Filters
total: 418
Search results for: MOLECULAR WEIGHT
-
Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.) Fiber Extraction and Characterization for Its Use in Polymer Composites
PublicationThis work describes an extraction method for giant reed fibers from stems and leaves based on chemical soaking and crushing through a rolling mill. Obtained fibers, together with the shredded plant (stems + leaves), are characterized in terms of chemical composition, thermal stability, morphology, and crystallinity. Mechanical properties of fibers have also been assessed (single fiber tensile tests). The results show that the proposed...
-
Constant-Factor Approximation Algorithm for Binary Search in Trees with Monotonic Query Times
PublicationWe consider a generalization of binary search in linear orders to the domain of weighted trees. The goal is to design an adaptive search strategy whose aim is to locate an unknown target vertex of a given tree. Each query to a vertex v incurs a non-negative cost ω(v) (that can be interpreted as the duration of the query) and returns a feedback that either v is the target or the edge incident to v is given that is on the path towards...
-
New ceramic materials derived from pyrolyzed poly(1,2-dimethylsilazane) and starch as a potential anode for Li-ion batteries
PublicationNewmaterialswere obtained by pyrolysis of starch (S) and poly(1,2-dimethylsilazane) (PSN) (weight ratio: PSN/S 30/70) at temperature a) 500 °C, b) 700 °C and c) 900 °C. Ceramic materials were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, TGA, Raman spectroscopy and SEM. New Si\O and shifted Si\C stretching vibration modes emerged confirming direct interaction between silicon originating fromsilazane and oxygen coming fromstarch. The...
-
Simulation of fluid structure interaction in a novel design of high pressure axial piston pump
PublicationA novel type of an axial, piston-driven high pressure hydraulic pump with variable capacity marks a significant improvement in the area of the hydraulic machinery design. Total discharge from hydrostatic forces eliminates a need for a servomechanism, thus simplifying operation, reducing weight and introducing the possibility of the pump displacement control by computer. PWK-type pumps, invented in the Gdansk University of Technology,...
-
Vitamin B9 as a new eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for copper in 3.5% NaCl solution
PublicationFolic acid salt (sodium folate) was studied as an eco-friendly and non-toxic copper corrosion inhibitor in 3.5% NaCl solution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, polarization resistance and weight-loss measurements show that the inhibitor efficiency increases with concentration (the highest value- approx. 96% was reported for the solution containing 16 mM sodium folate after 24 h). EIS data and Tafel plots indicate that sodium...
-
Time Synchronization between the eNBs in E-UTRAN under the Asymmetric IP Network
PublicationIn this paper, we present a method for a time synchronization between the two eNodeBs (eNBs) in E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) network. The...
-
Yerba Mate - A Long but Current History
PublicationBearing in mind the growing interest in Yerba Mate, a comprehensive study has been prepared containing the most important aspects and possibilities of its use. The introduction of the work contains the species characteristics of Yerba Mate, as well as information about the origin and places of cultivation. The next part focuses on the analysis of the composition, pointing to purine alkaloids, polyphenols, saponins, and minerals...
-
Diagnosis of damages in family buildings using neural networks
PublicationThe article concerns a problem of damages in family buildings, which result from traffic-induced vibrations. These vibrations arise from various causes and their size is influenced by many factors. The most important is the type of a road, type and weight of vehicles that run on the road, type and condition of the road surface, the distance from the house to the source of vibrations and many others which should be taken into account....
-
The influence of core material on strength properties of hybrid sandwich panels
PublicationAlong with high prices of fuels and more restrictive safety and environmental regulations (including environment protection) increased interest in sandwich structures is being observed. One of the solution having growing application potential is steel sandwich panel. The construction consist of very thin steel plates (about 2mm) and stiffeners between them. The main advantage of using such solution is very high strength to weight...
-
Innovative Gathering and Energy Management System Integrated within PV Module
PublicationThe dynamic development of battery technology and design based on the flow of lithium ions, mainly driven by the needs of the automotive industry leads to the Conclusion That they are becoming a more viable alternative to traditional lead-acid batteries. Their use is driven by the ability it quickly charge and discharge times higher durability, maintenance-free operation and much smaller dimensions as well as weight. The emergence...
-
Injectable poloxamer/graphene oxide hydrogels with well‐controlled mechanical and rheological properties
PublicationAlthough significant progress has been made in the design and application of injectable hydrogels for biomedical applications, concurrent control of rheological and mechanical properties of injectable hydrogels has remained as an open challenge to the researchers. In this work, we introduce and put into practice a photo‐curable poloxamer (also known as Pluronic)/graphene oxide (Plu/GO) injectable hydrogel with well‐controlled rheological...
-
Smart Weighing Scale with Feet-Sampled ECG
PublicationIn a smart home, health and well-being monitoring systems could be embedded in everyday devices providing a pervasive care. A home bathroom scale is an example of such a device, typically used to measure body weight and very often its composition (e.g. body water/fat percentage). In this paper, we analyzed a potential use of the bathroom scale to measure electrocardiogram (ECG) from electrodes located on the scale's tile. In particular...
-
Application of Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Insulation Properties of Lightweight Concrete
PublicationPredicting the properties of concrete before its design and application process allows for refining and optimizing its composition. However, the properties of lightweight concrete are much harder to predict than those of normal weight concrete, especially if the forecast concerns the insulating properties of concrete with artificial lightweight aggregate (LWA). It is possible to use porous aggregates and precisely modify the composition...
-
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...
-
A Comparison of Empirical Correlations of Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity of Water-Ethylene Glycol-Al2O3 Nanofluids
PublicationBecause of their superb thermal conductivity, nanofluids are seen as new generation of cooling mediums in many engineering applications. It is well established that even a small amount of nanoparticles mixed with a base fluid may result in distinct thermal conductivity enhancement. On the other hand, addition of nanoparticles to the base fluid results in its substantial viscosity increase. Therefore, it is very dicult to evaluate...
-
Characterization of fatty acid composition in Eurasian badger (Meles meles)
PublicationPolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, LA and ALA) are not synthesized in mammals in the absence of their essential fatty acid precursors. However, hibernating animals and animals sleeping through the winter need sufficiently high amounts of these acids. The Eurasian badger does not hibernate, but sleeps over winter. In the autumn the body weight of adult badgers increases even twofold, since they put on fat before the winter. Fat...
-
Curing epoxy resin with anhydride in the presence of halloysite nanotubes: the contradictory effects of filler concentration
PublicationEpoxy resins can be cured with a wide variety of curing agents such as amines and anhydrides, but anhydride curing would be more favorable for research purpose because of epoxy-anhydride curing taking place slowly at room temperature. Incorporation of natural nanosized minerals into epoxy is of environmental importance. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) display chemical properties similar to those of silica and alumina, and hydroxyl...
-
Deformation and Surface Color Changes of Beech and Oak Wood Lamellas Resulting from the Drying Process
PublicationThe drying process was examined relative to parameters’ influence on the deformation and surface layer color changes of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) and oak wood (Quercus robur L.). The goal was to analyze the impact of drying process conditions, wood and growth rings types, and load on the deformation and surface color changes of drying thin wooden elements. A further aim was to reduce the time of the lamella drying and minimize...
-
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....
-
Methods for biomaterials printing: A short review and perspective
PublicationPrinting technologies have opened larger windows of innovation and creativity to biomaterials engineers by providing them with the ability to fabricate complex shapes in a reasonable time, cost, and weight. However, there has always been a trouble with function adjusting in printing technologies in view of the multiplicity of materials and apparatus parameters. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, revolutionized biomaterials...
-
Influence of selected submicron inorganic particles on mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester/glass composites
PublicationIn this paper, the influence of different submicron-scaled particles (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or silica) on mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester matrix composites reinforced with glass fabric was investigated. Surface morphology of obtained composites was also examined. At first inorganic particles were mechanically dispersed into unsaturated polyester resin system as per the calculated weight...
-
The comparison of SrTi0.98Nb0.02O3–δ-CeO2 and SrTi0.98Nb0.02O3–δ-YSZ composites for use in SOFC anodes
PublicationComposites of Nb-doped strontium titanate mixed with yttria-stabilized zirconia or cerium oxide in 50:50, 70:30 and 85:15 weight ratios were evaluated as possible anode/electrolyte interface materials for solid oxide fuel cells in terms of chemical compatibility, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. It has been shown that composite samples prepared by typical powder-mixing methods remain single-phase up to 1400°C....
-
Contemporary and Conventional Passive Methods of Intensifying Convective Heat Transfer—A Review
PublicationThe ever-increasing demand for effective heat dissipation and temperature control in industrial and everyday applications highlights a critical research problem. The need for development is not only in terms of providing thermal comfort to humans but also forms the basis for the efficient operation of machines and equipment. Cooling of industrial machinery and household electronic equipment is a crucial element in any manufacturing...
-
Utilizing Morphological and Physiological Parameters of Lemna minor for Assessing Tetracyclines’ Removal
PublicationAntibiotics with significant environmental toxicity, e.g., tetracyclines (TCs), are often used in large quantities worldwide, with 50–80% of the applied dose ending up in the environment. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and minocycline hydrochloride (MIN) on L. minor. Our research evaluated the phytotoxicity of the TCs by analyzing plant growth and biomass and evaluating...
-
How does environmental regulation affect the city's domestic value-added rate of export? New spatial evidence from Chinese cities
PublicationProtecting the environment and increasing the domestic value-added rate of exports (DVARE) are hot issues for high-quality economic development. This paper explores how environmental regulation affects the DVARE. This paper constructs a dynamic spatial econometric model using the data of 285 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020. It empirically tests the impact of environmental regulation on the DVARE. The research results show that...
-
Peripheral industrial NUTS 3 sub-regions in the European Union – identification and typology
PublicationA common phenomenon of development is the big difference in its levels, especially between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Non-metropolitan areas are also very different. In some of them, industry plays a big role. European Union’s NUTS 3 non-metropolitan low developed sub-regions, whose gross domestic product per capita in 2011 was below 75% of the EU average, were the subject of research. It is based on the data and...
-
Curing epoxy with electrochemically synthesized Zn Fe3-O4 magnetic nanoparticles
PublicationCathodic electrodeposition (CED) was applied in synthesis of undoped and zinc (Zn) doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Changes in the lattice structure of nanoparticles were monitored using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) supported by dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Detailed analyses explored the formation of ZnxFe3–xO4 nanoparticles with x ≈ 0.1,...
-
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...
-
The experimental identification of the dynamic coefficients of two hydrodynamic journal bearings operating at constant rotational speed and under nonlinear conditions.
PublicationHydrodynamic bearings are commonly used in ship propulsion systems. Typically, they are calculated using numerical or experimental methods. This paper presents an experimental study through which it has been possible to estimate 24 dynamic coefficients of two hydrodynamic slide bearings operating under nonlinear conditions. During the investigation, bearing mass coefficients are identified by means of a newly developed algorithm....
-
Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes
PublicationThe potential application of two types of industrial wastes, drill cuttings (DC) and copper slag (CS), as silica-rich modifiers of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. Chemical structure and physical properties of DC and CS fillers were characterized using X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, particle size and density measurements. PCL/DC and PCL/CS composites with a variable content of filler (5 to 50...
-
Curing behavior of epoxy/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposites: A comparison between the effects of bare Fe 3 O 4 , Fe 3 O 4 /SiO 2 /chitosan and Fe 3 O 4 /SiO 2 /chitosan/imide/phenylalanine-modified nanofillers
PublicationIn this study, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized (B-MNP) and then modified with SiO2 to form Fe3O4/SiO2 core/shell MNPs. The Fe3O4/SiO2 MNPs were chemically functionalized with chitosan so as to gain Fe3O4/SiO2/Chitosan (CH-MNP). The CH-MNP was functionalized with a macromolecule containing imide and phenylalanine precursors to gain Fe3O4/SiO2/Chitosan/imide/phenylalanine based MNPs (CH-IM-MNP). The differences...
-
A New Approach to Assess Quality of Motion in Functional Task of Upper Limb in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Publication(1) Background: This study presents a new method for the motion quantitative analysis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients (DMD) performing functional tasks in clinical conditions. (2) Methods: An experimental study was designed to define how different levels of external mass (light and heavy) influence the performance of the upper limbs of a tested DMD and reference subject (RS) during horizontal movements (level of the waist)...
-
Study on some of the strength properties of soft clay stabilized with plastic waste strips
PublicationIt is well known that if plastic wastes are not well managed, it has a negative impact on the environment as well as on human health. In this study, recycling plastic waste in form of strips for stabilizing weak subgrade soil is proposed. For this purpose, a weak clay soil sample was mixed with 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4% of plastic strips by weight of soil, and the experimental results were compared to the control soil sample with 0%...
-
Design of a Shape-Memory-Alloy-Based Carangiform Robotic Fishtail with Improved Forward Thrust
PublicationShape memory alloys (SMAs) have become the most common choice for the development of mini- and micro-type soft bio-inspired robots due to their high power-to-weight ratio, ability to be installed and operated in limited space, silent and vibration-free operation, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance properties. Moreover, SMA spring-type actuators are used for developing different continuum robots, exhibiting high degrees...
-
Influence of the Addition of Recycled Aggregates and Polymer Fibers on the Properties of Pervious Concrete
PublicationThe aim of the study was to check the possibility of reusing aggregate from recycled concrete waste and rubber granules from car tires as partial substitution of natural aggregate. The main objective was to investigate the effects of recycled waste aggregate modified with polymer fibers on the compressive and flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and permeability of pervious concrete. Fibers with a multifilament structure and...
-
Evaluation of mercury content in combustible tobacco products by employing cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy and considering the moisture content: a comprehensive study
PublicationPlants are mainly made up of water, which constitutes between 80 and 90% of their weight. Moisture factor comes across as one of the most important in tobacco products. Rapid determination of moisture content in tobacco products comes at neces- sity in any tobacco management plants (before and after production). Therefore, the concern has been raised in this study to evaluate the moisture content in four kinds of combustible tobacco...
-
Microstructure and corrosion behaviour of carbon steel and ferritic and austenitic stainless steels in NaCl solutions and the effect of p-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt
PublicationThe microstructure and corrosion behavior of carbon steel (CSA516) and ferritic (SS410) and austenitic (SS304L) stainless steels were studied and compared. Corrosion tests were carried out in 0.5 M NaCl solutions. Rates of corrosion were monitored based on weight loss, Tafel extrapolation and linear polarization resistance (LPR) methods. Rates of corrosion were ranked following the order: CSA516 >> SS410 > SS304L. The impact of...
-
Factors determining accumulation of bisphenol A and alkylphenols at a low trophic level as exemplified by mussels Mytilus trossulus
PublicationThe aim of the study was to investigate abiotic and biotic factors influencing the accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4- nonylphenol (NP) in mussels Mytilus trossulus from the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic). The key abiotic factor influencing BPA, OP and NP accumulation in mussels is their hydrophilicity/lipophilicity, which affects their main assimilation...
-
Distributed graph searching with a sense of direction
PublicationIn this work we consider the edge searching problem for vertex-weighted graphs with arbitrarily fast and invisible fugitive. The weight function w provides for each vertex v the minimum number of searchers required to guard v, i.e., the fugitive may not pass through v without being detected only if at least w(v) searchers are present at v. This problem is a generalization of the classical edge searching problem, in which one has...
-
Modeling by finite element methods of impact of erosion on frequency of normal modes of L-0 blade
PublicationAfter some time of exploitation steam turbine rotors blades in energetic industry they are being eroded and also their frequency of normal modes is changed. Those changes can cause to unwanted shift of blades normal mode frequencies. It is necessary to find quick method of rating changes of frequency in connection of mass loss due erosion. The evaluation of this dependence was made by finite element modeling method using HyperWorks...
-
Effect of kenaf fibre modification on morphology and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane materials
PublicationThe presented study examined the morphology and mechanical properties of biocomposites obtained from kenaf natural fibre and thermoplastic polyurethane. Kenaf was modified using various methods, namely: acetylation, blocked isocyanate, maleic anhydride and permanganate treatment. Those methods and ways of carrying out of surface modifications were not studied before on kenaf/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. Different fibre...
-
ON THE NON-LOCALITY OF TRIPARTITE NON-SINGALING BOXES EMERGING FROM WIRINGS
PublicationIt has been recently shown, that some of the tripartite boxes admittin g bilocal decom- position, lead to non-locality under wiring operation applied to t wo of the subsystems [R. Gallego et al. Physical Review Letters 109 , 070401 (2012)]. In the following, we study this phenomenon quantitatively. Basing on the known classes of bo xes closed un- der wirings, we introduce multipartite monotones which are count erparts of bipartite ones...
-
A New Rehabilitation Device for Balance Impaired Individuals
PublicationIn the paper authors present a device designed to improve the rehabilitation process of people with balance impairment. The discussed device (JStep) utilizes a commercially available static standing frame (stander) modified in order to fit force sensing units under the feet and in the pillows around the hips of a patient. While executing rehabilitation tasks, the patient may compensate his balance deficiency by leaning on the pillows...
-
Exergy and Energy Analyses of Microwave Dryer for Cantaloupe Slice and Prediction of Thermodynamic Parameters Using ANN and ANFIS Algorithms
PublicationThe study targeted towards drying of cantaloupe slices with various thicknesses in a microwave dryer. The experiments were carried out at three microwave powers of 180, 360, and 540 W and three thicknesses of 2, 4, and 6 mm for cantaloupe drying, and the weight variations were determined. Artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) were exploited to investigate energy and exergy indices of...
-
Recent Advances in Loop Heat Pipes with Flat Evaporator
PublicationThe focus of this review is to present the current advances in Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) with flat evaporators, which address the current challenges to the wide implementation of the technology. A recent advance in LHP is the design of flat-shaped evaporators, which is better suited to the geometry of discretely mounted electronics components (microprocessors) and therefore negate the need for an additional transfer surface (saddle)...
-
Synthesis and characterization of biopolyols through biomass liquefaction of wood shavings and their application in the preparation of polyurethane wood composites
PublicationThe sustainability of production systems in wood processing, wood industry, and wooden waste disposal is an important issue for European industry and society. Proper development of products based on renewable wood resources gives an opportunity to provide materials with long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This study aims to establish a new way of forestry and agricultural waste materials utilization by...
-
Changes in the Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 Methodology: The Improved Approach of Competitiveness Benchmarking
PublicationThe Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) is used as a standard for measuring a country’s competitiveness. However, in literature, the GCI has been accused of numerous methodological flaws. Consequently, in 2018, the WEF introduced significant methodological changes. This study aims to examine whether the methodological modifications in the GCI’s structure increase its ability to capture...
-
Approximation Strategies for Generalized Binary Search in Weighted Trees
PublicationWe consider the following generalization of the binary search problem. A search strategy is required to locate an unknown target node t in a given tree T. Upon querying a node v of the tree, the strategy receives as a reply an indication of the connected component of T\{v} containing the target t. The cost of querying each node is given by a known non-negative weight function, and the considered objective is to minimize the total...
-
Preference-based evolutionary multi-objective optimization in ship weather routing
PublicationIn evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) the aim is to find a set of Pareto-optimal solutions. Such approach may be applied to multiple real-life problems, including weather routing (WR) of ships. The route should be optimal in terms of passage time, fuel consumption and safety of crew and cargo while taking into account dynamically changing weather conditions. Additionally it must not violate any navigational constraints...
-
Possibilities of Leachate Co-Treatment Originating from Biogas Production in the Deammonification Process
PublicationIn the methane fermentation process, sewage sludge is the single substrate or serves as a co-substrate with the addition of various waste products. After the treatment stable digestate is obtained, which consists of two phases solid and liquid. Liquid phase, called as a leachate, due to the high content of nutrients must be treated before they are discharged into the final receiver. Physical and chemical methods of leachate treatment...