The Commemorative Plaque Industry thrives at the hands of the local craftsmen in Ghana.Techniques, methods, tools, and materials used as handed to them by their previous masters have remained the same over the years.As a result, plaques produced had peculiar problems such as text fading, degrading the actual effect of the plaques.Additionally, metals once widely used for making plaques devoid of text fading in the industry seem to have lost their relevance due to metal plaque theft, rust on metal plaques, and the continuous rise in metal prices.This research uses descriptive, experimental, and case studies of the qualitative research method to examine the problems associated with locally produced commemorative plaques.A total of hundred (100) artisans, including metal scrap dealers, and plaque buyers, were selected for the study.Direct observation and face-to-face interviews were conducted with the local craftsmen, art lecturers and students, scrap dealers, and plaque buyers who were purposively sampled for the study.The study revealed that existing materials like ceramic and aluminium could be integrated innovatively to produce commemorative plaques devoid of text fading; a corrosion-resistant text could be made using anodized or coated metals used in smaller quantities to reduce costs while also making them unattractive for theft and lastly, silicone sealant was found to be a viable option for permanently inscribing text on porcelain bases.The results clarify and underline the necessity to grow the local plaque industry in terms of plaque production as another essential basis to assure high-quality plaques with no text fading that will survive for generations to serve their intended purpose.
In most studies of microstrip circuits, the majority of researchers assume that the microstrip structures studied have flat metallic conductors of finite widths but without thickness. But in reality these types of structures integrate metallic copper conductors of different thicknesses. If we neglect this thickness we introduce error in the electrical parameters of the microstrip structure, which affects the effective permittivity, the characteristic impedance, the adaptation of the circuit, the resonance frequency, etc. Given the importance of this parameter (thickness of the metal of micro rubon structures), rigorous electromagnetic modeling of the thick micro rubon line based on the skin effect phenomenon (In fact at high frequency the skin effect phenomenon occurs and the current only flows on the periphery of the conductor) has been proposed to improve the studied electric model and ensure the increase in the precision of the analysis method used: Wave concept iterative process. The good agreement between the simulated and published data justifies the improvement of the model.
In the present work, titanium alloy with a composition of Ti-6.5Al-3Mo-1.9Nb-2.2Sn-2.2Zr-1.5Cr (TC21) was subjected to plastic deformation and aging processes. A Plastic deformation at room temperature with 2%, 3% and 4% stroke strain was applied on the studied samples. Then, the samples aged at 575°C for 4 hr. By applying different plastic deformation ratios, the structure revealed an elongated and thin β-phase embedded in an α-phase. Secondary α-platelets were precipitated in the residual β-phase. Maximum hardness (HV440) was obtained for 4% deformed + aged samples. Minimum hardness (HV320) was recorded for the as-cast samples without deformation. The highest ultimate tensile strength of 1311 MPa was obtained for 4% deformed + aged samples due to presence of high amount of dislocation density as well as precipitation of secondary α-platelets in the residual β-phase. The lowest ultimate tensile strength of 1020 MPa was reported for as-cast samples. Maximum elongation of 14% was registered for 4% deformed + aged samples and minimum one of 3% was obtained for as-cast samples. Hence, strain hardening + aging can enhance considerably the elongation of TC21 Ti-alloy up to 366% and 133% in case of applying 4% deformation + aged compared to as-cast and aged samples without applying plastic deformation, respectively.
The goal of this topic is a synthesis of the main characteristics of iron in groundwater and the oxidation process used to remove it. Indeed, the kinetics of chemical oxidation of iron (II) was examined with reconstituted water (distilled water + iron sulphate) and proceeded to the application in the groundwater samples taken from South Pout (Senegal) precisely in the drilling PS2. The sources of iron are natural or anthropogenic. In Senegalese waters, its content is variable and sometimes exceeds the standards of potability. Despite the diversification of iron removal process, chemical oxidation is the most used solution in drinking water treatment plants in Senegalese rural areas. Applied oxidation processes such as aeration and chlorination, however, are insufficient to produce drinking water with an iron concentration in accordance with standards of potability.
This investigation studies the impact strength, tensile strength, hardness, and wear behavior of thin wall austempered and intercritically austempered ductile iron samples with a chemical composition of 3.37% C, 2.7% Si, 0.30% Mn, 0.01% S, and 0.01% P. The austempered samples were austenitized at 900?C for 1 h and rapidly quenched in a salt bath furnace at 375?C for 1 h. The intercritically austempered samples were sub-austenitized at 810?C for 1 h and rapidly quenched in a salt bath furnace at 375?C for 1 h. The properties of the austempered and intercritically austempered thin wall plates of 5, 10, and 15 mm thickness were evaluated and compared to the as-cast samples. Austempering process affects greatly the tensile properties of all cast thicknesses where ultimate strength reached 1004 MPa for 5-mm thickness. Optimum impact toughness of 40 J was obtained for the austempered samples of 10- and 15-mm thicknesses. The intercritically austempered samples showed properties between the austempered and as-cast samples. Maximum wear resistance was also reported for the austempered samples due to containing retained austenite in the structure which in turn transformed into martensite that increases well the wear resistance. Maximum ultimate strength (1056) MPa and hardness (396 HV) were obtained for 5 mm ADI sample. Maximum impact toughness (43 J) was achieved for 15 mm IADI sample due to existing of pro-eutectoid ferrite in matrix. For all As-cast, ADI and IADI irons, wear resistance decreased with increasing sample thickness. Minimum wear rate (2.22 × 10?6 g/s) was reported for 5-mm ADI sample and maximum one (15.8 × 10?6 g/s) was registered for 15-mm as-cast DI sample, at a sliding speed of 2 m/s.
