PET PRODUCTS: RANGE AND CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA

Background. The market of goods for pets in Ukraine is promising and is characterized by rapid growth.The pet goods assortment is very wide and includes different subgroups. However, there is no works on the classification of the assortment of pet goods, except for food for them. The aim of the article is developing a classification of pet goods on base of the analysis of assortment. Materials and methods. General scientific methods of cognition: analysis, comparison and generalization were used during the research. Information base of the research: the range of products for animals presented in online stores. Results. According to the results of the analysis of the range of goods for animals in specialized and universal online stores, 9 types of goods for the transportation of pets have been identified.Goods for the transportation of pets can be classified according to the method of transportation and type of transport, type of goods, material from which it is made, size of the product, design features and other characteristics. The main classification features of goods for the arrangement of places of pet residence were determined: the type of goods, the type of animals for which it is intended, the material from which the product is made, the size. Additional classification features include design, equipment, the possibility of transformation, the presence of additional functions. The main classification features of goods for pet food were defined: purpose, type of animals, the material from which the product is made, type of product, size. Toilets fillers for pets can be classified by type of animals, type (material) of filler, functions (principle of action) of filler, size of fractions, the presence of flavor. The assortment of tools for dog and cat grooming includes different devices and acessories, which can be classified according to different characteristics depending on the type of product. The goods related to ammunition for dogs and cats can be classified by type of product, breed and/or size of the animal, the material from which the products are made, size, and other characteristics depending on the features of the type of product. Conclusion. The classification of goods for transportation, arrangement of accommodation and food, ammunition and toys for pets, which were developed in the work, indicates that their assortment is complex and can be classified on at least 5 signs.

Effects of Particle Size on the Dielectric, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Recycled Borosilicate Glass-Filled PTFE Microwave Substrates

Low dielectric loss and low-cost recycled borosilicate (BRS) glass-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites were fabricated for microwave substrate applications. The composites were prepared through a dry powder processing technique by dispersing different micron sizes (25 µm, 45 µm, 63 µm, 90 µm, and 106 µm) of the recycled BRS filler in the PTFE matrix. The effect of the filler sizes on the composites’ thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties was studied. The dielectric properties of the composites were characterised in the frequency range of 1–12 GHz using an open-ended coaxial probe (OCP) connected to a vector network analyser (VNA). XRD patterns confirmed the phase formation of PTFE and recycled BRS glass. The scanning electron microscope also showed good filler dispersion at larger filler particle sizes. In addition, the composites’ coefficient of thermal expansion and tensile strength decreased from 12.93 MPa and 64.86 ppm/°C to 7.12 MPa and 55.77 ppm/°C when the filler size is reduced from 106 μm to 25 μm. However, moisture absorption and density of the composites increased from 0.01% and 2.17 g/cm3 to 0.04% and 2.21 g/cm3. The decrement in filler size from 106 μm to 25 μm also increased the mean dielectric constant and loss tangent of the composites from 2.07 and 0.0010 to 2.18 and 0.0011, respectively, while it reduced the mean signal transmission speed from 2.088 × 108 m/s to 2.031 × 108 m/s. The presented results showed that PTFE/recycled BRS composite exhibited comparable characteristics with commercial high-frequency laminates.