Of Mice and Men Scene Analysis Essay

1. Re-read p. 49 from â€Å"George followed to the door and shut the door†¦Ã¢â‚¬  until â€Å"George shuffled the cards noisily and dealt them.† on p. 50. How does Steinbeck create tension in this extract? Remember to use Point-Evidence-Explanation (referring to language techniques and effects), giving the reader’s personal response. The section between â€Å"George followed to the door and shut the door†¦Ã¢â‚¬  until â€Å"George shuffled the cards noisily and dealt them† is a particularly tensed scene because the reader and the characters are waiting for a specific event to happen. Carlson has taken Candy’s dog to shoot him. In the scene, everyone is waiting for the shot, which is the climax point of the tension, and the waiting makes the tension worse. The scene comes after we have viewed the argument of the men about Candy’s dog. Candy doesn’t want to kill his dog, so Carlson takes the dog outside to put it out of its misery. The reader might think that the men are being selfish, because they aren’t thinking about Candy who loves his dog, but about themselves. â€Å"Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none.† We can see that even Slim, who isn’t selfish, doesn’t try to stop Carlson. The scene starts with George closing the door and setting â€Å"the latch gently in its place†. The word â€Å"gently† suggests that he doesn’t want to draw any attention on him, so he tries not to make any noise. The fact that he shuts the door suggests that he doesn’t want Candy to hear the shot. â€Å"Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling.† His position shows how anxious he feels. Slim tries to start a conversation, but instead of an answer, â€Å"silence came into the room.† The word â€Å"silence† is repeated many times in this section, and it emphasizes the tension in the bunk. The phrase â€Å"silence came into the room† suggests that it’s an unwanted invader. The characters don’t really want to sit in silence, because this means that they will be able to hear the shot and that will upset Candy. But the fact that they are silent makes the reader think that even though they seem tough, they are capable of sensitivity. â€Å"It was silent outside. Carlson’s footsteps died away. The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.† These are short sentences which create suspense. They make the reader stop and think about what’s happening. The pauses slow down the pace, and it moves slowly towards the inevitable conclusion, the shot. The use of short sentences might also suggest that the reader wants to read faster and finish this depressing scene. There is another unsuccessful attempt for conversation, by George: â€Å"I bet Lennie’s right out there in the barn with his pup.† George mentioning Lennie’s puppy reminds everyone that Candy’s dog is about to get shot and increases tension. Slim tries to comfort Candy: â€Å"you can have any one of them pups you want.† The reader here feels sorry for Candy and is wondering if another puppy can replace his dog. The personification later on highlights the tension in the bunk. â€Å"The silence†¦invaded the room.† However, George interrupts it by suggesting â€Å"to play a little euchre.† This shows that he’s trying to keep the attention of the others focused somewhere else. â€Å"He rippled the edge of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noise drew the eyes of all the men in the room.† We can see that George is nervous, because he is waiting for the shot and also for Candy’s reaction. In addition, we can see that the men are aware of the sounds going on in the room. The â€Å"little snapping noise† wouldn’t be so noticeable under normal circumstances, and this emphasizes, again, the tension. â€Å"A minute passed, and another minute.† Things seem to be happening in slow-motion. They take longer than usual. Whit suddenly exploded: â€Å"What the hell’s takin’ him so long?† It can’t take long to shoot a dog, but because they are anticipating hearing the shot, everything seems to take longer. This sudden explosion suggests that they want this awkwardness to end as soon as possible. â€Å"Candy lay still, staring at the ceiling.† The fact that he hasn’t moved suggests that he is anxious. Slim â€Å"subdued one hand with the other and held it down.† Slim until this point is portrayed as calm, but we can see that he is also affected by the tension in the bunk. The reader is now curious about what will happen next, even though they know what that is. â€Å"A little gnawing sound† came â€Å"from under the floor and all the men looked down toward it gratefully.† The word â€Å"gratefully† suggests that they feel relieved by the interruption. These interruptions make the scene more dramatic and suspenseful. Steinbeck’s preoccupation with tiny noises makes the atmosphere full of tension. These noises contrast the silence the reader encounters during the scene. Despite the interruptions, â€Å"Candy continued to stare at the ceiling.† This makes the reader feel sorry for him, because he can’t do anything now. The fact that the characters don’t move a lot makes the tension even worse. The reader feels that they are unmoving in anticipation of what is about to happen. However, Whit tries to get the place ‘alive’ and tells to George to â€Å"lay out some cards.† Suddenly, â€Å"a shot sounded in the distance.† The shot is almost a relief to everyone. â€Å"Every head turned toward him.† The men looked at Candy to see his reaction. â€Å"He rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent.† Candy’s reaction suggests that he doesn’t want to show his emotions to the others. The reader is now wondering what Candy’s thoughts are and feels empathy for him, because all of this was out of his control. â€Å"George shuffled the cards noisily and dealt them.† This suggests that after the shot everything is back to normal, the silence and tension left like they had come. The tension in this scene is achieved by the author in a variety of ways, from the choice of words to the description of the time passing. It engages the reader and makes them feel sorry for Candy and his dog, his only true companion. The reader has now a lot of questions: Where will this incidence lead? Will Candy get another puppy? Will something similar happen further on? Next time the victim might even be a human.

Case study on Online grocery stores in India Essay

This case study involves three retailers that engaged in alternative approaches to eGrocer strategy formulation. The primary goals were to assess the relationship between a company’s business model(s) and its performance in the online grocery channel and to determine if there were other company and/or market related factors that could account for company performance. The first company is BigBasket currently present in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The other one is Aaramshop which is a website that operates in National Capital Region of India and offers FMCG and CPG goods and the last one is Salt n Soap, Online Grocery Store in Kolkata operating out of Kolkata. First, we seek to achieve insight into how uptake of Internet-based eGrocer relates to management orientation and find relationships between the uptake of Internet-based eGrocer and entrepreneurial orientation, competitive intensity, and IT maturity. BIGBASKET see more:old age homes article Overview: BigBasket.com is India’s largest online food and grocery store. It has over 10,000 products ranging from fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Staples, Spices and Seasonings to FMCG branded products, Beverages, Personal care products, Meats and much more. The order is delivered right to the customer’s doorstep, anywhere in Bangalore, Mumbai & Hyderabad. Within a year, the company is planning to start services in Delhi and Chennai as well. Subsequently, it also plans to cater to Pune, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. The customer can schedule their delivery date and time (4 delivery slots per day). Payment options include cash on delivery, credit and debit cards or food coupons. The Company is co-founded by V.S.Sudhakar (Director), HariMenon (CEO and head merchandising), Vipul Parekh (head finance and marketing), Abhinay Choudhari (head customer service and business development) and V S Ramesh (Head logistics and Supply Chain). BigBasket’s Board of Directors include Meena and Ganesh K of Tutorvista. The average monthly order size stands at Rs 1,500. Since its inception, the company has seen demand grow 25-30 per cent on a month-on-month basis. Business Model: Once a customer registers on BigBasket.com he can browse the wide range of products, select the products he wants and place an order online. Internally the products are then picked, hygienically packed and delivered to the  customer in the time slot selected by the customer. BigBasket has tie-ups with manufacturers, wholesalers and importers and the merchandising teamwork on a combination of post order procurement and in house stocking. The service is unique as it lets customers shop for daily essentials from the comfort of their homes, saving them time, effort and money. The company provides high quality products at competitive prices along with an on time delivery guarantee. There are two operating models. It is called just-in-time model. This means that not just perishables but everything they bring against an order. So they consolidate orders for the day, go and buy the products and deliver. When they reach a particular volume, they move from the just-in-time mo del to what is called the warehouse stocking model. That is where they are as far as Bangalore is concerned. They buy products directly from the supplies, like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, they buy from farmers and mills and stock the products in the warehouse. They stock a certain number of days of sales, depending on the product and sales. They are able to set initial inventory levels and then decide what the re-ordering levels are. So it is all completely automated. Analysis: BigBasket’s business model relies on on-time delivery of goods, and in order to manage the operations smoothly and efficiently, it uses the hub-and-spoke mode of distribution. Here wholesalers deliver goods to BigBasket’s warehouses. Branded delivery vans then deliver these goods to the consumers. Perishables are only warehoused for a matter of hours, and in some cases it’s 24 hours from farm to fridge. It handles 1,500 plus orders a day in Bangalore and 700 plus orders a day in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The grocery store banks on technology-driven solutions to track everything from the time an order is placed to delivery. BigBasket uses AssetTrackr RestAPI interface to tightly integrate with the ERP system and handle all movement of trucks and delivery vehicles, notification to customers on estimated delivery times, etc. AssetTrackr’s real time location data helps achieve optimal vehicle utilization. AARAMSHOP Overview: AaramShop is a hybrid retail platform that enables sales and marketing of FMCG / CPG brands to â€Å"short on time – high on stress† consumers. It enables grocery shopping by leveraging the strengths of the  neighborhood retailers and integrates them with opportunities provided by the internet. AaramShop was founded by Vijay Singh, who, as an entrepreneur, has a deep focus and passion for brand marketing. Head-quartered in New Delhi, AaramShop is a small team of techies and marketers that have been operational since a little less than a year. Over 1900 retailers across 26 cities in India use AaramShop as their preferred commerce platform. Their tie-ups with retailers are based on mutual strengths. The retailer has a time-tested local presence, which includes an ability to deliver goods to the doorstep of the consumers in his catchment area. They intend to add to this strength with the increased accessibility of the shop on web and mobile devices. This is don e at no additional cost to the retailer. AaramShop currently lists over 12k SKUs. Only branded products are listed in AaramShop; commodities and private labels are excluded from their platform. The core idea of AaramShop is to enable independent retailers, who have a physical presence, to have a web-store, which allows them to connect better with modern consumers. Business Model: The business model of AaramShop is different from most e-commerce sites, as they do not believe that transaction based revenues is the way to go in the grocery category at the moment. AaramShop does not make revenues on taking part of the margins made by the grocers; rather, they have created a number of premium services that are offered to brands. These services are in various genres like, advertising options, on and off the platform, analytical led marketing and marketing at the retail point. The idea behind this unconventional and unique business model is that AaramShop does not disrupt the existing business practices and thereby ensures no escalation of costs. New Delhi-based AaramShop has partnered with retailers so that customers can shop at these local retailers online. Once logged in to the site, users can choose a local retailer and shop for groceries. AaramShop then sends the order to the retailer in real time. The groceries are delivered to the customerâ₠¬â„¢s doorstep and the customers pay for the goods upon delivery. They don’t keep any inventory and their partner retailers maintain their own inventories. There is no cost for the retailer to join AaramShop, they are basing their ability to get revenues by offering premium opt-in services offered to the brands. Analysis: The model does look scalable and rather interesting as compared to regular ecommerce shopping. There is no logistics cost that the startup incurs and it brings in the comfort of your local store as well. The only issue is predictability of order delivery as live inventory is not available online. The current format is more like providing one more interface to your regular grocery store, with the same issues and comforts. A more of ajax functionality would make the shopping process faster and avoid showing shopping bag page after every item is added. Unlike other online grocery delivery stores that become a threat to the small local businesses, AaramShop puts the ball back into the court of local businesses that had begun to feel underprivileged in this age of Internet. AaramShop has overcome three major hurdles of business. †¢It has convinced kiranawalas about the business model by putting them in touch with customers and being paid directly. †¢Secondly, it has convinced customers by eliminating the need for online payments. Furthermore, since customers can choose their own kiranawala, they can be assured of quality. †¢Thirdly, it has cut its own operational costs by eliminating the need to set up an inventory to stock goods or hire delivery boys. AaramShop is a great example of how you can optimize on the available resources to maximize your gains. AaramShop makes most of its money through ads of the numerous grocery brands it stocks on its portal. With a model like AaramShop, everybody is a winner – the suppliers, the consumers and the business itself! SALT N SOAP Overview: Salt n Soap, a BlueBeaks initiative, intends to provide its consumers a convenient, social, enjoyable and rewarding experience of shopping their daily grocery needs online from the comfort of their homes and offices. Started in November 2012, Salt n Soap (www.saltnsoap.com) is owned and operated by BlueBeaks Solutions LLP (www.bluebeaks.com). Though the services of booking daily grocery needs online and receiving timely delivery at the convenience of home or office are the basic foundations of Salt n Soap, Salt n Soap is more than just another online version of a hyper  mart, supermarket or a local kirana store. Salt n Soap intends to provide today’s busy urban consumers online tools for making their shopping experience social, enjoyable and rewarding. Salt n Soap enables this through the various social features of the website, engaging and interesting games and contests. Salt n Soap comes up with, and, last but not the least, the goldmine of information and analyt ics that facilitate a smarter buying decision. Apart from offering what conventional online grocery sites have to offer (i.e. online purchase, home delivery, discounted products, etc.), they have come up with quite a few innovative and engaging products and services that will catch attention of discerning customers. First, they are positioning online grocery services to â€Å"cash reach, time poor† segment of population, typically SEC A1 and A2 class of people, working couple with busy work schedule and very little time to do daily shopping chore. Hence, Salt n Soap position is more on â€Å"value† a customer derives by saving time rather than being just a â€Å"discount† shop. Business Model: Salt n Soap is a Kolkata-based outfit that has apparently pioneered the concept of â€Å"open analytics† in this space where customers can instantly summon a variety of data on a product like its market share, purchasing trends, and a comparison with what people in the same socio-economic class are buying. The site also lets you know when it thinks a particular product has run out, thanks to some nifty code, and pings you so you’re reminded to buy more of it. Consumers have access to a variety of data like market share of a product, purchase trend of a product, comparison of purchase trend with average pattern of people in the same SEC (Socio Economic Class). Consumers can maintain their budget for purchase and track their consumption compared to the budget. Salt n Soap also seem to have developed an algorithm that predicts (presumably reasonably accurately) the number of days of provision that a user has and thus prompting him/her when he should buy the same product again. Salt n Soap has integrated their product with social media to provide a social experience to their consumers. Consumers are also rewarded with redeemable points for sharing their shopping experience with their friends in social media. The website has been designed to enable users to shop through a â€Å"list† where he/she can select multiple products from one screen instead of having to navigate to multiple screens. Analysis: They seem to operate efficiently with very low capital investment. Plus they provide a lot of innovative value added features to consumers which are typically not available in a brick and mortar store. Some such features are a unique web front that allows customers to shop multiple products without having to navigate to many pages (remember, unlike some other products like books, apparels or jewelry, for groceries, customers buy many products at one time), providing personal shopping assistance, helping customers to plan and monitor their grocery budget and inventory, analytics on market share and sale trend of products, etc. Salt n Soap seemed to have understood that online shopping and especially grocery shopping is not about just providing a web front to the consumer allowing them to book an order and then delivering the goods to the consumer’s doorstep. They have introduced the concept of â€Å"Personal Shopping Assistance† where they promise to provide pe rsonalized assistance to consumers in buying through qualified professionals. Salt n Soap is constantly innovating on the features to ensure a more enriching and meaningful experience for its users. CHALLENGES OF ONLINE GROCERY BUSINESS Grocery is a pretty complex business from the back-end and supply chain perspective. The complexity is one of the biggest challenges. We deal with close to 8,000-10,000 SKUs. Order sizes are large. Typically at the beginning of the month you have 30-60 items in one order. That makes it very different from typical ecommerce businesses where you normally shift one or two products, it could be a camera or a mobile phone and so on. The back-end is complex because the supply chain is not yet efficient. You deal with a large number of vendors and suppliers and not all of them are organized. WHY ONLINE GROCERY RETAIL BURNS CASH †¢Lack of consistency in quality and fill rates †¢Delivery and inventory costs †¢Low repeat customer rates †¢Touch and feel nature of Indian shoppers †¢The supply chain in India is built to help kirana stores †¢Order value is  very low †¢Brands and distributors will not give long-term credit †¢Warehousing needs skill, technology is just a tool †¢Organized retail far from saturated Online grocery business in India: The grocery segment has one of the most predictable consumption patterns and buying these products online has a huge advantage. It follows that online groceries would be big business in India. The truth is no player has broken even and the market is littered with shutdowns across the country. It is estimated online groceries contribute less than one per cent of the total food and groceries market in India and an equally small percentage of the e-commerce market in India is dominated by travel, electronics and apparel. One of the biggest rivals of e-grocers is the local kirana store, which offers home delivery in many cities, often within an hour. But kirana shops lack the cost advantages to offer customers the best price, and cannot stock a wide range of products. CONCLUSION Online grocery has been a late entrant in e-commerce space in general (probably albeit due to early failure stories like Webvan), and in India, in particular. However, since 2011, quite a number of start-ups have launched online grocery stores all across India. They are generating reasonable amount of traffic and interest as well as good amount of venture capital funding. While no one doubts the eventual ascent of this segment, when that will happen and at what cost remain unanswered, primarily because of its single-digit margins, low order values and complex logistics, as well as the high cost of customer acquisition. So, few online groceries have been funded and fewer still will be able to get subsequent rounds of finance. The big difference is that there is a very large population on the Internet today. Today smart phones and smart devices allow customers to use the Internet on the go. More than half a dozen start-ups have launched online grocery stores in recent past. Working people, happy to have rice, sugar and even organic  pepper delivered to their doorstep, may wonder why no one thought of it sooner. There is, of course, room for growth. Within this category, the organised food and grocery market, is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 30 per cent in the next five years. Truly online grocery seems to have come to a different age from the time when the colossal failure of Webvan started by George Sheen hit the headlines in 2000 and someway led to the dotcom burst. Better IT infrastructure, more net savvy customers and leaner warehousing and logistics compared to the early stage start-ups in online grocery will probably make online grocery stores succeed now. Online grocery stores in India seem to have an inherent advantage over those started in the West because of comparatively lower labour costs. However, the flip side is poor logistics infrastructure in India.

An Inverted Tooth Chain Engineering Essay

An Inverted Tooth Chain Engineering Essay An inverted-tooth chain operates quietly and smoothly and is also known as a silent chain. Silent chain consists of a series of toothed link plates assembled on joint components in a way that allows free flexing between each pitch. The teeth on the link plates mesh with a sprocket, similar to the way a rack meshes with a gear. The great majority of silent chain is used in drives. Silent chains are made up of stacked rows of load carrying link plates. Increasing the number of rows of links increases the chain width, tensile strength, and load carrying capacity. Using this feature, manufacturers make silent chains ranging from less than a 1 in. wide to more than 20 in. wide, with power capacities ranging from a fraction of a horsepower to more than 2000 hp. A chain is a reliable machine component, which transmits power by means of tensile forces, and is used primarily for power transmission and conveyance systems. The function and uses of chain are similar to a belt. There are many ki nds of chain. It is convenient to sort types of chain by either material of composition or method of construction. There are five types of chains: Cast iron chain Cast steel chain Forged chain Steel chain Plastic chain Demand for the first three chain types is now decreasing; they are only used in some special situations. For example, cast iron chain is part of water-treatment equipment; forged chain is used in overhead conveyors for automobile factories. History: Chains have been used for centuries to drive machines and move materials on conveyors and elevators. In 225 B C, Philo described a chain- driven water lift. Leonard da Vinci sketched the chain designs in the 1500s. Some are similar to modern bar link, leaf, and silent chains. Cog chain was developed in the early 1800s to transmit power or motion between the shafts of treadmills to water elevators, weaving looms and harvesting machinery. This chain was used to mechanize farm implements, but it broke easily and was difficult to repair in the field. Cast detachable chain was introduced in 1873 and overcome many of the problems of cog chain. This chain was made of simple identical cast links that were easily coupled and uncoupled by hand. This basic detachable chain design is one of the early chain concepts that have been unchanged nowadays also. After few years cast detachable chain was introduced, a chain made of all steel parts was introduced for driving bicycles. A patent for roller chain was issued in 1880. By early 1900s, roller chains drove the wheels of safety bicycles, as well as automobiles, trucks, and the propellers of the Wright Brothers airplane that flew at Kitty Hawk. Two major factors combined to make the roller chain industry were automation and standardization. Automation helped manufacturers meet the demand for the large amounts of high quality that were used on machines made by other industries. Standard dimensions and capacities ensured that roller chains would fit and operate as th e designer planned. The result was that the industry soon became as the precision roller chain industry.

Control room video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Control room video - Essay Example The theme is successfully delivered because of the portrayal of hierarchy in the documentary. The theme of the documentary was delivered to the audience in such a way that the arguments from both the sides were given. In the end it was the audience who had to decide as to which side was right and which was wrong. The attack on the media was also shown in the documentary to prove the evidence against the US government. It basically showed that the media was being controlled by both the sides or perhaps was being tried to be controlled. The power of the media is analyzed in the documentary and the message has been given to the audience. 2. To what extent the documentary might change your perception on the war in Iraq?   The documentary can have a great impact on my perception regarding the Iraq war. The casualties that I saw in the media previously raised my sentiments for the Iraqi citizens. But the documentary portrays that media itself is being controlled by the sides hence it wou ld change my view regarding these sentiments. I would have a balanced view for the Iraqi people because the US soldiers being attacked and tortured was not shown much in the videos shown in media. The war on Iraq however was waged so that the regime of Saddam Hussein could be ended and the people of Iraq be helped. The documentary raises a question for me that â€Å"was this objective really achieved? I believe that it was not and hence the war in Iraq was a waste of time and resources of the United States which could have been spent in a much better way. The documentary shows the real side of the media and how they were being controlled. After watching the documentary I can say that I have balanced views regarding the war but the casualties in the war did affect the Americans in a bad way. 3. Critically identify the strengths and weaknesses of the video.   The video had some strengths and weaknesses which made it worth watching. Firstly it does not conclude everything on itself but rather leaves it to the audience to decide as to which side they should choose. The strength of the video is that it involves the real people of Al Jazeera who talk for the whole situation themselves. Thus the audience can be assured that this documentary is not fake or lying about things. The series of incidents that happened in the Iraq war are shown in the documentary such that it gives an overall view about the situation of war to the audience. It uses different real events to show how the television was being blamed for the incidents that occurred during the war. Al Jazeera was being targeted by the US officials and a footage of that target has been shown in the documentary. The attacks on the television office have also been shown in the documentary so as to provide evidence to the viewers regarding the story that the movie is providing the audience with. This evidence proves to be one of the strengths of the video and helps the audience to understand the politics that was being worked out against the media. 4. Briefly, do you recommend this video to other viewers? If yes why? If not

Risk Management - Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Risk Management - Hospitality Industry - Essay Example Every business entity when initiated will have inherited risk in them as it has to reach the costumers expectations and has to place itself in a competitive environment or it has to create a market demand to its new product to be launched. With out perceiving the risk of venturing into new market arenas the purpose of making profitability does not arise. All organizations will face some kind of risk proportions in their daily activities of their operations as the sectors demands a standard or particular norms and expectations to be met. The risk is inherited with the unexplored option which may turn in to organization benefit or it may crumble depicting that the perceptions were wrong. The common risk concerns areas are: Hazard risk: it is related to sudden incidents like fire eruption, natural calamities. Financial risk: the financial risks deal with the uncertainty of the economic viability of industry. Operational risk: is associated with various factors which has a significant ro le in the processes, methodologies adapted in the running the company. Strategic risk: eludes about the accuracy of the strategy implemented and explains ho far the methods adopted were proper to the company growth within the market.... officials failed in analyzing the sources. The south Indian region has more coffee consumers when compared to North. The Company did not expand aggressively into the north India where there was more corporate culture in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. In a span of six years from 1996 to 2002 it was able to open only 50 outlets major of them in south India metros cities and a few in north India parts like Pune. The lack of aggressive marketing of the cafe coffee day brand allowed other competitors to captivate on the demand created by CCD .There is an inability to choose right market. The south Indian market has already some active players in the coffee shops, as coffee used to be consumed more in South India. Caf coffee day choose to compete in existing market and confined itself to southern region. The negligence of the north Indian market where there are many industrially developed areas like New Delhi, Mumbai gurgoan, Noida, Pune and the consumers who are willing to accept the trendy ambience of the caf coffee day was untapped for a long time. In a booming market a new entrant taking such a long time will certainly allow the competitors to cash the opportunity which the other coffee shops like the barista and qwiky's have done. The CCD lacked professional expertise in the business expansion which can be observed in time lag for five years, before the decision to expansion has been taken place. The workers doesn't know how to analyze the feasibility, how to locate the right market. CCD has entered into a market with other active players who already exists in the South Indian market. A company having an ambitious plan to introduce a new product should do the necessary Market research which depicts the: Type of expected

Writing for journalists(feature story- Valentines Day) Article

Writing for journalists(feature story- Valentines Day) - Article Example People in the fashion industry have the tendency of maximizing their profits by raising the prices of the products needed by their regular customers. In relation to the more awaited day, a study by the industrys trade group has approximated that about 150 million love and valentines cards are sold in the USA during this period. The coming season is characterized by lots of people going for outs in open parks where they express their affections to one another and some even go an extent of proposing to their loved ones. The activities of the day will have an impact on the environment in several ways, the small pleasures that the people will engage themselves into will have some environmental impacts. The day should, therefore, have no reason for the match of emotions; therefore, it will not be a new thing for the dead tree greeting card to boost in its operations during this day. The pains that lover have had in the past vanish quickly and the circulation of the valentines cards usually goes on as nothing much has ever happened with lots of negligence of what happens to the environment through the celebration. It becomes very difficult for an environmentalist to understand the reason lots of people and especially in the Americas risk paying a lot in terms of carbon tax by using the shiny cardboards in sending love notes to their lovers. The most annoying thing is that, lots of customers know the impacts of their activities and trying to tell them to stop the practices is as good as not telling them. In most of the advanced countries, the card manufacturing companies have made advances in designing carbon friendly valentine cards, the companies have insisted that they have come up with carbon- neutral cards because they have paid for enough carbon credits. Having known the effects brought about by the events of the day to the environment, there are several things that I will advise those curious for the day to avoid doing, one of the

Analysis and Evaluation of the service concept of Nando's restaurant Essay

Analysis and Evaluation of the service concept of Nando's restaurant - Essay Example hoven brought the franchising rights of Nando’s in the United Kingdom, and opened its first oversees outlet in Ealing Common, West London (Sawyer, 2010). At first, the restaurant functioned as a simple chicken and chips takeaway, however after realizing that this system of service delivery was not nearly as successful in the UK as it was in South Africa. Enthoven was credited for changing Nando’s operation style into a system in which the customers paid at the till and collected their own cutlery, an operation style that revolutionized public dining in the United Kingdom. Since the opening of its first overseas franchise in Ealing, Nando’s has experienced rapid expansion, with currently 290 outlets across the UK, and 1025 outlets in over 20 different countries across the globe (Nandos, 2013). A number of factors have led to Nando’s rise in popularity, especially in the UK. However, due to the brand’s severe lack of advertising, it is hard to look beyond the restaurant’s simple and unique service concept, as well as, of course, the delicious taste of its food, when crediting its success (Baker, 2004) . This report aims to analyze and evaluate the Nando’s service concept, as well as recommend ways in which the restaurant could further improve on its dramatic success in the future. The hospitality industry has so far experienced changes overtime. The level of competition in the service industry is increasingly becoming stiffer by day. Nando’s is well positioned to survive the competitions by implementing well-thought recommendations (Lanchester, 2011). The Nando’s service concept differentiates among its different outlets around the world, depending on the location of the restaurant. For the purpose of this assignment, I will be analyzing the Nando’s service concept for its UK outlets only. The core product that Nando’s sets out to deliver is its food, particularly its Portuguese style, flame-grilled chicken. Nando’s is known for offering

Report Summary Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Report Summary - Term Paper Example The review is based on this particular article and a few other related literature that are relevant to the arguments presented in the article. This report concludes that sustainable development can only be achieved through low- carbon economy. Such an economy is critical in sustaining the present and future generation without subjecting them to serious environmental, social, and economic risks that often characterizes high- carbon economy. Introduction The article â€Å"World Investment Report 2010- Investing in a Low- Carbon Economy† was prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2010. The report has focused on various aspects of investment across the world such as Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), investment policy trends, and how specific sectors play a role in FDI share among other aspects. Particularly, the report has discussed investing in a low- carbon economy. Its focus on low- carbon economy is informed by the need to have sus tainable economic development. This article was developed in the context of emerging impacts of climate change that are deemed to be adverse and detrimental to human survival in the long- run. As such, there is need for solutions in order to counter the implications of climate change impacts and provide sustainable environment for the present and future generations. UNCTAD is a UN’s agency and therefore the credibility of this article is unquestionable. The subject of low- carbon economy is very important and worth writing because as a society we cannot ignore the impacts of climate change which are so real. The society should be alive to the realities of climate change which threatens the very existence of humans (Sawin and Moomaw 23). That is why writing on measures that are and should be taken to counter one of the greatest challenges currently facing humans is such a noble engagement. This purpose of this report is to focus on the issues discussed in the article, which is investing in the low- carbon economy. The article is comprehensive and covers critical aspects that focus on investing in low- carbon economy. Analytical Summary of Main Arguments The article begins by arguing that Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are part of the problem and solution to the investment in a low- carbon economy due to the proposition that they can provide low- carbon technology and investment. Indeed, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on low carbon is already huge and its potential is immense. However, â€Å"carbon leakage† is a major concern to this investment; UNCTADA notes in its report that this concern can be addressed at source rather than at the border through ways such as engaging corporate governance mechanisms (UNCTAD 20). Moreover, investments in low- carbon economy should not occur in haphazard as this may result to high costs and reduced benefits. Therefore, there is need for policy to be put in place so as to minimize costs and maximize benefits t hat are linked to attracting low- carbon FDI (Constable 95). Towards this end, UNCTAD makes proposals in the report in regard to global partnership. The proposal is made up of five major components: securing contribution of IIAs to mitigation of climate change; establishment of strategies that are geared towards promoting clean investment; developing an international

The Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Internet - Essay Example The conventional modes of communication have been replaced by faster and more accessible forms of communication due to the invention of the internet. 2. Background of Internet World Wide Web Consortium 3 provided the information that the root of the invention of internet can be placed in the year 1970 when the American Defense Agency was assigned with the project of connecting four computers with each other over phone lines. The main purpose of this endeavor was to enable the researchers to share data with each other. Later in 1990, Tim Berners Lee was designated with the task of developing a mechanism for CERN in Switzerland that would enable the researchers to access files and search relevant information [2]. Finally in 1994, Tim Berners Lee invented the standards that accumulated to form the basis of internet- URL, HTTP and HTML. World Wide Web Consortium 3 stated that the combination of these three standards created the concept of the World Wide Web. The power of these standards can be evaluated from the fact that the invention is widely accepted even after decades of its inception. 3. Benefits of Internet New modes of communication have been invented due to the integration of internet in the lives of individuals. Electronic mail (Email) enables the internet users to send and receive messages from any other internet user in the world. It has provided an effective, fast and reliable mode of sending messages to people which is not dependent on the geographical location of the participants. The users can receive emails wherever they are, as long as internet access is available. The conventional charges of sending messages through the postal system, was dependent on the geographical location of the recipient, whereas, email is sent to any recipient in the world without any charge. Emails are sent instantly across the internet to the recipient’s email address with almost 100% reliability rate, unless there are no network problems nor the receiving inbox i s full. Files can be sent as attachments in emails that prove to be an effective manner of exchanging data with peers and colleagues. Other modes of fast-paced online communications include instant messaging, video chats, voice chats etc. Earlier, students and researchers had to make uncountable trips to the libraries and universities to accumulate information for their researches. The advent of internet has provided the internet users with an ocean of knowledge about every field of life. Internet has benefitted the field of research to a great degree since all the information lies only few clicks away from the internet user. The dispersion of the information in the form of books and journals has been collected on the World Wide Web. User can search the most relevant information for his domain of interest within mere seconds, rather than reading through hundreds of pages. News can be disseminated on an immediate basis and become a part of the ocean of information on the web. In the modern world, news is made available on the web rather than making people wait for the morning paper to arrive. E-learning is an innovative concept for the internet users since it provides the students with the power to attend their class lectures from the vicinity of their choice and follow the proceedings of

Vancouver Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Vancouver Communication - Essay Example As the report declares VC operates a participative style of management with formality; rules and regulation are kept to a minimum. Company operates on meritocracy with proper polices for career advancement, rewards, and performance appraisal system. Company pursue multi-skilling policy and emphasized on flexibility and skills rather than job descriptions. Now VC commenced the building of new production and distribution facility in Turkey due to low labour cost and to cover markets like Eastern Europe and Middle East. The CEO of the company Mr. Mike Ansell suggesting Helen Reeves, who has been appointed as Head of Turkish operations, that she should pursue the same organizational and people management system and practices which has been successful till now. Another fellow Tony Rossini, head of HR in VC HQ is performing a review to assess the present expatriate management system by conducting e-mail surveys to previous and current expatriates to determine the issues and problems and id entified certain issues. This paper stresses that managers at the beginning of the twenty first century are faced with the reality of globalization. Managers must be conscious that markets, supplies, investors, locations, partners, competitors and so on can exists anywhere in the world. Successful managers in this environment need to understand the similarities and difference across national boundaries in order to exploit the opportunities and deal with the threats. The organizations effectiveness will increase to the extent that managers understand the factors influencing behaivour. An international firms performance is likely to enhanced when systems are in place that are congruent with the various influences that determine behaviours. While it is clearly impossible to understand all of the factors influencing behaviours, national cultures and values appear to be an important starting point. Culture is one of the important factors, which influences immensely. Discussion: "Culture can be referred to a shared, commonly held body of general beliefs and values that define what is right for our group (Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961: Lane & Distefano, 1988) or to socially elitist concepts including refinement of mind, tastes and manners (Heller, 1988). Different definitions of culture shows that culture is learned, shared, compelling, interrelated set and provides orientation to people. Culture is so fundamental to society that it influences people's behaviours in critical ways. Effective management depends, at least in part, on ensuring that people behave in ways that are appropriate for the organization. So understanding culture is important for managers to achieve desired behaviour and results. Values are useful in explaining and understanding cultural similarities and differences in behaviour; thus understanding values and their cultural basis in helpful to international managers (Punnett, 2004). Values establish the standards by which the importance of everything in society is judged. Similarly needs, attitude and norms decides specific behaviour patterns of individual's or groups.

Mary Shellys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shellys Frankenstein Essay Mary Shellys novel is structured in a way, which attempts to give authority to her views. Opening with an authors introduction, and supported with a preface with her famous husband. Mary Shellys novel starts with a series of letters claiming to know the truth of Victor Frankensteins story. This family involvement, followed by professional distancing, reveals the strength of the authors feelings on the responsibilities of family and scientists. For a century and a half, many readers of the Mary Shellys novel Frankenstein have debated over which character could be associated with the expression Monster. Mary Shelly said in the preface the reason why she produced this nineteenth century novel was a ghost story oh! If I could only contrive one which would frighten my reader as I myself had been frightened that night. She wanted her readers to feel the terror that she had dreamed one night. The readers of Mary Shellys novel Frankenstein might believe that the creature is the monster, however there are two potential monsters in the novel. These two characters from the novel are the Creature itself and the creator of the creature, Dr Victor Frankenstein. One candidate who might be believed to be the monster is Dr Victor Frankenstein. At the age of seventeen Victors parents suggested that he should become a student at the university of Ingolstadt. Unfortunately Victors mother passed away while giving birth to his brother. The death of his mother shocked him and caused him to search for ways to extend life. After the death of his mother, Victor took his parents advice and went to university. My departure for Ingolstadt which had been deferred by these events it appeared to me sacrilege so soon to leave the repose, akin to death, of the house of mourning and to rush into the thick if life. This suggests he wasnt sure if it was the respectable move to make, to leave his mourning family behind and go off to university. While at university Victor became fascinated in biology: One of the phenomena, which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and indeed any animal endued with life. Victor was focused to stop death. He was grieving so much because he had lost someone so important and close to him: I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption. His fascination with extending life overtook his studying; he became so committed to finding a way, he had set himself a challenge and he was so sure to achieve that challenge. A time in the novel where we are shown that Victor is related as a monster is the time when he begins to dig up the dead and raid graveyards. Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured I collected bones from charnel-houses secrets of the human frame. This is a sign of immoral, abnormal attitude and is offensive towards the bodies. The definition of a monster is a misshapen animal or plant; person of wickedness; huge animal or thing. The part of the definition where it says a person of wickedness is what should be used to describe Victor Frankenstein. No normal person would dig up the dead and use body parts to make a creation. Another way, in which Victor could be considered as the monster is the way he treated the creature once he had brought it to life. Victor disowned the creature; he refused to acknowledge it and to accept that the creature was his own: For this I had deprived myself of rest ad health. I had desired it with an ardour at length lassitude succeeded to the tumult endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness but it was in vain. Victor had no intention of caring for the creature, it was as if he was afraid of his own creation. He discards the Creature immediately after its creation, calling it a wretch and leaving it to fend for itself. This shows how irresponsible he is. It is also another example of him neglecting his family, since the Creature sees him as its father. The creature approaches Victor like a baby would to its father: He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. How could Victor abandon the creature, he had no sympathy towards it. The way in which the creature is described when it approaches Victor is just like the way a baby would approach its parents, maybe at this part of the novel, we readers are to feel sympathy for the creature and to consider Victor as the monster for the way he treated the creature, it was his own creation he should of cared for it and been its companion. Victor should of treated the creature like his own child, possibly if he did show care for the creature and not show fear, maybe the creature wouldnt have been so vile because he knew no different. The creature didnt know how to treat or care for other people. So really it wasnt the creatures fault for the deaths caused and for the way in which he treated people because overall he didnt know any different and wasnt taught by Victor how to treat others.

Wear Rate of an Advanced Polymer Coating Experiment

Wear Rate of an Advanced Polymer Coating Experiment CHAPTER 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION The general purpose of coating is to protect the substrate and to be decorative, enhancing the appearance of substrate in terms of gloss, colour, adhesion and wetability. Consequently, in addition, surface properties such as resistance to wear, indentation, and scratching are critical to retain the basic functions [1, 2]. Polymers are common materials which are widely used in industry. Polymer coating acts as a protective covering in corrosive environments. The properties of polymers depend largely on the structures of individual polymer molecules, molecule shape and size as well as how molecules are arranged to form a polymer structure. Polymer molecules are characterised by their very large size a feature that distinguished them from other most organic chemical compositions. The wear rate for an advanced polymer materials varies depending on the applied normal load and the sliding speed which is affected by size, shape, the matrix composition and the test conditions [3]. As the load decreases the contact becomes elastic with consequent changes in mechanism of friction. Epoxy resin are characterized by the presence of three- member cyclic ether group commonly referred to as an epoxy group, epoxies cross-link when a catalyzing agent (hardener) is added, forming a three-dimensional molecular network. Because of their outstanding bonding strength, epoxy resins are used to make coatings, adhesives, composite laminates and have important applications in the aerospace industry. Epoxy powder coating is still widely used today, especially as a functional and tough coating where flexibility, adhesion, toughness and corrosion resistance are needed. Epoxy coatings are based on epoxy resin; they are manufactured in a way which enables the possibility of coating to a certain thickness without defect in the coating after curing [14, 16]. Epoxy power coatings get a good adhesion to aluminium or steel surfaces, and provide a good corrosion protection layer (for indoor use). Most outstanding with powder finish is the excellent resistance against other chemicals. Epo xy powder coatings are suitable especially in aggressive environments. However, they are not suitable for external use where they become discoloured as the pigments are broken down by ultra violet rays when exposed to sunlight. They consequently become chalky and actually decreased in thickness as they are washed away [15]. 1.1 AIM The main aim of this project is to determine the effect of sliding speeds on the wear rate of an advanced Polymer coating. 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objective of this project is to investigate the wear rate of an advanced powder coating using a reciprocating linear ball-on-flat sliding machine. Due to the nature of the resources required to run the experiments, this investigation included the careful attention taken for wear testing especially in areas of the ball-on-flat sliding machine, data acquisition and wear rate calculation. The technical approach for the investigation will involved preparing different test specimens cured at temperatures of 140oC, 160oC, 180oC, and 200oC respectively. These test specimens would then be tested for one hour at sliding speeds of 0.02 m/s, 0.03 m/s and 0.04 m/s on a fixed normal load of 0.76 kg. Data from the wear testing would be acquired at once as electrical signals through with the help of electronic data acquisition devices. Also this would involve investigating and analysing the microstructure of the all the tested coated sample to see the level of damage done to it at the above temperatures and sliding speeds. CHAPTER 2 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 POLYMERS Modern scientific tools revolutionized the processing of polymers thus available synthetic polymers like useful plastics, rubbers and fibre materials says (Satish V. Kailas) [38]. As with other engineering materials (metals and ceramics), the properties of polymers are related their constituent structural elements and their arrangement. The suffix in polymer ‘mer is originated from Greek word meros which means part. The word polymer is thus coined to mean material consisting of many parts/mers. Most of the polymers are basically organic compounds, however they can be inorganic (e.g. silicones based on Si-O network). This chapter introduces classification of polymers, processing and synthesis of polymers, followed by mechanism of deformation and mechanical behaviour of polymers [10, 11, 38]. Polymers are classified in several ways by how the molecules are synthesized, by their molecular structure, or by their chemical family. For example, linear polymers consist of long molecular chains, while the branched polymers consist of primary long chains and secondary chains that stem from their main chains. However, linear does not mean straight lines. The better way to classify polymers is according to their mechanical and thermal behaviour. Individually, polymers are classified into two main classes plastics and elastomers [10, 11]. 2.1.1 PLASTICS Plastics are mouldable organic resins. These are either natural or synthetic, and are processed by forming or moulding into shapes. Plastics are important engineering materials for many reasons. They have a wide range of properties, some of which are unattainable from any other materials, and in most cases they are relatively low in cost. Following is the brief list of properties of plastics: light weight, wide range of colours, low thermal and electrical conductivity, less brittle, good toughness, good resistance to acids, bases and moisture, high dielectric strength (use in electrical insulation), etc. Plastics are again classified in two groups depending on their mechanical and thermal behaviour as thermoplasts (thermoplastic polymers) and thermosets (thermosetting polymers) [10, 11]. 2.1.2 TYPES OF PLASTICS 2.1.2.1 THERMOPLASTS These plastics soften when heated and harden when cooled processes that are totally reversible and may be repeated. These materials are normally fabricated by the simultaneous application of heat and pressure. They are linear polymers without any cross-linking in structure where long molecular chains are bonded to each other by secondary bonds and/or inter-wined. They have the property of increasing plasticity with increasing temperature which breaks the secondary bonds between individual chains. Common thermoplasts are: acrylics, Vinyl resins (PVCs), polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyimide, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene and styrene) etc [10, 11]. Acrylics (poly-methyl-methacrylate) They are characterised by outstanding light transmission and resistance to weathering; only fair mechanical properties. Their applications are mostly in lenses, transparent aircraft enclosures (aeroplane windows), drafting equipment, and outdoor signs [17]. Polystyrene They have low specific gravity (1.07), availability in colours form clear to opaque, resistance to water and most chemicals, dimensional stability, insulating ability. Polystyrene is an excellent rubber substitute for electrical insulation. Styrene resin is moulded into battery boxes, dishes, radio parts, lenses, flotation gears etc [17]. Polyethylene These materials are flexible at room and low temperatures, waterproof, unaffected by most chemicals, capable of being heat-sealed, and can be produced in a variety of colours. Polyethylene, which floats on water, has a density range from 0.91 to 0.96% and is one of the inexpensive plastics, and its moisture-resistant characteristics ensure its use for packing and squeeze bottles [12, 17]. Polyethylene Polymer Table 2.1 Properties of polyethylene Polypropylene Polypropylene has excellent electrical properties, high impact and tensile strength and is resistant to heat and chemicals. Monofilaments of polypropylene are used in making rope, nets, and textiles. Polyimide These thermoplastics are produced in the form of solids, films or solutions. They have unusual heat-resisting properties up to 750oF (400oC), low coefficient of friction, high degree of radiation resistance, and good electrical properties. Products from this include sleeve bearing, valves seats, tubing, and various electrical components. The films, tough and strong, are used for wire insulation, motor insulation, and printed circuit backing [17]. ABS (Acrylonitrile, Butadiene, and Styrene) This plastic can be compounded to have a degree of hardness or great flexibility and toughness. The ABS plastics are used in applications that requires abuse resistance, colourability, hardness, electrical and moisture properties, and limited heat (2200oF (105oC). These plastics and processed by thermoforming injection, flow, rotational, and extrusion moulding. Applications include household piping, cameras, electrical hand tool housings, telephone handsets, and canoes [12]. Vinyl Resins These thermoplastic materials can be processed by compression or injection moulding, extrusion, or blow moulding. Vinyl resins are suitable especially for surface coating and flexible and rigid sheeting. The vinyl resins commercially available include polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs), butyrates, and polyvinylidene chloride. Polyvinyl chloride has a high degree of resistance, to many solvents and does not support combustion. It is used for rubberlike products including raincoat, packaging and blow-moulded bottles. Polyvinyl butyrate is a clear tough resin, which is used for interlayers in safety glasses, raincoats, sealing fuel tanks, and flexible moulded products. It has moisture resistance, great adhesiveness, and stability towards light and heat [17]. 2.1.2.2 THERMOSETS These plastics require heat and pressure to mould them into shape. They are formed into a permanent shape and cured or ‘set by chemical reactions such as extensive cross-linking. They cannot be re-melted or reformed into another shape but decompose upon being heated to too high a temperature. Thus thermosets cannot be recycled, whereas thermoplasts can be recycled. The term thermoset implies that heat is required to permanently set the plastic. Most thermosets composed of long chains that are strongly cross-linked (and/or covalently bonded) to one another to form 3-D network structures to form a rigid solid. Thermosets are generally stronger, but more brittle than thermoplasts [10, 11]. An advantage of thermosets for engineering design applications includes the following: high thermal stability, high dimensional stability, high rigidity, light weight, high electrical and thermal insulating properties and resistance to creep and deformation under load. There are two methods whereby cross-linking reaction can be initiated cross-linking can be accomplished by heating the resin in a suitable mould (e.g. bakelite), or resins such as epoxies (araldite) are cured at low temperature by the addition of a suitable cross-linking agent, an amine. Epoxies, vulcanized rubbers, phenolics, unsaturated polyester resins, and amino resins (ureas and melamines) are examples of thermosets [10, 11]. Phenolics These resins for popular for thermosetting applications. The synthetic resign, made by the reactions of phenol with formaldehyde, forms a hard, high-strength, durable material that is capable of being moulded under a variety of conditions. It is characterized by excellent thermal stability to over 150oC (that is, has high heat and water resistance) and can be coloured in a variety of way; may be compounded with a large number of resins, fillers [12]. It is used in manufacturing coating materials, laminated products, grinding wheels, and metals as well as glass bonding agents, and can be cast into moulded cases, bottle caps, knobs, dials, knife handles, electrical appliance cabinets and numerous electrical parts [17]. Epoxy Resins Epoxy resins, both monomers and oligomers, can be powders or they can be thick and clear or yellow liquids with strong and unpleasant odours. They are known for their excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, excellent mechanical and good electrical insulating properties. Moulding a fibre reinforced epoxy composite is much easier compared to other thermoset resins [19]. The typical applications of epoxy are in adhesives, electrical parts, coating and lamination process, moulds/dies/tools and in military, biomedical and automotive fields. Epoxy being a thermoset polymer, during the process of curing, when mixed with curing agent or harder, polymerises and cross-links. In other words, this curing agent reacts with epoxy resin monomers to form epoxy product. The curing agent selection will determine to a large extent the performance of the final epoxy composite. Table 2 below shows the properties of epoxy resins. Table 2.2 Properties of Epoxy resins Epoxy resins are the major part of the class of adhesives called ‘structural adhesives. These high performance adhesives are normally used in the construction of aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, golf clubs, snowboards and other applications where strength bond are required. Also, they are exceptional adhesives for wood, metal, glass, and some plastics. Epoxy resins can be made flexible of rigid, transparent, opaque or coloured and fast setting or extremely slow setting. Furthermore, epoxy adhesives are unmatched in heat and chemical resistance among other adhesives. Usually requires heat curing for maximum performance [22]. Therefore epoxy adhesives cured with heat will be more heat and chemical resistant than those cured at room temperature. Also, the peak adhesion strengths achievable for epoxy/metal interfaces depends greatly on the types and sequences of wet chemicals used to treat the surface. For all these reasons, they are used in high performance and decorative flooring applications too [22]. Epoxy coatings are also widely used as primers to improve the adhesion of automotive and marine paints especially on metal surfaces where corrosion resistance is important. However, they are not used in the outer layer of a boat as they can deteriorate when exposed to ultra violet light. But they are often used during boat repair and assembly and also over-coated with conventional paints or marine varnishes which can provide ultra violet protection [23]. Also, metal cans and containers are often coated with epoxy to prevent rusting especially for foods like tomatoes, which are acidic in nature. In addition, epoxy resin is an excellent electrical insulator too. It helps to protect electrical components from short-circuiting due to dust and moisture. Hence, epoxy resins are important in the electronic industry, finding application in motors, generators, transformers, switchgears, bushings and insulators. Also, in the electronic industry, epoxy resins are the primary resin used in moulding integrated circuits, transistors and hybrid circuits. The cured epoxy is an insulator and a much better conductor of heat than air. Using epoxy in transformers and inductors greatly reduces hot spots which in turn give the component a stable and longer life than unprotected products [24]. Another interesting property of epoxy is that it does not stick to mould release compounds like paraffin wax, polyethylene sheeting, sandwich bags and the non glued side of packaging tape which is of great use during lay-ups and also during the manufacturing of precision parts. Though epoxy resins are more expensive than any other resins such as polyester resins, in brief, the purpose of selecting epoxy as the base resin for this research is because of its un-matching high chemical and thermal resistance, good adhesion to various materials, compatibility with various substrates and other additives, low shrinkage, availability of solvent free formulations, light in colour, easy to control viscosity and low vapour pressure besides holding good to excellent mechanical properties and very good electrical insulating properties. The properties of polymers depend largely on the structures of individual polymer molecules, molecule shape and size as well as how molecules are arranged to form a polymer structure. Polymer molecules are characterised by their very large size a feature that distinguished them from other most organic chemical compositions. 2.1.2.3 ELASTOMERS Polymers are long-chain molecules that are formed by polymerization (that is by linking and cross-linking of different monomers. A monomer is the basic building block of a polymer. One of the fascinating properties of the elastomeric materials is their rubber-like elasticity. That is, they have the ability to be deformed to quite large deformations, and then elastically spring back to their original form. This results from the cross-links in the polymer that provides a force to restore the chains to their undeformed conformations. Elastomeric behaviour was probably fist observed in natural rubber; however, the past few years have brought about the synthesis of a large number of elastomers with a wide variety of properties. Typical stress-strain characteristic of elastomeric materials is displayed in figure 2 curve. Upon stretching, it is immediately noted that there is a flat region in the stress-strain curve. This essentially means that after an initial elongation, there is a region stretching which occurs without increasing strain. 2.2 CRYSTALLIZATION, MELTING AND GLASS TRANSITION Polymers are known by their high sensitivity of mechanical and/or thermal properties. This section explains their thermal behaviour. During processing of polymers, they are cooled with/ without presence of presence from liquid state to form final product. During cooling, an ordered solid phase may be formed having a highly random molecular structure. This process is called crystallization. The melting occurs when a polymer is heated. If the polymer during cooling retains amorphous or non-crystalline state i.e. disordered molecular structure, rigid solid may be considered as frozen liquid resulting from glass transition. Thus, enhancement of either mechanical and/or thermal properties needs to consider crystallization, melting, and the glass transition. Crystallization and the mechanism involved play an important role as it influences the properties of plastics. As in solidification of metals, polymer crystallization involves nucleation and growth. Near to solidification temperature at favourable places, nuclei forms, and then nuclei grow by the continued ordering and alignment of additional molecular segments. Extent of crystallization is measured by volume change as there will be a considerable change in volume during solidification of a polymer. Crystallization rate is dependent on crystallization temperature and also on the molecular weight of the polymer. Crystallization rate decreases with increasing molecular weight. Melting of polymer involves transformation of solid polymer to viscous liquid upon heating at melting temperature, Tm. Polymer melting is distinctive from that of metals in many respects melting takes place over a temperature range; melting behaviour depends on history of the polymer; melting behaviour is a function of rate of heating, where increasing rate results in an elevation of melting temperature. During melting there occurs rearrangement of the molecules from ordered state to disordered state. This is influenced by molecular chemistry and structure (degree of branching) along with chain stiffness and molecular weight. 2.3 POLYMER COATING The task of coating technology is to provide surface protection, decorative finish and numerous special functions for commodities and merchandise by means of organic coatings. Many everyday products are only made useable and thus saleable because their surface treatment. To achieve this, relevant coating formulations, their production plant, the coating material and suitable coating processes for product must be available. However, the quality to be achieved by means of coating process is not the only function of the coating material used. The object to be painted or coated itself with its specific material and design and appropriate application process are further variables which play a significant role. Coating itself is a layer of material which is applied to a surface to decorate, preserve, protect, seal, or smooth the substrate; usually applied by brushing, spraying, mopping, or dipping [26]. There are two principal technologies that are the backbone of the coatings industry: Ø Liquid coating technology (wet), which has been applied for more than two centuries Ø Powder coating technology (dry), which has been applied on an industrial scale for some 30 years. 2.3.1 WHY POWDER COATING The global average annual growth for powder coatings has been approximately 7-9% over the last 10 years. From country to country worldwide these figures have varied considerably. This relatively high performance has been achieved by autonomous growth on the one side and by replacing liquid coatings on the other. Powder coating involves applying a finely grounded resin (powder) to a substrate and subjecting this powder to heat. During the heating process, the powder melts and creates a uniform, continuous coating [26]. The use of powder coating as a finishing process has grown significantly in the past several years. It dates back to the 1950s when powders were flamed-sprayed on metallic surfaces to protect them from corrosion and abrasion. As the process evolved, most powder-coating application involved lowering a heated part (sometimes referred to as a â€Å"ware† or a â€Å"substrate†) into a bed of fluidized powder. However, this process resulted in inconsistent film thickness. Electrostatic introduced in the early 1960s, enabled powder coatings to be applied to cold substrates, resulting in more uniform, thinner surface application and thus, savings in raw materials [26]. Today, powder-coating processes are employed in many production settings involving protective finishes. Powder formulations can be created to deliver cosmetic, protective, and longevity characteristic, and to achieve maximum hardness, chemical resistance, and gloss retention. More and more companies have turned to powder coating as a way to produce a high-quality finish while increasing production rates, cutting costs, and complying with increasing environmental pressures. Also, ongoing technological breakthroughs are continually knocking down the few barriers that hindered powder coatings ability to grow in the market. 2.4 POWDER COATING MANUFACTURING PROCESS The process of producing a powder coating is somewhat more complex, the equipments are numerous and the production time is somewhat long. This process can be simplified into 4 basic stages. 2.4.1 PREMIXTURE This is the first stage in the manufacture of a powder coating and is the most crucial for production. In this stage, the various sizes of resin flake, pigment powder, etc must be transformed into a homogeneous blend of similar sizes before they enter the extrusion stage. This is for the fact that the extruder is a simple melt mixer and not a very efficient disperser; the premix equipment consists of a mixing bowl with a locking cover. The equipment is usually fitted with a cooling jacket capable of being filled with running water or cryogenic gases. Inside the mixing bowl are mixing-blades placed at different heights and orientation to one another depending on the machine configuration [27]. 2.4.2 EXTRUSION This is the second stage of the powder coat manufacture. The extruder is composed of a horizontally placed barrel. Within the barrel is a cylindrical screw shaft that is slightly smaller than the barrel in diameter. As the shaft turns, the premix moves forward through heated mixing zones. The mixing zones contain attachments called paddles that knead the melted premix and blends the various ingredients. 2.4.3 GRINDING The third phase (grinding stage) is very important to its performance. This is because the average particle size and distribution are important in the application properties and final surface appearance. In the grinder, grinds the chilled and pressed extruded mix into fine particles. This is usually done using, impact/hammer mill, air jet mill or the air classifier mill. 2.4.4 SIFTING AND CLASSIFYING The final structuring of the particle size is accomplished by passing the ground materials through sieves or cyclonic separators. This is to sort out the distribution and average particle size of the powder. 2.5 ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF POWDER COATING Although equipment and materials cost are similar in powder-coating and liquid-coating processes, yet powder coating processes provide a number of advantages over other surface coating methods. These include: Fewer rejects. Less floor space required. Less material waste. Lower energy costs. Lower training and labour costs. Lower waste-disposal costs. More efficient cleaning operations. More uniform finishes. Powder coating materials are immediately ready for use. They do not have to be mixed with any other ingredients such as solvents or catalysts and are easy to apply, thus labour costs associated with training, setup, and processing are low when compared with liquid-coating processes [26]. Liquid coating usually requires thinning before application, leading to additional material and labour costs. This is not the case with powder coating. Liquid paint requires flash-off time before surface can re recoated which is not applicable to powder, meaning that racks can be spaced closer together and thus more parts per hour can be processed [25]. Powder coating processes results in fewer rejects than liquid coating processes. Since the former is a dry process, air and water associated problems such as sags, runs, and contaminations are almost eliminated. Blowing off the surface with an air hose and reapplying the powder can easily repair coating rejects in booth or application area. 2.5.1 THERMOSETTING POWDER Most powder coating materials are thermosetting powders. The greatest technological advances in powder coatings are being made in this area. Thermosetting powders are composed of solid resins higher in molecular weight than resigns found in liquid coatings and lower in molecular weight than those found in thermoplastics. The solid resins melt and flow chemically, and cross-link within themselves or with other relative components forming a higher molecular weight reaction product. The coating film formed by this reaction is heat stable and will not soften back to a liquid on further exposure to heat (Wick and Veilleux 1985). At these higher temperatures, a coating emerges with different chemical properties than before heating. Cured coatings have different chemical structures than basic resins. Newly formed cured materials are heat stable and will not re-melt to liquid after further exposure to heat. These powders are ground from brittle resin systems into fine particles in the range of 0.004 0.0016 in (10 40 um) or less. ‘Due to the rheology of these resin systems, they can produce thin like paint coatings in the range of 0.001 0.003 in (25 75 ÃŽ ¼m) with properties equivalent or superior to coatings produced from liquid-compliance technologies [33]. The types of resins commonly used in thermosetting powder include:  § Several types of epoxies  § Hydroxyl and carboxyl types of polyesters  § Several types of acrylics, and  § Several types of silicones. They require lower temperatures for curing than thermoplastic resins. Table 2.4 Main properties of different types of thermosetting powder coatings[27] Thermosetting powders chemical reaction begins in oven. Ovens produce and maintain heat-the sole cause of chemical reaction needed for in powder coating. P

The major constituent of living matter

The major constituent of living matter 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Water is one of the major constituent of living matter. Around 50 to 90 percent of the weight of living organisms is water. The basic material of living cells, known as protoplasm, consists of a solution in water of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, salts and similar chemicals. Hence, water acts as a solvent which transports, combines, and chemically breaks down these substances. Water is also an essential element for the tourism industry. This is so, because the latter relies a lot on the agricultural industry for the provision of fresh fruits and vegetables for the Food and Beverages Department. Moreover, human beings are dependent on clean, pure and regular supply of water for drinking and other domestic purposes and in the tourism industry it is extensively used for recreation purposes such as in the swimming pools. Furthermore, water is used in the sewerage processing. Unfortunately, it is used indiscriminately for dumping wastes of all kinds and therefore, can be a major source of disease. Consequently, there can be a potential conflict of interest in the use of water resources. In addition, water is used for the generation of electricity which also forms part of the hospitality product. Electric energy is extensively used in each and every corner of hotels and is used in the heating and cooling systems. Also, machines and other equipment such as food processors, refrigerators and ovens need electricity to operate. However, the hospitality industry relies to a great extent on fresh and pure water to supply to its customers. Alongside, it should not be forgotten that this industry is at the same time generating loads of wastewater and since water follows a particular cycle, if somewhere along this cycle water is contaminated by pollutants; the supply of fresh water will be threatened. For this reason, it is of prime importance to preserve the water quality. 2.2 Water quality Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. The desired quality of water must be related to the actual use of water supply. In terms of water quality, there are a number of chemical contaminants of water which are of great concern. These are lead, aluminium, nitrates and pesticides residues. It has been found that much of the lead present in domestic water supplies has arisen from the use of lead pipes. Lead is dissolved in water at a slow rate and thus it is the greatest concern in cases of slow-moving or stagnant water which has got an acidic pH. Lead also gets into the environment through the use of lead-based chemicals as a petrol additive. However, this source of lead is most significant as a contaminant of air. Aluminium, instead, enters water supplies either as a natural component of water which has passe d through acidic soils or as the compound aluminium sulphate which is used in the clarification of peaty water. It has also been suggested that aluminium and the disease known as Alzheimer are closely linked but this is still being disputed (Source: http://www.waterportfolio.com/).Nitrates in the water supply result mainly from the leaching of agricultural land. They are also present in discharges from sewerage plants. Moreover, some water supplies may contain chemicals which result in the hardness of the water. This hardness is usually caused by the calcium salts and magnesium salts found in the water. Normally, water found in kitchens, laundries, boilers and water-based heating systems do contain these salts and these minerals can be removed from the water by a simple process known as water filtration. This is imperative to be performed as drinkable water must be free from bacteria harmful to the health of human beings. The coliform bacteria are used as indicators of bacteriological water quality. These are associated with pathogenic organisms and are often indicators that a water supply has been contaminated with sewerage. If these bacteria are present in the water, there is a big possibility of faecal contamination and the presence of a number of micro-organisms which may cause gastro-intestinal infections in humans. These organisms might include species of Salmonella and Shigella, Vibrio chole ra, viral hepatitis A amongst others. They are destroyed by heat and chlorine-based disinfectants but can be a hazard in drinking water, water used in the kitchen and last but not least, ice. The most common methods of raw water treatment are firstly filtration to remove solids, taste and odour, secondly biological oxidation to remove organic matter including bacteria and lastly the removal; of iron, manganese, acids, odour and taste. Some substances such as non-biodegradable organic compounds, heavy metals, phosphates and ammonia are quite difficult and expensive to remove. However, chlorination is a common method for the disinfection of water supplies for domestic purposes and in swimming pools. Most of the water supplies must be treated before they are suitable for use in hotels. This treatment is normally carried out by a utility company, which is the Wastewater Management Authority. 2.3 Water and natural environment Water is the most precious gift of nature. It is the genesis of and continuing source of life. Without water, human kind and indeed all other forms of life on earth would not exist. Water is also essential for all development, be it social, industrial or agricultural. It is known to be an integral part of mans environment and the extent to which water is abundant or scarce, clean or polluted, beneficial or destructive determines the quality of human life. Hence, understanding the water cycle is one of the most important factors to be able to understand the environmental impact of wastewater if not well-treated. This is so because untreated wastewater causes loads of harm to the environment when discharged in nature. Water cycle is in fact the flow of water that is where water comes from and how and where it goes. The following diagram helps to better understand the entire water cycle process. The total supply of fresh water remains the same although man has been able to modify the patterns of availability of fresh water supplies with respect to time and space to a certain extent. It is the hydrological cycle which provides fresh water for meeting the various needs of people on the planet and which is relevant in consideration of water availability from year to year. The water cycle over the earth follows a path consisting of evaporation of water from the earths surface commonly from oceans, condensation of water vapour, cloud formation, precipitation and finally flow all over the land surface and even below it, to return back to the oceans lastly. But during the precipitation phase, the pure water supplies become contaminated with much undesirable materials like minerals leached from the soil. This is due to the use of excess nitrate-based fertilizers on land. The excess nitrates drain off into lakes, rivers and also to the underground water which finally goes into the se a. Although there are strict controls done upon the discharges into rivers and lakes, accidental pollution still occasionally occurs and this is why water needs to be treated before consumption and before it is released back to the environment. In hotels, water is more than just a utility. All hotels require considerable volumes of water, which is now becoming an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. Hospitality Operations take advantage of natural water features such as oceans and lakes. But the water quality which will be provided is very important. Water consumption and quality hence should be properly managed not only to keep an ecological balance but also for various reasons. This is because waste water diminishes a scarce resource and costs a lot of money to the hotels, hot water wastes waste not only water but also energy, poor quality water supplies can be risky to the health of both guests and employees and also it can increase the running and maintenance costs of equipment. Finally, contaminated wastewater increases the load on effluent plants and may endanger the water supply of others. 2.4 Water supplies in hotels Most hotels in Mauritius obtain their water from the utility company, Central Water Authority, CWA. Within the building, water supplies are designed to provide different types of water. This is so, because a variety of supplies are required (Lawson, 1976) in hotels for cold water for drinking, cold and hot water for bathrooms, cold water for toilets, hot water circulation for space heating, chilled water circulation for air conditioning, hot and cold water for kitchens and laundry, water for fire-fighting, water for swimming pools, fountains, artificial lakes and finally for watering green fields and ornamental plants. Many hotels offer extensive landscaping and sometimes added amenities such as golf courses. This aspect adds to the environmental impact of the hotels. For example, any golf course usually consumes a large quantity of water. Even a hotels normal landscaping will use large amounts of water and other chemical products. Therefore, to be ecologically sustainable, a hotels grounds and landscaping should run its operations in the â€Å"green way†. This means that the hotel should reduce the water demand, recycle and reduce solid wastes and also recycle and reuse materials as far as possible. As a matter of fact, water forms a major part of the products and services that hotels sell to their customers. This is why much importance should be given to its proper monitoring so that the customers satisfaction are reached or even exceeded and hence leading to the guests being happy. Besides, using water in the landscaping of the hotel will definitely give an aesthetic value to the hotels environment and thus when guests will step in the hotel, they will be charmed by its beauty and their holidays will start nicely. 2.5 Responsible institutions The Water Resources Unit (WRU), created in 1992, was operational as from 1993 and is responsible for the assessment, development, management and conservation of water resources in the Republic of Mauritius. The Unit is the nodal organization for the coordination of all activities concerning water resources management and has to communicate with all the major water user organizations. These are namely the Central Water Authority (CWA), Wastewater Management Authority (WMA), Irrigation Authority (IA) and finally the Central Electricity Board (CEB). WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTIONAL SET UP 2.5.1 Ministry of Public Utilities The Ministry of Public Utilities, MPU is responsible for Electricity and Power, including the Central Electricity Board; Water resources, including Central WATER Authority, Sewerage and other wastewater treatment and disposal including the Wastewater Management Authority and peaceful applications of ionizing radiations. The Ministry is the main body responsible for policy formulation and implementation as regards water resources. The main activity of this Ministry in Mauritius is that it formulates policies in the energy, water and waste water sectors and the establishment of a responsive legal framework to govern the development of these sectors. The Ministry also ensures that the necessary energy is created for services offered by the various organizations so that it will benefit the public. 2.5.2 Water Resources Unit The setting up of the Water Resources Unit was approved by the Government in April 1992. It was then a Division of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Postal Services, which is now the MPU, with the responsibility for the development and the total management of the whole water resources of the country. The WRU started functioning from 07 May 1993, as a Division of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, presently MPU. The WRU is responsible for the assessment, development, management and conservation of water resources in the Republic of Mauritius.Some of the objectives of the WRU are to study and formulate policy in relation to the control and use of water resources for the provision of Water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and commercial supply and for hydro-electric power and for irrigation, land drainage and land reclamation, flood control, the development of fisheries, the protection of wild life, a forestation and the control of soil erosion, to investigate w ater resources and to collect, associate and interpret any data with regard to those resources, to prepare an inventory of water resources and to keep the inventory continuously up to date to update, on a regular basis, the Master Plan on the use of water resources, to ensure that appropriate measures are taken for the prevention of pollution of water resources, to prepare and follow up plans for the conservation, utilization, control and development of water resources, to prepare schemes for the development of river basins and trans-river basins, to conduct and co-ordinate research and investigation on the economic use of water, to promote, design and construct, with the help of appropriate authorities, schemes and works for the purpose of conservation and development of water resources, to inspect any work carried out in relation to water development or utilization purposes and to grant rights for the use of water and to issue permits, licences. 2.5.3 Central Water Authority The Central Water Authority established under the Central Water Authority Act of 1971 is responsible mainly for the treatment and distribution of potable water to domestic, industrial and commercial consumers while ensuring that the quality of treated water conforms to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Actually, around 99.6% of the population is connected to the piped water supply. 2.5.4 Wastewater Management Authority The Wastewater Management Authority constituted under the Wastewater Management Authority Act of 2000 is responsible for collection, transport, treatment and disposal of domestic and industrial including commercial sewage. In the year 1998 around 21% of the population was connected to the sewer system and the goal was to connect around 50% of the population by the year 2010. 2.6 Why treat wastewater Wastewater treatment is not a widely published fact, but there is no reason why it cannot be a widely acknowledged problem. The worlds supply of fresh water is slowly running dry. Forty percent of the worlds population is already dealing with the problem of water scarcity. Most of the diseases plaguing the world are water-borne. And while there is a child born every eight seconds in America, there is a life taken every eight seconds by some water-borne disease in other parts of the world. The fact is that there is a significant climate change, and as a consequence of this change, some regions are becoming drier while others are getting wetter. According to the United Nations, water scarcity is amongst the most serious crises facing the world and things are only getting worse. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan of the erstwhile USSR, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru and Brazil in Latin America, parts of China and the Middle East especially Iran, and more than 25 countries of Africa are all suffering from varying degrees of desertification. Global weather has gone awry. The problem of scarcity of water is making poor countries poorer. Countries that are already facing drought and famine are getting less and less water. Hence we have to become more water-efficient and get more from every gallon of water. And the only way to do this is to recycle and reuse waste water. Water is the giver of life and it has no substitute and therefore every drop of it counts a lot. Wastewater has to be treated so as to remove organic and inorganic matter which would otherwise cause pollution to the natural environment. Also it has to be treated so that all pathogenic organisms that are organisms which cause diseases can be removed in order to protect both the natural environment and human health. This should also be undertaken so as to reduce the impacts of both organic and inorganic matter on the marine environment. This is because wastewater constitutes of sediment which increases turbidity and blocks out sunlight into the sea, it reduces the rate of photosynthesis and hence can smother near-shore habitats. Moreover, wastewater contains oxygen demanding substances which if in high levels will result in a reduction in the amount of available dissolved oxygen. And finally, excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are also present in wastewater which will cause excessive algal growth leading to oxygen depletion in the seas and hence eutrophication. Furth ermore, human exposure through direct and indirect contact to the pathogenic organisms in the sea may be fatal and even result into death. Some of the more common types of diseases associated with bathing in contaminated recreational waters or through consumption of contaminated sea food are swimmers itch, gastro-enteritis, dermatitis, viral hepatitis, wound infections, cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. 2.7 Wastewater generated by hotels Hospitality facilities require large amounts of water and generate large amounts of waste as well. Water savings potentially vary greatly from hotels to hotels depending on types of facilities and how hotel guests use it. Water in hotels is used in guesthouse areas for bathing and sanitary purposes. Food and beverages operations and laundry operations have a great demand for water. They consume the maximum amount they can. An effective planning for large hotels should start with a grouping of functions for facilities to understand wisely how water is used and the water conservation potentials within each group. The purpose is to analyze all of these uses in an organized way. Usage of water within the hotel premise has got requirements regarding the quality of the water. Water quality refers to the bacteriological, physical, radiological and chemical characteristics of water relative to the safety for consumption. Standards specify maximum contaminant levels that may occur in portable water in the United States (US) are set forth in the safe drinking water Act 1974: It was amended in 1986 and again in 1996. The law is enforced by the US environmental Protection Agency. If the facility water comes from a source other than Public water utility, maintaining water quality becomes the responsibility of the hospitality manager. The HOTER project results in an 80% reduction in the water consumption of a classic hotel through the cost-effective treatment of its wastewater. This is achieved by means of a 2-stage covering treatment process that produces second class water that may be used for the flushing of toilet cisterns and landscaping and potable water that may safely be used as an alternative to conventional. The HOTER plant also results in zero-discharge to the environment and does require any chemicals or consumables. The mud resulting from the treatment plant can be used as a soil conditioner.A hotel using a HOTER plant can do away with a connection to the sewerage network, a huge benefit for hotels located in remote locations. In some hotels, a common way of treating water is to remove calcium or magnesium from the water. Removal of these minerals allows the water to more easily create a soap lather when bathing. It also reduces the chance of minerals buildup on plumbing fixtures and of spotting of surfaces. 2.7.1 Food preparation The following that can be taken to minimize the waste of water in this area: Staff should be well trained to defrost food by placing it in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave, rather than placing it under running water. Vegetable and fruits should be washed in a basin rather than under running tap water. Install flow controllers on taps. Use cold water rather than hot water wherever possible. Ensure that all the staff members are trained towards the conservation of water practices 2.7.2 Toilets Many hotels have their wastes carried by water and pressure through a piping system to a sewage treatment facility. Once the waste arrives at the sewage treatment facility it is contained in what are called reed beds where the waste undergoes a sanitation process which biodegrade rapidly by aid of exposure to elements such as rain and air. A reed bed used for sewage treatment is an eco-friendly process because very little energy for power is needed and a reed bed removes harmful pathogens within the waste before it can become an environmental or public health problem. Waste that has undergone the process of sewage treatment is easier and cost effective to dispose of and the treated wastes can be used for other things such as for agricultural purposes. The water which was used to carry the wastes to the sewage treatment facility along with rain water collections also undergoes a sanitation process then it is recycling for reuse. Conventional toilets use more water than is needed for their intended purpose. More and more hotels are installing eco-friendly toilets that use less water and can even recycle waste water for reuse to significantly reduce water and electricity usage to help conserve these two valuable commodities. Some are now also choosing composting toilets for recycling waste water and conserving electricity, and believe it or not the fact is that, properly composted human wastes can be used safely as agricultural and garden fertilizer. An eco-friendly composting toilet has two water holding tanks one which is known as Grey water and the other one as Black water. The grey water is the water used to flush wastes from the toilet bowl into the black water tank. There is a filtering system in which recycled waste water is sent to the grey water tank for reuse. The black tank holds liquid and solid wastes and also contains bacterial enzymes to aid in the breaking down or composting of wastes. When the black water tank becomes full it can be use as fertilizer for garden plants and flowers or it can be taken to a sewage treatment. In hotels, water used for flushing toilets and urinals can be up to 30%. 2.7.3 Grey water Grey watermay be defined as any household wastewater with the exception of wastewater from toilets, which is known as black water. It is important to point out that 50%-80% of household wastewater is grey water from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, bathroom sinks, tubs and showers. Freshly generated grey water is not as horrible as black-water, but if it is not handled properly it can soon become so. Grey water decomposes at a more rapidly rate than black water and if stored for as little as 24 hours, the bacteria in it use up all the oxygen and the grey water becomes anaerobic and turns infected. After this point it is more like black water stinky and a health exposure. In fact, many jurisdictions have strict regulations about disposal of grey water. It is not necessarily that all grey water is equally grey. Kitchen sink water laden with food solids and laundry water that has been used to wash diapers is more heavily infected than grey water from showers and bathroom sinks, even though grey water from these sources contains less pathogen than black water. It is possible to reduce 60% of the water used by recycling the grey water from baths and showers and rainwater. Research shows that economies can be made in hotels and guest houses by using grey water for toilets. But it has to be admitted that there will be extra costs for plumbing systems. 2.7.4 Baths and showers The need for eco-friendly bathrooms is on the rise. Water conservation products are becoming increasingly popular as consumers are going towards responsible water use. However, fashion aside, the planet has a crucial need for water conservation efforts. Every person can help to save water by making some changes in the place which uses the most water in every bathroom. Chemicals used in cleaning and body products also lead to polluted water, causing los of harm to the environment. There are approximately 1.4 billion cubic meters of water on Earth, 2.8 million cubic meters of which are available for use, an amount of only 0.1%. Water is a precious resource becoming scarcer each day. A single bathroom can use up to 100 litres of clean water daily. Contemporary water conservation efforts and eco-friendliness have begun focusing on making small changes in bathroom features and recycling grey water. Bathrooms use water for showers, toilets, and baths. On average, a shower uses almost 23 litres of water a minute, a toilet flushes with 8 litres of water and a bath uses almost 152 litres of water. Cutting down the amount of water used in a bathroom is not impossible. A bath uses two times more water than a shower, so having a short shower is the first step towards saving water. Keeping the shower to a maximum of five minutes is also efficient in saving a lot of water. Replacing a showerhead with a low flow fitting can help reduce water used by almost 16 liters. Also the tap should not be left running when using a wash basin for brushing teeth. This is also an important aspect to be respected. An eco-friendly bathroom should not only save on water, but should avoid all detrimental chemicals which are deadly to wildlife and eco-systems and aim to save energy. A geyser is often heated to far higher than necessary. Reducing the temperature setting on a geyser saves electricity, as does using a geyser blanket which keeps the geyser heated with less energy. There are a wide variety of cleaning products available which will clean a bathroom without spreading harmful toxins into the water and environment. To eliminate the need to use harsh chemicals is simple, by installing a fan above a bath or shower to remove excess moisture in a bathroom. Ceramic tiles for bathroom floors and to decorate the areas around the bath, shower and basin are eco-friendly, especially is made from recycled materials. Bamboo floors are also an eco-friendly alternative for bathroom flooring. A shower curtain made from fabric is far more environmentally friendly than plastic. A grated cover over the plughole of a shower, bath and washbasin will prevent materials from becoming clogged in drains and will thus cause blockages with extremely heavy corrosives which are harmful to the environment. It is the responsibility of every individual to help with the preservation of natural resources. A bathroom can be extremely taxing on the environment, and if each person instituted some eco-friendly practices into their bathroom, the world would save water, have less pollution and greater hope for the future. 2.7.5 Washing machines and Dishwashers There is considerable usage of washing machines if we consider the volume of laundry and washing-up generated by hotels. It should be noted that if less water is used in dishwashing then a greater amount of detergent and sanitizer needs to be used to achieve the same standard of hygiene hence the costs to the environment change remain the same. Hotel owners and managers benefit, because an efficiently running building requires fewer staff and results in lower operating expenses. Reduced costs can release valuable resources that can be better employed in improving or expending hotel facilities. Guests benefit because an efficiently controlled hotel satisfies the needs of the guests. Consequently this may result in a higher level of repeat business. Staff benefit through their empowerment, involvement and higher morale. This can lead to higher productivity, greater job satisfaction, lower levels of absenteeism and lower rates of staff turnover. The environment also benefits because a reduction in the use of water resources and decreased air, water and land pollution. By conserving all water supplies, there is a compatibility of economic interests and ecological requirements. Saving water charges, that is effluent charges resulting from the disposal of wastewater, saves the hotel money and conserves the water resources. Effective legal and regulatory protection of water, rivers, lakes and oceans is essential, so that it is compulsory for hotel companies to operate with standards that are higher than the often-minimal regulatory framework. Installing waste pipes for washing machines and dishwashers can be done simply by using long hoses and connecting them into the waste trap of your sink. This method is not advisable as it can take up a great deal of room in the under sink cupboards and the hoses usually need to be extra long which means they have a tenancy to sag and allow stale water to sit in them. Another problem is that the only way to connect a washing machine or dishwasher hose to a sink waste outlet is to use a jubilee clip onto a nozzle which is tapered. It is not believes that this is a good practice and sometimes washing machines and dishwashers wastewater is under quite a bit ofpressure when it is expelled by the machine. This could force the hose off. A washing machine or dishwasher waste is usually made with approximately 40mm plastic pipe. Therefore, it is always preferable to use solvent weld or compression fittings with the waste pipe because once it is made, it stays made and there is no chance of leaky joints. 2.8 Water and wastewater management in hotels Water is an efficient practice which is used to improve technologies that deliver both and equal and better services in using less water. The conservation of water also encourages hotels to manage how and when water is being used and by taking into great consideration both the technical and human aspects of water management issues. It has also been noted that in 2010 and 2011, that the use of water will increase to approximately 475 gallons per day for each luxurious hotels rooms. 2.8.1 Characteristics of wastewater There are two important characteristics of wastewater namely; Physical and Chemical. The physical characteristics consist of those items that can be detected with our physical sense. They are as follows: temperature, color, odor and solids. The chemical characteristics of wastewater of special concern to the Utilities man are pH, DO (dissolved oxygen), oxygen demand, nutrients, and toxic substances. 2.8.1.1 Physical characteristics Physical, aerobic, wastewater has been said to have the odour of kerosene or freshly turned earth. Aged, septic sewage is considerably more offensive to the olfactory nerves. The characteristic rotten egg odour of hydrogen sulphide and the mercaptans is indicative of septic sewage. Fresh sewage is typically grey in colour. Septic sewage is black. Wastewater temperature normally ranges between 10-20 °C. In general the temperature of wastewater will be higher than that of the water supply. This is because of the addition of warm water from the guestrooms, kitchens, laundry and heating within the plumbing systems of the structure or hotels. One cubic of wastewater weighs approximately 1,000,000 grams. It will contain about 500 grams of solids. One-half of the solid will be dissolved solids such as calcium, sodium, and soluble organic compounds.