Mineral wool has a unique range of properties combining high thermal resistance with long-term stability. It is made from molten glass, stone or slag that is spun into a fibre-like structure which creates a combination of properties that no other insulation material can match. It has the ability to save energy, minimize pollution, combat noise, reduce the risk of fire and protect life and property in the event of fire.Mineral wool: Production and properties describes the technological process of mineral wool production and the physical characteristics of the melt and theoretical bases of multiregression and dimensionless theory. This is followed by the introduction of the fibre cooling model in the blow-away flow and the influence of temperature in the melt film (on the rotating centrifuge wheels) on the thickness of forming fibres.The second part predominantly focuses on the use of computer-aided visualisation: tools for the diagnostics of fibre and primary layer formation. Special attention is given to the study of aerodynamic characteristics of the airflow which significantly influences the quality of the final product.Mineral wool: Production and properties is suitable for engineers, researchers and for graduate and postgraduate students who want to broaden their knowledge of experimental methods in this field. - Describes the technological process of mineral wool production and the physical characteristics - Focuses on the use of computer-aided visualisation and discusses aerodynamic characteristics of the airflow - Essential for engineers, researchers and students to gain knowledge of experimental methods in this field

Mineral wool has a unique range of properties combining high thermal resistance with long-term stability. It is made from molten glass, stone or slag that is spun into a fibre-like structure which creates a combination of properties that no other insulation material can match. It has the ability to save energy, minimize pollution, combat noise, reduce the risk of fire and protect life and property in the event of fire. Mineral wool: Production and properties describes the technological process of mineral wool production and the physical characteristics of the melt and theoretical bases of multiregression and dimensionless theory. This is followed by the introduction of the fibre cooling model in the blow-away flow and the influence of temperature in the melt film (on the rotating centrifuge wheels) on the thickness of forming fibres. The second part predominantly focuses on the use of computer-aided visualisation: tools for the diagnostics of fibre and primary layer formation. Special attention is given to the study of aerodynamic characteristics of the airflow which significantly influences the quality of the final product. Mineral wool: Production and properties is suitable for engineers, researchers and for graduate and postgraduate students who want to broaden their knowledge of experimental methods in this field.

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Manufactured vitreous fibers (MVF), also known as synthetic vitreous fibers, are considered to be less hazardous than asbestos to human health. They are used in many thermal- and acoustical-insulation applications as an asbestos substitute or as a filtration medium. The Navy uses MVF in shipboard and onshore applications. To protect Navy personnel from harmful exposures to MVF, the U.S. Navy Environmental Health Center (NEHC) developed occupational exposure standards. The documentation assists industrial hygienists, occupational medicine physicians, and other Navy health professionals in assessing and controlling the health hazards linked with exposure to MVF. In 1997, the National Research Council (NRC) was asked to conduct an independent review of the Navy's toxicological assessment of MVF and to evaluate the scientific validity of its exposure standard of 2 fibers per cubic centimeter of air (f/cm3). The NRC assigned the task to the Committee on Toxicology, which established the Subcommittee on Manufactured Vitreous Fibers, a multidisciplinary group of experts, to determine whether all relevant toxicological and epidemiological data were correctly considered in developing the exposure standard; and to examine the uncertainty, variability, and quality of data and the appropriateness of assumptions used in the derivation of the exposure standard. The subcommittee was also asked to identify deficiencies in the MVF database and, where appropriate, to make recommendations for future research and data development. Review of the U.S. Navy's exposure Standard for Manufactured Vitreous Fibers represents the subcommittee's final report. The committee had expanded its review when in January 1999, the Navy revised its Occupational Safety and Health Program Manual (CNO 1999), changing the occupational exposure limit for MVF to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) of 1 f/cm3. The report features recommendations by the subcommittee as well as information gaps found throughout investigation. Overall, the subcommittee found that the Navy made a good start in assessing the health effects of MVF, but needed further research.

Abstract -- Introduction -- Acknowledgments -- Test material. Slag ; Refractories -- Cup tests. Description ; Discussion of results -- Rotary tests. Description ; Discussion of results -- Conclusion -- Recommendations.

Poland, like other post-communist countries, is undergoing a transformation into a capitalist system. This transformation affects the country in many ways: economic, social, psychological and also ecological. Ecological problems are strongly connected with the political, economic and psychological inheritance of the past, as well as with changes in the post-communist society. In order to understand these problems, it is necessary to consider the following issues: - the geographic situation of Poland - the political transformations that occurred after World War II – forced development of heavy industry combined with neglect of its effects on the environment, and - the economic problems The three main goals of Environmental Engineering V are (I) to assess the state of scientific research in various areas of environmental engineering. (II) to evaluate organizational, technical and technological progress in contributing to ecological security, and (III) to determine the place of environmental engineering in sustainable development, taking into account political and economic conditions. Environmental Engineering V is of interest for academics, engineers and professionals involved in environmental engineering, seeking solutions for environmental problems in emerging new democracies, especially those who plan to participate in numerous projects sponsored by the European Union.

Passive solar heating and passive cooling—approaches known as natural conditioning—provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book The Natural House, brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts. The techniques required to heat and cool a building passively have been used for thousands of years. Early societies such as the Native American Anasazis and the ancient Greeks perfected designs that effectively exploited these natural processes. The Greeks considered anyone who didn't use passive solar to heat a home to be a barbarian! In the United States, passive solar architecture experienced a major resurgence of interest in the 1970s in response to crippling oil embargoes. With grand enthusiasm but with scant knowledge (and sometimes little common sense), architects and builders created a wide variety of solar homes. Some worked pretty well, but looked more like laboratories than houses. Others performed poorly, overheating in the summer because of excessive or misplaced windows and skylights, and growing chilly in the colder months because of insufficient thermal mass and insulation and poor siting. In The Solar House, Dan Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious—and entirely avoidable—errors. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today's home builders can succeed with solar designs. Now that energy efficiency measures including higher levels of insulation and multi-layered glazing have become standard, it is easier than ever before to create a comfortable and affordable passive solar house that will provide year-round comfort in any climate. Moreover, since modern building materials and airtight construction methods sometimes result in air-quality and even toxicity problems, Chiras explains state-of-the-art ventilation and filtering techniques that complement the ancient solar strategies of thermal mass and daylighting. Chiras also explains the new diagnostic aids available in printed worksheet or software formats, allowing readers to generate their own design schemes.

"This publication represents the views and expert opinions of an IARC working group on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, which met in Lyon, 9-16 October 2001."