Market penetration studies indicate that in the absence of tax credits, large reductions in the costs of active solar water/space heating systems will be necessary. A number of potential means for equipment and labor cost reductions are presented. The use of drainback systems with polybutylene pipe and a variety of low-cost collector concepts is discussed. The pros and cons of the various drain...

The influence of confinement on the steady-state morphology of two different emulsions is investigated. The blends, made from polybutene (PB) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polybutadiene (PBD) in PDMS, are sheared between two parallel plates, mostly with a standard gap spacing of 40 microm, in the range of shear rates at which the transition from "bulk" behavior toward "confined" behavior i...

Rodents gnaw communications and power cables, resulting in service interruptions, fires, and other safety concerns. Commensal rodents such as the Norway rat (Rattus noruegicus) have been implicated in many of these situations. Two chemical repellents (capsicum oleoresin+apsaicin and denatonium benzoate) at 2.0% mass/mass concentrations in a polybutene carrier (Indopol@-control) were evaluated f...