Determination of Uranium Concentration in Uranium Ore

Determination of Uranium Concentration in Uranium Ore Investigation of effective Parameters on determination of uranium concentration in uranium ore by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy A. AliValiOllahi*, Gh. Alahyarizadeh, S. A. Ahmadi, A. Minuchehr, A. Zolfaghari Abstract Uranium concentration in four different sample solutions (A, B, C and D) of uranium ore was determined by X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The effect of several different parameters on the XRF results including types of acid digestion, sample amount and calibration methods were also investigated. Regarding to absent of uranium ore standard, the samples were prepared as solutions. Three different microwave acid digestions, (HNO3: HCl: HF-6:2:2), (H3PO4: H2SO4: HF-3:3:3), (HNO3: H2O2: HF-4:2:2), were used. The highest uranium concentrations for three samples (A, C and D) were obtained by third acid digestion method and another sample (B), was obtained by second acid digestion, which were 10.8, 4.8, 9.8 and 12.5 ppm, respectively. To study the matrix effect, different standard calibrations such as external calibration, internal addition were applied. The results were also confirmed by the measurements which wer e performed by ICP-OES. Keywords: Uranium ore, X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy, ICP-OES, Microwave acid digestion, internal addition Introduction Uranium is the famous element from the actinide series in the periodic table which has an atomic number of 92. it is silver color, ductile, flexible and slightly paramagnetic metal which has high density. Uranium is the material of vast technological importance because of its use as the main fuel in nuclear reactors. The usual source for uranium production is uranium ores which are too limited. Therefore, determination of uranium concentration in the uranium ores has very high importance [1, 2]. Several techniques have been developed for determination of uranium. Including inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) [3, 4], inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) [5], inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) [6, 7], flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) [8], graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) [9], X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) [10, 11]. Geological samples which contain uranium are most commonly analyzed by XRF method. Many studies have been carried out on the use of XRF for determination of uranium concentration in ore samples. P. Arikan et al studied quantitative analysis of uranium in ore deposit by XRF; their experiments clearly show the capability of XRF method for analysis of uranium in uranium bearing ores [12]. M. A. Al-Eshaikh determined uranium content in phosphate ores using different measurement techniques; they concluded that XRF provides the accurate results for heavy elements such as uranium [15]. Furthermore, many researches have been issued on the use of ICP-OES for the determination of uranium in uranium matrices. P. Murugesan et al studied determination of total concentration of uranium in borehole core samples by ICP-OES; they concluded that the ICP-OES results obtained compare favorably by using differential technique in laser-induced fluorimetry, which they used as a reference measurement procedure [13] and J. S. Santos et al studied operating condition for determination of uranium by ICP-OES; their results agreed with the results achieved using ICP-MS [14]. In the present study, XRF spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of uranium in four different uranium ore samples which was prepared by three various acid digestion strategies. The effect of different acid digestions and also different addition methods were studied on the results. ICP-OES method was also used for the results validation. Materials and methods Instrumentation The analytical determination of uranium was carried out with ICP-OES spectrometer: Spectra Genesis and XRF spectrometer: Spectra Xepos. A Spectra Xepos XRF spectrometer that uses a 50 watt end-window X-ray tube to excite samples was used for XRF measurements. The target changer, with up to 8 polarization and secondary targets, offers many different excitation conditions ensuring optimum determination of all elements from Na to U. The detector is a state-of-the-art silicon drift detector and measurements can be conducted in a He gas. And also a Spectro Genesis spectrometer that is equipped with powerful automation functions for the safe unattended analysis of a large number of samples with an optional autosampler, several hundred samples can be processed without operator intervention. An extensive package Such as a wide range of sample introduction systems, autosamplers, an autodilutor, an ultrasonic nebulizer and hydride generator accessories is available for the Spectro Genesis and it covers the entire relevant wavelength range from 175 to 777nm. A free-running generator with a frequency of 27.12 MHz and a power output of 0.7 to 1.7 kW is utilized. It includes automatic plasma ignition as well as an energy and argon-saving standby mode. The software uses for the Spectro Genesis is The Smart Analyzer Vision software. Table 1 shows some operating conditions and basic information about the devices used in this study. Table 1 Operating parameters of ICP-OES and XRF The sample digestions were arranged using the Multiwave 3000 Anton Paar Microwave Digestion System with eight digestion vessels was used for microwave assisted acid digestion procedures. Table 2 shows operating conditions used for the acid digestion procedures. Table 2 Operating programs of microwave acid digestions Fan Hold(min) Ramp(min) P-Rate( bar/sec) Power Watt Program 1 3 15 15 5 0 0.5 600 0 Cleaning 1 2 45 20 5 0 0.5 700 0 Main 1 2 20 20 0 0 0.5 600 0 Complexing Reagents and solutions The acids were used; hydrochloric acid (37% w/v), nitric acid (67% w/v), hydrofluoric acid (40% w/v), sulfuric acid (95% w/v), phosphoric acid (424% w/v) and hydrogen peroxide (521% w/v) were suprapure reagents (Suprapure, Merck). Boric acid (2% w/v) was analytical-reagent grade (AnalaR; BDH, Chemical Poole, England). High-purity water (electrical resistivity >18Mà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦cm) was produced with a Milli-Q system (Millipore, MA, USA). Calibration was obtained with external standards. Standard solutions were prepared by diluting a 1000ppm uranium standard solution (ICP Multielement Standard IV, Merck, Darmstadt, FRG). Sample preparation Four different uranium ore samples were collected from various regions of Iran that named A, B, C and D. To prepare the liquid sample for examination with XRF and ICP-OES spectrometers, the ore samples should be completely digested using acid combinations. Due to the silica in the samples, HF acid had to be used to achieve complete digestion. Three different acid combinations were used, first 6ml of hydrochloric acid, 2ml of nitric acid plus 2ml of hydrofluoric acid (HNO3:HCl:HF-6:2:2) [16], second 3ml of phosphoric acid, 3ml of sulfuric acid and 3ml of hydrofluoric acid (H3PO4: H2SO4: HF-3:3:3) [17] and third 4ml of nitric acid, 2ml of hydrogen peroxide and 2ml of hydrofluoric acid (HNO3: H2O2: HF-4:2:2) [18, 19]. 0.4g of each ore sample ( Results and discussions Calibration of XRF method Standard 1000ppm uranium solutions were available; five solutions (100ppm, 20ppm, 5ppm, 2ppm and blank) were prepared, 3.5ml of each solution was analyzed in the XRF and the uranium method was created. For determining different elements in XRF method usually KÃŽ ± or LÃŽ ± is used, since uranium is a heavy element, LÃŽ ± was measured [21, 22, 23]. Intensities of uranium peaks and calculated concentration of uranium in standard solutions is summarized in table 3 and the calibration curve is plotted in figure 1. Table 3 Normal impulses and calculated conc. of U in Standards Figure 1 Calibration plot of standards using X-Rays Influence of different acid digestions on uranium measurement The uranium ore samples (A, B, C and D) were digested using three different acid digestion strategies. Using the uranium method obtained from calibration 3.5ml samples were prepared and analyzed in the XRF and their uranium concentrations were measured, results are summarized in table 4. Table 4 Uranium concentration (ppm) of U-ore samples by XRF Influence of the volume of samples on uranium measurement To check the influence of the volume of samples on measurements, 2ml, 3ml, 3.5ml and 4ml samples were also prepared using sample B 3:3:3 and analyzed in the XRF and their uranium concentrations were measured using the uranium method previously obtained. Table 5 shows the results and it can be seen, the volume of samples has insignificant effect on the results. Table 5 Uranium concentration (ppm) for different amount of sample Influence of addition on sample matrices in XRF measurement Since the matrix structure of samples has a significant influence on XRF measurements, the influence was studied using the addition method. One of the uranium ore samples (sample B) was used; 2.5ml of this sample was added by 1ml of the addition solution. Addition solutions were 200ppm, 100ppm, 50ppm and blank. The final solutions were analyzed by XRF using uranium method. The results are summarized in table 6 and figure 2. Table 6 Uranium concentration (ppm) for various additions Figure 2 Uranium concentration for various additions Another addition method was also used, in this method 3ml, 2.5ml, 2ml, 1.5ml, 1ml and 0.5ml samples were added by respectively 0.5ml, 1ml, 1.5ml, 2ml, 2.5ml and 3ml of standard 100ppm solution, the results are summarized in table 7 and figure 3. Table 7 uranium concentration (ppm) of various additions Figure 3 Concentration of various additions ICP-OES method results compared to XRF Due to its high accuracy, rapid analysis and simplicity, ICP-OES method was used for result validation. Similar to the XRF method, calibration is achieved using standard solutions. Eight standard solutions were used, and the results are summarized in table 7 and the calibration curve is plotted in figure 3 Table 8 Insenties of U peaks and calculated conc. of U in standard solutions Figure 4 Calibration plot of standards using ICP-OES . The uranium ore samples (A, B, C and D) were digested using similar acid digestion strategies used in XRF method. Uranium concentrations were measured in the samples (table 9). Table 9 Uranium concentration (ppm) of U-ore samples by ICP-OES As it can be seen the results of uranium concentration from ICP-OES are conformity with the results of XRF. Conclusion Uranium is a material of vast technological importance because of its use as a main fuel in nuclear reactors. Determination of uranium concentration in uranium ores has very high importance. Uranium concentration in four different ore samples of Iran uranium ores was determined by XRF and ICP-OES spectrometry methods. Three different microwave acid digestions were used. After sample preparation, calibration was done using standard solutions. Five samples were used for the XRF method and eight were used for ICP-OES. The uranium concentration was measured in these samples. References [1] N. L. Misra, S. Dhara, A. Das, G. S. Lodha, S. K. Aggarwal And I. Varga, Trace determination of uranium in fertilizer samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence, Pramana – J. Phys., Vol. 76, No. 2, February 2011 [2] J. S. Santos, L. S. G. Teixeira, W. N. L. dos Santos, V. A. Lemos, J. M. Godoy and S. L.C. Ferreira, Uranium determination using atomic spectrometric techniques: An overview, Analytica Chimica Acta 674 (2010) 143–156 [3] A. Sasmaz M. Yaman, Determination of Uranium and Thorium in Soil and Plant Parts around Abandoned Lead–Zinc–Copper Mining Area, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, (2008), 39:17-18, 2568-2583 [4] C. Charalambous, M. Aletrari, P. Piera, P. Nicolaidou-Kanari, M. Efstathiou, I. Pashalidis, Uranium levels in Cypriot ground water samples determined by ICP- M S and alpha-spectroscopy, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 116 (2013) 187e192 [5] A. Premadas, P. K. Srivastava, Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric determination of lanthanides and Y in various uranium hydrometallurgical products, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 251, No. 2 (2002) 233–239 [6] K. Satyanarayana and S. Durani, Separation and inductively coupled plasma optical emission, spectrometric (ICP-OES) determination of trace impurities in nuclear grade uranium oxide, J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2010) 285:659–665 [7] M. Bettinelli, G.M. Beone, S. Spezia and C. Baffi, Determination of heavy metals in soils and sediments by microwave-assisted digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry analysis, Analytica Chimica Acta 424 (2000) 289–296 [8] B. P. Li, M. B. Luo, J. Q. Li, W. Liu, Y.Z. Sun and G.L. Guo, Determination of cadmium and lead in high purity uranium compounds by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with on-line micro-column preconcentration by CL-7301 resin, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 278, No.1 (2008) 3–8 [9] T. Inui, A. Kosuge, A. Ohbuchi, K. Fujita, Y. Koike, M. Kitano and T. Nakamura, Determination of heavy metals at sub-ppb levels in water by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using a direct introduction technique after preconcentration with an iminodiacetate extraction disk, American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, (2012) 3, 683-692 [10] Y. B. Rao, B. V. V. Ramana, P. G. Raghavan and R. B. Yadav, Determination of uranium in process stream solutions from uranium extraction plant employing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2012) 294:371–376 [11] S. Dhara, N. L. Misra, S. K. Aggarwal and V. Venugopal, Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence determination of cadmium in uranium matrix using Cd KÃŽ ± line excited by continuum, Spectrochimica Acta Part B 65 (2010) 461 –465 [12] P. Arikan and A. Ozmen, Quantitative analysis of uranium in ore deposit by calibration standardization of XRF, Commun. Fac. Sci. Univ. Ank. Series A2, A3, (1987) V. 36, pp 35-40 [13] P. Murugesan1, S. K. Jain1, M. Kumar, P. K. Tarafder and D. P. S. Rathore, Determination of total concentration of uranium in borehole core samples: comparative studies using differential technique in laser-induced fluorimetry and ICP-OES, Exploration and Research for Atomic Minerals, Vol. 23, 2013, pp. 137-144 [14] J. S. Santos, L. S. G. Texeira, R. G. O. Araujo, A. P. Fernandes, M. G. A. Korn and S. L. C. Ferreira, Optimization of the operating conditions using factorial designs for determination of uranium by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, Micro chemical Journal 97 (2011) 113-117 [15] M. A. Al-Eshaikh, A. N. Kadachi, M. M. Sarfraz, Determination of uranium content in phosphate ores using different measurement techniques, Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences (2013) [16] M. Chen and L. Q. Ma, Comparison of Three Aqua Regia Digestion Methods for Twenty Florida Soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. (2001) J. 65:491–499 [17] S. V. D. Sluis, Y. Meszaros, W. G. J. Marchee, H. A. Wesselingh and G. M. V. Rosmalen, The digestion of phosphate ore in phosphoric acid, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1987, 26, 2501-2505 [18] F. L. Pantuzzo, J. C. J. Silva, V. S.T. Ciminelli, A fast and accurate microwave-assisted digestion method for arsenic determination in complex mining residues by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, Journal of Hazardous Materials 168 (2009) 1636–1638 [19] J. Ivanova, R. Djingova, S. Korhammer and B. Markert , On the microwave digestion of soils and sediments for determination of lanthanides and some toxic and essential elements by inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometry, Talanta 54 (2001) 567–574 [20] Brian Lee Francom, X-ray fluorescence instrument calibration, Theory and Application, Department of Physics Brigham Young University-Idaho, December 2008 [21] R. M. Conrey, J. A. Wolff, A. Seyfarth, A. VanHoose, M. Goodman-Elgar, N. Bettencourt, D. Boschmann and K.Werling, Portable XRF Calibration Using Influence Coefficients [22] D. F. Siems, the Determination of 30 Elements in Geological Materials by Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, (2000) Open-File Report 00-475

Sonance at a Turning Point

CASE SONANCE AT A TURNING POINT I. Introduction: Problem / General Issue Sonance is a company at a crossroads, long established as the leader in high-end home theatre speakers, it is at an inflection point where it needs to decide whether it wants to be a high-end speaker producer served through customized dealer channels, or a mass market audio systems maker. The past decade has seen the rise of a new competitive threat, the demise of its dealer channel and the emergence of a highly informed and selective customer base which have all served to hurt the company’s prospects.In the early 2000s, when price competition prompted Sonance to increase customer variability through retail channels Sonance sacrificed its brand identity. Having no experience in selling its products directly to end customers, Sonance suffered from its own inexperience of appealing to the new market while at the same alienating its established market. While the company made significant investments in R&D, t hese efforts were never backed by a well-thought analysis of distribution strategy or an understanding of the value of each customer channel.What follows is an analysis of Sonance’s current situation and the articulation of a strategy, that if implemented, is designed to re-establish Sonance position as the leader in the in-wall, home theatre speaker market. II. Situation Analysis In trying to capture the opportunities of the growing consumer electronics market, Sonance’s attempt at expanding into retail ultimately backfired with a decline in revenue from $53mm in 2003 to $47mm in 2004 (almost back to the level of 1999).This situation has brought the company to the edge: with limited funds available, Sonance needs to clearly define its product development and distribution strategy. By entering the mass retail market channel in 2000, Sonance eviscerated its historical base of dealer customers, losing roughly 50% of its dealers in a 5 year period. While overall revenues declined by only 19% during this period, the composition of Sonance’s revenue stream has changed from a +90% concentration in Dealers to less than a 50% concentration in Dealers, with the balance spread between Retail and Production Housing.Due to this shift, Sonance is not only perilously exposed to the cyclical flows of retailing, but also is much more sensitive to the overall performance of each customer, as the loss of the Lowe’s account in 2004 resulted in a 37% decline in mass market revenue. Ultimately, the move to retail puts Sonance in a precarious long-term position as its customers have significant buying power as high volume purchasers.In the future it is likely that mass-market retailers will be able to use their purchasing power to drive down the margins Sonance is able to extract on its sales, and ultimately serve to diminish the dealer channel. The decline of the dealer channel increases Sonance’s long-term risk by locking it out of the market fo r luxury home theatre systems. While the move to retail offset $10 million of the $17 million of revenue lost through normal dealer installations between 1999 and 2004, it is unlikely that any of the $6 million of highend home theater system revenue could be recouped through mass market retail.As luxury customers are less price sensitive and look to dealers to customize their entire installation, Sonance’s move towards the retail model at the expense of the dealers will eventually find it locked out of the lucrative and sticky luxury market altogether. Furthermore, Sonance’s dealer base faces further erosion as its main competitor, SpeakerSoft, has taken advantage of Sonance’s wounded dealer channel by undercutting roughly 25% on price and further incenting custom dealers to choose SpeakerCraft speakers over Sonance Original Series speakers in customer projects.This, combined with the alienation from competing with Sonance’s retail offerings serves to fur ther erode Sonance’s dealer channel as dealers choose lower priced competitor offerings. Paradoxically, as Sonance has developed a mass retail channel at the expense of its dealer network, it is deciding whether to push forward with the development of the Architectural Series of speakers. It would be the first and only truly flush-mount trimless speaker, a true niche product appealing to the less cost sensitive high end, luxury market.This product line, with a manufacturing cost 400% higher than the original series and a complex installation process, requires a viable luxury dealer network in order to succeed in the market. Sonance is also exploring the potential of converting the current Sonance-only iPort device into a universal, detachable dock tailored for all home theatre systems. Moving forward on this plan would be a reaffirmation of the retail play the company began in the early 2000s.With an optimistic price tag of $335, Sonance’s strategy of introducing the p roduct via Target, a discount retailer, appears misguided as the device is more expensive than its competition and even an iPod itself. Furthermore, by entering the market of retail iPod accessories, Sonance is looking to go head to head with many other discount brands. The competition and dynamics of this market are unlike that of the custom home theatre market, and it is expected that Sonance will have challenges adapting and efficiently executing within it. III.Evaluate Available Options / Alternatives The primary choice that Sonance has to make is which product to launch at the coming CEDIA EXPO, either the Architectural Series or the detachable iPort, and as a result, which customer base should they focus their attention on. We evaluated the customer lifetime value (CLV) of Sonance’s different customers as of 2004 based on the information provided in the case and our own assumptions (see Exhibit 1 in the Appendix). Our primary assumptions for this analysis are below:  · Original Series Dealers Price per pair of $140 o Retention Rate of 75%, conservative estimate based on change in number of dealers from 2003 to 2004 (600 to 500) o Growth rate of 5%, below growth in consumer spending due to Dealers’ unhappiness with Sonance o Sales per Customer of 300, assuming 15 projects per dealer per year, with an average of 20 speaker pairs per project  · Original Series Production Builders o Price per pair of $90 o Retention Rate of 50%, below Dealers because of competitive bidding structure for larger scale projects vs. ndividual homes through Dealers o Growth rate of 10%, in-line with new home sales growth o Sales per Customer of 960, assuming 80 projects per Production Builder per year, with an average of 12 speaker pairs per project  · Original Series Mass Retail Market o Price per pair of $120 o Retention Rate of 20%, shares shelf space with all competitors’ products, smaller size projects o Growth rate of 10%, in-line with consumer sp ending o Sales per Customer of 83,333, divided BestBuy 2004 sales ($10 million) by average price per pair  · iPort Dealers Price per iPort of $300 o Retention Rate of 75%, equal to Dealers’ Retention Rate of Original Series speakers o Growth rate of 15%, below iPod growth due to high price, but higher growth than other Sonance products o Sales per Customer of 7, assumes 1 / 3 of Dealers’ annual projects will generate a sale Based on this analysis, we chose launching the Architectural Series and refocusing Sonance on the Dealer channel as our first alternative to evaluate. The CLV’s for this alternative are shown in Exhibit 2.We assume the Architectural Series will be a leading product in the market and will earn a high retention rate among ultra high-end dealers of 90%. Sonance would also be able to initially attract 50% of these niche dealers they had in 1999 (75 vs. 150 previously). Sonance would have the choice in this scenario to price the Architectural Se ries at either $875 per pair, based on the advice of their focus group, or $305, based on the internal marketing group’s recommendation.Our assumptions regarding customer mix for this scenario is that Sonance would drop the mass retail market customer to signal they are focused only on the custom and semi-custom installation markets. In addition, Sonance would consider reducing the price of their Original Series Speakers to the Dealers to $90 from $140. This would improve the Dealers’ gross margin to 75%, equal to SpeakerCraft’s, although the margin net of installation costs would still be lower (see Exhibit 2). These assumptions would lead to an increased Retention Rate through the Dealers sales of Original Series Speakers of 85% and a higher growth rate of 10% vs. %. Sonance would also increase their Retention Rate with Dealers for the existing iPort product to 85% in this scenario. The second alternative we evaluated was to launch the Detachable iPort instead of the Architectural Series and to continue to focus on the Mass Market Retail. The CLV’s for this alternative are shown in Exhibit 3. For the Detachable iPort, we assumed a very low Retention Rate of 5% since Sonance would be entering an already crowded market with a product that is priced at a premium to most of the competition.Sales of the iPort would grow at 40%, lower the growth rate of iPod sales since the Detachable iPort would be priced at the high-end of iPod accessories. We the assumed iPort would penetrate 0. 5% of the iPod sales in 2004 of 22. 5 million. The Dealers would likely be unhappy with Sonance in this scenario so we assumed the Retention Rate at the current price of $140 per pair would decline to 65%. If Sonance were to help mend the relationship by reducing the price to $90 per pair, we assumed a Retention Rate of 75%, with no additional growth.The Retention Rate for the existing iPort product sold through the Dealers would be reduced to 65% since the l aunch of the Detachable iPort would be viewed as undermining their efforts and a lack of commitment to custom installation products. In both scenarios, we assumed no change in our assumptions for Production Builders as this is a market based largely on price and the actions of Sonance in other markets will have little effect on their decisions. Recommendation and Implementation PlanBased on our calculations of customer lifetime value (see figure Exhibit 1), it is clear that dealers and production builders are crucial to our sales of the Original Series product and therefore we should continue to sell through these channels. However, the mass retail market is a less appealing channel through which to sell this product; firstly, the CLV of these customers is much lower than the other two, and more importantly, by selling to these customers we are losing the business of dealers, who are far more important clients.Our recommendation is to eliminate the mass retail channel, and to reduce the price of the Original Series speakers to $90 in order to rebuild the dealer channel. Lastly, we recommend launching the Architectural Series speakers at a price point of (or near) $875 to dealers, rather than focusing efforts on bringing the iPort to the mass market. The Architectural Series speakers are unique and innovative, thus we expect that both dealers and their customers will have a higher willingness to pay for this product as compared to competitor’s existing in-wall speakers.Using this price and estimated sales, we expect to break even in 1 year by selling only 23% of projected annual sales (as compared to 66% under marketing’s suggested price of $305 to dealers – see figure Exhibit 5). Although the 65% margin to dealers is smaller than they could make off competing offers, dealers would be earning far more in absolute terms ($1,425 as compared to $245 under the $305 price – see figure Exhibit 4).The choice to launch the Architectural Seri es is strategically wise from both a quantitative and a qualitative standpoint. First, adapting the iPort to the mass market requires more than double the R&D and Marketing expenses than launching the Architectural Series (see figure Exhibit 5). Although the new iPort model would have a lower cost, the sales required to break even in one year are only slightly higher for the Architectural Series (23% vs. 17%).In addition, the iPort model, even as a detached unit, is only comparable to our competitor’s existing products which are sold for less. The Architectural Series, on the other hand, is truly innovative, and can be successfully sold at a much higher price. It would also position the company as an innovator and boost brand perception. By shifting the focus back to dealers through the Architectural Series and away from the mass market, we can appease these important clients and increase sales of other products (for example, the Original Series speakers).

Belonging Strictly Ballroom

Understanding nourishes belonging†¦ a lack of understanding prevents it Understanding can nourish belonging and let it grow, however a lack of understanding can damage a person’s sense of belonging and prevent it. This concept is portrayed in Baz Luhrman’s film â€Å"strictly ballroom† and related text poem â€Å"Rhapsody on a windy night† by T S Elliot. These texts depict the way a lack of understanding may damage a person’s sense of belonging and the foundation of belonging is powerful to one’s self identity.Lack of a sense of belonging is portrayed in the ‘mockumentary’ film â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† through the character Scott Hastings as he is treated as an outcast because he refuse to conform to the mainstream way of ballroom dance. The opening scene portrays the false, fairytale feeling of the world of ballroom dance through the motif showing big red curtains opening with matching theatrical music. The over the top fakery is shown through the fluffy costumes and over the top hair of the dancers in the opening scene.They are shown hugging and exchanging high fives, portraying that they belong because they have conformed to the mainstream way of dance presented by Barry Fife. â€Å"You can dance any steps you like but it doesn’t mean you will win. † This quote spoken by Barry fife shows the power he holds because he controls who wins. Unless you perform his steps that are shown in the video ‘The right way to dance’ you are not going to win. In the extreme close up of his mouth, we see the crooked rotten teeth because symbolically he is a crooked rotten person.When Scott dances his own steps the scene is shown in slow motion with a freeze frame, beautiful music with a pleasing crowd reaction to match shows that everyone including Scott was enjoying the dance. The camera switches to the furious faces of Shirley and Barry fife showing that everyone loved the new steps except for everyone who had confirmed that sat on the federation leaders table. The Table is situated higher than the dancers and audience depicting how they are in charge. Liz’s lack of understanding for Scotts love for his own steps is shown when she threatens Scott to conform to the federation steps for Ballroom dancing. I'm not dancing with you until you are supposed to† Barry has programmed the dancers like robots to follow his ‘Right steps’ â€Å"what did you think of the steps? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"I don’t think! † Fran as a beginner dancer does not belong in the ballroom dancing world. Her frizzy hair, acne covered skin, thick unattractive glasses and covered figureless body makes her a target for nasty comments. The Slapstick humour when Liz and Scott knocking over Fran when she is trying to comfort them shows how she is not respected and over looked. Understanding however can give a person a sense of belonging in society or within themselves.Fran and Scott both feel like outcasts because they love to dance their own steps and not conform to the federation â€Å"I want to dance with you your way†. When the song â€Å"time after time† plays while Scott and Fran are dancing, Fran shows Scott what she is capable of proving that she is not a hopeless dancer like everyone stereotypes her to be. Scott tells her to dance without her glasses and we notice throughout the movie the tighter clothing she wears to reveal her toned elegant body structure, portraying as she feels a sense of comfort and understanding towards Scott, she starts to gain her own identity.

The Folly of René Descartes’ Discourse on Method and...

The Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy In order to embark on his quest for truth, Descartes first devises his four rules which should serve as a solid foundation for all else that he comes to understand. Those rules are here evaluated in terms of what they fail to take into consideration. The rules are examined individually and consecutively, and are therefore also reiterated in order to be clear about them. Furthermore, the approach of using these rules is also analyzed to some degree. Ultimately, however, it is my conjecture that Descartes’ four rules are not as solid a foundation as he claims, but fail to consider key issues which are noted herein. Descartes’ first rule deals†¦show more content†¦For him, â€Å"the method that teaches one to follow the true order and to enumerate exactly all the circumstances of what one is seeking contains everything that gives certainty to the rules of arithmetic (12).† Still, the notion of one’s existence as proven by thought is not something which can be measured and translated into a numerical quantity. In fact, most fundamental concepts and their corresponding emotions that make up human life, such as love, are neither indubitable nor quantifiable, though are still held as being true, sometimes more than anything else. This leads me to find that the very first of Descartes’ rules is a shaky foundation at best. It asks for an acceptance of indubitable truth, and only that truth. But if this is to be indeed held as a standard, then nothing could actually be accepted with certainty. The second [rule], to divide each of the difficulties I would examine into as many parts as possible and as was required in order better to resolve them. (11) The basis of this second rule appears to be an endeavor to take a claim and examine it from all possible perspectives, and to test it against all possible situations. Neither of which is, in effect, possible. One could spend an entire lifetime looking at all the possible situations in which a claim could be contested and would not even come close to revealingShow MoreRelated Happiness in the Fourth Epistle of Alexander Popes An Essay on Man5580 Words   |  23 Pages Popes concern with human teleology in An Essay on Man also distinguish it as a distinctive piece of world view literature. According to The Design of the poem, Pope asserted that in order to understand man or any creature, it was necessary first to know what condition and relation it is placed in, and what is the proper end and purpose of its being. For Pope, drawing on a venerable ideal from antiquity onwards, the end and purpose of humanity was happiness.1 As he exclaims at the very beginningRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSkills? 360 Questions for Review 360 Experiential Exercise An Absence of Nonverbal Communication 361 Ethical Dilemma Pitfalls of E-Mail 361 Case Incident 1 Using Social Media to Your Advantage 362 Case Incident 2 Should Companies That Fire Shoot First? 362 12 Leadership 367 What Is Leadership? 368 Trait Theories 369 Behavioral Theories 370 Summary of Trait Theories and Behavioral Theories 372 Contingency Theories 372 The Fiedler Model 373 †¢ Other Contingency Theories 375 Leader–Member Exchange