text:
THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA is a 1963 book by Manfred Halpern. For years it was “the only academic treatment of Islamism,” and served as “the basic text” on the politics of the Arab world for a generation of students.[1]

_Politics of Social change_ was written at the behest of the RAND Corporation and published by Princeton University Press.[2] It was widely reviewed and went through 6 printings.[3]

Neo-Islamic Totalitarianism

Halpern describes the Muslim Brotherhood and similar Islamist movements as a new kind of “Neo-Islamic Totalitarianism” best understood as a uniquely Islamic form of fascism. He argued that it is distinctive in drawing on a deeply Islamic apocalyptic tradition whereby at times of crises “an apocalyptic vision of spiritual and political redemption” comes to the fore. That modernity and urbanization deprived enormous numbers of people of livelihoods, and attracting many to faith and to an ideological rejection of material goods, while the literacy produced by urban life and modernity enable them to access religious texts. And that Islamic fascism drew these seekers to charismatic leaders who offered “an intoxicating sense of nihilism” in an atmosphere in which leaders made martyrdom into a spiritual goal and followers were “sent to death as robots” with the “illusion of dying as martyrs”. [4]

He described the Muslim Brotherhood as aiming to unify all Muslims under a new caliphate.[5]

Criticism

Frédéric Volpi argues that Halpern's work represents a mix of mid-Cold War and orientalism. [6]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

title: The Politics of Social Change in the Middle East and North Africa

question: When was the book published?

answer: 1963

question: Who is the author?

answer: Manfred Halpern

question: Who commissioned the book?

answer: RAND Corporation

question: Who published the book?

answer: Princeton University Press

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Politics of Social Change in the Middle East and North Africa is a book by Manfred Halpern published in 1963 by Princeton University Press. It was written at the behest of the RAND Corporation, and for years it was "the only academic treatment of Islamism."


split: train

text:
It's been light for a while. Mid morning. The computer screen turns on, and they play a little game.

On the screen, a pixelated boy. He's lying in a hospital bed, next to a window where the sun lights his face. In the background is the methodic beat of a heart machine, synced by a red light.

A message appears 'Click the mouse'. They click, and at first it doesn't seem the game is responding, but as they click faster, the boy's actions become clear.

He's slowly jerking off under the hospital blankets, and as the player moves, so does he. The heart machine beats quicker in time.

Some stop playing at this point, and the boy is left with a tease, his arm falling back to his side and his mind drifting back into sleep.

Others continue on, curious to where this leads.

The player can hear his breath now as he tries to make the boy come. This game doesn't make it easy though, the designers trying to force a parallel experience.

Click! Click! Click!! Click! BEEAP-BEAP-BEAP! The boy's movement stops, and his heart rate slowly drops. The player too, realizes it is done and waits for his reward for jerking himself off.

The boy on the screen though, just turns softly to one side and falls asleep with a Zzzz, until another tries his hand.

title: A little game

question: Who is playing this computer game?

answer: The narrator doesn't say.

question: Is this boy watching porn?

answer: It seems to be the case.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A boy on a screen is jerking off in a hospital bed. Players on the other side of the screen try, one-by-one, to get him to reach orgasm before he falls asleep.


text:
The force of the blast was enormous. Were it not for the makeshift barrier Tristan had made out of the wreckage of the Isolt, they'd have been incinerated long ago. Instead all they felt was an intense heat along with a great light that blinded them to anything beyond the slim wall of metal. Gwen heard the metal groaning. It couldn't hold back the firestorm much longer. She looked at each of her friends' faces. Josh had his eyes closed, no doubt picturing the stars he held dear one last time. Next time him lie Anna's body. She couldn't have held on any longer, and had given in to the poison coursing within her. Tristan himself was screaming as he tried using his own body to reinforce the shielding. And she herself was only just learning to come to terms with her own surroundings, that this would be her final moments of life. How had she lived? As a fair queen of legend, as a great warrior, as a feeble girl, and now after all her travels, here she was, about to have every last piece of her DNA incinerated by the explosion given off by the end of Wrath's life. She consoled herself with the notion that she had been fair and kind to everyone she knew, and never wanted to hurt anyone. She even saved a few lives, Josh's being one. She even cracked half a smile. She lived a good life, one might say. But she was tired of fighting. Maybe if she just closed her eyes, it would end.....

But she realized something. She had checked on everyone's last moments. But where was Isaac? It was then she saw him sprinting past, and felt the brown and blue fabric of his coat brush her  face. He had leapt straight into the heart of the storm, but did not die. He stood alone, his eyes set and his jaw locked. His cloak billowed in the wind and heat. A voice cried from the inferno. "Well now, the loser's finally stopped wallowing in pity and has gathered courage enough to stand against me? What are you doing? Trying to save your friends by giving yourself up? They'll die anyway! Your death will have been for NOTHING!" Wrath's voice echoed with the might of the cosmos itself. But Isaac stood unafraid. He raised his ring, and a wall of power erupted to meet the oncoming storm of death. For a while, Isaac's wall held. But he couldn't do it alone. That's when Gwen noticed. All around Isaac there were beings, like avatars of energy. One burned with a fiery red aura. A manifestation of Isaac's own unique fury, Gwen thought. Another burned blue, an avatar of the goodness that Isaac possessed. Then came Isaac himself, his eyes blazing with rage and power. Then, finally, there was one more. This avatar wore bright, intricate, green armor, as though it was made from emerald. These three beings held out their right hands as Isaac did. They were holding the firestorm back! Soon the light began to recede. Wrath was running out of steam. If Isaac held out a bit longer, he'd have saved them. "Isaac!" Gwen cried, "You were always the strongest and purest of all of us. We would have been lost without your leadership! Wrath has no power over you, for you are stronger than your emotions! You are the King Under the Mountain, and you bow to no power of evil!" Isaac turned and smiled. Gwen still could not hear over the inferno, but she saw his mouth move. Thank you. All of you. My friends. Then the great light ceased. Wrath's form evaporated. The evil King was no more. Gwen nearly shouted for joy, but she saw Isaac. He still stood in the same place, but facing them. His eyes were glistening. The apparitions of his power had vanished. Now only he remained. His smile was finally perfect. His face bore no trace of shame, or regret, or brooding. Only peace. Then in an instant, without saying another word, Isaac's form turned to ash. He crumpled to the ground, his form breaking apart. Gwen was paralyzed. They all were. They could only watch as Isaac's smile faded, as at last his entire form had broken. All that was left was his ring, the symbol of his shield and strength, gleaming in the starlight high above.

title: [FN] The Last Stand

question: Summarize the most positive moment.

answer: Avatars of energy join forces with Isaac, and they're able to start fighting off Wrath. Gwen tells Isaac that he's the strongest and purest of all of them, and that he bows to no power of evil. This makes Isaac smile, and thank all of his friends. He then defeats Wrath, and his apparitions disappear. He was smiling and finally at peace.

question: What does the story say about Isaac defeating Wrath?

answer: Avatars of energy pop around Isaac, representing different facets of himself. The avatars and Isaac hold the firestorm back and weaken Wrath. Isaac held out longer and eventually defeats Wrath. This causes him to finally be at peace. In that moment of peacefulness after defeating Wrath, Isaac crumbles to the ground and turns to ash.

question: What does the story say about Gwen giving up?

answer: Gwen felt that she couldn't hold on any longer, and was giving in to the poison coursing through her. She begins to come to terms with her surroundings and how she's lived her life as a queen, warrior, and feeble girl. She's giving in to her final moments of life. She consoles herself with the fact that she's been kind and fair to everyone, and has lived a good life. She feels if she closes her eyes that all of this will just end.

question: What does the text say about Gwen's death?


text:
Dmitri’s Canal

He was an honest man, tall and slender, with a solemn face, looking almost devoid of life.  I say he was honest because, with such features, could he have been anything else?  His thick eyebrows swept the dust off of his face, which had long ago forgotten how to express happiness and receding hairline pushed his hair back and further exaggerated his large forehead.  He was an honest man in that he was good-natured.  Benevolence was his defining quality, but sometimes that too much of that good-heartedness hurts, sometimes you want another form of honesty, a form of honesty that’s firm, unforgiving, and straight to the point.  His benevolence and his timidity made him an honest man, although it can be said that the honest man, or this type of honest man, isn’t always happy.

So, for him it was a Tuesday, a normal Tuesday, as all Tuesdays are; without purpose, leaden, and slow to the start.  It was a Tuesday that envied all the other days of the week, as so many Tuesdays tend to do.  Now Sunday, there’s a day, but unfortunately we won’t be opening up Sunday’s blouse, button by button, biting our lips, and taking a peak.  We’ll have to settle for Tuesday.  So, it was a Tuesday, and in a meek, worn-down, yellow, wooden house, with a sad little veranda, and a rusty door handle.  The window frames were fairly rusty also, and stained curtains pierced through the windows with a muted expression.  There was a canal across the street.  Now, at this point we don’t know whether it was sewage that flowed through the canal or regular rainwater.  The smell suggested it was sewage, but then again, it could have been so many other things.  We can even infer that a bird flew into there, maybe even more than one.

He had just woken up, overflowing with indecision, his face marked with a blank expression; and expression between languor and despair, devoid of any passion.  He did not make his bed, as tended to be the usual occurrence with him, walked to the kitchen while the floorboards squeaked.  They squeaked one after the other, louder and louder, almost as if they were screaming at him, trying to warn him of something, as if they were trying to warn him of the impending ugliness.  It was almost as they sobbing out high pitched words:

"Don’t go to the kitchen, stay in bed

Or it will get into your head."

And again

"Don’t go to the kitchen, stay in bed

Or it will get into your head."

It seemed as if the squeaking; their screaming and sobbing lasted for minutes on end, although they eventually stopped.  Their moans and warning were silenced by a fear, this fear which oozed through the floorboards just enough to shut them up, this fear, which knew all of his joys and pleasurable absurdities, this fear, which was so at the base of all of his anxieties, slowly followed him into the kitchen, as it did every day.  It was always there, even preceding the morning coffee, and just in time for the day’s first insecure thought.
His face always shied away from emotion, he did not, but his face and his body did not let out an ounce of it.  It’s always a shame when people mistake tortured men for stoics.  This body, devoid of emotion, went to the cabinets and pulled out to spotless mugs.  He poured coffee into the two irresistibly clean mugs and walked outside.  He sat on a green plastic chair on the veranda and waited, feeling exhausted.  Maybe breathing tired him out, maybe just living.  His neighbor was late; she told him she would have coffee with him that day.  He liked coffee, as much as he could like anything.  Chatting; not so much.

He could see her getting out of the house, confidently walking over the lawn with a cigarette in her mouth and sit down next to him.  “I see you just couldn’t wait to get outside.  It’s kind of alright outside, weather’s not too bad.”  It’s not that he didn’t want to respond to her, it’s that he didn’t know how without offending her, or at least thinking he had offended her.  He said nothing, just looked at her and nodded.  Melissa was quietly sipping her coffee.  The first time he saw her he thought she was a prostitute, or something of the sort, but it turns out she was the assistant manager at a grocery store, and not a particularly nice grocery store, either.  It was one of those grocery stores that had brands never heard of before and people who resembled those brands.  That grocery store she worked at; a sad creature it was, feeding on the dead souls, enticing them with a deli section half stocked shelves.  But getting back to the main point; they were sitting and enjoying their coffee.  He wanted to talk to her, to touch her breasts, but he didn’t want to ruin an already good day for him, or at least he didn’t want to think that he ruined it, for her at least.  Even if there was no dialogue between the two, he still liked that there was someone there next to him.  They finished their coffee and glanced at Dmitri’s canal one more time before they went their separate ways.  No one ever knew why it was called that.

She would see him later, or at least that’s what she said.  He went to lie down after that.  The fear again oozed from the floorboards, seeping through the room they came to him in flashes.  These warm flashes of darkness that precede every negative thought and self-doubt, these warm flashes, which felt a little bit like discouragement, like somebody telling him he wasn’t good enough, somebody close and dear, were periodically coming to him.  Lying covered with a thick blanket, he cringed, woefully he cringed at the flashes and the jumble of words they brought.  His mind was filled with words, arbitrary words he said throughout his lifetime, that were said to him throughout his lifetime.  Thousands of words every minute, hundreds every second, and each word’s context came to him also, every word uttered into his head made him cringe even worse.  It wasn’t the warm flashes of darkness, or even the words they brought, but rather the situations in which these words were said; their memories made his heart beat hard and darkened the shadows under his eyes.  He got up, and decided to go to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, that fear of his followed him.

Melissa came over the next day, she felt like having some more coffee in silence.  The door was unlocked, the fear wasn’t lingering there anymore inside of the house.  Two coffee mugs, unwashed, were present in the sink.  Dmitri was in the canal, in the bottom of the canal.  Melissa went home.

title: Dmitri's Canal (first short story, critique greatly appreciated!)

question: What is Dmitri's canal?

answer: Dmitri's canal is a foul-smelling canal that may or may not flow with sewage.

question: Who is Dmitri?

answer: Dmitri is the main character. He's tormented by a fear that seeps up through the floorboards. The canal is named Dmitri's canal; the characters indicate that nobody knows how the canal got that name.

question: What is the setting of the story?

answer: The story takes place in Dimitri's home.

question: Is there a conflict that takes place? Is it resolved?

answer: The conflict of the story is Dimitri's struggle against his fear, his despair, and his self-doubt. It seems he resolves his fear by committing suicide in the canal.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Dmitri is the main character. He's tormented by a fear that seeps up through the floorboards. He struggles with his fear, his despair, and his self-doubt. He meets daily with his neighbor Melissa, for coffee; he enjoys having someone to sit with, but not necessarily talk to. It seems he resolves his fear by committing suicide in the canal. The canal is named Dmitri's canal; the characters indicate that nobody knows how the canal got that name.


text: The man, who was known as Jim, woke up. He had a terrible headache. He tried to bring his hand to his forehead. Stuck. He tried again but nothing happened, as if he were tied up. He groaned and tried to focus on the situation. Damn, his head hurt. He looked at his body in shock, he was strapped in, lying on his back in a slightly tilted angle on the back seat of a car. Of course, he had been sent out to follow three apparent mafiosi but he'd somehow managed to get strapped shut back here, by probably one of them, with simple seat belts. Where was that bastard? He moved his head around in the small angle that he was able to. He was gone, they had crashed. He couldn't look outside from here. He tried to move, but the crash had only strapped him in tighter, the seat belts wouldn't stretch anymore. Had they just forgot about him? He tried to move more. A sudden pinch in his left hand. He swore. Painfully tilting his head, he looked at it. A small shard of glass stuck out. He looked around a little better. All the windows were broken and a long stick of hard metal stuck out between the two front seats. Also, there were many tiny holes in the back seat, what a waste of a car. He moved, more vigorously, not minding the pain the various glass shards cost him. “Hey!” He shouted. “Help!” But no response, instead a smell of fire. Jim's eyes widened and he looked at the front of the car. The car was tilted so that he could see it. The hood was gone and the engine was wrecked. He knew how they were supposed to work and this one was missing a lot of pieces, yet it was still running with an annoying slap slap slap sound. Worse, what was left of the turbine was on fire. Right next to the gas tank and spreading. This is bad, Jim thought, terrible. He twisted and turned as far as he could, panicking. His life depended on it, the glass sticking out of his legs and torso were suddenly insignificant. Finally, the seat belt closest to his head snapped. New hope arose, he could now move his arms again. If he got out, he could tell Mr. Y what had happened. He sat upright and brought his hands to the seat belt around his waist. He swore again. It wouldn't come loose. He was already crying from the smoke in the cabin. He poked his head as far through the window behind him as he could. “Help! Anybody!” He yelled, but there was nothing. Nothing but fire and car wrecks along the long way to Turin. He heard a hissing noise, like a serpent, and he looked back at the engine. His pupils dilated.

title: Imagine this happens on a long, empty road in Turin. (feedback would be appreciated)

question: Where had Jim gone?

answer: Jim was sent out to chase three apparent mafiosi.

question: Where was Jim stuck?

answer: Jim was stuck in the back of a tilted car. He was strapped there with the seat belts.

question: What happened to the turbine?

answer: The turbine of the car is on fire.

question: Did Jim manage to get out?

answer: No, Jim tried hard to get free from the seat belts but they didn't give way. The cabin filled with smoke and he saw the engine catching fire.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Jim woke up with a headache. He was stuck in the back seat of his overturned car and was strapped in by the seatbelts. He had gone chasing three Mafiosi but landed up here. Jim sees his car's turbine catching fire and the cabin gets filled with smoke. He tries to get out but the seat belt doesn't open. He hears a hissing sound from the engine and his pupils dilate.


text:
The folly of target="_blank"

Some web designers think their sites are so important that any external link must be opened in a new browser window and will use a variety of tricks to force these popups to happen. A particularly problematic practice is relying entirely on scripting for doing this, breaking links in the process:

    evil

    nasty

Besides being annoying, such links are completely non-functional for user agents that do not support scripting (this includes all search engine spiders I am aware of) or have it turned off. It's possible to keep the links functional with some additional script code or by using the deprecated target attribute:

    rude

However, no amount of clever (or stupid) tricks will change the fact that FORCING NEW WINDOWS TO OPEN IS DISRESPECTFUL AND HOSTILE to web site visitors. A number of usability studies have shown that experienced web users will find this behaviour annoying and that beginners will get confused by it.

Six years ago web usability expert Jakob Nielsen identified new browser windows as one of the top ten worst new web design mistakes. We're now far beyond the point where this can be called a "new" mistake. Usability consultant Carolyn Snyder explains why it's a problem for non-technical users in Seven tricks that web users don't know and offers this advice:

  Avoid spawning multiple browser windows if at all possible — taking the "Back" button away from users can make their experience so painful that it usually far outweighs whatever benefit you're trying to provide. One common theory in favor of spawning the second window is that it keeps users from leaving your site, but ironically it may have just the opposite effect by preventing them from returning when they want to.

Web-savvy users won't find all popups offensive, but extra browser windows are often undesirable and never necessary. Window management is a task that should be left to the user rather than the web designer or developer – everyone already know how to use the back button and experienced users are perfectly able to open new windows explicitly when desired, e.g. by shift-clicking on a link or using ctrl+n.

If you are using Firefox the default behaviour can be modified to consistently open links in the current window. As of Firefox 1.0.1 the default options dialog doesn't allow you to do this, although the relevant settings can be accessed through the browser by entering about:config in the location bar.

Locate browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs and set this value to true. The Advanced tab in the options dialog will now show a new option, FORCE LINKS THAT OPEN NEW WINDOWS TO OPEN IN, with a checkbox and two radio buttons. The user interface actually reflect the following setting (which can also be changed manually):

browser.link.open_newwindow
1
Open in the current window
2
Open in a new window (default)
3
Open in a new tab
browser.link.open_newwindow determines where links that would normally open in a new window are loaded. Changing it to 1 should not lead to any problems, although the browsing experience might not be entirely satisfactory on sites designed with little consideration for usability and accessibility. The behaviour can be tweaked through a second setting:

browser.link_open_newwindow.restriction
0
Divert everything (default)
1
Divert target="_blank" but not window.open
2
Divert everything except window.open with three parameters
In my experience keeping the number of new windows down also makes for somewhat faster browsing, especially if you have browser extensions that need to be initialized for every new window.

15 March, 2005

Similar journal entries:

-   rel="nofollow" links
-   A short note on HTML and XML terminology

question: What is one of the problematic practices some web designers engage in?

answer: Forcing an external link to open in a new browser window, i.e. a popup.

question: What is the narrator's view of web designers' attempt to force popups.

answer: The narrator considers it hostile and disrespectful.

question: What does web usability expert, Jakob Nielsen, considers one of the worst web design mistakes?

answer: Jakob Nielsen identifies new browser windows as one of the top 10 new web design mistakes.

question: What does the narrator want a web designer to leave to the user to decide?

answer: The narrator wants the web designer to leave window management tasks for the user to decide.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator believes devious web designers try to make web users stay on a site by making external links open in a different browser window. The narrator believes this practice of creating popups is hostile and disrespectful.

Jakob Nielsen, a top web usability expert, says new browser window is one of the top 10 mistakes in web design. The narrator states that web designers ought to leave window management task to the user.


text:
	Once when I was younger I came into the house bleeding from
the nose, staining my shirt a deep red.  Some got onto the hardwood
floor and also the carpet, which left a stain like someone had spilled
tomato soup or ketchup.  I was punished though I never knew why
and spent the rest of the day and that evening trying to remove it
but I couldn't.  Every time I saw that stain, and still do when I go
home, I remembered that day and how the neighbor kid punched me
in the face whereafter I tackled him and stuck his face in the snow.  I
remember the blood in his hair and against the white.  He got up and
ran home and I was angry so I tossed some ice which skidded against
his head.  We were both eight years old.  The next day we went
sledding.  There was a big hill at the high school where we always
went with hot cocoa, heavy boots and the cold wind which burnt my nose.

title: Nose

question: Were there repercussions for the narrator after they stained their floors with blood?

answer: Yes, he was punished presumably by his parents.

question: Why did the neighbor kid punch the narrator?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: What is the point the narrator is trying to make?

answer: That isn't clear. It just sounds like the narrator is reciting a memory from when they were eight years old.

question: What's the most positive part of the story/

answer: The narrator and the neighbor kid who assaulted him go sledding the next day and brought hot cocoa.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator recites a memory from when they were eight years old. He and a neighbor kid got into a fight which resulted in the narrator's bleeding nose. He stained his family's hardwood floors and carpet and was punished. Every time he sees the stain he is reminded of the incident.


text:
SPENCER OLIVER (born 27 March 1975) is an English former professional boxer. He was nicknamed “The Omen”.

Oliver won a silver medal for England in the bantamweight division at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.[1]

Professional career

From 1995 to 1998, Oliver competed as a professional. When he defeated Bulgaria's Martin Krastev in May 1997 he became the European (EBU) super bantamweight champion. He held onto the title for a year, defending it on three occasions with wins over Serge Poilblan, Vincenzo Belcastro and Fabrice Benichou.[2]

Injury

In May 1998 he sought to defend his title again with a bout against Sergey Devakov at Royal Albert Hall in London, which ended with Oliver suffering life-threatening injuries. Two minutes into the 10th round, Oliver was felled by a right hook and was counted out, the first loss of his career.[3] It then became apparent that Spencer was seriously injured, a blood clot had formed in his brain, caused by a blood vessel that had been torn from a blow he received earlier in the fight.[4] Spencer's cutman, Eddie Carter, is credited for saving his life, by instructing the paramedics to sedate the boxer in order to minimise the damage.[5] For 15 minutes he was treated in the ring by paramedics and supplied with oxygen, before being taken unconscious to Charing Cross Hospital. He was later transferred to a specialist neurology hospital and underwent a successful operation to remove the blood clot.[6]

Later life

Oliver now works as a pundit for Sky Sports and runs a boxing school in Edgware, London. He also hosts a boxing podcast with Jake Wood called _Pound for Pound_. [7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Spencer Oliver (boxer)

question: Who is Spencer Oliver?

answer: He is an English former professional boxer nicknamed "The Omen".

question: What did Oliver win in representing England?

answer: He won a silver medal in the bantamweight division at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

question: How long did Oliver's professional career span?

answer: Oliver competed as a professional from 1995 to 1998, and became the European super bantamweight champion when he beat Martin Krastev from Bulgaria in May 1997. He would hold this title for a year, winning three fights as champion.

question: How did Oliver get injured?

answer: In 1998 he tried to defend his title against Sergey Devakov at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but a right hook in the 10th round lost him the fight. It later became apparent that he was seriously injured and had formed a blood clot in his brain from a torn vessel. The injury nearly killed Oliver, and his cutman Eddie Carter is credited in saving his life, by directing the paramedics to sedate him to minimize damage while still in the ring.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Spencer Oliver was an English boxer and former European super bantamweight champion of the world. He won the silver medal for England at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.  His life was threatened in a fight against Sergey Devakov while defending his championship title. He suffered a torn vessel and subsequent blood clot in his brain from a head injury in the fight and was treated in the ring for 15 minutes before being taken to the hospital. His cutman, Eddie Carter, is credited in saving his life by directing the paramedics to sedate him to minimize damage.


text:
The BATTLE OF SVITLODARSK[1] was a battle in the War in Donbass near Svitlodarsk, Donetsk Oblast. It was described as the “bloodiest battle in 5 months”.[2]

The battle

It is unclear who initiated the heavy fighting near Svitlodarsk on 18 December 2016, with both sides accusing each other of starting the battle.[3] According to the Ukrainians, the separatists launched three attacks on Ukrainian positions, with all of them being repelled. During the fighting, the separatists reportedly conducted three rounds of shelling of Ukrainian positions, with each lasting three to six hours. The shelling was claimed to had originated from residential areas in the village of Kalynivka, and the towns of Vuhlehirsk and Debaltseve, which prevented the Ukrainian military from responding due to fear of inflicting potential civilian casualties.[4] Ukrainian forces also claimed to had advanced 1.5 kilometers near the village of Luhanske,[5] seizing a strategic height from the separatists,[6] Hill 223.[7] According to the separatists, the fighting started when they themselves came under attack by the Ukrainian military near Debaltseve, but managed to eventually repulse the assault.[8] According to a separatist LPR official, 40 Ukrainian soldiers conducted the attack, supported by heavy artillery fire, with 150 shells being fired near the village of Kalynivka.[9] In all, 2,900 explosions were recorded in the region during the day, most around Svitlodarsk.[10]

Later, it was reported that on 18 December, the Ukrainians seized four or possibly five other points on the left bank of the Hryazevskyi pond after launching their attack.[11]

Another separatist attack was reportedly repulsed on 20 December, when three groups of 3–5 fighters attempted to assault Ukrainian positions after a mortar attack.[12] On 22 December, separatist shelling left almost a dozen Ukrainian soldiers wounded,[13] while the LPR militia reported an attempted Ukrainian breakthrough by 50 soldiers and three IFVs near Debaltseve was repelled.[14] The next day, the Ukrainians stated a new separatist ground assault supported by shelling and armored vehicles was driven off.[15]

For the first time in six days, no fighting took place in the Svitlodarsk area on 24 December,[16] after a general ceasefire came into effect at midnight.[17]

Aftermath

On 24 December, the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE was forced to evacuate their patrol base in Svitlodarsk due to artillery attacks nearby. They returned on 26 December.[18]

On 25 December, the Ukrainian military and the separatists exchanged the bodies of two Ukrainian soldiers and two separatist fighters killed during the fighting at Svitlodarsk[19] in Shchastya.[20] The same day, a new round of shelling was reported in the Svitlodarsk area.[21]

On 28 December, the separatists reportedly deployed Grad MLRSs near the Svitlodarsk area.[22]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

title: Battle of Svitlodarsk

question: What was the Battle of Svitlodarsk?

answer: A battle in the War in Donbass.

question: Where was the Battle of Svitlodarsk?

answer: Near Svitlodarsk in Donetsk Oblast.

question: When did the Battle of Svitlodarsk begin?

answer: 18 December 2016.

question: Who initiated the fight?

answer: Both sides claim the other did.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the Battle of Svitlodarsk, a battle in the War in Donbass during 2016.


text:
In the Department of Theatre, we are responding to the challenges and opportunities of this time — reshaping our production plans to maximize safe and equitable access by students and audiences. In this response, we need to be flexible in both content and production dates. First semester, we will be presenting a Fall Online Series, crafted to educate students and engage audiences on new, digital stages. In the spring, we hope to return to a form of safe, in-person production in our theatres, and also to offer digital, live-streamed access to three powerful plays that speak uniquely to the realities of this time.

_PLEASE SEE THE 20-21 BROCHURE BELOW OR CLICK ON AN EVENT GRAPHIC FOR MORE INFORMATION. _

[The Plays of Suzan-Lori Parks] [Theatre, Virtually] [Nell Gwynn] [In the Blood] [Mother Courage and Her Children]

question: Why did the Department of Theater reshape production plans and offer online education / live-stream access to plays?

answer: Since their brochure is for 2020-21, the move is likely to ensure that their students and audience stay safe due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.


text:
* This is my first attempt at story writing, and I would really love any feedback! I'm very much willing to give feedback on others' stories, as well. Thanks in advance for reading.

It was the Saturday a few days after Christmas, and I was anxious about the evening. My old best friend from high school had messaged me a few weeks before, telling me to keep the Saturday before New Year’s open. He wanted to bring the old group back together, at least for one night. This friend had always been a little bit nostalgic for high school, in a way that I never was. I had never been sure if I liked the sarcastic group of friends of which I was a part. I was always on edge around them.

I took the train downtown, not wanting to drive in the snow. I showed up to my old friend’s apartment early, so we could play a few rounds of a hockey video game before heading to the hockey match we were going to attend with our other friends. When this friend and I were in high school, and before he had moved out, I would often go to his house after class to play games. We never went to my house; I wouldn’t have wanted it. My high school friends did not mix with my family, or with my church friends.

My friend lived alone in his fifth floor apartment downtown. I had only been here a few times, but had never liked the place—it was dated and dark, and very small. And now it was a mess: not an unsanitary mess, but full of dust, used plastic bottles, old receipts, empty bags of chips. A lot of clutter. I am not normally the type of person to impose on others’ lifestyles, but my friendship with this friend is of the kind where nothing is offensive. He watched me almost naively as I cleaned up his living room and kitchen. We bought a broom from the convenience store on the street below. It was already dark outside. We did still have time for one round of hockey.

The other friends had come together to the apartment. We were meeting up to head to the game by train. Everyone made their jokes about the fact that I had cleaned up, the jokes mostly at my friend’s expense, and not mine. They all knew I had sort of been avoiding them. I prefer to spend time with church friends nowadays.

We made it out of the apartment, across the street and onto a train without ever really greeting each other. The conversation went along as if it had never stopped during the years that we had seldom been together. This was as much to do with our mutual awkwardness as with our familiarity with each other. The dynamic in this social group was eccentric: I was somewhat central to the group, because my old best friend was the energy behind it, but I was also the Mormon, culturally separate from everyone else. Between high school and now I had spent two years away from home as a missionary. Nobody knows what to think about Mormons.

I wasn’t used to the relative coarseness of the conversation, after time away from everyone. Neither my church friends nor I use profanity or discuss alcohol. I withdrew a little into myself as we took our seats on the train. This did feel like high school again. As a teenager I had distanced myself somewhat from my religion. The intellectual adolescent wants to be distant from religion, because it symbolizes everything that is supposed to be anti-intellectual. He often finds that the end of a journey away from religion is usually also far from home, and from other good things.

At the next stop two girls I recognized, each about eighteen, stepped off the platform onto the train, out of the snow and the darkness. Their faces were bright, eyes wide as they huddled together toward their seats. I was surprised to see them in this urban setting. These were the kind of girls you would want to babysit your children. We greeted each other as they passed by. “They’re Mormon,” I explained to my friends. They understood; there is a natural kinship that goes along with being part of the Mormon world.

Our group arrived at the arena, and sat together, maybe eight or so of us. There was much discussion about buying beer: The limit was two per purchase. They had a better variety at one of the bars. Beer was particularly expensive at this arena. It was best to leave your seat to buy beer during commercial breaks, unless you could wait until the end of the period—Alcohol was something the appeal of which I had never understood, even in my period of religious doubt.

I watched the game quietly, without beer. I had not spoken much this evening. Anyway, it was hard to talk down the row. I spoke to my old friend who was sitting next to me. Earlier in the night I had gotten a text from a group of church friends who were going to see a late movie. It was a last minute sort of thing. I didn’t know who might be there; the assortment was always different. On the way to the game I had told my friend about it. He knew me well enough to realize why I was telling him about it. If I left the hockey game early I could make it to the movie. I have been more this way since returning home from my mission a couple of years ago.

The home team was leading, the second period of three ended. I stood up to make my way out. “You’re leaving?” My friends were only a little surprised, because leaving things early had never been totally out of character for me. I felt apologetic, but something compelled me. I left the arena and boarded a train.

I was greeted with smiles at the theater, when I met up with these other friends, friends whom I had only known for a year or two. Their warmth had recently begun to draw me out of my introversion. There is a security that comes from earnestness. I remembered, as I walked into the movie, the words of another churchgoer who had returned from religious disaffection, whose particular circumstances I cannot remember but whose feelings I will always understand most deeply, because they vindicated my choice to be reconciled: I needed to be with *my people*.

title: With My People [1100 words]

question: Why does the narrator feel out of place with his school friends?

answer: He wasn't comfortable among his friends because they were sarcastic.

question: Where was he going?

answer: He was going to watch a hockey match with other friends.

question: Explain why the meetup seemed just like school times?

answer: The meetup felt like school times as the narrator withdrew into himself as he used to earlier.

question: Does the narrator stay till the end of the game?

answer: No, he does not. His church friends were going to watch a movie and the narrator eventually leaves the match and joins them.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator is a Mormon who feels distanced from his school friends. When they meet up for a hockey game, he initially keeps to himself. Halfway through the match, he decides to head to a movie with his church friends and leaves the match.

He joins his church friends at the movie and feels good there. He considers them his people.


text:
The uBrush - customization of your brush, the way you want it, for an affordable price. This brush consists of two pieces that can be interchanged to create the look you want.

You can add a washer to this order that makes knot installation slightly easier. You will first glue in the washer to the top piece, then glue in the brush on top of the washer. I would recommend this option. The washer comes loose and not attached.

Back to uBrush

question: What can a savvy consumer glean from the article about the installation of the uBrush?

answer: It seems to be a bit complicated to install.


text:
When the curious man was offered the chance live out exactly how far humanity evolves he had to take it. As the procedure began he relished a feeling that had always been one he reveled in.

He was now exceedingly curious.

When they opened his mind he began to see all of humanity as he knew it aging and evolving on Earth. He didn't evolve, instead he was there, just observing, sating his curiosity.

He was now extremely curious.

He saw the Earth becoming over-populated. It was ok though, space travel allowed him to travel outside our realms.

He was now delightfully curious.

As humanity continued to expand all throughout the universe he saw things that were unexplainable to him. He saw the stars being harnessed for un-limited amounts of energy, he saw humanity curing all diseases and, most fascinating, he saw our shapes change as evolution occurred over a period of years he couldn't fathom.

He was now cautiously curious.

He saw people change over time into things that looked alien to him. They were not only more advanced politically and economically, but also physically. With disease being cured they could live forever.

He was now dreadfully curious.

Trillions of years had passed before him at this point when everything started to darken. All of the hopeful feelings he felt dissipated as the void swallowed the universe and the curious man along with it. All he could see now was a tiny form in a vast expanse of black.

He was now fearfully curious.

The form was virtually un-recognizable to him. It was just a small, wheezing creature with a thin layer of membrane covering its vital organs.

He was now grimly curious.

He approached the creature but dared not touch it. A thin layer of mucus covered the tiny shape's body, leaving it there dripping wet. It made a sickening sound that repulsed the curious man.

He was now morbidly curious.

Against his better judgement he reached a hand down to flip the creature over. Mucus dripped from his fingers but it had a consistency to it that he had never felt before.

He was now alarmingly curious.

Once he flipped the form over he saw a face. The only thing that puzzled him was the face looked familiar to him for some reason even though it lacked any recognizably human characteristics. He picked up the creature to try and help it.

He was now sickeningly curious.

As he stood there holding the creature he watched it wheeze its final breath and die, almost as if it was trying to communicate with him.

At this the man was no longer curious.

He is now only alone, for the wheezing shape was the last human child to ever be born and contact with the curious man had killed it.

title: The Curious Man- sci-fi short story

question: Who is the man in the story?

answer: It is unclear who he is

question: How did Earth deal with overpopulation?

answer: Traveling elsewhere in space

question: What was the creature that the man saw?

answer: The last human child to be born

question: Where did the last human child come from?

answer: It is unclear where it came from.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: A curious man observes as the world evolves. Humanity begins space travel and harnessing the energy of stars. Humans advance in all ways possible, to the point of not seeming human. A small creature appears. The man tries to help it. It is the last human child to be born, and the curious man had killed it.


text:
Our Story

Toucan Diversity Training Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation that provides equality training in order to promote social inclusion for disabled people. We are an award-winning, user-led social enterprise based in Portsmouth.

Our training is designed and delivered by our team of accredited disabled trainers who will share their lived experience of a disability.

Employees at all levels of your organisation probably need to be better informed about disability, including the practical issues that might arise.

Disability Equality Training will extend their understanding and
help them capitalise on the value that disabled customers and employees bring.

For more information and fees please get in touch.

[Sally Phillips at the top of the Spinnaker Tower preparing to abseil]

meet Our amazing trainers

About our training Team

Our training is designed and delivered by an accredited team of disabled trainers.  They are accredited to Level 3 in Education and Training. Our trainers will help your staff gain the confidence and awareness to work with and assist your disabled staff members or clients effectively.

Disability Equality Training

20% of the UK population has some kind of impairment.  Disability equality training is therefore, vital for anyone working in any industry.  Our  disabled trainers will help you to make practical changes to ensure all people are included and treated equally

Disability Awareness Training

Toucan Diversity currently offer disability awareness training on various impairments, including visual impairment, autism and Invisible Impairment. Our awareness sessions are facilitated by accredited trainers, who have direct and personal experience of the impairment they focus on.

Autism Awareness Training

About 700,000 people in the UK live with autism. This will include your employees, colleagues, customers, pupils and service users. Our training aims to give participants a basic understanding of how people with autism relate to the world around them.

Visual Impairment Training

In the UK, almost 2 million people are living with sight loss. Of these, around 360,000 are registered blind or partially sighted. This will include your employees, colleagues, customers, pupils or service users.

Invisible Disability Awareness

Invisible disabilities are impairments that are not immediately physically visible. It is estimated that around 80% of the UK’s disabled population have invisible disabilities. This training aims to…

Inclusive Employment

Disabled people face discrimination when looking for employment. Though there have been improvements, disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed than non-disabled people. Disabled people who find a job are likely to be paid less than….

Endorsed by:

Connect

question: What is Toucan Diversity Training?

answer: Toucan Diversity Training is a not-for-profit organization that provides equality training in order to promote social inclusion for disable people.

question: What will Disability Equality Training do?

answer: The training will extend a company's understanding of their disabled customers and employees, and help them capitalize on the value they bring.

question: What percentage of the UK population has an impairment?

answer: 20% of the UK population has some kind of impairment.

question: How many training programs does Toucan Diversity offer?

answer: Toucan Diversity offers programs for visual impairment, autism, and Invisible Impairment.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is a description of Toucan Diversity Training, a not-for-profit organization that provides equality training in order to promote social inclusion for disabled people. Toucan offers training programs for visual impairment, autism, and Invisible Impairment.


text:
NO. 7644 (VR) PUBLIC RELATIONS SQUADRON, ROYAL AUXILIARY AIR FORCE is a unit of the British Royal Air Force. The VR designation indicates the unit's history as part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). The squadron's role is to provide Media Operations (military speak for public relations) support for RAF and NATO forces world-wide in times of peace and war.[1] The unit is based at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire.

History

What was to become No. 7644 Squadron was the 1940 brainchild of Lord Beaverbrook. The government of the time identified the need to keep the public informed about the war, giving the hard facts, but also introducing servicemen and women telling their own stories. It was realised that the reporters covering the stories needed to be guided by people with dual expertise.[2]

Lord Beaverbrook's idea was to find information experts with a service background or interest and ask them to become officers in each of the Armed Forces. Almost everyone approached volunteered and so was formed the first specialist public relations unit in the RAFVR.[3]

After the war, the RAF recognised the benefits of maintaining a small number of journalists in uniform. After being part of other units, these PR specialists became No. 7644 (VR) Public Relations Squadron RAuxAF at the amalgamation of the RAFVR and the RAuxAF on 5 April 1997.[4]

Role

[Ex BERSAMA LIMA 2019 m358]

Media Operations

The RAF has full-time officers serving in communications, notably at No. 7644 Squadron's headquarters unit, Media & Communication Group at Air Command, RAF High Wycombe. No. 7644 Squadron personnel support these professionals whenever required. The role might be to organise a one-off media facility, or provide longer term effort by standing in as a Corporate Communications Officer at an RAF Station, or running a Media Operations unit on a Deployed Operating Base, as for example during the Iraq War.

Using its journalist's skills, the squadron prepares a large number of news releases, 'home town stories' on serving personnel, and video and audio news releases for the media. Often exercises and operations in the Royal Air Force happen at short notice, and in distant parts of the world. Organising a full press trip may not be possible, or affordable, so No. 7644 Squadron can provide the personnel and equipment to gather material which is sent out to media at home for them to make their own stories out of.

Media Training

The Royal Air Force is keen to promote its image, and develop a reputation for being open and honest. To achieve this, officers of all ranks need a range of media training and particularly interview training. This gives them the confidence to agree to interview requests from the media, and be able to answer questions directly in a friendly manner, supported by appropriately trained specialist media staff. No. 7644 Squadron provides a range of media training, supporting units such as the Media Operations Training unit based at RAF Halton, the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

'Simpress'

In order to give RAF personnel a chance to experience contact with the media, No. 7644 Squadron officers act as 'simulated' press at exercises, to provide an authentic and robust experience of what it is like to be a subject in front of the microphone or camera. These can be small events, or major exercises involving hundreds of personnel over several days, of which the media and public relations element will only be a small part. An important element is being fair, but robust in questioning, and preparing individuals for what may be difficult encounters with reporters.

Other media and publications

No. 7644 Squadron produces various individual pieces of work ranging from magazines and other publications, to video productions.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: No. 7644 Squadron RAF

question: Summarize what the passage says about "VR".

answer: "VR" is short for "Volunteer Reserve" and refers to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Civilian professionals are recruited to squadrons for one-off or long-term duties that support full-time officers. The volunteers are official RAF officers.

question: What does the passage say about newsletters?

question: Summarize what the passage says about media training.

answer: Media training is provided to RAF officers of all ranks to ensure the RAF conveys an image of openness and honesty. The volunteer public relations squadron act as members of the press during exercises that train officers in dealing with the media, particularly in dealing with potentially difficult encounters. The aim of media training is to give officers confidence to deal with the media in a friendly and open manner.

question: What does the passage say about the army?


text:
JULIA ANNA PRZYŁĘBSKA (born JULIA ANNA ŻMUDZIŃSKA 16 November 1959) is a Polish lawyer and judge, and the current President of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland since December 2016.

Judicial career

In 1982 she graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. During her studies she was a member of the Independent Students' Association.

From 1984 to 1998 she was a judge trainee and an associate judge at the Regional Court in Poznań. From 1988 to 1991 she served as a judge at a District Court in Poznań, in the Civil Department.

From 1991 to 1998 she served as a delegated judge, then as a judge at the Regional Court in Poznań in the Social Insurances Department. From 1990 to 1992 she was the Head of Employees’ Council at the Regional Court in Poznań. From 1990 to 1997 she was a member and the deputy chairman of the Regional Electoral Commission in Poznań.

From 1998 to 2001, having resigned from the bench, she served in diplomacy as a consul and diplomat – counselor of the embassy at the Polish Embassy in Cologne and Berlin.

From 2001 to 2003 she resumed service as a judge at the Regional Court in Poznań. She was appointed by President of the Republic of Poland despite obtaining a negative opinion from the authorities of Regional Court in Poznań.[1] The opinion was based on numerous errors in issuing verdicts, high number of overturned verdicts and high absence from work.

From 2003 to 2007, having resigned from the bench once more, she served again in diplomacy as a diplomat – counselor of the embassy at the Polish Embassy in Berlin.

As a representative of the Polish Embassy she was a member of the negotiating team handling compensation for forced labour. She was responsible for cooperation of the Public Interest Commissioner with the Stasi Records Agency – she established contact between these bodies and later she coordinated cooperation with the Institute of National Remembrance. She was a member of the Division for Acquisition of Information at the Archive in Arolsen. In 2006 she was responsible for the restoration of a real estate in Berlin, which the Polish government purchased in 1939 to build there the Polish Institute. She prepared legal analyses for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning national and international law. From 2005 to 2007 she coordinated talks concerning compensations for victims of Nazi crimes and granting the Polish diaspora, Polonia, minority status in (Germany).

She received a medal from the Association of Jewish Veterans and Victims of the Second World War.

In 2007 she resumed her service as a judge at the Regional Court in Poznań in the VIII Social Security Department. Since 2009 she was the deputy chairwoman of the Department and since 1 July 2015 she was the chairwoman of the Labour Law and Social Security Department.

She participated in European internships and conferences on national and European law.

In December 2015, with the recommendation of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, she was elected as a member of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland. On 21 December 2016, the President of the Republic of Poland appointed her the President of the Constitutional Tribunal.

In a quasi-unanimous decision published on 23 October 2020, the Tribunal ruled unconstitutional[2] the provision of the 1993 Act permitting abortion when the fetus is predicted to have a “disability or incurable illness”,[3] a landmark decision marking the influence of Catholic teaching on the court, but one that has led to large-scale protests and social unrest in many Polish cities.

Private life

She is married to Andrzej Przyłębski, currently an ambassador to Germany.[4] They have two sons.[5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]  Netzwerk EBD|last=Poncelet|first=Tim|date=2016-08-10|website=|language=de|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-29}}

title: Julia Przyłębska

question: Who is Julia Przylebska?

answer: Julia Przylebska is a Polish lawyer and judge, and the current President of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland since December 2016.

question: In the years 2005-2007, what was Julia involved in?

answer: She coordinated talks concerning compensations for victims of Nazi crimes and granting the Polish diaspora, Polonia, minority status in Germany.

question: What medal did she receive?

answer: She received a medal from the Association of Jewish Veterans and Victims of the Second World War.

question: In 2015, she was elected as a member to what?

answer: She was elected as a member of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland, and later became the president.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Julia Przylebska is a Polish lawyer and judge, and the current President of the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland since December 2016.


text:
POLYPROPYLENE (PP), also known as POLYPROPENE, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.

Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins and is partially crystalline and non-polar. Its properties are similar to polyethylene, but it is slightly harder and more heat resistant. It is a white, mechanically rugged material and has a high chemical resistance.[1]

BIO-PP is the bio-based counterpart of polypropylene (PP).[2][3]

Polypropylene is the second-most widely produced commodity plastic (after polyethylene). In 2019, the global market for polypropylene was worth $126.03 billion.[4] Revenues are expected to exceed US$145 billion by 2019. The sales of this material are forecast to grow at a rate of 5.8% per year until 2021.[5]

History

Phillips Petroleum chemists J. Paul Hogan and Robert Banks first demonstrated the polymerization of propylene in 1951.[6] The stereoselective polymerization to the isotactic was discovered by Giulio Natta and Karl Rehn in March 1954.[7] This pioneering discovery led to large-scale commercial production of isotactic polypropylene by the Italian firm Montecatini from 1957 onwards.[8] Syndiotactic polypropylene was also first synthesized by Natta.

Chemical and physical properties

[Micrograph of polypropylene]

Polypropylene is in many aspects similar to polyethylene, especially in solution behaviour and electrical properties. The methyl group improves mechanical properties and thermal resistance, although the chemical resistance decreases.[9] The properties of polypropylene depend on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, crystallinity, type and proportion of comonomer (if used) and the isotacticity.[10] In isotactic polypropylene, for example, the methyl groups are oriented on one side of the carbon backbone. This arrangement creates a greater degree of crystallinity and results in a stiffer material that is more resistant to creep than both atactic polypropylene and polyethylene.[11]

Mechanical properties

The density of (PP) is between 0.895 and 0.92 g/cm³. Therefore, PP is the commodity plastic with the lowest density. With lower density, moldings parts with lower weight and more parts of a certain mass of plastic can be produced. Unlike polyethylene, crystalline and amorphous regions differ only slightly in their density. However, the density of polyethylene can significantly change with fillers.[12]

The Young's modulus of PP is between 1300 and 1800 N/mm².

Polypropylene is normally tough and flexible, especially when copolymerized with ethylene. This allows polypropylene to be used as an engineering plastic, competing with materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Polypropylene is reasonably economical.

Polypropylene has good resistance to fatigue.[13]

Thermal properties

The melting point of _polypropylene_ occurs in a range, so the melting point is determined by finding the highest temperature of a differential scanning calorimetry chart. Perfectly isotactic PP has a melting point of . Commercial isotactic PP has a melting point that ranges from , depending on atactic material and crystallinity. Syndiotactic PP with a crystallinity of 30% has a melting point of .[14] Below 0 °C, PP becomes brittle.[15]

The thermal expansion of PP is very large, but somewhat less than that of polyethylene.[16]

Chemical properties

Polypropylene at room temperature is resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents, apart from strong oxidants. Non-oxidizing acids and bases can be stored in containers made of PP. At elevated temperature, PP can be dissolved in nonpolar solvents such as xylene, tetralin and decalin. Due to the tertiary carbon atom PP is chemically less resistant than PE (see Markovnikov rule).[17]

Most commercial polypropylene is isotactic and has an intermediate level of crystallinity between that of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Isotactic & atactic polypropylene is soluble in _p_-xylene at 140 °C. Isotactic precipitates when the solution is cooled to 25 °C and atactic portion remains soluble in _p_-xylene.

The melt flow rate (MFR) or melt flow index (MFI) is a measure of molecular weight of polypropylene. The measure helps to determine how easily the molten raw material will flow during processing. Polypropylene with higher MFR will fill the plastic mold more easily during the injection or blow-molding production process. As the melt flow increases, however, some physical properties, like impact strength, will decrease.

There are three general types of polypropylene: homopolymer, random copolymer, and block copolymer. The comonomer is typically used with ethylene. Ethylene-propylene rubber or EPDM added to polypropylene homopolymer increases its low temperature impact strength. Randomly polymerized ethylene monomer added to polypropylene homopolymer decreases the polymer crystallinity, lowers the melting point and makes the polymer more transparent. It is theoretically possible to add an agent that strengthens the fibers before they degrade too far to enable the removal of the mesh. This idea has not been tested or verified. The concept is not dissimilar to adding super glue to a spiderweb so that it doesn't fall apart when removed from its place of creation. If this concept is approved it could help many who have had their lives change with the degradation of vaginal pelvic meshes.

Molecular structure – tacticity

[]

Polypropylene can be categorized as atactic polypropylene (PP-at), syndiotactic polypropylene (PP-st) and isotactic polypropylene (PP-it). In case of atactic polypropylene, the methyl group (-CH₃) is randomly aligned, alternating (alternating) for syndiotactic polypropylene and evenly for isotactic polypropylene. This has an impact on the crystallinity (amorphous or semi-crystalline) and the thermal properties (expressed as glass transition point Tg and melting point Tm).

The term tacticity describes for polypropylene how the methyl group is oriented in the polymer chain. Commercial polypropylene is usually isotactic. This article therefore always refers to isotactic polypropylene, unless stated otherwise. The tacticity is usually indicated in percent, using the isotactic index (according to DIN 16774). The index is measured by determining the fraction of the polymer insoluble in boiling heptane. Commercially available polypropylenes usually have an isotactic index between 85 and 95%. The tacticity effects the polymers physical properties. As the methyl group is in isotactic propylene consistently located at the same side, it forces the macromolecule in a helical shape, as also found in starch. An isotactic structure leads to a semi-crystalline polymer. The higher the isotacticity (the isotactic fraction), the greater the crystallinity, and thus also the softening point, rigidity, e-modulus and hardness.[18]

Atactic polypropylene, on the other hand, lacks any regularity which makes it unable to crystallize and amorphous.

Crystal structure of polypropylene

Isotactic polypropylene has a high degree of crystallinity, in industrial products 30–60%. Syndiothactic polypropylene is slightly less crystalline, atactic PP is amorphous (not crystalline).[19]

Isotactic polypropylene (iPP)

Isotactic polypropylene can exist in various crystalline modifications which differ by the molecular arrangement of the polymer chains. The crystalline modifications are categorized into the α-, β- and γ-modification as well as mesomorphic (smectic) forms.[20] The α-modification is predominant in iPP. Such crystals are built from lamellae in the form of folded chains. A characteristic anomaly is that the lamellae are arranged in the so-called “cross-hatched” structure.[21] The melting point of α-crystalline regions is given as 185[22][23] to 220 °C,[24][25] the density as 0.936 to 0.946 g·cm−3.[26][27] The β-modification is in comparison somewhat less ordered, as a result of which it forms faster[28][29] and has a lower melting point of 170 to 200 °C.[30][31][32][33] The formation of the β-modification can be promoted by nucleating agents, suitable temperatures and shear stress.[34][35] The γ-modification is hardly formed under the conditions used in industry and is poorly understood. The mesomorphic modification, however, occurs often in industrial processing, since the plastic is usually cooled quickly. The degree of order of the mesomorphic phase ranges between the crystalline and the amorphous phase, its density is with 0.916 g·cm−3 comparatively. The mesomorphic phase is considered as cause for the transparency in rapidly cooled films (due to low order and small crystallites).[36]

Syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP)

Syndiotactic polypropylene was discovered much later than isotactic PP and could only be prepared by using metallocene catalysts. Syndiotactic PP has a lower melting point, with 161 to 186 °C, depending on the degree of tacticity.[37][38][39]

Atactic polypropylene (aPP)

Atactic polypropylene is amorphous and has therefore no crystal structure. Due to its lack of crystallinity, it is readily soluble even at moderate temperatures, which allows to separate it as by-product from isotactic polypropylene by extraction. However, the aPP obtained this way is not completely amorphous but can still contain 15% crystalline parts. Atactic polypropylene can also be produced selectively using metallocene catalysts, atactic polypropylene produced this way has a considerably higher molecular weight.[40]

Atactic polypropylene has lower density, melting point and softening temperature than the crystalline types and is tacky and rubber-like at room temperature. It is a colorless, cloudy material and can be used between −15 and +120 °C. Atactic polypropylene is used as a sealant, as an insulating material for automobiles and as an additive to bitumen.[41]

Copolymers

Polypropylene copolymers are in use as well. A particularly important one is POLYPROPYLENE RANDOM COPOLYMER (PPR or PP-R), a random copolymer with polyethylene used for plastic pipework.

PP-RCT

POLYPROPYLENE RANDOM CRISTALLINITY TEMPERATURE (PP-RCT), also used for plastic pipework, is a new form of this plastic. It achieves higher strength at high temperature by β-crystallization.[42]

Degradation

[Effect of UV exposure on polypropylene rope] Polypropylene is liable to chain degradation from exposure to temperatures above 100 °C. Oxidation usually occurs at the tertiary carbon centers leading to chain breaking via reaction with oxygen. In external applications, degradation is evidenced by cracks and crazing. It may be protected by the use of various polymer stabilizers, including UV-absorbing additives and anti-oxidants such as phosphites (e.g. tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite) and hindered phenols, which prevent polymer degradation.[43]

Microbial communities isolated from soil samples mixed with starch have been shown to be capable of degrading polypropylene.[44] Polypropylene has been reported to degrade while in human body as implantable mesh devices. The degraded material forms a tree bark-like layer at the surface of mesh fibers.[45]

Optical properties

PP can be made translucent when uncolored but is not as readily made transparent as polystyrene, acrylic, or certain other plastics. It is often opaque or colored using pigments.

Production

Polypropylene is produced by the chain-growth polymerization of propene:

[]

The industrial production processes can be grouped into gas phase polymerization, bulk polymerization and slurry polymerization. All state-of-the-art processes use either gas-phase or bulk reactor systems.[46]

-   In gas-phase and slurry-reactors, the polymer is formed around heterogeneous catalyst particles. The gas-phase polymerization is carried out in a fluidized bed reactor, propene is passed over a bed containing the heterogeneous (solid) catalyst and the formed polymer is separated as a fine powder and then converted into pellets. Unreacted gas is recycled and fed back into the reactor.
-   In bulk polymerization, liquid propene acts as a solvent to prevent the precipitation of the polymer. The polymerization proceeds at 60 to 80 °C and 30–40 atm are applied to keep the propene in the liquid state. For the bulk polymerization, typically loop reactors are applied. The bulk polymerization is limited to a maximum of 5% ethene as comonomer due to a limited solubility of the polymer in the liquid propene.
-   In the slurry polymerization, typically C4–C6 alkanes (butane, pentane or hexane) are utilized as inert diluent to suspend the growing polymer particles. Propene is introduced into the mixture as a gas.

The properties of PP are strongly affected by its tacticity, the orientation of the methyl groups () relative to the methyl groups in neighboring monomer units (see above). The tacticity of polypropylene can be chosen by the choice of an appropriate catalyst.

Catalysts

The properties of PP are strongly affected by its tacticity, the orientation of the methyl groups ( in the figure) relative to the methyl groups in neighboring monomer units. A Ziegler–Natta catalyst is able to restrict linking of monomer molecules to a specific orientation, either isotactic, when all methyl groups are positioned at the same side with respect to the backbone of the polymer chain, or syndiotactic, when the positions of the methyl groups alternate. Commercially available isotactic polypropylene is made with two types of Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The first group of the catalysts encompasses solid (mostly supported) catalysts and certain types of soluble metallocene catalysts. Such isotactic macromolecules coil into a helical shape; these helices then line up next to one another to form the crystals that give commercial isotactic polypropylene many of its desirable properties.

[A ball-and-stick model of syndiotactic polypropylene.]

Another type of metallocene catalysts produce syndiotactic polypropylene.[47] These macromolecules also coil into helices (of a different type) and crystallize. Atactic polypropylene is an amorphous rubbery material. It can be produced commercially either with a special type of supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst or with some metallocene catalysts.

Modern supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts developed for the polymerization of propylene and other 1-alkenes to isotactic polymers usually use as an active ingredient and as a support.[48][49][50] The catalysts also contain organic modifiers, either aromatic acid esters and diesters or ethers. These catalysts are activated with special cocatalysts containing an organoaluminum compound such as Al(C₂H₅)₃ and the second type of a modifier. The catalysts are differentiated depending on the procedure used for fashioning catalyst particles from MgCl₂ and depending on the type of organic modifiers employed during catalyst preparation and use in polymerization reactions. Two most important technological characteristics of all the supported catalysts are high productivity and a high fraction of the crystalline isotactic polymer they produce at 70–80 °C under standard polymerization conditions. Commercial synthesis of isotactic polypropylene is usually carried out either in the medium of liquid propylene or in gas-phase reactors.

Commercial synthesis of syndiotactic polypropylene is carried out with the use of a special class of metallocene catalysts. They employ bridged bis-metallocene complexes of the type bridge-(Cp₁)(Cp₂)ZrCl₂ where the first Cp ligand is the cyclopentadienyl group, the second Cp ligand is the fluorenyl group, and the bridge between the two Cp ligands is -CH₂-CH₂-, >SiMe₂, or >SiPh₂.[51] These complexes are converted to polymerization catalysts by activating them with a special organoaluminum cocatalyst, methylaluminoxane (MAO).[52]

Industrial processes

Traditionally, three manufacturing processes are the most representative ways to produce polypropylene.[53]

Hydrocarbon slurry or suspension: Uses a liquid inert hydrocarbon diluent in the reactor to facilitate transfer of propylene to the catalyst, the removal of heat from the system, the deactivation/removal of the catalyst as well as dissolving the atactic polymer. The range of grades that could be produced was very limited. (The technology has fallen into disuse).

Bulk slurry (or bulk): Uses liquid propylene instead of liquid inert hydrocarbon diluent. The polymer does not dissolve into a diluent, but rather rides on the liquid propylene. The formed polymer is withdrawn and any unreacted monomer is flashed off.

Gas phase: Uses gaseous propylene in contact with the solid catalyst, resulting in a fluidized-bed medium.

Manufacturing from polypropylene

Melting process of polypropylene can be achieved via extrusion and molding. Common extrusion methods include production of melt-blown and spun-bond fibers to form long rolls for future conversion into a wide range of useful products, such as face masks, filters, diapers and wipes.

The most common shaping technique is injection molding, which is used for parts such as cups, cutlery, vials, caps, containers, housewares, and automotive parts such as batteries. The related techniques of blow molding and injection-stretch blow molding are also used, which involve both extrusion and molding.

The large number of end-use applications for polypropylene are often possible because of the ability to tailor grades with specific molecular properties and additives during its manufacture. For example, antistatic additives can be added to help polypropylene surfaces resist dust and dirt. Many physical finishing techniques can also be used on polypropylene, such as machining. Surface treatments can be applied to polypropylene parts in order to promote adhesion of printing ink and paints.

Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) has been produced through both solid and melt state processing. EPP is manufactured using melt processing with either chemical or physical blowing agents. Expansion of PP in solid state, due to its highly crystalline structure, has not been successful. In this regard, two novel strategies were developed for expansion of PP. It was observed that PP can be expanded to make EPP through controlling its crystalline structure or through blending with other polymers.[54][55]

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP)

When polypropylene film is extruded and stretched in both the machine direction and across machine direction it is called _biaxially oriented polypropylene_. Biaxial orientation increases strength and clarity.[56] BOPP is widely used as a packaging material for packaging products such as snack foods, fresh produce and confectionery. It is easy to coat, print and laminate to give the required appearance and properties for use as a packaging material. This process is normally called converting. It is normally produced in large rolls which are slit on slitting machines into smaller rolls for use on packaging machines.

Applications

[Polypropylene lid of a Tic Tac box, with a living hinge and the resin identification code under its flap]

As polypropylene is resistant to fatigue, most plastic living hinges, such as those on flip-top bottles, are made from this material. However, it is important to ensure that chain molecules are oriented across the hinge to maximise strength.

Polypropylene is used in the manufacturing of piping systems, both ones concerned with high purity and ones designed for strength and rigidity (e.g., those intended for use in potable plumbing, hydronic heating and cooling, and reclaimed water).[57] This material is often chosen for its resistance to corrosion and chemical leaching, its resilience against most forms of physical damage, including impact and freezing, its environmental benefits, and its ability to be joined by heat fusion rather than gluing.[58][59][60]

[A polypropylene chair]

Many plastic items for medical or laboratory use can be made from polypropylene because it can withstand the heat in an autoclave. Its heat resistance also enables it to be used as the manufacturing material of consumer-grade kettles. Food containers made from it will not melt in the dishwasher, and do not melt during industrial hot filling processes. For this reason, most plastic tubs for dairy products are polypropylene sealed with aluminum foil (both heat-resistant materials). After the product has cooled, the tubs are often given lids made of a less heat-resistant material, such as LDPE or polystyrene. Such containers provide a good hands-on example of the difference in modulus, since the rubbery (softer, more flexible) feeling of LDPE with respect to polypropylene of the same thickness is readily apparent. Rugged, translucent, reusable plastic containers made in a wide variety of shapes and sizes for consumers from various companies such as Rubbermaid and Sterilite are commonly made of polypropylene, although the lids are often made of somewhat more flexible LDPE so they can snap onto the container to close it. Polypropylene can also be made into disposable bottles to contain liquid, powdered, or similar consumer products, although HDPE and polyethylene terephthalate are commonly also used to make bottles. Plastic pails, car batteries, wastebaskets, pharmacy prescription bottles, cooler containers, dishes and pitchers are often made of polypropylene or HDPE, both of which commonly have rather similar appearance, feel, and properties at ambient temperature. A diversity of medical devices are made from PP.[61]

[Polypropylene items for laboratory use, blue and orange closures are not made of polypropylene.]

A common application for polypropylene is as biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). These BOPP sheets are used to make a wide variety of materials including clear bags. When polypropylene is biaxially oriented, it becomes crystal clear and serves as an excellent packaging material for artistic and retail products.

Polypropylene, highly colorfast, is widely used in manufacturing carpets, rugs and mats to be used at home.[62]

Polypropylene is widely used in ropes, distinctive because they are light enough to float in water.[63] For equal mass and construction, polypropylene rope is similar in strength to polyester rope. Polypropylene costs less than most other synthetic fibers.

Polypropylene is also used as an alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as insulation for electrical cables for LSZH cable in low-ventilation environments, primarily tunnels. This is because it emits less smoke and no toxic halogens, which may lead to production of acid in high-temperature conditions.

Polypropylene is also used in particular roofing membranes as the waterproofing top layer of single-ply systems as opposed to modified-bit systems.

Polypropylene is most commonly used for plastic moldings, wherein it is injected into a mold while molten, forming complex shapes at relatively low cost and high volume; examples include bottle tops, bottles, and fittings.

It can also be produced in sheet form, widely used for the production of stationery folders, packaging, and storage boxes. The wide color range, durability, low cost, and resistance to dirt make it ideal as a protective cover for papers and other materials. It is used in Rubik's Cube stickers because of these characteristics.

The availability of sheet polypropylene has provided an opportunity for the use of the material by designers. The light-weight, durable, and colorful plastic makes an ideal medium for the creation of light shades, and a number of designs have been developed using interlocking sections to create elaborate designs.

Polypropylene sheets are a popular choice for trading card collectors; these come with pockets (nine for standard-size cards) for the cards to be inserted and are used to protect their condition and are meant to be stored in a binder.

Expanded polypropylene (EPP) is a foam form of polypropylene. EPP has very good impact characteristics due to its low stiffness; this allows EPP to resume its shape after impacts. EPP is extensively used in model aircraft and other radio controlled vehicles by hobbyists. This is mainly due to its ability to absorb impacts, making this an ideal material for RC aircraft for beginners and amateurs.

Polypropylene is used in the manufacture of loudspeaker drive units. Its use was pioneered by engineers at the BBC and the patent rights subsequently purchased by Mission Electronics for use in their Mission Freedom Loudspeaker and Mission 737 Renaissance loudspeaker.

Polypropylene fibres are used as a concrete additive to increase strength and reduce cracking and spalling.[64] In some areas susceptible to earthquakes (e.g., California), PP fibers are added with soils to improve the soil's strength and damping when constructing the foundation of structures such as buildings, bridges, etc.[65]

Polypropylene fibres are also used in drywall joint compound for reinforcement. It can increase the flexibility and dimensional stability of the joint compound and reduce shrinkage and cracking when it dries.

Polypropylene is used in polypropylene drums.

In June 2016, a study showed that a mixture of polypropylene and durable superoleophobic surfaces created by two engineers from Ohio State University can repel liquids such as shampoo and oil. This technology could make it easier to remove all of the liquid contents from polypropylene bottles, particularly those that have high surface tension such as shampoo or oil.[66]

Clothing

[Various polypropylene yarns and textiles] Polypropylene is a major polymer used in nonwovens, with over 50% used for diapers or sanitary products where it is treated to absorb water (hydrophilic) rather than naturally repelling water (hydrophobic). Other non-woven uses include filters for air, gas, and liquids in which the fibers can be formed into sheets or webs that can be pleated to form cartridges or layers that filter in various efficiencies in the 0.5 to 30 micrometre range. Such applications occur in houses as water filters or in air-conditioning-type filters. The high surface-area and naturally oleophilic polypropylene nonwovens are ideal absorbers of oil spills with the familiar floating barriers near oil spills on rivers.

Polypropylene, or 'polypro', has been used for the fabrication of cold-weather base layers, such as long-sleeve shirts or long underwear. Polypropylene is also used in warm-weather clothing, in which it transports sweat away from the skin. Polyester has replaced polypropylene in these applications in the U.S. military, such as in the ECWCS.[67] Although polypropylene clothes are not easily flammable, they can melt, which may result in severe burns if the wearer is involved in an explosion or fire of any kind.[68] Polypropylene undergarments are known for retaining body odors which are then difficult to remove. The current generation of polyester does not have this disadvantage.[69]

Some fashion designers have adapted polypropylene to construct jewelry and other wearable items.

Medical

Its most common medical use is in the synthetic, nonabsorbable suture Prolene, manufactured by Ethicon Inc.

Polypropylene has been used in hernia and pelvic organ prolapse repair operations to protect the body from new hernias in the same location. A small patch of the material is placed over the spot of the hernia, below the skin, and is painless and rarely, if ever, rejected by the body. However, a polypropylene mesh will erode the tissue surrounding it over the uncertain period from days to years.

A notable application was as a transvaginal mesh, used to treat vaginal prolapse and concurrent urinary incontinence.[70] Due to the above-mentioned propensity for polypropylene mesh to erode the tissue surrounding it, the FDA has issued several warnings on the use of polypropylene mesh medical kits for certain applications in pelvic organ prolapse, specifically when introduced in close proximity to the vaginal wall due to a continued increase in number of mesh-driven tissue erosions reported by patients over the past few years.[71] On 3 January 2012, the FDA ordered 35 manufacturers of these mesh products to study the side effects of these devices. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the demand for PP has increased significantly because it's a vital raw material for producing meltblown fabric, which is in turn the raw material for producing facial masks.

[FKP 1 polypropylene (PP) film capacitor for pulse applications with metal foil manufactured by WIMA.[72]]

Niche

Very thin sheets (≈2–20 µm) of polypropylene are used as a dielectric within certain high-performance pulse and low-loss RF capacitors.

Expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam is a structural material in hobbyist radio control model aircraft. Unlike expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) which is friable and breaks easily on impact, EPP foam is able to absorb kinetic impacts very well without breaking, retains its original shape, and exhibits memory form characteristics which allow it to return to its original shape in a short amount of time.[73]

When the cathedral on Tenerife, La Laguna Cathedral, was repaired in 2002–2014, it turned out that the vaults and dome were in a rather bad condition. Therefore, these parts of the building were demolished, and replaced by constructions in polypropylene. This was reported as the first time this material was used in this scale in buildings.

Under the trade name Ulstron polypropylene rope is used to manufacture scoop nets for whitebait. It has also been used for sheets of yacht sails.[74][75]

Polymer banknotes are made from BOPP, where it provides a durable base and allows for the use of transparent security features by omitting opaque inks in the desired areas.

Recycling

Polypropylene is recyclable and has the number “5” as its resin identification code:[76] []

Repairing

Many objects are made with polypropylene precisely because it is resilient and resistant to most solvents and glues. Also, there are very few glues available specifically for gluing PP. However, solid PP objects not subject to undue flexing can be satisfactorily joined with a two-part epoxy glue or using hot-glue guns. Preparation is important and it is often helpful to roughen the surface with a file, emery paper or other abrasive material to provide better anchorage for the glue. Also it is recommended to clean with mineral spirits or similar alcohol prior to gluing to remove any oils or other contamination. Some experimentation may be required. There are also some industrial glues available for PP, but these can be difficult to find, especially in a retail store.[77]

PP can be melted using a speed tip welding technique. With speed welding, the plastic welder, similar to a soldering iron in appearance and wattage, is fitted with a feed tube for the plastic weld rod. The speed tip heats the rod and the substrate, while at the same time it presses the molten weld rod into position. A bead of softened plastic is laid into the joint, and the parts and weld rod fuse. With polypropylene, the melted welding rod must be “mixed” with the semi-melted base material being fabricated or repaired. A speed tip “gun” is essentially a soldering iron with a broad, flat tip that can be used to melt the weld joint and filler material to create a bond.

Health concerns

The advocacy organization Environmental Working Group classifies PP as of low to moderate hazard.[78] PP is dope-dyed; no water is used in its dyeing, in contrast with cotton.[79]

Combustibility

Like all organic compounds, polypropylene is combustible.[80] The flash point of a typical composition is 260 °C; autoignition temperature is 388 °C.[81]

[1]

[2] Bio-based drop-in, smart drop-in and dedicated chemicals

[3] Duurzame bioplastics op basis van hernieuwbare grondstoffen

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

[56]

[57]

[58] Green pipe helps miners remove the black Contractor Magazine, 10 January 2010

[59] Contractor Retrofits His Business. the News/ 2 November 2009.

[60] What to do when the piping replacement needs a replacement? Engineered Systems. 1 November 2009.

[61]

[62] Rug fibers . Fibersource.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-31.

[63] Braided Polypropylene Rope is Inexpensive and it Floats. contractorrope.com. Retrieved on 2013-02-28.

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67] Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS). PM Soldier Equipment. October 2008

[68] USAF Flying Magazine. Safety. Nov. 2002. access.gpo.gov

[69] Ellis, David. Get Real: The true story of performance next to skin fabrics. outdoorsnz.org.nz

[70]

[71] UPDATE on Serious Complications Associated with Transvaginal Placement of Surgical Mesh for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: FDA Safety Communication, FDA, July 13, 2011

[72]

[73]

[74] “whitebait netting”. _www.nacsan.co.nz_.

[75] Product leaflet for Vivacity 650 yacht, 1970s

[76] Plastics recycling information sheet , Waste Online

[77]

[78] POLYPROPYLENE || Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database | Environmental Working Group. Cosmeticdatabase.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-31.

[79] Chapagain, A. K. _et al._ (September 2005) The water footprint of cotton consumption. UNESCO-IHE Delft. Value of Water Research Report Series No. 18. waterfootprint.org

[80]

[81]

title: Polypropylene

question: Why is Polypropylene such a diversely useable product?

answer: It's chemical and physical properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties, its molecular structure, etc.