text:
US 3775350 A
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
United States Patent O 3,775,350 FLAME RETARDANT INTEGRAL SKIN POLYURETHANE FOAM Benjamin P. Juhas, Canal Fulton, Ohio, assignor to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio No Drawing. Filed July 10, 1972, Ser. No. 270,128 Int. Cl. C08g 22/46 US. Cl. 260-25 AZ 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A very minor amount of finely divided carbon black added to a polyurethane integral skin foam formulation will improve the flame retardency of the resulting foams. These flexible and semiflexible foam structures, also, have good tensile strength, tear strength, loading and elongation properties. Surface coatings or finishes applied to the surface of the integral skin of the foam do not discolor on exposure to ultraviolet light.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Polyurethane foam structures with an integral skin can be obtained without need to apply a skin-forming composition to the shaping mold before the casting of the foam-forming composition (cf. US. Pat. 3,099,516). This has been accomplished by adjusting the temperature of the molding surface relative to the foam-forming mixture. In a further modification, there is added to the foamforming mixture, an aromatic diamine having active hydrogen groups plus other groups which moderate the reaction of the diamine with the other constituents of the foam-producing mixture, especially methoxy and halogen groups, e.g., methylene-bis-orthochloroaniline (cf. French Pat. No. 1,448,751). In such operations, the thickness and other characteristics of the integral skin on the resulting foam structure is to some extent controlled by the temperature of the mold at the time of casting of the foam-forming material so that the integral skin may vary from a very thin covering of little strength to a relatively thick skin separated from the central lightweight foam body by an intermediate dense foam zone.
The method of producing integral skin polyurethane foam structures using aromatic diamines involves certain disadvantages. For one thing, the presence of the aromatic diamines in the foams causes discoloration of any top coats or finishes and a faster yellowing of the foam structure on exposure to ultraviolet light. Secondly, as the density of the foam is lowered by the addition of larger quantities of organic pneumatogen, the integral skin on the foam structure tends to develop pinholes which detract from the appearance of the structure and make it diflicult to apply decorative top coatings or finishes.
Regardless of the method of production of a skin surface on a foam molded part, top finishes or coatings covering the skin are generally necessary for acceptance by the end user. For example, such finishes or coatings provide the matching color for interior trim, give proper gloss, durability and sculf resistance and other characteristics needed for the end use. Obviously, it is highly detrimental for the molded foam part to cause such surface finishes or coatings to discolor when the final product is exposed to ultraviolet light, particularly where color matching among separate parts to a vehicle interior must be maintained, since such discoloration becomes immediately apparent.
It is also known in the techniques for producing polyurethane structures to use graft polymers of an ethylenic monomer on a polyol backbone as an active hydrogen material employed in the polyurethane forming reaction to create the final polymer (see US. Pat. No. 3,383,351).
As an example, such prior development proposes for use as a polyol component of a polyurethane forming composition, a graft polymer prepared by polymerizing an unsaturated material, e.g., styrene or an acrylic ester, on a polypropylene ether diol terminated with hydroxyl radicals. However, such a polyurethane formulation when used to produce foam structures gives products having poor tear strength and low elongations, e.g., tear strengths between 1% to 2 pounds per inch and elongations of about 70 to The present invention is directed to polyurethane or polyurethane-urea foams which have an integral skin, are open-celled or close-celled, and are flexible or semiflexible, i.e., are not rigid. Integral skin foams with which the present invention is concerned are shown in US. Pat. No. 3,586,649 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference to the same. Such foams employing certain aromatic diamines and graft polyols are characterized as being non-discoloring. In other words paints and lacquers applied to their surfaces do not discolor on exposure to ultraviolet light due to migration of some product or by-product from the foam.
OBJECTS It is an object of this invention to provide a flexible or semi-flexible integral skin foam which is flame retardant.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and examples.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention it has been discovered that flexible and semiflexible integral skin polyurethan or polyurethane-urea foam structures made from certain aromatic amines and graft polyols can be rendered flame retardant by incorporating into the foam formulation prior to foaming a very minor amount of finely divided carbon black. These foams still exhibit their good tensile strength, tear strength and loading and elongation properties, and coatings applied to the surface of the integral skin of these foams do not discolor on exposure to ultraviolet light. The carbon black does not appear to affect one way or the other the discoloration of surface coatings. Although the foams as produced are gray to black in appearance, they can be suitably painted or coated if desired to match the surroundings in which they are to be used.
The carbon black should have a fineness or surface area of from about 5 to 165 square meters per gram (based on particle diameters as determined by the electron microscope); preferably, the carbon black should have a surface area of from about 100 to square meters per gram. Also, the carbon black should have a structure index of from about 30 to (DBP absorption; cc. of dibutyl phthalate per 100 grams of carbon black); preferably, the carbon black should have a structure index of from about 85 to 115. Examples of suitable carbon blacks are lamp-blacks, channel blacks, gas furnace blacks, oil furnace blacks, and thermal blacks and mixtures thereof. Lamp-blacks are generally made by burning petroleum or coal tar residues in open shallow pans. Channel blacks are made by burning gas in a limited supply of air in reciprocating channels or cylinders. Furnace blacks are made by burning gas or oil in a limited supply of air in refractory furnaces. Thermal blacks are made by cracking, or exothermic decomposition, oil or gas in preheated refractory furnaces containing little or no oxygen. A more detailed discussion of these carbon blacks will be found in the Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Kirk-Othmer, Interscience Publishers, division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2nd ed., vol. 4, 1964, pp. 243-282 and Supplement, 2nd ed., 1971, pp. 91-108. See, also, Dictionary of Rubber Technology, Craig, Butterworth & Co., Ltd., London, 1969, pp. 28-31, and Synthetic Rubber, Whitby et al., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1954, pp. 384-387 and 399-404. The disclosures of these references are incorporated herein by reference to the same. Of the foregoing blacks, it is preferred to use channel black.
From about 0.001 to 2.0 parts by weight of carbon black is used per 100 parts by weight of the final polyurethane. Preferably, from about 0.02 to 0.75 part by weight of carbon black is used per 100 parts by weight of the final polyurethane polymer. Lesser amounts do not appear to provide adequate flame retardency. On the other hand larger amounts may cause cell collapse during foaming or the formation of voids in back of the integral skin. In general, within the aforesaid ranges, the larger carbon black particles (smaller surface area) can be used in larger quantities whereas smaller amounts of the smaller particle size, or larger surface area carbon blacks, are used, especially in the preferred range.
The carbon black can be added to one or more of the ingredients used to make the foam and mixed there with. However, it is preferred to disperse it in a small amount of the polyol (diol, triol or tetrol) or first make a dispersion of the carbon black in a portion of the polyol, and then mix the dispersion with the remainder of the polyol or polyol mixture.
Before being used the carbon black should be dried or freed of water or moisture to avoid irregular results or variations in foaming. However, the carbon black can contain H O if the amount of H is known and calculated in the total amount of active hydrogen furnishing ingredients required for proper foaming.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The flame retardant integral skin foam of the present invention comprises the reaction product in the presence of an organic blowing agent of (A) a polyisocyanate,
(B) a graft polyol or a mixture of a graft polyol and a polyol other than said graft polyol,
(C) at least one aryl amine having at least two amino groups, and
(D) the carbon black described herein.
The polyisocyanates used are preferably diisocyanates but also tri- 0r poly-functional isocyanates can be used with the diisocyanates. Examples of polyisocyanates which may be used are: 1,4-butylene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, m-xylylene diisocyanate, p-xylylene diisocyanate, 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-xylylene diisocyanate, mphenylene diisocyanate, p-phenylene-diisocyanate, l-rnethyl phenylene-2,4-diisocyanate, 3-(a-is0cyanate ethyl)- phenyl isocyanate, l-methyl phenylene-2,6-diisocyanate, 2,6-diethyl phenylene-l,4-diisocyanate, diphenylmethane- 4,4'-diisocyanate, diphenyl-dimethyl-methane-4,4-diisocyanate, or naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate. Isocyanates with more than two spaced NCO groups may also be used, such as for example the poly phenylene polyisocyanates, PAPi (polyphenyl polymethylene polyisocyanate). Additional polyisocyanates, useful in making polyurethane foams, are known in the art, e.g., see US. Pats. Nos. 3,036,996; 3,208,959 and 3,285,879. Mixtures of different isocyanates can be used in preparing the foams.
Examples of suitable graft polyol or polymeric polyol compositions and their method of preparation are to be found in US. Pats. Nos. 3,294,711, 3,304,273 and 3,383,- 351, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. See, also, Kuryla et al., Journal of Cellular Plastics, March 1966, pp. 84-96. These graft polyol compositions may contain amounts of polyol homopoly- ,tner and of vinyl homopolymer or of vinyl coplymer if more than one vinyl monomer was used during the graft polymerization.
Acrylic type monomers are used in forming the best graft polymer polyols for use in the invention. A preferred group of monomers are acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile and ethacrylonitrile. Another class preferred type of vinyl monomer are vinyl lactams, e.g. 1-vinyl-2- pyrrolidone (see US. 3,053,801).
The graft polymer polyols are products obtained by polymerizing or copolymerizing olefinically unsaturated monomers while dissolved in or While in contact with a polyol. A polyalkylene ether or a polyester polyol containing a plurality of hydroxyl groups are examples of such polyols. The product obtained by polymerization of the vinyl monomers in contact with, i.e., in situ in, the polyol is in part a graft of the ethylenic monomer on the polyol backbone. It can contain some homopolymer of the ethylenic compound as well as some ungrafted polyol.
The molecular weight of the polyols depends in large measure on the end product desired. The optimum molecular weight is dependent on the number of active hydrogen containing groups, being larger when the number of such groups is increased as the lengths of the branched chains between such groups are shorter for a given molecular weight. For the non-rigid foams of the invention, the molecular weight of triols is usually above 400 and preferably between 600 and 7500. Higher molecular weights may be used, however. When the number of hydroxyl groups is more than three, then an increase in minimum molecular weight of the polyol above 500 is usually made to provide equivalent separation of hydroxyl groups.
The polyether polyols may be linear polymers such as polypropylene ether glycol or mixed condensates of propylene oxide and butylene oxide, allyl glycidyl ether and the like having only two hydroxyl groups, or they may be branched chain polyols having 2 to 6 hydroxyl groups such for example as the adducts of propylene oxide or other polymerizable monomeric alkylene oxide or mixture thereof on a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerine, trimethylol propane, triethanol amine, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, and the like, or with a compound such as ethylene diamine, or they may be mixed polyethylene-propylene oxide adducts on the polyhydric alcohols with 2 to 6 hydroxyl groups. Mixtures of polyols may also be used. These polyols can be end-capped with ethylene oxide, partially or entirely, to provide at least some primary hydroxyl groups.
While polyether polyols are preferred for polymerization of vinyl monomers in contact therewith, some of the benefits of the present invention may be obtained when the polyol is a polyester such as the reaction product of adipic acid or sebacic acid with a major amount ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and the like. Hydroxy oils such as castor oil and tall oil may also be used. The polyester is preferably saturated but slightly unsaturated polyesters such as those prepared by a process wherein saturated acids such as adipic, phthalic and the like are substituted in minor part (less than 25%) by an unsaturated acid such as maleic or fumaric acid can also be used. Glycol component may also be unsaturated as for example monoallylether of trimethylol propane or 2- butendiol-1,4.
Examples of unsaturated monomers for grafting on polyols and/or for polymerizing in admixture with said polyols besides the preferred ones mentioned above are other acrylic type monomers, e.g., esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate, glycol dimethacrylate and the like, vinyl esters, e.g., vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate; styrene butadiene, alphamethyl styrene may be used as well.
The monomers to be used should be substantially free of hydroxyl groups reactive with --NCO groups.
The vinyl monomer which is reacted in admixture with the polyol preferably has less than aliphatic carbon atoms and preferably contains --CN or CO groups. When the percentage of monomer to polyol is about 5%, the improvement in the foam is substantially evident. As much as 50% of the grafted polyol may consist of polymerized unsaturated monomer units. The graft polyol has an average molecular weight of from about 400 to 15,000; preferably it has an average molecular weight of from about 400 to 6500.
The amount of the graft polymer polyol used in polyurethane formulations prepared according to the invention may be varied although superior results are attained using certain proportions. In regard to a maximum proportion, the graft polymer polyol may constitute the only -OH group component of the polyurethane formulation. In regard to a minimum proportion, sufiicient should be used to inhibit UV discoloration of the coatings or finishes on the foam structure. Products having the best values in :UV stability, tear strength and elongation are obtained when the graft polymer constitutes 30 to 70 percent of the total --OH component of the polyurethane formulation.
Advantageously, the new foam structures will 'be made from formulations having --OH group containing ingredients other than the required graft polymer polyol. Polyesters can be used for this purpose, but polyethers are preferred. The polyesters are not as hydrolytically stable as the polyethers. Partially minimum) or fully primary hydroxyl-eapped polyoxyalkylene polyols, e.g., diols, triols, tetrols, etc., with a molecular weight between about 400 and 7500 are preferred. These polyols are made by the polymerization of an alkylene oxide such as propylene oxide, butylene oxide, and so forth on ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylol propane, glycerol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, and so forth. They may be end-capped with ethylene exide to provide primary hydroxyl groups. Examples of other polyols conventionally used in making polyurethane foams can be found in numerous publications, e.g., see U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,036,- 966 and 3,285,879. These polyols, as contrasted with the required graft polymer polyols, may constitute up to about 70 percent of the OH group containing component of the foam-forming formulations.
At least one aryl amine is used and is selected from the group consisting of where R is halogen or methoxy and m is 2 or 3;
where X is C to C alkylene, oxygen,
or a bond joining the two aromatic rings and where R is hydrogen, halogen ('Br, Cl, F or I) or methoxy, at least one R being halogen or methoxy;
polytelluro and where R is hydrogen, halogen (Br, Cl, F or I) or methoxy;
R R Riv as s NH; N 1 -In NH:
where R" is C, to C alkylene, R is hydrogen, halogen (Br, Cl, F or I) or methoxy, at least one R being halogen or methoxy, and n is 0.5 to 2; and
(E) A mixture of at least one aryl amine of said group of (A), (B), (C), and (D) and up to 50 mol percent of said mixture of at least one aryl amine selected from the group consisting of @(NH2)111, HzNggNHz.
where Z is C; to C alkylene, oxygen,
or the bond joining the two aromatic rings, R is C, to C alkylene, m is 2- or 3 and n is 0.5 to 2.
Within this class of materials from which either single compounds may be used in carrying out the invention or mixtures of two or more such compounds, a preferred group of the diamines are those having the following formula:
HzN R NH;
halogen alogen wherein R is a 1 to 3 carbon atom alkylene radical, e.g., methylene, ethylene, etc. Compounds in which R is methylene are especially useful.
Another group of very useful diamines are those having the following formula:
NE, NH, -SX E wherein X is an integer, e.g., 1, 2, etc.
Specific examples of aryl amines for use in the invention are:
and the like and mixtures thereof.
Additional examples of specific compounds with the formulae hereinbefore stated that may be used can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,996, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Further examples of diamines usable in polyurethane foam products are found in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,261,813; 3,285,879 and 3,316,220.
With the sulfur, selenium and tellurium containing diamines it is not necessary that they be substituted with halogen or methoxy groups. However, in the case of hydrocarbon diamines or those containing oxygen,
or aikylene linkages, halogen or methoxy groups must be present to act as inhibitor groups or otherwise the diamines are too reactive to produce the desired skin forming operation. One inhibiting atom or group is sufiicient in the bicyclic amines, but the preferred bicyclic amines contain two inhbiting atoms or groups.
Materials of this type are commercially available in technical grade or crude or impure forms which may be satisfactorily used, e.g., LD-813, the reaction product of formaldehyde and orthochloroaniline having an average functionality of about 2.5 or above, e.g., 2% to 3 or 4 amino groups per molecule. Such commercial materials may contain triamines or polyamines of functionality greater than two. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,162. These crude amines, also, can be made by nitrating the aromatic compound and reducing the polynitroaromatic to form the polyamino aryl compound without separating the di, tri and tetra ami o i omers, Such materials alone are not as advantageous as those which have a functionality of 2.0, since the higher functionality materials tend to reduce tear resistance of the resulting foam structures. However, such crude amines or polyamines can be used alone where the foam structure is not subject to appreciable flexing or working such as in the pillars of automobiles and the like. These crude amines are preferably used in admixture with the amines of (A), (B) and (C) above.
Examples of non-substituted aryl amines, or mixtures thereof, which can be mixed in an amount up to 50 mol percent with the amines, or mixtures thereof, i.e., (A), (D), (B) and/or (C) above, are meta-phenylene diamine, paraphenylene diamine, naphthalene diamine, benzidine, bis(4 amino phenyl)methane, 1,2,3 triaminobenzene, 1,2,4 triaminobenzene, 4,4 diaminodibenzyl, di(paraamino phenyl) ether, 3,3'-diamino diphenyl sulfone, poly phenyl polymethylene polyamine, 4,4'-diamino-diphenyl sulfone and the like.
The amount of the aryl amine is in part dependent upon its molecular weight and the quantity of polyols used in the foam producing mixture. In general, the proportion of such amine component plus total hydroxyl component to isocyanate component will be adjusted to give an -NCO to active hydrogen (-OH plus NH ratio of from about 0.85:1 to 12:1. Advantageously, a quantity of the aryl amine is used so that from about 3 to 35 percent by weight of the polyurethane results from reaction of the isocyanate with the amine component and from about 65 to 97 percent by weight results from reaction of the isocyanate with the hydroxyl component.
The graft copolymer appears to produce several unique results, viz., it helps in the formation of the integral skin and it eliminates the discoloration of surface coatings on the foam structures on exposure to ultraviolet light. There is also a cooperative elfect between the aryl amine and the graft polymer polyol. Thus, without the aryl amine, the foam structure has poor tear strength and low elongation.
An organic pneumatogen is used to create a desirable overall light density in the foam structure. Advantageously, the pneumatogen is a fluorocarbon or mixture thereof. Water is generally to be avoided, and only the water incidentally present as residual water in the carbon black, polyols, amines and other foam formulation ingredients, about up to a total 1% maximum, should be tolerated. The fluorinated alkanes having a boiling point below C. give the best results. Of such blowing agents trichloro-fiuoromethane is usually preferred although other fluorinated alkanes having a boiling point between -50 C. and C. or even higher, may be used if desired. The organic pneumatogen is used in an amount to give the required product density. For the preferred density and fluorocarbons, this component will amount to about 5 to 30 percent of the total foam-forming composltion. Principles of the use of the fluorocarbons in the polyurethane foams are to be found disclosed in U.S. Pat. 3,072,582 which is incorporated herein by reference.
Any of the usual activators including a tertiary amine such as dimethyl benzyl amine, N-ethyl morpholine, per methylated diethylene tri amine and/or organo metal compounds are usually incorporated in order to accelerate the reaction (cf. U.S. 3,322,699). Also, these can be used as catalysts as well as tin compounds such as stannous octoate, stannous oleate, dibutyl tin dilaurate, and so forth. The catalyst may be introduced admixed with a carrier (in small amounts as compared to the total foam formulation) such as dibutyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate and so forth. A small amount of conventional cell stabilizer such as for example as one of the silicone oils or any of the well-known stabilizers heretofore used for the commercial production of urethane foams are usable in the new methods. Silicone block copolymer oils known to the art for this use are preferred, e.g., silicone oil L52 L5 0. etc. Examp es. of other u a e ca y activators and cell stabilizers, particularly silicone block copolymers, are given in US. Pats. Nos. 3,044,971; 3,060,137; 3,194,770 and 3,373,122, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such components are used in an amount required to perform their desired function as is known in the art, normally between about 0.001 to 2 percent of the total foam-forming composition.
Crosslinkers, if required, can also be used in minor amounts necessary to achieve the desired results. Examples of such compounds are glycerol, ethylene glycol, hexane triol, pentaerythritol, N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (Z-hydroxy propyl) ethylene diamine and the like and mixtures thereof.
Suitable antidegradants for polyurethanes may be included in the formulation to protect against aging, particularly when exposed outdoors. See US. Pats. Nos. 2,915,496 and 3,208,959 on the use of alkyl substituted hydroxy aryl compounds, alkyl and aryl substituted phosphites, N,N-dialkyl substituted phenylene diamines, and halogenated organic phosphites. Other known polyurethane antidegradants can be used. Some of this degradation such as the common yellowing of the polyurethane can be offset to some extent by the use of light stable diisocyanates or polyisocyanates which are known to the art. The aliphatic diisocyanates, durene diisocyanate, tbutyl tolylene diisocyanate and others can be used although some of them are expensive and hazardous. Also, it is preferred that the urethane foam forming ingredients such as the polyisocyanates, polyols, aryl amines, crosslinker, etc., be free of aliphatic unsaturation to further avoid degradation.
The polyurethane foams of the present invention can be made by the prepolymer process, the quasior semiprepolymer process or the one-shot process.
In the one-shot process all of the foam forming ingredients are mixed together at one time. Two or more streams of compatible and mixed ingredients can be delivered to the mixing head of the foam machine to be mixed together at one time and then poured or dropped into the container or conveyor.
Where some of the foam ingredients are solids, Waxy or viscous it may be necessary to warm, heat or melt them to insure proper mixing and foam formulation, e.g., to insure pumping to the mixing head and thorough mixing in the mixing head of the foam machine.
In preparing the formulation thorough mixing of the ingredients is required to get complete (as much as theoretically possible) reaction. Incomplete mixing will result in some of the amines of impurities therein migrating to the surface and causing staining or discoloration. Good mixing alone without the graft polyol still gives discoloration. It is necessary to have good mixing and to use the graft polyol to avoid discoloration.
In the foaming operation, either cold (room temperature) or hot molds can be used depending also on the desired thickness of the skin. If a low boiling fluorocarbon is used, it may be necessary to chill the mold. The mold acts as a heat sink to reduce the temperature of the foam adjacent the mold causing condensation of the fluorocarbon or preventing expansion of the fluorocarbon so the surface layers become dense and continuous. Metal molds (4045 C.) are much preferred. Epoxy and polyethylene molds may be used but they may have to be cooled or chilled (32-35" (1.). The mold temperature will depend on the formulation temperature and the thickness of skin desired, i.e., cold mold thick skin, hot mold relatively thin skin. The foam produced has an outer skin which may be microporous, is flexible, or semi-rigid, not rigid, and is open and/or closed cell.
In general, the present process comprises:
(a) heating and mixing the polymer forming ingredients at a temperature of from about to 85 C.
(b) casting the heated polymer mixture in a mold having a temperature adjusted to a predetermined value of from about 5 to C.;
(c) allowing the cast polymer mixture to foam in the mold;
(d) allowing the foam to remain at the ambient temperature of the foam for from about 5 to 30 minutes or heating the mold and contained foam for from about 3 to 15 minutes at a temperature of from about to C. after the foam in the mold has risen to full height; and
(e) removing the cured foam structure resulting from step (d) from the mold.
The resulting non-rigid polyurethane foam structures have an integral skin substantially free of pinholes, a tear strength of about 8 pounds per inch an an elongation of at least 200%.
Advantageously, the molds in which the polymer mixture is cast are made of metal and the mold is preheated before the polymer mixture is cast in the mold. Foam structures obtainable in this manner or in accordance with other preferred embodiments of the invention have an outermost integral skin, which can be thick or thin depending on whether a hot or cold mold was used, generally about 0.1 to 1.5 mm. of a density from about 40 to 60 lbs. per cubic foot, an intermediate thin layer adjacent the integral skin of up to about 2 mm. thick of a density of from about 20 to 40 lbs. per cubic foot, and a predominating mass of flexible or semiflexible foam of a density of from about 4 to 14 pounds per cubic foot.
The new integral skin foam structures may be used for many purposes without further processing. However, to provide increased abrasion resistance, create decorative effects or the like, it is frequently advantageous to apply outer coatings to the integral skin. Such outer coatings may be ordinary paints and lacquers, but special coatings are preferred. Any outer coating may be applied over the entire integral skin or only over part, e.g., in special function or decorative patterns. Heat reflective films or coatings, e.g., metallized coatings, light reflective coatings, e.g., reflective bead coatings or the like may be used.
The outer coatings which are pigmented for decorative purposes and which have been found to have the desired abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, adherence and so forth (for automobile arm rests) are of two general types: chlorosulfonated polyethylene (Hypalon) top coated with vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer or polyurethane, or polyurethane coatings. One or more coats may be applied. However, other top coatings or finishes such as the acrylics may be used. These coatings are, of course, usually pigmented and deposited from solution in a solvent.
These surface coatings do not discolor on exposure to UV light when the foam is made with a graft polyol especially where the grafting monomer is an unsaturated nitrile like acrylonitrile.
The foams as described herein are useful in making seats for bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, sleds, etc.; seats and arm rests for automobiles, trucks, furniture, etc.; crash pads; head rests for automobiles; windshield moldings; Weatherstripping; automobile bumpers and exterior protective strips. Also, the wood in some furniture is being replaced with rigid polyurethanes, e.g., see Rubber Plastics Age, 49(2):140, February 1968. With the present invention, it is possible after making the rigid frame, to cast the semi-rigid or flexible arm rest and flexible seat and back urethane foamable composition against the frame to make an integral piece of polyurethane furniture.
The following example will serve to illustrate the present invention with more particularity to those skilled in the art.
1 1 EXAMPLE The following formulation was prepared for making a polyurethane integral skin foam.
Ingredients: Parts by weight Batch l- Propylene oxide adduct of a triol at least partially end-capped with ethylene oxide to provide primary hydroxyl groups (Thanol SF-6500, Jefferson Chemical Co., molecular weight of about 6500) 100.0
4,4 methylene-bis-(2 chloroaniline),
Moca (Du Pont Co.) 10.0
LD-813 (reaction product of formaldehyde and orthochloroaniline, having an amino functionality of about 2.5, equivalent weight about 128, i.e. crude Moca) (Du Pont Co.)
Dabco 33LV (33% by weight of triethylene diamine in dipropylene glycol, Houdry Process Corp.), dry weight Channel carbon black, surface area of 105-122 square meters per gram and structure index of 90-107 (20% by weight of the block dispersed in polypropylene ether triol), dry weight 0.2
Batch 2 NCO terminated prepolymer, reaction product of 122 parts by weight of an 80/20 mixture of 2,4- and 2,6-tolylene diisocyanates and 100 parts by weight of a grafted polyol (acrylonitrile polymerized in situ in admixture with a polypropylene ether triol, Niax Polyol E-204, Union Carbide Chemicals) contains about 20% by weight of polymerized acrylonitrile, molecular weight about 3700, hydroxyl number 43-47 Trichloromonofluoromethane (Freon 11 Du Pont Co.)
Surfactant, polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene black copolymer (L-540, Union Carbide Chemicals) Batch 3- Dioctyl phthalate 4.0 Stannous octoate 0.14
The batches were separately mixed. Then each batch was pumped through a separate line to the mixing head of a foam machine where all of the ingredients of the batches were thoroughly mixed together and the mixture was delivered from the nozzle of the foam machine into a mold where foaming occurred. After curing, samples were cut from the resulting dark gray-black integral skin polyetherurethane foam and tested as shown below.
Another integral skin polyetherurethane foam was prepared according to the above formulation except that the carbon black or carbon black dispersion was omitted from the formulation. After curing samples of the resulting white integral skin were cut from the foam for testing.
Flame retardency tests were conducted on the above foams according to Federal Test FS CCC-T-191b, method 5903T. In this test a bunsen burner is used having a flame of 1 /2 inches. The distance between the tip of the flame and the bottom of the sample is inch. Samples of both types of foam were tested. Also one lot of samples of foam contained the integral skin while in another lot the integral skin had been removed from the foam. Samples of the foam to be tested measured 2%" x 12" x /2. The samples were supported between two U-shaped clamps and suspended vertically over the flame which was positioned in the exact center in both directions of the samples.
Test results on above foams (All samples tested in triplicate; values are average of three tests) TEST RESULTS ON ABOVE FOAMS 7 llwoisfimgles burned completely (12 inches) with afterburn times of 1 One sample had afterburn time of 0:43. All 24 samples tested melted and dripped, producing flaming droplets.
The above data show the unexpected results obtained in improving the flame retardency of integral skin polyurethane foams using a very minor amount of carbon black.
The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure with an integral skin, which structure is characterized by (1) the property that organic polymeric coatings deposited from solution in a solvent on said integral skin do not substantially discolor on exposure to ultraviolet light, (2) a density of from about 4 to 14 pounds per cubic foot for the predominating mass of the foam, (3) a tear strength of at least 8 pounds/inch, and (4) an elongation of at least 200%, said structure comprising the reaction product, in the presence of an organic blowing agent, of a mixture comprising:
(a) an organic polyisocyanate;
(b) a polyol selected from the group consisting of (I) a polyol having an average molecular weight from about 400 to 15,000 prepared by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in situ in an organic polyol, said monomer being substantially free of hydroxyl groups reactive with -NCO groups, and
(II) a mixture of a polyol having an average molecular weight from about 400 to 155,000 prepared by polymerizing an ethenically unsaturated monomer in situ in an organic polyol, said monomer being substantially free of hydroxyl groups reactive with NCO groups and a polyol, other than said first named polyol, in an amount up to about 70% by weight of said polyol mixture;
(0) at least one aryl amine having at least two amino ggoups and being selected from the group consisting o where R is halogen or methoxy and m is 2 or 3;
where X is C; to C alkylene oxygen,
or a bond joining the two aromatic rings and where R is hydrogen, halogen or methoxy, at least one R being halogen or methoxy;
where Y is thio, polythio, seleno, polyseleno, telluro or polytellure and where R" is hydrogen, halogen or methoxy;
iv HIV 1 RIV gnm gnm f NH: LN J11 NH:
where R' is C to C alkylene, R is hydrogen, halogen or methoxy, at least one R being halogen or methoxy, and n is 0.5 to 2; and
(E) a mixture of at least one aryl amine of said group of (A), (B), (C) and (D) and up to 50 mole percent of said mixture of at least one aryl amine selected from the group consisting of or the bond joining the two aromatic rings, R' is C, to C alkylene, m is 2 or 3 and n is 0.5 2; and
(d) from 0.001 to 2.0 parts by weight of carbon black per parts by weight of said reaction product, said carbon black (1) being selected from the group consisting of lampblack, channel black, gas furnace black, oil furnace black and thermal black and mixtures thereof;
(2) having a structure index of from about 30 to and (3) having a surface area of from about 5 to meters per gram.
2. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 1 in which the carbon black is used in an amount of from about 0.02 to 0.75 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of said reaction product, has a structure index of from about 85 to 115, and has a surface area of from about 100 to 130 square meters per gram.
3. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 2 where the carbon black is channel black.
4. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 1 where the carbon black is gas furnace black.
5. A flame retard-ant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 1 where the carbon black is oil furnace black.
6. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 1 where the carbon black is thermal black.
7. A flame retardant non-rigid polyurethane foam structure according to claim 1 where the carbon black is lampblack.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,575,896 4/1971 Khan 2602.5 AZ 3,635,874 l/1972 Laur 260-37 SB OTHER REFERENCES Scott: Atmospheric Oxidation and Antioxidants, Elsevier Pub. Co., New York, 1965, pp. -186.
Kirk-Othmer: Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 2nd ed., vol. 4, 1964, pp. 243-256.
DONALD E. CZAJA, Primary Examiner C. W. IVY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.'R.
2602.5 A1, 2.5 AK, 2.5 AM, 2.5 AP, 2.55 BB, 2.5 BE; 264-48, Dig. 14
eggs UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE" CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIQN Patent No. 3,775,35 Dated November 27, 1973 Inventor) Benjamin P. Juhas It is certified vthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:
Column 5, line 39, which reads: "exide" should read --oxide--.'
Column 5, lines 43 a m, which reads: "3,036,966" should read ---3,036,996---. 7
Column 6, line 29, which reads: "A mixture" should read --a mixture- 7 7 Column 6, line 59, which reads: "R" should read R Il/ Column 7, line 63, which reads: "inhbiting" should read ---inhibiting----.
Column 10, line 17, which reads: "an an elongation" should read and an elongation--- Column 11, line 26, which reads: "block" should read ---b1ack---. v 1
Column 11, line M, which reads: "black" should read ----b1OCK-- Column 12, lines 1-3, which reads "Test results on above foams (All samples: tested in triplicate; values are average of three tests)" should be deleted.
001mm 12, line 5, which reads: "155,000" should read ---15,000--- Page 2 2 2 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,775,35 Dat m r 7, 973
Inventor(s) Benjamin P. Juhas It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:
Column 13, line 12, which reads: "polytellure" should read ---po1yte11uro---.
Column 13, lines 50 80 51, which reads: "0.5 2" should read -O.5 t0 2--.
Column 1 1, lines; 10 8c 11, which reads "165 meters" should read ---165 square meters---.
Signed and sealed this 2nd day of July 1974.
(SEAL Attest EDWARD M. FLETCHER,JR. C.MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents


text:
Dr. Bhoj's genetics research aims to discover new human disease genes, their mechanisms, and potential targeted therapies. In addition to ongoing gene discovery efforts, Dr. Bhoj focuses on three novel genes that lead to pediatric neurologic dysfunction: TBC1 domain-containing kinase, Histone 3.3 (H3F3A and H3F3B), and MAP4K4.
Dr. Ortiz-Gonzalez is a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric neurogenetics. Her clinical work focuses on finding a unifying genetic diagnosis for children with rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research is informed by her patients and focuses on understanding how genetic changes, in particular those affecting mitochondrial function, cause disease so we can develop better treatments for these children in the future.
Dr. Ahrens-Nicklas works to understand why patients with inherited biochemical disorders often suffer severe, untreatable neurologic and cardiac symptoms. She strives to elucidate the link between biochemistry and network excitability, in order to drive new approaches to therapy.
Dr. Broedur’s research interests focus on nanoparticle drug delivery and cancer predisposition. He is also interested in identifying novel cancer predisposition genes, and developing enhanced surveillance techniques to identify cancer early in predisposed individuals with the hope of improving outcome and reducing side effects.
Dr. Hakonarson is director of the Center for Applied Genomics and professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He leads a $40 million commitment from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to genomically characterize approximately 100,000 children, an initiative that has gained nationwide attention in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time Magazine, Nature, and Science.
Dr. Masino and his team research the application and development of machine learning methods to inform basic scientific discovery and the creation of predictive analytic models for personal health and clinical decision support.
Using translational approaches that encompass genomic studies, biomarker development, disease modeling, natural history studies, and clinical trials, Dr. Vanderver seeks to improve the quality of life and lifespan of individuals living with leukodystrophies or heritable disorder of myelin. She leads the Leukodystrophy Center of Excellence at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Stanley’s lab has identified many of the genes and syndromes associated with congenital hyperinsulinism including ABCC8, GCK, GLUD1, and Turner and Beckwith syndromes. Working with clinical and rodent model studies, his lab team has identified distinctive phenotypes of these disorders, including diazoxide unresponsiveness, leucine sensitivity, and protein sensitivity. Dr. Stanley continues to seek new diagnostic and treatment paradigms for infants with acquired and genetic disorders of hyperinsulinism.

domain: biology


text:
Here is your chance to own a piece of history. The Historical Stagecoach Inn once served as a hotel, dance hall and town meeting place. 26 +/- acres borders beautiful cascading ranger creek. The possibilities are endless for this property.
Listing Agent: Brian Nunley
Courtesy of: Tennessee Mountain Properties
Office Phone: 931-592-5263
Updated: 22nd September, 2017 10:04 PM.
2364 Colony Rd Gruetli Laager, TN

domain: history


text:
This event has now finished
The Father Teds
The Father Teds are a five-piece contemporary Irish band much admired throughout the Midlands and beyond for their world-class musicianship and their ability to put on a great show.
Formed fourteen years ago, The Father Teds set out on a mission to entertain and have consistently delivered ever since. The key to the band’s success is their versatility, both in their range of musical styles and the types of shows they perform.

domain: artistic


text:
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domain: entertainment


"Liberal media bias" is one of
those axiomatic slanders that is self-evident among conservative
believers. Seldom do progressives
respond in any way more meaningful than a shrug or a headshake. At the risk of refuting the absurd, once
again, I must address a popular myth.
Numerous analytical studies have been conducted, flouting the subjectivity of an issue that consists primarily of attitudes. Predictably, disparate and conflicting conclusions are offered by these efforts. Starting a logical investigation with a conclusion inevitably supports the original premise -- a classical case of begging the question. Studies funded by those people and organizations screaming about liberal media bias can be expected to find, well" liberal media bias. Studies funded by those screaming about conservative bias can be expected to find conservative bias -- if there is much such funding out there. Studies funded by media industry insiders can be expected to find no bias at all. But wait a minute -- that's not what they found.
Global News Intelligence consults with media companies to develop intelligence used in competitive markets. Because GNI supplies information to its clients upon which they will build their business strategies, the value of its product depends upon the accuracy of this information. In 2012 GNI was engaged to evaluate media bias in the presidential election, and the 4 th Estate Project was launched. Their evaluation of media bias was based upon two criteria: (1) the number of GOP voices quoted in media vs. the number of Democrat voices quoted; and (2) the percentage of positive and negative sentiments expressed toward each candidate. The results were summarized as an infographic here.
Those results, after processing 717 articles and 15,357 quotes, are summarized as follows: newsmakers appearing in the media as partisan Republicans are quoted at a 44% higher rate than partisan Democrats. Additionally, the ratio of positive to negative coverage was 17.1% more critical of Obama than Romney." Bottom line? "Our data does not support the thesis of a liberal media bias as it relates to Election 2012 coverage." This insider study actually revealed a very real conservative media bias.
So if 2012 election coverage was any indicator, liberal media bias is a myth. But why does the myth persist? The most strident claims emanate today from a radicalized Republican party. The unlikely alliance of religious zealotry and neo-racism has marginalized the moderate moral authority that once made the party great. It's the radical right that screams most loudly about liberal media bias. Within this context, the rising political power of the corporation is actually a potentially moderating influence. But while corporate media does indeed have a conservative slant, they also have an interest in convincing you that their reporting is neutral. If they are seen as promoting their own business interests, they lose your support for their positions. A conservative corporate media is repackaging and promoting the myth of their own liberality!
Media companies are businesses. By their very nature, they will promote their own best interests whenever they can. Their interests include resisting any public policy relating to business taxes and regulation in general, and specifically to the operations of the media outlets they own. An ideal corporate world is one unfettered by taxation and regulation, and an ideal media corporation's world is one in which anything can be disseminated. Businesses, by their very nature, have a bias toward laissez-faire and freedom of action.
Clearly, corporations have an interest in influencing public policy decisions. The most direct ways to achieve this influence are to contribute to political candidacies and to actively lobby lawmakers. Few would argue, even in a day of obscure campaign financing, that media companies don't engage in these strategies. But a much more powerful influence can be achieved by media corporations indirectly, influencing the opinions of their audience by carefully managing the content of their programming.
that businesses influence the news we get.
Most of our information comes to us filtered through the lens of a
corporate enterprise. The top six media
companies have a combined revenue of $210 billion
annually, and a combined market capitalization of $360 billion. Yahoo! Finance yields (as of
If you want news that's independent of corporate influence, you'll have to look to smaller players. Current and Link are funded by viewer contributions and/or offshore interests, but their exposure and influence are limited. PBS and NPR, however, are primarily funded by the federal government through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with a budget of $445 million in FY2012. But this is only about 0.25% of the combined revenues of the few media companies listed previously, so you'll have to look pretty hard to find truly independent programming. The news follows the money, so we'll tend to get our views from the corporate sector, with a corporate slant.
Just a minute, you might say. Programming with a liberal bias can be found on the networks owned and operated by these very media giants. If we're living in a conservative media conspiracy, how can this be? The answer can be found in every MBA strategy curriculum in the country: market segmentation and product differentiation -- finding an audience and giving them what the want.
Because media companies are corporations established for the purpose of making money, they can be counted upon to embrace strategies that promote that objective. Market segmentation, according to Investopedia (click here), is the aggregating of prospective buyers into groups (segments) that have common needs and will respond similarly to a marketing action. Market segmentation enables companies to target different categories of consumers who perceive the full value of certain products and services differently from one another." Even large media companies can't ignore market segments. For example, CNBC addresses those who want real-time business and finance news, and are tolerant of the interests and values of business. Simultaneously, MSNBC addresses those whose worldview is more progressive, and may be tolerant of much more liberal positions. Both segments exist, with limited overlap; and both segments are profitable to address.
Product differentiation is "A marketing process that showcases the differences between products. Differentiation looks to make a product more attractive by contrasting its unique qualities with other competing products. Successful product differentiation creates a competitive advantage for the seller." On CNBC, you will often see program hosts attacking progressive politicians and their positions through ridicule and innuendo. This reflects not only the positions of the network, but also of those of the market segment it is addressing. On MSNBC, you will often see program hosts attacking corporate influence and regressive policies through commentary -- and yes, ridicule and innuendo. This also reflect the positions of the network and those of the market segment it is addressing. Both segments are not only profitable to address -- they are profitable enough to retain by tailoring the content they want to see.
In and of itself, this process is positive; it gives us the freedom to choose a variety of viewpoints on TV or cable -- let alone what we may find on the Internet! But an industry that gives the customer what it wants is faced with a dilemma: delivering a wide spectrum of thought content may threaten the positions that the industry embraces. A program on MSNBC that exposes corporate excesses may influence viewers to persuade their elected representatives to take action against corporate excesses, which could lead to lower profits for Comcast.
That's why the myth of liberal media bias persists. Corporate media does indeed have a conservative worldview, but they must convince you -- no matter what segment you occupy -- that their reporting is not tainted by their own business interests. If they fail at this mission, they lose your support for the positions they hold and subtly promote. If the program you are watching is consistent with the values and goals of the corporation, all they have to do is to convince you that it represents fair and balanced reporting. But if the content you are watching is adverse to the interests of the corporation, they must present it within a global context that mitigates its credibility -- and here's where the myth of liberal media bias is useful. It moves the boundary flags of moderation toward the right. The industry itself encourages you to think that their own programming is biased toward the left. If you accept this lie, you will be less likely to act upon progressive beliefs -- and less likely to act contrary to the interests of the corporate media industry.
If you're still undecided as to the myth of a liberal media bias, let's recap. Businesses act in their own self-interests, and in the interests of their shareholders. Big media companies are businesses -- $360 billion worth. They want a cultural, labor, legislative, regulatory, and judicial environment that allows them to maximize profits. But progressive politics are an immediate and tangible threat to their interests. In what alternate universe would big media companies permit a liberal bias in their own programming?! "Liberal media bias" is more than a myth -- it's an absurd lie echoing from media corporations themselves, and resonating with the ignorant among us.


Originally published on the POV Blog
Before the POV Hackathon got underway, mentors and veteran engineers shared with the teams some advice born of experience. Here’s what they were told…
Understand why there are barriers to communication between filmmakers and developers. Each group’s ambitions inherently put them at odds. While filmmakers and creators are thinking about how they can bring novelty and uniqueness to their content, developers are thinking about rule sets and doing all they can to limit exceptions. Each group must understand that these contrasting philosophies could be at the root of a conflict.
Aim for a “minimum viable product.”Teams should set goals around the absolute minimum set of features that serves to show off their intents. The goals must be achievable in a short time frame because without a working prototype it will be difficult to learn how the product will actually be used.
Never forget your audience. How will users discover the product you are making? As one mentor noted, “Serendipity is not a use case,” meaning users need to be able to intuit how to interact with the product (once they’ve found it).
Choose user experience over technology. Software engineers should focus on the user experience and the subtleties of the interaction, not personal convictions when it comes to software development. The user doesn’t know or care how the product was made — they just want it to work and they want to be treated to an exceptional experience, even if the code is inelegant and can never be re-used for a future project.
Don’t let great be the enemy of good. As a team, you can easily get sidetracked by a feature that is less important or even outside of agreed-upon goals. After all, a great product that isn’t finished isn’t a product at all.
From our blog
March 8, 2019
Orthodox Jewish culture, paramedics, and humor round out director Paula Eiselt's intimate portrait of a group of women in Brooklyn who pushed back against their establishment. Paula was able to draw upon her cultural connection to the women who form the Ezras Nahim collective and build the trust needed to tell their story. With grace and patience,…
February 28, 2019
What could be more dramatic than a meeting of fresh, creative minds coming together to discuss the future of independent films? The ITVS Independents Summit is a gathering of filmmakers, ITVS staff, and partners to exchange views on the best approach to bring more diverse content to public media. For one week, we opened our doors and welcomed an…
February 1, 2019
You have an exceptional story to tell and deserve the best partner to help set the stage for engaging communities via public media. We are here to support your vision and reach that pinnacle. The ITVS Independents Summit will elevate our shared values and be the place for you, ITVS staff, and industry partners to plant a flag and stake a claim for excellence in…


text:
Split to Hvar town
Table Of Contents
Popular Departures between Split and Hvar town
Traveling by Ferry from Split to Hvar townThe travel distance between Split and Hvar town is a total of 24 nautical miles (44 km), which equals a travel time of roughly 01:05h. The number of daily departures depends on the period you’re traveling in, but most commonly, the number of daily departures during the summer months is higher and you can find up to 17 daily departures in the period from the 1st of June to the 31st of August. Please note that the number of departures may also be limited on public holidays.
Departure and Arrival Ports
You can see information about the departure station and stops Split here
You can see information about the arrival station and stops Hvar town here
Cheapest ticket pricesAdult ticket: 5 € (One-Way) or 10 € (Return).
Child ticket: 3 € (One-Way) or 6 € (Return).
Other popular destinations from Split
Ferry Split - Stari Grad (Hvar)
Ferry Split - Stomorska (Šolta)
Other popular destinations from Hvar town
Ferry Companies from Split to Hvar townThere is a total of 3 ferry companies operating the routes from Split to Hvar town. These ferry companies have been rated 36 times by the clients who have traveled from Split to Hvar town. Here you can see the most popular ferry companies operating this route and their overall rating.
User Reviews for Split to Hvar town
Friendly, fast, professionalism
jusste des probleme sur les infos ...on nous avait envoyé vers Stari Grad en premier....

domain: geography


text:
Travel is the moving movement of individuals between distant geographic locations. Travel can be to long distance, medium distance, or a short distance, with or without baggage, and is either one route or round trip. There are two basic types of travel: public and private. Public traveling is when a group of people to travel together for a purpose, such as an extended business trip or an international holiday. Private travel is usually for self-directed travel within a country or within a specific region, and is generally less expensive than public travel. There are also international travel packages available.
There are many ways to travel a long distance, whether by road, by air, by sea, or by boat. The best way to travel long-distance is to arrange your own itinerary and travel according to it, rather than following someone else’s itinerary. In a public area, there will usually be a railway station, flight terminal, or bus or train station. Public transportation is always an option in case of long-distance travel. For longer trips, you can consider taking a cruise ship, although you should be aware that cruises tend to be more expensive than normal trains and buses, and tend to have fewer facilities and amenities.
Long-distance business travel, on the other hand, involves traveling to another place, usually within the same country, where you conduct business. Typical business travel is to another place for the purpose of earning income, looking for new clients, or exploring a new industry. Some people travel to another place for an extended holiday; others do so for business purposes. Many people travel between countries within the same family as they do between states or counties. Business travel can also be between countries where you work (or are employed) whereas leisure travel is typically to another place for the purpose of visiting another place.

domain: travel


text:
Published: Sep 19, 2022
By Tristan Manalac
The data, presented in an investor call, showed that self-reported pain scores remained statistically comparable between the oral IMC-1 and placebo after 14 weeks of intervention.
Despite failing to meet its efficacy threshold, IMC-1 had an excellent tolerability profile. Only 4.6% of patients in the active treatment arm dropped out of the study due to toxicities, as opposed to 8.1% of placebo comparators.
IMC-1 is a fixed dose combination of famciclovir and celecoxib designed to synergistically suppress replication of the herpes virus.
Almost all the documented side effects, including nausea, headache, upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea, arose at frequencies lower than 4%. The only exception was COVID-19, which was diagnosed in 9.3% of IMC-1-treated patients.
FORTRESS was a double-blinded trial that investigated the efficacy and safety of the IMC-1 combination antiviral therapy in 425 women with fibromyalgia, as compared with placebo. The prespecified primary endpoint of the study was the 14-week change in self-reported pain, as measured by a numerical rating scale. Baseline characteristics between the IMC-1 and placebo arms were well-balanced.
The study also assessed IMC-1’s impact on the patients’ fatigue, sleep, function and overall global health status.
While the overall efficacy metric found no benefit for the candidate, Virios noted a “bifurcation of response” to IMC-1 based on when patients were enrolled into FORTRESS. Those who entered the study when the Delta variant of COVID-19 was predominant, from June to November last year, saw no improvement following IMC-1 treatment.
Conversely, IMC-1 showed significant efficacy in patients who were enrolled from November 2021 to April 2022, during which vaccination rates were higher and the less severe Omicron variant was the dominant strain, Virios reported. In this subgroup, 14-week self-reported pain was significantly lower after active treatment than in the placebo arm, an effect that was apparent as early as week 2.
IMC-1 treatment likewise elicited significant improvements in fatigue, depression score and fibromyalgia symptoms only in patients who were enrolled during the second period, when the Omicron variant was prevalent.
“We believe the interplay between different COVID-19 strains and herpes virus activation may be contributing to the differential response we observed in patients enrolled in 2021 versus 2022,” stated Greg Duncan, chairman and CEO of Virios.
Despite failing to differentiate itself from placebo in the overall analysis, Duncan said that the company continues to believe in the scientific validity of IMC-1.
In line with its goal of bringing IMC-1 all the way through to market, Virios is currently conducting further analyses of the data, looking specifically at the interplay between COVID-19 and the activation of the herpes virus to explain the bifurcation of response to IMC-1. The company will continue investigating IMC-1 in fibromyalgia and plans to engage experts to chart the best way forward.

domain: news


text:
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Sarcopenia in Singaporean Adults—The Yishun Study
Objectives: To describe the normative values of sarcopenia among community-dwelling adults ( 21 years of age); compare the prevalence of sarcopenia using Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria, 2014 (AWGS2014), AsianWorking Group for Sarcopenia criteria, 2019 (AWGS2019), and EuropeanWorking Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria, 2018(EWGSOP2) guidelines; and identify factors associatedwith sarcopenia. Design: Participants were recruited through random sampling. Sarcopenia assessments were performed using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan (muscle mass), handgrip test (muscle strength), and usual walking test (physical performance). Questionnaires were administered to evaluate lifestyle and cognition. Setting and Participants: In total, 542 community-dwelling Singaporeans were recruited (21‒90 years old, 57.9% women). Methods: We assessed anthropometry, body composition, and questionnaire-based physical and cognitive factors, and estimated sarcopenia prevalence according to the AWGS2014, AWGS2019, and EWGSOP2 recommendations, and examined associations using logistic regression. Results: According to AWGS2019, the Singapore population-adjusted sarcopenia prevalence was 13.6% (men 13.0%;women 14.2%) overall, and 32.2% (men 33.7%,women 30.9%) in those aged 60 years and above. The cutoffs derived fromyoung adult reference group for lowappendicular leanmass indexwere 5.28 kg/m2 formen and 3.69 kg/m2 for women (lower than AWGS recommended cut-off); for gait speed it was 0.82 m/s, (AWGS2019 recommended cut-off 1.0 m/s, AWGS2014 cut-off was 0.8 m/s); and for handgrip strength it was 27.9 kg/m2 formen and16.7 kg/m2 forwomen (close to AWGS2019 recommendation).Age, sex,marital status, alcoholism, physical activity, bodymass index,waist circumference, and global cognitionwere associated with sarcopenia (P <.05). Conclusions and Implications: This is the first study to provide reference values of muscle mass, strength, and gait speed across the adult lifespan of Singaporeans. Using AWGS2019 criteria, sarcopenia is prominent in older age (32.2% in 60 years old), but it is already nontrivial (6.9%) among young and middle-age persons. Multidomain lifestyle modifications addressing muscle strength, cognition, and nutrition over the adult lifespan are important to delay the development of sarcopenia.
MOH core grant to GERI
Journal/Conference/Book titleJournal of the American Medical Directors Association

domain: health


text:
"BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. environmental regulators on Tuesday announced they are leaving intact an air quality standard for power plant pollution that can worsen asthma in children, despite calls by health advocates for a tougher rule.
The move keeps in place a threshold for sulfur dioxide pollution established in 2010 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama. Sulfur dioxide comes from burning coal to produce electricity and from other industrial sources.
Advocacy groups including the American Lung Association had urged EPA to lower the amount of the pollution it allows, from 75 parts per billion of sulfur dioxide in ambient air to 50 parts per billion."

domain: chemistry


No one wants a cold garage or shop. To avoid the cold, you will need some kind of heating. If you’re planning to heat your garage with central heating, garage heater, space heater, or a mini-split heat pump, you need to first answer one key question:
“How many BTUs do I need to heat my garage?”
The size of the heater (or heating output measured in BTUs or watts, to be exact) matters. Adequately quantifying how many BTUs you need will primarily depend on 2 factors, namely:
- Size of a garage. Square footage and ceiling height are key metrics here; from there you can calculate how many cubic feet of air in the garage you’ll have to heat. Obviously, you will need fewer BTUs to heat a 1-car garage than for a 2-car garage, for example.
- Your climate zone. In the north, you have a colder climate and you’ll need more BTUs to adequately heat a garage. Even well-insulated garages in the north will require more heating than bad-insulated garages in the south. Example: Garage in Texas (65°F average winter temperature) will require less heating BTUs than Garage in Minnesota (50°F average winter temperature).
To make the calculation as easy as possible, you can use the garage BTU heating calculator that will find at the end of the article (first we need to check the inputs; square footage, ceiling height, and climate zone). Here is a screenshot of what this calculator looks like:
For adequate estimation of how many BTUs you need to heat a garage, you will need to:
- Measure your garage. Length x width will give you the total square footage. Ceiling height x square footage will give you the total volume of the air in the garage.
- Identify your climate zone. Below you will find a climate zone map; you just need to figure out in which climate zone you are located (it’s based on average temperatures). This will help you figure out how many BTU of heat per square foot of the garage.
We will help you along the way. First, however, let’s look at the summary of heating output needed to heat a 1, 2, 3, 4-car garage:
1-Car, 2-Car, 3-Car, 4-Car Garage BTU Requirements (Rough Estimates)
We can roughly estimate how many BTUs you need to heat a garage by using a heating BTU calculator. Basically, you will need anywhere between 30 BTU to 60 BTU to adequately heat a garage; based on where you live.
We will go into the detail you how you pinpoint the BTU requirements down to 1,000 BTU further below (you will find a garage heating calculator and climate zone map to help you out). Here are the outtakes:
|Size Of Garage:||Warm Climate (30 BTU per sq ft):||Average Climate (45 BTU per sq ft):||Cold Climate (60 BTU per sq ft):|
|1-Car Garage (250 sq ft):||7,500 BTU||11,750 BTU||15,000 BTU|
|2-Car Garage (500 sq ft):||15,000 BTU||22,500 BTU||30,000 BTU|
|3-Car Garage (750 sq ft):||22,500 BTU||33,750 BTU||45,000 BTU|
|4-Car Garage (1,000 sq ft):||30,000 BTU||45,000 BTU||60,000 BTU|
Here we predispose average sizes of 1, 2, 3, 4-car garages. The ceiling height is 8 ft; if you have a 7 ft garage ceiling height, you will require a good 10% fewer BTUs to properly heat it in the winter.
Example: How many BTU for a 2-car garage? In an average climate, you will require about 22,500 BTU for a 2-car garage.
These are ballpark figures. To figure out how big a heater you will need for your specific garage, you can use the garage heater sizing calculator below. But first, let’s look at climate zones; you will need to know yours in order to adequately size a garage heater.
Climate Zones For Garage Heating
The colder it is, the bigger heater you will need to keep your garage warm. That goes without saying. The real question is quantification, namely:
“How many BTU per sq ft do I need to keep my garage warm?”
Now, you might have seen a simplistic equation for that. It’s this one:
(Cubic Feet Of Air) x (Desired Temperature Change) x 0.133 = Required BTUs
It’s simple enough but doesn’t really give realistic estimates for garage heating primarily because it doesn’t account for where you live (climate zone).
To truly get adequate estimates of exactly how many BTU you need for garage heating, we should use the Climate Zone map by the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy:
You need to identify in which climate zone your garage is located. Example: Most of California is Zone 3, Southern Texas is Zone 2, and most of Illinois is Zone 6.
Depending on the climate tone, you will need to the following number of BTUs to properly heat your garage:
|Climate Zone||BTUs Per Sq Ft|
|Climate Zone 1||30 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 2||35 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 3||40 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 4||45 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 5||50 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 6||55 BTU per sq ft|
|Climate Zone 7||60 BTU per sq ft|
This predisposes 8 ft garage ceiling height. In the garage heating calculator below, you can lower this to lets say 7 ft or increase it to let’s say 10 ft.
Example: How many BTU for a 30×40 shop? That’s a 1,200 ft shop or a 1,200 ft 5-car garage.
Well, it depends on the location (climate zone):
- Texas (Climate Zone 2): 1200 sq ft * 35 BTU/sq ft = 42,000 BTU.
- California (Climate Zone 3): 1200 sq ft * 40 BTU/sq ft = 48,000 BTU.
- Illinois (Climate Zone 6): 1200 sq ft * 55 BTU/sq ft = 66,000 BTU.
Example 1: How many BTU for a 30×40 shop? To keep this 30×40 shop or a huge 5-car garage warm, you will need 42,000 BTU in Texas and 66,000 BTU in Chicago, Illinois, for example. That’s quite a big difference; because the difference is how hot it is in Texas vs how cold it is in Illinois is big.
Example 2: How many BTU for a 40×60 shop? You will need double the BTUs as for the 30×40 shop. On average, you need about 100,000 BTU for a 40×60 shop.
This is a rough idea of how to size garage heaters. The easiest way is to use this calculator:
Garage BTU Heating Calculator
To calculate how many BTUs you need to keep the garage warm, just input square footage, ceiling height, and pick the climate zone.
When you figure out how many BTU you need, you can check out some of the best garage heaters here.
Secondary Factors Influencing Garage Heating Requirements
The calculator gives you an estimate of your heating requirements for a garage. Do note that there are some important secondary factors that influence exactly how many BTUs are needed to heat up the garage like:
- Garage insulation. Better insulated garages require less BTU than poorly insulated garages. How many BTU to heat an unisolated garage? Well, more, but quantifying how much more depends on how unisolated the garage is, and that’s difficult to determine.
- Closeness to the house (central heating). If a heated house is all around your garage, you will obviously need less heating.
- How much volume does the ‘crap we have in a garage’ make up? All that volume is hard-matter (cars, bicycles, tools, etc.) and not air that needs to be heated up. The more ‘crap’ we have, the lower number of BTUs we’ll need because there is less air to heat.
These factors are not included in the calculator above primarily because it’s near impossible to quantify them.
A Word On Electric Space Heaters (Watts To BTUs)
One of the most popular choices to heat a garage are electric heaters. Here we encounter a problem in sizing (due to different units): Output of electric heaters is given watts (Example: 5,000W heater), not in BTUs.
To get BTUs, you can use watts to BTU converter here. You can also calculate by hand using this formula:
1 Watt = 3.412 BTU
Example: How many square feet of garage will a 5000-watt electric heater heat?
You need to convert 5,000 W to BTUs. Essentially, 5,000W * 3.412 = 17,060 BTU. Such a heater will be enough to heat a 1-car and even 2-car garage.
King Electric produces the best electric garage heaters. They offer 5,000W, 7,500W, 10,000W, 12,500W and 15,000W models. To help you figure out how many watts you need to heat your garage, they created this neat infographic:
These are ballpark figures and they are pretty accurate. You can use them to adequately size garage heaters.
If you have any questions about garage heating requirements, you can use the comment section below and we can discuss what the best options for your specific situations are.
17 thoughts on “How Many BTU To Heat A Garage? (1,2,3,4-Car Garage Heater Sizes)”
This site is awesome. It provides relevant information in a concise, easy to understand format. Whoever organized the content of this site is to be congratulated. I never expected to find all the information I needed regarding heating my garage in one place.
Hello Scott, thank you, it means a lot.
This was handy, thanks.
I live in Minnesota and want to keep my 2 car garage about 45 degrees. It has an insulated door. 2 of the other walls and half of the 3rd wall are against our house. What is your estimate on heater size I would need.
Hello Thomas, it really depends on the insulation. Generally, if you just want to keep the garage at 45 degrees, you don’t need 30 BTU per sq ft. You would likely need 10 BTU per sq ft, or even less. Let’s say that you have a 500 sq ft 2-car garage; you’re looking at a 5,000 BTU heater. Even the standard 1,500W electric space heater (produces about 5,000 BTU/h heating output), running continuously, can keep your garage at a 45-degree temperature. Hope this helps.
I have a 24×24 detached garage -8ft ceilings. Fully insulated. Live in MN. What size heater and brand do you reccomend to keep it about 45- 50 in winter.
Everything I read tells the size heater for the space but does not include the temp that it keeps it. Dont need it real warm. Just want to be able to store things, paint..etc without freezing.
Hello Sue, to keep the garage just warm (the exact temperature depends on several complex factors), it’s usually recommended that you calculate 10 BTU per sq ft for an 8 ft ceiling garage. In your case, you have a 576 sq ft garage and would require a 5,760 BTU garage heater (using the 10 BTU/sq ft rule of thumb). Most electric heaters run on 1,500W and generate about 5,100 BTU. A good idea would be to just buy a simple 1,500W electric heater and see how warm does it keep your garage in the winter. If the heating is insufficient with just 1 unit, buy another one.
You can check the best garage heaters here. The King Electric units are considered the best; they are, however, a bit more expensive than other less reliable units. Hope all of this helps.
Hey Learn Matrix,
I’m trying to size a NAtural gas Heater for a 24×30 garage it has a 7 foot wall. With 2 uninsulated doors 6×10 the building has weak r13 and dry wall below the 5 oit mark and a fexposes light pannel above that’s fiberglass. Which is not insulated to include the exposed roof and side walls above.
I’m seeking to get it insulated… in your heat zones we might be 6 or 7 as we’re maybe 100 miles from the border of Wyoming in south eastern Idaho. Hvac.com recommended a 66,000 and 75,000 BTU solution. I’m seeking to heat the detached garage due to relocating a cottage bakery for Gommscookies.com there and may need yo keep it warm for the waters sake, but sufficient to produce in by day in the winter and to possibly have a fan solution in the summer for venting purposes.
Hello LaRoy, you have quite a lot of variables here. This is a 720 sq ft garage in 6 or 7 zone with below-average insulation (light pannels, fiberglass). You might need a bit more heating power here; about 60-80 BTU per sq ft. That would get you to the 43,200 BTU to 57,600 BTU range. The cited estimate would presume about 100 BTU/sq ft heating output; that’s a bit excessive. It’s quite possible that 50,000 BTU would be enough; let’s make it 60,000 BTU to be sure. Hope this helps.
Hi, I leave in Canada (Montreal) and typically we heat our garages at 8-10C, how does this affect the calculation?
Hell Karl, you will need less BTU per sq ft. Depending on several factors, you can shoot for 10 or maybe 20 BTU per sq ft. That means you would need about 5,000-10,000 BTU per 500 sq ft garage.
12ft by 24ft, 12 ft peaked ceiling, zone 4. Bare wood walls. Zero insulation. Recommendations. Thinking 36000, used as a den, partial living space.
Hi Shawn, zero insulation can increase the BTU requirements for heating a garage by a lot. Basically, you have a 288 sq ft garage, with a 12 ft ceiling (50% above average 8 ft ceiling). Given Zone 4 but no insulation and 50% higher ceiling, you probably have to use up to 80 BTU per sq ft, especially if you want to use the garage as a partial living space.
For a 288 sq ft garage, 80 BTU per sq ft comes to 23,040 BTU. So, 36,000 BTU would be a bit too much. 24,000 BTU would make sense. Hope this helps.
We live in climate zone 6. How many btu would we need to keep our 3 car garage heated to 40 degrees F in winter? Outdoor temperatures can drop to minus 20 F in the dead of winter. The garage walls and doors are insulated. One side of the garage adjoins the heated house. Living space above the garage is not used in winter, but it is heated to 60 F to keep the pipes from freezing.
Hi Marc, in climate zone 6, you would need 55 BTU per sq ft to keep the temperature at about 72 degrees F. Now, if you only need 40 degrees F temperature, you would need a lot less. Those -20 degree F in the winter are quite severe. Nevertheless, something in the neighborhood of 15-25 BTU per sq ft should be sufficient. If you have a 750 sq ft 3-car garage, that would be anywhere from 11,250 to 18,750 BTU (very rough estimates). So, not all that many BTU, but still, you would need about 15k BTU. Hope this helps.
Hi, I have a 720 square foot garage with a 12’-8” ceiling, with a second floor that will be unheated. I used 12” I-trusses for the ceiling that will be at R-30-40, and 2×6 walls at R-21. What would you recommend for BTU, to keep it at 50 degrees during the winter, and bumping it up to 65 when working in it.
Hi Mike, alright, we are talking about a well-insulated 720 sq ft garage that doesn’t need to be heated up to 72 degrees. Given the more than 50% higher ceiling height than average, you can take anywhere from 10 to 20 BTU per sq ft for heating. That would yield a heat load requirement from 7,200 BTU to 14,400 BTU. The simple solution would be to use 1500W electric heaters; one generates about 5,118 BTU. They are extremely cheap, you can just buy two of them and use them when needed, no installation required. Hope this helps.


SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - An initial artist rendering of the new basketball arena proposed for the Golden State Warriors, in Mission Bay rather than along the waterfront, have invited some unwelcome comparisons, but the team is a long way from flushing the toilet bowl design.
Warriors spokesman PJ Johnston told the San Jose Mercury News the viral response to the design was 'unfortunate.'
"I guess that's the perils of the Internet," Johnston told the Mercury News about the reaction to the drawing, and said the design for the arena will "absolutely" change in the coming months as the the drawings were not detailed renderings.
Unlike the big splash the team made with the waterfront proposal that went down the drain, the Warriors have been slowly rolling out preliminary drawings of what would be built south of AT&T Park.
An aerial view in one of these very utilitarian renderings does indeed resemble a commode with the seat down, sunk into the ground next to two office buildings. These were drafted to look at practical concerns such as wind and roadway congestion.
Warriors' New SF Arena Resembles A Certain Bathroom Fixture
Then Sports Illustrated got on it, ESPN got on it, and snarky commentaries all over the web have followed, leaving the team to figure out how to bring some glamour back to yet another arena proposal getting panned.
Even as team officials figure out how to live down the toilet bowl design, their architects and engineers still have a lot to figure out when it comes to traffic plumbing at the new site.
Problems in the new location could come from a UCSF hospital just down the block that is expanding, not far from another big development at Pier 70. The Warriors Mission Bay site has few traffic options as this up and coming area of San Francisco attracts mega-projects.
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are plenty of different configurations that a sample portfolio could take. One possibility might look like this: 25% large-cap, 20% mid-cap, 15% small-cap, and 5% international stocks; plus 20% government bonds, 10% corporate bonds, and 5% cash.
Early retirement wasn’t all it was cracked up to be for Monica Williams. Things had been tough since her husband died at age 36, leaving her to raise their two sons, now grown, on her own. A bus operator for nearly 29 years with the Chicago Transit Authority, Williams looked forward to calling it quits in February of 2004 at age 51.
Eager to relax, Williams spent time with her four grandchildren in Chicago, went to visit her sister in Daytona, Florida, and traveled to Arkansas. However, by the fall she was restless. “I got bored,” says Williams, now 53.
Williams also discovered that she would need more than her $2,300 monthly pension to retire in the style she really wanted. So after all of eight months in “retirement,” she went in search of another job.
“I figured I’d work for another 10 years, until I’m eligible for Social Security,” says Williams, who lives in Blue Island, Illinois, just outside Chicago.
Looking for a less stressful job than driving the city bus, Williams opted for piloting the shuttle bus at Midway Airport. The job nets her about $1,200 a month, which supplements her pension. Although her monthly expenses, which include the mortgage on her condo, total approximately $1,900, unexpected car repairs and her desire to travel to places like Europe, Mexico, and Hawaii, often have her needing additional cash.
Williams says she’d like to retire for good at age 62. She’ll have her existing pension and the accumulated amount of $300 a month she has been saving since starting her new job. Her current savings is only about $3,000. And over the last five years, she reduced her credit card debt from $23,000 to $2,000. “I doubled and tripled my minimum payments,” says Williams. “It was hard, but I focused on what I needed to do.”
The Fabulous 50sWilliams knows she needs to invest, but says she’s a novice and needs a financial adviser to guide her through the process of creating a plan to maximize what she has to work with. “I want to know where I can put my money without too much risk,” she says.
When she does retire, Williams wants to devote more time to her church. She also wants to spend time taking dance and exercise classes, visiting her sister in Florida, and taking other “affordable” excursions.
“I’ll be a little older, so I might be able to settle down and relax more next time,” says a hopeful Williams. “I love my grandchildren, but my sons shouldn’t expect me to spend all my time babysitting,” she says with a laugh.
Finances in your 50s
It’s crunch time for just about everyone at this age. To help Williams and others like her get their retirement plans right, Pierre Dunagan, president of The Dunagan Group in Chicago, suggests the following


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Onimod Land is real-time strategy game. The premise of the game centers around a conflict between inhabiting aboriginals and settlers from space as they both try to colonize a planet. Each race has a unique set of skills (technologies or magic spells). Network game supports up to 8 players.
Store | Hub | SteamDB | Site
Developer: Astralax Publisher: Astralax
Languages: English, Russian
Tags: Strategy (23), RTS (6)
Category: Single-player, Multi-player, Online Multi-Player, Includes level editor
Release date: Nov 10, 2017
Owners: 0 .. 20,000
Steam Spy is still in beta, so expect major bugs.
Audience in 2 weeks:
Peak daily concurrent players:
CCU data courtesy of SteamDB. Used with permission.
Hourly concurrent players:
The views data is based on top 50 videos uploaded last week. Actual number of views might be more than the number shown.
The displayed number of videos uploaded yesterday is limited to 50, so if there were more videos uploaded, the number will still show 50.
If the game has commonly used word as its name (like "FEAR" or "Volume") its number of Youtube views might be wrong.
Games similar to this one:
Nothing found. Sorry.

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If I Survive You has been described as a collection of short stories with an interconnected narrative, and as a novel-in-stories. How would you describe it, and why did you choose to write the book in this manner, rather than as a more traditional novel? Was it a conscious plan at the outset?
I knew from the outset that I wanted to structure it in such a way that the chapters worked as standalone stories, and the stories worked as chapters that built toward a larger narrative arc and toward a climax. I wanted to challenge myself, and thought this would be formally interesting, if not innovative, but I also suspect it closely resembles the episodic nature of human experience. It was when I stopped worrying about whether to label it as stories or as a novel that it finally came together.
As the title suggests, the book is ultimately a survival story. Trelawny and family are faced with constant obstacles – racism, Hurricane Andrew, the 2008 recession. As someone who, like the family in the book, also grew up in 1980/90s Miami, how much of the book is based on either personal experience or real people you’ve encountered?
I used some personal experiences and what I observed in the environment I grew up in as the backdrop and cultural context for the book, but I imagined my way into scenarios that dramatise issues my community deals with, while working to engage readers with every tool I had in my toolbox. I wanted the book to express emotional truths without limiting it to what literally happened, and much of the enjoyment of writing the book was in figuring out how to get my characters out of the trouble I created for them. Of course, in some cases, they don’t get out of it.
Much of the book is concerned with the question of identity. Trelawny, your focal character, is too white when in Jamaica, and too Black when in Miami. He longs for community among other Black people but never quite finds it. What made you want to explore the idea of belonging?
I’d say he’s considered too American in Jamaica, not culturally or phenotypically Black (American) enough in Miami, and too Black in the American Midwest. This answer is necessarily an oversimplification, which, in part, is why I felt the need to write an entire book about the nuances of identity and belonging. In part, this book was the result of my grappling with the question of who my protagonist is, or could be, recognising that there is a gap between the complex ways people discuss identity, especially where I am from (Miami), and many of the characters I had read about growing up.


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A far-right French presidential hopeful got caught in the crossfire as he attended a political rally on Saturday, with his neck and necktie being grabbed by a man wearing a mask of Emmanuel Macron.
Macron is France’s President, but he is under intense pressure at home after a French prosecutor opened a probe into his alleged pay-off of a female TV journalist who alleged that he had sexually harassed her.
After the shouting and scuffles between supporters of the two candidates and the city’s council, it was contested that the alleged attacker had even been captured on camera.
Surveillance footage from a balcony by the Champs-Elysees reveals the man wearing the mask to which he knelt apparently trying to pull the neck of Marine Le Pen from a Le Pen supporter’s neck.
A video uploaded to the YouTube channel of Le Pen, the leader of the anti-immigration National Front, shows the clash started as the nationalist was talking to supporters and addressing his rival Macron.
She said: “Rescue at the main square, big cowards are protecting themselves with masks. The next confrontation is the one where I’ll be going to debate.”
Fox News’ London bureau manager Jackson West said French law stipulates that police do not have to identify the aggressor, however.
Macron, the center-right En Marche! party candidate, tweeted: “In the name of the rule of law, I ask for the truth about the events we saw today in Paris, so people understand the seriousness of these violent scenes.”
But the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon said the man in the mask had been arrested, suggesting the video was misleading.
“Can’t there be a mask covering its face?” he asked on Twitter.
Le Pen added: “This wasn’t a lone, isolated incident at the speech, we have pictures of a short clash with several groups of thugs, linked to other terror groups, a bit like those in Berlin a few months ago.”
Le Pen hit back that the “main manifestation of hatred” in Europe was being carried out by radical Muslim groups, not anti-capitalists.
A witness said the fight started after fans of the Socialist minister Florence Parly clashed with Le Pen supporters at the rally.
Police later arrived at the Champs-Elysees to calm both sides.
Fox News’ Jackson West (@jacksonwestfox) in Paris contributed to this story.


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DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR MOWGLI.
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Mowgli is being fostered in Arkansas, so please consider transportation plans when you apply to adopt.
Other Pictures of Mowgli (click to see larger version):
The TEN in TN 10th Anniversary Nekkid Party has been postponed due to Covid-19. You can buy an awesome BisB tee like this one!!! Click on the photo for ordering information.
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