Search results for: WASTE TREATMENT
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Influence of Fragment Size on the Time and Temperature of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Lamination Decomposition in the Photovoltaic Module Recycling Process
PublicationPhotovoltaics is a commercially available and reliable technology with significant potential for long-term growth in nearly all global regions. Several research institutes and companies are working on recycling concepts for thin film modules and modules with crystalline cells. The establishment of recycling and reuse technologies appropriate and applicable to all photovoltaics (PV) modules is a key issue to be addressed as part...
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Thermal-Hydraulic Studies on the Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger with Minijets
PublicationIn this paper a patented design of a heat exchanger with minijets, with a cylindrical construction is presented. It is followed by the results of its systematic experimental investigations in the single-phase convection heat transfer mode. Based on these results, validation of selected correlations (coming from the literature) describing the Nusselt number was carried out. An assessment of the heat exchange intensification level...
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THE THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF THE SZEWALSKI HIERARCHIC VAPOUR CYCLE COOPERATED WITH THE SYSTEM OF HEAT RECOVERY
PublicationIn this paper, thermodynamic analysis of the Szewalski hierarchic vapour cycle cooperated with the system of heat recovery from exhaust gases are presented. According to that purpose, the CFM (Computation Flow Mechanics [1,3]) approach has correctly been used. The whole system consists of the first traditional steam cycle, the second organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and system of heat recovery with use of water with temperature 90...
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Hydrogen production from ethanol In nitrogen microwave plasma At atmospheric pressure
PublicationHydrogen seems to be one of the most promising alternative energy sources. It is a renewable fuel as it could be produced from e.g. waste or bio-ethanol. Furthermore hydrogen is compatible with fuel cells and is environmentally clean. In contrast to conventional methods of hydrogen production such as water electrolysis or coal gasification we propose a method based on atmospheric pressure microwave plasma. In this paper we present...
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Cast polyurethanes obtained from reactive recovered polyol intermediates via crude glycerine decomposition process
PublicationIn this work, the possibility of applying intermediates from polyurethane waste recycling in polyurethane synthesis was presented. Polyurethanes were synthesised in a two-step method using a mixture of petrochemical polyol and glycerolysate, used as a reactive component, 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-buthanediol (BD). Glycerolysates were produced during decomposition of polyurethane elastomer by crude glycerine...
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The Impact of Hybrid Flame Retardant Compositions on the Performance of Foamed Flexible Polyurethane/Ground Tire Rubber Composites
PublicationCurrent sustainability-oriented trends affect polyurethane (PU) materials and stimulate the incorporation of recycled or waste-based materials as fillers. Ground tire rubber (GTR) poses as an auspicious candidate due to the excellent performance of car tires. Despite the benefits related to the mechanical performance, it contributes to the increasing flammability of the resulting composites. Herein, presented work assessed the...
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Application of BDD thin film electrode for electrochemical decomposition of heterogeneous aromatic compounds
PublicationThe aim of the presented study is to investigate the applicability of electrochemical oxidation of aromatic compounds containing heteroatoms, e.g. waste from production of pesticides or pharmaceutics, at a borondoped diamond (BDD) electrode. The BDD electrodes were synthesized by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MW PE CVD). Investigation of the electrode surface by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy...
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Green Approaches in Rubber Recycling Technologies: Present Status and Future Perspective
PublicationAs a consequence of massive production and consumption of rubbers, rubber blends, and rubber composites for myriad applications, elastomeric products have enormously accumulated and become an environmental threat. The disposal and burning of rubber wastes have been banned because of environmental and economic reasons. By contrast, a great deal of attention has been directed toward strategies enabling recycling and reuse of rubbers....
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Energy Losses Due to Imperfect Payment Infrastructure and Payment Instruments
PublicationOne of the strategic objectives of the European Union is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and improvement of energy efficiency by at least 32.5% in different areas of the economy by 2030. However, little is known about the impact of payment in retail on energy consumption. The purpose of this paper is to assess the chain of losses of time and energy, and therefore financial losses, that occur due to the imperfection of payment...
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DIGITAL HYDRAULICS CIRCUIT BASED ON PWM FUNCTION FOR CONTROLLING HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR POSITION
PublicationHydraulic systems are used in many different industries, such as multi-source hydrostatic drive systems. In traditional hydraulic systems, a proportional servo valve is used to control the position of hydraulic actuators. The low energy efficiency and high cost of these control valves are two major problems with these systems. Digital hydraulics is one of the most unique ideas on how to solve these problems. Researchers like digital...
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Manufacturing and Recycling Impact on Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Innovative Wind Power Plant Part 2/2
PublicationThe process of conversion of wind kinetic energy into electricity in innovative wind power plant emits practically no harmful substances into the environment. However, the production stage of its components requires a lot of energy and materials. The biggest problem during production plan-ning process of an innovative wind power plant is selection of materials and technologies and, consequently, the waste generated at this stage....
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Design analysis of combined gas-vapour micro power plant with 30 kW air turbine
PublicationThe article presents basic results of the design analysis of a combined gas-vapour micro power plant with a waste-heat boiler without exhaust reheat, working in the vapour section in the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system. The analysis concerned working media most frequently used in those types of power plants and planned to be used in future. The object of the analysis was a micro power plant with a 30 kW gas (air) turbine for...
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Design analysis of combined gas-vapour micro power plant with 30 kW air turbine
PublicationThe article presents basic results of the design analysis of a combined gas-vapour micro power plant with a waste-heat boiler without exhaust reheat, working in the vapour section in the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system. The analysis concerned working media most frequently used in those types of power plants and planned to be used in future. The object of the analysis was a micro power plant with a 30 kW gas (air) turbine for...
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Evaluation of structural change during fast transformation process of cross-linked NR into liquid NR by light pyrolysis
PublicationThe presence of cross-linked networks in rubber creates a tremendous problem for recycling and reusing of waste rubber. Fast transformation of cross-linked natural rubber (NR) into liquid natural rubber was carried out by light pyrolysis in temperature range from 240 to 300 °C in variable time (in range: 1–30 min). The transformation efficiency was evaluated by measuring the sol fraction and the cross-link density of the gel fraction....
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Heterotrophic Anodic Denitrification in Microbial Fuel Cells
PublicationNowadays, pollution caused by energy production systems is a major environmental concern. Therefore, the development of sustainable energy sources is required. Amongst others, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) seems to be a possible solution because it can produce clean energy at the same time that waste is stabilized. Unfortunately, mainly due to industrial discharges, the wastes could contain nitrates, or nitrates precursors such...
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Reinforcing and plasticizing effects of reclaimed rubber on the vulcanization and properties of natural rubber
PublicationThe production of high-added value reclaimed rubber (RR) is of great signifi-cance for the sustainability of rubber industries. To green recycle waste rub-bers and broaden the application of RR, a RR material with potentialreinforcing and plasticizing effects on nature rubber (NR) composites are pre-pared by a thermo-oxidative reclamation process. The reclamation degree ofRR is controlled by adjusting the content of soybean oil....
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Tuning of food wastes bioavailability as feedstock for bio-conversion processes by acoustic cavitation and SPC, SPS, or H2O2 as external oxidants
PublicationThe growing amount of food wastes makes them a suitable source for the generation of bioproducts through anaerobic digestion. Appropriate hydrolysis of the feedstock can enhance the efficiency of production of desired products. In this work, acoustic cavitation (AC) was employed as a pretreatment method to enhance hydrolysis stage by the modification of model (potato-based) food waste for increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand...
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Preparation and characterization of asphaltene based adsorbents for gas-solid adsorption systems
PublicationThe dissertation presents results of the experimental research on asphaltene-based adsorbents (support coated with asphaltene layer) for gas-solid adsorption systems, with special reference to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal from gas streams. Analysis of gas adsorption properties revealed that asphaltenes isolated from oxidized bitumen have strong affinity toward VOCs. Interactions with target gas molecules, and selectivity...
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Assessing ecotoxicity, synergic and antagonistic actions of commonly used components of polymerization mixture in molecularly imprinted polymers preparation process
PublicationIncreasingly, the challenge is the optimal process of developing a suitable MIP-type sorptive material (taking into account its final form and application area), which is mainly related to the efficiency/effectiveness of the polymerization process. The lack of reaction or its low efficiency generates additional waste and puts it into the environmental cycle. The main aim of the performed research was the estimation of ecotoxicity,...
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Green analytical chemistry metrics: A review
PublicationGreen analytical chemistry encourages reducing the use of toxic chemicals/reagents, using energy-efficient equipment, and generating minimal waste. The recent trends in analytical method development focus on the miniaturization of the sample preparation devices, the development of solventless or solvent-minimized extraction techniques, and the utilization of less toxic solvents. The twelve principles of GAC serve as a basic guideline...
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Application of multivariate statistics in assessment of green analytical chemistry parameters of analytical methodologies
PublicationThe study offers a multivariate statistical analysis of a dataset, including the major metrological, “greenness” and methodological parameters of 43 analytical methodologies applied for aldrin determination (a frequently analyzed organic compound) in water samples. The variables (parameters) chosen were as follows: metrological (LOD, recovery, RSD), describing the “greenness” (amount of the solvent used, amount of waste generated)...
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Evaluation of Terpene Decomposition in Kaffir Lime Juice during Storage Using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and Proton Transfer Reaction–Mass Spectrometry
PublicationKaffir lime juice, often treated as production waste, can be a good source of terpenes. These compounds undergo various decomposition processes under the influence of external factors, especially during transportation and storage. In this paper, it was possible to monitor changes in the terpene profile of kaffir lime juice under different storage conditions, namely, 4 ◦C, 20 ◦C, and 35 ◦C. The identification of key decomposition...
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Manufacturing Data Analysis in Internet of Things/Internet of Data (IoT/IoD) Scenario
PublicationComputer integrated manufacturing (CIM) has enormous benefits as it increases the rate of production, reduces errors and production waste, and streamlines manufacturing sub-systems. However, there are some new challenges related to CIM operating in the Internet of Things/Internet of Data (IoT/IoD) scenarios associated with Industry 4.0 and cyber-physical systems. The main challenge is to deal with the massive volume of data flowing...
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Investigation of the Combustion Processes in the Gas Turbine Module of an FPSO Operating on Associated Gas Conversion Products
PublicationIn this paper, we consider the issue of thermo-chemical heat recovery of waste heat from gas turbine engines for the steam conversion of associated gas for offshore vessels. Current trends in the development of offshore infrastructure are identified, and the composition of power plants for mobile offshore drilling units and FPSO vessels is analyzed. We present the results of a comparison of power-to-volume ratio, power-to-weight...
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Mechanical Performance and Environmental Assessment of Sustainable Concrete Reinforced with Recycled End-of-Life Tyre Fibres
PublicationThe presented research’s main objective was to develop the solution to the global problem of using steel waste obtained during rubber recovery during the tire recycling. A detailed comparative analysis of mechanical and physical features of the concrete composite with the addition of recycled steel fibres (RSF) in relation to the steel fibre concrete commonly used for industrial floors was conducted. A study was carried out using...
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The pulsed laser ablation synthesis of colloidal iron oxide nanoparticles for the enhancement of TiO2 nanotubes photo-activity
PublicationThe rapid, only a few minutes long synthesis of FeO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3nanoparticles mixture utilizing the pulsedlaser ablation using simply pure iron target and water was demonstrated. The size and crystal phase of Fe-basedNPs were characterized using DLS and HR-TEM techniques, respectively. The metastable suspension of FeO,Fe3O4, and Fe2O3nanoparticles was used to the decoration of anodized TiO2nanotubes (TiO2-NTs) by means ofthe...
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Polyurethanes modified with natural polymers for medical application. I. Polyurethanes/ Chitosan and polyurethane/collagen.
PublicationFor over three decades polyurethanes (PUR or PU) have been reported for application in a variety of medical devices. These polymers consist of hard and soft segments, which allow for more subtle control of their structure and properties. By varying the composition of the different segments, properties of PURcan be tuned up for use in many areas of medicine. Recently there is a great interest in modification of biomedical PUR with...
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Viability of fruit seed oil O/W emulsions in personal care products
PublicationThe use of fruit seed oils in personal care products is of significance to both their function and image. Poland is an important processor of fruit products within the EU, and thus has a large availability of seeds from domestic fruits, which are normally considered to be a waste material or feed for livestock. Unfortunately, current literature is scarce of the suitability of these oils for topical dermatological use in the form...
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Storage of High-Strength Steel Flux-Cored Welding Wires in Urbanized Areas
PublicationThe condition of the consumables is a key factor determining the waste reduction in the welding processes and the quality of the welded joint. The paper presents the results of tests of four types of fux-cored wires dedicated for welding high-strength steels, stored for 1 month and 6 months in Poland in two urbanized areas: in a large seaside city (Gdańsk) and in Warsaw, located in the center of the country. The wires were subjected...
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A Tutorial on AGREEprep an Analytical Greenness Metric for Sample Preparation
PublicationSample preparation is a key step in the analytical procedure and a critical component for achieving analytical greenness. AGREEprep is the first metric intended for evaluating the environmental impact of sample preparation methods. The approach consists of ten steps of assessment that correspond to the ten principles of green sample preparation and uses a user-friendly open-source software to calculate and visualize the results....
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An optimal designed experiment for the alkaline hydrolysis of feather keratin
PublicationFeathers, burdensome waste from the poultry industry, can be a cheap source of keratin, a protein with excellent physico- chemical, biological, and mechanical properties. Acid and alkaline hydrolyses are usually adopted for isolation of keratin from its natural resources. This study aimed at assessing the statistically significant effect of input variables in the alkaline hydrolysis of keratin from chicken feathers on the process...
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The role of hydrogen bonding on tuning hard-soft segments in bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s
PublicationThis work describes the preparation of bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s (TPU) via a prepolymer method and investigates the effect of varying the interphase hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) on physicochemical, thermal and mechanical properties. This was achieved by varying the glycol type and molar ratio of [NCO]/[OH] groups used during the prepolymer chain extending step. The TPUs’ chemical structure was analyzed by Fourier...
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Direct solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography – Mass spectrometry for the determination of biogenic amines in wine
PublicationA direct method based on immersion solid phase microextraction (DI-SPME) gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) was optimized and validated for the determination of 16 biogenic amines in Polish wines. In the analysis two internal standards were used: 1,7-diaminoheptane and bis-3-aminopropylamine. The method allows for simultaneous extraction and derivatization, providing a simple and fast mode of extraction and enrichment....
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Reclaimed rubber in-situ grafted with soybean oil as a novel green reactive plasticizer in SBR/silica compounds
PublicationPolymer recycling and biodegradable polymeric materials are two major routes towards the sustainable development of polymer materials which contributes to the management of waste. In this regard, an eco-friendly approach is presented wherein high reclaiming degree of ground tire rubber (GTR) was achieved by low-temperature oxidation under swollen action of soybean oil. In-situ reclaimed GTR with soybean oil was cured into reactive...
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Bio-Based Polyurethane Networks Derived from Liquefied Sawdust
PublicationThe utilization of forestry waste resources in the production of polyurethane resins is a promising green alternative to the use of unsustainable resources. Liquefaction of wood-based biomass gives polyols with properties depending on the reagents used. In this article, the liquefaction of forestry wastes, including sawdust, in solvents such as glycerol and polyethylene glycol was investigated. The liquefaction process was carried...
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Polyurethane/ground tire rubber composite foams based on polyglycerol: processing, mechanical and thermal properties
PublicationDuring the synthesis of rigid polyurethane foams, petrochemical polyol was substituted with polyglycerol, the product of thermo-catalytic polycondensation of waste glycerol, resulting from biodiesel production. Two types of ground tire rubbers, untreated and thermo-mechanically reclaimed, were used to obtain ‘‘green’’ polyurethane-polyglycerol composite foams. Samples were prepared by a single-step method for the ratio of NCO/OH...
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Comprehensive Comparison of a Few Variants of Cluster Analysis as Data Mining Tool in Supporting Environmental Management
PublicationA few variants of hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) as tool of assessment of multidimensional similarity in environmental dataset are compared. The dataset consisted of analytical results of determination of metals (Na, K, Ca, Sc, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Hf and Th) in ambient air dried and kept alive, by the means of hydroponics, moss baskets collected in 12 locations on the area of Tricity (Poland)....
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Protection and viability of fruit seeds oils by nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) nanosuspensions
PublicationIn this paper, we focused on the development of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for dermal application. The NLC matrix was designed as a protective reservoir of biological active compounds that naturally occur in domestic fruit seed oils. Over the years, emulsions, as a popular physicochemical form of personal care products, were refined in order to obtain the best possible penetration into the skin of any bioactive compound...
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The Application of a Mobile Unmanned Device for Monitoring Water and Sediment Pollution in the Port of Gdynia
PublicationPollution in the Port of Gdynia can encompass various types of substances and contaminants that affect the quality of water and sediment in this region. Ships entering and leaving the port can release pollutants such as oil, fuel, waste, and chemicals into the water. Controlling and monitoring these pollutants is a crucial part of environmental stewardship. In recent years, uncrewed units have been increasingly in use for in situ...
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Vascular stents - materials and manufacturing technologies
PublicationThe objective of this article is to present materials and technology for the manufacture of vascular stents with appropriate design requirements. The use of the right material is very important in implantology. A biomaterial introduced into the circulatory system must be biocompatible and hemocompatible. At the same time, it should not initiate toxic, mutagenic, or immunological reactions. Currently, 316L stainless steel (316L...
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Multifunctional catalyst-assisted sustainable reformation of lignocellulosic biomass into environmentally friendly biofuel and value-added chemicals
PublicationRapid urbanization is increasing the world's energy demand, making it necessary to develop alternative energy sources. These growing energy needs can be met by the efficient energy conversion of biomass, which can be done by various means. The use of effective catalysts to transform different types of biomasses will be a paradigm change on the road to the worldwide goal of economic sustainability and environmental protection. The...
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Ground Tire Rubber Modified by Elastomers via Low-Temperature Extrusion Process: Physico-Mechanical Properties and Volatile Organic Emission Assessment
PublicationIn this paper, low-temperature extrusion of ground tire rubber was performed as a proecological waste tires recycling method. During this process, ground tire rubber was modified with constant content of dicumyl peroxide and a variable amount of elastomer (in the range: 2.5–15 phr). During the studies, three types of elastomers were used: styrene-butadiene rubber, styreneethylene/butylene-styrene grafted with maleic anhydride and...
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Monitoring Lead Concentration in the Surrounding Environmental Components of a Lead Battery Company: Plants, Air and Effluents—Case Study, Kenya
PublicationLead (Pb) pollution from smelters and lead–acid battery has become a serious problem worldwide owing to its toxic nature as a heavy metal. Stricter regulations and monitoring strategies have been formulated, legislated and implemented in various parts of the world on heavy metal usage. Developed countries such as the USA and in Europe largely operate within the set standards, however, developing countries such as Kenya, Nigeria...
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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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Modeling lignin extraction with ionic liquids using machine learning approach
PublicationLignin, next to cellulose, is the second most common natural biopolymer on Earth, containing a third of the organic carbon in the biosphere. For many years, lignin was perceived as waste when obtaining cellulose and hemicellulose and used as a biofuel for the production of bioenergy. However, recently, lignin has been considered a renewable raw material for the production of chemicals and materials to replace petrochemical resources....
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Electrochemical oxidation of PFOA and PFOS in landfill leachates at low and highly boron-doped diamond electrodes
PublicationPolyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) may reach landfill leachates (LLs) due to improper waste management. In this study perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) were used as representatives of PFASs in the decomposition on boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDDs) with high (10k ppm) and low (0.5k ppm) boron doping concentrations. The result shows that although better COD removal efficacies are obtained on...
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Post-Pyrolytic Carbon as a Phase Change Materials (PCMs) Carrier for Application in Building Materials
PublicationThis article covers new application for char as a carrier of phase-change materials (PCM) that could be used as an additive to building materials. Being composed of bio-char and PCM, the granulate successfully competes with more expensive commercial materials of this type, such as Micronal® PCM. As a PCM carrier, char that was obtained from the pyrolysis of chestnut fruit (Aesculus hippocastanum) with different absorbances of the...
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Latest Achievements in Concrete Structures Three-Dimensional Printing
PublicationWe can hear about three-dimensional printed concrete structures for several years, up to date solutions in this technology allow entire printing settlements of tiny concrete houses. Due to technical limitations, these houses are still small and not very durable, but undoubtedly, this technology is developing. Home printed in three-dimensional technology can be an alternative to modular container buildings implemented in areas affected...
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Polish FDI in Central Asian Countries
PublicationSince gaining independence, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gradually opened their markets to foreign investors. Before Poland’s accession to the European Union, the activities of Polish investors in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were based on bilateral treaties concluded by Poland with those countries. Later, except Turkmenistan, they were governed by the partnership...
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Thermal Biomass Conversion: A Review
PublicationIn this paper, the most important methods of thermal conversion of biomass, such as: hydrothermal carbonization (180–250 °C), torrefaction (200–300 °C), slow pyrolysis (carbonization) (300–450 °C), fast pyrolysis (500–800 °C), gasification (800–1000 °C), supercritical steam gasification, high temperature steam gasification (>1000 °C) and combustion, were gathered, compared and ranked according to increasing temperature. A comprehensive...