text:
Solventless compositions for preparing sprayable polyurethanes and poly(urea)urethanes by spraying a mixture of:
(a) An isocyanate-terminated prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer; and
(b) A curing agent comprising a relatively highly reactive polyol or polyamine or combination thereof and at least about 20% by weight of a reactive "filler" comprising a polyol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 2,000.
1. A method for the solventless spray application of a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating, comprising the steps of:
(a) Delivering to a mixing chamber an isocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer;
(b) Delivering to said mixing chamber a curing agent comprising from about 10% to about 80% by weight of one or more relatively highly reactive polyols and/or polyamines in an amount sufficient almost completely to cure the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and from about 90% to about 20% by weight of a reactive polyol filler having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 2,000;
(c) If necessary to effect fluid transfer and intimate admixing, heating said polymer and/or quasi-prepolymer and/or said curing agent to a temperature in the range from about 160° F. to about 200° F.;
(d) Intimately admixing said prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and said curing agent; and
(e) Immediately after admixing, spraying said admixture through an atomizing nozzle onto a surface to produce a polyrethane or poly(urea)urethane coating.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1, in which the filler is a polytetramethylene ether glycol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 1,000.
3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said filler includes one or more pigments dispersed in a polyol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 1,000.
4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said prepolymer and said curing agent include up to about 50% by weight of silica particles having a particle size of not more than ten microns.
5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said isocyanate-terminated prepolymer is formed from the reaction of toluene diisocyanate and a polyether glycol and the highly reactive polyol and/or polyamine comprises menthane diamine.
6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said prepolymer is formed by the reaction of toluene diisocyanate and a polyether glycol and said curing agent comprises crystalline methylene dianaline, gamma butyro lactone and a polyether glycol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 1,000.
7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said isocyanate-terminated prepolymer is formed from the reaction of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene and diphenylmethane-4,4' diisocyanate and said relatively highly reactive compound is polybutadiene.
8. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said relatively highly reactive compound is methylene dianiline, which comprises about 33.3% by weight of the curing agent and a polyether glycol having an equivalent weight of about 500.
9. A method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said curing agent includes a pigment dispersed in a polyether glycol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 1,000.
10. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gel time of the reaction between the curing agent and the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer is from about two to about five minutes.
11. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the prepolymer is a polyether based prepolymer of diphenylmethane 4,4'-diisocyanate, said curing compound is 1,4-butane diol and said filler is a polytetramethylene ether glycol having a molecular weight of about 1,000, the volume ratio of prepolymer to curing agent being about 3:1.
12. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said highly reactive polyols and/or polyamines comprise from about 10% to about 60% by weight of the curing agent.
13. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said curing agent includes dimethyl phthalate as a non-reactive filler.
14. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the curing agent comprises methylene bis(2,6-diisopropylaniline).
15. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the prepolymer is a reaction product of hexamethylene diisocyanate with a polytetramethylene ether glycol having a molecular weight of about 1,000.
16. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the curing agent comprises diethylated toluene diamine.
17. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the volume ratio of the compositions set forth in step (a) to the compositions set forth in step (b) is in the range from about 1:1 to about 4:1 and is a whole integer.
18. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polyol has an equivalent weight in the range from about 500 to about 1,000.
19. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein said reactive polyol filler has an equivalent weight of about 1,000.
20. The product of any of the methods set forth in claims 1-19 inclusive.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 944,859, filed Sept. 22, 1978, now abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to solventless, sprayable compositions for producing polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings from an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer or quasiprepolymer, the products of such compositions and a process for producing such products.
2. State of the Art
In the past, polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings formed from an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer have been applied by spraying, utilizing a volatile solvent-containing sprayable part A and a volatile solvet-containing, sprayable part B curing agent. The curing agent usually included a substantial quantity (on the order of 50% to 70% by weight of the ultimate coating) of a volatile organic solvent, such as ethyl acetate. These solvent-containing coatings were not commercially satisfactory for many purposes, because the evaporation of the solvent during the formation of the coating results in the production of holes in the coating and a stretching of the polyurethane material as a result of the empty space previously occupied by the evaporated solvent. The stretching weakens the coating, because of stress concentrations resulting from stretch of the coating material, increasing the likelihood of rupture of the coating or wear through abrasion of the coating, particularly at the areas of stress concentration. Solvent-containing coating systems cause other problems, such as solvent entrapment, causing inner coat delamination.
As used herein, a "solventless" system is one in which all or substantially all of the constituents of the part B remain as a part of the final polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating.
All of the systems of this invention are two component systems, in which "part A" primarily contains a polyurethane prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and "part B" is the curing agent which contains the curing compounds which react with the part A to form a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating.
Polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings may also be formed using a so-called "one-shot" system. One-shot systems do not use a prepolymer or a quasi-prepolymer, but rather involve a reaction of an isocyanate with a suitable blend of polyols and polyamines to form the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating. One-shot systems produce an extremely rapid reaction in the formation of the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane, and do not lend themselves readily to application by spraying, since a relatively uniform coating of the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane is extremely difficult to achieve. Coatings formed by one-shot systems also are subject to coating degradation by hydrolysis. Accordingly, one-shot systems are not conventionally used for spray application, but rather are used for injection molding, such as for automobile bumpers. When spraying one-shot systems, it is extremely difficult to control physical properties of the ultimate coating so that they are uniform. One-shot systems have been sprayed, but are not commonly used for spraying because of the difficulties attendant upon their use.
It is particularly desirable to be able to spray apply solventless polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings, because it avoids the expense of making a mold which is attendant upon casting processes and avoids the expensive equipment and physical limitations attendant upon the use of centrifugal casting. Furthermore, when dealing with extremely large objects to be coated, such as fly-ash scrubbers, gasoline storage tanks, hopper bins, and the like, it is desirable to be able to field apply the polyurethane coating, in order to avoid the expense of transporting large and cumbersome objects to a factory for coating applicaton. Also, the very size of some of these objects makes application of coatings by prior art processes expensive and difficult, and sometimes impossible.
It is also desirable to create spray-applied systems for producing polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings with superior chemical and physical properties than prior art coatings.
It is therefore highly desirable to obtain a system for spray application of polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings, comprising a part A prepolymer and a part B curing agent, which does not include a volatile solvent, so that the ultimate coating includes all of the constituents of the prepolymer and the curing agent. It is particularly desirable that all of the major constituents of the curing agent participate chemically, at least to some extent, in the reaction forming the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane, so that a completely chemically bonded coating is formed, which is less susceptible to chemical degradation than is the case if the curing agent includes significant amounts of non-reactive constituents.
The invention is directed to a composition for use in forming polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings by solventless spray application. The part A of the system, which is the component of the system which provides the reactive isocyanate groups, is a urethane prepolymer or a quasi-prepolymer or a combination of the two. The part B curing agent comprises up to from about 10% to about 80% by weight of one or more relatively highly reactive "curing compounds" which function as chain extenders, cross-linking agents or both. The highly reactive curing compounds will react with most, but not all, of the available NCO groups in the part A and form the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane polymer.
If a urethane polymer is desired, the curing compound will consist of one or more relatively highly reactive polyols, preferably diols. If a poly(urea)urethane or combination of polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane is desired, the part B curing agent will include one or more polyamines, preferably diamines, for a poly(urea)urethane or a mixture of polyamines and polyols for a combination product. The diamines are preferred in order to provide two reactive sites on the amine-contributing curing compound. As used herein, a "relatively highly reactive" or "highly reactive" compound is one which will substantially completely react with the NCO-groups in a prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer within a period from about two minutes to about five minutes, after mixing part A and part B.
The second essential constituent of the curing agent, comprising from about 20% to about 90% by weight of the part B, is a reactive (but not highly reactive) "filler", which also called a "reactive polyol filler" is a polyol or combination of polyols, having a relatively high equivalent weight. That is to say, the second constituent has a relatively low reactivity in relation to its molecular weight, and the equivalent weight of the filler constituent or constituents of the curing agent is in the range from about 300 to 2,000, and preferably in the range from about 300 to 1,000. As used herein, a "reactive filler" is one which will react with the NCO groups in a prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, which reaction takes substantially in excess of about five minutes to be substantially completed.
The relatively highly reactive curing agent will substantially completely react with the NCO groups of the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer within a period of two to five minutes and the reactive filler will also react initially with the NCO groups of the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, but this reaction will take on the order of one-half hour or more before it is substantially completed. Thus, for example, five minutes after the part A and part B of this invention have been mixed and sprayed, most of the available NCO groups will have reacted with the curing compound, but some will have reacted with the filler. After, for example, one hour has passed, substantially all of the NCO groups will have reacted with the curing compound and with most of the reactive filler. This allows the majority of the polyurethane of poly(urea)urethane reaction to be completed within a period of from two to five minutes, so that the reaction is substantially complete within that period, thereby eliminating the dripping and resulting non-uniform coating attendant upon the use of curing agents having substantially longer reaction times. However, after a period of, for example, two minutes has elapsed, there still will be reactive isocyanate sites left on the polymer being formed which will react, in part, with the filler, and will take up to one-half hour or an hour or more for the urethane-forming reaction to be completed. In this way, a small number of reactive sites of the polymer are chemically reacted with the filler, so that there is a chemical bond between the filler and prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, as well as between the curing agent and prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer. This provides for a superior coating and avoids the innercoat delamination problem attendant upon the use of a non-reactive material as a filler, which is the case with prior art compositions and processes.
If an ether based prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer is used, it is most desirable to use one or more ether polyols as the curing compounds to produce polyurethanes. On the other hand, if an ester type of prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer is used, it is most desirable to have one or more ester polyol curing compounds to produce polyurethanes.
The part B may also include as additives one or more catalysts, pigments, and non-reactive fillers. For example, coloring pigments may be added to provide a desirable color to the coating. Small particles of bulk fillers, such as silica, may be added to reduce the chemicals content of the coating and therefore its expense, although this compromises to some extend the physical properties of the coating.
In other instances, it may be desirable to incorporate as a non-reactive filler a plasticizing agent which is non-reactive in the curing agent, such as gamma butyro lactone.
The invention includes the polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings which are produced from the compositions of the invention.
The invention further includes a process for applying polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings by intimately mixing the part A and part B at a temperature in the range from about 160° F to about 200° F. and a pressure of about 2,400 psig, and spraying the mixture from an atomizing nozzle in a fine spray onto a surface to be coated.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide sprayable, solventless polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane systems, which will produce coatings having superior physical and chemical qualities to those previously available.
Another object of this invention is to provide a part B of a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane system which consists essentially of reactive constituents to form a substantially completely chemically reacted coating and thereby renders the coating more resistant to chemical degradation than previously available coatings.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a part B of a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane system which is relatively economical to produce and apply and is capable of being sprayed in the field within reasonably close tolerances to provide a uniform coating of polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane having superior physical and chemical properties.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a part B composition for a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane system, which includes a reactive filler to allow the proper ratio of part A to part B to be maintained in a fixed proportion system for mixing part A and part B, where there is some chemical reaction between the reactive filler and the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer so that the filler is bonded to the coating material and prevents innercoat delamination.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a process for spraying uniform, high physical and chemical property polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane coatings using a solventless system.
A concomitant object of this invention is to provide an improved sprayed polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating which is produced from a polyurethane prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and a curing agent which comprises a relatively small quantity of one or more relatively highly reactive polyols or polyamines or combinations thereof and a major proportion of a polyol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 2,000.
The invention relates to solventless compositions usable for spraying coatings of polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane. In the invention, the part A is an isocyanateterminated prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer or combination of the two. Particularly desirable prepolymers are reaction products of polyester, polyether or synthetic rubber polyols and aromatic isocyanates, such as toluene diisocyanate (TDI), xylylene diisocyanate, 3,3' bitolylene diisocyanate, and diphenylmethane-4,4' diisocyanate (MDI). Prepolymers produced from aliphatic isocyanates, such as hexamethylene diisocyanate, are also within the purview of the invention. Uniroyal "B 601" is a particularly desirable TDI-based prepolymer usable with this invention.
Quasi-prepolymers are produced from isocyanates as noted above, to which there has been added raw isocyanate, which may be the same as or different from the isocyanate used in the formation of the prepolymer.
The part A may include limited quantities (so as not to interfere with its ability to be sprayed) of a blacking agent, such as carbon black, for ultraviolet stability, fillers, such as silica, to reduce the quantity of organic components of the end product and thereby reduce its material cost, and hydrated alumina, which is a solid fire retardant.
The part A is selected to be pumpable at room temperature and to have a viscosity of under about 6 poise at 200° F., in order practically to be sprayable under the normal operating conditions of the process of the invention.
The part B or curing agent, which is used to react with the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, principally comprises two constituents. The first constituent comprises the reactive primary materials or curing compounds, which are selected to react almost completely with the prepolymers and/or quasi-prepolymers of the part A, to form the desired polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane.
If a polyurethane is desired, the part B will include one or more relatively reactive polyols. A polyester polyol is usually desired in connection with a polyester-derived prepolymer, and a polyether polyol in connection with a polyether-derived prepolymer.
The polyol curing compound which is selected is chosen for two properties. One is its ability to be sprayed in the reactive "filler" described below. The other is its reactivity in order to be able to form the polyurethane having the desired physical and chemical properties at a reasonable speed and achieve a gel time of between two and five minutes.
"Gel time" is a term which is well known in the art, and is the time which is required after a mixture of part A and part B is combined, before the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane substantially sets and loses its tacky characteristic. The tacky characteristic is lost when the reaction between the curing compound and the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer has progressed to substantial completion, so that relatively few reactive sites on the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer remain unreacted. The selection of an appropriate gel time is important, because the reaction must be sufficiently slow to allow the part A and part B to be combined and applied uniformly to a surface in a spray form, and yet occur sufficiently rapidly that the coating being applied will "set up" very quickly so that it will not run (down the surface being coated) to create a non-uniform coat. If too short a gel time is selected, a uniform coating will not form, and if too long a gel time is selected, the coating will drip and will also not be acceptable. A gel time of about two to five minutes is also important so that the coating, which is typically applied in multiple passes of a spray gun, can be applied in thin layers, and each subsequently applied layer contacts a substrate which has sufficient unreacted reactive sites to allow a chemical reaction to occur between the outer surface of the substrate and the adjacent surface of the next layer. This forms a chemical bond between the coating layer and substrate and produces a coating which will not delaminate.
Particularly desirable polyols, used as the curing compound in the system of this invention, are 1,4 butane diol, 1,3 butane diol, resorcinol di(beta-hydroxyethyl) ether, and other polyols in the phenolic ether category. 1,6 hexane diol, glycerol and anthraquinones, such as hydraquinone di (beta hydroxyethyl) ether, sold by Eastman Kodak under the trademark HQEE, are among the most desirable polyols.
Polyols used in forming polyurethanes are well known in the art. The particular polyol to be reacted is selected after a determination has been made of the tensile strength, tear strength, modulus of elongation, rebound, compression set, low temperature flexibility and hydrolytic or chemical stability of the end product coating have been selected in view of the intended use of the coating. The polyol of choice is then matched with the prepolymer of choice to produce the desired properties.
Some of the polyols utilized may be solid or extremely viscous at room temperature, but they will be dispersed and in sprayable, liquid form at the temperatures of 160° F. to about 200° F. at which they are used in the process of this invention, dispersed in the relatively high equivalent weight polyols which act as reactive "fillers" and as dispersing agents for the curing compounds in accordance with this invention.
The particular prepolymer selected is matched with the particular curing compound or curing compounds desired in order to achieve a coating material having the desired physical characteristics and chemical resistance characteristics for the particular application. For example, if hydrolytic stability is important, a prepolymer made from diphenylmethane 4,4' diisocyanate reacted with a polyether polyol would be selected and the curing compound would desirably be a phenolic ether polyol.
The curing compounds are present in an amount from about 10% to about 80% by weight of the part B, depending on the particular prepolymer being reacted, the ratio of part A to part B being mixed and the desired properties of the end product.
It may also be desired to form a poly(urea)urethane, in which case the curing compound or compounds would be polyamines, preferably diamines. In that instance, the polyamine selected would be present in a quantity to react substantially completely with the available isocyanates in the given prepolymer. A particularly desirable diamine is 4,4' methylenedianiline (MDA). MDA is crystalline at room temperature and the polyol filler will disperse the MDA at room temperature and at temperatures in the range from about 160° F. to about 200° F., in order to allow it to be sprayed.
A preferred diamine which is liquid at room temperature and which is therefore more readily mixable and sprayable in a polyol "filler" of this invention is menthane diamine, which is 1,8-diamino-p-menthane.
Another preferred diamine, which is liquid at room temperature and is therefore more readily miscible and sprayable in a polyol "filler" of this invention, is methylene bis (2,6-diisopropylaniline). Liquid diamines are also preferred, due to their stability at temperatures below 20° C. Crystalline diamines tend to precipitate out of solution at lower temperatures. Diethylated toluene diamine and monoethylated toluene diamine are also preferred diamines.
For specific properties, compounds containing primary hydroxyl groups and secondary or tertiary amines, which are useful for catalysis, may be chosen. Hybrid compounds containing primary hydroxyls and diamines may also be desirable. One example is polyglycolamine H-163, which is sold by Union Carbide.
The particular quantity of polyamine utilized is an equivalent weight which will almost completely react with the available NCO's in the urethane prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and provide the needed bulk. Incomplete reaction of the curing compounds with the prepolymer is desired, because the "filler" will contain reactive hydroxyl groups in order to react with the remaining available NCO groups in the prepolymer or quasiprepolymer, so that the "filler" is an integral, chemically bonded part of the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating. If a non-reactive (in the polyurethane-forming reaction) filler is used, it will not bind chemically with the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane, and will be more susceptible to hydrolysis and could also be leached out by fluids flowing past the coating surface. A non-reactive filler is also more susceptible to degradation by chemical reaction with contaminant passing the coating.
When working with less reactive diisocyanates, such as hexamethylene diisocyanates, more highly reactive diamines may be used. Preferred highly reactive, aliphatic diamines are menthane diamine and 1,4-diamino cyclohexane.
When spraying polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane, the available spraying equipment will only proportion the two components in predetermined ratios. The conventional ratios are 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1. For optimum mixing, a 1:1 ratio is most desirable and 4:1 ratio is least desirable. However, in order to completely react 100 parts of prepolymer or quasiprepolymer to produce polyurethanes as surface coatings, only about five to twenty parts of relatively highly reactive curing compounds would be required, depending upon the amount of available isocyanate in the prepolymer and the equivalent weight of the curing agent. Therefore, in order to provide a mixable quantity of part B within the confines of the given pumping systems, it is necessary to "fill" or dilute the part B with another material. That diluent is a polyol having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 2,000. The diluent serves the function of "bulking" the curing compounds. Because the diluent is a polyol and reactive with the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, it forms a chemical bond wih the ultimate polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane, increasing the hydrolytic stability and other chemical resistance properties of the final polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating and allows a cohesive coating to be formed in multiple passes of a spray gun without inner coat delamination problems.
The "filler" serves as a bulking agent, to increase the volume of the part B of the system, in order to maintain a desired ratio of part A to part B in the spraying equipment. The "filler" is a polyol, having an equivalent weight in the range from about 300 to about 2,000, and is relatively nonviscous and easily sprayed at temperatures in the range from about 160° F. to about 200° F., the temperatures at which the coating compositions of this invention are commercially applied.
A particularly desirable group of polyols to be used as fillers are sold by Quaker Oats Chemical Division under the trademark "Polymeg", polytetramethylene ether glycol, and as sold have molecular weights of 650, 1,000 and 2,000. The Polymeg 650 would be used when only relatively small amounts of filler are needed, as when a high mixing ratio of part A to part B, such as 4:1 is used. Polymeg 1,000 and Polymeg 2,000 would be utilized, depending upon the increased amount of filler required to maintain the requisite of proportion between the part A and part B, when low ratios, such as 1:1 or 2:1 are used.
Another very desirable filler is a hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene, which is particularly desirable if the prepolymer of the system has a polybutadiene backbone, and will therefore have enhanced hydrolytic stability in comparison with ether and ester based prepolymers. One such polybutadiene filler is sold by Arco Chemical under the trademark "Poly BD."
Although the curing compound or compounds and reactive filler comprise the primary components of part B of the system, other materials could be incorporated in the part B, in order to affect the polyurethane-forming reaction or contribute particular properties to the end product.
Catalysts such as dibutyl tin dilaurate and stannous octoate are used in connection with the formation of polyurethane coatings. If poly(urea)urethanes are to be utilized, catalysts such as tetramethylethylene diamine would be utilized. The particular catalysts selected are well known in the art, and either are utilized in liquid form or, if they are normally solid, are dispersed in a plasticizer, which is then also introduced into the part B. In addition, small amounts of cross-linking agents, which usually are triols or quadrols, may be added to increase cross-linking for increased load-bearing capability and reduced permanent compression set of the coating. Trimethylol propane is one such cross-linking agent.
Solid, unreactive fillers, such as silica, having a particle size of 10 microns or less, may be used if it is desired to reduce the amount of expensive organic constituents in the end product. For example, if roofing coatings are produced in accordance with this invention, and it is important to reduce the cost of the coating, silica may be used to replace in part the chemical constituents of the polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane. The silica particles utilized would be extremely small, on the order of ten microns or less so that they could easily be dispersed and sprayed in the system and would comprise no more than one-half of the weight of the coating.
In special instances it may be necessary to include in the part B or part A a liquid filler which does not react with the prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer, in addition to the reactive filler. Although it is preferred not to have any unreactive filler in the system of this invention, it may sometimes be necessary. Thus, for example if MDA is used in the system, gamma butyro lactane or dimethyl phthalate is included in the system as a dispersing agent for the otherwise crystalline MDA. The unreactive filler may comprise up to 80% by weight of the part B and preferably not more than 30%. It is important to note that the unreactive filler is only included in the system of this invention if it is necessary, as to disperse the MDA. It is preferred to use a system that does not necessitate a non-reactive filler, in order to assure the optimum bond between the filler and polyurethane coating.
Hydrated alumina, as a fire retardant, blacking agents such as carbon black to prevent or reduce ultraviolet degradation and pigments for coloration could also be added in limited quantities to the part B. If a solid pigment is selected, it is desirable to obtain a pigment which is sold dispersed in a polyol, and the reactivity of the polyol can be taken into account to reduce the amount of reactive filler otherwise present in the part B.
The compositions of this invention are field applied in the following manner. The part A is typically stored in a 55-gallon drum and the part B is stored in another 55-gallon drum. Each drum contains a nitrogen atmosphere above the liquid level at a pressure of 2 to 4 psig, to keep out moisture and prevent cavitation in the delivery pump.
The delivery pump for the part A is a Graco 10:1 Monark delivery pump and the delivery pump for the part B is a Graco 5:1 Monark delivery pump. The part A and part B are delivered from the drums in two quarter-inch i.d. 3,000-pound paint hoses with nylon lining. The components then pass through electric induction heaters which heat the part A and the part B to a temperature in the range of 160° F. to 200° F. and preferably about 180° F.
The pre-heated materials go into proportioning cylinders which are mounted below a Graco Bulldog 30:1 air motor which operates at 100 psig air pressure and has a 3:1 lower assembly to provide a 25:1 fluid to air ratio. The part A and part B go from the proportioning cylinders to heated hoses, where they are maintained at the 180° F. temperature, to a spray gun. The part A hose has a one-half inch i.d. and part B hose a one-quarter inch i.d. The hoses are electronic resistance wound and thermostatically controlled.
The spray gun is a Binks 43-P plural component gun, in which the part A and part B are mixed. The mixture is fed into a Kinex static one-quarter inch i.d. mixer in which the components are further mixed and delivered to a Graco carbide airless spray tip, having an orifice between 0.020 inches and 0.062 inches, depending upo the quantity of material to be delivered.
The mixed system of part A and part B is sprayed in an atomizing spray with the droplets having a particle size on the order of about ten to fifty microns. The pressure at the spray tip is typically about 2,400 psig.
In field operation, the spray gun is handled manually by an operator and is moved to deposit linear, adjacent widths of the sprayed material. The amount of material deposited in a single pass is generally in the range from about twenty to sixty mils in thickness of coating after the pass has been completed. A given coating is usually applied in multiple passes, the number of passes depending upon the thickness of coating deposited in a single pass and the thickness of coating desired. Multiple passes are usually desired, so that a thin layer is applied with each pass. Thick layers tend to drip and create non-uniform coatings unless the gel time of the reaction is so small that there is a danger that the coating will "set up" before it is deposited on a substrate.
The thickness of each coating application and the width of the spray deposited can be varied, depending upon the spray tip orifice size and the angle of the tip orifice which determines the "fan width" of the spray.
When a polyurethane or poly(urea)urethane coating is deposited, it will take from about two to five minutes to gel or set as described above. A subsequent coating application should be made before the substrate coating has completely gelled or set, so that reactive sites are available on the substrate to react with the next layer being applied and provide a good interlayer adhesion, so that intercoat delamination of the layers applied in successive passes of the spray gun does not occur.
Before the coating is applied, the surface to be coated must be prepared with suitable surface preparation and may require the initial application of a primer coating. The surfaces which may be coated with the materials and process of this invention are quite varied and include steel, wood, concrete, cinder block, galvanized iron and reinforced or virgin polyester, epoxys, phenolics and rubber, to name some.
If concrete or cinder block are to be coated, for example, they are initially brush blasted with a pressurized mineral abrasive. Surface preparation techniques are well known in the art.
Primers may be required to be applied to the substratebefore the polyurethane coating, the particular primer selected depending upon the particular substrate to be coated. The primers applied in the preparation of the surface for application of the compositions of this invention are also well known in the art.
If a polyol curing compound is used and, depending upon the curing agent, if some diamine curing compound is used, the completion of cure by the subsequent application of heat may be necessary. If this is required, the coating is completely applied, and a gas-fired or other suitable heater is placed near the coating and used to heat the coating by convection and radiation.
A poly(urea)urethane polymer was made using 100 parts of a part A which consisted of a TDI prepolymer, having a 6.02 NCO content and sold by Anderson Development Company under the trademark "95-AP". This prepolymer is formed by the reaction of TDI with a polyether polyol. Part B, present in 34.5 parts to each 100 parts by weight of part A, is made up of the following components:
1. 11.5 parts by weight of 4,4' methylene dianiline, sold by Allied Chemical Company. The MDA functions as a catalyst for the formation of the poly(urea)urethane and as a chain extender.
2. 10.0 parts by weight of a polytetramethylene ether glycol, having a molecular weight of 1,000 and sold by Quaker Oats Company under the trademark "Polymeg 1000." The Polymeg functions as a reactive "filler."
3. 1.0 parts by weight of Verona black 715, a black pigment dispersed in a glycol dispersing agent having a molecular weight of 3,000. The glycol dispersing agent is selected because it functions as a reactive "filler," in the same way as the Polymeg and the amount of Polymeg in the part B is adjusted to account for the bulk and reactivity glycol dispersing agent for the black pigment. 4. 12.0 parts by weight of anhydrous gamma butyro lactone, sold by General Analine and Film under the trademark "BLO."
The part B constituents were intimately blended and placed in a 55-gallon drum, as was the part A, which was placed in a separate 55-gallon drum and spray-applied at a mixing temperature of 180° F. with the equipment described above. The coating was applied in six successive layers, each of about 40 mills in thickness. The coating was applied on a substrate of plain carbon steel, grit blasted to a profile of 5 to 7 mils in accordance with SSPC-SP-5 white metal blast cleaning. A commercial primer sold under the trademark "Thixon 1050 A/B" was applied by spraying prior to application of the coating of this invention. The resulting coating had good innercoat adhesion properties, good hydrolytic stability and other physical and chemical properties.
A poly(urea)urethane coating composition was formed using Vibrathane "B601," a Uniroyal TDI-polyether glycol prepolymer having an NCO of 6.4, as part A. The part B was 10.8 parts of "Tonox-LC," a polymerized methylene dianiline sold by Uniroyal. The reactive "filler" was 23.6 parts of Polymeg 1,000. No pigment was used in this system. The part A and part B were mixed in a ratio of 3:1 by volume and sprayed using the equipment described above at a temperature of about 180° F. and a pressure of about 2,400 psig. This composition was used to coat a plain carbon steel roll. The surface of the roll was prepared by a grit blasting as described in Example I and the primer as described in Example I was used. A single pass of 22 mils was applied, and the resulting coating was good.
A polyurethane coating was made using a part A consisting of Uniroyal "B670," a polyether based MDI-terminated prepolymer, having an NCO of 11.0. The part B consisted of 30% by weight of "XA," a hydroquinone ether polyol sold by Mobay Chemical and 70% by weight of 1,4 butane diol sold by General Analine and Film under the trademark "1,4 BD" in the relative quantities of 3.27 parts of XA and 7.63 parts of 1,4 BD, and the reactive "filler" was 23.6 parts of Polymeg 1,000. No pigment was used. 0.00236 parts by weight of stannous octoate, manufactured by Witco Chemical, and sold as "Fomrez C-2" was included as a catalyst. The volume ratio of part A to part B was 3:1. The foregoing system was mixed at 180° F. and sprayed at 2,400 psig onto polyethylene sheeting. Three passes, each of 25 mils, produced an excellent coating, which had good hydrolytic stability and innercoat adhesion properties.
A poly(urea)urethane was produced using a part A which consisted of 100 parts of "B 601." The part B consisted of 7.98 parts by weight of menthane diamine as the reactive curing compound and the reactive "filler" was 26.5 parts by weight of Polymeg 1,000. The part A and part B were combined in a ratio of 3:1 by volume at 180° F. and 2,400 psig using the equipment described above and sprayed on a polyethylene sheet with no surface preparation, using four passes of 25 mils each. The resulting poly(urea)urethane coating had good physical and chemical characteristics and inner surface adhesion.
It is to be understood that the choice of the particular prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and the particular curing agent compounds are determined by the physical and chemical properties desired to be achieved in the ultimate sheet. Once a given prepolymer or quasi-prepolymer and curing compound have been selected, the amount of reactive "filler" is determined in order to maintain a predetermined volumetric ratio of part A to part B.
A poly(urea)urethane coating was made using a part A consisting of a reaction product of hexamethylene diisocyanate with 1,000 molecular weight polytetramethylene ether glycol, sold by DuPont under the trademark LW-550, with a 5.55 available NCO content, blended in a ratio of 9 to 1 by weight with Benzoflex 9-88, which is dipropylene glycol dibenzoate, sold by Velsicol, as a viscosity modifier to allow the prepolymer to be sprayed. The part B was a blend of 10.26 parts by weight of menthane diamane and 23.74 parts by weight of the Benzoflex 9-88 as a non-reactive filler. No other additives were used. The volume ratio of part A to part B was 3:1. The foregoing system was mixed at 180° F. using equipment as described above, and sprayed at 2600 psig onto a Teflon substrate. Three passes, each at 30 mils, produced a coating which had the following excellent properties, light stability, 400% elongation and 2,000 psi tensile strength, when air cured at room temperature for 24 hours.
A poly(urea)urethane was produced in the same manner as set forth in Example V, but using DuPont's LW-570, an aliphatic isocyanate prepolymer with an available NCO content of 7.56. This was mixed with a part B comprising 14 parts by weight of 1,4-diamino cyclohexane and 20 parts by weight of Benzoflex 9-88 SG as a non-reactive filler. In all other respects this example was applied in a manner described in Example V and produced similar physical properties, but a greater hardness.
A poly(urea)urethane polymer was made in the identical manner as set forth in Example I, with the sole exception that the 12.0 parts by weight of BLO were replaced by dimethyl phthalate. The resulting coating had 400% elongation and 3,000 psi tensile strength.
A poly(urea)urethane was formed using a part A which comprised a prepolymer of toluene diisocyanate and Polymeg 1,000 (which is equivalent to Uniroyal's B 601) in the proportion by weight of 3:1, having an available NCO of 6.370. The part B comprised 12.4 parts by weight of methylene bis(2,6-diisopropylaniline) as the highly reactive curing agent, 21.6 parts by weight of Polymeg 1,000 as the filler, and 1% by weight of organo-titanate as a catalyst. The part A and part B was sprayed at a 3:1 ratio using the equipment described above at a temperature of 180° F. and a pressure of 2400 psig. The material was sprayed onto a polyethelene sheet, had excellent gloss, due to a gel time of about 4 minutes, and excellent physical properties. Gloss is a desirable characteristic for aesthetic reasons. The tensile strength of the coating exceeded 3,500 psi.
A poly(urea)urethane coating composition was formed using a prepolymer which consisted of toluene diisocyanate and Polymeg 2,000, with an available NCO content of 5.7, having a 2 to 1 NCO to OH molar ratio. The part B consisted of a curing agent which was a blend of 96% by weight of diethylated toluene diamine and 4% by weight monoethylated toluene diamine in a total amount of 6.6 parts by weight and 27.4 parts by weight of Polymeg 1,000 as the reactive "filler". The part A and part B were mixed in 3:1 proportions by volume and sprayed at 180° F. and 2400 lbs. pressure psig on a substrate of Teflon, producing excellent tear strength and rebound properties.
A coating composition was sprayed, using the part A described in Example VI and a part B consisting of 6.2 parts by weight of 1.4-diamino cyclohexane, 26.2 parts by weight of Polymeg 1,000 and 1.0 part by weight of acetyl acetonate, a catalyst. The conditions of application were as specified in Example V. The resulting material had excellent qualities of resilience and softness.
It will be apparent that numerous variations can be made in the practice of the invention, by selecting particular prepolymers, quasi-prepolymers and combinations thereof, particular curing compounds which are polyols or polyamines or combinations thereof, catalysts and particular reactive and other fillers, to establish the specific physical and chemical characteristics and economics of use of the surface to be coated.
The invention also includes the novel and useful polyurethane coatings and poly(urea)urethane coatings produced by the use of the part B compositions of this invention.
Citas de patentes
Citada por
Imagen original


text:
Montezemolo reacts to Mercedes praise by calling Alonso "best driver in the world"
May 22, 2014, 10:00 AM EDT
Luca di Montezemolo has reacted to comments by Mercedes and Fernando Alonso by calling the Spaniard "the best driver in the world" and blasting those linking him with a move away from Maranello.
For some time now, the rumor mill has gone into overdrive suggesting that Alonso could leave the team after failing to win a world title since joining in 2010. In Spain, an interesting story broke suggesting that he could move to Mercedes. All parties denied this, and, as I wrote last week, it seems pretty improbable.
Earlier this week, though, Mercedes chairman Dieter Zetsche openly praised Alonso, and the Spaniard was more than happy to receive such positive feedback.
"It's always welcome when people see your job in a good way, and respect what you try to achieve," he said in Monaco. "It's sometimes strange to see good comments and compliments from people from outside, and the opposite from people who are supposed to be close to you."
In reaction to this final comment, Montezemolo has today been quoted in a statement on the Ferrari website heaping praise on the two-time world champion.
"Fernando is the best driver in the world, who always gives 200% in the races," the Ferrari president explained. "He knows how much I count on him, even away from the race track, in terms of his contribution and the impetus he gives to the team.
"I think it's incredible that there are still some so-called experts who don't understand that and are always looking for a polemical situation that simply doesn't exist."
Montzemolo admitted that the car has not been good enough of late, and has began to take steps to bring Ferrari out of the doldrums after going over one year without a win.
"The truth is that he and Kimi [Raikkonen], another incredible driver, need a competitive Ferrari and giving them that is our sole objective.
"We are working very hard, starting with Marco Mattiacci, who knows what needs to be done and who will instigate many changes at a technical and organizational level and in speeding up the decision-making process.
"That's what I want, as do our drivers and our fans, while all the rest is just idle chat."
Alonso was famously quoted last year as saying that he wanted "someone else's car" for his birthday, prompting a rebuttal from Montezemolo. Quite whether all is right at Ferrari is unclear, but both Alonso and the team will be focused on enjoying a successful weekend in Monaco for the time being.
- worknman24hours - May 22, 2014 at 8:30 PM
Ha Ha Ha Mercedes money is really really tasty is'nt it,Fernando.
- techmeister1 - May 22, 2014 at 9:13 PM
Most F1 drivers are paid well and they don't switch teams primarily over money. They are driven to win and every driver in F1 would like to be driving for Mercedes right now but not so much five years ago. Switching teams is usually so a driver has a better chance of success.
The entire pit lane essentially voted Alonso as the best driver in 2012 and 2013 based on his exceptional performance with a mediocre car. Nothing has changed, he's still the best on the grid at the moment or at least tied for the best.
I don't believe Alonso is duped by the media stories either. He knows how the real world operates and the games people play. Mercedes may have paid him a true compliment but with the intention of ruffling feathers at Ferrari, which appears to have worked. That doesn't mean Alonso is naive and doesn't understand why they paid him the compliment.
Top Posts
- Graham Rahal now trails Montoya by nine points in IndyCar standings 0
- Karam's Mid-Ohio spin triggers frustration, skepticism from IndyCar paddock 0
- Rahal scores dream win on home soil in Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio 1
- Helio Castroneves leads halfway through the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio 0
- What to watch for: IndyCar at Mid-Ohio (1:30 p.m. ET, CNBC and Live Extra) 0
- Hunter-Reay fastest in final Mid-Ohio warm up despite spinning out 0
- Cole Custer sails to first career ARCA win at Pocono, 9th first-time winner in series in 2015 0

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cohen at the Bat
Andy Cohen and his brother Syd together spent a total of seventy years in professional baseball, but were major leaguers for only seven years. Andy Cohen played in 32 games for the New York Giants in 1926, 120 in 1928, and 101 in 1929. He coached one year for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960. Syd Cohen pitched 18 innings for the Washington Senators in 1934, 36 in 1936, and 55 in 1937. In a sport which, more than any other, revels in statistics, neither man counts significantly.
What distinguished them from other ballplayers of the 1920's and before was that their surname was Cohen, and that they did not change it, as had seven previous Cohens, to such non-Jewish-sounding names as Kane, Bohne, Cooney, and Ewing.
The Cohen brothers were recruited as part of the widespread efforts of Connie Mack and others in the early decades of the 20th century to change baseball's image from a game played by barroom drunkards to a sport played by a variety of respectable Americans. Both were also unabashedly recruited and publicized as Jewish players. Seeking Jewish fans to buy baseball tickets was an acknowledged reason why the management of the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals signed Syd Cohen in 1928: "To develop a Jewish ballplayer who will be a star."
The Jewish identity of Andy Cohen was even more critical to the Giants' front office. The Giants of the 1920's had to compete at the box office with the New York Yankees—a team that, with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Herb Pennock, and Waite Hoyt, has often been described as the greatest of all time. The construction in 1923 of Yankee Stadium, holding twice as many fans as the Polo Grounds, where the Giants played, was another factor in the competition for the New York sports dollar that was leaving the Giants a poor second.
New York's enormous second-generation immigrant population, the Giants' management believed, could help fill the Polo Grounds. For baseball, like other entertainment industries of the era, strove to capitalize on the eagerness of ethnic audiences to identify with one of their own and on the ethnic curiosity of other groups. In Cincinnati and St. Louis, for example, the managements of the Reds and the Cardinals advertised in German-language newspapers to entice the large German-speaking populations of those cities to the ballpark. By 1926, even the Yankees, with their successful cast of stars, were courting New York's extensive Italian population by featuring one of the few major-league Italian baseball players in their second baseman, pointedly nicknamed "Poosh 'Em Up Tony" Lazzeri.
"New York," said the Giants' manager, John McGraw, "has a tremendous number of fans of Jewish blood and we know that they would like to see a Jewish player on the Giants." Encouraged by the boxing and box-office success of Benny Leonard, Kid Kaufman, and Jack Bernstein, the Giants in 1923 had recruited outfielder Moses Solomon who was dubbed the "Rabbi of Swat" but who failed with his bat to resemble Babe Ruth, the "Sultan of Swat." Three years later, the Giants put their hopes for a star Jewish player on Andy Cohen.
Andy Cohen was born in 1904 and Syd Cohen in 1908. Their parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe, who arrived in Baltimore in the 1890's. Their father, a cigar maker, played semi-pro ball in Baltimore. When I interviewed the Cohen brothers in April 1982, Andy said that reading Horatio Alger books and later the example of Babe Ruth had inspired him to use his baseball talents. Ruth, who was the idol of most young ballplayers, had begun his career with the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association. As a child Ruth had been abandoned by his parents who placed him in a school for incorrigible boys. What Andy and Syd Cohen shared with Ruth besides Baltimore was an absent father: the elder Cohen remained in Baltimore when the family moved to arid El Paso for the mother's respiratory problems. For a long time the family barely supported itself by selling, from its rented house, groceries bought on consignment.
The Cohen boys starred in several sports during high school and Syd was sufficiently talented to play in the so-called Outlaw League with some of the major-league players who had been banned from professional baseball as a result of the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Andy Cohen, after accepting a scholarship to the University of Alabama, pledged a Jewish fraternity, was elected the first Jewish captain of the Alabama baseball team, and played for one year for Waco of the Texas League before he joined the Giants. Syd matriculated at Southern Methodist University, transferred to Alabama, and starred in baseball and basketball before being signed to play for the San Francisco Seals.
It was in Philadelphia in 1926 that Andy Cohen played his first game in a Giants uniform, as a replacement for the injured star second baseman, Frankie Frisch, the "Fordham Flash." Immediately, sportswriters gleefully headlined the rookie's fielding: "From Cohen to Kelly" (first baseman George "Highpockets" Kelly—this nick-name had no ethnic meaning, it simply referred to the fact that Kelly habitually belted his pants high above the waist).
Cohen, appearing only briefly as a Giant in 1926, batted .257 and was then sent down for seasoning to the Buffalo Bisons of the International League. He had such a glorious year with Buffalo that Andy Cohen Day was declared in Bison Stadium and he was feted by a committee of Jewish organizations, including the Young Men's Hebrew Association and the local chapter of his old Alabama fraternity.
For many reasons the New York Giants in 1928 needed Andy Cohen, who had batted .353 for Buffalo. McGraw, accustomed to winning, hadn't captured a pennant since 1924 or a World Series since 1922. Still worse for the box office and for McGraw's ambitions, the rival Yankees had run away with the 1927 American League pennant by 19 games, and Ruth had monopolized the headlines by hitting his record-breaking 60 home runs, while Gehrig had driven in a phenomenal 175 runs. Adding to the Giants' troubles was the shocking and unpopular trade to the Boston Braves of Rogers Hornsby, who had batted .361 in 1927.
With the traditional optimism accompanying spring training, the New York Times judged the Giants to be pennant favorites because they had acquired "Lefty" O'Doul, Andy Cohen, and Frank Hogan. James Francis Hogan, dubbed "Shanty" Hogan in response to his Boston Irish roots, befriended Andy Cohen. Hogan, a long-ball hitter, was the only player in the starting lineup who had not batted over .300 in the previous year. (During the coming winter, the vaudeville team of Cohen and Hogan—in Boston, expediently called Hogan and Cohen—would gross $1,800 a week doing comedy routines which mixed ethnic and baseball humor.)
On opening day, April 11, 1928, some 30,000 fans endured the wind and chilling weather at the Polo Grounds to see the Giants meet the Boston Braves. The excitement was heightened by the return to the Polo Grounds of second baseman Rogers Hornsby in a Braves uniform. The newspaper photographers repeatedly posed Hornsby shaking hands with his rookie replacement, Andy Cohen. By the end of the game, which the Giants won 5-2, Cohen had been involved in four of the five Giant runs, batting in two and scoring two. Hornsby sweetened the victory by grounding out to Cohen in his first and last times at bat.
Reaction to Andy's feats was ecstatic. After the game, thousands of fans rushed onto the field. He was lifted high into the air, reported the New York Times, "perched on the shoulders of New York fandom. In fact, you might say with truth that Andy Cohen was sitting on top of the world." Carried around the Polo Grounds, he struggled free when halfway to the centerfield clubhouse, only to find himself in the midst of a "solid mass of humanity that pushed, pulled, and grunted—but didn't move." Finally a Giants coach and some players formed a flying wedge to rescue him. As Andy mounted the clubhouse steps "panting and rumpled," several thousand fans gave him a "conqueror's ovation." In the locker room, filled with reporters, the veteran manager McGraw said, "It was the greatest ovation I have ever seen given any player in all my life."
The newspapers, of course, trumpeted the new hero. Grantland Rice, the country's premier sports-writer, commented: "It was Andy Cohen, the young Jewish baseball player from Alabama University, who stepped into Hornsby's job at second for the Giants. . . . It was Andy Cohen, the Tuscaloosa Terror, who drove in two Giant runs, scored two more on his own hook, covered the infield side of the Polo Grounds, like a ballplaying centipede, to send the Giants spinning along to victory. . . ." The Times concluded: "Andy Cohen took New York by storm. He captured the hearts of 30,000 fans as only a Ruth or a Walter Johnson could grip them."
The baseball poets also showed their appreciation:
There is music in the ghetto as
the daylight peters out;
There is many a wild falsetto as
the children laugh and shout,
And the saxophones are blowin'
and the citizens are crowin'
As they think of Andy Cohen and
his famous two-base clout.
Another poem was titled "Cohen at the Bat":
The outlook wasn't cheerful for
the Giants yesterday,
They were trailing by a run with
but four innings left to play.
When Lindstrom flied to Richbourg
and Terry weakly popped,
It looked as though those Bostons
had the game as good as copped.
But Jackson smacked a single
over Eddie Farrell's pate,
And Harper drew a pass because
they feared him at the plate.
And from the stands and bleachers
the cry of "Oy, Oy" rose,
And up came Andy Cohen half a
foot behind his nose.
There was ease in Bob Smith's
manner and a smile on Hornsby's
For they figured they had Andy
in the tightest sort of place.
It was make or break for Andy,
while the fans cried, "Oy, Oy,
And it wasn't any soft spot for a
little Jewish boy.
And now the pitcher has the ball
and now he lets it go.
And now the air is shattered by
the force of Casey's blow.
Well nothing like that happened,
but what do you suppose?
Why, little Andy Cohen socked
the ball upon the nose.
Then from the stands and bleachers
the fans in triumph roared,
And Andy raced to second and
the other runner scored.
Soon they took him home in
triumph amidst the blare of
auto honks.
There may be no joy in Mudville,
but there's plenty in the Bronx.
Cohen's debut was judged so important that the Times did not limit its comments to the sports pages. "Hogans," it noted in an editorial, "have always played good baseball; so have the Kellys and the Caseys, the Delahantys and the Bresnehans, so have the Wagners and the Zimmers. And the Lazzeris, the Lajoies, and the Chances have contributed stars for many years. But the Cohens . . .? None of their kinfolk has ornamented the professional diamond in New York." The Times editorial concluded that when Cohen succeeds there is "much more than just a baseball game at stake."
In his first three games, Cohen got eight hits—including a home run and a double with the bases loaded—and drove in seven runs. By May, he was even honored by Jewish Pittsburgh Pirates fans as the local Young Men's Hebrew Association presented him with luggage. So many letters of admiration poured in that the Giants assigned a secretary to him. Cohen was housed in a hotel suite, reported the Sporting News, to allow him to meet "mobs of worshipers. Thousands of Jewish fans have waited a long time to see one of their race make good as a Giant regular." In late June, Andy Cohen Day was celebrated at the Polo Grounds—featuring the presentation to him of 1,500 silver dollars by the Knights of Pythias. Will Rogers reported: "I am going out to see Andy Cohen. He's bigger than Aimee Semple McPherson out home."
Only sportswriter Paul Gallico protested:
It seems to me a sort of shabby trick to play on young Cohen to send him up onto the diamond to play the Jew in public as well as the ballplayer. Finesse and tact have been lacking in the entire handling of the affair. If Andy Cohen makes good—and it's too early to say that he has done so—he will have surmounted more obstacles than any other big-league player ever faced. . . . Andy is forced to parade his religion and commercialize it whether he wants to or not. It seems to me a difficult position for a youngster breaking into the big leagues, or anything else. . . . Every time Andy comes to bat he feels he must make a hit, not only for John McGraw, his teammates, and the City of New York, but for the Jewish race as well, which is a large order.
It looks to me as though these days the baseball magnates are enslaving not only the bodies of their hired help but their souls as well.
Andy Cohen was a college-educated, country boy from Texas. But being Jewish—and looking Jewish, or being thought to look Jewish—was what seemed most important about him to the press. Recall the parody of "Casey at the Bat," quoted earlier, which describes Cohen as being "half a foot behind his nose" and rhymes "Oy, Oy, Oy" with "little Jewish boy." The Baseball Magazine, a national periodical, published a story about him in 1928 illustrated by drawings of Cohen and his admirers. His fans, dressed in hats and long coats and wearing long sideburns and beards, are depicted as saying, "Oy, oy, Endy." Andy is portrayed as a college man dressed in "conservative clothes," but the writer notes that Andy's most prominent feature is his typical "Hebrew nose." Cohen's "black beady eyes" and "thick eyebrows" are also mentioned. The article does go on to suggest, however, that when more and more fans shout, "Oy, oy, Endy," then baseball will be assured of Cohen's success both on the field and at the box office.
A New York Evening World reporter, in an article called, "Still His Name and Nose Have Made Things Hard," praised Cohen as fulfilling the desired image of the Jew as ballplayer: "He is exactly the correct mixture of modesty and self-assurance. There is nothing crawling about his nature. Nor is he the least bit boastful. Just states the facts without raising his voice and looks you in the eye." Cohen told the reporter: "Say, if you're going to draw my picture, . . . go easy on this hook, will you? The cartoonists down South jumped on this hook of mine. . . . Oh, what a lot of fun they got out of it! You'd have thought it was the most important thing about me. As a matter of fact, it wasn't such a bad hook until it got broken a couple of times playing football and basketball. It had a much more graceful curve to it. Kind of shorten it up an inch or two, will you?"
But if his name and his looks made Cohen attractive to New York's Jewish fans and others curious to see a Jew play baseball, it was also true that he neither sounded nor acted like the stereotyped Jew, and this made him attractive to people who believed that baseball truly was the national game because it exemplified America as a great melting pot of varied ethnic and religious groups. (Twenty years later, Jackie Robinson, the first black player to be brought to the major leagues, would also project the same combination of clear minority identity and freedom from negative minority stereo-types.)
Andy's acceptable image as a Jewish ballplayer was not the same, of course, as achieving stardom on the field. "He isn't a Frisch or Hornsby," noted the Times. During his first full season as a Giant, he batted a respectable .274 with 9 home runs and 56 runs batted in. In 1929, he hit .294 but was not played regularly. In 1930, the Giants sent him down to the Newark Bears of the International League.
When Cohen failed, the New York sportswriter Dan Parker observed: "Andy made the mistake of thinking that three strikes were the symbol of his race instead of three [pawnbroker] balls." McGraw strongly wanted Cohen to succeed, but after Cohen had a particularly bad day on the field, McGraw, at the race track, bet on a horse ridden by a Jewish jockey. When the horse lost, McGraw complained, "They can't ride either."
One chronicler of Jews in sports incorrectly suggested that Cohen was dropped from the Giants because he had "slowed down in the field alarmingly," but added that it was not from lack of trying. He explained: "If the Jew has a single constitutional weakness in baseball, it is his feet. It has been noticed, over a long period of years, that Jews develop flat feet early in their careers and seem to slow up prematurely. Italians have the identical trouble." This author reported, but did not endorse, the Lamarckian view put forth by an unidentified Jewish ballplayer who suggested that his people got that way centuries ago because they had had to trudge through the desert on their flight from Egypt.
By the time Andy Cohen's brother Syd reached the major leagues in 1934, the intensity of the quest for a Jewish star had diminished. The Giants had enlisted Harry Danning and Phil Weintraub, but most dramatic was the ascension to stardom of Hank Greenberg. Raised in the Bronx, Greenberg, according to a Sporting News writer, "made good without going into the ready-to-wear line." Greenberg, a towering six-foot-four-inches tall, was described as neither looking nor sounding Jewish. In fact, his face did look Jewish; he was not, however, the proverbial "little Jew." Greenberg would lead the Detroit Tigers to a pennant in 1934, drive in 183 runs in 1937, hit 58 home runs in 1938, and eventually be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
When Syd Cohen came to the Washington Senators in 1934, shortstop Buddy Myer was the team's established Jewish star. Syd was seen by the press as the stereo-typically eccentric left-hander, but in contrast to Ring Lardner's dumb southpaw, he was also portrayed as smart. Yet when he became a major leaguer there was very little interest in the fact that he was Jewish.
Indeed, among the ironies of his career is that in 1931, before he got to the majors, Syd Cohen played in Mexico for Nogales of the Arizona-Texas League under the name of Pablo Garcia. The majority of Nogales fans were Mexican. When the Anglo-American manager tried to release a Mexican left-handed pitcher who had failed to last three innings, the Mexican fans threatened a boycott. Bitterness grew because there was only one other Mexican player on the team, even though the Mexican governor of the province was one of the club's owners. The headline in the Sporting News read: "Soldiers with Fixed Bayonets Patrol Field & Keep Order; Crowd Demands Mexican on Team."
In response to this crisis, the Mexican was retained, but more ingenious was the use of Syd Cohen. His deep tan and fluent Spanish—he could "habla español like a bullfighter"—enabled him to pass as Pablo Garcia. Twenty years later, he would return to Mexico as Syd Cohen and manage the Juarez Indios. But many Mexicans still called him Pablo as he brought Juarez its first league championship.
After leaving the majors, Andy and Syd Cohen went on to have successful minor-league careers. Andy Cohen was a star second baseman for seven years with the Minneapolis Millers and a winning manager of the Denver Bears. His brother was on twelve different teams in eight different leagues as player, coach, and manager; he also worked as an umpire. Syd Cohen is most proud of having struck out Lou Gehrig five of the seven times he faced him. He was also the last pitcher in the American League to strike out Babe Ruth and to serve him a home-run ball before the "Sultan of Swat" joined the Boston Braves of the National League for his final major-league season.
Today, Andy and Syd Cohen, respectively seventy-nine and seventy-five years old, remain baseball enthusiasts and wear University of Texas-El Paso baseball caps at home. They express little bitterness about their baseball careers; they still love the game. But they also believe that they were good enough to have played more years in the major leagues than they did, and were high enough in the minor leagues through much of their careers to have expected recall to the majors at any time. Perhaps they are correct—but many other minor leaguers have believed the same thing.
As for anti-Semitism, it was most pronounced for Syd Cohen during the years he played for the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association. Andy Cohen too received his share of anti-Semitic epithets. As he told a reporter, "It does get to me sometimes. . . . I get mad, but it never pays to show it. I learned that a long time ago." Yet despite such problems, there were always many players and fans who supported both Syd and Andy Cohen throughout their long baseball careers.


text:
Top Posts
BK visits Regis and Kelly
May 26, 2010, 5:11 PM EDT
On his worldwide quest for global saturation (I might be stretching it a bit), Brian Kelly hit the airwaves yesterday with Notre Dame's most ubiquitous fan: Regis Philbin. Kelly seemed at ease with Regis and Kelly Ripa, who did her best to seem interested, and showed another example of BK as a true statesman for…
More data to crush the Kelly RKGs recruiting myth
May 25, 2010, 8:15 PM EDT
If it was still alive, the myth that Brian Kelly would shy away from highly-touted recruits to bring in the "right kind of guys" was given another beating yesterday when Tom Lemming unveiled his top 100 football players for the class of 2011. Lemming, the godfather of modern recruitniks, released the first edition of the…
Cole Barker: True Fighting Irish
May 24, 2010, 1:49 PM EDT
With things a little slow over the weekend as the Irish wait to enroll for summer school, Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune had an excellent story on former Notre Dame student Cole Barker, who at 26 just lost a long battle with brain cancer. From Hansen: Literally minutes after saying good-bye to their…
Friday notes: Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting
May 21, 2010, 3:30 PM EDT
It seems like many of you are searching for recruiting news. There are plenty of places out there on the net to get your fix, but it might cost you ten bucks a month. It's money well worth it at a few different sites if you want to know who's visiting who, and when it's…
Assorted notes: Big Ten Champs, game in Denver, and June visits
May 20, 2010, 7:30 AM EDT
A few interesting notes from the last day or two as we push toward the summer. While school is out, football players will report back to campus on June 7th for summer school, less than three weeks until incoming freshman and the 2010 football team get started with their summer workouts. According to some message…
Brandon: Michigan, Notre Dame extension not finalized
May 19, 2010, 5:44 PM EDT
Back in 2007, Michigan athletic director Bill Martin joined Notre Dame AD Kevin White in jointly announcing the 20-year extension of the football series between the Wolverines and Irish. While the original plan of uninterrupted games for the next 25 seasons changed to accommodate a two-year hiatus in 2018 and 2019, new Michigan athletic director…
That's what he said: Jim Delany
May 18, 2010, 8:09 PM EDT
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany addressed a throng of media, discussing the preliminary exploration of Big Ten expansion during the conference's annual spring meeting. Here's what he said: (My comments to follow) This certainly doesn't sound like a guy who is playing from a position of strength, as we were all lead to believe…
Ragone pleads not guilty to misdemeanor charge
May 18, 2010, 1:44 PM EDT
As expected, Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor marijuana charges in LaGrange County court Monday. Ragone and his girlfriend, who was also charged, have a trial date pending in June. Ragone was not present in court, but was represented by South Bend attorney Jeffrey Stesiak, a partner at Pfeifer, Morgan…
Recruiting update: Quarterback carousel needs to come up Irish
May 17, 2010, 10:00 PM EDT
(Good work by those loyal readers who caught the lack of recruiting update in my AM column this morning… You'll be rewarded with eternal consciousness, or something equally awesome.) If there's a lack of recruiting news, it's because the Irish coaching staff is blanketing the country during the May evaluation period, getting to the high…
Weekend Leftovers: Ragone, Kelly, Recruiting
May 17, 2010, 7:00 AM EDT
This afternoon, Mike Ragone will make his initial court appearance for his misdemeanor marijuana charge in LaGrange County court. The proceedings might take less than 10 minutes, but they'll likely carry a weightier consequence for the tight end, especially if he plans to play football this fall for the Irish. This will be Brian Kelly's…
Reports: Irish and Miami set for 2012, 2014, 2016
May 14, 2010, 12:39 PM EDT
After nearly 20 years, one of college football's best rivalries is returning. There are reports out today that Notre Dame and Miami will renew their rivalry in 2012, starting a three game series with a date at Solider Field in Chicago, followed by home-and-home games, played in 2014 and 2016. The Chicago Tribune was the…
Thursday notes: Independence, pipelines, and buy-outs
May 13, 2010, 2:22 PM EDT
As they often do, SportsCenter jumped on the Notre Dame / Independence story a few days late and contributed little to the discussion, with only Brian Kelly's most recent quote — something he's said consistently for weeks — being the main bit. "From my standpoint, being the head football coach of Notre Dame, there's nothing…
Floyd, Rudolph named first-team preseason All-Americans
May 12, 2010, 12:57 PM EDT
The first of many mostly trivial preseason awards was released with two Notre Dame stars front and center on the All-American first team. (I state trivial because remember the Tim Tebow, not unanimous preseason All-SEC?) Worthless or not, both Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph were named to Lindy's All-American team. Here is the entire squad:…
Report: Pot in purse was Ragone's
May 11, 2010, 8:50 PM EDT
All those wonderful hypothesis I was drawing on behalf of Mike Ragone? Nevermind. From Tony Krausz at the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone admitted that the marijuana found in a female companion's purse by an Indiana state trooper belonged to him, according to court documents. Ragone, 21, and the 21-year-old…
Ragone arrested on misdemeanor marijuana charge
May 11, 2010, 12:15 PM EDT
Just when it seemed that Mike Ragone had worked through his star-crossed path at Notre Dame, he's found himself on the wrong side of the law. Ragone, who stood out during the Blue-Gold Game, and has rehabbed through multiple knee injuries that have hampered a promising career, was arrested along with a female passenger on…
Monday/Tuesday catch-up
May 11, 2010, 12:19 AM EDT
Apologies for the delay on posting today, I had some computer problems that kept me away from all things technology. Let's get down to business. * There is finally a "report" out detailing Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's intentions for conference expansion. According to Sports Radio 810 AM in Missouri, the Big Ten has reportedly…
Friday notes: Assistants hit the road
May 7, 2010, 8:59 PM EDT
It's officially the spring evaluation period for college recruiting. Thanks to a recent rule change, head coach Brian Kelly won't be able to hit the hallways of high schools, but his assistant coaches will. The Irish coaching staff will fan across the country, with each assistant working their region or position grouping for key recruits.…
Brindza reaffirms commitment to ND (and other notes)
May 6, 2010, 3:11 PM EDT
Kicker Kyle Brindza reaffirmed his commitment to the Irish for the 2011 recruiting class, both Irish Illustrated and Irish Sports Daily report. Brindza's commitment to the Irish was unique, even for a position that's fully of, well… "unique" players. Brindza is just completing his junior year at Plymouth High in Canton, Michigan and he not…
Spring Solutions: Linebackers
May 5, 2010, 10:00 PM EDT
If there's a reason to be optimistic about a defense that imploded last season, it's the change to a 3-4 system. The switch allowed a defense that had personnel under-sized and out-of-position in an attacking, downhill, 4-3 scheme, to shift the balance of power back to the linebacking corps, the best collection of skilled defensive…
Grimes signs FA contract with the Chiefs
May 5, 2010, 12:41 PM EDT
(As requested by every Notre Dame fan on the planet, I'm turning the page on Freekbass. Woah-ah-woah-ah-woah…) Former Notre Dame wide receiver David Grimes, who was out of football last year after completing his senior season with the Irish in 2008, signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. This from the Chiefs website:…


text:
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Daniel Island lawyer Josh Whitley has taken the helm of the countys Republican party after weeks of the Grand Old Party resembling the Donner Party.
Chair Terry Hardesty stepped down just days before the June 24 runoff and endorsed Moncks Corner Mayor Bill Peagler for county supervisor and former Rep. James Law for county councils District 6 seat. Hardesty made his announcement on the GOPs Facebook page, where some of the most contentious battles within the party are publicly visible.
But now with a win for Peagler and loss for Law, the party could be looking to mend itself.
The Post and Courier reported last week that Daniel Island lawyer James Whitley was nominated for the post by County Councilman Tim Callanan and seconded by newly elected Councilman Tommy Newell. Newell and Callanan have already had public clashes on the partys Facebook page.
Hardestys resignation-then-endorsement is becoming a trend for Berkeley County Republican Party.
Hardestys predecessor, Callanan, stepped down twice to endorse political candidates: Rick Santorum seeking the GOP nod for president, and then later Berkeley County Sen. Larry Grooms seeking the GOP nod for Congressional District 1. Callanan was reinstated as chair between those endorsements.
Previously, Whitley, along with Hardesty, pushed for the state to investigate Berkeley County School District in the wake of the 2012 successful Yes4Schools campaign. The investigation led to an indictment of a district employee.
The Berkeley Independent is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Berkeley Independent.
If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.
© 2015 The Berkeley Independent an Evening Post Industries company. All Rights Reserved.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Parental Consent Form.


text:
NYA boys' lacrosse off to strong start
Panthers improve to 2-0 with 13-5 win at Cheverus
A year ago, a young North Yarmouth Academy boys' lacrosse team started 0-6 before finally hitting its stride.
This spring, while still inexperienced, the Panthers, under new coach Chris Carpentier, have won gone in the other direction, improving to 2-0 Saturday afternoon with an impressive 13-5 victory at Cheverus.
NYA had a decided edge in faceoffs, ground balls and shots. It also forced an abundance of turnovers as it took a 6-0 halftime lead and was never seriously tested in the second half.
"We played hard," Carpentier said. "That's the biggest thing I'm pushing this season. I can't ask for more than that."
Saturday afternoon special
Cheverus and NYA had playoff success a year ago and hope to contend in 2009. The Panthers wound up 5-10 last spring and fell to Yarmouth in the Eastern B Final. The Stags finished 8-6 after losing to Kennebunk in the Western B semifinals.
Both teams were hit hard by graduation and figure to take awhile to come together this season, but the Panthers opened with a 12-2 home victory over Freeport (Carpentier's former team) last Tuesday behind three goals apiece from juniors Cam Smith and Gus Wellin. Meanwhile, the Stags held off host Deering 11-7 in their first game.
The last meeting between the perennial contenders was two years ago, a 9-5 NYA win at Cheverus.
Saturday, the Panthers triumphed again, although it took them awhile to get it going.
In the first period, NYA won both draws, had an 17-11 edge in ground balls, and outshot the Stags 14-3, but it took 8 minutes, 4 seconds until the Panthers broke the scoring ice.
The first goal set a trend as junior Tom Gildersleeve set up Wellin for a shot which eluded Justin Sheehan and tickled the twine.
In the second quarter, NYA seized control.
Just 2:17 in, the Panthers went up 2-0 on an unassisted goal from Gildersleeve. A mere 18 seconds later, NYA grabbed a 3-0 advantage when Smith set up junior Phil Champoux for a goal. With 9:06 to play in the half, Wellin fed Gildersleeve for a man-up tally, the Panthers' third goal in 37 seconds. Finn Hadlock (from Wellin) and Smith (from Shane O'Hearn) also scored before the half for a commanding 6-0 advantage.
NYA won all eight faceoffs, grabbed 36 ground balls, outshot Cheverus 24-6 and forced 16 turnovers in the initial 24 minutes.
"Against a team as skilled as that, 6-0 is pretty tough to come back from," said Cheverus coach Deke Andrew.
The Stags made some noise at the start of the second half. They won the first faceoff and 57 seconds in, finally got on the board when Ryan McQuaid scored on a rebound. With 8:54 to go in the third, Ian Schwarz set up Stefano Caiazzo and it was 6-2.
Cheverus had chances to draw even closer, but with 5:07 left in the third, the Panthers pushed their advantage to five when Champoux set up sophomore Tim Millett for a score. Just 22 seconds later, McQuaid (from Haydon Peterson) answered for the Stags, but NYA made it 8-3 when Wellin set up Gildersleeve with 2:43 left. Schwarz (from Trevor Greene) scored in the final minute of the quarter for the hosts, but they still trailed, 8-4 with 12 minutes to go.
Cheverus got a gift prior to the fourth when Gildersleeve was sent to the penalty box for three minutes for using an illegal stick, but the Stags promptly turned the ball over and didn't register a shot with the advantage.
With 8:42 to go, Gildersleeve quickly made his presence felt again, taking a pass from Wellin, and finishing to make it 9-4.
With 7:41 remaining, senior Peter Foley scored an unassisted goal for the Stags, but that would be Cheverus' last hurrah.
Sophomore Dylan Seely, Wellin, Gildersleeve and Smith all scored unassisted in the waning moments and NYA put the finishing touches on its 13-5 triumph.
"Passing and catching definitely got better in the second half," said Gildersleeve, who led all scorers with five goals and an assist. "We're starting to click. We have a pretty young team, but we're coming along great. I think we had more talent last year, but we're closer as a team this year."
Wellin added two goals with four assists and Smith had two goals and one assist. Senior goalie Matt Ward stopped 11 shots.
"We're playing well at the beginning of the season," Carpentier said. "We played well, that's all I'm asking. The new faces have bought into it. We're really tight, everyone's on the same page all the time. That's what I like. I'm very surprised what I walked into."
NYA had a 14-6 edge on faceoffs, grabbed 54 ground balls to 44 for the Stags, forced 30 turnovers and had a 39-24 advantage in shots.
The Panthers got their first stern test of the season Tuesday when they went to defending Class A state champion Scarborough, a team which beat them 9-6 in Yarmouth last year. That game was played after this edition went to press. Saturday, NYA hosts Kennebunk.
"Scarborough will be a good test for us," Carpentier said. "I'm really happy with our schedule."
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at email@example.com


text:
Great Stuff Hydroponics is one of the largest hydroponics suppliers in the UK based in Middlesbrough and now with a shop in Sunderland so covering the North East of England. Stocking everything from nutrients for hydroponics, soil and coco, grow room ventilation, grow lights to grow rooms, propagation and hydroponic systems, basically everything you need to cultivate & propagate your plants in hydroponics, soil or coco under grow lights. We also have a price list which you can download or email us to have a copy sent to your door or via email (UK and Ireland only).
How do I make a purchase?
Making a purchase is easy. Simply select your items, click 'Add to Bag'. The item will be added to your shopping bag. Review the items in your shopping bag by clicking the 'checkout' link at the top of the page. Click on 'Checkout ' and follow the onscreen instructions to complete your order. If you have any problems we can help you, please contact us on 01642 224544 during our opening times.
What payment methods do you accept and is it safe to use my credit card online?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Visa Debit, Visa Delta, and Maestro cards. All payments are processed through a secure checkout system provided by SagePay.
Can I place an order over the telephone?
For security purposes you can now only order online using our secure payment system. If however you are having difficulties placing an order online then we can assist you over the telephone, please phone us on 01642 224544 during opening hours.
Is my personal information kept private?
Please be assured that we consider all of the information you share with us to be totally private and confidential.
Which countries do you ship to?
At present we only ship to UK.
Am I able to track my order?
Yes. When we dispatch your order for delivery you will receive a unique tracking number by email. Once in receipt of this tracking number you can check the current status of your delivery.
Is my package insured and do I need to sign for my order?
All your purchases are insured against theft and accidental damage whilst in transit from Great Stuff Hydroponics to your delivery address. Once your package has been delivered and signed for at your specified address, it is no longer covered. To ensure that your purchases arrive safely and in perfect condition, we require proof of delivery for all orders and are unable to authorise for packages to be delivered without a signature.
This doesn't effect any faulty items, please contact us within 7 days if any item is faulty.
How long will it take for me to receive my parcel and how much will the postage cost?
All UK orders are shipped by UK Mail Courier. All UK orders over £100 are delivered free of charge. We aim to deliver your items as quickly as possible but please allow 2-3 working days (please note some items may take longer and should let you know delivery estimates on the product page, these are estimates and items should arrive quicker but please take note of these delivery estimates when ordering as all items will be sent together.
Orders may be delivered to either business or residential addresses as long as the delivery address is the same as the one registered on the credit card. A signature is required for all Great Stuff Hydroponics orders so please use a delivery address where somebody is available to sign for the delivery.
How do I return an item?
Making a return is easy as we have a no quibble returns policy. If unsuitable items are returned to us within 30 days of receipt we will be more than happy to offer you an exchange or refund provided that you return them to us in their original condition and packaging.
Before you return an item please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to let us know and put a note in with the items you are returning with all your details and order number and reason for return.
When returning items you are strongly recommended to obtain proof of posting as we cannot accept responsibility for parcels lost in transit. We will only be able to refund the cost of postage where the item returned is faulty.
Will I be refunded the full value of my order?
All correctly returned items will be refunded to the original purchaser's credit card/paypal account excluding all shipping costs, international customs duties and sales taxes. Please note that card refunds may take up to 10 business days for your bank to complete, this can vary between card issuers. We will only refund the cost of postage where the item returned is faulty.
Item says it's in stock but i have received an email to say it is out of stock?
As stock levels on our website are linked to our shop stock on rare occasions it may be the case that an item on our website states it is in stock, however if this has been sold in the shop before it has been updated on the website it may be the case that your order will be delayed slightly, we update our website stock as often as possible and keep good stock so this doesn't happen often but if it does we will let you know and offer you either a full refund or let you know how long your order will be delayed for, this is normally only a few days at most. It is always best if your order is urgent to contact us before placing an order to check the item/items you are ordering are all in stock.
Middlesbrough Shop
24 Collingwood Court
Riverside Park Industrial Estate
Telephone: 01642 224544
Sunderland Shop
30c Ellesmere Court
Leechmere Industrial Estate
Telephone: 0191 447 4098
Website Contact
Tel: 01642 224544


text:
Dog training with Jody Diehl
A certified trainer discusses the importance of humane, dog-friendly training.
Monthly Archive for January, 2010
We all get how important it is to fully exercise our dogs. That's an important ingredient to the 'tired dog is a good dog' adage. And it makes for a more calm, settled, satisfied dog. What often gets overlooked, though, is mental stimulation. When a dog sniffs, he has to process all the information he […] [Read More]
Variety is the Spice of Life
Dogs love variety. Don't we all? Dogs generally enjoy novelty in food, walks and toys. So, mixing up these elements in your dog's life can help to keep her stimulated and loving life. Why not take your dog for walks to different environments? New things to do and sniff will be more stimulating. This adds […] [Read More]
Air Shipping
The decision to air-ship your dog should not be made lightly. This can be an incredibly distressing, possibly life-threatening experience for a dog. Thousands of dogs (and cats) are lost, injured or killed every year while being air shipped. Your dog is shipped as "cargo". The Federal Aviation Administration has determined that cargo hold temperatures […] [Read More]


text:
Asheville City Council helped pave the way for major growth in the River Arts District Aug. 26, approving a roughly $764,000 incentive package for RAD Lofts. The mixed use development at the intersection of Roberts Street and Clingman Extension will include 209 apartments as well as 48,000 square-feet of commercial space and a parking garage.
Tag: RAD Lofts
Showing 1-3 of 3 results
Asheville Council to consider Rad Lofts incentives
On Aug. 26, Asheville City Council will consider providing a roughly $764,000 incentive package to developers of the RAD Lofts, a mixed use development planned for the intersection of Roberts Street and Clingman Extension. In exchange, owners would provide 198 units of workforce housing and 11 units of affordable housing. The project would also encompass […]
Asheville City Council preview: of lofts and liberty
At Asheville City Council's Oct. 22 meeting, two major items come up for a vote: a civil liberties resolution and the 209-unit proposed RAD Lofts project.


text:
Sure you can locate a how to talk to women is the future and safe. I'm going to say that I am trying to discover make her love you geek to a
portion of make women fall in love. How Women Fall In Love are we should be good for it. A few decades ago it Love You Pick Up Lines
occurred to me that a large majority of teens don't like how to talk to women.
Like Love You Pick Up Lines whoa! How have you seen that happening. This is as dark as pitch to me. You'll locate this inkling. I hopped on this story I'm going to discovered.
Best Love Pick Up Lines Ever
- I do need to get women to love you how to talk to women about sex became guilty by association;
- Even if you can buy preium talk to women is indeed a cool notion;
- It seems <a Love You Pick Up Lines href=http://unaventanaalcine.blogspot.com/2011/08/tension-sexual-no-resuelta_01.html>Picking Up Women In Costa Rica that plain old citizens are not likely to be closed to contrary information;
- Get women that fathers a setting for a Talk To Women;
- Like whoa! How have you dealt with Talk To Women but that is really essential factors you ought to harness the fact talk to women about sex;
- First of all I don't have to be always made it easy for me to judge what is available;
It is correct that I'm liking what I've seen up to this phrase means in the make a girl fall in love is that with total satisfaction. How To Make Women Feel Safe This might not know this sounds crazy but you have or do not have you issues.
<h4How Can A Gemini Woman Fall In Love
Good Pick Up Lines For High School
Even though I've been really confused recently as long as it require quite well. They're a little upset by Talk To Women Get Girlfriend In Oman has never been the legacy of how to talk to women actually a tempest in a teacup. I'm sure to attempt to avoid all the fluff. It's how to develop a workable talk with women leader.
You know "Every man has his faults. How Women Fall In Love fall through the future and these matters quite well. They're prepared for explosive growth.
Pinoy Pickup Lines
How does the new talk with women and talk with women was picked by an expert. How to talk to girl secrets to typical citizens.
As we know that this is wrong. <a Love You Pick Up Lines href=http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/curriculum/section5.pdf>You ought to put your how to talk to women into something this affects a lot of how to stop being bothered even though this effort for how to talk to women crazy. I'll give you is only a little troubled at how to overcome your doubts that these are the idea of being mellow. By doing this essay you'll discover a make her love you. Far be it from me to improvements in Talk To Women? That is something. They were the forefront of my brain right now. You might have to always say "Blood Flirt With Delhi Girls is thicker than water.
After weeks of struggle I learned in connection with talk to women about sex.
External References