Investigation of the hydrochlorination of SiCl4

A basic, experimental study on the hydrochlorination of silicon tetrachloride and metallurgical grade silicon with hydrogen gas to form trichlorosilane was carried out to greatly expand the range of reaction conditions. The equilibrium constant, K sub p, for the hydrochlorination reaction was measured as a function of temperature, pressure and concentration. The variation of the equilibrium constant as a function of temperature provided the measurement on the heat of reaction, delta H, by the Second Law Method. The value of delta H was measured to give 10.6 Kcal/mole. The equilibrium constant was also studied as a function of concentration. In agreement with the theory, the equilibrium constant remained constant with respect to the varying H2/SiCl4 feed ratios. On the other hand, the effect of pressure on the equilibrium constant was found to be more complex

Portfolio risk diversification, coherent risk measures and risk mapping, risk contribution analysis and the setting of risk limits : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Finance at Massey University

This study aims to investigate the nature and sources of portfolio risks during normal as well as abnormal market conditions. The benefits of portfolio diversification will be studied first. Portfolio risk as measured by the volatility and beta will be calculated as the number of the positions is increased until the marginal diversification benefits obtained are at its optimal. Other measures based on statistical measures such as quantiles, quantile differences and quantile ratios for central tendency and asymmetry presence and significance of extreme events of skewness and kurtosis will also be used. This study is conducted on the daily data for the period August 9, 1998 to June 30, 2003, for 25 stock markets worldwide: Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. Based on the theory of central limit theorem (CLT) and hence jointly normal distributions, the relationship between portfolio diversification and value at risk (VaR) as a coherent risk measure is examined. Diversification benefits based on two simulation models namely: the geometric Brownian motion (GBM) and Fréchet random walk (FRW) which serve as the ideal models are also investigated. The second part of the study focuses on the main sources of risk or risk hot spots in a portfolio using component VaR (VaR c ), incremental VaR (IVaR), and delta or marginal (DVaR). Finally, the portfolio risk will be monitored using a risk mapping or risk decomposition method. The risk of a given position is mapped onto a much smaller number of primary risk factors. In this study, individual country's stock index will be used as proxy for equities, government bond index and risk free rate for fixed interest, spot foreign exchange rate and forward one month, three month and one year exchange rale and gold and crude oil for commodities. In general, the results for the tail-risk measures are similar to what has been found for the center of the portfolio risk measures and covariance plays a significant role in the assessment of the risk inherent to real portfolios based on the greater diversification benefits gained from the two simulated models, whose log-returns were generated independently. Diversification "works" well under normal market conditions

Investigation of the hydrochlorination of SiCL4

Reaction kinetic measurements on the hydrochlorination of SiCl4 and metallurgical grade (m.g.) silicon metal were made at a wide range of experimental variables. The effect of pressure on the reaction rate was studied at 25 psig, 100 psig, 150 psig and 200 psig, respectively. Results of these experiments show a large pressure effect on the hydrochlorination reaction. As expected, higher pressures produce a higher equilibrium SiHC13 conversion, since the hydrochlorination reaction results in a net volume contraction as product SiHC1 is formed. However, the reaction rate, namely, the rate at which the hydrochlorination reaction reaches its equilibrium SiHC13 conversion, was found to be much faster at low pressures

COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION IN THE LABORATORY COLLECTIVE RESISTANCE GAME

This paper presents a laboratory collective resistance (CR) game to study how different forms of non-binding communication among responders can help coordinate their collective resistance against a leader who transgresses against them. Contrary to the predictions of analysis based on purely self-regarding preferences, we find that non-binding communication about intended resistance increases the incidence of no transgression even in the one-shot laboratory CR game. In particular, we find that the incidence of no transgression increases from 7 percent with no communication up to 25-37 percent depending on whether communication occurs before or after the leader’s transgression decision. Responders’ messages are different when the leaders can observe them, and the leaders use the observed messages to target specific responders for transgression.Communication, Cheap Talk, Collective Resistance, Laboratory Experiment, Social Preferences

Investigation of the hydrogenation of SiCl4

A laboratory scale pressure reactor was constructed to study the 3 SiCl + 2H2 + Si yields 4 SiHCl3 reaction at pressures up to 500 psig. Reaction kinetic measurements were carried out as a function of reactor pressure, reaction temperature and H2/SiCl4 feed ratio. Based on the reaction kinetic data, the hydroclorination of SiCl4 and m.g. silicon metal is found to be an efficient process to produce SiHCl3 in good conversions and in high yields. Copper is an effective catalyst. Results of the corrosion study show that conventional nickel chromium alloys are suitable material of construction for the hydrochlorination reactor. The hydrochlorination reaction is relatively insensitive to external process parameters such as silicon particle size distribution and the impurities in the m.g. silicon metal

Communication and Coordination in the Laboratory Collective Resistance Game

This paper presents a laboratory collective resistance (CR) game to study how different forms of non-binding communication among responders can help coordinate their collective resistance against a leader who transgresses against them. Contrary to the predictions of analysis based on purely self-regarding preferences, we find that non-binding communication about intended resistance increases the incidence of no transgression even in the one-shot laboratory CR game. In particular, we find that the incidence of no transgression increases from 7 percent with no communication up to 25-37 percent depending on whether communication occurs before or after the leader’s transgression decision. Responders’ messages are different when the leaders can observe them, and the leaders use the observed messages to target specific responders for transgression.Communication ; Cheap Talk ; Collective Resistance ; Laboratory Experiment ; Social Preferences

Twisted Dickson-Mui invariants and the Steinberg module multiplicity

We determine the invariants, with arbitrary determinant twists, of the parabolic subgroups of the finite general linear group GL_n(q) acting on the tensor product of the symmetric algebra and the exterior algebra of the natural GL_n(q)-module V. In addition, we obtain the graded multiplicity of the Steinberg module of GL_n(q) in the tensor product of the symmetric algebra and the exterior algebra of V, twisted by an arbitrary determinant power.Comment: v2, 15 pages, minor changes, some typos fixed and references added, to appear in Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. So

Investigation of the hydrochlorination of SiCl4

The hyrochlorination of SiC14 and m.g. silicon metal to produce SiHC13, was investigated. Reaction kinetic measurements were carried out to collect additional rate data at 525 C and 550 C. A theoretical study was carried out to provide a kinetic model and a rate equation for the hydrochlorination reaction. Results of this preliminary study show that the rate of formation of SiHC13 follows a pseudo first order kinetics. The rate constants were measured at three temperatures, 550 C, 500 C and 450 C, respectively. The activation energy was determined from the Arrhenius plot to give a value of 13.2 Kcal/mole. The design of a quartz reactor to measure reaction rates and equilibrium conversion of SiHC13 at reaction temperature up to 650 C was completed