Progressing Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise, the body being formed from the amalgamation of the Scottish Development Agency (SDA) and the Training Agency (TA), will become operational on 1st April 1991. Its likely impact has been considered elsewhere (for example Moore, 1989; Hayton, 1989; Danson et al, 1989). The purpose of this article is to look at progress in setting up the new organization and to consider the characteristics of those who will be directing the activities of the Scottish Enterprise “core” and of the 13 Local Enterprise Companies (LECs) that will be responsible for delivering a range of economic development and training services.
Regional problems and policies in Central and Eastern-Europe
During late 1989 and early 1990, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) began to initiate far-reaching processes of political liberalization and economic restructuring. In the early stages of the reform process, the attention of policymakers was concentrated primarily on the national implications of CEE countries moving from highly centralized, state-controlled economies to free-market systems. However, several important regional issues were also of concern, notably the degree to which the regions of CEE countries would participate in, and be affected by, the restructuring processes, as well as the effects on the neighbouring regions of the European Community. Policy debate also focused on the types of regional policies that might emerge in the CEE countries and the forms of regional development support that could be provided from Western sources
Changes in Quartz During Heating and the Possible Effects on Si Production
In Si and FeSi production, the main Si source is SiO2, in the form of quartz. Reactions with SiO2 generate SiO gas that further reacts with SiC to Si. During heating, quartz will transform to other SiO2 modifications with cristobalite as the stable high-temperature phase. Transformation to cristobalite is a slow process. Its rate has been investigated for several industrial quartz sources and has been shown to vary considerably among the different quartz types. Other differences in behavior during heating between these quartz sources, such as softening temperature and volume expansion, have also been studied. The quartz-cristobalite ratio will affect the rate of reactions involving SiO2. The industrial consequences and other implications of the observed difference between quartz types are discussed. Initial studies of industrial quartz were published by Ringdalen et al. In the current work, a new experimental method has been developed, and an investigation of several new quartz sources has confirmed the earlier observed large variation between different sources. The repeatability of the data has been studied and the effect of gas atmosphere investigated. The results from the earlier work are included as a basis for the discussion.