of Commerce conference later in the day in an vice presidential-audition-esque speech that ranged from the economy to immigration. He said politicians should be addressing the plight of undocumented youth.
"Hundreds of thousands of young people who are growing up among us who find themselves in undocumented status through no fault of their own and who now desire to contribute to America's future, and yet because of partisan politics we haven't been able to figure out how to accommodate them," he said.
Romney's failure to mention the Dream Act, or similar legislative efforts, wasn't the only missed opportunity to discuss education issues important to Latinos. Other than the Jeb Bush anecdote on Hispanic reading scores, Romney did not address the education gap between Latinos and students in general, an issue his campaign and the Republican National Committee have highlighted in outreach efforts.
The Romney campaign did not respond to a request for comment on why the candidate's speech skipped those issues.