Runaway Jury Ethics paper Essay Example

Runaway Jury Ethics paper Essay Virtuous Revenge? The movie defines the trail that Jury will sit in on. A man walks into a New Orleans brokerage firm and opens fire on everyone inside. He kills one of the higher-ranking employs, Jacob Woods. The movie then immediately Jumps two years ahead in time. We meet Nicholas Easter, played by John Sack. He opens a letter to find out he has been summoned for Jury Duty. The case is none other than Celeste Woods, the woman whose husband had been shot two years prior, vs.. Vicksburg Firearms, the company that allowed the gun to get into the killers hands. We will write a custom essay sample on Runaway Jury Ethics paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Runaway Jury Ethics paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Runaway Jury Ethics paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As Nick is walking away room his mailbox, someone is taking pictures of him. This is where the main ethical dilemma is revealed. Rankin Fitch, played by Gene Hickman, has already begun to gather information on all the possible Jurors that could work the trail. He plans on getting the Jurors that would vote for his client, Vicksburg Firearms. Wendell Roar, the attorney that represents Celeste, also decides to hire a Jury consultant like Fitch. He chooses a man that came down from Philadelphia, named Lawrence, to do the Job. In the midst of the movie unfolding, we also find out that Nick has been chosen as Juror #9. When Nick arrives home later that night, He greets Marble, and we learn that are trying to sway the Jury as well. They are trying to make money by selling the Jurors votes to the highest paying side. There are 3 different sides working this trail, each wanting to win for their own reasons. Is this idea of swaying a Jury ethical? The three theories of ethical behavior that most apply to this movie are Rights Theory, Utilitarianism, and Justice and Fairness. I will apply these separate theories to try and answer this question. The first theory I want to take a look at is Justice and Fairness. The whole trial is about whether Mrs.. Woods deserved to be compensated for her husbands death. She was taking on a Gun manufacturer, not the specific person that shot her husband. Her attorney claimed that Vicksburg Firearms werent checking store sells. Therefore allowing people to buy as many guns as they wanted. They claimed people were buying these guns in large amounts, to sell on the black market. Of course, Vicksburg attorneys argued that the company had been checking up on different sales. They argued the fact that it wasnt there fault her husband was injured. They also argued the fact that the shooter was the real cause and was dead. So the question, in regards to whether Mrs.. Woods deserved the money or not, can actually be found by looking at compensatory Justice. If Vicksburg Firearms was negligent to where their guns were being sold, then it might be their fault that the gunman was able to acquire a gun. This is the reason that Finch was hired. The company knew that there was a slight chance they could lose and have their reputation, and money, deteriorate. Is this any reason that a Jury should be looked at as votes? Is it something that can be bought or manipulated to go a certain way? The answer is no. Rails theory of fairness pulls many different approaches of Justice into two principals. The first principle, the principle of equal liberty, is the greater of the two. It states that liberties must be protected from invasion of others and must be equal to those of others. This simply means that everyone deserves equal treatment. So the Jury should be protected from outside, and inside, invasion. Therefore they are tightly linked to duties. That is why I am going to look at rights theory next. Rights theory defined is an individuals entitlement to do something. Moral rights and Legal sights are different, but when trying to swing the Juror votes, both are violated. Using the legal rights system, it permits a person to act a certain way. That is why the Jurors are allowed to Judge whether someone is guilty or innocent. Moral Rights are entitlements based on moral standards independent of a legal system. That is why someone trying to swing the vote is wrong. These people are independent of the legal system but still feel that they can control others rights. An easier way to look at it is; if I have a right to do something, others have a duty to not interfere with that eight. Because these Jurors are fulfilling a legal right and their moral rights are being jeopardized, both of their rights are being infringed upon. Moral rights, in particular, provide individuals with equality and autonomy. One cannot subject others to their wishes. Finch does not do this subtly. He gives many of the Jurors ultimatums by digging up dirt in their past, and also causing problems. Two of these situations stood out very clear to me. The first was when Finchs henchman told Kick that he knew about her abortion. That he knew the baby wasnt her husbands and if she didnt vote his way, her husband would find out. The next situation was when Finch set Mills husband up to get arrested. Mill was told that if she didnt vote for Vicksburg, her husband wouldnt be released. These tactics are morally and legally wrong. The last topic I want to look at is Utilitarianism. This is Just selecting the best course of action that has the most beneficial consequences for society. Some would argue that this is the only way a verdict could be swung. If someone from the inside or outside could sway the verdict so that the most positive, or least negative, outcome loud happen, it would be all right. This is where I want to take a look at Nick. He is a juror on the case and has his own agenda. He plays both sides but his intentions are made clear at the very end of the movie. Nick had been in Middle school when someone came in and shot up the school. He wasnt able to save Marbles twin sister and always thought it was his fault. When the town he was from tried to sue the gun manufacturer, they lost and went bankrupt. Finch was the Jury Consultant for the gun company. Nick worked with Marble on this trail and they were able to swing the votes away from Finch.

Ethics of Engineering essays

Ethics of Engineering essays The Code of Ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers are sets of rules of conduct that have been established by the engineering community that outline the obligations of professional engineers to society, to employers and clients, and to fellow engineers. These rules are established in an attempt to safeguard life, health, and property, to promote the public welfare, and to maintain a high standard of integrity. In the given example, the problem is the Digital Dream Company (DDC) wants to build a device based on information which was developed by the Better Board Corporation(BBC). The DDC wants the hardware built around the same concepts but it would be built where the motherboard performs operations differently. The choice by the Digital Dream Company to use the Better Board Corporations information to build a motherboard similar to that of the BBC, is unethical. Using the BBCs information is unethical because it is as if the DDC is plagiarizing, they are taking credit for someones work and would be to benefit to profits made from sale of the motherboards. According to the standards of the NSPE Code of Ethics, this act is unethical because under article III.1 it states, Engineers shall be guided in all their relations by the highest standards of honesty and integrity and also article III.9 states, Engineers shall give credit to for engineering work to those to whom credit is due, and will recognize the proprietary interest of others. Using the BBCs information would go against these rules in the NSPE Code of Ethics, thus making On the other hand, using the information created by the BBC to make some hardware which is similar to that of the BBC, can be looked at as being ethical. Using the information of the BBC can be ethical because the DDC can possible create th ...

Content Comprehension and Analysis Task Assignment - 3

Content Comprehension and Analysis Task - Assignment Example To correct the problem, the manager ordered for modern production equipment to boost the quality of output. After one month of introducing the new production equipment, an upsurge in the quality of output was noticed. Charismatic leadership can be termed as the assumption of power by an individual through an impression of personality other than the external authority. The followers of a charismatic leader respect the leaders instructions based on character or appeal of the leader. In essence, it is difficult to give an exhaustive meaning of charisma. In simple terms charisma can be described as charm. The major influence of a charismatic leadership is the personality of the leader. Examples of charismatic leaders include politicians and religious leaders. Transformational leadership  may  be termed  as a leadership style where the leader impacts change in an organization through inspiration and working closely with the committed group of people in the organization. Unlike charismatic leadership, transformational leadership  is  based on the ability to deliver and not the leader’s personality. In a transformational leadership style, the employees will not follow the instructions of the leader because of personal attributes or charm. Instead, the employees will follow the leader’s instructions based on projected results. Transformational leadership inspires employees to be responsible for their daily tasks. Basically, transformational leadership is based on intellectual stimulation, idealized stimulus, and individual motivation and inspiration of employees. Introducing change in an organization is sometimes very challenging. It is usually difficult to bring change in leadership and among the employees. Some of the difficulties experienced when introducing change in employees and leadership include; personality differences, organizational structure, political pressure, seasonal

Workplace Incivility vs. Organizational Affective Commitment Essay

Workplace Incivility vs. Organizational Affective Commitment - Essay Example Although there is no guarantee that HR can reduce the negative effects of workplace incivility that lead to low employee morale, job satisfaction, stress, health problems, high absenteeism and high turnover at the workplace, certain HR practices such as hiring, orientation and mentoring newly hired employees are developed to control workplace incivility. A fundamental HR practice that enhances affective commitment, on the other hand, would be developing and creating a work environment that discourages workforce incivility and allows workers to be treated with respect and dignity. Workforce incivility refers to a less intense nonstandard behavior pertaining to the breach of workplace norms where the intention of inflicting harm on the other party is unknown (L.M. and C.M. 1999). Incivility at the workplace can manifest itself in forms as subtle as displaying reluctance to work, feeling de energized, demoralized and underappreciated. In short, workforce incivility implies an atmosphere whereby the workforce is faced with rudeness and socially unacceptable behavior at the workplace. More often than not, the cause of workforce incivility is the behavior of co-workers rather than supervisors (Yeung and Gnffin 2008). Several researches have been conducted regarding the relation of workforce incivility to self-esteem and the self-respect of the workforce. Several workplace practices have contributed to workforce incivility; de-layering, downsizing, Business Process Reengineering, cutting budgets, enhancing productivity to name a few (Yeung and Gnffin 2008). According to one research conducted, over 71% of respondents had gone through some acts of workforce incivility in a five year time period (Cortina, et al. 2001). The speed with which advanced communications technology evolves, including advanced cell phones such as Blackberry, has also enhanced the scope of workforce incivility. The instances of mistreatment are no longer limited to the workplace; they have spread to the cyberspace as well. A more inclusive approach towards workforce incivility defines it as the set of explicit (verbal) and implicit (non-verbal) actions that lead to individuals feeling demoralized, de-energized, oppressed, exploited or humiliated in the workplace (Yeung and Gnffin 2008). Furthermore, it has been proven that workforce incivility translates to low employee morale, job satisfaction, stress, health problems, high absenteeism and high turnover at the workplace. Evidence also suggests that if this mistreatment is not rectified, it eventually results in high costs of hiring and training, poor work environment, lower productivity, costs of claims and law suits. According to one author, Sutton’s methodology, the total cost of workforce incivility for Silicon Valley owing to the incivility of one key worker amounts to US$160,000 per year (Yeung and Gnffin 2008). In this study he fully considered the cost of incivility in terms of the victims, management, law as well as human resources. According to research conducted by the U.K Department of Health, the cost of stress induced by workforce incivility amounts to ? 1.3 billion annually (Yeung and Gnffin 2008). Throughout the world, the engagement of employees has been considered as an essential factor in identification of best employers as well as talent. Employee engagement is a holistic construct which is defined in terms of emotional and cognitive commitment. Commitment here is defined as the urge to â€Å"stay† (continue to work in the company), â€Å"strive† (put in extra endeavors to enhance the performance of the company beyond the tasks mentioned in the job description) and â€Å"say† (spread positive word of mouth regarding the organization) (Yeung and Gnffin

Housing in Metropolitan America Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Housing in Metropolitan America - Term Paper Example This will eventually affect the entire nation’s reputation. The government’s failure to solve this problem will surely result to a growing number of homeless people. Socio-Economic Aspects Owning a house requires a large amount of investment, mostly, ranging from two to four times of a person’s annual income. One third of the United States households are renters. There are only a few, who are capable of acquiring a home at this point in time where the US economic condition remains stagnant (Gabyion n.pag.). It has always been the dream of the American people to live in a house of their own. Today this dream seems to become impossible. The reason is that jobs in America are seldom to be found, not because of people’s inaccuracy but because jobs are not enough for everybody. If no jobs are available then owning a house is still an unclear vision. The incapacity of people to afford inflated home prices is undeniable even to those who are employed, hardly figu ring out how to budget expenses that includes the payment of high priced houses (Snyder n.pag.). Figure 1 In Figure 1, the graph shows a difference between the rate of increase in nominal home prices and nominal rents from the year 1983-2009. The number of home owners increased to an amount that is a bit smaller from the increase in house prices. The increase in house prices and home owners should have been the same (â€Å"Housing Bubble Graphs† n.pag.). There are about 30 million households in America that are experiencing housing difficulties, almost half of the households are listed to receive government aid, but then only 4.1 million are able to acquire these benefits. There are only 76 rental units available for occupancy...This paper outlines the importance of the provision of the affordable housing units to American people in the aftermath of financial crisis. It is shown in the paper, that this problem is of high importance, that involves the welfare of everyone in Am erica. Houses, not only provide shelter to an individual, but also measure one’s financial capacity. It is one of the basic needs of man that allows him to survive in this constantly changing world. Many people are struggling to budget their finances to pay for their necessities, including the amount of money paid for home rental, much more when it comes to buying a house. A big number of homeless people in the U.S. might sound unusual, for some this indicates poverty. While helping the less fortunate countries to develop, the government is unable to deal with the concerns of its own nation, like providing enough affordable housing units to the low income earners. If this situation worsens, many citizens will be affected that will become a major problem of the government. Owning a house requires a large amount of investment, mostly, ranging from two to four times of a person’s annual income. One third of the United States households are renters. There are only a few, who are capable of acquiring a home at this point in time where the US economic condition remains stagnant There is an urgent need for policies that will help regulate the availability of affordable housing units, most importantly to those who deserves to avail of it, the poor families and the low income earners.

Petrochemical Industry Introduction To Chemical Engineering Assignment Engineering Essay

Petrochemical Industry Introduction To Chemical Engineering Assignment Engineering Essay Introduction Petrochemical industry is being chosen as our main topic for the introduction to Chemical Engineering assignment. Petrochemical is the second level products being derived from crude oil after several refining processes. These chemicals are typically extracted during the refining process as  crude oil  and gas are distilled or cracked, and they can be utilized in a wide variety of ways. Petrochemical can be used to manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is one of the oldest synthetic materials with the longest history in industrial production.  Ã‚  Its early history is of multiple and accidental discovery in different places at different times as well as unsuccessful quests for commercial application. During the 1950s many more companies started to produce PVC and volumes increased dramatically around the world. PVC products rapidly became essential to the construction industry; the plastics resistance to light, chemicals and corrosion made it the best option for building applications. Improvement made to the materials resistance to extreme temperatures, allowed for PVC to be transporting water to thousands of homes and industries.  PVCs low cost, excellent durability and process ability make it the material of choice for dozens of industries such as health care, IT, transport, textiles and construction. The chemical process for making PVC involves taking the simplest unit, called the monomer, and linking these monomer molecules together in the polymerization process. Various additives including stabilizers and plasticizers need to be added to PVC resin to create a compound that meets the requirement of the end product and of the processing technology to be used.   Importance of Petrochemical Industry in Our Society The petrochemical industry is a complex industry that affects all spheres of life. Most items used in everyday life such as plastic products and soaps owe their existence to petrochemicals. The petrochemical industry connects downstream sectors such as pharmaceuticals with the upstream oil and gas industry.   The petrochemical industry converts feed stocks such as naphtha and natural gas components such as butane, ethane and propane through steam cracking or catalytic cracking into petrochemical building blocks such as olefins and aromatics. While olefins include ethylene, propylene, methanol and C4 stream such as butadiene, aromatics include benzene, toluene and xylene. The petrochemicals of commercial importance in the petrochemical industry include ethylene, propylene, benzene and xylene. These petrochemical building blocks are further processed to yield final products such as paints, polyester and plastics. Take ethylene for instance. It is processed into ethyl benzene, ethylen e oxide, ethylene dichloride, ethyl alcohol, acetaldehyde and polyethylene. These undergo further transformation to yield a wide range of products such as tyres, detergents, agrochemicals and plastic products. Originally, most plastics were made from the resins of plant matter. But it wasnt long before plastics were developed from petrochemicals. The packaging industry, the leading user of plastics, accounts for about one-third of total U.S. production. The building industry ranks second, which uses plastic to make  insulation, moulding, pipes, roofing, siding, and frames for doors and windows. Other industries, including automobile and truck manufacturing, also rely heavily on plastics. The United States was hardly alone in its rising use of petroleum products. Throughout the world, increased industrialization and rapid population growth created new and greater demands for oil. By the late 1950s, petrochemicals became one of the largest industries, and control over the sources and transportation of oil became a major national and international political issue. The Supply and Demand The raw material used for the production Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) is Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM). Naphtha, which refers to a several different liquid mixtures of hydrocarbon, is the major feed stock used for the production of VCM. The global VCM supply capacity in the year 2009 was 40.0 million tons which 50.8 % of it is based on Naphtha as feedstock. 27.2 % of the global capacity was based on Natural gas for feedstock followed by 17.2% by coal while only 4.7 % of the global capacity was based on other feed stocks. In terms of region oriented, Asia- Pacific had the largest production capacity in 2009 with 18.1 million tons of production which stands 45.1% of the market share followed by Europe with a production capacity of 10.4 million tons and a share of 25.8%. The Middle East had the capacity of 2.0 million tons and a share of 5.2% while South and Central America were closely behind with 1.6 million tons of production capacity with a share of 3.9%. Based on the report Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) Global Dynamics to 2020, global VCM demand in the year 2000 was 20.7 million tons and it grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.8% from the year 2000 to 2009 in which the demand in the latter year had reached 29 million tons. The report has also indicates that there will be increase in demand of VCM with growth of are a CAGR of 5.4% from 2009 to 2020. This means if the reports expectation is correct, the demand of VCM this year will be 32 million tones and by the year 2020, the demand will be reaching 50 million tones. Out of the 29 million tons of VCM demand in the year 2009, Asia-Pacific has the highest demand in the industry with 16.4 million tons with a major share of 56.4%. The North America had a demand of 5.9 million tons and its share was 20.3% while Europe had a VCM demand of 4.8 million tons, followed by South and Central America with demand of 1.2 million tons. The demand share owned by Europe was 16.5% while 4.1% of demand market share is occupied by South and Central America. The Middle East had a demand of only mere 0.8 million tons along with demand share of only 2.7%. In conclusion, we can see that the major demand of VCM is in Asia Pacific and this is also where the production capacity of VCM is highest in a region around the world. Hence, we can conclude that the production capacity is usually closely related to the demand of the region. Prospect of the industry The production of PVC is a chemical industry. To be more specific, it is a synthetic material industry. It is considered a segment of overall chemical industry with manufacturers representing 20% of chemical industry. The plastic industry, which manufacturing of PVC is, stands around 70% of the whole synthetic material industry which also includes rubber and manmade fibres. The production of PVC requires a lot of process which in turn will require a big plant for the manufacturing as well as storing. The manufacturing process is complex which requires an expertise in the field. Hence, the industry requires the skill and knowledge of a chemical engineer to maintain the plant as well as solving problem that exists within the manufacturing process. Besides, transportation of raw materials is also needed to be coordinated by the manufacturer to lower to cost to yield more profit. From the supply and demand perspectives, both of it is growing from year to year basis which is thoroughly discussed at Supply and Demand section. The reason to the increase in demand is due to the usage of this PVC material, mainly in piping but also diversify to other utilities like plastic for manufacturing of table lamp. On the other hand , the supply of raw material increases due to the demand. The industry plays an important role to the consumer in providing them the product as well as to the economy in making profit and providing jobs opportunity. Impact on the Environment During the manufacturing of PVC process, wastes such as production residue sand installation waste which give impact on the environment will be released out. vinyl chloride monomer is used to produce the  polymer  polyvinyl chloride  (PVC). VCM can be a carcinogen, can cause a rare form of cancer which known as angiosarcoma. Excluding its flammability potential at release, VCM quickly dissipates posing slight threat to human health in form of diluted form and quickly degenerates when exposed to normal daylight as in the open atmosphere. During the polymerization process, basically all of the VCM is changed into the inert polymer chains that form the PVC plastic. The possibility of residual unpolymerised VCM to stay on in the polymer and eventually transfer into food from PVC packaging is high. Some of the liquid  petroleum  hydrocarbon  will be released into the environment like the  ocean  or  coastal waters due to human activity, and is a form of  pollution. In case the balance of ecosystem will be affected. In the process, the combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases and other air pollutants as by-products. In Addition, oil spill is a release of a petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to manufacturing PVC process. In other to reduce the impact on the environment, an capable waste management system will reduce the not being re-used and make the most of the use of economically and environmentally rational recovery schemes. Step of Incineration with Energy Recovery can be taken. Oil that used in PVC production can be utilised as a minimum twice, Incorporating PVC consumer products can be under controlled and reduces the amount of PVC going to landfill and reduces the pollutions. The modern incinerators are equipped with pollution control equipment and run to the highest standards therefore it can help to minimise the release of emissions to the environment. In addition,  mechanical and feedstock recycling can implemented Moreover, anything of the PVC recovery process, residual fraction of waste is contained which not recyclable. Controlled landfill still remains a disposal option in the limited fraction. The consumer product which containing PVC presence in landfill does not constitute a major risk to the environment is confirmed by finding of independent studies. .   Processes how PVC is manufactured (Electrolysis, Chlorination VCM Cracker) 1 Electrolysis: Electrolysis, is a method of using electric current to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. In the production of the PVC, chlorine is produced by separating the chlorine and sodium ions of a salt brine using the method of electrolysis. The electrolysis of salt brine will produce hydrogen gas and chlorine gas. 2 Chlorination: Chlorination is the process of adding chlorine into ethene to produce ethylene chloride also commonly known as vinyl chloride. The chlorine is from the process of electrolysis of brine salt from previous process. In chlorination , chlorine is added to ethene to replace two H atom from the molecule without breaking the double bond in ethene to produce 1,2-dichloroethane. Iron (III) is used as catalyst in the process .   CH2=CH2 + Cl2 > ClCH2CH2Cl   3 Thermal cracking(VCM Cracker): The main purpose of this process is to obtain the chloroethene also known as VCM. This is done because VCM couldnt be obtained by simple chlorination of ethene. Hence, this process is carried out to removed one atom of chlorine from 1,2-dichloroethane as well as recovering the carbon-carbon double bond to obtain VCM. Basically the process is being carried out with condition of 500  °C with pressure ranging from 15 atm to 30 atm. Under that condition, 1,2-dichloroethane decomposes to produce chloroethene (VCM) and hydrogen chloride.   ClCH2CH2Clà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢CH2=CHCl+HCl (Prepared by Lim Chung Kin, 0902959) (4 Quenching,5 cooling water ,6 purification) Cracking furnace effluent must be quenched, or cooled rapidly, to keep coking at a minimum. Therefore, the hot effluent gases are typically quenched and partially condensed by direct contact with cold EDC in a quench tower. Alternatively, the hot effluent can first be cooled by heat exchange with cold liquid EDC furnace feed or by vaporizing boiler feed water (BFW) to produce high pressure steam in a transfer line exchanger (TLX) prior to entering the quench tower. This arrangement saves energy by decreasing the amount of fuel needed to fire the cracking furnace and/or steam needed to vaporize the feed. Then it will undergo the Purification process. Water elimination in a VCM purification system is achieved through on condition that a separation of a liquid mixture which consist of water, hydrogen chloride, and vinyl chloride into a hydrogen chloride distillate stream and an essentially pure vinyl chloride product stream in distillation column; and a drying system is placed in fluid communication with the distillation column midsection at a connection point where the water reached sufficient concentration so that a water functional mass transfer flux from a withdrawn midsection stream into a drying agent is provided. The temperature control in this column achieves EDC-water separation control. The VCM produced in the pyrolysis section is separated in the VCM purification section. In the HCL column, temperature control is used to distil HCL off the top of the mixed feed containing mainly EDC, VCM and HCL. The bottom product is fed to the VCM column, where the temperature is controlled to purify VCM as overhead product and the recovered EDC is recycled back to the EDC purification section After the VCM purification process, it is ends up in the feed to the oxychlorination process. If acetylene is allowed to enter the oxychlorination reactor, the acetylene would be readily converted to perchloroethylene and other heavily chlorinated by-products, resulting in a significant HCL efficiency loss. Consequently, the HCL recycle stream is usually passed through a hydrogenation reactor to selectively convert the acetylene to ethylene, which makes more EDC downstream. Hydrogenation is generally carried out in a fixed bed reactor packed with catalyst made from a precious metal on an inert support. Hydrogen is added to the feed in stoichiometric excess to ensure conversion of acetylene to ethylene. The reaction is temperature dependant, with lower temperatures being preferable to maximize conversion to ethylene. If the temperature is too high, a fraction of the acetylene may be further hydrogenated to ethane. (Prepared by Hew She Luan, 0905291) (Stripping, Centrifuging, Drying and Sieving Process) 7 Stripping: In all of the processes used to produce PVC, unreacted VCM is present at the end of the reaction. VCM is a carcinogenic substance and its removal from PVC is very important for both avoiding downstream emission and for recycle purpose. Superheated steam is injected into the polymerization product in the reactor. The steam causes unreacted VCM to vaporize making it easy to remove. The temperature of the steam injected into the polymerization product should be 180 while the pressure should be 10 bar. 8. Centrifuging: During this step, PVC is separated from VCM. The water to the inlet of the centrifuge is filtered to prevent PVC from being contaminated by impurities in the water. Nexis T filters rated at 10m are recommended to filter the water. 9. Drying: Most of the water is removed when the slurry passes through the centrifuge. A damp cake of polymer leaves the centrifuge and is conveyed into the fluid bed dryer. Here, the remaining water contained in the porous grains evaporates as a stream of heated air bubbles through the polymer powder. In order to minimize the emissions, the moist air is wet-scrubbed before discharge into the atmosphere.    10. Sieving: After the drying process, the PVC will go through sieving process where the PVC is separate into different sizes for further processing. (Prepared by Cody Yip Jun Kit, 10UEB00894) (Storage and Handling, Control Room and Polymerization) 11. Storage and Handling VCM must be stored in a tightly closed container in a cool, well ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat and incompatible materials .VCM can be stored in steel tanks at ambient temperature. The drums must be equipped with self closing valves, flame arresters and pressure vacuum. Consider installation of leak detection and alarm for storage and use area. VCM should not be stored below ground level. 12. Control Room A Control Room is the room where pumps, fans, blowers, mixers, mills and centrifuges are controlled by variable speed drives and soft starters. Minicomputers are used to control chemical reactors in the PVC production process. Computer control can bring advantages to a batch process, closer control of the process, major gains in safety and the opportunity to use larger, more efficient processing equipment. Under manual control, a polymerization cycle might take about 14 hours but computer control can cut this time to about 8 hours. Computer control also offers substantial gains in accuracy and safety. A typical computer controlled reactor stands about six stories tall and hold 30,000 to 50,000 gallons. While in manually controlled plants, each reactors capacity is between 2,000 and 7,000 gallons. Computer control enables PVC plants to meet new OSHA standards, effective April 1, 1976, that will limit the exposure of workers to VCM vapors. VCM vapor is a known human carcinogen. If inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it may be harmful. VCM vapors may be a reproductive hazard. 13. Polymerization The process of polymerization links together the vinyl chloride molecules to form chains of PVC. The PVC produced in this way is in the form of a white powder. This is not used alone, but blended with other ingredients to give formulations for a wide range of products.   In the polymerization process practically all of the VCM is processed into the inert polymer chains that make up the PVC plastic. It is possible for extremely low levels of any residual depolymerised VCM to remain in the polymer and eventually migrate into food from PVC packaging, but only at levels. Polymerization of PVC is divided into 2 types which is emulsion polymerization and suspension polymerization. Emulsion polymerization involves the polymerization of monomers in an aqueous medium containing surfactant and a water soluble initiator, producing PVC lattices. PVC lattices are colloidal dispersions of spherical particles, ranging in size between 0.1 and 3.0 ÃŽÂ ¼m. Most PVC lattices are spray dried and then milled to obtain fine powders, made up of agglomerates of latex particles. When mixed with plasticizers they disperse readily to form stable suspensions. During mixing most of the agglomerates are broken down into the original latex particles. Such dispersion of fine particles in plasticizers are known as plastisols or pastes, and the powder is called dispersion or paste polymer. The surfactant layer around the particle surface prevents their adsorbing the plasticizer at room temperature so they can be used as liquids and may then be spread on to fabric or other subs trates, poured on molds, or deposited on formers to produce flooring, wall covering, artificial leather, balls, toys, or protective gloves. There are other grades of PVC polymers, produced by emulsion polymerization, that do not form plastisols and that are used as blends with suspension PVC grades for extrusion application or in the manufacture of battery separator plates. These so-called emulsion polymers are of only minor economic interest. Sales in latex form are very limited; lattices are used in water-based paints, printing inks, and impregnated fabrics. (Prepared by A. Srinyanavel 0904742) (Packing and dispatch, compounding, converting and recycling) 14. Packing dispatch: In this process, soft PVC is packed on a semi-automatic snaking machine or manually, depending on the size, shape, and length and intended use of final product. The length of the roll cut on a stumble varies for fix packages form 10m to 100 m. However, other lengths are also obtainable upon appeal. Rolls are provided with 3 binding strips and marked with markets badges. Some soft PVC sizes are packed into polyethylene foil to provide appropriate security against incidental scratch or corrosion of their functionality. 15. Compounding: This process involves storage, conveying, metering, mixing, and cooling. All these operations occur prior to the actual melt compounding. The distribution becomes harder because the filler loading level is increased and the surface area of the mineral filler increases. The surface area increases rapidly due to the particle size decreases. These are important steps in the process that can affect the quality of PVC. If these requirements are not met completely, the final products physical properties will be affected. 16. Converting: This process is either makes final PVC products for sale or makes components for further uses. Different additives like stabilisers and plasticisers need to be added to PVC resin to create a compound that meets the requirement of the final product and of the processing technology to be used. Compounding may be carried out by the converters or by separate compounders who supply ready-made blends prepared for processing. The PVC compound is then converted by processes such as extrusion, moulding and calendaring. 17.Recycling: Polyvinyl Chloride can be reused; however the purity of the material tends to degrade with each time of reuse cycle. In addition, the separation of the different additives and compounds forming the plastic makes recycle a difficult process. The biggest problem with PVC recycling is that it is difficult to automate the sorting of plastic waste, and so it is labor-intensive. There are three ways of PVC recycling: mechanical recycling, mechanical recycling for mixed plastics and feedstock recycling. (Prepared by Cheah Kai Mun, 0904128) Role of chemical engineer in petrochemical industry Beneath all of the general responsibilities listed above, a petrochemical engineer must engage in numerous specific duties on a daily basis. The first duty which the petrochemical engineer is responsible for completing is research. The petrochemical engineer must take careful steps to ensure that what they are looking to manufacture and how they are looking to manufacture a product is the right avenue to pursue. The way to resolve this issue is by doing a lot of research on a variety of topics relating to petrochemical engineering. The petrochemical engineer is also responsible for designing a variety of items and this is a very important duty which they must complete. A petrochemical engineer must design various items such as measurement and control systems, petrochemical manufacturing equipment and petrochemical manufacturing processes. This is a major duty on the part of the petrochemical engineer and one which must be carried out with preciseness at all levels and stages.   A petrochemical engineer must also engage in a wide array of analyses. The things which the petrochemical engineer must analyze include test data, engineering design, design problems and research findings. The petrochemical engineer must take painstaking measures to adequately analyze these items as the outcome of the project could very well depend on the analysis which is undertaken by the petrochemical engineer.   One who is an engineer must develop certain procedures and policies as well so that there will be smooth operations all the way around the board. Various procedures and policies such as safety procedures, data tables and employment policies may all be in the hands of the petrochemical engineer. A senior level petrochemical engineer will have more to do with regard to developing policies and procedures within the company orcorporation.   The preparation of multiple reports is also in the hands of the petrochemical engineer. The petrochemical engineer must prepare data which specifically details the findings of certain tests and evaluations. These reports can be text or tables depending on the type of report which is needed.   A petrochemical engineer will also deal with other individuals a great deal. The reason for doing so is to relay the results and findings as well as oversee other petrochemical engineers and related workers in their field. From time to time, petrochemical engineers must lecture to their peers and the general public regarding their job and role in society. The Skills/Knowledge required by the engineer In the oil and natural gas industry such as PVC manufacturing industry, the Petrochemical Engineer is playing a important role. With all the products derived from crude oil it is practically impossible to imagine a world without them.   Act as a petrochemical engineer, several skills and knowledge are needed. Petrochemical engineers should be expert in analytical things. They need constantly putting their creativity to work, efficiently and on a large scale, transforming combinations of elements of matter, synthesizing new materials.  Besides, it is important to determine the most effective processes for normal production. For example, Design and develop newest and enhanced processes and equipment for converting the raw materials into products by using computers to simulate and control such processes. Other than that, creative and innovative thinking with excellent problem solving skills is important to a petrochemical engineer. In order to have an organized and high quality products being designed, engineers should always troubleshoot environmental problems in industrial processing and manufacturing plants. Just in the same way, efficient, safe and environmentally responsible plant operations needed to be ensured. Moreover, planning, organizing, and prioritizing tasks skills across multiple projects are needed by an engineer. They acquire excellent both spoken and written, communication skills, and cooperate well in teams with people from different backgrounds and disciplines. Engineers, technicians, supervise technologists, and other involved in related activities. Additionally, participates aggressively in new product introduction are motivated, including influencing the design of the product to ensure manufacturability and quality conformance, testing the dependability of prototypes and managing the alteration into production.   Applying mathematical and scientific principles are needed too. Some of the processes such as catalytic cracking is developed by Petrochemical engineers to break down the complex organic molecules found in crude oil into much simpler molecules. Conclusion In a nutshell, chemical engineers need to possess skills, knowledge and experience in order to make the conversion of raw materials that enter the reactor into a useful product that leaves the reactor a success as well as minimizing the damage done to the environment. PVC production is still in demand worldwide even though everyone realizes that PVC takes a long time to decompose. However, the production of PVC will not be stopped as other industries still rely on plastics to manufacture or to pack their products. The industrial method to produce PVC involves 17 processes according to our group research and among the 17 processes some actually emit harmful materials or gases as a byproduct that causes damage to the environment. However, these processes must be made as environmentally friendly as possible to produce PVC without damaging the environment.

Christmas, Retailers, And The Santa Claus Conspiracy :: essays research papers

Christmas, Retailers, and the Santa Claus Conspiracy Well it looks like it's that time of year again, when colourful lights are hung on trees, families spend time together, and retailers swim naked through their money. You guessed it, I'm talking about Christmas, one of the many holidays that have lost their meaning to commercialization. Forget the memory of Jesus Christ, now's the time to pay homage to the almighty buck. Nowadays when someone thinks of Christmas or Easter the idea of Christianity is one of the last to come into their mind (although I don't think it could have been made much easier -- "Christ"ianity, "Christ"mas -- what kind of minds are we dealing with?). It's far more likely that their first thoughts will be about buying the perfect gifts, having the most eye-damaging house decorations on the block, or having a hairy old fat man in red underwear arrested for putting their child on his lap and whispering to them to tell him what they "really" want (strangely enough there are some parents out there who actually pay money each year to have this abuse inflicted upon their children). The whole idea of Santa Claus is one of the scariest I've come across and yet we embrace it. The entire story sounds like something you should threaten your kid with if he doesn't want to eat his veggies. As I understand it he's supposed to be a fat man wearing red underwear who is capable of sliding down your chimney unharmed in order to quietly slip into your house while you're sleeping. If he really existed I'd be sitting up with a loaded shotgun every Christmas Eve, not dreaming of gifts while this lunatic could be slicing the throats of everyone in my house! And to add to the horror he is said to use "elves" to manufacture "toys" in a little "workshop" in the North Pole. This entire elf story sounds like a softening cover-up fed to us as propaganda. The truth of the matter is there's a Mafia hitman out there named Santa the Claw who runs a sweatshop using illegal child labour to manufacture products in a remote location where he can't be easily apprehended; or so that's what my skills of deductive reasoning tell me. So why the cover-up? Simple. The retailers, businessmen, and all the other bad people are all in on it since they realized long ago the amount of money they could make by marketing the "Santa Claus" idea. So like everything about the holiday, it reverts to money.