Longitudinal and shear ultrasonic wave velocities were measured versus temperature in the viscosity standards of Paragon S8000S, N30000S and Cannon N2700000. The measurements were performed by the through-transmission method at the frequency of 2 MHz. Ultrasonic pulses were sent via polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) waveguides between the tips of which a small amount of the particular standard liquid was placed. The velocities of longitudinal and shear waves were determined to depend on the viscosity of the liquid and increase with the viscosity.

The studies were carried out in Wielkopolska region (western Poland) in oat and winter rye cultures. Density and species structure of Thysanoptera were studied. Average density of adult Thysanoptera on oat reached 371.4 individuals/m², and was higher than on rye, where it reached 107.5 individuals/m². Limothrips cerealium Haliday was a dominant species on oat as well as on winter rye.

The constantly developing and the broadly understood automation of production processes in foundry industry, creates both new working conditions - better working standards, faster and more accurate production - and new demands for previously used materials as well as opportunities to generate new foundry defects. Those high requirements create the need to develop further the existing elements of the casting production process. This work focuses on mechanical and thermal deformation of moulding sands prepared in hot-box technology. Moulding sands hardened in different time periods were tested immediately after hardening and after cooling. The obtained results showed that hardening time period in the range 30-120 sec does not influence the mechanical deformation of tested moulding sands significantly. Hot distortion tests proved that moulding sands prepared in hot-box technology can be characterized with stable thermal deformation up to the temperature of circa 320oC.