Abstract: This invention relates to an animal feed composition which comprises an effective amount of an acidogenic compound selected from the group consisting of lysine, benzoic acid or a salt thereof, an alkaline earth metal salt of a mineral acid and an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid which is capable of maintaining the pH value of the excrement of the animal so fed at or below 7 for at least 24 hours. The compound is suitably a calcium salt of sulphuric, hydrochloric or phosphoric acid or ammonium benzoate. The compound suppresses or inhibits ammonia emission in animal excreta.

Abstract: This invention relates to a composition for and method of storing and using acetic acid or propionic acid, the composition comprising an alkali(ne earth) metal salt of acetic acid or propionic acid and an aliphatic carboxylic acid which has a pKa value lower than that of acetic acid or propionic acid respectively. When this composition is brought into contact with a solvent system capable of allowing ionisation of the salt and the aliphatic carboxylic acid, free acetic acid or propionic acid is released in situ. This method enables the free acids to be stored and released at the point of use thereby substantially reducing the risks of corrosion and unpleasant odors.

Abstract: This invention relates to a composition which has an alkali(ne earth) metal hydroxycarboxylate and an aliphatic carboxylic acid which has a lower pKa than that of the hydroxycarboxylic acid. The hydroxycarboxylate salt, when used e.g. in an aqueous medium which allows dissociation of the salt and the aliphatic carboxylic acid into anions and cations, dissociates into the metal ions and hydroxycarboxylate ions, and the acid into the corresponding carboxylate ions and hydrogen ions. The relative pKa values of the two acids ensure that the aliphatic acid forms the alkali(ne earth metal salt thereby liberating the free hydroxycarboxylic acid in situ. This method masks the unpleasant odors of acids for ensiling etc without causing distress to operatives during storage and use.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor for sensing magnetic fields including two flat layers of electrically conductive ferromagnetic material (11, 16) each having an in-plane easy axis of magnetization (EA.sub.1, EA.sub.2) and each producing a resistance variation under the influence of a magnetic field Ha which originates from a source at an edge of the layer, which layers are situated a small distance apart parallel with respect to each other. In order to increase the sensor's sensitivity to small magnetic fields, in operation the layers (11, 16) convey currents flowing in the same direction and are connected in parallel to the input terminals of a detection circuit (2, 9).

Abstract: A magnetic sensor (1) includes a magneto-resistive element (3) which magnetically bridges a gap (15) between two magnetic flux conductors (6,7). In order to reduce the noise level and higher harmonic distortion of the sensor, each of the flux conductors (6,7) includes at least two layers (16,18) of magnetically permeable materials having substantially the same composition between which a layer (17) is present which has a different composition.