The Organic Chemistry of Palladium, Volume I1: Catalytic Reactions deals with organic transformations resulting from palladium complexes either stoichiometrically or catalytically. One feature of a reaction catalyzed by transition metals is the absence of evidence for the typical reactive intermediates of organic chemistry, carbanions, and carbonium ions. This lack of evidence is due to the metal acting both as a source and a sink of electrons that result in energetically unfavorable ionic intermediaries. The book explains that palladium (II) can induce C-O bond formation. These reactions involve oxidation of the organic substrate and reduces the Pd(II) to metal, and are not catalytic. Industrial applications can re-oxidize the palladium metal back to Pd(II) in situ, making the reactions catalytic. The text also discusses certain reactions that can form C-O bonds as part of an oxidative process. The book also describes significant reactions that can be catalyzed by palladium metal, such as in the hydrogenation of multiple bonds, in the carbonylation of certain olefins and acetylenes, and in the catalytic cracking of high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Organic chemists, analytical chemists, investigators, and scientists whose works involve physical or inorganic chemistry will find the book truly useful.
The Organic Chemistry of Palladium, Volume 1: Metal Complexes deals with the number of organic reactions that can be catalyzed by palladium, particularly as regards the structures bonding, and reactions of the metal complexes. The book discusses monodentate ligands which are either neutral (carbonyls, isonitriles, carbenes) or anionic (methyl, phenyl, ethynyl, hydride). The text also examines the complexes formed by 1,3-. 1,4-, and 1,5-diolefins where four carbon atoms are bound to the metal. Palladium (II) can undergo a reaction with the 1,3-dienes and results in a ?-allylic complexes where only three carbon atoms are coordinated to the metal. (The bonding situation in complexes 1,4- and 1,5-dienes, where no great interaction between the olefins are similar to that in monoolefin complexes, is straightforward), Olefins can also react with palladium chloride in protic solvents to produce ketones (or aldehydes) or organic coupling products. Some experiments conducted by Huttel et al shows that some palladium was precipitated from the reactions giving lower yields, resulting in various aldehydes and ketones as by products. The book also discusses cyclopentadienyl and benzene complexes. The text can prove beneficial for researchers, investigators and scientists whose works involve organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry.
The Business Briefings series offers authoritative introductory textbooks in core business topics. Covering the basics and providing springboards to further study, the books take a no-nonsense practical approach, and are ideal as accessible introductions or as revision guides. This book explains what is required for carrying out a successful research project. Clear and well-structured, it allows students to quickly grasp key concepts in research methodology, taking them through the various stages of developing a dissertation in a step-by-step guide. Key benefits: - Provides a concise and cogent guide to a challenging subject area - Provides a step-by-step guide to writing a dissertation Professor Peter Stokes is Deputy Dean at Chester Business School, University of Chester, UK. Dr Tony Wall is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at Chester Business School, University of Chester, UK. 'This book is a masterpiece of clarity. It brings to life research methodology as exciting exploration. Its approach is engaging, stimulating and stretching. The book demystifies research methods and makes them accessible. It is an essential text for all those developing their research approach.' – Peter Shaw, University of Chester and Newcastle University, UK 'This is an excellent account of the use of a variety of research methods in academic studies as well as in practical business settings. Stokes and Wall have made accessible, informative and interesting what is often seen as a difficult part of producing a dissertation or building evidence to support a business case.' – Wes Harry, Cass Business School, City University London, UK 'Stokes and Wall adapt the best research methods expertise and craft it into an approachable, accessible text. Their blend of instruction, examples, and vignettes enables readers to develop a thorough understanding of the content.' – Mitchell J. Larson, Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, UK
Potentially rising oil prices caused by an increasing relative scarcity of mineral oil have farreaching consequences for the transportation sector, the chemical industry and mineral oil companies in particular. As national laws in Germany require biofuels to be mixed into conventional fuel to an increasing extend (BioKraftQuG 2009), mineral oil companies need to identify economically competitive as well as technically feasible biofuel production processes to meet these requirements. A first generation of biofuels was introduced on a large scale but has been criticized for competing with the agricultural production of food and for yielding relatively modest quantities of fuel per hectare of agricultural land. For this reason, 2nd generation biofuel production pathways such as Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL), which convert lignocellulosic material into liquid hydrocarbons using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, have been developed. While 2nd generation biofuels are superior to their 1st generation counterparts from a yield-per-hectare-perspective and cause less competition for agricultural soils, a significant disadvantage is the considerable investment required for the construction of Biomass-to-Liquid plants. The corresponding investment-related costs affect the competitiveness of 2nd generation biofuels negatively, leaving it in doubt whether BtL fuels could become an economically viable option. A frequently discussed way to improve specific investment-related costs is to increase plant sizes to improve economies of scale. While this improvement has been realized in several conventional kinds of plants like mineral oil refineries, power plants and Coal-to-Liquid plants, the application on BtL plants is complicated by the fact that larger plants are associated with higher specific biomass transportation costs. This is because a higher biomass input requires biomass to be transported over larger distances. The unresolved antagonism between economies of scale and specific biomass transportation costs has so far hindered the realization of BtL plants. The aim of this thesis is to develop a methodology to determine optimal BtL plant sizes by taking nonlinear factors into account. The methodology is required to determine a compromise between minimizing investment-related costs by applying economies of scale and minimizing specific biomass transportation costs by keeping the required transportation distances short. The optimal plant size is however influenced by a third influencing factor. Whether it is advantageous to transport biomass over a certain distance also depends on the value of a plant’s products. Biomass-to-Liquid plants can have a variety of product compositions depending on the catalyst and reaction temperature used in the biofuel synthesis reaction. Depending on which substances are produced and which are upgraded for sale, converted into fuels or combusted for electricity generation, both the value of the products and the required investment may differ considerably. While a number of processes, including biomass treatment and gasification, as well as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis itself, are required for all considered plant setup alternatives, the choice of upgrading equipment may result in very dissimilar plant setups. By making the capacities of the individual upgrading processes the variables of the optimization model, economies of scale, specific biomass transportation costs and the products’ value are considered simultaneously for the first time. The thesis primarily focuses on the implementation of an optimization model and its application on a variety of scenarios. These scenarios are intended to represent different plant setups and logistics concepts. In order to assess the scale of differences in profitability, the essential influencing factors determining the profitability of BtL plants were included into the model calculations. As the problem at hand is neither linear nor quadratic, it cannot be solved reliably using established solvers for these two classes of problems. Instead, several solvers designed to handle non-quadratic nonlinear multidimensional problems were applied to find the most suitable way to approach the solution of the problem. The objective function has been designed to maximize the annual profit resulting from plant construction and operation. Maximizing this annual profit is subject to a number of primarily technical constraints. These result from the mass balances of the plant, its electricity demand and the specific requirements of individual processes. In addition to securing the validity of the mass balances, these constraints also ensure that the entire Fischer-Tropsch product stream undergoes some kind of upgrading, separation or combustion treatment. The sum of all processes producing salable products is used to approximate the required capacity of the plant as a whole. The total plant capacity then serves to calculate the investment required for the other plant processes and the costs for the purchase and transportation of the required input biomass. Biomass transportation distances are approximated by the radius of an assumed circular area from which biomass is supplied to the plant. Using cost functions that divide transportation costs into fixed and variable parts makes it possible to approximate the effect of rising specific biomass transportation costs in case of increasing plant capacities. The investigated scenario calculations suggest that under the assumed circumstances, fuel oriented low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch-based BtL plants are relatively competitive as long as the tax exemptions in Germany are maintained, but become significantly less attractive without them. By contrast, the combined production of both fuels and chemicals using hightemperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis appears to be a more promising alternative, as chemicals are expected to earn a higher income in scenarios without tax exemptions. A third option, the production of Substitute Natural Gas, appears to be relatively uncompetitive unless methane prices rise significantly. In addition to comparing the economic attractiveness of different potential product distributions, a number of concepts have been investigated which are intended to improve Biomass-to-Liquid economics. Decentralized pretreatment of biomass, e.g. through fastpyrolysis, leads to larger optimal plant capacities, but the additional investment for the pretreatment units appears to overcompensate the improved economies of scale. By contrast, the combined use of train and road transportation was not assumed to be associated with additional investments. If train transportation is indeed feasible for a given plant location and specific biomass transportation costs are lower than for road transportation, combined traffic concepts should be used whenever possible. The construction of BtL plants in conjunction with mineral oil refineries is a way to reduce investment-related costs instead of transportation costs. While the resulting savings are significant for small BtL plants, they diminish if larger plant sizes are investigated. Cogasification of biomass with another input material is another way to reduce the costly transportation of biomass over large distances. Unless technical requirements significantly increase the cost of the gasification equipment, co-gasification concepts can improve the plant’s profitability even at relatively low quantities of a second fuel. The choice of fuels is however restricted by the Renewable Energy Directive that needs to be abided by in order to ensure the eligibility for tax exemptions. In case of lignite and hard coal, fossil CO2 emissions further complicate the application of co-gasification, as Renewable Energy Directive also limits the amount of fossil CO2 that biofuel production is allowed to cause. As savings caused by such concepts depend on the relative inefficiency of the concept that they are applied on, the effect of the implementation of several improvements diminishes if these address the same cost item. In this work, the nonlinear effects of economies of scale and biomass transportation costs for increasing Biomass-to-Liquid plant capacities has been modeled on a product-upgradingprocess basis for the first time. Potential investors and plant operators of Biomass-to-Liquid plants are thus enabled to determine both the optimal plant size and the most promising choice of products in order to maximize the prospective competitiveness of the plant.
Renowned international experts Peter B. Smith, Mark F. Peterson, and David C. Thomas, editors of the The Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management, have drawn together scholars in the field of management from around the world to contribute vital information from their cross-national studies to this innovative, comprehensive tome. Chapters explore links between people and organizations, providing useful cultural perspectives on the most significant topics in the field of organizational behavior—such as motivation, human resource management, and leadership —and answering many of the field's most controversial methodological questions. Key Features Presents innovative perspectives on the cultural context of organizations: In addition to straightforward coverage of structures and processes, this Handbook addresses locally distinctive, indigenous views of organizational processes from around the world and considers the interplay of climate and wealth when analyzing how organizations operate. Offers an integrated theoretical framework: At the start of each substantive section, the Editors provide context for the upcoming chapters by discussing how prevalent cultures in different parts of the world place emphasis on particular aspects of organizational processes and outcomes. Boasts a global group of contributing scholars: This Handbook features contributing authors from around the world who represent an outstanding mix of respected, long-standing scholars in cross-cultural management as well as newer names already impacting the literature. Provides an authoritative agenda for the future development of the field: All chapters conclude with a list of promising avenues for further research and a focus on issues that remain unresolved. Intended Audience This Handbook is an ideal resource for researchers, instructors, professionals, and graduate students in fields of business, management, and psychology.
Scholars in organization studies share their experience in overcoming research obstacles, working with collaborators, & balancing professional with personal life demands. The book is organized around a series of chapters & commentaries that invite the reader to interact with the ideas presented.
Maintenance combines various methods, tools, and techniques in a bid to reduce maintenance costs while increasing the reliability, availability, and security of equipment. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is one such method, and prognostics forms a key element of a CBM program based on mathematical models for predicting remaining useful life (RUL). Prognostics and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) Estimation: Predicting with Confidence compares the techniques and models used to estimate the RUL of different assets, including a review of the relevant literature on prognostic techniques and their use in the industrial field. This book describes different approaches and prognosis methods for different assets backed up by appropriate case studies. FEATURES Presents a compendium of RUL estimation methods and technologies used in predictive maintenance Describes different approaches and prognosis methods for different assets Includes a comprehensive compilation of methods from model-based and data-driven to hybrid Discusses the benchmarking of RUL estimation methods according to accuracy and uncertainty, depending on the target application, the type of asset, and the forecast performance expected Contains a toolset of methods and a way of deployment aimed at a versatile audience This book is aimed at professionals, senior undergraduates, and graduate students in all interdisciplinary engineering streams that focus on prognosis and maintenance.
The cheque's in the post. I'm still at the office. That looks great on you. Lies make the world go round. And in this book the Would I Lie To You? team celebrates the fine art of the everyday fib. Like the deliriously funny contributions of Rob Brydon, Lee Mack and David Mitchell in the hugely successful panel game, here is a delightful collection of 100 fibs that all of us can recognise. Lies like: I didn't even notice she was pretty; I'm working from home tomorrow; and wow, your tattoo looks really... interesting. Written in the same warm, witty and inspired tone that's made the TV show such a hit, the book uncovers the little deceptions that strike a chord with all of us. There are the lies we tell others, the lies people tell us and the lies we tell ourselves. Each entry in the book is laugh-out-loud funny, and filled with more than a little bit of painful truth. If you're a fan of the show, a lover of spot-on observational comedy, or have ever told a porky, Would I Lie To You? Presents the 100 Most Popular Lies of All Time is the book you've been waiting for.
The growth of shareholder value has been a major change in Western economies since the 1980s. This growth has reignited debates concerning relations between investors and managers. This book argues that investors are more than passive providers of finance, on whose behalf managers seek to maximize shareholder returns. Instead, many investors directly influence management practice, through investor engagement. The book examines the role of institutional investors and private equityfirms, two types of investors with overlapping but different reasons for engagement. Questions addressed include: What are the incentives, and disincentives, for investment engagement? How is investor engagement organized? What areas of management practice are of particular concern to investors? Thediscussion shows in detail how private equity firms play a major role in developing new companies, beyond the provision of finance, especially in the IT, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sectors.The discussion is primarily based on British and US research. The debate has wider international relevance, because there are strong pressures for establishing shareholder value as the international 'norm' for systems of corporate governance. Following a detailed discussion of Germany, the authors conclude that there is no inevitable trend to shareholder value: shareholder value depends upon complementary institutional arrangements in national business systems, which are far from universal. Thebook concludes with a critical analysis of the justifications for shareholder value and investor engagement, highlighting the weaknesses of both efficiency and equity justifications.
Bringing together key writings with original textbook material, the second edition of Media Studies: The Essential Resource explains central perspectives and concepts within Media Studies. Readers are introduced to a range of writing on media topics promoting an understanding of the subject from both contemporary and historical perspectives. The text is split into three parts covering Analysis and Perspectives, Media Audiences and Ecologies and Creativities. The key areas of study are discussed, with accessible readings from essential theoretical texts and fully supported with an author commentary. Theoretical perspectives are used to analyse contemporary media forms and activities direct students to interrogate readings further and apply their learning. Encouraging critical and analytical study, Media Studies: The Essential Resource helps students to understand the main theories and theorists within Media Studies.
This book offers practical, evidence-based solutions to help professionals implement and support effective teamwork. Lantz, Ulber and Friedrich draw on their considerable professional experience to present common problems in team-based organizations, what empirical research tells us the causes are and which solutions are more effective in overcoming team-based obstacles. In The Problems with Teamwork, and How to Solve Them, nine common problems are identified, ranging from lack of leadership and adaptability to conflict and cohesiveness, accompanied by clear instructions on how to approach and resolve the individual issues. Detailed case studies are presented throughout the book, demonstrating how theory can be applied to real-life situations to produce optimal results for both the team and the larger organisation. By combining theory and practice, and using state-of-the-art research, the book constructs a cognitive map for identifying problem causes and effect, and step-by-step instructions on how to solve problems. This is essential reading for anyone working in team-based organizations, as well as students and academics in related areas such as organizational psychology and organizational behaviour.
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