Research Paper “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”

Love is unknow. Eros; an attraction based on a sexual desire, Philos; friendship love, or common interest, Storge; the natural love of a parent for their child or family love, and Agape; the unselfish love for the good of another. These are all Greek words and there definition of love. There are many different kinds of love; from the love of a mother to the love for car, love has no boundaries, but true love between a man and a woman can last a life time. Some may say the feeling of love is the most wonderful thing about life.Love also comes in different cases and scenarios such as the inseparable love, the violent love and the love that never dies. Raymond Carvers â€Å"what we talk about when we talk about love† tells us why love can be so beautiful but yet risky at the same time, Mel and Terri are a couple in love with each other and they are married, but they both had broken relationships with their previous love partners. Nick and Laura are also married and are in love wi th each other, they also had previous love experiences.But do these characters experienced true love or even know what true love is or is it just lust and mostly physical attraction. From the physical to the sentimental or even the violent type of love, true love has no limits; neither Mel and Terri nor Nick and Laura ever experienced true love because they both had broken relationships or had been divorced with their previous love partners. The two couples are engaged in a conversation about love and are caught up in trying to figure out what love is.Mel McGinnis is a cardiologist in his mid-forties, he was married and has kids in his previous life, and he was very much in love with his ex-wife, but that all ended after his divorce. Mel who spent five years in a seminary thought real love was more spiritual than anything else. Mel says he doesn’t care for his ex-wife anymore, â€Å"there was a time when I thought I loved my first wife more than life itself. But now I hate h er guts† (352, McMahan). He does not know why he feels this way and wants to know what went wrong, what happened to the fire that once burn so brightly.When a marriage union just suddenly ends we tend to ask questions like whose fault is it, were the couples truly in love each other? But in this day and age a man and a woman can be in marriage but not necessarily in love with each other. This shows that love is much deeper than two people coming together to spend their entire lives with each other. Mel may have moved on from his ex-wife Marjorie but he is certainly not madly in love with Terri whom he’s been with for five years but only married for four.Mel controls most of the discussion as the evening progressed, â€Å"an indication that he is obsessed with the topic. Mel insists that the conversation be directed at one point; the definition and nature of love† (Bruccoli). Mel defines love as two main different types, the â€Å"physical love, that impulse that drives you to someone special, as well as love of the other persons being† (McMahan, 352), this type of love is among most couples as true love starts with a physical attraction because that’s all the soon to be lovers know about each other.The other kind of love that Mel described is the â€Å"sentimental love, the day to day caring about the other person† (McMahan, 352). When a couple is in love, they may say the words â€Å"I love you† on a daily bases but they spend more time showing each other how strong their love is and expressing their feelings sexually and emotionally. Mel’s current wife Terri also had a previous love encounter, her lover Ed, was more of the violent type of lover, he would beat her and drag her across the living room while screaming about how much he loved her.Terri believed that that was true love and she strongly defends it against Mel, who thought that love was not supposed to be violent, â€Å"Mel cannot understand hi s action as an act of love. Love cannot coexist with hatred in his dogmatic mind† (Bruccoli). Ed’s love for Terri was so strong that he was stalking her after Mel and Terri started dating, Ed even threaten Mel’s life. Ed was obsessed and more so infatuated with Terri, but Terri did not feel exactly the same way for Ed. Love is something that has to go both ways, couples usually have the same strong feeling for each other because when one partner loves and care

The schematization of aesthetics was founded in Ancient times

The schematization of aesthetics was founded in Ancient times, which is manifested in Plato and Aristotle’s philosophies. Plato stance on aesthetic is very negative because it can distract the innate nature of soul. But his pessimism on aesthetics specifically of arts in general is best represented in his conjecture that an art â€Å"is thrice removed from reality†. Aristotle, on the other hand, has positive note on aesthetics because he sees art as representation of Forms or of truth. From these two ancient philosophers, the debate and conceptualization of aesthetics has transformed greatly in different periods. Friedrich Nietzsche posits that aesthetics is a means of preservation, meaning, beauty for him is encapsulated in terms of life prolongation. Leo Tolstoy postulated that aesthetics is based on peasant artistry because these workers understand the beauty of life. The complexities of aesthetics have metamorphosized throughout the progression of different civilizations and epochs of philosophy. In line with this, contemporary aestheticians like Jun'ichiro Tanizaki and Susanne K. Langer joined the bandwagon to advance aesthetics epistemic views. And these contemporary philosophers agreed on one point, that aesthetics or the valuation of beauty, as well as, its intricacies, nuances and elements, is greatly influenced by geographic positioning. This assertion was deduced from the fact that in every period novel idea on aesthetics sprouted wherein this period shaped new debates on the topic at hand. In summation, each period in philosophy supplemented new keys on the development of philosophy. In Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows, he juxtaposed Oriental aestheticism to Western aestheticism wherein he highlighted the significance of going back to the remnants of the past because it served as the defining moment of every stance on arts. He argued that one must embrace his own aesthetics even if it is tarnished and old because it is the precursor of one’s culture and tradition, and therefore, any concept of beauty from foreign culture must be disregarded altogether since it can eradicate the innate nature of one’s aesthetics. This is very prominent in the character of Tanizaki because when he was just a budding novelist he appreciated Western aestheticism, which has influenced his writing during those times, until he realized that he must represent Japanese concept of arts and beauty through literature. Tanizaki conjectured that the key note in Japanese concept of beauty is founded on the ideas of shadow. The architectural blueprint of traditional Japanese highly embodies shadows manifested through the quiet and murky interiors, which emanates a nostalgic atmosphere due to the independent existence and presence of shadows.   Tanizaki reinforced his idea of shadow in the articulateness of beauty in the form of polished tableware, temple toilets, kimonos, and Japanese stage, which are highly affected by the intensity of its dark spectrum. In lieu to this, Tanizaki pointed out that if light was applied on Japanese aesthetics all of its essence will diminish because light is the attribute of Western aestheticism, and likewise will happen if darkness was incorporated to Western arts. His basis on the above mentioned arguments is embedded on his credence on the delineation of Western culture and Japanese culture. According to Tanizaki, Western citizens in ancient times give importance to gold because it emanates unspeakable beauty when candlelight reflects it. On the other hand, Japanese people vehemently dislike light because it exposes the imperfection of their own white skin. According to Thomas J. Harper (translator of In Praise of Shadows), Tanizaki distinguish Japanese aestheticism based on shadows because it shows an unfathomable yet beautiful reverence and somberness, which is lacking in the magnificently lit arts of the West. Like Tanizaki, Langer also believed that one’s perception of aesthetics is dependent of his geographic positioning. At the first chapter of her book entitled Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art, she defined philosophy as â€Å"characterized more by the formulation of its problems than by its solutions of them†[1], which implies that each groups or societies see things in different perspectives and in their perception of things, they have their own understanding of what they see and have their own questions about it. Therefore, when it comes to beauty or aesthetics definitive schema, each society has the authority to posit their own stance about it, and mostly their stance is deeply rooted in culture and tradition. Tanizaki’s key of aesthetics is logically plausible in Langer’s philosophy since she espoused a relativistic means of understanding the nature of things and the contingency of the universe, in context with aesthetics. But Langer has her own philosophic inclination on beauty, wherein her key is discourse and representation. For Langer, aesthetics expresses the emotive form of arts through symbols and logic. But it must be noted that she saw that the main problem in expressing aesthetic is the means of expressing it. According to her, music possesses a degree of mood or emotion towards the meaning of life wherein it represents a form of epistemic valuation and truth. This music that embodies a certain feeling of purely perceptible matters can be expressed in innumerable manners, but the musician has to figure out which manner because wrong choice of manner will annihilate the content of its emotion and its purity. In toto, Langer saw philosophy as perpetually progressing, as well as aesthetics, because different epochs have either discovered or created a new key to elucidate the universe. She purported that the fecundity of new keys in the philosophical realm will always exists because human understanding is innately transformational. Unlike most philosophers like Bertrand Russell who argued that novel ideas in philosophy is impossible because what is left to humanity is to recycle old philosophies, Langer believed that the pasts has influenced on our present cogito but it does not necessarily follow that it will shape the present landscape of philosophizing. The point is that man’s rationality is not fixed; therefore present and future generation can discover or create a new motif of intellectual intercourse, which will eventually define the philosophy of their period. Tanizaki and Langer’s philosophies on aesthetics are significant because of its willingness and openness to the possibility of new keys, in terms of new perspectives and theories. It broadens the horizon of philosophical enterprise since new schemes and conceptualizations are doomed to realization. The only danger on their stance on the concept of â€Å"new keys† is that it jeopardized the universality of things, specifically of aesthetics or beauty. Their postulate that aesthetics valuation is based on geographic positioning or dependent of one’s social constructs breathes relativism, meaning, every perspective on aesthetic is sound and valid, or to put it simply â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder†. And worse, the innateness of aesthetics seems impossible to be exposed because of diverse perceptions on it. REFERENCE: Langer, Susanne K. Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art 3rd edition ed: Harvard University Press, 1957. Tanizaki, Junichiro. In Praise of Shadows. Trans. Charles Moore, Edward G. Seidensticker and Thomas J. Harper: Leetes Island Books 1980. [1] Langer, Susanne. Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art.   Harvard University Press, 1957 p.4.

Brasil & Europeans

In the colonial period of 1600, the Portuguese were the first amongst the Europeans to settle in Brazil. At that time, only native Indians and nomadic tribes were living in the area. The Portuguese came not to control, conquer or develop the country instead they wanted profitable trade and agriculture. However, three centuries later the land was exploited mostly for wood, sugarcane, coffee beans and gold mining. Man power was provided by both African and Indian slaves. Many Italians settled in Brazil after the boom in coffee production.Intermarriages between different ethnicities and cultures made Brazil one of the most multi- cultured country in the world. Most Brazilians have European, African, Amerindian, Asian and Middle Eastern ancestors. Brazil gained its independence from the Portuguese colonizers on September 7, 1822. In 1889, a military coup backed by the coffee industrialists forced the emperor to leave the country. Coffee planters had great influence in Brazil and practica lly ran the government for the next 30 years. Brazil struggled with military coups and economic instability in those years.After three decades Fernando Coller de Mello was elected in the first democratic elections. He was removed from office for his corruption. The capital of the country is Brasilia and its current President is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The country is federal presidential representative democratic republic in which the President serves as the head of state and head of government. The currency of Brazil is the â€Å"real† (BRL). Brazil follows the Roman legal system. It is a presidential democracy since 1985. The voters of the country had decided not to restore the constititutional monarchy.Brazil is slightly smaller than the United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and located in the East of South America. It is the largest country in South America. It has boundaries meeting with all the South American countries except Chile and Ecuador. The low-lying Am azon Rainforest is to the North of Brazil and the south is home to farmers and the agricultural base. The highest peak of Brazil is Pico da Neblina. The largest river in the world, the Amazon also flows through Brazil. The climate varies in different regions from tropical to temperate.The territory of Brazil is said to cover 8,514,876. 599 km2. This wide territory is split into twenty-six states and one federal district. All states are completely independent in terms of their law-making, public security, government and taxation. Brazil has highly structured agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors and its economy prevails over the economies of the other South American countries. In 1998, Brazil received a $41. 5 billion IMF-led international support program due to its large account deficits.In 1999, the Brazilian Central Bank declared that the currency real would no longer be pegged to the US dollar. This devaluation slowed down the recession and the country witnesse d slight economic growth. The growth of the economy was less than 2% in 2001 due to the high interest rates. At the end of 2001 the country gained much investor confidence. The economy in Brazil is said to be the â€Å"ninth largest economy in the world and tenth largest at market exchange rates†. (Wikipedia). The biggest barriers to economic development are widespread bureaucracy, corruption, poverty and illiteracy within the Brazilian Government.. The government intervenes and plays the most important role in all of the country’s economic activities. Brazil is still a newly industrializing country (NIC) and most development has taken place in southeastern states such as Parana, Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. The industries are producing automobiles and parts, machinery, equipment, steel, textiles, shoes, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, petrochemicals, computers, aircraft, and consumer durables. Brazil has been leading in the alternative energy sector. Electricity is be ing generated through hydropower.It is exporting oil despite its little amount of oil reserves. Within the service sector, the tourist industry is one of the biggest in Brazil. The Brazilian justice system is painfully slow and unjust. Laws are altered for the rich. The legal system has many defecicies. Many crimes commited by Brazialians are tried for only a limited time span. By the time the authorities get their act together, it is almost too late. Sentences are often reduced by 50% for the crimes commited at the age of 70. Brazil is also an important partner for the European Union.It is a charter member of the UN and contributes troops for peacekeeping efforts in Angola, East Timor, Middle East, Mozambique, Belgian Congo and Haiti. It is the leading member of the G-20 group of nations. The 170 million population of Brazil consist of a majority of 53. 7% whites and 38. 5% multiracial people. Blacks, Asians, Amerindians are in insignifiant propotions. Portuguese is the most widely spoken and understood language in Brazil. Brazil follows mostly Portuguese culture and traditions brought by the colonizers.The African Slaves inspired most of Brazil's music, dance, cuisine, religion and language. Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics in the world. Almost half of the output of fiction, poetry, and drama of South America comes from Brazilians. Carnaval is a popular yearly celebration and tourist attraction which is held for forty days to mark the start of Lent. The music in Brazil is richly flavored with a variety of music styles including samba, bossa nova, forro, frevo and many others. Cinema culture started in Brazil in the late 19th century.Many Brazilian films such as Cidade de Deus and Carandiru have received international critical acclaim. Sports specially football are very popular in Brazil. The Brazilain national footbal team has a huge local and interntional following. The team has won the FIFA world cup five times. Brazil’s most not able players are Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Other popular sports are capoeira and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Food is a reflection of the racial mix of Brazil. The most popular dishes of Brazil are Feijoada, Caipirinha and Pao de Queijo and rice and beans are basic to every menu.Most Brazilians are in their mid-twenties while 34% are under the age of fourteen. Brazil has rapidly urbanized and almost 75% of the population live in the urban areas. They are not enough jobs in Brazil to support such a large population which is why there is widespread unemployment. Unemployement was said to have reached 9. 8% in 2005 and 8 out of 10 are living in the highly populated urban centers. The largest population of almost 11. 016. 703 people are found in the city of Sao Paulo. A huge majority of people are often forced to resort to street vending, drug peddling and prostitution.The population in the rural areas receive fewer water and sanitation services as compared to urban areas. Many contagious d iseases like cholera, diarrheas have emerged as a result of lack of basic sanitation services. WORKS CITED: †¢ Brazil. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Apr 2007, 11:43 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Apr 2007 . †¢ Brazil. CIA_The World Factbook. 2002. http://www. umsl. edu/services/govdocs/wofact2002/geos/br. html Brazil

Business communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business communication - Assignment Example A low value signifies that the less members of the society ‘accept’ that there will always be inequality and a high value show that there is resistance to inequality. This dimension measures the value that a society places on group achievement against individual achievement. A low value in the index signifies that the society places more value on collective achievement, and is thus more independent, while a high value shows that the society places more value in individual achievement. The uncertainty avoidance index, shows how the society’s attitude towards defining social structures. A high value in the index signifies that a society is uncomfortable operating in undefined social and political structures; it also signifies high levels of emotion (Schwartz, 1999) and the members prefer having a strong legal and regulatory governing framework. A low score signifies that the society does not require strong structures from which to operate within, they are not afraid of certainty and are more pragmatic in their approach, not emotional. This is a more straightforward dimension; it covers a society’s adherence to the hegemonic masculine social concept. A high value in the index signifies a society places high value on the more masculine attributes of competitiveness, power and ambition while a low value shows a society’s values are more feminine, with more value placed in the overall quality of life and strong relationships. The long-term orientation index shows whether a society places more value on short term or long-term gratification. Psychologically, it can also be seen as a measurement of pragmatism. Long term oriented societies are more pragmatic, with emphasis placed on the ‘bigger picture’ while short term oriented societies are less pragmatic in their approach (Appadurai, 1996), adhering to their traditions

Scientific revolution and the influence of Bacons doctrines Essay

Scientific revolution and the influence of Bacons doctrines - Essay Example Scientific revolution and the influence of Bacon’s doctrines The called enlightenment of the west zone had followed his thoughts via a institutional developments. These developments contributed towards the increase of knowledge and its its scope of accessibility to those people who could make good use of it.industrial revolution could not have developed into sustainable economic growth without this enlightenment. Many historians and philosophers saw this as a transformation or change in world view. According to the historian Herbert Butterfield: â€Å"Since that revolution overturned the authority in science not only of the middle ages but of the ancient world — since it ended not only in the eclipse of scholastic philosophy but in the destruction of Aristotelian physics — it outshines everything since the rise of Christianity and reduces the Renaissance and Reformation to the rank of mere episodes, mere internal displacements within the system of medieval Christendom.... looms so large as the real origin both of the modern world and of the modern mentality that our customary periodization of European history has become an anachronism and an encumbrance† (Butterfield, viii). The new ideas encompassed the idea of looking at matter to be composed of atoms and a complex chemical composition replaced the former Aristotlean view that it as made of the five elements and hence was continuous. Aristotle’s concept of motion (brought about by a cause and would last as long as the cause is there) was also changed (the new concept says that motion was continuous without any need of further cause).

Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power Research Paper

Associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power and privilege, diversity and homogeneity - Research Paper Example Police officers have therefore also turned to digital technologies to obtain information and evidence against criminals. As a result, contemporary media has led to enhancement of security details especially in the criminal investigations departments all over the world. The study provides a critical scrutiny of the role of contemporary digital media in criminal investigations. Research carried out by various scholars has proven that digital technology is the major source of evidence whenever detectives are carrying out investigations. The paper further discusses how digital media is associated with digital technology and structural hierarchies of power, diversity, digital evidence, its privileges, demerits and misconceptions. In addition, it gives an in-depth discussion of the various issues that affect digital media as a source of criminal evidence. Consequently, the study concludes that contemporary digital media is authoritative in combating various criminal activities through enhancement of criminal investigation services and expertise. Digital evidence refers to any information or data considered to be of value in a criminal investigation. The evidence is stored on, transmitted and received through electronic devices. Retrieval of information takes place when the gadgets remains seized, examined and analyzed. Digital evidence acquired from digital media is easily damaged or altered. It is latent and time sensitive (Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, 2015). The information also quickly crosses jurisdictional borders. The evidence thus requires skilled personnel to decode the information. Digital media serves as the source of the digital evidence. The term digital is used because information is stored electronically in the device and has to be broken down into digits during decoding. The digits are in form of binary units of ones and zero. Special programs and software are able to decode the

Impact of Financial Meltdown on Luxury Fashion Goods Market Dissertation

Impact of Financial Meltdown on Luxury Fashion Goods Market - Dissertation Example . 17 4. Research Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17-18 4.1 Research Philosophy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18-19 4.2 Data Collection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19-20 4.3 Credibility and Verification†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20-21 5. Findings and Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 5.1 Case Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 22-23 5.1.1 Global Recession and Luxury Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 24 5.1.2 Philip Rocou and his Strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 25 5.2 Primary Research on Luxury Goods†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 26.-32 5.3 Primary Research on Online Selling †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 32-36 6. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 36-37 7. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 37-40 8. Annexure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 41-43 Contents of figures and tables Table 1 representing impact on employees 28 Table 2 representing impact on product 29 Table 3 representing Behavioral Pattern of customers 29 Table 4 representing organizational impact 29 Table 5 representing post-recession effect in customer 30 Table 6 Representing Response of brand during economic turndown 30 Table 7 representing post-recession strategy of o rganization 30 Fig 1 representing effect of financial crisis on organization 31 Fig 2 representing effect of financial crisis on employee 31 Fig 3 representing interest level of people towards luxury brand 34 Fig4 representing frequency of purchase of luxury brand 34 Fig 5 representing opinion regarding benefits of online selling 35 Fig 6 representing satisfaction level in online shopping 35 Fig 7 representing online shopping as manufacturing tool 36 1.... The paper tells that during the last decade, the international economy has witnessed inflation, recession and other serious economic hazards. It had raised serious concerns for the future of world economy. The developing countries of the world were most affected in the economic turmoil. This also had an impact on the global fashion commodity industry. To counter the effect the industry players used new demands and reformed the luxury goods industry. Study of the performance of the key player in the market like Philippe Rousseau reflects the impact of the economy on the market for the luxury goods. In order to revive the market various strategies were developed by the marketing teams. The latest use was that of the online tools for the promotion and selling of the products. A new concept of online selling emerged in the market and the companies dealing with luxury goods were fast to reap benefits out of it. The concept of ecommerce was also hugely appreciated by the customers and the popularity of many businesses was back on track. Before the economic downturn the consumers of the world had become more fashion conscious and they started showing their interest towards the fashion goods. People belonging from the high society of the economy had spent considerably over the luxury fashion goods. But a change in behavior was noticed significantly. The nature of the industry was a driving factor in determining the level of impact it had by the economic turndown. The choice of factors for bringing out the industries out of trouble also varied significantly and it depended a lot on the customer profile.

Construction of identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction of identity - Essay Example In the period from 1950 to 1990, the unidimensionl identity of modern women ws replced by bidimensionl identity (Nicholson, 1997:380), phenomenon observed lso in other countries (Woodwrd, 1997:240). In generl, women's lbor force prticiption incresed drmticlly during the twentieth century, nd in recent yers, the continuity of women's creers hs lso risen. Mny women becoming mothers now hve greter occsion to develop nd vest themselves in nonfmilil identities thn did women in the pst. But mny of the culturl chnges tht hve ccompnied economic nd demogrphic chnges mke the question of how to live s n dult problemtic in new wys for such women. Prentl roles re no longer tken to define the mening of womn's dult life or of couple's reltionship. Current culturl rhetorics of individulism men tht, mong the middle clss, it is no longer pproprite for dults to scrifice themselves for their spouses or their children; insted the individul is offered culturl imges of self-reliztion nd of "finding one's self" s guides to identity nd the mening of life. Such chnges in the menings of womnhood nd motherhood, however, re contested. Kaplan (1984:112) points out tht conflict over the socil representtion of motherhood s optionl rther thn centrl in women's lives lies t the hert of the politicl debtes on bortion in the United Sttes. Tody Tody's motherhood is more complex nd diverse in mening. Kpln (1992) speks in this regrd of "postmodern" motherhood. The Mdonn imge--representing the scrificing mother-hs been supplemented with the Creer women imge (Kpln, 1992:115). ccording to Crmer (1997), young mothers re well wre of the conflict between trditionl nd modern models of mother hood. In the view of Hys (1996), mothers tody fce two socilly constructed imges, tht is, tht of the "trditionl" mother-who stys t home nd dedictes ll her energy to the fmily--nd tht of the successful "supermom": The ll-round mother who hs "briefcse" qulities. She not only mnges the household nd rises the children, but lso hs her own creer. With respect to the described chnges within society, it is of interest to investigte how tody's dolescent girls nd young women conceptulize motherhood. The trditionl imge is extended with modern imge of motherhood.The representtion of motherhood s primrily biologicl reltionship conceled the gendered politics of socil nd "nturl" reltions. In Western cultures, women's "embodied humnity," most clerly symboliclly expressed by their biologicl cpcity to mother, hs been used to exclude them from "true humnity"-to relegte them to sphere perceived to be outside history, society, nd reson: tht is, "to nture" (Woodwrd, 1997:242). Nture nd womn were both culturlly ssocited nd empiriclly devlued.Feminist nlyses, however, drw even deeper implictions from these culturl ssocitions nd dulisms. Ecofeminism, for exmple, exposes the wys in which gendered constructions of "humn" (msculine) nd "nonhumn" nture hve been embedded in the emergence of modern sciences nd the ssocited politicl-economic reltions of industriliztion nd coloniztion.Ptrirchl conceptions of womn nd nture, they rgue, re t the hert of destructive ecologicl prctices s well s of the oppressive gender, clss, nd rce reltions on which they re built (Kpln, 1992:115). Not surprisingly, mny contemporry feminists re rethinking motherhood. For the nlysis of motherhood, s Hys (1996) points out, hs the

Special interest tourism innovation package (marketing) Essay

Special interest tourism innovation package (marketing) - Essay Example The package will be a special offer on weekends where clients can get a 2-day body and mind treatment. On the first day, clients will receive transport through a luxurious, state-of-the-art limousine. Upon arrival, customers will undergo detoxifying treatment. Thereafter, they will be given healthy and nutritional drinks. All these activities will culminate into a luxurious and exquisite overnight stay. On the second day, customers get energising treatment, smoothing and transport back to their homes. The product package targets affluent members of society who work for long hours under high pressure environments. The product is supposed to bring comfort closer to them thus eliminating the need for taking long hour journeys to access this service. The package will cost approximately 350 pounds. The organisation is essentially a combination of various tourist attraction packages. (Barlon, 2006) It is basically a leisure spot with a calm ambience and serene environment. Its services fall under the following categories; Combining health and beauty; the organisation deals with important but neglected aspects of beauty. By offering people nutritional and healthy foods and drinks, they will be revitalising their body and mind. Detoxifying treatment is also a method that will accentuate one's beauty. Clients are given vegetables and fruits strictly. When the body gets rid of all toxic elements, then it is able to function normally. This positive reaction is displayed externally through glowing skin and a flat tummy. Therapy centres; the purpose of services offered under this section of the organisation is to make clients unwind and relax. It is a sort of past time activity. Other benefits that can be linked to this service include improved health since most of the activities will boost blood flow to the all parts of the body. Relaxation is quite important for people working in high stress environments. When the body is subjected to too much stress, it may react negatively. Some of the ways it could do this include increased blood pressure and overworking of the heart. Therapy provides a natural but sure way to ensure that one's body system revitalises and that they are able to function properly. Activities that fall under this section include hot stones therapy, reflexology and deep tissue message. Psychological remedies; the organisation also offers ways in which the mind can work better. The main service under this category is through yoga classes. Yoga helps clients get in touch with their spiritual side and also helps them to put focus back into their lives. This is administered through a yoga expert who conducts classes for interested parties. Idea generation Many Londoners rarely have time to travel outside the country. But this does not mean that they do not need to indulge in a little luxury. Most of them have the financial ability but may not have the time. (Barney, 1991) This package is meant to encourage local tourism. There is a need to make a package especially for locals. Tourism does not necessarily have to target people from other parts of the world. It can be tailored to suite local needs. A spa was specifically chosen for this business venture because many people in the region are getting more and more familiar with the product offering. It was seen that there are many hard working people in London. But there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the city.

History questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History questions - Essay Example Abraham Lincoln told â€Å"enemy is at your door, wait not to meet him at your hearthstone, meet him at the doorsill, and drive him from the temple of liberty, or pull down its pillars and involve him in a common ruin† (McPherson 212). This should be considered as evidence that our country is not safe anymore. Abraham Lincoln also mentioned that he thoroughly disliked to comment on the various tactics employed by historical leaders who played an instrumental role in earlier wars. Government always must be â€Å"of the people, by the people and for the people† and victory always must be â€Å"an anti slavery triumph† (McPherson 218). Jefferson Davis strongly disagreed on excessive individualism that were ruling the states. He pointed out that this kind of extreme individualism won’t bring any good to the state. Instead, it will only create neglect towards teamwork. He also emphasized that â€Å"war meant it’s for all and not for single†. This means, war is always for a group of people and not for a single person. He told â€Å"each state has the right of revolution† (McPherson 240). Political revolution or any kind of revolution always placed the state in a crucial, authori tative position and the right of revolution is for everyone. 2. If as Mr. Sparks contends what is Past is prologue, there is much in the Civil War Era that is relevant to your lives today. Please provide 3 examples of how a study of The Civil War helps you understand the United States in 2010. If a civil war breaks out in the Unites States in 2010, it, will, perhaps mark the end of this country. There would be violence, bloodshed, riots and insurgencies all over the country, leading to loss of millions of human lives as well as the ultimate breakdown of the country’s vast social and economic infrastructure. A study of the civil war has helped us to understand the

Is it morally acceptable to consider race and ethnicity as factors in Essay

Is it morally acceptable to consider race and ethnicity as factors in university admissions - Essay Example This was because racism was a major issue of concern during that period and supporting the admissions of racial minorities was considered as a step in overcoming this problem. The recent perspective for this encouragement of admissions of people from different races is the achievement of diversity in the educational institutions (Biskupic). Following the year 1978, there have been different legal proceedings on this issue and questions have been raised regarding the moral acceptability of the consideration of race and ethnicity as factors in university admissions. The year 2003 was very important in the United States with regard to the issue of consideration of races in university admissions. The Supreme Court gave a ruling that admissions in universities by utilizing race as a factor were constitutional if the selection was fair and proper methods of selection of the students were used. This ruling came in the cases relating to the University of Michigan. The court indicated two ben efits of this policy which included the fact that they brought positive effects for the society and they were also associated with bringing diversity to the universities which is a very important part of the educational atmosphere. Furthermore, President Faulkner also supported this ruling and presented positive thoughts on this ruling. He explained that groups that are ignored and not properly represented would be able to come forward and become active members of the society as well (Blum; Editorial). Thus, for the betterment of the society and the proper representation of all the people, the usage of race as a factor in university admissions is acceptable. An important legal proceeding which has challenged the previous rulings of the Supreme Court is the case of Abigail Fisher. Since almost three decades, the Supreme Court supported the utilization of race as a criterion for university admissions but it is now believed that the Court might reconsider its decision. Fisher is a resi dent of Houston and is a white and she has filed a petition against the University of Texas at Austin by claiming that her rejection by the university was unjust and unfair. She has put forward the fact that many students coming from ethnic minorities who had educational records like her were given admission by the university. The proceedings of this case have taken place in the Supreme Court and it is feared by many university administrators that the court might issue a verdict in favor of Fisher. While awaiting the judgment on the case, administrators of educational institutions have sited their fears with regard to this issue. Marvin Krislov who is the President of the Oberlin College of Ohio has put forward these concerns by explaining that the students of minority groups would greatly reduce if the verdict comes in favor of Miss Fisher (Biskupic). Furthermore, the decision of the University of Texas was supported by many universities across the United States and universities pr ovided their written opinions to the court to rule in favor of the University of Texas and allow it to follow its admission policies of considering race as a factor in admissions (Blum). The usage of race and ethnicity as a factor in university admissions has been banned in many states in the United States. These include California, Washington, Michigan, Nebraska and Arizona. The usage of rac

Appreciation of The Tyger Essay Example for Free

Appreciation of The Tyger Essay Subject matter Blake is this poem gives a description of the tiger, describing vividly its appearance, its structure, its beauty and its terror. As well as describing the tiger, the poet also tries to explain how he pictures the creation of the tiger, as well as the terror of the creator (who created such a fearsome and awesome creature). Purpose The poets purpose in this poem is to describe something that fascinates him. The tiger in his view is a powerful, yet beautiful creature, a creature so powerful that it is terrifying. However, the poet also attempts to comprehend its creator, God. He shows that if the creation is powerful and terrifying, and asks the question how powerful must be the creator? The poet clearly expresses that he is very afraid of the power of God, and what God is able to do. Throughout the poem the poet expresses his admiration, his wonder and his fear, this poem is as much a study of the tiger as a study of God. Emotion Though the poem is mostly descriptive, the poet gives the reader some clues of the emotions that he feels. On the face of this poem, it seems to be a poem about a nature. However, looking further into the poem one can see that the poem is a very religious poem. One of the most dominant emotion that one can feel when reading the poem is the wonder and awe. Whether it is at the tiger or at God, Blake shows much wonder; as shown in the extract in verse 1: And what shoulder what art, Could twist thy heart? Blake describes the colours of the tigers fur as burning, as though the fur of the tiger was a fire itself. This fire is carried on into verse two where Blake describes that there is a fire burning in the eyes of the tiger.. In line 3 and 4 of verse 1 Blake turns his attention to the creator: What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry. His wonders about what the hands and eyes of God are like. Blake sees the tiger as a creation of a great craftsman, a work of art. The most important parts of a craftsman are his eyes and his hands. They are a craftsmans most important tools, allowing him to craft the image he has in his imagination. This idea could have been influenced by Blakes work as a engraver. The other dominant emotion in the poem is the fear shown by Blake. His is very afraid of the tiger. Yet his is even more afraid of God the creator of such an awesome beast. This is a sometimes a feature of Christians to be God-fearing people. This fear can be seen in the following extracts: What dread hand? what dread feet? In what furnace was thy brain? Dare its deadly terrors clasp The extracts above show how much Blake fears the tiger. He is afraid of the tigers claws, and the image in Blakes mind is a beast created from the furnace of heaven and hammered out by a master craftsman. This dreaded ferocious inspires much fear in Blake, even though he admires its beauty What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry. Blake tries to imagine the power required to create the tiger. He tries to picture what being could create the tiger. The picture of this powerful and yet very skilful craftsman is very daunting to Blake. What person would dare take this fearsome beast out of the furnaces, hammer it into an elegant yet very potent shape. What person could twist the shape of the sinews of the tigers heart and create a burning fur coat and burning eyes? The image of this creation is very frightful to Blake, let alone the God, the person who hammered, twisted, and shaped this beast. It should also be noted the could was replaced with dare. This shows that first Blake only thought about the ability, skill, power and strength needed to create the tiger. Later on at the end of the poem, Blake is thinking about the nerve and the daring required to create the tiger. Craftsmanship Structure The poem has a very regular structure, it is divided into six stanzas, each with four lines. The first stanza is repeated in the last stanza but could in line four is replaced with dare. Each line is approximately the same length in words and syllables. Each stanza is used to address one point about God or the tiger. The poem seems also to be structured in the thought process of the poet. First he looks at the tiger itself, describing its prominent features. The poem then tries to picture the creation process of the tiger, and the workshop of this great craftsman. The poet then tries to move on to this creator or craftsman himself. He wonders whether God was content with this creation, and wonders about the more heavenly creature: the stars and the angels. Language The language used in the poem is very vocative. Throughout the poem the poet seems to be talking to the tiger. He seems to be enquiring about the origins of the tiger: What the hammer? What the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? He is asking the tiger as though the tiger is a friend of the poet (the use of thou and thee). The poet seems to the reader as a thinker trying to find out the answer to a very difficult question. The poet is asking questions that can not be answered for very little is known about God. The language is also very striking, very vivid and effective. The language catch the readers attention and is imaginative. It is very appropriate to the poem itself, the language increases the fear and adds effect to the wonder. The words does deliver the message that the poet intends. Much of the language helps to strike the fear into the minds of the readers. When reading this poem, one can not help but feel a sense of awe to the tiger and God. Imagery In the poem there are no striking examples of similes and metaphors, but the poet does use a large amount of personification. He personifies God as a craftsman or a blacksmith: And what shoulder what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? The poet seems to apply his own life experiences to his image of God. He sees God as this craftsman working by a furnace like himself. He sees the material the God uses to create as metallic. In the process of creation, God works like a blacksmith, heating the metal until the critical point is reached, the metal is then taken out and hammered into shape. This process repeats until the perfect shape is reached. Once the work is finished, God must be pleased and proud of his creations like other artists. The poet also personifies the tiger, addressing the tiger as if the tiger was able to understand him. He asks the tiger questions as though the tiger was able to answer him and explain to him what the poet does not understand. The poet also personifies the stars: When the stars threw down their spears , And watered the heavens with their tears; The poet sees the stars as the angels of heaven, throwing down their weapons and crying at such a wonderful creation. The poet makes the reader see God as a human with tow sides, power and the strength represented by the tiger, while the gentle caring side represented by the lamb. This in many ways is the symbolism used throughout the poem by the poet. Movement There is not real rhythm or movement to the poem itself. There are no real rhythmic qualities in the poem. However, when read out loud, the poem should be read out slowly, and loudly. This adds to the effect of the poem, it gives one more time to process the carefully chose words. It would make the poem more effective and allow the listener to truly appreciate the poem. Sounds The most significant sound feature of the poem is its rhyming scheme. Each stanza rhymes in the form of AABB, with the exception of the last line of the first and last stanza of the poem. The poet uses neither onomatopoeia nor alliteration nor assonance. In fact the poem uses very little sound features. I do however think that onomatopoeia could have been used to help the reader to imagine the sounds of this great workshop that Blake pictures in his mind. It would help the reader reach a better level of understanding. It would have also made the poem more affective. The poem is very strong with the visual part of the imagery, however, without the sounds, the perception of the poets idea is incomplete. For example, if the poet included the bangs, clangs of the workshop, or even included the growls and the roars of the tiger. This would have increased ones sense of wonder and awe. Other sound features such as alliteration and assonance, I feel, would not have been as effective and would not have helped the understanding of the poets imagination. Summary The poem has had a very strong impact on me. The poem has made me aware that the world is made up of fierceness and strength (shown in the tiger) as well as gentleness and peace (as shown in the lamb). Blakes tiger is a very terrifying and dynamic creation, which apart from being seen to represent the fiercer side of God, could also be seen to represent the forces of evil lurking in our world. This evil seems to be able to hide in the cover of the darkness of the night, and haunts our minds through our dreams and especially our nightmares. Blakes lamb (Did he who made the lamb also make thee?) apart from being a symbol of Gods gentle and loving side, can also be seen as a symbol of all the good in the world; the caring, the love and the kindness shown in Jesus Christ himself. The poem, as I have already noted, is a very visual poem. Though it is read, the poem inspires us to try and picture what he sees. The words of the poem create very vivid, clear and striking images in the reader or listeners minds. We see dynamic beast with awesome features, a skilful and great craftsman working laboriously in his great workshop. Inside the workshop burns a great furnace with huge and very hot fire. The craftsman hammers and twists the shape of the creation, and when finally he has completed this marvellous work, he is proud and smiles. The angels around this creator all weep and throw down their weapons at the sight of this marvel. The only flaw that I have noted is the lack of use of sound features. This poem, as I have already mentioned, would more complete if the reader can hear the sounds of the workshop and hear the weeps of the angels or even the deafening roars of the tiger as it first leaps out of the furnace as a complete creation. This does not flaw the poem in a significant way, but I feel that it would improve the poem and make the poem more effective Blake made use of sound features.

The graveyard book

The graveyard book A happy childhood is often described as one characterized by love, family, and a sense of security. Many adults are wont to complain that some disruptive behavior is due to some distant unfortunate event in their childhood which may have affected their coping mechanisms as they matured, a commonplace, yet unpleasant, statement widely accepted by psychiatrists. A certain question now arises in my medically inclined mind: what would psychiatrists predict for the little boy Nobody Owens? Nobody, or Bod, is the main character of Neil Gaimans The Graveyard Book, the strange yet enlightening tale of a boy who was orphaned early in life and was then adopted by a charming couple, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who turn out to be ghosts. The story is set in the fictional village of Old Town, a sleepy little village with a dreamlike quality about it. Within this quiet stretch of land is a graveyard, now unused and abandoned. It has been turned into a nature reserve and it is in this precise location that Bod finds himself as he escapes the murderer of his family. Raised by the graveyards phantasmal inhabitants and his mysterious guardian Silas, Bod grows up into a curious and pleasant boy. He encounters ghouls, werewolves, and a monstrous slithering creature hiding beneath the hill of the graveyard. He also manages to make friends with a girl, who visits the graveyard from time to time. While he is growing up, he is taught to read, to fade through walls and slip through shadows, and other uncanny abilities. Surprisingly entertaining despite the occasional macabre and hair-raising plights, Edinger (2009) calls Gaimans creation a novel of wonderweaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment. Common themes of familial closeness and zest for life are cleverly incorporated into this masterpiece. The subtleties with which these cherished values are imparted to readers are completely endearing. While I read the book, I was entranced to the point that I could not help but nervously look over my shoulder to see if there was a ghoul-gate opening its jaws to swallow me into the dark city of Ghulheim, leading me to doubt if this truly was a childrens book. Although I generally do not favor the style which Howard (2009) describes as the episodic nature of the book, I found it completely appropriate for this tale. Since it is a childrens book, one would expect a story that can be told in chapters, thus making it easier for parents to read a portion of the story every night before bedtime. Finally, admit ting that the book was influenced by Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book by no means diminishes Gaimans skill in delivering this tale. For this reason, he was awarded the Newbery Medal which honors outstanding contribution to American childrens literature. Going back to my original question, I continue to wonder what conclusions psychiatrists would draw up regarding Bod. After all, his family was murdered, he was raised in a graveyard by specters, and he has been in so many frightening situations enough to terrify a full-grown man. Would they say that he would grow up to be a disturbed young man because of his experiences? Or would those same experiences have molded him to become stronger than the rest of us? Personally, I believe the love and warmth with which Bods ghost family accepted him has already made up for the loss of his real one. Whichever the case, I only make this point to show how curious I am about what Bod will ultimately become. As Gaimans daughter Maddy so nonchalantly asked after her father read her the first chapter he wrote, I, too, can only ask, What happens next? One thing is certain though, with Bods enthusiasm to live his life to the fullest, his life outside the safety of the graveyard would be peppered with new adventures and characters as elaborate and lively as those resting in his home. REFERENCES: Anonymous,.(2009,April). Childrens Book Awards 2009. Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books,62(8),343-345. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID:1673481801). Edinger,M..(2009,February). Raised by Ghosts. New York Times Book Review,BR.15. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID:1647333051). Howard,E..(2009,July). Neil Gaiman.The Horn Book Magazine,85(4),351-354. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID:1786166631). Hunt,J..(2010,January). The Graveyard Book.The Horn Book Magazine,86(1),18. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Academic Research Library. (Document ID:1936022361).

Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships

Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical property relationships in high strength low alloy steels for automotive applications Chapter 1 Introduction The production of steel is an ancient process which has evolved over time. Where and when Steel was first created is unknown and a topic of much debate, however most historians believe earliest production of steel originates from China from as early as 202BC. A later form of steel named Wootz Steel was later developed in India, which used wind power to fuel a furnace producing nearly pure steel. In the 11th century China developed steel further was the first country to mass produce steel. Two methods were developed. A berganesque method which produced inhomogeneous steel, and a process which that relied on partial decarbonisation through repeated forging under a cold blast, this was seen as the superior method, and one which lead on to the Bessemer process [1].The Bessemer process involved using a blast furnace to extract iron from its ore and is the basis of modern steel extraction. Steel is produced firstly by extracting iron from its ore. Iron extraction differs slightly from other metals as it can only be found naturally in oxide form. This means that a smelting process is required. This involves a reduction reaction followed by alloying with additional elements like carbon to stabilise and strengthen the steel. Iron smelting requires a high temperature which produces a ferrous material made of a combination of iron and steel. The addition of alloying elements such as carbon affect the materials properties greatly. Changing the temperature at which the iron is smelted affects the phase of the resultant steel, giving rise to the possibility of producing steels with varying properties which are suitable for a range of applications. In the automotive industry, body frames were originally made of hardwood. This was replaced in 1923 when the American Rolling Company developed steel sheet production. The wooden frames were inferior in energy absorption which was a big safety issue. Steel was also much easier to form than wood and did not warp over time. As the automobile has evolved over time, there has been an increasing public awareness of the environmental impact of the car. This has forced manufacturers to produce lighter cars which are more economical. This brought about the development of thin, highly formable sheet steel. The main competitor to steel in the automotive industry is Aluminium, which offers a much better strength to weight ratio and also a better resistance to corrosion. However steel is still the most commonly used material mainly due to lower production cost. Increasing competition from aluminium is forcing the development of modern steels. Steel naturally has a higher formability and elongation than aluminium which is one of the reasons it is used so extensively in the automotive sector. This can be seen in Figure 1.1: Figure 1.1- Yield strength vs total elongation of aluminium alloys and automotive steels [3] Ultra low carbon (ULC) steels are used commonly in the production of automobiles. Their, highy formability and suitability for hot dip galvanising make them very attractive to automobile producers[4]. Pressure is being put on the manufacturers to produce lightweight cars that minimise emissions without compromising safety. Metallic properties required to achieve this consist of a high tensile strength, high r- value, good ductility and also the ability to be made resistant to corrosion (either naturally or through the use of chemical surface treatment). Various high performance steels have been developed to meet these requirements, of these, one of the most important being HSLA steels. High strength low alloy steels provide a much better strength to weight ratio than conventional low carbon steels allowing for thinner grades to be used, saving weight. HSLA steels have a manganese content of up to 1.5%, as well as microalloying elements such as vanadium and titanium. HSLA steels are increasingly replacing traditional low carbon steels for many automotive parts. This is due to their ability to reduce weight without compromising strength and dent resistance. Typical applications include door-intrusion beams, chassis members, reinforcing and mounting brackets, steering and suspension parts, bumpers, and wheels [5]. High strength low alloy steel properties are determined by the way in which they are processed. High deep drawability, can be achieved through precipitation of elements by annealing to produce a strong {111} recrystallisation texture [7], producing highly formable steels which are very desirable for automotive applications. In this study, two grades of IFHS strips are studied. A titanium only stabilised steel grade and a titanium-vanadium stabilised steel grade. These have been treated using a Viking tube furnace and studied using a scanning electron microscope, Photoshop and Optilab Software. Both steel grades have been studied using carefully selected thermo mechanical heat treatment cycles. The heating variables are expected to cause varying effects to the mechanical properties and microstructure of the two materials. The addition of vanadium in one of the steel grades is also expected to influence the mechanical properties. With the data obtained from my experiments I hope to determine the optimum processing route for similar HSLA steels. Chapter 2 Aims Carry out selective batch annealing heat treatments on two microalloyed High Strength IF strip steels. Measure grain size evolution samples using scanning electron microscopy and quantitave optical microscopy techniques. Measure mechanical properties of obtained samples using hardness and tensile testing techniques Determine the optimum processing characteristics, resulting in optimum mechanical property characteristics. Chapter 3 Literature Review 3.1 AUTOMOTIVE STEELS Automotive manufacturers make use of many different metals in the production of cars, of which the most predominant being steel. This is for several reasons, steel is relatively easy to recycle in comparison with polymers and aluminium, and this is an issue which is growing in importance as the public are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Steel is also a very good material in terms of its practicality, as it is easily welded, has good formability, elongation and ductility. As the environmental impact of cars is becoming more and more important, stringent regulations regarding emissions are being forced upon manufacturers. One of the ways that manufacturers have chosen to meet these requirements is to make the cars lighter by switching from mild steel to high strength steel grades which enables components to have a thinner cross section, saving weight. The three main types of steels used in automobiles today are; Low strength (IF and mild steels), High strength (Carbon manganese, bake hardening, IFHS and HSLA) Advanced high strength steels (dual-phase, complex phase, transformation induced plasticity and matensitic steels) These steel types can be seen below on figure 3.1 comparing their elongation and strength. Figure 3.1: Classification of automotive steels [8]. 3.1.1 Mild Steels Mild steels are normally found in two different forms for automotive purposes. Drawn Quality and Aluminium killed. These are both cheap to manufacture are used for high volume parts. They are usually of a ferrite microstructure. [8] 3.1.2 Interstitial Free Steels IF steels are used for car body panels extensively due largely to their deep drawability. The high elongation achieved in comparison with other steel grades can be seen in figure 3.1.The main characteristic of IF steel is a low carbon and nitrogen content. These elements are removed from solution by adding specific elements for alloys. Commonly used elements for this microalloying process include Manganese, Sulphur, Titanium and Niobium. As well as a deep drawability, IF steel have low yield strength but a poor dent resistance which is undesirable for certain automotive applications [6] Bake Hardening Steels BH steels keep carbon in solution either during processing before it is precipitated or during the paint baking state [8]. This strengthens the steel through solid solution strengthening, resulting in steel with both high formability and high strength. 3.1.4 Carbon-Manganese Steels Carbon-manganese steels are solid solution strengthened and are used in strip form on automobile bodies, although they are becoming replaced by lighter steel grades. They offer high drawability and are relatively cheap to produce. [9] D.T.Llewellyn: Steel: Metallurgy and Applications, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, Great Britain, 1992. 3.1.5 High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Steels HSLA steels are strengthened through the addition of microallying elements. These react with the carbon and nitrogen within the steel to form carbides and nitrides. Common elements include Nb, V and Ti. The resultant steel has both high strength and a high formability due to very fine grain sizes [10] Dual-Phase (DP) Steels Dual-phase steels contain two phases within their microstructure. These are ferrite and martensite. This two phase structure is produced through a complex series of contolled heating and cooling. Martensite regions are produced by heating and rapidly cooling. It is the marteniste regions tha give the hardness to the material where as the ferrite regions are much softer. The structure of DP steels takes advantages of the properties of each of the phases, where the hard maternsite regions are surrounded by softer ferrite which reduces brittleness, shown in figure 3.2. DP steel has good ductility, low yield strength but high work hardening rate [8]. Figure 3.2: Microstructure of DP steel [8]. 3.1.7 Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Steels TRIP steels consist of a mainly ferrite microstructure with a low austenite content within the matrix. An isothermal hold during production at an intermediate temperature is used to produce bainite [8]. Strength is increased by transformationing of austenite regions to harder martensite regions. TRIP steels have a good work hardening rate and good strength. Work hardening in TRIP steels continues at higher strain levels than those of DP steels so TRIP steels is a superior material from this aspect. Figure 3.3 shows the multi phase microstructure of TRIP steel. Figure 3.3: Microstructure of TRIP steel [8]. Martensitic (MS) Steel MS steels are mainly of a martensitic microstructure but contain small amounts of ferrite and bainite. During heat treatment the steel is rapidly cooled transforming austenite into martensite. This gives a very high tensile strength since martensite produces a very hard material, but the drawback is this also gives a low formability. In order to overcome this low formability further processing such as heat treatments must be undertaken. [11] 3.1.9 High Strength Interstitial Free (HS-IF) Steels HSIF steels are strengthened through the addition of microalloying elements. Commonly used alloying elements include P, B, Si, Mn, Ti, N. The combinations in which the microalloying elements are used have an effect on the properties of resultant steel allowing a range of requirements to be met. HSIF steels can produce nearly twice the potential yield strength as conventional IF steels, although there is a reduction in formability. 3.2 Microalloying Elements 3.2.1 Carbon Carbon is one of the most important interstitial elements within steel, giving very different mechanical properties as its percentage content is altered and therefore must be studied in depth. Carbon is an element commonly found in automotive steels due to its high strength properties. Although adding carbon increases strength, it also affects the formability, i.e. its deep drawability. A set of experiments were carried out to determine the effect of carbon content within steel. When analysing the tensile test results it was noted that the ultimate tensile strength, the proof stress and the yield stress all increased as the amount of carbon increased in the steel. The plastic region as well as the general elongation of the steel under tensile stress decreased as the carbon content increased. These are significant changes in the mechanical properties. Hardness and Tensile strength increase as carbon content approaches 0.85% C as shown in figure 3.4. The elongation percentage decreases as the carbon content increases. This suggests that the more carbon present in the material, the stronger and less ductile it becomes. Figure 3.4: Affect of Carbon content in Steel Yield Strength Carbon content influences the yield strength of steel because carbon molecules fit into the interstitial crystal lattice sites of the body-centred cubic arrangement of the iron molecules. The interstitial carbons make it more difficult for any dislocation to occur as it reduces mobility. This has a hardening effect on the metal. Phase diagram Using the phase diagram one can understand why the properties of steels change with differing carbon content. Figure 3.5: Phase Diagram The gamma phase, relates to an Austenite range which has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure. The alpha phase relates to a ferritic Body Centered Cubic crystal structure. Ferrite is found extensively in automotive steels, its BCC structure is much less dense than the FCC of austenite which makes it easily formable and therefore relatively cheap to manufacture. Fe3C refers to cementite and the mixture of alpha (ferrite) + cementite is called pearlite. On the phase diagram steels only apply up to about 1.4% carbon. The eutectoid point is at 723 degrees and is where there are three phases in equilibrium. The eutectoid composition is Fe-0.83%C. The reaction that happens at the eutectoid point is: austenite > ferrite + cementite gamma > alpha + Fe3C High carbon content means a greater precense of austenite, whereas low carbon content will give less austenite and a more ferritic microstructure. The affect of these differing microstructures is reflected in their mechanical properties. This is because Ferrite is soft and ductile and Cementite is hard and brittle. It can be seen by looking at figure 3.5 that as the carbon content is increased, strength increases. This relationship occurs up to the eutectoid point after which it starts to reduce. This where cementite grain-boundaries are created. The figure below shows how the varying content of carbon in steel affects its properties and suitability for different applications. Figure 3.6 Carbon Steel Applications Lever rule The lever rule can be used to calculate expected proportions of the phases present in each of the tested carbon steel specimens. These values can then be compared to the values obtained through testing. Figure 3.7 Lever Rule Calculations: a = Ferrite a + Fe3C = Pearlite 0.1wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.1)   Ã‚   = 0.897   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.1- 0.02)    = 0.103   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.4wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.4)   Ã‚   = 0.513   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.4- 0.02)    = 0.487   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.8wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.8)    = 0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.8- 0.02)   = 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8- 0.02) These results suggest that as the carbon content increases the pearlite to ferrite ratio also increases. So the ratio of Pearlite to ferrite increases as carbon content is increased the material is made harder, stronger and more brittle but less ductile. These results obtained using the lever rule support the results obtained from the tensile test, showing the steel with the highest carbon content to be the least ductile and most brittle. The results are also supported by the findings from the hardness test which shows the steel with the highest carbon content to be the hardest. 3.2.2 Titanium The addition of Titanium to IFHS steels is particularly useful in the manufacturing of strip steels where good drawability is a requirement. The addition of Ti or Nb results in a lower Yield Strength/Tensile Strength ratio giving an increased formability. This can be seen in figure 3.8. When Titanium reacts with Carbon and Nitrogen it forms TiC and TiN, these precipitates work to delay recrystallisation of austenite, thus refining the grains to a favourable smaller size [12]. Figure 3.8: The effect of Titanium and Niobium on Yield Srength/UTS ratio [12] Titanium precipitates exist within steels and these affect the mechanical properties. TiN precipitates help to promote recrystallisation and encourage the {111} texture. TiS precipitates are commonly found in the austenite region as well as Ti4C2S2, Ti4C2S2 is formed by reacting with Carbon and in the highest regions of the austenite range there is little to no Carbon. These conditions are created at very high temperatures similar to those during hot rolling processes. This leaves the steel highly formable and suitable for deep drawability application such as car body panels. It is very difficult however to form Ti4C2S2 as it is less stable than TiS, although it can be encouraged through specific heat treatment processes. [13] 3.2.3 Vanadium Titanium is commonly added with Niobium to steels to increase formability through precipitation. However these additions can result in a retardation of recrystallisation meaning a higher temperature or longer soaking time is required for recyrstallisation to occur. Vanadium offers a replacement to Niobium in the form of carbides and nitrides, VC and VN, which does not cause such a drastic retardation of recyrstallisation. This is attractive to manufacturers as lower temperatures and shorter processing time during annealing are more cost effective. The effectiveness of Vandium in essentially lowering the recrystallisation temperature is shown in Figure 3.9. Figure 3.9: The effect of Ti + Nb, Ti + V and V stabilised steels on the Temperature for Complete Recrystallisation in 30 Seconds [44]. Figure 3.9 shows that the V only stabilised steel recrystallises at a lower temperature than the TiV and TiNb steels. 3.2.4 Sulphur Sulphur is found in all steels including Interstitial Free High Strength Steels. It acts as an interstitial elements and other elements to form precipitates such as TiS, MnS and Ti4C2S2. These precipitates have different effects on the mechanical properties of the material. In particular the precipitation of carbosulphides is beneficial to the steel as this causes the steel to form in the austenite range and helps to reduce the TiC formation which could occur during heat treatment processing and cause the material to become less likely to form the {111} texture.[13] Promoting Ti4C2S2 therefore encourages the formation of the favourable {111} texture, increasing the formability of the material. In order for Ti4C2S2 to develop, Sulphur, Carbon and Titanium must all be present, and processed in such a way as to form a reaction, which can difficult. 3.2.5 Niobium Niobium if found extensively in IFHS Steels reacting with carbon to form carbides such as NbC. Solute Niobium can be used to segregate austenite and ferrite grain boundaries and increase the strength of the austenite region [14]. As Niobium content increases the r-value decreases as well as the ductility. Generally Nb content is minimised as much as possible as the positive effect it has on strength in the austenite region is relatively small and is outweighed by the negative effect it has on ductility. Boron can be used instead of Niobium as it has a much greater effect on strength than Niobium. This can be seen in figure 3.9 Figure 3.9: Average Flow Stress vs. Temperature for B, C, and Nb and Mo solutes in steel [15]. 3.2.6 Phosphorus Phosphorus, P, is a common alloy of IFHS steel, offering increases in strength through solid solution hardening. Adding Phosphorus can also have a direct effect on the grains within a structure by increasing the Hall-Petch slope (described below). Adding P however can have a negative effect on the brittleness of the material. This can be particularly problematic during the cold working process where brittle fracture is a distinct possibility. The Hall-Petch relationship says that as the grain size decreases the yield strength of a material increases. This is due to the dislocations piling up at grain boundaries, which act as barriers to dislocation movement at low temperatures. If the grain size is large, then a high number of dislocations will pile up at the edge of the slip plane. When the stress exceeds a critical value the dislocations cross the boundary. So the larger the grain size, the lower the applied stress required to reach this critical stress at the grain boundary, meaning the larger the grain size, the lower the yield stress due to easier dislocation movement. This is true down to a grain size of 100nm. Below this size the yield strength remains constant or starts to decrease. This is effect is called the reverse Hall-Petch effect. Phosphorus along with Silicon and Manganese are added via solid solution strengthening to strengthen steel allowing for a thinner sheet of metal to be used for car body panels, and thus reducing the weight. Phosphorus is the most effective out of the three elements in terms of cost and strengthening effect. This can be seen below in figure 3.11 where the effects of P and S additions are compared. Figure 3.11: Comparison of Stress vs. Temperature between Phosphorus and Silicon microalloyed Steels [16]. Phosphorus is also found in the form of FeTiP precipitates. These precipitates have a negative affect on strength and drawability. The effects of these precipitates are greater in batch annealed steels than in continuous steels. This is due to the long soaking times required in batch annealing which provides optimum conditions and sufficient time for these precipitates to form [17]. 3.2.7 Manganese Manganese is added through solid solution strengthening to IFHS steels in a low concentration in order to react with the Sulphur to produce MnS precipitates. These MnS precipitates act to refine grain structure during processing when there is a transformation in phase between austenite and ferrite. Mn is to strengthen steels through solid solution strengthening. The effect of Mn is relatively small in the austenite range but compared to the ferrite range. This is due to a difference in Mn solubility between the austenite and ferrite ranges. Where Mn in ferrite is 10wt% higher than in austenite [18] Mn acts to stabilize the austenite region and slows down the rate of austenite transformation and also the temperature at which the transformation takes place. This lowering of transformation temperature between austenite and ferrite promotes finer grains through grain refinement. Mn can be found in oxide and sulphide forms as well as combinations of the two, oxysulphides. These oxides and sulphides act to deoxidise and desulphurise the steel. When in sulphide form, MnS helps to reduce embrittlement of steel without reducing hardness. When mixed with common impurities such as Al2O3, SiO2, MnO, CaO, CaS and FeS an increase in hardness and strength occurs [19]. When in the oxide form, MnO at the surface acts a barrier layer to prevent surface oxidisation and corrosion. 3.2.8 Silicon Silicon is a useful element and is used to increase the strength through solid solution strengthening, although there is a compromise as increasing Silicon content decreases ductility. Silicon is also found in oxide form, as silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide is found with Manganese Oxide or as Silicomanganese to give a strong oxygen stabilisation and prevent corrosion of steel. [20]. 3.2.9 Aluminium Aluminium is used to deoxidise steel by reacting with oxygen within the steel to form Al2O3. These Aluminium Oxides are later removed leaving an oxygen free steel. However the low density of Aluminium means that oxidisation could occur at the steel interface resulting in corrosion. Aluminium content can have a negative effect on formability. This is due to the precipitation of AlN during recrystallisation preventing the {111} development and thus preventing the formation of finer grains. So minimising the amount of AlN in solid solution results in higher formability. A more stable alternative to AlN which is commonly used in IFHS steels is TiN. 3.3 Hardening and processing There are many different compositions of steel which offer various advantageous properties. The main reason for altering composition or alloying is to strengthen the material. This can be done in several ways; 3.3.1 Precipitation strengthening This process uses heat treatment to raise the yield strength of a material. As temperature changes during heat treatment processing, fine particles are produced due to differing melting points of impurities. These fine particles impede dislocation movement. This in turn reduces the ductility and plasticity of the material and increases its hardness. 3.2.2 Solid – solution strengthening Solid solution strengthening is a form of alloying. It is a commonly used technique to improve the strength of a material. Atoms of the alloying element are added to the crystal lattice of the base metal via diffusion. There are two ways in which this can occur, depending on the size of the alloying alloying element. These are via substitutional solid solution, and interstitial solid solution. Substitutional solid solution This takes place when the sizes of the alloying atoms are equal in size to the base atoms, (Differing in size by no more than 15% according to the Hume-Rothery rules) The alloying atoms replace the solvent atoms and assume their lattice positions. The solute atoms can produce a slight distortion of the crystal lattice, due to the size variation. The amount of distortion increases with the size of the solute atom. This distortion has an effect on microstructural properties. The formation of slip planes is altered making dislocation movement more difficult, meaning a higher stress is required to move the dislocations. This gives the material a higher strength. A generalisation associated with substitution is that large substitutional atoms put the structure under compressive stress, and small substitutional atoms give tensile stress. Interstitial solid solution This occurs when the alloying atoms are much smaller than the base atoms. The alloying atoms fit into spaces within the crystal lattice. This is the case with carbon in steel, where carbon is a solute in the iron solvent lattice. The carbon atoms are less than half the size of the iron atoms so an interstitial solid solution forms. 3.3.3 Processing The final properties of steel are greatly affected by the manner in which it is first made and then processed. Typical processes include steel making, casting, hot and cold rolling and annealing. Each individual process has a distinct affect on the properties of the steel. To make the steel free from interstitial elements, Ti and Nb are often added to react with interstitials after a process called vacuum degassing. Vacuum degassing is the name given to the process where a metal is melted within a vacuum and the gasses are evaporated out. Hot and cold rolling Hot rolling is the first process to take place after steel making. After steel has been cast into uniform slabs or billets it is the rolled under a high temperature to reduce its cross sectional thickness. The hot rolling process is undertaken at a temperature above that at which recrystallisation occurs. Hot rolling reduces allows recrysallisation to occur during processing (dynamic recrystallisation) and the material is left stress free due the new grain nucleation and equiaxed grains. Effect of hot working on microstructure: Hot working occurs at high temperatures, this means that there is often enough thermal energy present for recrsytallisation to occur during deformation. This is called dynamic recrystallisation and it occurs with most metals, apart from aluminium. Recrystallisation occurs during the working process and also as the metal is cooling. Dynamic recrystallisation occurs by new grains nucleating at existing grain boundaries. The amount of recyrstallisation depends on several factors. It depends on the strain rate, temperature and amount of strain on the metal. Generally, as strain within the metal increases, so does the amount of recrystallisation. Cold working is when steel is plastically deformed below its recrystallisation temperature. This process increases the yield strength due to the plastic deformation causing slight defects within the microstructure of the metal. These defects make it difficult for slip planes to move. The grain size of the metal is also reduced, making the material harder through a process called Hall petch hardening. Hall Petch hardening, also known as grain boundary strengthening, increases materials strength by altering the grain size. This is because grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation movement. So altering the grain size, through hot and cold rolling at various temperatures and rates will have an effect on dislocation movement and yield strength. Cold working will increase the strength of the metal by making it increasingly difficult for slip to occur. However as more and more of the larger grains split to form smaller grains the ductility is greatly reduced as the material hardens. Eventually fracture would occur. To avoid this, the material is annealed. Cold working occurs at a temperature below 0.4 of the metals melting point. Some of the energy created by the process is expelled as heat but some energy is stored within the structure putting it into a high energy state. The energy is stored within the grain boundaries of the deformed crystals and within the stress fields of the dislocations created through the plastic deformation. The structure is highly stressed after cold working and would prefer to return to its former low energy state. It is howeve Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical Property Relationships Microstructure-mechanical property relationships in high strength low alloy steels for automotive applications Chapter 1 Introduction The production of steel is an ancient process which has evolved over time. Where and when Steel was first created is unknown and a topic of much debate, however most historians believe earliest production of steel originates from China from as early as 202BC. A later form of steel named Wootz Steel was later developed in India, which used wind power to fuel a furnace producing nearly pure steel. In the 11th century China developed steel further was the first country to mass produce steel. Two methods were developed. A berganesque method which produced inhomogeneous steel, and a process which that relied on partial decarbonisation through repeated forging under a cold blast, this was seen as the superior method, and one which lead on to the Bessemer process [1].The Bessemer process involved using a blast furnace to extract iron from its ore and is the basis of modern steel extraction. Steel is produced firstly by extracting iron from its ore. Iron extraction differs slightly from other metals as it can only be found naturally in oxide form. This means that a smelting process is required. This involves a reduction reaction followed by alloying with additional elements like carbon to stabilise and strengthen the steel. Iron smelting requires a high temperature which produces a ferrous material made of a combination of iron and steel. The addition of alloying elements such as carbon affect the materials properties greatly. Changing the temperature at which the iron is smelted affects the phase of the resultant steel, giving rise to the possibility of producing steels with varying properties which are suitable for a range of applications. In the automotive industry, body frames were originally made of hardwood. This was replaced in 1923 when the American Rolling Company developed steel sheet production. The wooden frames were inferior in energy absorption which was a big safety issue. Steel was also much easier to form than wood and did not warp over time. As the automobile has evolved over time, there has been an increasing public awareness of the environmental impact of the car. This has forced manufacturers to produce lighter cars which are more economical. This brought about the development of thin, highly formable sheet steel. The main competitor to steel in the automotive industry is Aluminium, which offers a much better strength to weight ratio and also a better resistance to corrosion. However steel is still the most commonly used material mainly due to lower production cost. Increasing competition from aluminium is forcing the development of modern steels. Steel naturally has a higher formability and elongation than aluminium which is one of the reasons it is used so extensively in the automotive sector. This can be seen in Figure 1.1: Figure 1.1- Yield strength vs total elongation of aluminium alloys and automotive steels [3] Ultra low carbon (ULC) steels are used commonly in the production of automobiles. Their, highy formability and suitability for hot dip galvanising make them very attractive to automobile producers[4]. Pressure is being put on the manufacturers to produce lightweight cars that minimise emissions without compromising safety. Metallic properties required to achieve this consist of a high tensile strength, high r- value, good ductility and also the ability to be made resistant to corrosion (either naturally or through the use of chemical surface treatment). Various high performance steels have been developed to meet these requirements, of these, one of the most important being HSLA steels. High strength low alloy steels provide a much better strength to weight ratio than conventional low carbon steels allowing for thinner grades to be used, saving weight. HSLA steels have a manganese content of up to 1.5%, as well as microalloying elements such as vanadium and titanium. HSLA steels are increasingly replacing traditional low carbon steels for many automotive parts. This is due to their ability to reduce weight without compromising strength and dent resistance. Typical applications include door-intrusion beams, chassis members, reinforcing and mounting brackets, steering and suspension parts, bumpers, and wheels [5]. High strength low alloy steel properties are determined by the way in which they are processed. High deep drawability, can be achieved through precipitation of elements by annealing to produce a strong {111} recrystallisation texture [7], producing highly formable steels which are very desirable for automotive applications. In this study, two grades of IFHS strips are studied. A titanium only stabilised steel grade and a titanium-vanadium stabilised steel grade. These have been treated using a Viking tube furnace and studied using a scanning electron microscope, Photoshop and Optilab Software. Both steel grades have been studied using carefully selected thermo mechanical heat treatment cycles. The heating variables are expected to cause varying effects to the mechanical properties and microstructure of the two materials. The addition of vanadium in one of the steel grades is also expected to influence the mechanical properties. With the data obtained from my experiments I hope to determine the optimum processing route for similar HSLA steels. Chapter 2 Aims Carry out selective batch annealing heat treatments on two microalloyed High Strength IF strip steels. Measure grain size evolution samples using scanning electron microscopy and quantitave optical microscopy techniques. Measure mechanical properties of obtained samples using hardness and tensile testing techniques Determine the optimum processing characteristics, resulting in optimum mechanical property characteristics. Chapter 3 Literature Review 3.1 AUTOMOTIVE STEELS Automotive manufacturers make use of many different metals in the production of cars, of which the most predominant being steel. This is for several reasons, steel is relatively easy to recycle in comparison with polymers and aluminium, and this is an issue which is growing in importance as the public are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Steel is also a very good material in terms of its practicality, as it is easily welded, has good formability, elongation and ductility. As the environmental impact of cars is becoming more and more important, stringent regulations regarding emissions are being forced upon manufacturers. One of the ways that manufacturers have chosen to meet these requirements is to make the cars lighter by switching from mild steel to high strength steel grades which enables components to have a thinner cross section, saving weight. The three main types of steels used in automobiles today are; Low strength (IF and mild steels), High strength (Carbon manganese, bake hardening, IFHS and HSLA) Advanced high strength steels (dual-phase, complex phase, transformation induced plasticity and matensitic steels) These steel types can be seen below on figure 3.1 comparing their elongation and strength. Figure 3.1: Classification of automotive steels [8]. 3.1.1 Mild Steels Mild steels are normally found in two different forms for automotive purposes. Drawn Quality and Aluminium killed. These are both cheap to manufacture are used for high volume parts. They are usually of a ferrite microstructure. [8] 3.1.2 Interstitial Free Steels IF steels are used for car body panels extensively due largely to their deep drawability. The high elongation achieved in comparison with other steel grades can be seen in figure 3.1.The main characteristic of IF steel is a low carbon and nitrogen content. These elements are removed from solution by adding specific elements for alloys. Commonly used elements for this microalloying process include Manganese, Sulphur, Titanium and Niobium. As well as a deep drawability, IF steel have low yield strength but a poor dent resistance which is undesirable for certain automotive applications [6] Bake Hardening Steels BH steels keep carbon in solution either during processing before it is precipitated or during the paint baking state [8]. This strengthens the steel through solid solution strengthening, resulting in steel with both high formability and high strength. 3.1.4 Carbon-Manganese Steels Carbon-manganese steels are solid solution strengthened and are used in strip form on automobile bodies, although they are becoming replaced by lighter steel grades. They offer high drawability and are relatively cheap to produce. [9] D.T.Llewellyn: Steel: Metallurgy and Applications, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, Great Britain, 1992. 3.1.5 High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Steels HSLA steels are strengthened through the addition of microallying elements. These react with the carbon and nitrogen within the steel to form carbides and nitrides. Common elements include Nb, V and Ti. The resultant steel has both high strength and a high formability due to very fine grain sizes [10] Dual-Phase (DP) Steels Dual-phase steels contain two phases within their microstructure. These are ferrite and martensite. This two phase structure is produced through a complex series of contolled heating and cooling. Martensite regions are produced by heating and rapidly cooling. It is the marteniste regions tha give the hardness to the material where as the ferrite regions are much softer. The structure of DP steels takes advantages of the properties of each of the phases, where the hard maternsite regions are surrounded by softer ferrite which reduces brittleness, shown in figure 3.2. DP steel has good ductility, low yield strength but high work hardening rate [8]. Figure 3.2: Microstructure of DP steel [8]. 3.1.7 Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) Steels TRIP steels consist of a mainly ferrite microstructure with a low austenite content within the matrix. An isothermal hold during production at an intermediate temperature is used to produce bainite [8]. Strength is increased by transformationing of austenite regions to harder martensite regions. TRIP steels have a good work hardening rate and good strength. Work hardening in TRIP steels continues at higher strain levels than those of DP steels so TRIP steels is a superior material from this aspect. Figure 3.3 shows the multi phase microstructure of TRIP steel. Figure 3.3: Microstructure of TRIP steel [8]. Martensitic (MS) Steel MS steels are mainly of a martensitic microstructure but contain small amounts of ferrite and bainite. During heat treatment the steel is rapidly cooled transforming austenite into martensite. This gives a very high tensile strength since martensite produces a very hard material, but the drawback is this also gives a low formability. In order to overcome this low formability further processing such as heat treatments must be undertaken. [11] 3.1.9 High Strength Interstitial Free (HS-IF) Steels HSIF steels are strengthened through the addition of microalloying elements. Commonly used alloying elements include P, B, Si, Mn, Ti, N. The combinations in which the microalloying elements are used have an effect on the properties of resultant steel allowing a range of requirements to be met. HSIF steels can produce nearly twice the potential yield strength as conventional IF steels, although there is a reduction in formability. 3.2 Microalloying Elements 3.2.1 Carbon Carbon is one of the most important interstitial elements within steel, giving very different mechanical properties as its percentage content is altered and therefore must be studied in depth. Carbon is an element commonly found in automotive steels due to its high strength properties. Although adding carbon increases strength, it also affects the formability, i.e. its deep drawability. A set of experiments were carried out to determine the effect of carbon content within steel. When analysing the tensile test results it was noted that the ultimate tensile strength, the proof stress and the yield stress all increased as the amount of carbon increased in the steel. The plastic region as well as the general elongation of the steel under tensile stress decreased as the carbon content increased. These are significant changes in the mechanical properties. Hardness and Tensile strength increase as carbon content approaches 0.85% C as shown in figure 3.4. The elongation percentage decreases as the carbon content increases. This suggests that the more carbon present in the material, the stronger and less ductile it becomes. Figure 3.4: Affect of Carbon content in Steel Yield Strength Carbon content influences the yield strength of steel because carbon molecules fit into the interstitial crystal lattice sites of the body-centred cubic arrangement of the iron molecules. The interstitial carbons make it more difficult for any dislocation to occur as it reduces mobility. This has a hardening effect on the metal. Phase diagram Using the phase diagram one can understand why the properties of steels change with differing carbon content. Figure 3.5: Phase Diagram The gamma phase, relates to an Austenite range which has a Face Centred Cubic (FCC) structure. The alpha phase relates to a ferritic Body Centered Cubic crystal structure. Ferrite is found extensively in automotive steels, its BCC structure is much less dense than the FCC of austenite which makes it easily formable and therefore relatively cheap to manufacture. Fe3C refers to cementite and the mixture of alpha (ferrite) + cementite is called pearlite. On the phase diagram steels only apply up to about 1.4% carbon. The eutectoid point is at 723 degrees and is where there are three phases in equilibrium. The eutectoid composition is Fe-0.83%C. The reaction that happens at the eutectoid point is: austenite > ferrite + cementite gamma > alpha + Fe3C High carbon content means a greater precense of austenite, whereas low carbon content will give less austenite and a more ferritic microstructure. The affect of these differing microstructures is reflected in their mechanical properties. This is because Ferrite is soft and ductile and Cementite is hard and brittle. It can be seen by looking at figure 3.5 that as the carbon content is increased, strength increases. This relationship occurs up to the eutectoid point after which it starts to reduce. This where cementite grain-boundaries are created. The figure below shows how the varying content of carbon in steel affects its properties and suitability for different applications. Figure 3.6 Carbon Steel Applications Lever rule The lever rule can be used to calculate expected proportions of the phases present in each of the tested carbon steel specimens. These values can then be compared to the values obtained through testing. Figure 3.7 Lever Rule Calculations: a = Ferrite a + Fe3C = Pearlite 0.1wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.1)   Ã‚   = 0.897   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.1- 0.02)    = 0.103   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.4wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.4)   Ã‚   = 0.513   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.4- 0.02)    = 0.487   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (0.8- 0.02) 0.8wt%C Normalised Steel Tensile Specimen: % Ferrite = (0.8- 0.8)    = 0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8-0.02) % Pearlite= (0.8- 0.02)   = 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (0.8- 0.02) These results suggest that as the carbon content increases the pearlite to ferrite ratio also increases. So the ratio of Pearlite to ferrite increases as carbon content is increased the material is made harder, stronger and more brittle but less ductile. These results obtained using the lever rule support the results obtained from the tensile test, showing the steel with the highest carbon content to be the least ductile and most brittle. The results are also supported by the findings from the hardness test which shows the steel with the highest carbon content to be the hardest. 3.2.2 Titanium The addition of Titanium to IFHS steels is particularly useful in the manufacturing of strip steels where good drawability is a requirement. The addition of Ti or Nb results in a lower Yield Strength/Tensile Strength ratio giving an increased formability. This can be seen in figure 3.8. When Titanium reacts with Carbon and Nitrogen it forms TiC and TiN, these precipitates work to delay recrystallisation of austenite, thus refining the grains to a favourable smaller size [12]. Figure 3.8: The effect of Titanium and Niobium on Yield Srength/UTS ratio [12] Titanium precipitates exist within steels and these affect the mechanical properties. TiN precipitates help to promote recrystallisation and encourage the {111} texture. TiS precipitates are commonly found in the austenite region as well as Ti4C2S2, Ti4C2S2 is formed by reacting with Carbon and in the highest regions of the austenite range there is little to no Carbon. These conditions are created at very high temperatures similar to those during hot rolling processes. This leaves the steel highly formable and suitable for deep drawability application such as car body panels. It is very difficult however to form Ti4C2S2 as it is less stable than TiS, although it can be encouraged through specific heat treatment processes. [13] 3.2.3 Vanadium Titanium is commonly added with Niobium to steels to increase formability through precipitation. However these additions can result in a retardation of recrystallisation meaning a higher temperature or longer soaking time is required for recyrstallisation to occur. Vanadium offers a replacement to Niobium in the form of carbides and nitrides, VC and VN, which does not cause such a drastic retardation of recyrstallisation. This is attractive to manufacturers as lower temperatures and shorter processing time during annealing are more cost effective. The effectiveness of Vandium in essentially lowering the recrystallisation temperature is shown in Figure 3.9. Figure 3.9: The effect of Ti + Nb, Ti + V and V stabilised steels on the Temperature for Complete Recrystallisation in 30 Seconds [44]. Figure 3.9 shows that the V only stabilised steel recrystallises at a lower temperature than the TiV and TiNb steels. 3.2.4 Sulphur Sulphur is found in all steels including Interstitial Free High Strength Steels. It acts as an interstitial elements and other elements to form precipitates such as TiS, MnS and Ti4C2S2. These precipitates have different effects on the mechanical properties of the material. In particular the precipitation of carbosulphides is beneficial to the steel as this causes the steel to form in the austenite range and helps to reduce the TiC formation which could occur during heat treatment processing and cause the material to become less likely to form the {111} texture.[13] Promoting Ti4C2S2 therefore encourages the formation of the favourable {111} texture, increasing the formability of the material. In order for Ti4C2S2 to develop, Sulphur, Carbon and Titanium must all be present, and processed in such a way as to form a reaction, which can difficult. 3.2.5 Niobium Niobium if found extensively in IFHS Steels reacting with carbon to form carbides such as NbC. Solute Niobium can be used to segregate austenite and ferrite grain boundaries and increase the strength of the austenite region [14]. As Niobium content increases the r-value decreases as well as the ductility. Generally Nb content is minimised as much as possible as the positive effect it has on strength in the austenite region is relatively small and is outweighed by the negative effect it has on ductility. Boron can be used instead of Niobium as it has a much greater effect on strength than Niobium. This can be seen in figure 3.9 Figure 3.9: Average Flow Stress vs. Temperature for B, C, and Nb and Mo solutes in steel [15]. 3.2.6 Phosphorus Phosphorus, P, is a common alloy of IFHS steel, offering increases in strength through solid solution hardening. Adding Phosphorus can also have a direct effect on the grains within a structure by increasing the Hall-Petch slope (described below). Adding P however can have a negative effect on the brittleness of the material. This can be particularly problematic during the cold working process where brittle fracture is a distinct possibility. The Hall-Petch relationship says that as the grain size decreases the yield strength of a material increases. This is due to the dislocations piling up at grain boundaries, which act as barriers to dislocation movement at low temperatures. If the grain size is large, then a high number of dislocations will pile up at the edge of the slip plane. When the stress exceeds a critical value the dislocations cross the boundary. So the larger the grain size, the lower the applied stress required to reach this critical stress at the grain boundary, meaning the larger the grain size, the lower the yield stress due to easier dislocation movement. This is true down to a grain size of 100nm. Below this size the yield strength remains constant or starts to decrease. This is effect is called the reverse Hall-Petch effect. Phosphorus along with Silicon and Manganese are added via solid solution strengthening to strengthen steel allowing for a thinner sheet of metal to be used for car body panels, and thus reducing the weight. Phosphorus is the most effective out of the three elements in terms of cost and strengthening effect. This can be seen below in figure 3.11 where the effects of P and S additions are compared. Figure 3.11: Comparison of Stress vs. Temperature between Phosphorus and Silicon microalloyed Steels [16]. Phosphorus is also found in the form of FeTiP precipitates. These precipitates have a negative affect on strength and drawability. The effects of these precipitates are greater in batch annealed steels than in continuous steels. This is due to the long soaking times required in batch annealing which provides optimum conditions and sufficient time for these precipitates to form [17]. 3.2.7 Manganese Manganese is added through solid solution strengthening to IFHS steels in a low concentration in order to react with the Sulphur to produce MnS precipitates. These MnS precipitates act to refine grain structure during processing when there is a transformation in phase between austenite and ferrite. Mn is to strengthen steels through solid solution strengthening. The effect of Mn is relatively small in the austenite range but compared to the ferrite range. This is due to a difference in Mn solubility between the austenite and ferrite ranges. Where Mn in ferrite is 10wt% higher than in austenite [18] Mn acts to stabilize the austenite region and slows down the rate of austenite transformation and also the temperature at which the transformation takes place. This lowering of transformation temperature between austenite and ferrite promotes finer grains through grain refinement. Mn can be found in oxide and sulphide forms as well as combinations of the two, oxysulphides. These oxides and sulphides act to deoxidise and desulphurise the steel. When in sulphide form, MnS helps to reduce embrittlement of steel without reducing hardness. When mixed with common impurities such as Al2O3, SiO2, MnO, CaO, CaS and FeS an increase in hardness and strength occurs [19]. When in the oxide form, MnO at the surface acts a barrier layer to prevent surface oxidisation and corrosion. 3.2.8 Silicon Silicon is a useful element and is used to increase the strength through solid solution strengthening, although there is a compromise as increasing Silicon content decreases ductility. Silicon is also found in oxide form, as silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide is found with Manganese Oxide or as Silicomanganese to give a strong oxygen stabilisation and prevent corrosion of steel. [20]. 3.2.9 Aluminium Aluminium is used to deoxidise steel by reacting with oxygen within the steel to form Al2O3. These Aluminium Oxides are later removed leaving an oxygen free steel. However the low density of Aluminium means that oxidisation could occur at the steel interface resulting in corrosion. Aluminium content can have a negative effect on formability. This is due to the precipitation of AlN during recrystallisation preventing the {111} development and thus preventing the formation of finer grains. So minimising the amount of AlN in solid solution results in higher formability. A more stable alternative to AlN which is commonly used in IFHS steels is TiN. 3.3 Hardening and processing There are many different compositions of steel which offer various advantageous properties. The main reason for altering composition or alloying is to strengthen the material. This can be done in several ways; 3.3.1 Precipitation strengthening This process uses heat treatment to raise the yield strength of a material. As temperature changes during heat treatment processing, fine particles are produced due to differing melting points of impurities. These fine particles impede dislocation movement. This in turn reduces the ductility and plasticity of the material and increases its hardness. 3.2.2 Solid – solution strengthening Solid solution strengthening is a form of alloying. It is a commonly used technique to improve the strength of a material. Atoms of the alloying element are added to the crystal lattice of the base metal via diffusion. There are two ways in which this can occur, depending on the size of the alloying alloying element. These are via substitutional solid solution, and interstitial solid solution. Substitutional solid solution This takes place when the sizes of the alloying atoms are equal in size to the base atoms, (Differing in size by no more than 15% according to the Hume-Rothery rules) The alloying atoms replace the solvent atoms and assume their lattice positions. The solute atoms can produce a slight distortion of the crystal lattice, due to the size variation. The amount of distortion increases with the size of the solute atom. This distortion has an effect on microstructural properties. The formation of slip planes is altered making dislocation movement more difficult, meaning a higher stress is required to move the dislocations. This gives the material a higher strength. A generalisation associated with substitution is that large substitutional atoms put the structure under compressive stress, and small substitutional atoms give tensile stress. Interstitial solid solution This occurs when the alloying atoms are much smaller than the base atoms. The alloying atoms fit into spaces within the crystal lattice. This is the case with carbon in steel, where carbon is a solute in the iron solvent lattice. The carbon atoms are less than half the size of the iron atoms so an interstitial solid solution forms. 3.3.3 Processing The final properties of steel are greatly affected by the manner in which it is first made and then processed. Typical processes include steel making, casting, hot and cold rolling and annealing. Each individual process has a distinct affect on the properties of the steel. To make the steel free from interstitial elements, Ti and Nb are often added to react with interstitials after a process called vacuum degassing. Vacuum degassing is the name given to the process where a metal is melted within a vacuum and the gasses are evaporated out. Hot and cold rolling Hot rolling is the first process to take place after steel making. After steel has been cast into uniform slabs or billets it is the rolled under a high temperature to reduce its cross sectional thickness. The hot rolling process is undertaken at a temperature above that at which recrystallisation occurs. Hot rolling reduces allows recrysallisation to occur during processing (dynamic recrystallisation) and the material is left stress free due the new grain nucleation and equiaxed grains. Effect of hot working on microstructure: Hot working occurs at high temperatures, this means that there is often enough thermal energy present for recrsytallisation to occur during deformation. This is called dynamic recrystallisation and it occurs with most metals, apart from aluminium. Recrystallisation occurs during the working process and also as the metal is cooling. Dynamic recrystallisation occurs by new grains nucleating at existing grain boundaries. The amount of recyrstallisation depends on several factors. It depends on the strain rate, temperature and amount of strain on the metal. Generally, as strain within the metal increases, so does the amount of recrystallisation. Cold working is when steel is plastically deformed below its recrystallisation temperature. This process increases the yield strength due to the plastic deformation causing slight defects within the microstructure of the metal. These defects make it difficult for slip planes to move. The grain size of the metal is also reduced, making the material harder through a process called Hall petch hardening. Hall Petch hardening, also known as grain boundary strengthening, increases materials strength by altering the grain size. This is because grain boundaries act as barriers to dislocation movement. So altering the grain size, through hot and cold rolling at various temperatures and rates will have an effect on dislocation movement and yield strength. Cold working will increase the strength of the metal by making it increasingly difficult for slip to occur. However as more and more of the larger grains split to form smaller grains the ductility is greatly reduced as the material hardens. Eventually fracture would occur. To avoid this, the material is annealed. Cold working occurs at a temperature below 0.4 of the metals melting point. Some of the energy created by the process is expelled as heat but some energy is stored within the structure putting it into a high energy state. The energy is stored within the grain boundaries of the deformed crystals and within the stress fields of the dislocations created through the plastic deformation. The structure is highly stressed after cold working and would prefer to return to its former low energy state. It is howeve