Archive for the ‘Home Appliances’ Category

Analysis of Moisture

Author: Frank Stevens
Friday, February 12, 2010@ 8:02 PM

Analysis of Moisture

Moisture analysis is the study of how much moisture content is in a particular solid, liquid or gas. It covers a wide variety of methods for measuring moisture content. Moisture is monitored in commercial food production, agriculture, gas production and other quality assurance manufacturing. Trace moisture has to be closely controlled for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products so that drugs will not lose potency. Extremely important moisture analysis is done in gas measurement for applications including insulated gas for power plants and natural gas pipeline transport. Moisture analysis is an important tool in scientific laboratories in many facets of manufacturing and quality assurance.

Measuring moisture in solid or semi-solid materials is done in a laboratory using a loss on drying technique (LOD). This is the method used by scientists to study moisture loss and content. In this technique, a sample of the material is weighed and heated. It is heated in an oven for a predetermined period and then cooled in a dry atmosphere. This dry atmosphere is usually provided by a scientific appliance called a desiccator. Desiccators are sealable enclosures containing desiccants used for preserving moisture-sensitive items. When removed from the desiccator, the sample is then reweighed. The LOD is determined by the difference in weights.

This laboratory method is sometimes slow and tedious. Because of this, automated moisture analyzers have been developed to help with these tests. It has reduced the amount of time to just a few minutes. These moisture analyzers actually determine the moisture loss rate or how fast the sample is drying. These analyzers implore infrared heating technology to perform a LOD method. When the sample’s weight is no longer changing, it can be reasonably assured that all the moisture content is gone.

The moisture analyzer has two important components which are a balance and a heater. When an analyst places the sample in the moisture analyzer and the balance takes the initial weight. The heater inside the moisture analyzer heats the sample. During the entire test, the balance is recording the weight. When the sample is no longer losing weight the instruments turns off the heat and weighs the sample again. The comparison of these weights determines the moisture content.

Moisture analysis is important in many industries that are significant to our everyday lives. In the paper industry it is used for coating, printing and production of paper products. It is used in the production of soaps, rubber, ceramics, fertilizers, salts, drugs and resins. Perhaps, most used is moisture analysis in the food industry. Dried fruits, flour, sugar, confectionary products, coffee, cookies and crackers use moisture analysis as an important part of the manufacturing process. In building products, moisture analysis is used for drywall, cut lumber, particle board, plywood, carpet and ceramic tiles.

For a process, method and appliance that no one seems to think about, moisture analysis and moisture analyzers seem to affect where we live, what we eat, how we medicate ourselves and other important aspect of the every day life in America.

Classic Flame Choices for Your Entertainment Center Electric Fireplace

Author: Frank Stevens
Friday, February 5, 2010@ 6:21 PM

Flame Choices

Televisions have evolved quite a bit since their inception in the 1950’s. While many advances in technology seem to make things smaller (cellular phones, laptop computers, personal music players), sometimes it seems as if the advances in television technology have made the televisions of today enormous. While the flat screen liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma televisions on the market today may be much slimmer than their vacuum tube predecessors, the amount of screen space is just as big, if not much larger.

When television broadcasting made the move to high definition television, many households made the decision to purchase one of these flat screen televisions. However, this exciting new purchase comes with some unique problems. One such problem is: where are you going to put this gigantic television? Well, while you are trying to find a solution to this problem, why not spruce up the room the television is in at the same time? You may think this is easier said than done, but actually you can do this in one simple purchase. Choose an entertainment center electric fireplace for your large screen television and you will not only have a beautiful place to put your new television, but you will give your room some added comfort and ambiance.

There are several makes and models of entertainment center electric fireplaces to choose from. A few models manufactured by Classic Flame are described below.

Classic Flame makes several models of entertainment center electric fireplaces to choose from. You can choose the Anaheim model for a sleek, classic look. The Classic Flame Anaheim has a twenty three inch firebox and a built-in multi-function media cabinet with hinged doors with clear glass. The Anaheim model includes the new Fire FX insert from Classic Flame. The Anaheim is available in a dark espresso finish.

Classic Flame also makes an entertainment center electric fireplace called the Beverly. This model features shelves on each side, and a long audio / visual rack for all of your television components above the firebox. It also features a multi-function remote that will control the flame effects and thermostat levels of your electric fireplace. The Beverly requires no exterior venting, so it can be placed on any wall of your home. It plugs into a standard household 120-volt outlet, and is very easy to assemble. The Beverly comes in cherry, oak, and espresso finishes.

Another popular model of entertainment center electric fireplace made by Classic Flame is the Glendale. The Classic Flame Glendale Corner Entertainment Center Fireplace is available in both Oak and Cherry finishes. A media shelf with wire management channels will allow you hook up your audio / visual components with minimal hassle. The front side is forty two inches wide, which will give you plenty of room for that flat panel television. A 4,600 BTU heater allows you to provide supplemental heat to a room up to twenty feet by twenty feet, or four hundred square feet. This Media Center Electric Fireplace includes the all new Fire FX insert.

The Importance of the Medical Scales for our Pets

Author: Frank Stevens
Thursday, October 15, 2009@ 6:23 PM

The Importance of the Medical Scales for our Pets

As adults, we hope our weight stays more or less the same when we step on the medical scales at the doctor’s office with each visit. For the most part it usually does. It may be a few pounds up or down, but the main importance of the doctor’s scales once we’re older is to track trends in our weight over time. Frankly, we don’t really need the doctor to tell us when we’re gaining or losing weight. The fit of our trousers tell us that. As do our own bathroom scales.

On the other hand, when we bring our pets to the veterinarian, the weight of our pets is a little more important. Not only does the veterinarian track out pets’ weight to see if they are gaining or losing, but they also need to know the weight within pretty tight limits to determine the proper dosage of any medicines they might be receiving. When you think about it, if we gain or lose a few pounds, it’s really a small percentage of our total body weight. When a cat or dog gains or loses a few pounds, it’s usually a much more substantial percentage of their body weight. It may even change the required dosage of medicines and preventative drugs like HartGard if the change puts them into a different weight class.

When your dog steps up onto the floor scales in the veterinarian’s office their health is really at stake. Giving them the dosage of these medicines for a smaller dog risks leaving them with an insufficient amount of the drug to have its proper effects. While giving a higher dosage to a dog that has lost weight may result in giving the dog more of the medicine than is either needed or safe.

Weight also has a profound effect on the lifespan and overall health of cats and dogs. While we might see gaining a little extra weight as a normal sign of getting older and less active, there’s really no excuse for letting our dogs and cats eat too much. Overweight cats have a much higher incidence of life-threatening conditions like diabetes or kidney failure if they are overweight. Dogs, on the other hand, tend to experience some of the same health conditions that humans have when they carry too much weight. In dogs, the incidence of heart disease, shortness of breath, fatigue, and arthritis all go up dramatically with weight gain.

Dogs and cats really have no choice over their weight. It’s up to us to feed them the proper foods in the proper amounts. Table scraps, while very tasty, are not good for dogs as they often contain a very high ratio of calories to nutritional value. The portions of food that our pets get largely determines their weight, and that portion size is up to us.

Keeping your pets healthy and keeping them around longer is largely dependent upon keeping them fit and trim. If you notice a weight change in your pet of even a few pounds when they step on the floor scales, bring it up to your veterinarian and ask them about proper portion sizes for your cat or dog.