CLA 2380 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Atomism
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| Plastics Identification Data Table | |||||||
| Letter Label | Sampleâs Color | Sampleâs Shape | Floats in Water? (Yes/No) | Sinkersâ | Sinkersâ | Floatersâ | Plastic Type |
| A | |||||||
| B | |||||||
| C | |||||||
| D | |||||||
| E | |||||||
| F | |||||||
| G | |||||||
Questions
Why does PP float before HDPE and LDPE in the alcoholâwater solution?
Did any of the four plastics melt in boiling water? (Hint: How does melting differ from softening in plastics?)
When PS reacts with acetone, is this a physical or chemical change? Explain.
What is the approximate density of the alcoholâwater solution that was diluted with water to help identify LDPE from HDPE?
Looking at plastic containers like milk jugs, deli boxes, detergent bottles, soda bottles, and pill vials makes a person wonder whether they are really all that different from one another. The numbers and letters in the recycle codes seem to indicate that the plastics arenât the same, because these codes all refer to different kinds of plastics. For example, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) has the plastics recycling code number 2, while number 3 is used for PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride). An example of the polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) recycle code is shown at right. In this Activity, you will follow a flowchart to determine the identity of all seven recyclable plastics, without their labels; the first separation involves comparing the densities of plastic pieces to water.
A recycling plant may use manual separation of containers by having people visually recognize and remove containers as they travel along a conveyor belt. All of one kind of plastic will be collected at one location in the plant. Automated sorting may use whole containers or cut-up containers, called flake. Flake sorting involves putting the flakes into large containers of water to separate the âfloatersâ from the âsinkersâ. Whole container sorting uses electromagnetic radiation such as visible, near infrared, and X-ray systems. Optical sorting uses visible light to sort containers by color. Containers exposed to near infrared light absorb specific wavelengths and transmit others based on crystallinity of the plastics. Sensors detect the change in wavelength for each container and initiate the sorting by using jets of air to blast a container to a specific location. X-ray systems detect chlorine atoms in PVC. Recycle plants may sort plastics by using a combination of the systems described above or other technologies that are currently being developed.
Try This
You will need: seven kinds of plastic containers with different recycle codes, scissors, two cups or beakers, two stirring rods or wooden craft sticks, room temperature water, 70% isopropyl alcohol, graduated cylinder, acetone, 2 plastic pipets, hot plate with a 400 mL beaker of boiling water (student groups may share the boiling water), tongs, and forceps.
Cut a small, flat piece (1.5 cm ´ 1.5 cm) from each container (seven total) and start a data table to record the color and shape of each piece as well as the permanent marker letter label (AâG) your instructor previously marked on each container. If two containers are the same color, cut different shapes (triangle, rectangle, circle, etc.) to help with piece identification. Now you are ready to follow the flowchart. Record your observations in the data table as you go along.
Tap Water Test: Place all seven pieces of plastic in a beaker or cup of room temperature tap water. Stir vigorously with a stirring rod or wooden craft stick to dislodge any bubbles from the plastic pieces. Bubbles tend to adhere to plastics. How would this change the apparent density? Observe and record which pieces sink and which float.
70% Alcohol Test: Remove the pieces that float from the water. Add them to a beaker or cup containing about 20 mL of 70% isopropyl alcohol. Stir. Do the pieces sink or float in the 70% alcohol? How does the density of alcohol compare to water?
Using a plastic pipet, add a squirt of tap water to the beaker containing alcohol. Stir. Do any of the pieces begin to float? When adding water to 70% alcohol, how does the density of the solution change? Keep adding squirts of water and stir until one piece floats. According to the flowchart, what is the identity of this plastic? Remove the piece and record your results.
Add more squirts of water until a second piece floats. Remove the piece and record the identity of the second plastic. You can now identify the third piece since it is still sinking.
Boiling Water Test: Place the four pieces that sank in tap water in the beaker of boiling water for a minimum of 30 s. Using tongs, remove them one at a time and test their flexibility, noting their size and color. Record your results. Which plastics can you now identify using the flowchart?
Acetone Test: Place the final two plastic samples in a small amount of acetone for one minute. Record your results.
Check with your instructor to see whether you correctly identified the seven plastics. You are now ready for an unknown. If your unknown floats in the tap water test, you will need to use the known pieces for PP, HDPE, and LDPE along with your unknown to help you with the identification in the 70% alcohol test.
More Things To Try
You might want to explore plastics coded as 7, âotherâ, or âmixedâ with this approach (see the figure at right). The results may be inconclusive because two or more polymers may be used to make these containers, or it might be 95% of one plastic and 5% another so that it will test as one component. Some containers have many additives to give the container a softer texture; some have several coloring agents. These additives will alter the density of the plastic. Another experiment to try is to test whether black microwavable PET dinner trays react like the transparent PET bottles.
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Entrepreneurial Collage Entrepreneurs are as varied and unique as their business ideas. They come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors. Consider the following collage of entrepreneurs: Ten-year-old Brandon Bozek started his business, Bloominâ Express, when he noticed that the flowers customers bought from the local supermarket wilted after just a day or two. Brandon's fresh-flower subscription service rings up sales of $150 per month, and most of the $75 in profit goes into savings. He telephones his order to a local flower market every Tuesday morning. On Thursday, with the help of his âsteering wheel consultants (his parents), Brandon delivers the floral orders to his customers. Gerald Levinson's radio was stolen from his car three times despite the car alarm and stereo lock he used. Therefore, Levinson found a better way: He designed a stolen fake radio that fits over the radio to make it look as if it has already been stolen. The unit is very convincing complete with loose wires and cracked plastic. Mary Anne Jackson, a former executive at Beatrice Foods, went out on her own to start the first prepackaged food company aiming its products at kids. Her company, My Own Meals, generates more than $5 million in sales. All I had when I started was an idea for a product and a prayer, she says. Michael Williams saw an opportunity in an unexploited ethnic niche, a black comedy club. With $1, 000 of his savings, Williams rented a hall and placed an ad in a magazine for black stand-up comedians. Eight local comics performed. The show was a hit and the Comedy Act Theater was born. Today, the club grosses $600, 000 annually, and Williams has opened a second club with plans to open twenty-four more. If you are around kids, chances are that you have heard about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were struggling artists swapping drawings in their living room in 1983. Eastman sketched a masked upright turtle armed with an oriental weapon. It was a spontaneous thing. I did it to make Peter laugh, Eastman says. Within minutes, the two had created one of the most recognizable sets of heroes in kid-dom. Eastman and Laird launched their own comic book publishing company, and their first black-and-white comics sold rapidly. Soon after, the artist signed a licensing agreement with Playmate Toys for a variety of children's products. The reptilian heroes Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo were once the hottest non-electronic toys on the market since Cabbage Patch dolls. Their action toys, movies, cartoons, comic books, and other products generate between %5 million and $15 million in revenues for the two creators. I'm now a businessman instead of an artist observed Eastman. Cowabunga! Sources: Adapted From âKids in Business,â Changing Times, March 1990, pp.96-97; Terri Thompson, âHow Tykes Can Be Tycoons,â US News & World Report, February 19, 1990, pp. 68-69; âFooling the Fools,â Entrepreneur, December 1989, p. 118; Christine Forbes and Erika Kotite, âEntrepreneurs Across America,â Entrepreneur, June 1990 p 96; Wayne Lionel Aponte âHave You Heard the One About the Comedy Club,â Wall Street Journal, October 31, 1990, p. B2; Christopher Geehern, âCowabunga Dude,â Entrepreneur, March 1991, pp. 76-81. |
1. Differentiate the entrepreneur and entrepreneurship. [4 marks]
2. Do these entrepreneurs exhibit entrepreneurial characteristics or competencies? If so, explain. [15 marks]
3. What is the opportunity? Describe the opportunity identification process of at least one of the entrepreneurs in the above article. [6 marks]
4. In your opinion, what contributions do small businesses like these make to the country? [10 marks]
5. The past few years have seen an increase in the number of entrepreneurship or business ownership of Malaysian Bumiputera. Briefly explain the forces that have led to the boom in Bumiputera entrepreneurship in Malaysia (NEP, NDP, NVP, NEM, ETP)? [15 marks]
Peter Schultz IV, president of Schultz Quality Furniture, takespride in carrying on a tradition of manufacturing custom qualityfurniture, a skill that was started by his great-grandfather insouthern Germany almost 100 years ago. In the 1930, Peter'sgrandfather immigrated to the Unites States and settled inPennsylvania where he incorporated the furniture business.
Throughout its existence, the company has focused on the highend of the furniture line and remained relatively small. They werenot interested in getting into the mass production of lesserquality items. Their workmanship and quality of product haveattracted a loyal following of customers and clients who arewilling to pay a premium for Schultz furnishings.
Over the years, Schultz has changed their focus and emphasis tomeet changing consumer preferences and desires, however, some ofthe original designs are still being manufactured in certainpieces. While the core business has remained strong and fairlyconsistent, the company will sometimes venture off into some othermarkets and specialties.
Just two years ago, Peter Schultz IV purchased the controllinginterest in Garden Patios Deluxe. This is a small company whichspecialized in making high-end patio and outdoor garden typefurniture. The furniture is sturdy, rust resistant and uses qualitymaterials which resist weathering and fading for a number of years.Peter thought this line of furniture would be a good compliment tohis company since Garden Patios Deluxe concentrate on the superiorquality furniture, have a relatively small operation, and support aloyal customer base. Also, with the general trend of the populationnow entertaining more and enjoying the outdoors, there seemed to bea sustainable market for patio furniture of this type.
So far, the operation of Garden Patios Deluxe has been asuccess. The company is bringing in a profit, but it has been alittle harder to attract a market than Peter first imagined. Thenorthern climate can tend to limit the outdoor season, and itseemed that people did not want to pay a lot of money for patiofurniture that would have to be in storage for half the year.
As a matter of course, Peter likes to review the manufacturingprocess for the different furniture lines about every eighteenmonths. He was interested in getting a detailed breakdown on theproduction cost and methods used to make the patio tables andchairs.
The material is a specially developed compound of structurallysound polymers, which is molded and heat treated by a supplier. Thecompound comes in four basic colors of beige, forest green, grayand white. The furniture pieces are constructed at the GardenPatios plant and parts like the fabric seats, glass inlays, andother decorative features are assembled.
The plant used in this manufacturing capacity is operating atabout 90% of capacity, although there are some seasonalfluctuations. The busy season is from November through May prior tothe outdoor entertainment season. In the summer, much time is spentin redesign and testing of new models or experimenting onvariations in existing product lines.
One of the most popular pieces made by Garden Patios Deluxe is asimple armchair. The chair has a molded frame that comes in about 4pieces along with a contoured fabric seat. The chairs can beretailed in a set with a table or sold separately. They areextremely comfortable and lightweight.
Peter wanted to know the actual cost of manufacturing a singlechair. The following unit cost are identified. The total costs arebased on a normal annual volume of 40,000 chairs. The currentselling price of the chairs is $75 each.
Item | Costs/Unit | Costs/Unit | Total Costs |
Materials | |||
Main Frame | 9.00 | $360,000 | |
Chair Arm | 2 @ $1.75 = 3.50 | 140,000 | |
Stand | 4.50 | 180,000 | |
Fabric Seat and Back | 5.00 | 200,000 | |
Related Supplies | 2.00 | 80,000 | |
Total Materials | $24.00 | 960,000 | |
Labor | |||
Fabric Labor | 30 min @ $10 = 5.00 | 200,000 | |
Assembly Labor | 20 min @ $12 = 4.00 | 160,000 | |
Total Labor | 9.00 | 360,000 | |
Fixed Overhead | |||
Manufacturing | 150% of Labor = 13.50 | 540,000 | |
Administrative | 25% of Material = 6.00 | 240,000 | |
Total Fixed Overhead | 19.50 | 780,000 | |
Total Manufacturing Cost | $52.50 | $2,100,000 |
Required: (please show your work)
1. If Schultz QualityFurniture sells all 40,000 chairs, how much will the company makeon the chairs?
2. If the company is ableto produce and sell 44,000 chairs, how much will the company makeon the chairs?
3. What is the marginalcost of making one additional chair?
4. During the off season,a special order for 3,000 chairs has come in from an overseesgovernment agency. However, because of the currency exchange rate,this company is only willing to pay $50.00 per chair, but Schultzwill have to pay a shipping and tariff cost of $5 per chair. ShouldSchultz Quality Furniture accept this order? How much money willthe company make or lose on this order?
5. The supplier whoprovides the special polymer material for the chairs has introduceda proposal to ship the chairs to Schultz fully assembled for $50.00per chair, which is less than the current manufacturing cost toSchultz of $52.50. All Schultz would have to do is send the chairsout to their customers. Should Schultz accept the offer? How muchmoney will the company make or lose on this offer?
6. The marketing managerbelieves that the customer base for chairs is pretty strong andthat a price increase to $80 per chair would only reduce demand by2,000 chairs. Should Schultz implement a price increase? If theactual price per chair were increased to $80, how far could theannual demand for chairs decline before Schultz would beindifferent between the $75 price and the $80 price?
7. What nonfinancialissues should be considered before decisions are made regarding theproduction and sale of these chairs?
