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Search results for: EMISSION SOURCES
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Pre-Treatment of Furniture Waste for Smokeless Charcoal Production
PublicationThe aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using furniture waste for smokeless fuel production using the pyrolysis process. Four types of wood-based wastes were used in the pyrolysis process: pine sawdust (PS), chipboard (CB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented strand board (OSB). Additionally, the slow and fast types of pyrolysis were compared, where the heating rates were 15 C/min and 100 C/min, respectively....
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The Quantum Efficiency Roll-Off Effect in Near-Infrared Organic Electroluminescent Devices with Iridium Complexes Emitters
PublicationThe electroluminescence quantum efficiency roll-off in iridium(III)-based complexes, namely Ir(iqbt)2(dpm) and Ir(iqbt)3(iqbt=1 (benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)-isoquinolinate, dpm=2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) utilized as near-infrared emitters in organic light emitting diodes with remarkable external quantum efficiencies, up to circa 3%, 1.5% and 1%, are measured and analyzed. With a 5–6 weight % of emitters embedded...
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Thermo-oxidative exfoliation of carbon black from ground tire rubber as potential reinforcement in green tires
PublicationConsidering the balance between rapidly growing global tire demand and scarcity of natural resources, recycling and reclaiming techniques of tire rubber have become the state of the art. Herein, we set out to implement a self-designed thermo-oxidative reactor for the exfoliation of carbon black (CB) from ground tire rubber, which is efficiently functioned under a thermo-oxidative reclaiming condition without any additive. The exfoliation...
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Catalytic Activity of Nickel and Ruthenium–Nickel Catalysts Supported on SiO2, ZrO2, Al2O3, and MgAl2O4 in a Dry Reforming Process
PublicationDry reforming of methane (DRM) is an eco-friendly method of syngas production due to the utilization of two main greenhouse gases—methane and carbon dioxide. An industrial application of methane dry reforming requires the use of a catalyst with high activity, stability over a long time, and the ability to catalyze a reaction, leading to the needed a hydrogen/carbon monoxide ratio. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the...
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Structure, luminescent properties and FDTD simulation of TeO2-BaO-Bi2O3-Ag:Ln3+ glass-ceramics system
PublicationTeO2-BaO-Bi2O3-Ag glass systems (TBB) co-doped with terbium and europium ions have been successfully synthesized through conventional melt-quenching technique. Heat treatment procedure at 350 °C has been conducted in order to synthesize silver nanoparticles embedded in TBB glass matrix. Structural measurements involved XRD studies that revealed no crystallization of glass structure after heat treatment at elevated temperatures....
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Thermodynamic and economic analysis of nuclear power unit operating in partial cogeneration mode to produce electricity and district heat
PublicationThis paper presents the methodology of techno-economic analysis for a nuclear unit operating in partial cogeneration mode and its application for the case study: a nuclear power plant planned in Poland. The research objectives were: to propose EPR, AP1000 and ESBWR nuclear condensing-extraction turbine systems modifications required for operation in cogeneration, to determine optimal heat production and heat transport line (HTL)...
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ENERGY EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HYBRID CONVERSION OF INLAND PASSENGER VESSEL
PublicationThe development and growing availability of modern technologies, along with more and more severe environment protection standards which frequently take a form of legal regulations, are the reason why attempts are made to find a quiet and economical propulsion system not only for newly built watercraft units, but also for modernised ones. Correct selection of the propulsion and supply system for a given vessel affects significantly...
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Pilot scale degradation study of 16 selected volatile organic compounds by hydroxyl and sulfate radical based advanced oxidation processes
PublicationThe studies of effective technologies for complete degradation of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are very important due to the high biotoxicity of the VOCs which makes the biological technologies ineffective. It also increases the risk of VOCs emission instead of their treatment when using open air biological technologies. In the present study, different types of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) were investigated for...
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Co-gasification of waste biomass-low grade coal mix using downdraft gasifier coupled with dual-fuel engine system: Multi-objective optimization with hybrid approach using RSM and Grey Wolf Optimizer
PublicationThe looming global crisis over increasing greenhouse gases and rapid depletion of fossil fuels are the motivation factors for researchers to search for alternative fuels. There is a need for more sustainable and less polluting fuels for internal combustion engines. Biomass offers significant potential as a feed material for gasification to produce gaseous fuel. It is carbon neutral, versatile, and abundant on earth. The present...
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Enhancing colloidal stability of nanodiamond via surface modification with dendritic molecules for optical sensing in physiological environments
PublicationPre-treatment of diamond surface in low-temperature plasma for oxygenation and in acids for carboxylation was hypothesized to promote the branching density of the hyperbranched glycidol polymer. This was expected to increase the homogeneity of the branching level and suppress interactions with proteins. As a result, composite nanodiamonds with reduced hydrodynamic diameters that are maintained in physiological environments were...
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Chemical Origins of Optically Addressable Spin States in Eu2(P2S6) and Eu2(P2Se6)
PublicationLanthanide materials with a 4f7 electron configuration (8S7/2) offer an exciting system for realizing multiple addressable spin states for qubit design. While the 8S7/2 ground state of 4f7 free ions displays an isotropic character, breaking degeneracy of this ground state and excited states can be achieved through local symmetry of the lanthanide and the choice of ligands. This makes Eu2+ attractive as it mirrors Gd3+ in exhibiting...
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The role of additives in improving the flammability and calorific value of leather shavings and the binding of chromium compounds in ash
PublicationLeather processing companies are struggling with the problem of increasing costs of post-production waste disposal. Therefore, the issue of thermal waste disposal at the plant and the use of generated heat in the production process is becoming more and more popular. Leather waste on its own does not allow for autothermal combustion despite the sufficient higher heating value (HHV). Therefore the Authors proposed to improve the...
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Investigation of the Efficiency of a Dual-Fuel Gas Turbine Combustion Chamber with a Plasma‒Chemical Element
PublicationThe study is devoted to the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the working process in dual-fuel combustion chambers of gas turbine engines for FPSO vessels. For the first time, it is proposed to use the advantages of plasma‒chemical intensification of the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in the dual-fuel combustion chambers, which can simultaneously operate on gaseous and liquid fuels. A design scheme of a combustion chamber...
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Design and Synthesis of NTU-9/C3N4 Photocatalysts: Effects of NTU-9 Content and Composite Preparation Method
PublicationHybrid materials based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and NTU-9 metal–organic frameworks (MOF) were designed and prepared via solvothermal synthesis and calcination in air. The as-prepared photocatalysts were subsequently characterized using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy...
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Exposure to cooking emitted volatile organic compounds with recirculating and extracting ventilation solutions
PublicationEnergy-efficient urban development leads to the compact design of apartments. Recirculating ventilation solutions are an attempt to minimize the space required for ventilation ducting, but more data on their performance are needed. Cooking is a major source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. It is necessary to assess how well recirculating kitchen hoods perform in reducing the residents' exposure to cooking fumes compared...
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N-doped carbon nanospheres as selective fluorescent probes for mercury detection in contaminated aqueous media: chemistry, fluorescence probing, cell line patterning, and liver tissue interaction
PublicationA precise nano-scale biosensor was developed here to detect Hg2+ in aqueous media. Nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres (NCS) created from the pyrolysis of melamine–formaldehyde resin were characterized by FESEM, XRD, Raman spectra, EDS, PL, UV–vis spectra, and N2 adsorption–desorption, and were used as a highly selective and sensitive probe for detecting Hg2+ in aqueous media. The sensitivity of NCS to Hg2+ was evaluated by photoluminescence...
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Non-ergodic fragmentation upon collision-induced activation of cysteine–water cluster cations
PublicationCysteine–water cluster cations Cys(H2O)3,6 + and Cys(H2O)3,6H+ are assembled in He droplets and probed by tandem mass spectrometry with collision-induced activation. Benchmark experimental data for this biologically important system are complemented with theory to elucidate the details of the collisioninduced activation process. Experimental energy thresholds for successive release of water are compared to water dissociation energies...
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Effect of carbazole and pyrrolidine functionalization of phenanthroline ligand on ground- and excited-state properties of rhenium(I) complexes. Interplay between 3MLCT and 3IL/3ILCT
PublicationNew rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes based on the phenanthroline ligand were designed and synthesized to investigate the role of carbazole (cbz) and pyrrolidine (pyrr) substituents in determining thermal, electrochemical and optoelectronic properties. Both pyrr and cbz are electron-releasing substituents, but they differ in the steric hindrance and electron delocalization ability. The impact of pyrr and cbz on ground- and excited-state...
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Technical and economic conditions of supplying residential consumers with heat from nuclear power plant
PublicationThe reduction of CO2 emission requires technological shift towards carbon-free options. Cogeneration of electricity and heat based on coal and natural gas will experience generation cost increase, if the costs of emissions are imposed on the plant operators. Therefore, nuclear and renewable options should be considered. In this paper, we present the concept of electricity and heat supply system with nuclear condensing turbine adapted...
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Perovskite-type KTaO3–reduced graphene oxide hybrid with improved visible light photocatalytic activity
PublicationNovel rGO–KTaO3 composites with various graphene content were successfully synthesized using a facile solvothermal method which allowed both the reduction of graphene oxide and loading of KTaO3 nanocubes on the graphene sheets. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier...
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Structure-property relationships disclosed in the family of acridinium esters – chemiluminogenic molecules of great practical importance
PublicationAcridinium esters (AE), since their introduction to the analytics 30 years ago, make one of the most important groups of chemiluminogenic (CL) systems, that have been employed in medical diagnostics and environmental analysis today. So far, however, no systematic studies on the structureproperty relationships were carried out in this family of compounds. The latter features likely determine their practical utility and facilitate...
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Effect of ground tire rubber on structural, mechanical and thermal properties of flexible polyurethane foams
PublicationFlexible polyurethane foams were modified with two kinds of ground tire rubber, untreated and thermo-mechanically reclaimed. A reclamation process was performed in auto-thermal conditions, which reduced the cost of the process and decreased the environmental impact of devulcanization (e.g., emission of gases). The reclamation process was carried out in a continuous manner using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. The foams were...
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Integrated dewatering and stabilization system as an environmentally friendly technology in sewage sludge management in Poland
PublicationSludge treatment reed beds (STRBs) are an environmentally friendly technology which provides integrated dewatering and stabilization of sewage sludge. STRBs do not require the use of chemicals to improve the dewatering process. STRB is both, a low-emission and a low-energy-consuming method. After the stabilization process, sludge is characterized by the chemical composition similar to that of humus. The aim of the paper is to present...
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Mineral Composition of Dietary Supplements-Analytical and Chemometric Approach
PublicationThere is a lack of data on the actual composition and effectiveness of beetroot-based dietary supplements. The research aimed to determine the profile of 22 elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, As, Se, Zn, Cu, Ag, Co, Ni, Mo, Al, Mn, Sr, Cr, Ba, Li, Pb, Cd) in beetroot and its supplements by the microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES) method. The analytical procedure was optimised and validated. The composition of both...
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ENERGY ANALYSIS OF THE PROPULSION SHAFT FATIGUE PROCESS IN A ROTATING MECHANICAL SYSTEM PART II IDENTIFICATION STUDIES – DEVELOPING THE FATIGUE DURABILITY MODEL OF A DRIVE SHAFT
PublicationThe article presents a continuation of research carried out concerning identification of energy consequences of mechanical fatigue within a propeller shaft in a rotating mechanical system, while working under conditions of the loss of the required alignment of shaft lines. Experimental research was carried out on a physical model reflecting a full-sized real object: i.e., the propulsion system of the ship. It is proven, by means...
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Suppression of Supply Current Harmonics of 18-Pulse Diode Rectifier by Series Active Power Filter with LC Coupling
PublicationThe reported research aims at improving the quality of three-phase rectifier supply currents. An effective method consists of adding properly formed booster voltages to the fundamental supply voltages using a series active filter. In the proposed solution, the booster voltages are generated by three single-phase systems consisting of inverters, LC filters, and single-phase transformers. The application of LC couplings ensures low...
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Optimization of the Aeration Strategies in a Deammonification Sequencing Batch Reactor for Efficient Nitrogen Removal and Mitigation of N2O Production
PublicationIn deammonification systems, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) suppression and nitrous oxide (N2O) mitigation are two important operational objectives. To carry out this multivariable analysis of response, a comprehensive model for the N cycle was developed and evaluated against experimental data from a laboratory-scale deammonification granular sludge sequencing batch reactor. Different aeration strategies were tested, and the manipulated...
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Nanobiocatalysis for biofuel production
PublicationThe human race is relied on the use of conventional and non-renewable energy resources like fossil fuels for centuries. With the rising environmental issues linked with the use of these conventional energy resources, the trend soon shifted towards more robust and sustainable energy resources. In this regard, the different generations of biofuels have revolutionized the industrial sector by ensuring an eco-friendly and more economical...
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The influence of crude glycerol and castor oil-based polyol on the structure and performance of rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams
PublicationIn this work, biopolyol obtained from two types of industrial crops’ processing products: crude glycerol and castor oil was used for preparation or rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams. Bio-based polyol was obtained via crude glycerol polymerization and further condensation of resulting polyglycerol with castor oil. Rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams were prepared at partial substitution (0–70 wt.%) of petrochemical...
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Application of foam made of post-consumer pet materials for the construction of footbridges
PublicationThe article presents the possibility of application in civil engineering of highly ecological PET foam, manufactured from 100% recycled plastic packaging. It may find uses in construction of numerous engineering structures, such as pedestrian and cycle footbridges. Properly processed waste from post-consumer PET packaging may constitute a quality structural core for use in multilayered composite materials, commonly referred to...
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Complementary use of GCxGC–TOF–MS and statistics for differentiation of variety in biosolid samples
PublicationFormation of biosolid cakes, which are one of the main wastes generated in wastewater treatment plants, is connected with emission of many hazardous chemical compounds, including odoriferous ones. To optimize particular processes of biosolid cake processing, it is necessary to assess chemical composition of the gas mixtures containing the compounds released from the cakes. The paper proposes application of two-dimensional gas chromatography...
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Methods for Elucidation of DNA-Anticancer Drug Interactions and Their Applications in the Development of New Drugs
PublicationDNA damaging agents including anthracyclines, camptothecins and platinum drugs are among most frequently used drugs in the chemotherapeutic routine. Due to their relatively low selectivity for cancer cells, administration is associated with adverse side effects, whereas the inherent genotoxicity of these drugs is associated with risk of developing secondary cancers. Development of new drugs, which could be spared of these drawbacks...
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New approach for e-cigarette aerosol collection by an original automatic aerosol generator utilizing melt-blown non-woven fabric
PublicationCurrently, there is lack of standardized conditions for the collection and analysis of e-cigarette (EC) aerosol. Considering the urgent need for the development of these guidelines, a procedure for EC aerosol analysis was developed. A novel automatic e-cigarette aerosol generator was designed. For the first time, melt-blown non-woven fabric was applied for the effective uptake of compounds released from vaporized e-liquid. The...
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Machine-learning methods for estimating compressive strength of high-performance alkali-activated concrete
PublicationHigh-performance alkali-activated concrete (HP-AAC) is acknowledged as a cementless and environmentally friendly material. It has recently received a substantial amount of interest not only due to the potential it has for being used instead of ordinary concrete but also owing to the concerns associated with climate change, sustainability, reduction of CO2 emissions, and energy consumption. The characteristics and amounts of the...
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Exergy analysis and thermodynamic optimization of a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage gas power plant using Monte Carlo simulation of sewage sludge composition
PublicationAn exergy analysis is performed on the negative CO2 emission gas power plant (nCO2PP), which integrates the fuel preparation, power generation and carbon capture process sections. The cycle is modeled in Aspen Plus coupled with REFPROP, combining deterministic and Monte Carlo stochastic approaches, the latter being a novelty in this work. In all cases studied, the simulations maintain the complex thermodynamic relationships. Exergy...
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Uncertainty of Postmortem Time Estimation Based on Potassium Ion Determination in Vitreous Humor Using Potentiometric Ion-Selective Electrode and Microwave-Induced Plasma with Optical Emission Spectrometry Methods
PublicationThere is a need for a reliable and independent evaluation and confirmation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) based on objective factors other than only postmortem changes or temperature measurements. Estimating the PMI by examining the concentration of potassium ions in the vitreous humor (VH) has a tradition in forensic toxicology dating back to the mid-20th century. So far, the methods for determining the presence of potassium...
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Sustainable polymers targeted at the surgical and otolaryngological applications: Circularity and future
PublicationThe ongoing climate changes, high air and noise pollution have significant impact on humans’ health. This influence is especially visible in otolaryngology, which focuses on respiratory and hearing systems disfunctions. However, even though surgeries are done in response to diseases related to climate changes, they also have a negative impact on the environment, mostly connected with the inherence of single-use fossil fuel derived...
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Microcrack monitoring and fracture evolution of polyolefin and steel fibre concrete beams using integrated acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques
PublicationThe use of polymer and steel fibres in plain concrete appears to be an excellent solution for limiting crack propagation and improving the post-ductility performance of concrete structures. Based on this premise, this study investigated the fracture evolution of polyolefin fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC) and steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) specimens through the integrated application of two diagnostic techniques, acoustic...
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A Series of Novel 3D Coordination Polymers Based on the Quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylate Building Block and Lanthanide(III) Ions—Temperature Dependence Investigations
PublicationA series of novel 3D coordination polymers [Ln2(Qdca)3(H2O)x]yH2O (x = 3 or 4, y = 0–4) assembled from selected lanthanide ions (Ln(III) = Nd, Eu, Tb, and Er) and a non-explored quinoline- 2,4-dicarboxylate building block (Qdca2 = C11H5NO4 2) were prepared under hydrothermal conditions at temperatures of 100, 120, and 150 C. Generally, an increase in synthesis temperature resulted in structural transformations and the formation...
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Effective Air Quality Prediction Using Reinforced Swarm Optimization and Bi-Directional Gated Recurrent Unit
PublicationIn the present scenario, air quality prediction (AQP) is a complex task due to high variability, volatility, and dynamic nature in space and time of particulates and pollutants. Recently, several nations have had poor air quality due to the high emission of particulate matter (PM2.5) that affects human health conditions, especially in urban areas. In this research, a new optimization-based regression model was implemented for effective...
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Chemical, Aroma and Pro-Health Characteristics of Kaffir Lime Juice—The Approach Using Optimized HS-SPME-GC-TOFMS, MP-OES, 3D-FL and Physiochemical Analysis
PublicationThe study aimed to provide the chemical, aroma and prohealth characteristics of the kaffir lime juice. A procedure using solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography (SPME-GC-TOFMS) was optimized and validated for the determination of terpenes of kaffir lime. Main physicochemical parameters: pH, vitamin C, citric acid and °Brix were evaluated. Micro- and macro elements were determined using microwave plasma optic emission...
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Assessment of Surface Water Resources Based on Different Growth Scenarios, for Borkena River Sub-basin, Awash River Basin, Ethiopia
PublicationThe total annual river flow at the Awash Kombolcha sub-basin of the Borkena river station was estimated to be 4.6 billion cubic meters by 2019-2030. The current average annual flow at the exit measurement station is 544.5Mm3 of the water resources available in the study area. The monthly peak flow of the Borkena River occurs from July to September. In addition, the highest monthly average flow is in August and the lowest is...
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Determining the noise impact on hearing using psychoacoustical noise dosimeter
PublicationThis research study presents the designed noise dosimeter based on psychoacoustical properties of the human hearing system and, at the same time. evaluation of time and frequency characteristics of noise. The designed noise dosimeter enables assessing temporary threshold shift (TTS) in critical hands in real time. In this way it is possible monitoring the hearing threshold shift continuously for people who stay in the harmful noise...
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Tree rings as an indicator of atmospheric pollutant deposition to subalpine spruce forests in the Sudetes (Southern Poland)
PublicationIn spite of their moderate altitude (1000–1600m a.s.l.), the Western SudetyMountains belong to areas with the most efficient fog precipitation in Europe. Intense industrial activity in the area of windward western foothills caused an exceptional intensification of atmospheric pollutant deposition via precipitation and fog to take place since the 1950s. In the second half of the 1970s a massive spruce forest dieback began affecting...
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Synthesis of bimetallic Co–Pt/cellulose nanocomposites for catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol
PublicationIn this study, bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) of Co–Pt anchored on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) for catalytic applications were synthesized via a sonochemical approach. The electro-spinning technique was employed for the synthesis of CNFs from cellulose acetate. The thorough characterization of synthesised Co–Pt/CNF nanocomposites was performed with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR)...
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A comparison of structural and luminescence properties of lead(II) coordination polymers with isomeric thiophenecarboxylate ligands
PublicationTwo new lead(II) coordination polymers with isomeric thiophenecarboxylates, namely [Pb(2tpCOO)2]n (1) and [Pb(3tpCOO)2(H2O)]n (2) (2tpCOO− = thiophene-2-carboxylate, 3tpCOO− = thiophene-3-carboxylate), were synthesized and characterized. Single crystal X-ray crystallography revealed a distorted pentagonal pyramidal geometry {PbO6} around Pb in 1 and a distorted dodecahedral geometry {PbO8} in 2. The distortion derived from the...
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Bulk-Surface Modification of Nanoparticles for Developing Highly-Crosslinked Polymer Nanocomposites
PublicationSurface modification of nanoparticles with functional molecules has become a routine method to compensate for diffusion-controlled crosslinking of thermoset polymer composites at late stages of crosslinking, while bulk modification has not carefully been discussed. In this work, a highly-crosslinked model polymer nanocomposite based on epoxy and surface-bulk functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was developed. MNPs were...
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The Effect of AgInS2, SnS, CuS2, Bi2S3 Quantum Dots on the Surface Properties and Photocatalytic Activity of QDs-Sensitized TiO2 Composite
PublicationThe eect of type (AgInS2, SnS, CuS2, Bi2S3) and amount (5, 10, 15 wt%) of quantum dots (QDs) on the surface properties and photocatalytic activity of QDs-sensitized TiO2 composite, was investigated. AgInS2, SnS, CuS2, Bi2S3 QDs were obtained by hot-injection, sonochemical, microwave, and hot-injection method, respectively. To characterize of as-prepared samples high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning...
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Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublicationA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
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Removal of lead ions from wastewater using lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle decorated over magnetic graphene oxide
PublicationIn this study, the new lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle (La2S3) was synthesized and incorporated onto magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) sheets surface to produce potential adsorbent (MGO@LaS) for efficient removal of lead ions (Pb2+) from wastewater. The synthesized MGO@LaS adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The...