Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Flying Machine free essay sample

Also examined, are the ethics of intonating technological advancement and possible negative ramifications of technology evolving and therefore the loss of ultimate control over his empire. The emperor considers his empire to be beautiful when all is in order and his people are fully under his control. The flying machine exposes his vulnerability and puts his power at risk. These are some of the core ideas that The Flying Machine explores.Through the use and development of literary devices such as tone, diction, imagery, and very specific themes, Bradbury effectively displays the importance of the possible negative outcome of genealogy moving forward too quickly and resulting in risks to the Emperors empire. One of the themes of the story is the ethics around the creation of technology and the fear of change; the fear of change in technological advancement and the negative impact it could have on mankind and providing freedom. We will write a custom essay sample on The Flying Machine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Towards the end of the story, the Emperor mentions he does not fear the creator of the flying machine, but rather another man with an evil face and an evil heart (Bradbury 4). He is afraid that another man will not see the beauty in what the inventor has created, but instead he will see it s an opportunity for corrupt and destructive plans such as the freedom to move outside the walls. If this invention were to allow people to leave the walls, the Emperors authority would be demolished. One of the important parts of being Emperor, is that he has control over everything within the wall. He thrives on being in charge and having control over all of his servants, and is of higher status than them. Perhaps, creating something of this level, without the permission of the Emperor, would give his people choices and allow them to be free. Allowing the inventor to have this flying machine would UT his power in jeopardy, and allow him to be vulnerable. He questions the flier of what he has done: What have you done? Demanded the Emperor. I have flown in the sky, Your Excellency, replied the man. What have you done? Said the Emperor again. l have just told you! cried the flier. You have told me nothing at all. (2) The inventor speaks in a very confident, but respectful tone, but is quite obviously proud of his creation. He does not realize the negative ramifications that his invention may have on the empire, he is just proud of the beauty in it. The Emperor tries to warn him that someone else may not see the beauty, but may use it for evil, but he does not understand, so he is executed so that no one will know of him or his invention.The story utilizes the term beauty and applies it to two different meanings; the raw beauty of a creation, to the flier, and the beauty of power, to the Emperor. A very important aspect of this story is the setting. Being set in ancient China, something like the flying machine would be considered a miracle (1), given the time. Being a country where all information is carefully controlled, meeting that showed innovation would be considered a threat.An invention such as this appearing in modern day would be notable, but would not be of the same level of significance as it is during an ancient and restrained period. Intricate and advanced technology did not exist at this point in time, causing the Emperor to immediately be cautious about the situation and aware of the danger that could be caused by someone thinking for himself and creating this invention. He is instantly defensive of the protected empire over which he rules. The diction used in this story is quite simple.None of the characters use overly complicated language, though they all speak in specific tones. These tones demonstrate the chain of command within the empire. The servant speaks with respect in his words: Please, said the servant at last, or he will be gone (1 The servant always speaks to the Emperor with respect because he is the head of the empire and the servant looks up to him. He never disrespects the Emperor because they are on two different levels of status. The flier speaks with words of confidence, because e only sees the beauty in his creation.He is proud of his machine: is the only one in the world! smiled the man. And I am the inventor m (2). He is blind to the idea of his device being used for evil. He is very confused when the Emperor instantly calls the guards to restrain him. Being overcome with the beautiful machine he made, he is not aware that he has overstepped his boundaries within this confined empire. The Emperor uses many literary devices to be descriptive in his language and to show his opinion of beauty. For instance, he uses imagery when ascribing his surroundings: Nanning himself against a warm breeze when a servant ran across the scarlet and blue garden tiles, (1). The story uses imagery in a way that allows the beauty of the empire to be imaginable. The Emperors real idea of beauty is revealed when he speaks of his own invention, a microcosm of his empire; the perfectly manipulated society. All of the animals moved as he thought they should and all of the people did what he wanted them to: Is it not beautiful? said the Emperor. If you asked me what I have done here, I could tell answer you well.I have made birds sing, I have made forests murmur, I have set people walking in his woodland, (3) His picturesque toy-like creation allows him to have full control over his empire, something he has created within the confines of the wall. When in this perfected world, he is never in a vulnerable position; he is always the highest power and has command of his people. In order to not be vulnerable, he says %.. One must lose a little beauty if one is to keep what little beauty one already has (3). This brings into question if the needs of many outweigh the deeds of few.The Emperors decision to execute the flier was based on his firm belief of protecting his people. The fliers invention could put the entire empire at risk by providing a means of escape, so, in the mind of the Emperor, it was the right decision. In this case, the Emperor was resolute in his choice, and is looking to protect his kingdom and the management of his people, described as beauty, which he has created with his empire. Having the flier and the flying machine around puts that at risk. In his mind, he needed to sacrifice one for the good of many.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

VEGA Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning

VEGA Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning The Spanish surname Vega is a topographical name that means dweller in the meadow or one who lives on a plain, from the Spanish word  vega, used to refer to a meadow, valley or fertile plain. It could also be a habitational name for someone from one of any of the many places in the world named Vega or La Vega. Vega is the 49th most common Spanish surname. Alternate Surname Spellings: VEGAS, VEGAZ, DE LA VEGA,   Surname Origin: Spanish Where Do People With the VEGA Surname Live? The surname distribution map at Forebears, which includes data from 227 countries, pinpoints Vega as the 519th most common surname in the world. It identifies Vega as most common in Panama where it ranks 25th in the nation, followed by Puerto Rico (27th), Costa Rica (32nd), Peru (47th), Chile (47th), Argentina (50th), Mexico (55th), Spain (62nd), Cuba (74th), Equador (81st), Colombia (87th), Paraguay (96th) and Nicaragua (99th). WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the Vega name in Spain as most frequently found in the northern regions of Asturias, Castille Y Leon, and Cantabria, as well as the southern regions of Andalucia and the Canary Islands. Within the United States, the Vega name is most common in the southwest, in the states bordering Mexico, along with Nevada, Idaho, and Florida, plus Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Famous People with the VEGA Surname Paz Vega - Spanish actressAmelia Vega - 2003 Miss UniverseJurij Vega - Slovene mathematician and physicist- Spanish playwrightGarcilaso de la Vega - Spanish poet Genealogy Resources for the Surname VEGA 50 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns and explores the meaning and origins of 50 common Spanish surnames. Vega Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Vega family crest or coat of arms for the Vega surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   The Vega DNA Surname ProjectThis Y-DNA surname project is open to all  families with this surname, of all spelling variations, and from all locations, with the goal of using DNA matches to  help find the paper trail that leads further back up the Vega family tree. VEGA Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Vega ancestors around the world. Search past queries, or post a question of your own. FamilySearch - VEGA GenealogyAccess over 1.7 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Vega surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. VEGA Surname Mailing ListThis free mailing list for researchers of the Vega surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. Hosted by RootsWeb. DistantCousin.com - VEGA Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Vega. The Vega Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Vega from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Com 425 Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Com 425 Week 4 - Essay Example The arguments of the article may seem obvious, but the author has a point. Many people send and receive emails without prior consideration of who is being addressed. There is need to evaluate and assess all parties involved, appreciate their position within the business line and consequently address them accordingly. It is important to uphold mutual respect in such email exchanges. The tips provided seem obvious, but they are equally essential. The author of the article has identified mishaps in sending and receiving of emails between and among communicating parties. Some of the presented cases and points to remember are rather an application of mere common sense. However, the same points are hardly applied b senders and receivers of emails. The article may be analyzed for and against its arguments. Most of the tips however are sensible and should be observed when sending emails. Ignorance of such tips is likely to trigger misunderstandings or conflict of interest in business undertakings when the recipient gets different information from an email other than the one intended by the sender (Heather & Graves, 2011). The only tip that appears kind of absurd is that of watching one’s tone when composing an email. This is a hard to determine as the sender composes an email. Due to the ambiguity associated and brought about by the watch your tone tip, the author should have outlined a way through which email senders can evaluate the tone of their composed emails before sending them. The tip should have been elaborated and a guideline to determining one’s tone in writing provided. Computer-mediated communication is integral to almost every bit of sending and receiving information. Technological advancements have aided this process with computer communication making a contemporary mode of communication around the world. Knowledge and skills of computer use have highly increased.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Health Education and Promotion Models Assignment

Health Education and Promotion Models - Assignment Example On the contrary, the participatory design is aimed at creating successful community health promotion interventions. In addition, the Precede health promotion program planning model has eight phases as discussed. The first phase involves defining the ultimate outcome. It focuses on what the community wants and needs. It may seem unrelated to the issues of phase one. Phase two is for identifying the issue. In this phase, one looks for the issues and factors that might cause or influence the outcome identified in phase one. Phase three involves examining the factors that affect behaviour, lifestyle and responses to the environment. In this period, factors that will create the behaviour and environmental changes in phase two are. Step four identifies best practices and other sources of guidance for intervention design, as well as administrative, regulation and policy issues that influence the implementation of the program or intervention. Phase five is all about implantation. This step i nvolves doing just that setting up and implementing the interventions that have been planned for. Step six is for process evaluation. This phase is about the procedure but not results. Impact Evaluation is for stage 7. One begins by evaluating the initial success of the efforts. Step 8 is for Outcome Evaluation. The interventions must be working to bring about the outcomes the community identified in step 1.Proceed health promotion planning model has four assumptions. In this model, it’s assumed that health and other issues are essentially quality-of-life issues. It that health and other issues must be looked at in the context of the community. Health is also a constellation of factors that add up to a healthy life for individuals and communities. It that behaviour change is by and large voluntary, health promotion, is more likely to be effective if it’s participatory (Green and Kreuter2005). Health belief model is also a

Sunday, November 17, 2019

NETWORKING SKILLS FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Essay

NETWORKING SKILLS FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES - Essay Example Through such a discussion and analysis, it is the hope of this particular author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding with respect to the necessity and importance of networking as well as a further understanding and identification of the ways in which a focus upon networking can help to build the prospects in the future of the individual that engages with it. Section 1: Firstly, even though it is true that this skill and knowledge learned in a formalized educational setting is not in and of itself sufficient for each and every situation, it should not be understood that networking is a skill that does not require teaching and is somehow innate within each and every human being. Due to differentials of personal psychology, many individuals are introverts whereas others tend to be more extroverted (Calin & Mcgee, 2006). However, even though a personal psychological approach to networking is necessary, should also be understood that even the most introverted individua l can utilize effective networking within their own life and professional career as a means of maximizing the benefit that they would otherwise achieved in and of themselves (Jain, 2011). In seeking to define what networking is, it should be understood that whereas many terms require a broad and complicated explanation, networking is fairly simple. Ultimately, this process can be understood based upon the realization that networking is a process through which an individual can leverage personal and business connections as a means of gaining valuable information that they can then apply towards increasing profitability, client base, efficiency or other positive business engagements (Sharafizad, 2011). As such, the obvious point that should be understood is with respect to the fact that networking allows for an individual to not only leveraging utilize the information that they have been presented or come in contact with, it also allows for a shared collective of knowledge and informa tion to be passed along from one individual, or group of individuals, to another. Although this is not a difficult concept to grasp, it should be understood that the bulk of the education process, from kindergarten all the way to postgraduate work, is concentric upon the degree and extent to which information can be retained at a personal level (Kokkonen et al., 2013). Although it is true that outside research is oftentimes required, collaborative in group effort is not common and therefore is not necessarily a tactic that the recently graduated business man or woman would otherwise engage in. As such, even though this process is extraordinarily simple and easy to engage in, a great many young professionals, and professionals of any age for that matter, necessarily choose to rely upon their own abilities as this is a thought process and means of engagement that has become solidified as a result of many years of education. From a strategic standpoint, the process of

Friday, November 15, 2019

Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships

Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical property relationships in high strength low alloy steels for automotive applications Chapter 1 Introduction The production of steel is an ancient process which has evolved over time. Where and when Steel was first created is unknown and a topic of much debate, however most historians believe earliest production of steel originates from China from as early as 202BC. A later form of steel named Wootz Steel was later developed in India, which used wind power to fuel a furnace producing nearly pure steel. In the 11th century China developed steel further was the first country to mass produce steel. Two methods were developed. A berganesque method which produced inhomogeneous steel, and a process which that relied on partial decarbonisation through repeated forging under a cold blast, this was seen as the superior method, and one which lead on to the Bessemer process [1].The Bessemer process involved using a blast furnace to extract iron from its ore and is the basis of modern steel extraction. Steel is produced firstly by extracting iron from its ore. Iron extraction differs slightly from other metals as it can only be found naturally in oxide form. This means that a smelting process is required. This involves a reduction reaction followed by alloying with additional elements like carbon to stabilise and strengthen the steel. Iron smelting requires a high temperature which produces a ferrous material made of a combination of iron and steel. The addition of alloying elements such as carbon affect the materials properties greatly. Changing the temperature at which the iron is smelted affects the phase of the resultant steel, giving rise to the possibility of producing steels with varying properties which are suitable for a range of applications. In the automotive industry, body frames were originally made of hardwood. This was replaced in 1923 when the American Rolling Company developed steel sheet production. The wooden frames were inferior in energy absorption which was a big safety issue. Steel was also much easier to form than wood and did not warp over time. As the automobile has evolved over time, there has been an increasing public awareness of the environmental impact of the car. This has forced manufacturers to produce lighter cars which are more economical. This brought about the development of thin, highly formable sheet steel. The main competitor to steel in the automotive industry is Aluminium, which offers a much better strength to weight ratio and also a better resistance to corrosion. However steel is still the most commonly used material mainly due to lower production cost. Increasing competition from aluminium is forcing the development of modern steels. Steel naturally has a higher formability and elongation than aluminium which is one of the reasons it is used so extensively in the automotive sector. This can be seen in Figure 1.1: Figure 1.1- Yield strength vs total elongation of aluminium alloys and automotive steels [3] Ultra low carbon (ULC) steels are used commonly in the production of automobiles. Their, highy formability and suitability for hot dip galvanising make them very attractive to automobile producers[4]. Pressure is being put on the manufacturers to produce lightweight cars that minimise emissions without compromising safety. Metallic properties required to achieve this consist of a high tensile strength, high r- value, good ductility and also the ability to be made resistant to corrosion (either naturally or through the use of chemical surface treatment). Various high performance steels have been developed to meet these requirements, of these, one of the most important being HSLA steels. High strength low alloy steels provide a much better strength to weight ratio than conventional low carbon steels allowing for thinner grades to be used, saving weight. HSLA steels have a manganese content of up to 1.5%, as well as microalloying elements such as vanadium and titanium. HSLA steels are increasingly replacing traditional low carbon steels for many automotive parts. This is due to their ability to reduce weight without compromising strength and dent resistance. Typical applications include door-intrusion beams, chassis members, reinforcing and mounting brackets, steering and suspension parts, bumpers, and wheels [5]. High strength low alloy steel properties are determined by the way in which they are processed. High deep drawability, can be achieved through precipitation of elements by annealing to produce a strong {111} recrystallisation texture [7], producing highly formable steels which are very desirable for automotive applications. In this study, two grades of IFHS strips are studied. A titanium only stabilised steel grade and a titanium-vanadium stabilised steel grade. These have been treated using a Viking tube furnace and studied using a scanning electron microscope, Photoshop and Optilab Software. Both steel grades have been studied using carefully selected thermo mechanical heat treatment cycles. The heating variables are expected to cause varying effects to the mechanical properties and microstructure of the two materials. The addition of vanadium in one of the steel grades is also expected to influence the mechanical properties. With the data obtained from my experiments I hope to determine the optimum processing route for similar HSLA steels. Chapter 2 Aims Carry out selective batch annealing heat treatments on two microalloyed High Strength IF strip steels. Measure grain size evolution samples using scanning electron microscopy and quantitave optical microscopy techniques. Measure mechanical properties of obtained samples using hardness and tensile testing techniques Determine the optimum processing characteristics, resulting in optimum mechanical property characteristics. Chapter 3 Literature Review 3.1 AUTOMOTIVE STEELS Automotive manufacturers make use of many different metals in the production of cars, of which the most predominant being steel. This is for several reasons, steel is relatively easy to recycle in comparison with polymers and aluminium, and this is an issue which is growing in importance as the public are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Steel is also a very good material in terms of its practicality, as it is easily welded, has good formability, elongation and ductility. As the environmental impact of cars is becoming more and more important, stringent regulations regarding emissions are being forced upon manufacturers. One of the ways that manufacturers have chosen to meet these requirements is to make the cars lighter by switching from mild steel to high strength steel grades which enables components to have a thinner cross section, saving weight. The three main types of steels used in automobiles today are; Low strength (IF and mild steels), High strength (Carbon manganese, bake hardening, IFHS and HSLA) Advanced high strength steels (dual-phase, complex phase, transformation induced plasticity and matensitic steels) These steel types can be seen below on figure 3.1 comparing their elongation and strength. Figure 3.1: Classification of automotive steels [8]. 3.1.1 Mild Steels Mild steels are normally found in two different forms for automotive purposes. Drawn Quality and Aluminium killed. These are both cheap to manufacture are used for high volume parts. They are usually of a ferrite microstructure. [8] 3.1.2 Interstitial Free Steels IF steels are used for car body panels extensively due largely to their deep drawability. The high elongation achieved in comparison with other steel grades can be seen in figure 3.1.The main characteristic of IF steel is a low carbon and nitrogen content. These elements are removed from solution by adding specific elements for alloys. Commonly used elements for this microalloying process include Manganese, Sulphur, Titanium and Niobium. As well as a deep drawability, IF steel have low yield strength but a poor dent resistance which is undesirable for certain automotive applications [6] Bake Hardening Steels BH steels keep carbon in solution either during processing before it is precipitated or during the paint baking state [8]. This strengthens the steel through solid solution strengthening, resulting in steel with both high formability and high strength. 3.1.4 Carbon-Manganese Steels Carbon-manganese steels are solid solution strengthened and are used in strip form on automobile bodies, although they are becoming replaced by lighter steel grades. They offer high drawability and are relatively cheap to produce. [9] D.T.Llewellyn: Steel: Metallurgy and Applications, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, Great Britain, 1992. 3.1.5 High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Steels HSLA steels are strengthened through the addition of microallying elements. These react with the carbon and nitrogen within the steel to form carbides and nitrides. Common elements include Nb, V and Ti. The resultant steel has both high strength and a high formability due to very fine grain sizes [10] Dual-Phase (DP) Steels Dual-phase steels contain two phases within their microstructure. These are ferrite and martensite. This two phase structure is produced through a complex series of contolled heating and cooling. Martensite regions are produced by heating and rapidly cooling. It is the marteniste regions tha give the hardness to the material where as the ferrite regions are much softer. The structure of DP steels takes advantages of the properties of each of the phases, where the hard maternsite regions are surrounded by softer ferrite which reduces brittleness, shown in figure 3.2. DP steel has good ductility, low yield strength but high work hardening rate [8]. Figure 3.2: Microstructure of DP steel [8]. 3.1.7 Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Steels TRIP steels consist of a mainly ferrite microstructure with a low austenite content within the matrix. An isothermal hold during production at an intermediate temperature is used to produce bainite [8]. Strength is increased by transformationing of austenite regions to harder martensite regions. TRIP steels have a good work hardening rate and good strength. Work hardening in TRIP steels continues at higher strain levels than those of DP steels so TRIP steels is a superior material from this aspect. Figure 3.3 shows the multi phase microstructure of TRIP steel. Figure 3.3: Microstructure of TRIP steel [8]. Martensitic (MS) Steel MS steels are mainly of a martensitic microstructure but contain small amounts of ferrite and bainite. During heat treatment the steel is rapidly cooled transforming austenite into martensite. This gives a very high tensile strength since martensite produces a very hard material, but the drawback is this also gives a low formability. In order to overcome this low formability further processing such as heat treatments must be undertaken. [11] 3.1.9 High Strength Interstitial Free (HS-IF) Steels HSIF steels are strengthened through the addition of microalloying elements. Commonly used alloying elements include P, B, Si, Mn, Ti, N. The combinations in which the microalloying elements are used have an effect on the properties of resultant steel allowing a range of requirements to be met. HSIF steels can produce nearly twice the potential yield strength as conventional IF steels, although there is a reduction in formability. 3.2 Microalloying Elements 3.2.1 Carbon Carbon is one of the most important interstitial elements within steel, giving very different mechanical properties as its percentage content is altered and therefore must be studied in depth. Carbon is an element commonly found in automotive steels due to its high strength properties. Although adding carbon increases strength, it also affects the formability, i.e. its deep drawability. A set of experiments were carried out to determine the effect of carbon content within steel. When analysing the tensile test results it was noted that the ultimate tensile strength, the proof stress and the yield stress all increased as the amount of carbon increased in the steel. The plastic region as well as the general elongation of the steel under tensile stress decreased as the carbon content increased. These are significant changes in the mechanical properties. Hardness and Tensile strength increase as carbon content approaches 0.85% C as shown in figure 3.4. The elongation percentage decreases as the carbon content increases. This suggests that the more carbon present in the material, the stronger and less ductile it becomes. Figure 3.4: Affect of Carbon content in Steel Yield Strength Carbon content influences the yield strength of steel because carbon molecules fit into the interstitial crystal lattice sites of the body-centred cubic arrangement of the iron molecules. The interstitial carbons make it more difficult for any dislocation to occur as it reduces mobility. This has a hardening effect on the metal. Phase diagram Using the phase diagram one can understand why the properties of steels change with differing carbon content. Figure 3.5: Phase Diagram The gamma phase, relates to an Austenite range which has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure. The alpha phase relates to a ferritic Body Centered Cubic crystal structure. Ferrite is found extensively in automotive steels, its BCC structure is much less dense than the FCC of austenite which makes it easily formable and therefore relatively cheap to manufacture. Fe3C refers to cementite and the mixture of alpha (ferrite) + cementite is called pearlite. On the phase diagram steels only apply up to about 1.4% carbon. The eutectoid point is at 723 degrees and is where there are three phases in equilibrium. The eutectoid composition is Fe-0.83%C. The reaction that happens at the eutectoid point is: austenite > ferrite + cementite gamma > alpha + Fe3C High carbon content means a greater precense of austenite, whereas low carbon content will give less austenite and a more ferritic microstructure. The affect of these differing microstructures is reflected in their mechanical properties. This is because Ferrite is soft and ductile and Cementite is hard and brittle. It can be seen by looking at figure 3.5 that as the carbon content is increased, strength increases. This relationship occurs up to the eutectoid point after which it starts to reduce. This where cementite grain-boundaries are created. The figure below shows how the varying content of carbon in steel affects its properties and suitability for different applications. Figure 3.6 Carbon Steel Applications Lever rule The lever rule can be used to calculate expected proportions of the phases present in each of the tested carbon steel specimens. These values can then be compared to the values obtained through testing. Figure 3.7 Lever Rule Calculations: a = Ferrite a + Fe3C = Pearlite 0.1wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.1)   Ã‚   = 0.897   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.1- 0.02)    = 0.103   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.4wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.4)   Ã‚   = 0.513   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.4- 0.02)    = 0.487   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.8wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.8)    = 0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.8- 0.02)   = 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8- 0.02) These results suggest that as the carbon content increases the pearlite to ferrite ratio also increases. So the ratio of Pearlite to ferrite increases as carbon content is increased the material is made harder, stronger and more brittle but less ductile. These results obtained using the lever rule support the results obtained from the tensile test, showing the steel with the highest carbon content to be the least ductile and most brittle. The results are also supported by the findings from the hardness test which shows the steel with the highest carbon content to be the hardest. 3.2.2 Titanium The addition of Titanium to IFHS steels is particularly useful in the manufacturing of strip steels where good drawability is a requirement. The addition of Ti or Nb results in a lower Yield Strength/Tensile Strength ratio giving an increased formability. This can be seen in figure 3.8. When Titanium reacts with Carbon and Nitrogen it forms TiC and TiN, these precipitates work to delay recrystallisation of austenite, thus refining the grains to a favourable smaller size [12]. Figure 3.8: The effect of Titanium and Niobium on Yield Srength/UTS ratio [12] Titanium precipitates exist within steels and these affect the mechanical properties. TiN precipitates help to promote recrystallisation and encourage the {111} texture. TiS precipitates are commonly found in the austenite region as well as Ti4C2S2, Ti4C2S2 is formed by reacting with Carbon and in the highest regions of the austenite range there is little to no Carbon. These conditions are created at very high temperatures similar to those during hot rolling processes. This leaves the steel highly formable and suitable for deep drawability application such as car body panels. It is very difficult however to form Ti4C2S2 as it is less stable than TiS, although it can be encouraged through specific heat treatment processes. [13] 3.2.3 Vanadium Titanium is commonly added with Niobium to steels to increase formability through precipitation. However these additions can result in a retardation of recrystallisation meaning a higher temperature or longer soaking time is required for recyrstallisation to occur. Vanadium offers a replacement to Niobium in the form of carbides and nitrides, VC and VN, which does not cause such a drastic retardation of recyrstallisation. This is attractive to manufacturers as lower temperatures and shorter processing time during annealing are more cost effective. The effectiveness of Vandium in essentially lowering the recrystallisation temperature is shown in Figure 3.9. Figure 3.9: The effect of Ti + Nb, Ti + V and V stabilised steels on the Temperature for Complete Recrystallisation in 30 Seconds [44]. Figure 3.9 shows that the V only stabilised steel recrystallises at a lower temperature than the TiV and TiNb steels. 3.2.4 Sulphur Sulphur is found in all steels including Interstitial Free High Strength Steels. It acts as an interstitial elements and other elements to form precipitates such as TiS, MnS and Ti4C2S2. These precipitates have different effects on the mechanical properties of the material. In particular the precipitation of carbosulphides is beneficial to the steel as this causes the steel to form in the austenite range and helps to reduce the TiC formation which could occur during heat treatment processing and cause the material to become less likely to form the {111} texture.[13] Promoting Ti4C2S2 therefore encourages the formation of the favourable {111} texture, increasing the formability of the material. In order for Ti4C2S2 to develop, Sulphur, Carbon and Titanium must all be present, and processed in such a way as to form a reaction, which can difficult. 3.2.5 Niobium Niobium if found extensively in IFHS Steels reacting with carbon to form carbides such as NbC. Solute Niobium can be used to segregate austenite and ferrite grain boundaries and increase the strength of the austenite region [14]. As Niobium content increases the r-value decreases as well as the ductility. Generally Nb content is minimised as much as possible as the positive effect it has on strength in the austenite region is relatively small and is outweighed by the negative effect it has on ductility. Boron can be used instead of Niobium as it has a much greater effect on strength than Niobium. This can be seen in figure 3.9 Figure 3.9: Average Flow Stress vs. Temperature for B, C, and Nb and Mo solutes in steel [15]. 3.2.6 Phosphorus Phosphorus, P, is a common alloy of IFHS steel, offering increases in strength through solid solution hardening. Adding Phosphorus can also have a direct effect on the grains within a structure by increasing the Hall-Petch slope (described below). Adding P however can have a negative effect on the brittleness of the material. This can be particularly problematic during the cold working process where brittle fracture is a distinct possibility. The Hall-Petch relationship says that as the grain size decreases the yield strength of a material increases. This is due to the dislocations piling up at grain boundaries, which act as barriers to dislocation movement at low temperatures. If the grain size is large, then a high number of dislocations will pile up at the edge of the slip plane. When the stress exceeds a critical value the dislocations cross the boundary. So the larger the grain size, the lower the applied stress required to reach this critical stress at the grain boundary, meaning the larger the grain size, the lower the yield stress due to easier dislocation movement. This is true down to a grain size of 100nm. Below this size the yield strength remains constant or starts to decrease. This is effect is called the reverse Hall-Petch effect. Phosphorus along with Silicon and Manganese are added via solid solution strengthening to strengthen steel allowing for a thinner sheet of metal to be used for car body panels, and thus reducing the weight. Phosphorus is the most effective out of the three elements in terms of cost and strengthening effect. This can be seen below in figure 3.11 where the effects of P and S additions are compared. Figure 3.11: Comparison of Stress vs. Temperature between Phosphorus and Silicon microalloyed Steels [16]. Phosphorus is also found in the form of FeTiP precipitates. These precipitates have a negative affect on strength and drawability. The effects of these precipitates are greater in batch annealed steels than in continuous steels. This is due to the long soaking times required in batch annealing which provides optimum conditions and sufficient time for these precipitates to form [17]. 3.2.7 Manganese Manganese is added through solid solution strengthening to IFHS steels in a low concentration in order to react with the Sulphur to produce MnS precipitates. These MnS precipitates act to refine grain structure during processing when there is a transformation in phase between austenite and ferrite. Mn is to strengthen steels through solid solution strengthening. The effect of Mn is relatively small in the austenite range but compared to the ferrite range. This is due to a difference in Mn solubility between the austenite and ferrite ranges. Where Mn in ferrite is 10wt% higher than in austenite [18] Mn acts to stabilize the austenite region and slows down the rate of austenite transformation and also the temperature at which the transformation takes place. This lowering of transformation temperature between austenite and ferrite promotes finer grains through grain refinement. Mn can be found in oxide and sulphide forms as well as combinations of the two, oxysulphides. These oxides and sulphides act to deoxidise and desulphurise the steel. When in sulphide form, MnS helps to reduce embrittlement of steel without reducing hardness. When mixed with common impurities such as Al2O3, SiO2, MnO, CaO, CaS and FeS an increase in hardness and strength occurs [19]. When in the oxide form, MnO at the surface acts a barrier layer to prevent surface oxidisation and corrosion. 3.2.8 Silicon Silicon is a useful element and is used to increase the strength through solid solution strengthening, although there is a compromise as increasing Silicon content decreases ductility. Silicon is also found in oxide form, as silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide is found with Manganese Oxide or as Silicomanganese to give a strong oxygen stabilisation and prevent corrosion of steel. [20]. 3.2.9 Aluminium Aluminium is used to deoxidise steel by reacting with oxygen within the steel to form Al2O3. These Aluminium Oxides are later removed leaving an oxygen free steel. However the low density of Aluminium means that oxidisation could occur at the steel interface resulting in corrosion. Aluminium content can have a negative effect on formability. This is due to the precipitation of AlN during recrystallisation preventing the {111} development and thus preventing the formation of finer grains. So minimising the amount of AlN in solid solution results in higher formability. A more stable alternative to AlN which is commonly used in IFHS steels is TiN. 3.3 Hardening and processing There are many different compositions of steel which offer various advantageous properties. The main reason for altering composition or alloying is to strengthen the material. This can be done in several ways; 3.3.1 Precipitation strengthening This process uses heat treatment to raise the yield strength of a material. As temperature changes during heat treatment processing, fine particles are produced due to differing melting points of impurities. These fine particles impede dislocation movement. This in turn reduces the ductility and plasticity of the material and increases its hardness. 3.2.2 Solid – solution strengthening Solid solution strengthening is a form of alloying. It is a commonly used technique to improve the strength of a material. Atoms of the alloying element are added to the crystal lattice of the base metal via diffusion. There are two ways in which this can occur, depending on the size of the alloying alloying element. These are via substitutional solid solution, and interstitial solid solution. Substitutional solid solution This takes place when the sizes of the alloying atoms are equal in size to the base atoms, (Differing in size by no more than 15% according to the Hume-Rothery rules) The alloying atoms replace the solvent atoms and assume their lattice positions. The solute atoms can produce a slight distortion of the crystal lattice, due to the size variation. The amount of distortion increases with the size of the solute atom. This distortion has an effect on microstructural properties. The formation of slip planes is altered making dislocation movement more difficult, meaning a higher stress is required to move the dislocations. This gives the material a higher strength. A generalisation associated with substitution is that large substitutional atoms put the structure under compressive stress, and small substitutional atoms give tensile stress. Interstitial solid solution This occurs when the alloying atoms are much smaller than the base atoms. The alloying atoms fit into spaces within the crystal lattice. This is the case with carbon in steel, where carbon is a solute in the iron solvent lattice. The carbon atoms are less than half the size of the iron atoms so an interstitial solid solution forms. 3.3.3 Processing The final properties of steel are greatly affected by the manner in which it is first made and then processed. Typical processes include steel making, casting, hot and cold rolling and annealing. Each individual process has a distinct affect on the properties of the steel. To make the steel free from interstitial elements, Ti and Nb are often added to react with interstitials after a process called vacuum degassing. Vacuum degassing is the name given to the process where a metal is melted within a vacuum and the gasses are evaporated out. Hot and cold rolling Hot rolling is the first process to take place after steel making. After steel has been cast into uniform slabs or billets it is the rolled under a high temperature to reduce its cross sectional thickness. The hot rolling process is undertaken at a temperature above that at which recrystallisation occurs. Hot rolling reduces allows recrysallisation to occur during processing (dynamic recrystallisation) and the material is left stress free due the new grain nucleation and equiaxed grains. Effect of hot working on microstructure: Hot working occurs at high temperatures, this means that there is often enough thermal energy present for recrsytallisation to occur during deformation. This is called dynamic recrystallisation and it occurs with most metals, apart from aluminium. Recrystallisation occurs during the working process and also as the metal is cooling. Dynamic recrystallisation occurs by new grains nucleating at existing grain boundaries. The amount of recyrstallisation depends on several factors. It depends on the strain rate, temperature and amount of strain on the metal. Generally, as strain within the metal increases, so does the amount of recrystallisation. Cold working is when steel is plastically deformed below its recrystallisation temperature. This process increases the yield strength due to the plastic deformation causing slight defects within the microstructure of the metal. These defects make it difficult for slip planes to move. The grain size of the metal is also reduced, making the material harder through a process called Hall petch hardening. Hall Petch hardening, also known as grain boundary strengthening, increases materials strength by altering the grain size. This is because grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation movement. So altering the grain size, through hot and cold rolling at various temperatures and rates will have an effect on dislocation movement and yield strength. Cold working will increase the strength of the metal by making it increasingly difficult for slip to occur. However as more and more of the larger grains split to form smaller grains the ductility is greatly reduced as the material hardens. Eventually fracture would occur. To avoid this, the material is annealed. Cold working occurs at a temperature below 0.4 of the metals melting point. Some of the energy created by the process is expelled as heat but some energy is stored within the structure putting it into a high energy state. The energy is stored within the grain boundaries of the deformed crystals and within the stress fields of the dislocations created through the plastic deformation. The structure is highly stressed after cold working and would prefer to return to its former low energy state. It is howeve Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical property relationships in high strength low alloy steels for automotive applications Chapter 1 Introduction The production of steel is an ancient process which has evolved over time. Where and when Steel was first created is unknown and a topic of much debate, however most historians believe earliest production of steel originates from China from as early as 202BC. A later form of steel named Wootz Steel was later developed in India, which used wind power to fuel a furnace producing nearly pure steel. In the 11th century China developed steel further was the first country to mass produce steel. Two methods were developed. A berganesque method which produced inhomogeneous steel, and a process which that relied on partial decarbonisation through repeated forging under a cold blast, this was seen as the superior method, and one which lead on to the Bessemer process [1].The Bessemer process involved using a blast furnace to extract iron from its ore and is the basis of modern steel extraction. Steel is produced firstly by extracting iron from its ore. Iron extraction differs slightly from other metals as it can only be found naturally in oxide form. This means that a smelting process is required. This involves a reduction reaction followed by alloying with additional elements like carbon to stabilise and strengthen the steel. Iron smelting requires a high temperature which produces a ferrous material made of a combination of iron and steel. The addition of alloying elements such as carbon affect the materials properties greatly. Changing the temperature at which the iron is smelted affects the phase of the resultant steel, giving rise to the possibility of producing steels with varying properties which are suitable for a range of applications. In the automotive industry, body frames were originally made of hardwood. This was replaced in 1923 when the American Rolling Company developed steel sheet production. The wooden frames were inferior in energy absorption which was a big safety issue. Steel was also much easier to form than wood and did not warp over time. As the automobile has evolved over time, there has been an increasing public awareness of the environmental impact of the car. This has forced manufacturers to produce lighter cars which are more economical. This brought about the development of thin, highly formable sheet steel. The main competitor to steel in the automotive industry is Aluminium, which offers a much better strength to weight ratio and also a better resistance to corrosion. However steel is still the most commonly used material mainly due to lower production cost. Increasing competition from aluminium is forcing the development of modern steels. Steel naturally has a higher formability and elongation than aluminium which is one of the reasons it is used so extensively in the automotive sector. This can be seen in Figure 1.1: Figure 1.1- Yield strength vs total elongation of aluminium alloys and automotive steels [3] Ultra low carbon (ULC) steels are used commonly in the production of automobiles. Their, highy formability and suitability for hot dip galvanising make them very attractive to automobile producers[4]. Pressure is being put on the manufacturers to produce lightweight cars that minimise emissions without compromising safety. Metallic properties required to achieve this consist of a high tensile strength, high r- value, good ductility and also the ability to be made resistant to corrosion (either naturally or through the use of chemical surface treatment). Various high performance steels have been developed to meet these requirements, of these, one of the most important being HSLA steels. High strength low alloy steels provide a much better strength to weight ratio than conventional low carbon steels allowing for thinner grades to be used, saving weight. HSLA steels have a manganese content of up to 1.5%, as well as microalloying elements such as vanadium and titanium. HSLA steels are increasingly replacing traditional low carbon steels for many automotive parts. This is due to their ability to reduce weight without compromising strength and dent resistance. Typical applications include door-intrusion beams, chassis members, reinforcing and mounting brackets, steering and suspension parts, bumpers, and wheels [5]. High strength low alloy steel properties are determined by the way in which they are processed. High deep drawability, can be achieved through precipitation of elements by annealing to produce a strong {111} recrystallisation texture [7], producing highly formable steels which are very desirable for automotive applications. In this study, two grades of IFHS strips are studied. A titanium only stabilised steel grade and a titanium-vanadium stabilised steel grade. These have been treated using a Viking tube furnace and studied using a scanning electron microscope, Photoshop and Optilab Software. Both steel grades have been studied using carefully selected thermo mechanical heat treatment cycles. The heating variables are expected to cause varying effects to the mechanical properties and microstructure of the two materials. The addition of vanadium in one of the steel grades is also expected to influence the mechanical properties. With the data obtained from my experiments I hope to determine the optimum processing route for similar HSLA steels. Chapter 2 Aims Carry out selective batch annealing heat treatments on two microalloyed High Strength IF strip steels. Measure grain size evolution samples using scanning electron microscopy and quantitave optical microscopy techniques. Measure mechanical properties of obtained samples using hardness and tensile testing techniques Determine the optimum processing characteristics, resulting in optimum mechanical property characteristics. Chapter 3 Literature Review 3.1 AUTOMOTIVE STEELS Automotive manufacturers make use of many different metals in the production of cars, of which the most predominant being steel. This is for several reasons, steel is relatively easy to recycle in comparison with polymers and aluminium, and this is an issue which is growing in importance as the public are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Steel is also a very good material in terms of its practicality, as it is easily welded, has good formability, elongation and ductility. As the environmental impact of cars is becoming more and more important, stringent regulations regarding emissions are being forced upon manufacturers. One of the ways that manufacturers have chosen to meet these requirements is to make the cars lighter by switching from mild steel to high strength steel grades which enables components to have a thinner cross section, saving weight. The three main types of steels used in automobiles today are; Low strength (IF and mild steels), High strength (Carbon manganese, bake hardening, IFHS and HSLA) Advanced high strength steels (dual-phase, complex phase, transformation induced plasticity and matensitic steels) These steel types can be seen below on figure 3.1 comparing their elongation and strength. Figure 3.1: Classification of automotive steels [8]. 3.1.1 Mild Steels Mild steels are normally found in two different forms for automotive purposes. Drawn Quality and Aluminium killed. These are both cheap to manufacture are used for high volume parts. They are usually of a ferrite microstructure. [8] 3.1.2 Interstitial Free Steels IF steels are used for car body panels extensively due largely to their deep drawability. The high elongation achieved in comparison with other steel grades can be seen in figure 3.1.The main characteristic of IF steel is a low carbon and nitrogen content. These elements are removed from solution by adding specific elements for alloys. Commonly used elements for this microalloying process include Manganese, Sulphur, Titanium and Niobium. As well as a deep drawability, IF steel have low yield strength but a poor dent resistance which is undesirable for certain automotive applications [6] Bake Hardening Steels BH steels keep carbon in solution either during processing before it is precipitated or during the paint baking state [8]. This strengthens the steel through solid solution strengthening, resulting in steel with both high formability and high strength. 3.1.4 Carbon-Manganese Steels Carbon-manganese steels are solid solution strengthened and are used in strip form on automobile bodies, although they are becoming replaced by lighter steel grades. They offer high drawability and are relatively cheap to produce. [9] D.T.Llewellyn: Steel: Metallurgy and Applications, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, Great Britain, 1992. 3.1.5 High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Steels HSLA steels are strengthened through the addition of microallying elements. These react with the carbon and nitrogen within the steel to form carbides and nitrides. Common elements include Nb, V and Ti. The resultant steel has both high strength and a high formability due to very fine grain sizes [10] Dual-Phase (DP) Steels Dual-phase steels contain two phases within their microstructure. These are ferrite and martensite. This two phase structure is produced through a complex series of contolled heating and cooling. Martensite regions are produced by heating and rapidly cooling. It is the marteniste regions tha give the hardness to the material where as the ferrite regions are much softer. The structure of DP steels takes advantages of the properties of each of the phases, where the hard maternsite regions are surrounded by softer ferrite which reduces brittleness, shown in figure 3.2. DP steel has good ductility, low yield strength but high work hardening rate [8]. Figure 3.2: Microstructure of DP steel [8]. 3.1.7 Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Steels TRIP steels consist of a mainly ferrite microstructure with a low austenite content within the matrix. An isothermal hold during production at an intermediate temperature is used to produce bainite [8]. Strength is increased by transformationing of austenite regions to harder martensite regions. TRIP steels have a good work hardening rate and good strength. Work hardening in TRIP steels continues at higher strain levels than those of DP steels so TRIP steels is a superior material from this aspect. Figure 3.3 shows the multi phase microstructure of TRIP steel. Figure 3.3: Microstructure of TRIP steel [8]. Martensitic (MS) Steel MS steels are mainly of a martensitic microstructure but contain small amounts of ferrite and bainite. During heat treatment the steel is rapidly cooled transforming austenite into martensite. This gives a very high tensile strength since martensite produces a very hard material, but the drawback is this also gives a low formability. In order to overcome this low formability further processing such as heat treatments must be undertaken. [11] 3.1.9 High Strength Interstitial Free (HS-IF) Steels HSIF steels are strengthened through the addition of microalloying elements. Commonly used alloying elements include P, B, Si, Mn, Ti, N. The combinations in which the microalloying elements are used have an effect on the properties of resultant steel allowing a range of requirements to be met. HSIF steels can produce nearly twice the potential yield strength as conventional IF steels, although there is a reduction in formability. 3.2 Microalloying Elements 3.2.1 Carbon Carbon is one of the most important interstitial elements within steel, giving very different mechanical properties as its percentage content is altered and therefore must be studied in depth. Carbon is an element commonly found in automotive steels due to its high strength properties. Although adding carbon increases strength, it also affects the formability, i.e. its deep drawability. A set of experiments were carried out to determine the effect of carbon content within steel. When analysing the tensile test results it was noted that the ultimate tensile strength, the proof stress and the yield stress all increased as the amount of carbon increased in the steel. The plastic region as well as the general elongation of the steel under tensile stress decreased as the carbon content increased. These are significant changes in the mechanical properties. Hardness and Tensile strength increase as carbon content approaches 0.85% C as shown in figure 3.4. The elongation percentage decreases as the carbon content increases. This suggests that the more carbon present in the material, the stronger and less ductile it becomes. Figure 3.4: Affect of Carbon content in Steel Yield Strength Carbon content influences the yield strength of steel because carbon molecules fit into the interstitial crystal lattice sites of the body-centred cubic arrangement of the iron molecules. The interstitial carbons make it more difficult for any dislocation to occur as it reduces mobility. This has a hardening effect on the metal. Phase diagram Using the phase diagram one can understand why the properties of steels change with differing carbon content. Figure 3.5: Phase Diagram The gamma phase, relates to an Austenite range which has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure. The alpha phase relates to a ferritic Body Centered Cubic crystal structure. Ferrite is found extensively in automotive steels, its BCC structure is much less dense than the FCC of austenite which makes it easily formable and therefore relatively cheap to manufacture. Fe3C refers to cementite and the mixture of alpha (ferrite) + cementite is called pearlite. On the phase diagram steels only apply up to about 1.4% carbon. The eutectoid point is at 723 degrees and is where there are three phases in equilibrium. The eutectoid composition is Fe-0.83%C. The reaction that happens at the eutectoid point is: austenite > ferrite + cementite gamma > alpha + Fe3C High carbon content means a greater precense of austenite, whereas low carbon content will give less austenite and a more ferritic microstructure. The affect of these differing microstructures is reflected in their mechanical properties. This is because Ferrite is soft and ductile and Cementite is hard and brittle. It can be seen by looking at figure 3.5 that as the carbon content is increased, strength increases. This relationship occurs up to the eutectoid point after which it starts to reduce. This where cementite grain-boundaries are created. The figure below shows how the varying content of carbon in steel affects its properties and suitability for different applications. Figure 3.6 Carbon Steel Applications Lever rule The lever rule can be used to calculate expected proportions of the phases present in each of the tested carbon steel specimens. These values can then be compared to the values obtained through testing. Figure 3.7 Lever Rule Calculations: a = Ferrite a + Fe3C = Pearlite 0.1wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.1)   Ã‚   = 0.897   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.1- 0.02)    = 0.103   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.4wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.4)   Ã‚   = 0.513   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.4- 0.02)    = 0.487   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.8wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.8)    = 0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.8- 0.02)   = 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8- 0.02) These results suggest that as the carbon content increases the pearlite to ferrite ratio also increases. So the ratio of Pearlite to ferrite increases as carbon content is increased the material is made harder, stronger and more brittle but less ductile. These results obtained using the lever rule support the results obtained from the tensile test, showing the steel with the highest carbon content to be the least ductile and most brittle. The results are also supported by the findings from the hardness test which shows the steel with the highest carbon content to be the hardest. 3.2.2 Titanium The addition of Titanium to IFHS steels is particularly useful in the manufacturing of strip steels where good drawability is a requirement. The addition of Ti or Nb results in a lower Yield Strength/Tensile Strength ratio giving an increased formability. This can be seen in figure 3.8. When Titanium reacts with Carbon and Nitrogen it forms TiC and TiN, these precipitates work to delay recrystallisation of austenite, thus refining the grains to a favourable smaller size [12]. Figure 3.8: The effect of Titanium and Niobium on Yield Srength/UTS ratio [12] Titanium precipitates exist within steels and these affect the mechanical properties. TiN precipitates help to promote recrystallisation and encourage the {111} texture. TiS precipitates are commonly found in the austenite region as well as Ti4C2S2, Ti4C2S2 is formed by reacting with Carbon and in the highest regions of the austenite range there is little to no Carbon. These conditions are created at very high temperatures similar to those during hot rolling processes. This leaves the steel highly formable and suitable for deep drawability application such as car body panels. It is very difficult however to form Ti4C2S2 as it is less stable than TiS, although it can be encouraged through specific heat treatment processes. [13] 3.2.3 Vanadium Titanium is commonly added with Niobium to steels to increase formability through precipitation. However these additions can result in a retardation of recrystallisation meaning a higher temperature or longer soaking time is required for recyrstallisation to occur. Vanadium offers a replacement to Niobium in the form of carbides and nitrides, VC and VN, which does not cause such a drastic retardation of recyrstallisation. This is attractive to manufacturers as lower temperatures and shorter processing time during annealing are more cost effective. The effectiveness of Vandium in essentially lowering the recrystallisation temperature is shown in Figure 3.9. Figure 3.9: The effect of Ti + Nb, Ti + V and V stabilised steels on the Temperature for Complete Recrystallisation in 30 Seconds [44]. Figure 3.9 shows that the V only stabilised steel recrystallises at a lower temperature than the TiV and TiNb steels. 3.2.4 Sulphur Sulphur is found in all steels including Interstitial Free High Strength Steels. It acts as an interstitial elements and other elements to form precipitates such as TiS, MnS and Ti4C2S2. These precipitates have different effects on the mechanical properties of the material. In particular the precipitation of carbosulphides is beneficial to the steel as this causes the steel to form in the austenite range and helps to reduce the TiC formation which could occur during heat treatment processing and cause the material to become less likely to form the {111} texture.[13] Promoting Ti4C2S2 therefore encourages the formation of the favourable {111} texture, increasing the formability of the material. In order for Ti4C2S2 to develop, Sulphur, Carbon and Titanium must all be present, and processed in such a way as to form a reaction, which can difficult. 3.2.5 Niobium Niobium if found extensively in IFHS Steels reacting with carbon to form carbides such as NbC. Solute Niobium can be used to segregate austenite and ferrite grain boundaries and increase the strength of the austenite region [14]. As Niobium content increases the r-value decreases as well as the ductility. Generally Nb content is minimised as much as possible as the positive effect it has on strength in the austenite region is relatively small and is outweighed by the negative effect it has on ductility. Boron can be used instead of Niobium as it has a much greater effect on strength than Niobium. This can be seen in figure 3.9 Figure 3.9: Average Flow Stress vs. Temperature for B, C, and Nb and Mo solutes in steel [15]. 3.2.6 Phosphorus Phosphorus, P, is a common alloy of IFHS steel, offering increases in strength through solid solution hardening. Adding Phosphorus can also have a direct effect on the grains within a structure by increasing the Hall-Petch slope (described below). Adding P however can have a negative effect on the brittleness of the material. This can be particularly problematic during the cold working process where brittle fracture is a distinct possibility. The Hall-Petch relationship says that as the grain size decreases the yield strength of a material increases. This is due to the dislocations piling up at grain boundaries, which act as barriers to dislocation movement at low temperatures. If the grain size is large, then a high number of dislocations will pile up at the edge of the slip plane. When the stress exceeds a critical value the dislocations cross the boundary. So the larger the grain size, the lower the applied stress required to reach this critical stress at the grain boundary, meaning the larger the grain size, the lower the yield stress due to easier dislocation movement. This is true down to a grain size of 100nm. Below this size the yield strength remains constant or starts to decrease. This is effect is called the reverse Hall-Petch effect. Phosphorus along with Silicon and Manganese are added via solid solution strengthening to strengthen steel allowing for a thinner sheet of metal to be used for car body panels, and thus reducing the weight. Phosphorus is the most effective out of the three elements in terms of cost and strengthening effect. This can be seen below in figure 3.11 where the effects of P and S additions are compared. Figure 3.11: Comparison of Stress vs. Temperature between Phosphorus and Silicon microalloyed Steels [16]. Phosphorus is also found in the form of FeTiP precipitates. These precipitates have a negative affect on strength and drawability. The effects of these precipitates are greater in batch annealed steels than in continuous steels. This is due to the long soaking times required in batch annealing which provides optimum conditions and sufficient time for these precipitates to form [17]. 3.2.7 Manganese Manganese is added through solid solution strengthening to IFHS steels in a low concentration in order to react with the Sulphur to produce MnS precipitates. These MnS precipitates act to refine grain structure during processing when there is a transformation in phase between austenite and ferrite. Mn is to strengthen steels through solid solution strengthening. The effect of Mn is relatively small in the austenite range but compared to the ferrite range. This is due to a difference in Mn solubility between the austenite and ferrite ranges. Where Mn in ferrite is 10wt% higher than in austenite [18] Mn acts to stabilize the austenite region and slows down the rate of austenite transformation and also the temperature at which the transformation takes place. This lowering of transformation temperature between austenite and ferrite promotes finer grains through grain refinement. Mn can be found in oxide and sulphide forms as well as combinations of the two, oxysulphides. These oxides and sulphides act to deoxidise and desulphurise the steel. When in sulphide form, MnS helps to reduce embrittlement of steel without reducing hardness. When mixed with common impurities such as Al2O3, SiO2, MnO, CaO, CaS and FeS an increase in hardness and strength occurs [19]. When in the oxide form, MnO at the surface acts a barrier layer to prevent surface oxidisation and corrosion. 3.2.8 Silicon Silicon is a useful element and is used to increase the strength through solid solution strengthening, although there is a compromise as increasing Silicon content decreases ductility. Silicon is also found in oxide form, as silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide is found with Manganese Oxide or as Silicomanganese to give a strong oxygen stabilisation and prevent corrosion of steel. [20]. 3.2.9 Aluminium Aluminium is used to deoxidise steel by reacting with oxygen within the steel to form Al2O3. These Aluminium Oxides are later removed leaving an oxygen free steel. However the low density of Aluminium means that oxidisation could occur at the steel interface resulting in corrosion. Aluminium content can have a negative effect on formability. This is due to the precipitation of AlN during recrystallisation preventing the {111} development and thus preventing the formation of finer grains. So minimising the amount of AlN in solid solution results in higher formability. A more stable alternative to AlN which is commonly used in IFHS steels is TiN. 3.3 Hardening and processing There are many different compositions of steel which offer various advantageous properties. The main reason for altering composition or alloying is to strengthen the material. This can be done in several ways; 3.3.1 Precipitation strengthening This process uses heat treatment to raise the yield strength of a material. As temperature changes during heat treatment processing, fine particles are produced due to differing melting points of impurities. These fine particles impede dislocation movement. This in turn reduces the ductility and plasticity of the material and increases its hardness. 3.2.2 Solid – solution strengthening Solid solution strengthening is a form of alloying. It is a commonly used technique to improve the strength of a material. Atoms of the alloying element are added to the crystal lattice of the base metal via diffusion. There are two ways in which this can occur, depending on the size of the alloying alloying element. These are via substitutional solid solution, and interstitial solid solution. Substitutional solid solution This takes place when the sizes of the alloying atoms are equal in size to the base atoms, (Differing in size by no more than 15% according to the Hume-Rothery rules) The alloying atoms replace the solvent atoms and assume their lattice positions. The solute atoms can produce a slight distortion of the crystal lattice, due to the size variation. The amount of distortion increases with the size of the solute atom. This distortion has an effect on microstructural properties. The formation of slip planes is altered making dislocation movement more difficult, meaning a higher stress is required to move the dislocations. This gives the material a higher strength. A generalisation associated with substitution is that large substitutional atoms put the structure under compressive stress, and small substitutional atoms give tensile stress. Interstitial solid solution This occurs when the alloying atoms are much smaller than the base atoms. The alloying atoms fit into spaces within the crystal lattice. This is the case with carbon in steel, where carbon is a solute in the iron solvent lattice. The carbon atoms are less than half the size of the iron atoms so an interstitial solid solution forms. 3.3.3 Processing The final properties of steel are greatly affected by the manner in which it is first made and then processed. Typical processes include steel making, casting, hot and cold rolling and annealing. Each individual process has a distinct affect on the properties of the steel. To make the steel free from interstitial elements, Ti and Nb are often added to react with interstitials after a process called vacuum degassing. Vacuum degassing is the name given to the process where a metal is melted within a vacuum and the gasses are evaporated out. Hot and cold rolling Hot rolling is the first process to take place after steel making. After steel has been cast into uniform slabs or billets it is the rolled under a high temperature to reduce its cross sectional thickness. The hot rolling process is undertaken at a temperature above that at which recrystallisation occurs. Hot rolling reduces allows recrysallisation to occur during processing (dynamic recrystallisation) and the material is left stress free due the new grain nucleation and equiaxed grains. Effect of hot working on microstructure: Hot working occurs at high temperatures, this means that there is often enough thermal energy present for recrsytallisation to occur during deformation. This is called dynamic recrystallisation and it occurs with most metals, apart from aluminium. Recrystallisation occurs during the working process and also as the metal is cooling. Dynamic recrystallisation occurs by new grains nucleating at existing grain boundaries. The amount of recyrstallisation depends on several factors. It depends on the strain rate, temperature and amount of strain on the metal. Generally, as strain within the metal increases, so does the amount of recrystallisation. Cold working is when steel is plastically deformed below its recrystallisation temperature. This process increases the yield strength due to the plastic deformation causing slight defects within the microstructure of the metal. These defects make it difficult for slip planes to move. The grain size of the metal is also reduced, making the material harder through a process called Hall petch hardening. Hall Petch hardening, also known as grain boundary strengthening, increases materials strength by altering the grain size. This is because grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation movement. So altering the grain size, through hot and cold rolling at various temperatures and rates will have an effect on dislocation movement and yield strength. Cold working will increase the strength of the metal by making it increasingly difficult for slip to occur. However as more and more of the larger grains split to form smaller grains the ductility is greatly reduced as the material hardens. Eventually fracture would occur. To avoid this, the material is annealed. Cold working occurs at a temperature below 0.4 of the metals melting point. Some of the energy created by the process is expelled as heat but some energy is stored within the structure putting it into a high energy state. The energy is stored within the grain boundaries of the deformed crystals and within the stress fields of the dislocations created through the plastic deformation. The structure is highly stressed after cold working and would prefer to return to its former low energy state. It is howeve

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Dropping of the Droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

In 1945, following the ending of World War II in Europe, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby ending World War II with Japan as well. This event has been controversial to the present day. With this controversy in mind, this research will analyze several aspects of this pivotal event in world history. Why Did the United States Decide to Drop the Bombs?Essentially, the US decided to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki not because of a lust for blood or an ego trip on the part of president Harry S. Truman, but simply because Japan held a mindset of victory or death. For Japan, that meant that if it was not possible to defeat the US in the war, the Japanese would kill as many American soldiers as possible. This was achieved through the massive deployment of the kamikaze, suicide warriors who would fly their aircraft into American warships, strap explosives to their bodies and tackle American soldiers, or employ any number o f other suicide techniques in order to kill US troops (Newman, 1995).Therefore, Truman chose to use the atomic bomb in an ironic way to save many more lives in the long term by using one powerful weapon to blast the Japanese into submission. Results of the Event on the United States and the World For the US, the dropping of the atomic bomb sent a powerful message to the rest of the world that this nation would not be intimidated or tolerate any aggression against it. The dropping of the atomic bomb meant years of painful physical and mental effects for the Japanese people.For the world, this pivotal event signaled the beginning of a nuclear arms race, which erupts in some ways to this day. Conclusion What is seen in the tale of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in conclusion are lessons about the price of war, the quest for healing, and the realization that nuclear war is an option that must be carefully considered, lest it become too common a solution for the problems of the world. Works Cit ed Newman, R. P. (1995). Truman and the Hiroshima Cult. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Now That’s What I Call Music, Piracy! Essay

I bought my first CD when I was about 10 years old. My mom had drove me to Target and allowed me to purchase one CD of my choosing; I chose Now 11. I spent what felt like hours scouring the aisles of the store looking for the 11th edition of Now That’s What I Call Music and finally found it on the shelf. I remember being filled with excitement and anticipation as we drove home; I was so anxious to put it into my CD player. I remember the only reason I wanted it was because there was a few rap songs my brother listened to on it. Since my mother didn’t allow me to listen to his music, I knew this was a great way to slide it past her. I will never forget that CD; I listened to it for days on end. As I played the CD, I poured over the insert book, reading the lyrics and singing along. Today if I wanted to own that same Now 11 CD the experience would be entirely different. A few simple searches on the Internet would lead me to various file-sharing websites where I could easi ly download the album for free. Instant gratification. I wouldn’t have to look through aisles, no waiting in line, and no money necessary. This change in technology has done more harm than good to the music industry and the economy. Downloading music, whether legally or illegally, has completely changed the record industry. Consumers seem perfectly content to click their computer mouse a few times and download whatever songs they want at their leisure. It all makes perfect sense; the technology world is changing and we are taking what we are given. Almost everyone has an iPod or some other portable music device and the days of sitting around a stereo and listening to an album from start to finish seem lost forever. Digital downloads are far more convenient than buying physical albums. They don’t take up shelf space in your home and as long as you back up all your files, you don’t need to worry about losing your favorite album. However, common music pirates tend to lack the knowledge of who or how they are affecting. The transition from physical copies of music to digital downloads has made music a commodity in the United States. It seems that music has been completely devalued by this evolution in technology. The excitement of going out to a record store and having to look for a specific album is gone. Virtually everything is available online and whether music fans realize it or not, society has come to take this art form for granted. According to the Record Industry Association of America, â€Å"global music piracy causes $12.5 billion in economic losses every year† (Who). There is no doubt it takes an affect on our $16 trillion plus national debt. This economic loss also affects the employees of record labels with 70,000 lost jobs (Who). With the US unemployment rate currently at 7.9%, it definitely takes a toll on that as well (Databases). Consequently these economic downfalls music piracy is cre ating detracts from revenue that could be spent on finding and promoting new artists and allowing signed artists to record more albums. Losing money to piracy also has a profound effect on working musicians themselves. Artists are now forced to make up a large part of their earnings through licensing their songs to television commercials and shows, touring relentlessly, and selling merchandise. Even with these alternatives to offset the fall in record sales, artists can still struggle to make ends meet. Renting a tour bus and paying for a driver and gas can cost a small music artist almost a $1,000 (Arnold). In 2007, the Boston based band, The Dresden Dolls, told National Public Radio (NPR) Music in an interview that their record contract had them receiving about $1 in royalties for every CD sold, but â€Å"before a band gets to see any of that, it has to sell enough CDs to cover all of the label’s production expenses, which can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars† (Arnold). Most artists try to dig themselves out of this hole through relentless touring, but even selling tickets comes with a price. Venue and concert promoters take a share out of an artists ticket sales, they even have sound technicians and others workers to pay for too. One could look back on Noah Webster, who is primarily known for his early and influential dictionary; he campaigned in the 1780’s for copyright laws to protect American author’s content (Paulson). He would not have been amused with today’s copyright issues. The printers of the 1780’s were not large corporations. They were small shops making their living largely by stealing the content of books published in Europe (Paulson). What’s so different about music piracy and the music industry today? Webster wanted to make sure his work would not be published without compensation, just like the music industry is trying to do today. The debate over illegal downloading often focuses on technology. Those who defend the unauthorized sharing of music say that critics are living in the past and had better get used to the new reality. But that new reality is taking a toll. â€Å"Over the past decade, America has lost a staggering number of professional songwriters and composers, primarily due to the impact of illegal music downloading,† says Bart Herbison, executive director of the National Songwriters Association. â€Å"Those that remain in the profession are struggling to earn even a minimal income† (Paulson). Most illegally downloaded songs come from major stars and labels, but the food chain surrounding major artists includes struggling songwriters, producers, and musicians trying to get by in a damaged industry. Unauthorized downloading is a global issue, and no one nation will provide a solution, but America’s origins suggest we should care more than most music pirates. It’s not about business models or emerging technology. It’s about living up to what Webster and the first generation of Americans believed. Art should be free, but not necessarily free of charge. Consequently record labels and artists are not taking these losses lightly. In addition to public campaigns against piracy, the record industry has prosecuted numerous people suspected and guilty of downloading music illegally. Most recently The Boston Globe reported that a Boston University graduate student was fined $675,000 in damages for illegally downloading 30 songs and sharing them online (Valencia). That’s a far cry from the $30 he would have paid had he simply bought the songs on iTunes. Yet shockingly some say this graduate student got off lucky. In June of 2009, CNN reported that a 32-year-old Minnesota woman was found guilty of downloading music illegally and ordered to pay $1.9 million dollars for 24 songs (Friend). In the midst of battling online piracy, the record industry is desperately trying to find ways to encourage consumers to buy albums again. In September of this year, Apple announced its newest version of iTunes called iTunes LP. This new program will include album artwork, photos, lyrics, and videos as part of an album purchase, in effect recreating the physical album experience (Apple). The company hopes that by offering these extra incentives to consumers, people will be more likely to spend their money on music as opposed to sharing files with each other. Some may wonder what caused this digital music war; I say it could be blamed on Napster, invented by Shawn Fanning in 1999. Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing program that bas â€Å"let the cat out of the bag† by allowing digital music to be accessed by virtually anyone for free. However on March 5th, 2001, Fanning and Napster were sued and prevented from sharing their copyrighted music. Not long after that came LimeWire, started by Mark Gorton in 2000. It was another free peer-to-peer file sharing program that expanded on what Napster created. Finally on May 12th, 2011, the Recording Industry Association of America announced its $105 million case settlement with major recording companies (Sisario). In the lawsuit, the labels identified â€Å"more than 9,000 recordings made since 1972 that had been traded on LimeWire without permission and sought damages of up to $150,000 for each song† (Sisario). Although the $105 million settlement is far from the $1.4 billion the labels had sought as a maximum penalty, the companies are hoping that the case will restrain further piracy since Mr. Gorton, a former Wall Street trader with millions in personal assets, also faced liability (Sisario). Fortunately there are a few music programs like Spotify and Pandora that are doing their best to combat music piracy. Pandora launched in 2000 but has since become increasingly popular today. With Pandora you can create up to 100 personal radio stations that play the music you like with advertisements in between every couple songs. It has over 150 million registered users today (Sasario). Spotify is a music-based streaming service that is based out of Sweden since 2009. It just opened in the US in July 2012. They offer users unlimited music for little (or no) money. Pay just $10 per month – the cost of a single album – and you can literally play music non-stop on your computer or mobile device. Don’t want to pay? No problem. Spotify has various options (depending on whether you’re in the US or Europe) for getting at least some music for free (Couts). Not only that, but you get to choose from Spotify’s catalog of 15 million songs (Couts). In Sweden, since 2009 when Spotify debuted, music piracy has dropped 25 percent. Including 9 percent alone this last year (Couts). There is no actual way to tell if it’ll do the same in the US, only time will tell. It’s hard to argue that we won’t see similar decreases in piracy if Spotify keeps the popularity it has today. Although Pandora and Spotify rake in millions of dollars there is one thing that keeps them from gaining money: the cost of music royalties. Pandora, who just went public last summer, â€Å"has never had a profitable year†, and in its most recently reported quarter lost $20 million on $81 million in revenue. Spotify’s accounts for the last year, recently filed in Luxembourg, show that it lost $57 million in 2011, despite a big increase in revenue, to $236 million (Sasario). With artists and labels hit hard by declining sales over the last decade, it’s hard to argue for lower royalty rates. It’s fair to say that the graveyard of failed digital services, and the financial struggles of Pandora and Spotify show that the music industry hasn’t yet figured out the balance between licensing costs and how much money a digital service can make. Altogether the music industry will never fully be rid of music piracy. Will music piracy destroy the economic wellbeing of the music industry? Only time will tell. People will continue to burn CDs and share music with one another, and file-sharing websites will probably always exist. I believe the best way to combat piracy is to keep consumers informed about the consequences of downloading music illegally, not only for the record companies but for everyone working in the music industry. The next time you consider downloading music from a file sharing website or giving a CD of yours to a friend, consider this: is 99 cents per song really too much to ask for all the months of labor musicians, producers, engineers, and record labels put into creating an album for you? If you still feel it is, I hope you plan on spending $40 on concert tickets sometime soon. Works Cited â€Å"Apple – ITunes – ITunes LP and ITunes Extras.† Apple – ITunes – ITunes LP and ITunes Extras. Apple Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Arnold, Chris. â€Å"Band Tries to Make It Big Without Going Broke.† NPR. NPR, 17 Jan. 2007. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Couts, Andrew. â€Å"Spotify Linked to Major Decline in Music Piracy.† Digital Trends. N.p., 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject.† Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. United States Department of Labor, Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. Friend, Elianne. â€Å"Woman Fined to Tune of $1.9 Million for Illegal Downloads.† CNN. Cable News Network, 18 June 2009. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Paulson, Ken. â€Å"First Amendment Center.† Real Cost of ‘free’ Downloads. USA Today, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012. Sisario, Ben. â€Å"Major Record Labels Settle Suit With LimeWire.† Media Decoder Blog. The New York Times, 12 May 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Sisario, Ben. â€Å"Pandora and Spotify Rake In the Money and Then Send It Off in Royalties.† Media Decoder Blog. The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. Valencia, Milton J. â€Å"Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Music Downloading Appeal.† BostonGlobe.com. N.p., 22 May 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Who Music Theft Hurts.† Http://www.riaa.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.

Friday, November 8, 2019

American Public opinion about foreign countries

American Public opinion about foreign countries Introduction Public opinion plays a big role in every society, especially on issues concerning governance. This assertion is true in democratic governance where core values revolve around the freedom of choice and expression.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Public opinion about foreign countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Public opinion can be defined as an aggregate of opinions from numerous individuals on specific issues based on their attitudes and beliefs. In order to establish the public opinion on any given issue, an individual or institution conducts a survey on a substantial number of individuals, thus collecting data on their views concerning the subject of the survey. This survey is referred to as an opinion poll or simply a poll. Public opinion forms the basis of campaign strategies for leaders seeking election into a certain office. It also forms the basis for policies made in gove rnment concerning most matters of public interest. The usual duration for conducting polls is on a yearly basis, although sometimes they take place in shorter intervals depending on the urgency and the importance of the issue at hand. This paper focuses on the American public opinion about foreign countries based on polls conducted between the year 2002 and 2012. The countries of focus are China, Russia, Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Some of the surveys conducted are focused on general opinion while others are focused on political and economic issues. This paper highlight some of the trends that are evident from the polls, the ratings that the countries get both independently and in relation to each other, and gives a conclusion on the issues that receive the most attention as well as the implications of the poll results. Public opinion Over the years, pollsters in the United States have conducted several polls over the public opinion on the six countries mentioned earlier . However, of concern to this paper are ten surveys that were carried out between 2002 and 2012. Gallup research centre carried out eight of the surveys in eight different years, while the World Public Opinion organization conducted one survey on Israel’s proposal to strike Iran and several other institutions contributed to a separate survey on the same issue.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Israel and Iran attracted most of the pollsters’ attention with the main topics on the surveys being the general opinion that the public has on both countries and whether Israel should be allowed to attack Iran based on the potential threat that its nuclear program posses to Israel, the United States, and other countries across the world. Canada attracted the least attention of the six countries, with its mention being based on its ranking between nineteen other c ountries of the poll that Gallup conducted in 2009. The poll was on a general opinion basis on international affairs. In order to get a glimpse of what informs the opinions made by the people, it is important to look at some facts about the countries for a better understanding of the relationships that exist between the United States and the six countries. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia’s relations with the United States government have always been amicable. Although it is not exactly one of United States’ allies, it is also not one of its adversaries. Relations between the two governments date back to the 1960s during the Cold War, when Saudi Arabia acted as a useful ally to the United States. The two states share a common enemy, viz. the Salafi Islamist movement, an enemy that particularly brought the two together after the September 11 bombing of the United States in 2001. Another factor that has facilitated the cementing of relations of the two states is the valuable re sources that necessitate trade between the two countries. With the adversarial relation between the United States and Iran, and the American invasion of Iran that did not result in a pro-American regime, Saudi Arabia is the United States’ best bet as far as oil consumption is concerned. In a world affairs survey conducted by Gallups in February 2009 based on the general opinion of the American public, Saudi Arabia ranked twelfth out of nineteen countries that were subject to the study. Thirty one percent of the people interviewed gave a favorable opinion about the state while 60 per cent of the interviewees gave it an unfavorable opinion and the remainder of the percentage was either unsure or refused to comment.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Public opinion about foreign countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The high unfavorable percentage was probably due to the repercussions of the 9/11 bombings that happened in the United States. The bombings are likely to have altered the perspectives that Americans had on Arab nations in the years before. In 2003, for instance, Americans gave it a 40 per cent favorable rating and a 54 per cent unfavorable rating. Although not much, the rating in 2003 was more favorable than it was in 2009. Russia Russia falls in the list of the largest countries in the world and it is runs under the governance by a federal government under President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Russia has been an ally of the United States since the Second World War and the two states have had mutually favorable ties on matters relating to the economy and the military. However, these ties seemed to weaken during the George Bush administration due to a conflict of interests on the issue of the number of long-range nuclear weapons that a country should have, with Russia having more than the United States. The American government has also shown disapproval for the ascension to power of President Vladimir Putin who replaced Dmitry Medvedev, the current prime minister of the nation. The main issue of contention between the United States with the Vladimir administration is the policies made by the administration that seem to affect the role of the United States in the alliance. There have also been allegations that set policies violate some of the human rights guarded by the United Nations. For instance, some of the issues raised include the limitation on demonstrations, the institution of an adoption ban by American citizens, tightened controls on non-governmental organizations, and an expanded definition on treason. Being super-powers, both nations try to have amicable relations in order to avoid any conflict major enough to cause a war. In a survey conducted by Gallup in 2009 on the general public opinion of the American people, Russia ranked eleventh, right after China. The total favorable vote was 40 per cent with a 53 per cent of unfavorable vote. This voting was very evident of the tense relationship between the two nations. In an independent survey conducted between 2002 and 2009 on the issue of foreign affairs and leadership, the same percentage of unfavorable votes was attained as opposed to a 70 per cent favorable vote and 28 per cent unfavorable vote obtained in 2002.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There has been a gradual decline since 2004 where the favorable percentage was 60 per cent and the unfavorable percentage 35 per cent. In 2007, there was a decline as favorable percentage stood at 52 per cent while the unfavorable percentage was 42 per cent. The Bush administration might have disagreed with Russia’s perspective on long-range nuclear weapons, but the current administration is focused on human rights issues, which is viewed by Russia a domestic issue that does not warrant the United States’ intrusion. An opinion poll held in 2012 reflects the findings of the 2009 survey, with the favorable opinion falling slightly to 39 per cent and the unfavorable opinion improving slightly to 51 per cent. Iran Iran is located in the western part of Asia and has a unitary form of government. It is an Arab country with the main religion being Islam, governed by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmad. Although not powerful enough to fall in the ranks of other states as a super power, it is a regional power and home of the world’s oldest civilizations such as the Elamite kingdom that existed in 2800BC. Iran and the United Sates government had a relatively calm relationship in the years preceding and during the Second World War. However, this relationship changed around 1953 when the United States, in conjunction with the United Kingdom, allegedly instigated a coup on its territory. Although the coup led to the change of governance into an autocracy, it also led to tension between Iran and the international community. This event culminated into the Islamic revolution in 1979 that saw Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was a pro-America leader, overthrown and the Islamic republic established under Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolution’s leader. Since then, relations with the United States have been strained and mainly adversarial with the disagreement on the issue of whether Iran should be allowed by the international commu nity to develop weapons of mass destruction. The American administration and the Israel’s government have raised concern on the possibility that such weapons may be used against the two countries and the United States’ allies, leading to the emergence of another global war. According to the survey conducted by Gallup in 2009, Iran ranked nineteenth out of the nineteen countries that were the subject of the survey. This trend was the general public opinion of the American people with 80 per cent of the people giving it an unfavorable vote and only 12 per cent giving it a favorable vote. In a study conducted by Pew research center on 15th of February 2012, in response to the question of whether it was more important to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons or to avoid conflict with Iran, 58 per cent of the interviewees voted for prevention of nuclear development. On the other hand, 30 per cent voted on the avoidance of conflict. In a related study in September 201 1 by Independent Media Review Analysis, when asked the question whether they thought that Iran would use its nuclear weapons to attack the United States, 79.9 per cent voted â€Å"yes† while only 12 per cent voted â€Å"no† and the remainder of the people either did not know or were not sure. This realization goes to show that the American people view Iran as an unwelcome threat. Israel Israel has a democratic government with a prime minister as the head of government. It is also famous for its long-standing conflict over land boundaries and annexation with the Palestinians. Over the years, the United States has been in a position to build a relationship with Israel as an important ally in the Middle East region, where most of the Arab states hold it in low regard. However, the United States has changed the form of assistance given to Israel from economic to military aid due to the impact that the continued economic aid has on the financial health of the American econo my. The United States views Israel as an important ally for even though it is a small nation, it has a strong military standing in the region as evident from its annexation of East Jerusalem. The two states also share a common adversary and perceived threat in Iran. In a Gallup’s 2009 survey, Israel ranked seventh out of a total on nineteen countries. The American people gave it a favorable rating of 63 per cent against an unfavorable rating of 29 per cent, which was an improvement from an earlier favorable rating of 59 per cent and unfavorable rating of 30 per cent from a general opinion survey carried out in 2003. In a separate survey in September 2011 carried out by the Independent Media Review analysis, in response of whether they thought Iran would use its nuclear weapons on Israel, 75.5 per cent of the people interviewed said ‘yes’ while 12.8 per cent responded with a ‘no’. In the same survey, when giving opinions on whether Israel should enlis t the military to ward off Iran from coming up nuclear weapons, 57 per cent said ‘yes’ in 2009 and the same percentage was reflective in 2011. Those who responded with a ‘no’ in 2009 formed 32 per cent of the vote and 31 per cent in 2009. However, in a survey carried out in 2012 by AJC, only 37 per cent of the respondents supported an attack on Iran by Israel. This data indicates that Americans show a favorable attitude towards Israel and they would support it in an invasion on Iran in case of a nuclear threat to either Israel or the US. China Since the 1978 economic reforms, China has become the world’s largest growing major economy and the second largest economy both by gross domestic product ratings and purchasing power parity. Relations between the US and China are complicated as they are neither enemies nor allies. However, they have a long-standing stable relationship built mainly on economic and military interactions. China compares to the Uni ted States in numerous aspects in terms of economy and military. Therefore, China and the US view each other as competitors. In addition to being trade partners, both states share common views in matters regarding terrorism and nuclear weapons development. In Gallup’s 2009 poll, China ranked tenth out of nineteen countries, with a favorable vote of 41 per cent and an unfavorable poll of 51 per cent. However, in a separate poll conducted in November 2012 by the Pew Research Centre, 65 per cent of interviewees were of the opinion that both countries have good relations, with 29 per cent holding the view that relations between the two states are bad. Sixty six percent of the people saw China as a competitor while 15 per cent and 16 per cent were of the view that the two countries are partners and enemies respectively. The poll also revealed that 68 per cent of Americans did not consider China as a trust worthy nation while 26 per cent were of the view that it was trustworthy to a fair extent. Fifty nine per cent of the people were more concerned with China’s economic strength than military strength, while 28 per cent were of the contrary opinion. The main aspect revealed in the survey was that even though most Americans viewed relations between the two countries as good, a majority of the interviewees were suspicious of China’s relations with the US, with 56 per cent of the people unsettled by its economic strength rather than military strength. Canada Canada and the US have had a longstanding relationship that has traversed a millennium. Both countries engaged in a military collaboration that started during the World War II, and continued throughout the Cold War and it is still evident to date. They are good economic partners and their relationship that is cemented further by migration and tourism. Foreign policies in both countries are similar and closely aligned, thus easing the interactions between the two countries. However, there have b een policies that Canada seems to disagree on such as the United States’ policies on terrorism, missile defense, and whether the Northwest passage is part of Canadian territory or on international waters. Regardless of those issues, American’s view Canada as a favorite in terms of relations, as the 2009 Gallup poll indicates. Canada was at the top of the list of nineteen countries with 90 per cent of the respondents in the survey giving it a 90 per cent favorable vote and only 6 per cent voting unfavorably. According to the 2009 report on the survey, Canada had held the top position for the four previous years by scoring a 92 per cent favorable vote in 2008. Analysis and conclusion From the surveys conducted, Canada was the favorite of the six countries to the American people, while they voted Iran as the least favorite in terms of general opinion. Iran and Israel have attracted the most attention, with the issue of concern being Iran’s potential for nuclear wea pons and whether Israel, an ally of the US, should attack Iran in order to prevent or halt the development of nuclear weapons. The main study area was governance with the trend of the majority of the opinions being prejudicial, with the relationship history between the US and the six countries forming the basis of these opinions. China got a different focus, with the people viewing it as more of an economic threat than a military threat. The majority of the opinions were predominantly negative with Canada being the only exception as far as unfavorable votes are concerned. A majority of the opinions given were interventionist with the focus being the United States’ interests in the countries and votes swaying toward the countries that indicated favorable interests for the US.