text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Nov 15, 2011
|Filing date
|Jun 5, 2008
|Priority date
|Jun 25, 2007
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Gregory T. Lockwood, Guodong Zhan
|Original Assignee
|Smith International, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (20), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (1), Classifications (17), Legal Events (2)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. �119(e), claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 60/946,044, filed on Jun. 25, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to techniques and compositions which provide improved hardfacing materials.
2. Background Art
Historically, there have been two types of drill bits used drilling earth formations, drag bits and roller cone bits. Roller cone bits include one or more roller cones rotatably mounted to the bit body. These roller cones have a plurality of cutting elements attached thereto that crush, gouge, and scrape rock at the bottom of a hole being drilled. Several types of roller cone drill bits are available for drilling wellbores through earth formations, including insert bits (e.g. tungsten carbide insert bit, TCI) and "milled tooth" bits. The bit bodies and roller cones of roller cone bits are conventionally made of steel. In a milled tooth bit, the cutting elements or teeth are steel and conventionally integrally formed with the cone. In an insert or TCI bit, the cutting elements or inserts are conventionally formed from tungsten carbide, and may optionally include a diamond enhanced tip thereon.
The term "drag bits" refers to those rotary drill bits with no moving elements. Drag bits are often used to drill a variety of rock formations. Drag bits include those having cutting elements or cutters attached to the bit body, which may be a steel bit body or a matrix bit body formed from a matrix material such as tungsten carbide surrounded by an binder material. The cutters may be formed having a substrate or support stud made of carbide, for example tungsten carbide, and an ultra hard cutting surface layer or "table" made of a polycrystalline diamond material or a polycrystalline boron nitride material deposited onto or otherwise bonded to the substrate at an interface surface.
Typically, a hardfacing material is applied, such as by arc or gas welding, to the exterior surface of the steel components (e.g., milled teeth or steel bit body) to improve the wear resistance of the area of the bit. The hardfacing material typically includes one or more metal carbides, which are bonded to the steel teeth by a metal alloy ("binder alloy"). In effect, the carbide particles are suspended in a matrix of metal forming a layer on the surface of the teeth. The carbide particles give the hardfacing material hardness and wear resistance, while the matrix metal provides fracture toughness to the hardfacing.
Many factors affect the durability of a hardfacing composition in a particular application. These factors include the chemical composition and physical structure (size and shape) of the carbides, the chemical composition and microstructure of the matrix metal or alloy, and the relative proportions of the carbide materials to one another and to the matrix metal or alloy. The metal carbide most commonly used in hardfacing is tungsten carbide. Small amounts of tantalum carbide and titanium carbide may also be present in such material, although these other carbides may be considered to be deleterious.
Many different types of tungsten carbides are known based on their different chemical compositions and physical structure. Three types of tungsten carbide commonly typically used in hardfacing drill bits are cast tungsten carbide, macro-crystalline tungsten carbide, and cemented tungsten carbide (also known as sintered tungsten carbide).
Cemented tungsten carbide refers to a material formed by mixing particles of tungsten carbide, typically monotungsten carbide, and particles of cobalt or other iron group metal, and sintering the mixture. In a typical process for making cemented tungsten carbide, small tungsten carbide particles, e.g., 1-15 microns, and cobalt particles are vigorously mixed with a small amount of organic wax which serves as a temporary binder. An organic solvent may be used to promote uniform mixing. The mixture may be prepared for sintering by either of two techniques: it may be pressed into solid bodies often referred to as green compacts; alternatively, it may be formed into granules or particles such as by pressing through a screen, or tumbling and then screened to obtain more or less uniform particle size.
Such green compacts or particles are then heated in a vacuum furnace to first evaporate the wax and then to a temperature near the melting point of cobalt (or the like) to cause the tungsten carbide particles to be bonded together by the metallic phase. After sintering, the compacts are crushed and screened for the desired particle size. Similarly, the sintered particles, which tend to bond together during sintering, are gently churned in a ball mill with media to separate them without damaging the particles. Some particles may be crushed to break them apart. These are also screened to obtain a desired particle size. The crushed cemented carbide is generally more angular than the particles which tend to be rounded.
Another type of tungsten carbide is macro-crystalline carbide. This material is essentially stoichiometric tungsten carbide created by a thermite process. Most of the macro-crystalline tungsten carbide is in the form of single crystals, but some bicrystals of tungsten carbide may also form in larger particles. Single crystal stoichiometric tungsten carbide is commercially available from Kennametal, Inc., Fallon, Nev.
Carburized carbide is yet another type of tungsten carbide. Carburized tungsten carbide is a product of the solid-state diffusion of carbon into tungsten metal at high temperatures in a protective atmosphere. Sometimes, it is referred to as fully carburized tungsten carbide. Such carburized tungsten carbide grains usually are multi-crystalline, i.e., they are composed of tungsten carbide agglomerates. The agglomerates form grains that are larger than the individual tungsten carbide crystals. These large grains make it possible for a metal infiltrant or an infiltration binder to infiltrate a powder of such large grains. On the other hand, fine grain powders, e.g., grains less than 5 μm, do not infiltrate satisfactorily. Typical carburized tungsten carbide contains a minimum of 99.8% by weight of tungsten carbide, with a total carbon content in the range of about 6.08% to about 6.18% by weight.
Regardless of the type of hardfacing material used, designers continue to seek improved properties (such as improved wear resistance, thermal resistance, etc.) in the hardfacing materials. Unfortunately, increasing wear resistance usually results in a loss in toughness, or vice-versa. One suggested technique has been to apply a "coating" layer around a hardfacing granule. A coating on the ceramic particles or particles of other hard materials may be formed from materials and alloys such as tungsten carbide, and tungsten carbide/cobalt and cermets such as metal carbides and metal nitrides. The coated particles are typically pre-mixed with selected materials such that welding and cooling will form both metallurgical bonds and mechanical bonds within the solidified matrix deposit.
A welding rod may be prepared by placing a mixture of selected hard particles such as coated cubic boron nitride particles, hard particles such as tungsten carbide/cobalt, and loose filler material into a steel tube. A substrate may be hardfaced by progressively melting the welding rod onto a selected surface of the substrate and allowing the melted material to solidify and form the desired hardfacing with coated cubic boron nitride particles dispersed within the matrix deposit on the substrate surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,779 (the '779 patent) discloses a technique of coating cubic boron nitride particles with tungsten carbide particles or a ceramic to provide a thermal barrier to prevent thermal degradation of the particle into a reduced wear resistant phase. In particular, the '779 patent discloses a hardfacing composition to protect wear surfaces of drill bits and other downhole tools that consists of cubic boron nitride particles or of other ceramic, superabrasive or superhard materials coated with a thickness of approximately one half the diameter of the coated particles, where the coated particles are dispersed within and bonded to a matrix deposit.
Other coated particles include those coated with chemical vapor deposition (CVD), such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,012, which typically have coatings on the micrometer scale in thickness.
However, while these coating may improve some properties, these hardfacing compositions may have service limitations for various reasons. For example, too thick of a coating will reduce the volume fraction of the abrasive, therefore reducing the overall wear resistance of the hardfacing. Additionally, particles coated with CVD coatings, while thinner in nature, may require high temperatures for deposition and the coatings, in particular, the thickness of the coating may be difficult to control.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for improvements in hardfacing materials.
In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a hardfacing composition for a drill bit that includes an abrasive phase comprising a plurality of abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon; and a binder alloy.
In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a roller cone drill bit, that includes a bit body; at least one roller cone rotatably mounted to the bit body; and at least one cutting element on the at least one roller cone, wherein an exterior surface of the at least one cutting element comprises a hardfacing thereon, the hardfacing comprising: an abrasive phase comprising a plurality of abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon; and a binder alloy.
In yet another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a drill bit that includes a bit body having at least one blade thereon; at least one cutter pocket disposed on the blade; at least one cutter disposed in the cutter pocket; and hardfacing applied to at least a select portion of the drill bit, the hardfacing comprising: an abrasive phase comprising: a plurality of abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon; and a binder alloy.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to providing a "diffusion barrier coating" onto the surface of hardfacing granules. Particular embodiments relate to providing a barrier coating via atomic layer deposition onto abrasive particles, such as tungsten carbide particles, to form "coated particles."
Referring to
Such a roller cone rock bit as shown in
The arrangement of the teeth 14 on the cones 12 shown in
In addition, while embodiments of the present disclosure describe hardfacing teeth, embodiments of the present invention may be used to provide erosion protection for fixed cutter bits, or other types of bits or cutting tools as known in the art. The specific descriptions provided below do not limit the scope of the invention, but rather provide illustrative examples. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardfacing compositions may be used on other types of and locations on drill bits and cutting tools.
The example teeth on the roller cones shown in
The leading flank 16 of the tooth 14 is the face that tends to bear against the undrilled rock as the rock bit is rotated in the wellbore. Because of the various cone angles of different teeth on a roller cone relative to the angle of the journal pin on which each cone is mounted, the leading flank on the teeth in one row on the same cone may face in the direction of rotation of the bit, whereas the leading flank on teeth in another row may on the same cone face away from the direction of rotation of the bit. In other cases, particularly near the axis of the bit, neither flank can be uniformly regarded as the leading flank, and both flanks may be provided with hardfacing. There are also times when the ends of a tooth, that is, the portions facing the more or less axial direction on the cone, are also provided with a layer of hardfacing. This is particularly true on the so-called gage surface of the bit which is often provided with hardfacing.
The gage surface is a generally conical surface at the heel of a cone which engages the side wall of a bole as the bit is used. The gage surface includes the outer end of teeth in the so-called gage row of teeth nearest the heel of the cone and may include additional area nearer the axis of the cone than the root between the teeth. The gage surface is not considered to include the leading and trailing flanks of the gage row teeth. The gage surface encounters the side wall of the hole in a complex scraping motion which induces wear of the gage surface. In some drill bits, hardfacing may also be applied on the shirttail (20 in
In various embodiments, coated particles are applied as a hardfacing as a filler in a steel tube. The hardfacing filler materials may further comprise deoxidizer and resin. When the coated particles are applied to drill bits, the coated particles may be dispersed in a matrix of alloy steel welded to the drill bits.
It is known, however, in conventional hardfacing that as the steel tube rod melts (during application of the hardfacing), cobalt from the tungsten carbide-cobalt granules diffuses into the weld pool, and steel from the "weld pool" diffuses into the granules. As discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005-0109545, which is assigned to the present assignee and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, this has been quantified using quantitative EDS using a Jeol scanning electron microscope. A polish and chemical etch of the cross-section of the weld material as seen using an inverted light microscope, reveals a halo surrounding the granules (See
By providing a very thin (nanolayer) diffusion coating on the abrasive particles, the resulting hardfacing composition may possess improved toughness and weldability without sacrificing wear resistance due a minimum metal content in the nanolayer. To minimize the metal content in the barrier coating, the inventors of the present disclosure have advantageously discovered that atomic layer deposition may be used to achieve a thin, conformal coating on the abrasive particles.
In a particular embodiment, abrasive particles used in a hardfacing composition may be provided with an ultra-thin, conformal coating thereon. As used herein, "ultra-thin" refers to a thickness of less than 500 nm. In a particular embodiment, the ultra-thin coating may have a thickness ranging from about 0.1 to about 100 nm, from about 0.5 to 50 nm in another embodiment, and from about 1 to 10 nm in yet another embodiment. "Conformal" refers to a relatively uniform thickness across the surface of the particle such that the surface shape of a coated particle closely resembles that of the uncoated particle.
In another embodiment, the abrasive particles of the present disclosure are provided with a conformal coating thereon, wherein the conformal coating comprises from about 0.1 to 5 volume percent of the coated abrasive particle. In a particular embodiment, the conformal coating comprises from about 0.5 to 3 volume percent of the volume of the coated abrasive particle.
Depending on the desired application of hardfacing and the type of abrasive particle to be coated, the composition of the coatings may vary. In a particle embodiment, the coating may include, for example, metals, metal alloys, ceramic materials, and cermets. For example, coatings that may be suitable for use on the hard phase particulate materials of the present disclosure may include metals and binary materials, i.e., materials of the form QxRy, where Q and R represent different atoms and x and y are numbers that reflect an electrostatically neutral material. Among the suitable binary materials are various inorganic ceramic materials including oxides, nitrides, carbides, sulfides, fluorides, and combinations thereof. Examples of oxides that may find used in the present disclosure include those such as CoO, Al2O3, TiO2, Ta2O5, Nb2O5, ZrO2, HfO2, SnO2, ZnO, La2O3, Y2O3, CeO2, Sc2O3, Er2O3, V2O5, SiO2, In2O3, and the like. Examples of nitrides that may find use in the present disclosure include those such as Si3N4, AlN, TaN, NbN, TiN, MoN, ZrN, HfN, GaN, and the like. Examples of carbides that may find use in the present disclosure include those such as SiC, WC, and the like. Examples of sulfides that may find use in the present disclosure include those such as ZnS, SrS, CaS, PbS, and the like. Examples of fluorides that may find use in the present disclosure include those such as CaF2, SrF2, ZnF2, and the like. Among the suitable metal coatings include Pt, Ru, Ir, Pd, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, W, and the like. Other types of materials that may be used to form an ultra-thin conformal coating include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,383, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Coatings suitable for use in the present disclosure may also include mixed structures, such as TiAlN, Ti3AlN, ATO (AlTiO), coatings included doped metals, such as ZnO:Al, ZnS:Mn, SrS:Ce, Al2O3:Er, ZrO2:Y, which may also include other rare earth metals (Ce3+, Tb3+, etc.) for doping or co-doping, or nanolaminates, such as HfO2/Ta2O5, TiO2/Ta2O5, TiO2/Al2O3, ZnS/Al2O3, and the like.
In a particular embodiment, the ultra-thin, conformal coating of the present disclosure may be applied on the particulate materials through atomic layer controlled growth techniques or atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD methods use self-limiting surface chemistry to control deposition. Under the appropriate conditions, deposition may be limited to a small number of functional groups on the surface, i.e., approximately one monolayer or ˜1�1015 species per cm2. ALD permits the deposition of coatings of up to about 0.3 nm in thickness per reaction cycle, and thus provide a means for controlling thickness to extremely fine thicknesses. In these techniques, the coating may be formed in a series of two or more self-limited reactions, which in most instances can be repeated to subsequently deposit additional layers of the coating material until a desired coating thickness is achieved. In most instances, the first of these reactions may involve some functional group on the surface of the particle, such as an M-H, M-O—H, or M-N—H group, where M represents an atom of a metal or semi-metal. The individual reactions may be carried out separately and under conditions such that all excess reagents and reaction products are removed before concluding the succeeding reaction. The particles may optionally be treated prior to initiating the reaction sequence to remove volatile materials that may have absorbed onto the surface of the particulate materials. This may be readily done by exposing the particles to elevated temperatures and/or vacuum.
Additionally, in some instances a precursor reaction may be performed to introduce desirable functional groups onto the surface of the particle to facilitate a reaction sequence in creating an ultra-thin coating. Examples of such functional groups include hydroxyl groups, amino groups, and metal-hydrogen bonds, which may serve as a site of further reaction to allow formation of an ultra-thin coating. Functionalization may be achieved through surface treatments including, for example, water plasma treatment, ozone treatment, ammonia treatment, and hydrogen treatment.
Oxide coatings can be prepared on particles having surface hydroxyl or amine (M-N—H) groups using a binary (AB) reaction sequence as follows. The asterisk (*) indicates the atom that resides at the surface of the particle or coating, and Z represents oxygen or nitrogen. M1 is an atom of a metal (or semimetal such as silicon), particularly one having a valence of 3 or 4, and X is a displaceable nucleophilic group. The reactions shown below are not balanced, and are only intended to show the reactions at the surface of the particles (i.e., not inter- or intralayer reactions).
M−Z−H*+M1Xn→M−Z−M1X*+HX (A1)
In reaction A1, reagent M1Xn reacts with one or more M-Z-H groups on the surface of the particle to create a "new" surface group having the form -M1X. M1 is bonded to the particle through one or more Z atoms. The -M1X group represents a site that can react with water in reaction B1 to regenerate one or more hydroxyl groups. The groups formed in reaction B1 can serve as functional groups through which reactions A1 and B1 can be repeated, each time adding a new layer of M1 atoms. Atomic layer controlled growth and additional binary reactions are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,383, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A convenient method for applying the ultra-thin, conformal coating to particulate material is to form a fluidized bed of the particles, and then pass the various reagents in turn through the fluidized bed under reaction conditions. Methods of fluidizing particulate material are well known and are described, for example, "Nanocoating Individual Cohesitve Boron Nitride Particles in a Fluidized Bed Reactor," Jeffrey R. Wank, et al., Powder Technology 142 (2004) 59-69. Briefly, the ALD process using a fluidized bed reactor, illustrated in
If desired, multiple layers of ultra-thin coatings may be deposited on the abrasive particles. Where multiple layers of coating are desired, the multiple layers may possess an identity of composition, or the multiple layers may vary in composition. It is specifically within the scope of the present disclosure that the multiple layers may include combinations of any of the above described coating compositions such, for example, metal-on-metal, metal-on-oxide, and oxide-on-oxide. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that depending on the compositions of the applied coating, during any subsequent sintering conditions, the coating may undergo a number of transitions. For example, an ALD bi-layer of Al2O3/TiO2, after sintering, may react and form an aluminum titanate coating. Further one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that there is no limitation on the combination or number of layers which may be provided on the particulate material of the present disclosure.
Referring to
Alternatively, a coating may be applied using atomic layer deposition methods as described above, and the coating may subjected to one or more reactions to form a modified coating. This technique may be used, for example, for creating ultra-thin coatings of various types that are not amenable to deposition using atomic layer deposition techniques. For example, various types of ultra-thin oxide coatings can be formed using the atomic layer deposition techniques described above, and then can be carburized to convert the oxide to the corresponding carbide.
The coatings disclosed herein may, in various embodiments, be either amorphous or crystalline in nature. Further, if a coating is amorphous in nature and is desirably crystalline, the particle having the coating thereon may be placed in a furnace at the appropriate environment for crystallization of the coating. In a particular embodiment, crystallization may occur in air at temperature of at least 600� C.
Once the abrasive particles are coated with an ultra-thin coating as described above, they may be used to form a hardfacing layer on a portion of a drill bit or other cutting tool. Abrasive particles that may be provided with an ultra-thin, conformal coating thereon include various materials used to form hardfacings having application in the cutting tool industry. In one embodiment, the abrasive particles may include tungsten carbide particles and diamond particles. In other various embodiments, the hard phase materials may include metal carbides, such as tungsten carbides, natural diamond, synthetic diamond, cubic boron nitride, and the like. Among the types of tungsten carbide particles that may be used to form sintered bodies of the present disclosure include cast tungsten carbide, macro-crystalline tungsten carbide, carburized tungsten carbide, and cemented tungsten carbide.
Suitable particle sizes for the abrasive particles of the present disclosure may range up to 1000 microns in one embodiment, and from the nanometer range (e.g., about 0.001 microns) to about 500 microns in another embodiment, and from about 10 to 250 microns in yet another embodiment. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the ultra-thin, conformal coatings disclosed herein may also be provided on particles having a larger particle size. Particle size can also be expressed in terms of the surface area of the particles. In a particular embodiment, the abrasive particles may have a particle size ranging from 10 to 106 times the thickness of the coating deposited thereon. In one embodiment, the particulate materials of the present disclosure have surface areas ranging from about 0.1 to 200 m2/g or more.
As discussed above, one type of tungsten carbide is macrocrystalline carbide. This material is essentially stoichiometric WC in the form of single crystals. Most of the macrocrystalline tungsten carbide is in the form of single crystals, but some bicrystals of WC may form in larger particles. The manufacture of macrocrystalline tungsten carbide is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,379,503 and 4,834,963, which are herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,360, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is herein incorporated by reference, discusses the manufacture of carburized tungsten carbide. Carburized tungsten carbide, as known in the art, is a product of the solid-state diffusion of carbon into tungsten metal at high temperatures in a protective atmosphere. Carburized tungsten carbide grains are typically multi-crystalline, i.e., they are composed of WC agglomerates. The agglomerates form grains that are larger than individual WC crystals. These larger grains make it possible for a metal infiltrant or an infiltration binder to infiltrate a powder of such large grains. On the other hand, fine grain powders, e.g., grains less than 5 microns, do not infiltrate satisfactorily. Typical carburized tungsten carbide contains a minimum of 99.8% by weight of carbon infiltrated WC, with a total carbon content in the range of about 6.08% to about 6.18% by weight. Tungsten carbide grains designated as WC MAS 2000 and 3000-5000, commercially available from H.C. Stark, are carburized tungsten carbides suitable for use in the formation of the matrix bit body disclosed herein. The MAS 2000 and 3000-5000 carbides have an average size of 20 and 30-50 micrometers, respectively, and are coarse grain conglomerates formed as a result of the extreme high temperatures used during the carburization process.
Another form of tungsten carbide is cemented tungsten carbide (also known as sintered tungsten carbide), which is a material formed by mixing particles of tungsten carbide, typically monotungsten carbide, and cobalt particles, and sintering the mixture. Methods of manufacturing cemented tungsten carbide are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,541,006 and 6,908,688, which are herein incorporated by reference. Sintered tungsten carbide is commercially available in two basic forms: crushed and spherical (or pelletized). Crushed sintered tungsten carbide is produced by crushing sintered components into finer particles, resulting in more irregular and angular shapes, whereas pelletized sintered tungsten carbide is generally rounded or spherical in shape.
Briefly, in a typical process for making cemented tungsten carbide, a tungsten carbide powder having a predetermined size (or within a selected size range) is mixed with a suitable quantity of cobalt, nickel, or other suitable binder. The mixture is typically prepared for sintering by either of two techniques: it may be pressed into solid bodies often referred to as green compacts, or alternatively, the mixture may be formed into granules or pellets such as by pressing through a screen, or tumbling and then screened to obtain more or less uniform pellet size. Such green compacts or pellets are then heated in a controlled atmosphere furnace to a temperature near the melting point of cobalt (or the like) to cause the tungsten carbide particles to be bonded together by the metallic phase. Sintering globules of tungsten carbide specifically yields spherical sintered tungsten carbide. Crushed cemented tungsten carbide may further be formed from the compact bodies or by crushing sintered pellets or by forming irregular shaped solid bodies.
The particle size and quality of the sintered tungsten carbide can be tailored by varying the initial particle size of tungsten carbide and cobalt, controlling the pellet size, adjusting the sintering time and temperature, and/or repeated crushing larger cemented carbides into smaller pieces until a desired size is obtained. In one embodiment, tungsten carbide particles (unsintered) having an average particle size of between about 0.2 to about 20 microns are sintered with cobalt to form either spherical or crushed cemented tungsten carbide. In a preferred embodiment, the cemented tungsten carbide is formed from tungsten carbide particles having an average particle size of about 0.8 to about 5 microns. In some embodiments, the amount of cobalt present in the cemented tungsten carbide is such that the cemented carbide is comprised of from about 6 to 8 weight percent cobalt.
Cast tungsten carbide is another form of tungsten carbide and has approximately the eutectic composition between bitungsten carbide, W2C, and monotungsten carbide, WC. Cast carbide is typically made by resistance heating tungsten in contact with carbon, and is available in two forms: crushed cast tungsten carbide and spherical cast tungsten carbide. Processes for producing spherical cast carbide particles are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,723,996 and 5,089,182, which are herein incorporated by reference. Briefly, tungsten may be heated in a graphite crucible having a hole through which a resultant eutectic mixture of W2C and WC may drip. This liquid may be quenched in a bath of oil and may be subsequently comminuted or crushed to a desired particle size to form what is referred to as crushed cast tungsten carbide. Alternatively, a mixture of tungsten and carbon is heated above its melting point into a constantly flowing stream which is poured onto a rotating cooling surface, typically a water-cooled casting cone, pipe, or concave turntable. The molten stream is rapidly cooled on the rotating surface and forms spherical particles of eutectic tungsten carbide, which are referred to as spherical cast tungsten carbide.
The standard eutectic mixture of WC and W2C is typically about 4.5 weight percent carbon. Cast tungsten carbide commercially used as a matrix powder typically has a hypoeutectic carbon content of about 4 weight percent. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cast tungsten carbide used in the mixture of tungsten carbides is comprised of from about 3.7 to about 4.2 weight percent carbon.
The various tungsten carbides disclosed herein may be selected so as to provide a bit that is tailored for a particular drilling application. For example, the type, shape, and/or size of carbide particles used may affect the material properties of the resulting hardfacing layer, including, for example, fracture toughness, and wear and erosion resistance.
Carbide particles are often measured in a range of mesh sizes, for example 40 to 80 mesh. The term "mesh" actually refers to the size of the wire mesh used to screen the carbide particles. For example, "40 mesh" indicates a wire mesh screen with forty holes per linear inch, where the holes are defined by the crisscrossing strands of wire in the mesh. The hole size is determined by the number of meshes per inch and the wire size. The mesh sizes referred to herein are U.S. Standard Sieve Series mesh sizes, also described as ASTM E11. A standard 40 mesh screen has holes such that only particles having a dimension less than 420 μm can pass. That is, particles larger than 420 μm in size will be retained on a 40 mesh screen, while particles smaller than 420 μm will pass through the screen.
Therefore, the range of sizes of the carbide particles in a filler is defined by the largest and smallest grade of mesh used to screen the particles. An exemplary filler comprising carbide particles in the range of from 16 to 40 mesh will only contain particles larger than 420 μm and smaller than 1190 μm, whereas another filler comprising particles in the range of from 40 to 80 mesh will only contain particles larger than 180 μm and smaller than 420 μm. Hence, there is no overlap in terms of particle size between these two ranges.
In various embodiments, the abrasive particles may range in size from 16 to 325 mesh. In particular, some embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more of the following types and sizes of carbides: sintered carbide, in the form of crushed or spherical particles, having a size in the range of about 16-30 ASTM mesh, 30 to 40 ASTM mesh, and/or 100 to 325 ASTM mesh; crushed cast carbide having a particle size in a range of about 40-80 ASTM mesh; and macro-crystalline tungsten carbide having a particle size in a range of less than about 80 ASTM mesh, or about 100-200 ASTM mesh. In particular embodiments, it may be desirable to use small hard particles to fit in the gaps between the larger, 16 to 40 mesh particles. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that, conventionally, these smaller particles of 100 to 325 mesh are more prone to damage due to the high imposed temperature during welding.
In this embodiment, therefore, an ultra-thin diffusion barrier may be applied having a selected thickness. The diffusion barrier may reduce or prevent the transfer of metal (often occurring during the hardfacing application process) to and from the hardfacing granules. In addition to reducing or preventing metal diffusion, by providing a barrier coating in this manner, embodiments of the present disclosure may prevent or reduce the formation of a "halo" as described in reference to the '779 patent above. Further, by providing the barrier coating, the nominal particle size of the abrasive particles (e.g., 16 to 40 mesh, etc.) may be maintained. Without such a barrier coating, metal diffusion results in a decrease in diameter of the abrasive particles, which causes a reduced wear resistance and toughness.
Further, as stated above, embodiments of the present disclosure apply equally well to fixed cutter bits as to roller cone bits. For example,
In the present embodiment, the steel drill bit body 90 includes a hardfacing layer 120, which includes an abrasive phase formed from abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon, and a binder alloy. As with the above, the hardfacing layer 120 may be applied using any technique known in the art, such as "tube," thermal spray, or arc hardfacing. The PDC cutter 100 is disposed on the blade 91. The number of blades 91 and/or cutters 100 is related, among other factors, to the type of formation to be drilled, and can thus be varied to meet particular drilling requirements.
The PDC cutter 100 may be formed from a sintered tungsten carbide composite substrate (not shown separately in
After being provided with the diffusion barrier coating described above, the coated particles may be applied as a hardfacing layer to the teeth and/or shirttail using processes well known in the art. One such process is atomic hydrogen welding. Another process is oxyacetylene welding. Other processes include plasma transferred arc ("PTA"), gas tungsten arc, shield metal arc processes, laser cladding, and other thermal deposition processes. In oxyacetylene welding, for example, the hardfacing material is typically supplied in the form of a tube or hollow rod ("a welding tube"), which is filled with coated particles having a selected composition. The tube is usually made of steel (iron) or similar metal (e.g., nickel and cobalt) which can act as a binder when the rod and its granular contents are heated.
The tube thickness is selected so that its metal forms a selected fraction of the total composition of the hardfacing material as applied to the drill bit. The granular filler of the rod or tube typically includes various forms of metal carbides (e.g., tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, chromium, and vanadium carbides), and most typically, various forms of tungsten carbide. Alternatively, the binder alloy may be in the form of a wire ("a welding wire") and the hardfacing materials are coated on the wire using resin binders. With a PTA welding process, the hardfacing materials may be supplied in the form of a welding tube, a welding wire, or powder, although the powder form is preferred.
Other methods and techniques for applying hardfacing materials are known in the art and are omitted here for the sake of clarity. It should be noted that while oxyacetylene welding may be a preferred method of applying the improved hardfacing composition (including the coated particles) disclosed herein, any suitable method may be employed.
Advantageously, embodiments of the present disclosure for coated particles that have a diffusion barrier to prevent or reduce the transfer of metal to and from the granules. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure may advantageously provide coated particles that maintain their diameters after welding by reducing the dissolution of the abrasive into the surrounding matrix. Further, it has been discovered that larger diameter granules may improve the life and rate of penetration for drill bits.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide a hardfacing composition having an improved toughness. However, not only may the composition have improved toughness and impact properties, but without sacrificing wear resistance. Advantageously, compositions of the present invention make the tube rod (used during the application of a hardfacing layer) easier to weld, and help ensure that the weld quality is less dependant on the skill level of the welder.
Further, by providing multiple layers on abrasive particles, a first ceramic layer may be selected so as to provide thermal insulation to the abrasive particle, especially during the high temperatures experienced during welding that have conventionally affected performance of the hardfacing. Thus, the thermal insulation may protect the abrasives against formation of a brittle eta-phase which are typically formed during the high welding temperatures. Additionally, a second metal layer may be provided for weldability and adhesion to the surrounding matrix. By providing an ultra-thin coating via atomic layer deposition, the metal content from the coating is minimized so as to minimally affect wear resistance.
In addition, while reference has been made to tungsten carbide and cobalt containing materials, other transition metal carbides, transition metal nitrides, and other suitable superhard materials are specifically within the scope of the present invention. That is, the coating techniques described above, may be used with materials other than the tungsten carbide compositions disclosed above.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Nov 12, 1965
|Apr 23, 1968
|Kennametal Inc
|Process for preparing tungsten monocarbide
|Mar 4, 1969
|Mar 21, 1972
|Permattach Diamond Tool Corp
|A method of coating diamond particles with metal
|Jul 23, 1970
|May 16, 1972
|Dentsply Int Inc
|Diamond tool and method of making the same
|Mar 12, 1987
|Feb 9, 1988
|Technogenia, S.A.
|Method and device for producing refractory materials by induction
|Dec 16, 1986
|May 30, 1989
|Kennametal Inc.
|Macrocrystalline tungsten monocarbide powder and process for producing
|Mar 31, 1987
|Oct 2, 1990
|Lemelson Jerome H
|Composite synthetic materials
|Oct 16, 1989
|Feb 18, 1992
|Eberhard Findeisen
|Process of manufacturing cast tungsten carbide spheres
|Dec 23, 1994
|Jul 30, 1996
|Kennametal Inc.
|Method of making composite cermet articles and the articles
|Dec 3, 1998
|Dec 7, 1999
|Sulzer Metco (Us) Inc.
|Silicon carbide composition for turbine blade tips
|Jan 16, 1998
|Oct 31, 2000
|Dresser Industries, Inc.
|Hardfacing having coated ceramic particles or coated particles of other hard materials placed on a rotary cone cutter
|Sep 18, 1998
|Sep 11, 2001
|Smith International, Inc.
|High-strength matrix body
|Jul 13, 2000
|Apr 16, 2002
|Kennametal Inc.
|Superhard filler hardmetal including a method of making
|Oct 30, 2000
|Oct 22, 2002
|Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
|Hardfacing having coated ceramic particles or coated particles of other hard materials
|Jun 21, 2000
|Sep 2, 2003
|Regents Of The University Of Colorado
|Atomic layer controlled deposition on particle surfaces
|Aug 4, 2000
|Jun 21, 2005
|Kennametal Inc.
|Graded composite hardmetals
|Dec 9, 2003
|Jul 5, 2005
|The Regents Of The University Of Colorado
|Nanocoated primary particles and method for their manufacture
|Sep 26, 2002
|Feb 6, 2003
|Pender David Charles
|Metal-infiltrated polycrystalline diamond composite tool formed from coated diamond particles
|Nov 25, 2002
|Jun 3, 2004
|Sudarshan Tirumalai S.
|Multifunctional particulate material, fluid, and composition
|Aug 13, 2004
|May 26, 2005
|Greg Lockwood
|Barrier Coated Granules for Imporve Hardfacing Material
|Sep 21, 2007
|Mar 27, 2008
|Smith International, Inc.
|Atomic layer deposition nanocoatings on cutting tool powder materials
|J. R. Wank et al. Nanocoating individual cohesive boron nitride particles in a fluidized bed by ALD; Powder Technology 142, pp. 59-69 (2004).
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jan 9, 2015
|Jul 16, 2015
|Esco Corporation
|Encapsulated Wear Particles
|U.S. Classification
|175/425, 175/331
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 6, 2008
Owner name: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LOCKWOOD, GREGORY T.;ZHAN, GUODONG;REEL/FRAME:021057/0140
Effective date: 20080605
|Apr 29, 2015
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
Get Work Life Balance – First find your priorities in life
Is your life out of balance? Does your work life feel like it does not fit? But how to get it right?
Start by defining your priorities. Yes, you do have to make a choice. Coach Anna Meller created a fantastic tool to made a fantastic tool to help you The Work Life Balance Workbook

subset: commoncrawl


text:
State of the Coast is hosted every two years by the Council for the Restoration of Coastal Louisiana and brings together experts from coastal sciences, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. Coastal specialists from 33 states were among the 1000 plus attendees. Special guest speakers included New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Tag Archives | resilience
Colten presents to international workshop in Brazil
Professor Craig Colten traveled to Florianopolis, Brazil during the Thanksgiving break to address the Third International Workshop on Environmental History. He discussed his research on community resilience to a group of scholars from Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, Portugal, and the U.S.
LSU Geographers Launch Coastal Research Project on Resilience
Dr. Craig Colten recently received a grant to extend ongoing research on community resilience along the Gulf Coast. This project will supplement an existing project that is being carried out by LSU geographers in collaboration with specialists from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.


text:
Destructive ideology.. if he ain't talking about Marxist-Alinsky street/campus rabble and their ideological issue then it must be Martians. Fifty years of mostly stealth infiltration and two presidents (Clinton and Obama) they have replaced our federal government ("Bring it all down, man.") with a fetteral government.
The youthful Marxist New Left and their dupes didn't have to infiltrate a large portion of the MSM -- guys like Walter "North Vietnam Communists' Most Trusted Man in America" Cronkite welcomed them.
I wanted some information about something I remembered almost 50 years ago, Goldwater and the 1964 convention in San Francisco.
Maligning "Tea Partiers" didn't just start today.
Back when Time was a real news magazine, tells truth.. and TV "news" was.. well, the same biased crap it's been for going on 50 years.
"While Everett Dirksen was nominating Barry Goldwater, both Cronkite [CBS] and Huntley [NBC] interspersed their own voices, passing comments and judgments on what Dirksen was saying, not giving the man a chance to deliver his speech as a whole. . . The networks have also to a considerable extent shut out the great [Goldwater] ground-swelling noises of the convention hall. Sound is half the atmosphere there, and it is thick enough to cut, but TV merely cuts it off or down . . . Spending all their time fussing over the latest developments among the sorry pack of obvious also-rans [Rockefeller, Scranton, et al], they made no real attempt to concentrate on the man [Goldwater] who had the nomination sewed up from the start. The TV coverage before the first ballot was largely focused on Scranton."
As the Time article noted "TV [deprives] audiences of the convention's overbearing sense of commotion. [For example w]hen Governor Rockefeller was loudly booed as he spoke last week, the booing was almost imperceptible [in America's living rooms]."
Rockefeller had five minutes to speak essentially in favor of branding Goldwater a KKK member -- that provoked a bit of response. Nelson replied with his middle finger. I remember the photo but I cannot find it. It was probably in Berkeley Barb or one of the other "underground" press publications.
The Marxist-Alinsky campus revolutionary rabble on the streets outside the convention are arguably now (along with their ideological children) the Clinton-Obama America Establishment.


text: Meta Rate My Team PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat User roseradefan Wall Recent activity All questions All answers Questions by roseradefan 0 votes 1 answer 425 views How to complete natinal dex asked May 19, 2012 national-dex missed platinum pokedex heatran 0 votes 1 answer 1,448 views Catching rayquaza in white asked May 5, 2012 white kyurem rayquaza giant-chasm 0 votes 4 answers 785 views How do I catch Kyurem? asked Apr 29, 2012 white kyurem catching strategy 0 votes 1 answer 1,833 views Where do I get a Dawn Stone to use on my Snorunt? asked Apr 3, 2012 stone platinum froslass evolution 0 votes 2 answers 1,417 views Which Pokemon evolve with the Sun Stone? asked Apr 3, 2012 location sun-stone platinum 0 votes 1 answer 330 views fight area in platnim asked Apr 1, 2012 platinum heatran resort-area battle-frontier 0 votes 1 answer 526 views a breeding egg question asked Apr 1, 2012 breeding gyarados steelix eggs action-replay 1 vote 3 answers 363 views if anybody has filled there pokedex in platnim plz can you tell me how to get these pokemon! asked Apr 1, 2012 platinum pokedex 0 votes 3 answers 328 views Were do you get a member card? (platnim) asked Apr 1, 2012 darkrai member-card 0 votes 2 answers 467 views bursting for the shiny stone asked Apr 1, 2012 shiny-stone Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


text:
Vibrant Village Foundation works in the Central Region of Malawi where residents are learning to adapt to the effects of climate change that threaten their livelihoods. We work with three partners to improve the health and wellbeing of families in this agricultural and pastoral region of southern Africa.
In the village of Kang'oma, near the capital Lilongwe, we partner with local non-profit, Global Hope Mobilization, to upgrade the conditions of a local primary school, improve the health and hygiene of students and teachers and increase school attendance year-round.
In the nearby Mchinji District, we partner with UK-based Pump Aid to provide access to safe water in 20 communities. In these projects, Pump Aid promotes the use of a low-cost, easily maintained rope and washer pump, which is well suited to rural communities.
In the southern region of Malawi we work with Action for Environmental Sustainability (AFES) in four villages in the Kumponda Community. With Vibrant Village support, AFES will repair water systems and build local capacity to maintain the infrastructure over the long-term.
Conduct 24 community health talks on disease prevention and treatment
Borehole dug to provide clean water for 2,400 students and nearby community members
Train 1,400 women in a self-help group approach, business management, savings, social cohesion, and entrepreneurship
Related posts
Georgina's visit to Malawi


text:
Subclass of:
425 - Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Patent class list (only not empty are listed)
Deeper subclasses:
|Class / Patent application number
|Number of patent applications / Date published
|APPARATUS FOR SLIPFORM CASTING - Apparatus for slipform casting particularly of a moulded concrete structure including a slipform yoke having at least one pair of yoke legs in opposite disposal, at least one pair of form halves connected to the yoke legs between which form halves concrete is poured and at least one jack pipe interacting with the yoke, wherein the jack pipe is hollow.
|Apparatus for Manufacturing a Pre-Cast Retaining Wall - An adjustable mold for manufacturing a pre-cast cantilevered concrete retaining wall. The adjustable mold includes a base, at least one upright form disposed substantially perpendicular and adjacent to the base, and a plurality of rails interchangeable and repositionable adapted to be secured to the base to vary the size and surface features of the retaining wall. The base, the upright form, and the plurality of rails cooperate to define a plurality cavities in fluid communication that shape and allow sufficient curing of a combination of fluid concrete and concrete reinforcement to form a retaining wall of a selected configuration. A top surface of the base is contoured to define the mold negative of a textured shape desirable for the external surface of the pre-cast cantilevered concrete retaining wall.
|CART FOR BUILDING A BRIDGE BOARD FORWARD PROGRESSIVE - Cart for building a bridge board forward progressive which incorporates a system for positioning reinforcement pieces, which have displacement tracks on the upper working surface and runners on which the reinforcement pieces are situated and which are displaced on the displacement tracks, where by means of the system for positioning reinforcement pieces it situates the reinforcement pieces in a position of the upper working surface for a subsequent concreting of a section of the board of the bridge, with the cart being fixed in the position thereof.
|RECYCLABLE FORMWORK - There is disclosed to provide a recyclable formwork that can add the new function without spoiling the other functions of the recyclable formwork. The recyclable formwork includes: a main unit including a contact surface contacting with cast concrete, a non-contact surface being parallel and opposite to the contact surface, and a plurality of ribs outstanding from the non-contact surface to a side opposite to the non-contact surface and reinforcing the main unit; a case being housed between the plurality of ribs and being fixed on a side of the non-contact surface; and a circuit being stored in the case. A first highest point of the case at the side of the non-contact surface is not higher than a second highest point of upper ends of the plurality of the ribs.
|CONTOUR CRAFTING EXTRUSION NOZZLES - An automated extrusion construction system may include an extrusion nozzle configured to extrude construction material in a substantially horizontal direction against an elongated and substantially vertical surface. An extrusion nozzle may have a height adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the height of an outlet in response to level deviations in the surface on which the construction material is extruded by the extrusion nozzle. An automated extrusion construction system may include a slicing mechanism configured to controllably slice through the extruded layer.
|PORTABLE ROBOTIC CASTING OF VOLUMETRIC MODULAR BUILDING COMPONENTS - A robotic casting machine (RCM) provides for on-site, or near-site casting and automated production of cast components, such as concrete modular, volumetric building components. The RCM includes stationary and mobile support structures, which can be positioned in a loading configuration, a casting configuration and an ejection configuration in which the cast volumetric component may be ejected from the mold. Tipping machines located beneath the cast component facilitate ejection, rotation and loading of the ejected module onto a transport surface for transport of the module. The support structures are constructed of prefabricated frames that may include at least one standardized section, which may be utilized on every project, and may also include a customized section, which may be provided to achieve desired dimensions of the cast module on a particular project. A casting process is provided in which a volumetric module is cast in a rotated orientation, in which the floor is cast with an initial vertical orientation, the transverse walls extend in a horizontal orientation, which is cast in vertical wall forms, and a longitudinal wall extends horizontally along the top of the mold. Modular, volumetric components created using the RCM and casting process are also described.
|AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION OF TOWERS AND COLUMNS - A robot may extrude a tower or column. The robot may include an extrusion nozzle, a positioning system, a climbing apparatus, and a controller. The extrusion nozzle may controllably extrude uncured construction material. The positioning system may controllably cause the extrusion nozzle to traverse a perimeter layer of the tower or column. A climbing apparatus may controllably cause the robot to climb. A controller may autonomously: direct the positioning system to cause the nozzle to traverse the perimeter layer of the tower or column; direct the nozzle to extrude uncured construction material during the traverse; direct the climbing apparatus to cause the robot to climb an incremental amount; and repeat each of the foregoing positioning, extrusion, and climbing steps until the extruded tower or column attains a desired height.
|TRACK-GUIDED SELF-CLIMBING SHUTTERING SYSTEM WITH CLIMBING RAIL EXTENSION PIECES - In a rail-guided self-climbing formwork system
|Self-Raising Form Control System and Method - A self-raising form control system and method is provided that that may be used to form elevator shafts and other vertical building structures. The apparatus includes one or more form elements for defining an area to receive a formable material, such as concrete. Each element is attached to the form structure. A lift apparatus is provided for lifting the form elements. The lift apparatus comprises a measurement device for measuring the position of said lift apparatus relative to a fixed point. The lift apparatus is connected to the form structure. A control unit is provided for controlling the lift apparatus. The control unit is signal connected to the measurement device and is signal connected to the lift apparatus.
|Including mold charging means
|AUGER FEEDER FOR CONCRETE MIX, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE AUGER FEEDER, AND SLIPFORM-CASTING APPARATUS - An auger feeder for concrete mix, comprising a helical segment (
|APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VERTICAL SLIP FORMING OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES - Apparatus (
|Portable Concrete Moulding Machine - A portable concrete molding machine can extrude concrete moldings of a range of widths by the provision of one or more tunnel plates within the mold, the machine being provided with respective pusher plates that have pusher faces of widths complementary to the effective widths of the mold. A pair of links connect a gearbox to the pendulum arms of the pusher means to ensure even driving force applied to the pusher plates as they undergo reciprocating movement to allow concrete to flow from a hopper through a mouth of the mold and to extrude the concrete from the mold, the machine being advanced in an extrusion direction by the extrusion of the concrete from the mold.
|Concrete slip forming device - The present invention is an improved slip forming device for forming a concrete curb having a desired profile. The device consists of a hopper portion and a removeable extruder portion, the extruder portion being adapted and configured to extrude the concrete curb having the desired profile. The hopper portion of the invention has a top, an open bottom, side walls and a back wall having an opening. The extruder portion of the invention has a front wall, a back wall, a closed top, and open bottom and side walls. The front wall of the extruder has a front opening and the back wall of the extruder has a rear opening, the top and side walls of the extruder forming a channel between the front and rear openings of the extruder. The rear opening of the extruder is substantially in the form of the desired profile. The front wall of the extruder is releasably mounted to the back wall of the hopper such that the front opening of the extruder is in communication with the opening of the hopper. The device includes a pair of mounting arms mounted to the hopper and extending away from the hopper, the extruder being mounted to the support arms. The extruder is releasably mounted to the hopper by means of a plurality of mounting flanges positioned on the back wall of the hopper and the front wall of the extruder, the mounting flanges being held together by mounting bolts.
Patent applications in all subclasses BUILDING FORMS OR CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING TYPE MOLD WITH REPOSITIONING MEANS FOR PROGRESSIVE MOLDING


text:
From breaking news to debate and conversation, we bring you the news as it happens
Latest NZH Video
Saturday Night Fever theatre-goers have labelled the much anticipated show a "Friday night flop" after forking out hundreds for "screeching" music before the show was canned altogether. / Video supplied.
A huge blaze is ripping through an apartment building in Manhattan, New York City, sending large plumes of smoke into the sky. / Supplied by Kevin Clamato
Four people have been killed in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and light aircraft flying from an airfield where air traffic control had been shut due to "staff shortages". / AP


text:
Frazer disappointed at vaccine's PBS rejection
Professor Ian Frazer, the scientist who developed the cervical cancer vaccine, says he is disappointed that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has decided not to recommend the vaccine for Federal Government subsidy.
The PBAC rejected Federal Government funding under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme due to a lack of information about how long the vaccine remains effective, and about its long-term effects.
The committee also found the vaccine was not cost effective at the price proposed by the pharmaceutical company CSL.
Professor Frazer, who was awarded the 2006 Australian of the Year for his work, says he is taken aback.
"I was surprised to hear that they'd knocked it back on all counts," he said.
"Obviously the company asked for a number of different potential different indications but I would have thought it would have at least been acceptable as a vaccine as part of a routine vaccine program for young children."
The Federal Opposition has criticised PBAC for refusing to recommend subsidy for the vaccine.
Opposition health spokeswoman Julia Gillard says cervical cancer kills 270 women every year.
Ms Gillard says protecting women's lives and reducing the need for treatment is more important than cutting costs.
"This is an Australian medical miracle, and I am worried that now Australian women and girls aren't going to get access to this medical miracle because they can't afford it. Labor is calling on the PBAC to reconsider this decision."
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Abbott says the vaccine is potentially very significant and the Government would look sympathetically at the issue if a fresh application succeeded.
Topics: cervical-and-vulval-cancers, pharmaceuticals, australia
First posted


text: Quero-quero (Vanellus chilensis), also known as Tetéu, Téu-téu, Terém-terém or Espanta-boiada, is a bird of the order Ciconiiformes (formerly Charadriiformes) belonging to the family Charadriidae. This is a bird the size of a partridge and is characterized by overall color light gray, with black ornaments on the head, chest and tail. It measures around 37 cm tall and weighs less than 300 g. The Quero-quero inhabits large wet meadows and sprawling rivers and ponds and feeds on aquatic invertebrates and fish lying in the mud.


text:
Visit our Field School
Visitors are welcome to visit the excavation sites during the summer season. We are open to visitors between 9:30 and 17:00 Mondays – Saturdays.
The working week for students runs:
9:30 – 17:00 from Monday to Saturday (closed Fridays)
10:00 – 16:30 on Sunday
Group visits are welcome. Please let us know in advance by emailing email@example.com.
There will be display panels and student tours to help visitors understand both the archaeology and the history it reveals. Admission and activities are free.
Field School Open Day
We hold an Open Day each season for visitors. Admission is free and there is no need to book.
Visit us for up-to-date tours, children's activities and a chance to look behind the scenes at a large excavation project. There is parking at the excavation site. Please use postcode SN10 3RQ for the Millstream Inn, Marden, and then continue through the village until you see us in a field on the right – parking is available here.
Admission and activities are free.
Please note that if an Open Day has to be cancelled due to bad weather this will be announced via Twitter and Facebook.
School visits
School visits can also be booked and activities can be offered at the site if you provide notice.
Please contact the Archaeology Field School Director, Amanda Clarke, in the Department of Archaeology on 0118 378 6255 or email email@example.com.
We are keen to encourage a wide range of visitors to the excavations and will do our best to cater for the individual needs of disabled visitors of all ages.
Year-round access
The Vale of Pewsey has many lovely villages and country pubs and there are small country lanes and footpaths in which to explore it. Marden henge is located immediately to the north of the village of Marden, which is just off the A342, 10 miles from Stonehenge and 5.5 miles south-east of Devizes. The nearest train station is in Pewsey, which is five miles away. See the English Heritage website for bus access. Use postcode SN10 3RQ for travelling via satnav.
The henge enclosure is mainly on private land, although two footpaths cross the northern section. The most northerly part of the enclosure is owned by English Heritage and access to this section is over a stile in a small gap in the hedgerow off the main Marden road. On a clear day, this part of the henge provides good views of the Alton Barnes White Horse.
Want to participate in our virtual field school?
Chart the progress of an archaeological excavation from dig to lab and beyond.


text:
Southwest Car Care Center
Review for Southwest Car Care Center
David R. on 09/20/2014
David said this business was very spectacular and they have always taken care of him. They were friendly and it gets done quickly. The prices are within budget and they are willing to work with his budget.
Vehicle: Pontiac G8
Category: Service
Service Date: 09/16/2014
Review Created: 09/20/2014
This review was collected via phone interview by Customer Research Inc.


text:
San Francisco jazz pianist Evan Horne takes a gig in Los Angeles, where he's offered his most unusual job yet. Movie megastar Ryan Stiles hires Evan to teach him to look like he's playing piano for an upcoming role. Evan stays at Stiles' lush Malibu home for the tutoring, but things suddenly go wrong for the arrogant, spoiled star.
Stiles' adversarial relationship with the paparazzi explodes when a photographer is killed. Was it an accident, or is Stiles himself a suspect? Evan wants out, but Stiles' manager entices him to stay by dangling the opportunity to score the film. Stiles is cleared, but when the film begins, another mysterious death occurs, and somebody is blackmailing the star.
With help from his FBI girlfriend, Andie Lawrence, and Lieutenant Danny Cooper, Evan launches his own investigation to help clear Stiles. But now, to further complicate things, a serial killer has escaped from prison - and it's Gillian Sims, Evan's old nemesis.
About the author: Bill Moody is a mystery author and professional jazz drummer who has toured and recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Junior Mance, Jon Hendricks, and Lou Rawls. He lives in northern California, where he hosts a weekly jazz show, and is the author of a dozen short stories in various collections and several Evan Horne mystery novels.
"The book is consistently enjoyable on many levels and is recommended." (Spinetingler Magazine)
"The fascinating process of teaching an actor to fake playing the piano gives Moody, a jazz musician himself, another avenue to doing what he does best, incorporating vividly rendered slices of a jazzman's life into a satisfying crime story. An agreeable adventure in a consistently entertaining series." (Booklist)
"Fade to Blue provides audiences with a fine Evan Horne mystery in which the jazz pianist takes a gig in Los Angeles where he's offered a job that's more than a teaching job. A spoiled star and a dead photographer involve Evan in a dangerous game, and when he wants out, compelling forces cause him to stay - and become even more involved in what evolves to be a mysterious death and blackmail. Mystery fans will find this an outstanding story packed with music and Hollywood references alike." (Midwest Book Review)
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text:
Wine Details
Wine Description
(2010 Vintage) The 2010 vintage has delivered a beautifully fragrant wine with layered aromas of blackberry, cassis, cinnamon cake, anise, cardamom, tobacco leaf and mocha. On the palate, the entry is soft and smooth with blueberry and bittersweet chocolate flavors, as well as notes of red currant, cedar and sweet spice. The tannins are firm and youthful on the long finish, adding structure and the promise of a long life in the cellar.
From Burt and Ellen, over for dinner on 1/25.
This is one of my favorite wines.
- over 1 year
- about 4 years
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine(2006 Vintage) "Rating: 90/100 - As reviewed by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine ( ) in the August 2010 issue. If arguably a slightly smaller scaled wine than its more opulent mates
Wine Spectator(2001 Vintage) "A bold, rich, massive expression of exuberant Cabernet, with layers of concentrated currant, blackberry, spice and wild berry flavors that offer a mix of power and finesse, easing up a bit on the finish, where the tannins are ripe and firm. Best from 2006 through 2012. 2,642 cases made."
Wine Spectator(1999 Vintage) Rating: 94/100 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator on 08/31/02
Wine Advocate(1999 Vintage) Rating: 86/100 - As reviewed in Wine Advocate # 141 on Jun-02
Robert Parker(1999 Vintage) Rating: 90/100 - As reviewed by The Wine Advocate in Issue 150


text:
Saxum - Texas
You don't mess with Texas. Show your Texan pride with one of our popular crew neck t-shirts. The Saxum is made with pima cotton and polyester for additional softness. It is then brushed and pre-washed in special softener for minimal shrinkage.
- State of Texas Graphic
- 50% Cotton/50% Polyester
Regular Fit: Our shirts run on the smaller side of average. Use the sizing chart as a guide, but please contact us with any questions.
Slim Fit - The slim fit is one inch narrower in the chest and two inches narrower in the waist. It's made for, well, slim people.
Tall Fit - The tall fit is two inches longer in sleeve and body length. Why? Because tall people matter too.
Care Instructions
No shrinkage
Machine wash (cold) / Machine dry (delicate) or Hang dry:
Negligible shrinkage
Machine wash (hot) / Machine dry (normal):
Minimal shrinkage (shirt will shrink about 1/4 inch around.)
- Barcode:
- Stock:


text:
Scolari: Brazil can send message with victory
Credit: The Associated Press
Credit: The Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — A victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup final will show the world that Brazil is back as a top contender in international football, according to Luiz Felipe Scolari.
"If we win tomorrow, we will be sending a message to all other teams," the Brazil coach said Saturday. "We will be showing that we are on the right track to do well in the 2014 World Cup."
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.


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Read the latest report - CAF World Giving Index 2017
The CAF World Giving Index, now in its sixth year, is a leading authority on global generosity. It provides a simple picture of charitable behaviour across the world.
The research looks at how many people in each country donate money, volunteer or help a stranger. In 2015, 145 countries were surveyed, representing around 96% of the world's population.
Which country do you think is the most giving in terms of
donating to charity, volunteering time and helping a stranger?
Find out who's number one in 2017
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My Nonprofit Reviews
261 profile views
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Review for Lifebridge Community Services Inc, Bridgeport, CT, USA
Donors should always do due diligence when investing in a nonprofit. Look for financial details, effectiveness of delivery of services, management, etc.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Has not been available
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Stronger board/management oversight
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
Good people
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Caring and concerned
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
Increase stability
Ways to make it better...
Leadership was sronger
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
Financial stability for long term
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
Role: Volunteer & Former.


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Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt 2017 German Bundesliga: Match Preview and Prediction
Fixture: Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt
Competition: German Bundesliga 2016-17
Date: Sunday, 9th April, 15:30 GMT
Stadium: Audi-Sportpark.
Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt: Preview
Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt match is going to be held on 9th April at Audi-Sportpark. At the moment, performance of Ingolstadt side is overall average and they have secured 7 wins, 4 draws and 16 defeats along with 17th position in German Bundesliga 2016-17. In other side Darmstadt is performing poor and they have secured 4 wins, 3 draws and 20 defeats along with 18th position in the German Bundesliga table.
Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt: Prediction
Predicted result will be a home win for Ingolstadt.
Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt: Betting Tips
Asian Handicap : Ingolstadt -1.0 at 1.96


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Eligibility for licensure through reciprocity is determined by meeting requirements under the rules of reciprocity per the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement. Vermont currently has educator reciprocity with all states except: New York, New Mexico, South Dakota & Wisconsin.
What does it mean to apply under the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement? The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement is a statement by Vermont outlining which other states' educator certificates will be accepted. Specifically the agreement outlines which particular types of educator certificates (teachers, administrators, service personnel, or career/technical), and which particular styles of certifications (titles, fields, etc.) will be accepted.


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Developing Practice
Attendance mode: Part-time
Award: Module
Start date: View attendance dates
Faculty of Health Studies
Course search
This module aims to:
- assist students to analyse their current professional role and enhance the students knowledge and understanding of their developing practice and professional role(s) within the context of advancing practice ideals
- assist the students in the development of their practice: prepare for advanced/ or consultant practice/ developing scope of practice, through evidencing developing practice in a portfolio
- assist students to evaluate their developing practice and its impact through critical reflection
This module will provide an overview of the components of advanced and consultant practice.
Current Government and professional body publications addressing skills mix, sustainability, ethics and advanced practice, as well as relevant published research and literary evidence will be critically appraised to determine the likely impact of developments on clinical practice and service delivery.
A personal tutor will support the student in the preparation of a portfolio of evidence to support their personal development towards developing / advanced / change in scope of practice including an analysis of skills and practice development needs.
Why Bradford?
Postgraduate provision in Medical Imaging at the University of Bradford has long been established and is known for its quality and success in supporting development of healthcare professionals in their diverse roles, with students coming from around the UK, and full time international students choosing to study here.
The modules are delivered by an experienced radiography team, and a research informed curriculum ensures it is relevant to current and innovative practice.
Entry requirements
To be eligible for admission to this module you must:
- Be in possession of a first degree or an appropriate professional qualification in radiography or related subject
- Possess a registered qualification with a UK professional regulatory organisation that enables the student to practice in the UK. E.g. registration with the HCPC, NMC or other health care regulator
- Have managerial support for your studies, including a commitment that appropriate facilities, relevant clinical experience and time will be made available to support your studies
- Have appropriate clinical experience in the area of development
The modules for this course can be found in the latest programme specification.
Find more information on our module descriptors page.
This module is provided as part of this interdisciplinary Framework within the Faculty of Health Studies. The Framework enables students to create an individualised programme of study that will meet either their needs and/or the employers' needs for a changing diverse workforce within a modern organisation.
The modules and academic awards are presented in areas representing employment practice or work based or clinical disciplines.
Whilst some students can build their own academic awards by choosing their own menu of module options, other students will opt for a named academic award. The Framework also provides the option for students to move from their chosen named award to another award if their job or personal circumstances change and they need to alter the focus of their studies. The majority of named awards also offer students, the option of choosing at least one module, sometimes more, from across the Faculty module catalogue enabling them to shape their award more specifically to their needs.
Reading lists
Learning activities and assessment
Assessment is through a small number of lectures a negotiated portfolio of evidence to show the practice development will be created. If the practice development is in the area of reporting, an audit will be included.
All assessments must achieve 40% to pass the module.
Career support and prospects
Career support
This module will enable the student to show their development in a specialist area of imaging or modality.
Fees, Finance and Scholarships
Tuition fees
- Home/EU: £1,500 (standard 30 credit module fee)
- Home/EU: £1,545 (standard 30 credit module fee)
Tuition fees are subject to review for students starting their course in subsequent years. See our Fees and Financial Support website for more details.
Financial support
Funding for eligible staff within the region will be reviewed by Health Education England (HEE) in the coming months for the 2017/18 academic year. We advise all applicants to apply as normal for 2017/18 courses and further information will be provided as soon as it is available.
Students applying to study a Specialist Skills and Post Registration Development (SSPRD) module or programme, and who work for an approved provider in the Yorkshire and Humber region, may be able to access funding through Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber Contract for the cost of their course fees. This funding is subject to availability.
For more information on eligibility criteria please visit the HEYH website, or download their funding guide (external links).
Students who wish to apply for the above funding will need to provide a funding letter from their employer (on a letterhead) confirming their employment in that organisation and that their employer supports their studies.
Alternatively, please complete one of the funding forms attaching a compliment slip or stamp to verify employer support as part of the application process:
Please be aware that employer support does not guarantee the availability of funding.
How do I find out more?
Steps to Postgraduate Study
Find out more about studying at a postgraduate level on the official, independent website Steps to Postgraduate Study (link opens in new window).
How to apply
The application deadline for the January 2018 intake is 30 November 2017.
If you wish to apply for a module at the Faculty of Health Studies please download our module application form below:
- SSPRD individual module application form (pdf, 227KB)
- SSPRD individual module application form (docx, 56KB)
Return completed forms to the FoHS recruitment team via email.
If you are being funded by HEYH, you will also need to complete a SSPRD funding form:
Please be aware that employer support does not guarantee the availability of funding.
This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.


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Grow the herd healthy, the racks impressive!
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Kristen White, BS, CVT
Kristen is a past President for the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians.
She has been working in the veterinary field for the past 23 years, the last 20 of which have been at the Animal and Bird Hospital of Clearwater in Florida.
Kristen completed her Bachelors degree in veterinary technology at St. Petersburg College in May of 2010 and teaches Small Breeds and Behavior at St. Petersburg College now. Kristen is also the practice manager at the Animal and Bird Hospital. Kristen's love of animal behavior is evident to her clients and their pets as she teaches puppy training classes, basic obedience classes and assists in the practice behavior cases.
Kristen is also a mentor trainer for students of the Animal Behavior College.
She has given several lectures about canine behavior and clicker training and has also had several articles about animal behavior published. She has also spoken to the Suncoast Avian Society about captive bird behavior and clicker training.
In 2004, Kristen attended the 3 day Small Animal Behavior course at University of Georgia. Then in 2005, she attended both the 5 day spring DOGS! Course and the 3 Day Fall Dogs and Cats course at Purdue University.
In 2006, she lectured and offered a wet-lab at the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians/Jefferson College continuing education meeting on puppy classes.
She continues to expand her behavior knowledge through CE courses and reading on her own.


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The excitement builds as I shop in my own studio for supplies.
Getting ready to start another collection of art pieces involves the gathering of stuff - you know...well, I might use this, so I'll put it somewhere close by so I won't forget it. One of the things that I get so charged up about is finding that stuff that you did forget about. So it's almost like shopping, right?
Here's a shot of the first one...I've surrounded "her" with some faux suede and am deciding on just the right embellishments.
Along with 23 felted flower brooches that I've finished, I'll be showing these and "setting up shop" at our local Coldwater Creek store on Sunday, November 27th in the afternoon. If you remember from a few weeks ago, I was invited to exhibit at the store for "Art at the Creek" - if you're an artist and might be interested in participating, give your local store a call - it is a great venue!


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RevoStock Flip Album 475924
After Effects Project \ Commercials \ Intros \ Grungy \ Comical \ Traditional \ Vintage
After Effects Project - Flip Album 475924 by anymotion @ RevoStock
After Effects Project \ Commercials \ Intros \ Grungy \ Comical \ Traditional \ Vintage
Music: Included; SoundFX: Included; Stock Video: Not Included; Replaceable Text Spots: 2; Replaceable Logo Spots: 1; Replaceable Video Spots: 1; Loopable: no; Downloads: 8; Model Release: no.
This template gives your video an old fashioned flip book look. Simply insert your video. Edit the album cover and text title. And watch the flip animation. Your purchase comes with 3 versions of AE files to choose from (pencil sketch, sepia color and original color), 2 text titles (beginning and ending), 1 long length video placeholder and 1 editable album cover that can be logo display. Duration: 1 minute. Sound included. This template uses CC plugins that come with the full version of AE. No need for other plugins!
This product is an Adobe After Effects project file. It REQUIRES Adobe After Effects version CS3. 3RD PARTY PLUGINS USED/REQUIRED: CC Plugins (CC Plugins are not included with the DEMO version of After Effects, but are included in the FULL version. )
Keywords: cartoon, sketch, comic, pencil, book, drawing, pen, flip, sepia, paper, album, old style, vintage, canvas, ink.


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January 26, 2009
We have promises we are not going to be able to keep, says John C. Goodman, president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). It starts with the baby boomers, but it doesn't end there. This year, the boomers are signing up for early retirement; in three years, they will begin enrolling in Medicare. By the time they are through, 78 million of them will quit working, quit paying payroll taxes, quit contributing to retirement programs -- and start drawing benefits instead.
Cleary this is unsustainable, says Goodman. But what can we do about it? There are certain economic issues that must be dealt with; however, they have little to do inequality, racism, lack of diversity or poverty. Rather, they arise from the need to protect the middle class from risks they have difficult insuring against on their own, including:
- The risk of growing too old and outliving their assets.
- The risk of dying young and leaving their dependants with inadequate resources.
- The risk of becoming disabled and unable to work and produce.
- The risk of becoming unemployed and finding there is no market for their skills.
President Bush tried to reform Social Security, but we don't have to solve the biggest problems first. According to Goodman, there are four relatively small policy initiatives that the NCPA was involved with that promise to become increasingly important:
- More than 12 million families are now managing some of their own health care dollars in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
- More than $225 billion of retirement savings in Roth IRAs will never be taxed again.
- Millions of baby boomers retirees will be able to reach retirement age, receive their Social Security benefits and keep supplying the economy with badly needed skills and services -- without being penalized.
- Future participation in 401(k)s will increase by one-third due to an NCPA/Brookings Institution proposal for automatic enrollment in diversified portfolios -- producing higher and safer returns.
Source: John C. Goodman, "Promises to Keep," National Review, January 26, 2009.
Browse more articles on Tax and Spending Issues


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Restaurant Info
Own a restaurant or manage the bar for one? This page is for you.
STEP 1 - View the Restaurant Guide To The Products
STEP 2 - If you haven't tasted our product yet, you need to. Our name is on the bottle, so we work very hard to create superior products. They are unique, flavorful, and local. In short, everything a craft-distillery should produce. Contact us for a private tour and tasting. Or set up a date for us to come to your restaurant for a tasting.
We're looking for restaurants to feature our new products. If you would like to hold a food pairing event or just show off your mixologist, we will be happy to support you. For example, we could be there for a "meet the distillers" event. And of course we'll add a link to your restaurant on our "Where To Find" page. Talk to us
Ordering Info
All 750mL products are in the Bottle Pick program so you can just try a bottle or two if you like. Here are the SKUs:
2162 - 750ml Vapor Infused Gin
8212 - 375ml Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur
8976 - 750ml Krupnik (at Bow warehouse only)
2194 - 375ml Single Malt Whiskey
2150 - 750ml Single Malt Whiskey (at Bow warehouse only)
8918 - 750ml Beat 3 Reserve
8976 - 750ml Beat 3 White Whiskey


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I have in many hotels and never felt the need to express myself. This experience has been odd. I booked far in advance and booked 2 rooms so as to get at least one with 2 double beds of which I was assured of. When we get to our rooms my they we not doubles but king beds and they would not work for one room. Of course they were fully booked and could not be moved to another room. We also asked for mom smoking and one room is horrid.i have gagged the entire 3 days. Lastly we ate in the Lobby restaurant and the food was adequate, but we had a rude waiter(older inexperienced man) he messes up the entire drink order,they didnt have calamari which was one the menu yet still charged us for them...and then charged us $8.00 for a Shirley temple which is sprite with cherry juice. We ate in a Cheese Cake Factory the night before for $40 less and had 4 slices of cheesecake. So this whole adventure has been horrible..and I have never felt like I wanted to complain before. I don't care to stay in a Sheraton ever again,
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The Sheraton Rockville Hotel is part of the beautiful planned development of King Farm, surrounded by lovely bike and walking paths and minutes from the area's restaurants, boutiques & coffee shops. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Starwood, Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire, getaroom.com, Cancelon, TripOnline SA and Cheap Tickets so you can book your Sheraton Rockville Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Sheraton Rockville
- Rockville Sheraton


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Will Michigan get recreational pot on the next ballot?
Will Marijuana advocates get pot on the next big ballot -- or will their efforts go up in smoke?
There is a nationwide movement to legalize recreational cannabis, leaving many to question if it could come to Michigan.
Medical Marijuana is legal in Michigan, but some say the state is falling behind the curve in America's chronic campaign as more states make casual use legit.
"This is a multi-billion dollar market worldwide that is on the cusp right now," said Thomas Lavigne, Cannabis Counsel.
Meet Thomas Lavigne, a weed warrior hoping to make recreational Marijuana use legal in Michigan. He fought in court to get the issue on Tuesday's ballot and says the battle is far from over - and a victory could payoff.
FOX 2: "How much money do you anticipate this could bring to the state?"
"This could be hundreds of millions of dollars when you add up all the employment as well as the tax revenue as well as the business revenues," he said.
Several states legalized Marijuana Tuesday with California, Massachusetts and Nevada green-lighting recreational use. Lavigne says Michigan voters should get on board and put a dent in a modern civil rights issue white doing it.
"The mass incarceration of our youth and saddling them with felonies, it doesn't help for getting jobs and getting student loans," he said.
At Area 51, a medical marijuana dispensary in Detroit, owner Neal Anton is leary of voters rubber stamping recreational reefers, saying it could kill small time "potrepreneurs."
"My personal preference is no," said Anton, Area 51. "But if it goes that route it's still better then having people going to houses, they don't even know where to go they don't know who they are talking to. It's safer tocome into a facility and come get your meds than go to a random guy off the street."
Some law enforcement fear legalizing casual use of marijuana could make things more dangerous on the road with drivers under the influence. This issue could end up on the 2018 ballot.


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FREE SHIPPING on orders of $85 or more
An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2017
Scotland in the Medieval era. The Patel surname comes from someone having lived any of several place names in England, such as Battle in Sussex. Contrary to what one would expect, the name is not a nickname or occupational name derived from the word battle.
Patel Early Origins
Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, Scotland.
Patel Spelling Variations
Patel Spelling Variations
Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Patel has been spelled Battle, Battell, Battel, Battaile, Battail and others.
Patel Early History
Patel Early History
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Patel research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1400, 1649 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Patel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Patel Early Notables (pre 1700)
Patel Early Notables (pre 1700)
Another 22 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Patel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Patel In Ireland
Patel In Ireland
Some of the Patel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration
Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Patel: Elizabeth Battle who settled in Virginia in 1654; Matthew Battle settled in Virginia in 1647; John settled there in 1654; Thomas in 1652; another Thomas settled in Massachusetts in 1635.
Contemporary Notables of the name Patel (post 1700)
Contemporary Notables of the name Patel (post 1700)
Patel Family Crest Products
Patel Family Crest Products
See Also
See Also
Other References
The Patel Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Patel Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
This page was last modified on 30 May 2017 at 09:15.
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text: I've been bugging the Pulver team for a couple of years now to run a track at VON that's oriented around the latest technologies — what's new, the up and coming technologies, the early stage companies… all the cool stuff that turns my crank. Well, my wishes have been answered. Check out the new innovators track at Fall VON. With sessions like VoIP on 3G, Rapid Apps on Rails, and Social Networking this promises to be something new and exciting for VON.


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"It's August 2009 and since ..."
About: Manchester Royal Eye Hospital Manchester Royal Eye Hospital Manchester M13 9WL
Posted via NHS Choices (as ),
What could be improved
It's August 2009 and since February '09 I'm trying to get an appointment at the Retinal Unit. The only method of contact given is phone number, which is never answered. I tried multiple times main number 0161 276 1234 and retinal unit's 0161 276 5547, no luck. No option to leave voice mail, no option to send e-mail to this hospital. After 6 months of this joke I need to go back to my GP and hope he can schedule a visit to specialist somewhere else.