Factors affecting the durability of 5.25 inch floppy diskette media and its mechanisms of wear

This project is targeted towards establishing the durability and mechanisms of wear involved in the use of 5.25 inch magnetic floppy diskettes with particular reference to the media manufactured by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, 3M Center, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. In the present work most stress has been laid on the presentation of the conclusions drawn from the results obtained using samples produced specifically for this project. These samples were produced on the pilot plant at 3MTM, St. Paul, USA and are identified by the code 58759-4 with sample numbers SR1 to SR4 each with different lubrication conditions. All of the categories have been produced with four different surface roughnesses by varying the degree of burnishing. It has been found that the mechanisms of wear are related to a fatigue process. Some surprises have been noted in respect of the value of burnishing compared to the observations made elsewhere. Good reasons for these observed differences have been noted, however, and it will be shown that these are merely superficial and not concerned with wear of any real type. The present work reports the effects of the changes in the media's lubrication status and its surface topography as well as presenting evidence for the suggested wear mechanisms.

Professional football in apartheid South Africa:leisure, consumption and identity in the national football league, 1959-1977

A growing body of academic and popular literature considers the history of South African football. These and existing publications pay little or no attention to the emergence of white professional football in apartheid South Africa. The National Football League (NFL) challenged the amateur game and introduced professional football to the country. During its 17-year existence, the NFL grew each season with large attendances until its demise in 1977. In addition, the NFL imported a range of international players, invited foreign teams and actively engaged in the political debates in South African sport at the time. The NFL was instrumental in popularising the game across the country for all South Africans. The NFL became the most popular sports entertainment of choice for South Africans during this period. Finally, the NFL actively engaged in a campaign of destroying rival non-racial anti-apartheid leagues while simultaneously co-opting less progressive organisations. © 2013 Taylor and Francis.