INDEX impact performance

Figure 2.15 shows the variation in standard Izod impact strength (1 mm notch tip radius) with temperature for the same range of materials. By far the most temperature sensitive is the low-melt-index polypropylene (PP) copolymer. It is interesting to compare the sharp fall-off in notched impact strength with this material between 23°C and 0°C with the steady values obtained for falling weight impact strength for the same temperature range (Figure 2.16). The removal of points of stress concentration is thus the most vital factor governing the impact performance at tanperatures of 90°C and below.

An expansion of the Eco Index (an internal self-assessment tool created by the outdoor apparel industry) and Nike s Apparel Environmental Design Tool, the Higg Index aims to aggregate information on the environmental performance of products from major apparel brands. The Index considers performance across the full life-cycle of a product, including impacts fi om input materials, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, use, and end-of-life. ... 

The effectiveness of HR management has an impact on the effectiveness of the OHS management system. This might be observed by measuring effectiveness with key indexes of performance. Their proper definition can help managers comprehend the need to strengthen feedback between these two fields. 

The EPS system was initially developed to be used within the product development process as a tool to help assess the environmental performance of products. The system is based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology and uses inventory data (kg of substance A), characterization factors (impact/kg of substance X) and weighting factors (cost/impacts) to calculate the external costs or values of a product. By multiplying the characterization factor with the weighting factor, an impact index is obtained (cost/kg of substance X) which describe the cost/values related to the emission per use of a kg of a certain substance. 

Design practices stem from standard fire test procedures in which the temperature history of the test furnace is regarded as an index of the destructive potential of a fire. Thus, the practice of describing the expected effects and damage mechanism is based on temperature histories. This standard design practice is convenient but lacks accuracy in terms of structural performance. The severity of a fire should address the expected intensity of the heat flux that will impact the structure and the duration of heat penetration. A simple analysis of the expect nature of an unwanted fire can be based on the heats of combustion and pyrolysis of the principal contents in the facility. The heat of combustion will identify the destructive nature of the fire, while the heat of pyrolysis will identify the severity of the fire within the compartment itself and will also identify the destructive potential of the fire in adjacent spaces. 

The major factors impacting sensor performance, whatever the physiological basis, are the degree of local vascularity and the loss of functional microvessels, together with the eventual presence and thickness of a fibrous capsule. Continued inflammation and collagen deposition eventually reach an equilibrium state, and the thickness of the fibrous capsule has been proposed as an index of biocompatibility.32 The thickness and vascularity of the capsule depend on the size, surface texture, and porosity of the implant.33-35... 

The parameter most often used to indicate the maximum temperature of use is the temperature-index , introduced by the American Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and, therefore, also named the U.L. index . Since, for different applications, degradation affects the performance of polymers in different ways, different values of the UL index are attributed to one and the same polymer, for instance for electrical insulation and for impact strength. 

The other primary component of the study was the development of laboratory performance measures, focusing on three primary factors quality, quantity and response time. The most sensitive performance measure was quality, which refers primarily to analytical controls built into a laboratory operation and provisions for preserving the integrity of the evidence and reports. A "performance index" was developed which should enable any laboratory to undertake its own evaluation and to predict the impact of proposed improvements to the laboratory prior to their actual implementation. 

After a process flowsheet has been established, it is appropriate for a detailed environmental impact evaluation to be performed. The end result of the impact evaluation will be a set of environmental metrics (indexes) representing the major environmental impacts or risks of the entire process. A number of indexes are needed to account for potential damage to human health and to several important environmental compartments. 

The introduction of GC as an analytical technique has had a profound impact on both qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic compounds. Identification of compounds by GC can be accomplished by their retention times on the column as compared to known reference standards, by inference from sample treatment prior to chromatography, " or by the concept of retention index. " The latter method and tables of retention indices " with associated conditions have been reported. " Although qualitative data and analytical techniques for identification of compounds are well-established " and relative retention data for over 600 substances also have been published, " the main utility of GC undoubtedly lies in its powerful combination of separation and quantitative capabilities. Use in quantitative analysis involves the implementation of two techniques being performed concurrently, i.e., separation of components and subsequent quantitative measurement. 

Certainly, most in vitro assays cannot predict (a) metabolite effects, (b) adverse effects associated by accumulation, and (c) drug actions at targets with mutations. Nevertheless, early safety-profiling assays have the power to detect trends toward certain adverse reactions and organ toxicity and to navigate drug discovery teams away from them. The major difficulty is estimating the impact of the data on the clinical performance determined by the human therapeutic index. 

Aggregating Metrics. Aggregating metrics into a single performance index is often desirable to facilitate easy comparison. By converting all metrics into the same unit, one may assess the relative importance of different impacts and, hence, determine the focus of future impact reduction efforts. 

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