Thermodynamic analysis of the province of Ravenna (Italy)

This is a thermodynamic analysis of the Province of Ravenna (Italy) and its districts (Ravenna, Faenza and Lugo) and an evaluation of entropy waste production based on a balance sheet of greenhouse gases. The method used is energy analysis. The results show that the Province and Ravenna are characterized by a heavy exploitation of local non renewable resources, Faenza strikes a good balance between economic development and environment conservation and Lugo is less sustainable than the others. The greenhouse gas balance shows that the Province emits 10.5 times the quantity of greenhouse gases that it adsorbs and that the emissions reduction is required in the energy sector, which is responsible for 92% of the total.     

Continuous-flow analysis: present and future

The present and probable future performance of continuous-flow analysis is discussed in terms of design considerations and new analytical modules. Comparison of throughput rates and reagent/sample consumption with the competitive technique of flow-injection analysis shows that the latter is better suited for very simple processing schemes that require only a small dwell time (e.g., 5 s or less) within the flow system. For more complicated manipulation of sample and/or longer reaction times, continuous flow analysis generally has a substantial advantage with respect to analysis rate, reagent consumption and required sample size.     

等离子体法制氢的研究进展

本文讨论了利用等离子体从各种含氢原料中制氢所表现出的特异性能.当使用天然气为原料大规模制氢时,等离子体法的高能量密度可以极大地减少催化剂的使用和缩小生产空间;当用其他碳氢化合物为原料制氢时,等离子体法可以提高系统的灵活性、多变性,尤其在车载制氢上.等离子体发生源的多样性和等离子体转换器宽裕的设计空间可为降低能耗提供坚实的发展基础.     

跨境氧化锌富集物能耗和收益分析及其应用前景

介绍了能耗评估和收益分析的概况,在跨境氧化锌富集物的特定生命周期,涵盖能源消耗、经济利用价值、投入产出效率等多维要素,通过计算实例对比分析了采用基于生命周期视角的综合能耗和基于eFootprint评价系统的生命周期能耗的评估差异。同时,围绕经济和环境两个角度,对评估对象进行了收益分析。研究表明,基于生命周期视角的综合能耗明显优于国标限额,收益分析呈现较好优势,能耗和收益分析方法体现出较为合理的评价效果,在健全再生资源评估体系和事后监管中具有良好应用前景。     

Nature or Petrochemistry?—Biologically Degradable Materials

Naturally occurring polymers have been utilized for a long time as materials, however, their application as plastics has been restricted because of their limited thermoplastic processability. Recently, the microbial synthesis of polyesters directly from carbohydrate sources has attracted considerable attention. The industrial-scale production of poly(lactic acid) from lactic acid generated by fermentation now provides a renewable resources-based polyester as a commodity plastic for the first time. The biodegradability of a given material is independent of its origin, and biodegradable plastics can equally well be prepared from fossil fuel feedstocks. A consideration of the overall carbon dioxide emissions and consumption of non-renewable resources over the entire life-cycle of a product is not necessarily favorable for plastics based on renewable resources with current technology-in addition to the feedstocks for the synthesis of the polymer materials, the feedstock for generation of the overall energy required for production and processing is decisive.     

Research on the coupling relationship between manufacturing technology innovation and energy consumption based on intelligent algorithms

In the current era, the energy consumption of the manufacturing industry is very serious. How to achieve optimal control of energy consumption in the manufacturing process with technological innovation as the driving force has become a current research hotspot. Based on this, this article has deeply studied the application of control technology in energy consumption management and control, and designed the sparse coupling relationship and analysis model based on the greedy optimization algorithm. From the aspects of conventional energy consumption, technical methods, output control and energy consumption in the manufacturing industry, based on production data, the optimal control strategy for energy consumption is analyzed and quantitatively evaluated through the greedy optimization algorithm. The results show that the energy consumption relationship analysis model based on the matching tracking algorithm has the advantages of high computational efficiency and high precision.

     

稀土分离企业产品结构的优化模型

以利润最大为目标，给出了稀土分离企业产品结构的优化模型。流程中包括分离作业和提纯作业，前者的质量平衡式包括各稀土元素的分配矩阵，后者包括作业的收得率。与A企业产品结构相比，文中最优解在降低产量和减少原料消耗的同时，提高了生产利润，证明了按利润分摊分离成本对产品结构决策的错误影响；构成最优解的可行产品组合必须满足物料平衡的等式约束，因而须容纳原料中的所有组分。可行产品组合是成本分析和核算的最小单元。     

Multivariate statistical analysis approach to assess groundwater quality in two selected mandals of Vizianagaram district,Andhra Pradesh,India

Groundwater quality is the major concern all over the world. Natural processes and manmade activities are the prime reasons for the contamination of available water resources. It is crucial to assess the quality of groundwater in areas surrounded by various industries. The present study was carried out to assess the groundwater quality during pre-monsoon and post monsoon seasons of 2016, in two mandals of Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh via multivariate statistical analysis and water quality index method. The present work gains importance in light of the construction of proposed international airport at Bhohapuram and the existence of various industries in Pusapatirega mandal. A total of thirty-seven villages, eighteen from Bhogapuram mandal and seventeen from Pusapatirega mandal were selected for the present study. Factor analysis, linear regression analysis, correlation matrix analysis and cluster analysis tools were used to emphasize the parameters influencing quality of water in the chosen study area. From the analysis reports, it was found that the groundwater of the two mandals under investigation was strongly influenced by EC, TDS, total hardness(TH), Ca⁺², Mg⁺² and K⁺. During the two seasons under study, the water quality index value was found to be greater than 100 indicating that the water is unfit for human consumption. Concentration of Ca⁺², Mg⁺² and K⁺ were found to be beyond the permissible limits prescribed by BIS (2012). Dissolution of calcium and magnesium bearing minerals, mixing of industrial and household wastes may be the reasons for elevated concentration levels of these parameters.     

Certain trends in power engineering at the beginning of XXI century

The changes in the modern power generating sector are relatively conservative in nature. As long before, the leading role belongs to fossil fuels. The main tendency is the increase of effectiveness of energy utilization and decrease of specific energy consumption in all sectors of economy. Simultaneously, the diversification of energy sources due to wider use of nontraditional and hard-to-develop sources is observed. The share of primary resources subjected to deep chemical processing, as well as the role of secondary energy sources increases. Active displacement of primary and secondary hydrocarbon processing to their production sites takes place. As the consequence of increasing power consumption in all spheres of manufacturing and life, we see fast growing available power and power dependency in all fields of human activity. Uninterrupted power supply is becoming a critical condition for normal life in modern world. The tendency for decentralization of power supply and reliable preservation of energy production capacities is enhancing.     

Respiration activity of Escherichia coli entrapped in a cone-shaped microwell and cylindrical micropore monitored by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

The metabolic activity of E. coli cells embedded in collagen gel microstructures in a cone-shaped well and in a cylindrical micropore was investigated using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), based on the oxygen consumption rate and the conversion rate from ferrocyanide to ferricyanide. The analysis of the concentration profiles for oxygen and ferrocyanide afforded the oxygen consumption rate and the ferrocyanide production rate. A comparison indicated that the ferrocyanide production rates were larger than the oxygen consumption rate, and also that the rates observed in the cylindrical micropore were larger than those observed in the cone-shaped well. The ferrocyanide production rate of a single E. coli cell was calculated to be (5.4 +/- 2.6) x 10(-19) mol s(-1), using a cylindrical micropore system.     

PHOTOINTERACTION OF BENZOPHENONE TRIPLET WITH LYSOZYME

The quenching of the benzophenone triplet by lysozyme and its constituent amino acids in aqueous solutions have been studied. Native lysozyme quenches the benzophenone triplet with a high rate constant, 4 x 10(9) M-1 s-1. The quenching process takes place with production of significant amounts of free ketyl radicals, phi ketyl = 0.56, but with a very low benzophenone consumption yield (0.022). The consumption yield is considerably smaller than that observed for the free amino acids. This difference can be explained in terms of a dominant back hydrogen transfer to the protein in the disproportionation of the free radicals produced. Reduced and carboxymethylated lysozyme shows a higher quenching rate (7.8 x 10(9) M-1 s-1) and a larger benzophenone consumption yield (0.07). The deactivation of the benzophenone triplet by the native protein leads to its inactivation, with a quantum yield of 0.01. Tryptophan and arginine residues are destroyed with a quantum yield of 0.01. In the modified enzyme tyrosine and methionine groups are also consumed.     

生态水泥

介绍了生态水泥的新概念,并对城市垃圾、污泥等废弃物的处理现状、生态水泥的生产工艺和国内外生态水泥的现状进行了论述.用城市垃圾和污泥来生产生态水泥拓宽了原材料来源,减少了天然资源的消耗,降低了水泥生产的成本,是一条很有前途的、有利于水泥工业可持续发展的途径.     

工业过程生态生命周期评价的生态累积耗模型

生态生命周期评价(Eco-LCA)作为常规生命周期评价的拓展,提供了一种对工业过程生态影响及可持续性分析评价的方法.但目前Eco-LCA中尚缺失生态累积耗(ECEC)指标的完整模型.本文探讨了工业过程中自然资源消耗、社会经济投入和环境污染危害三种主要影响因素.通过构建囊括资源、经济、环境三要素的工业过程生态累积耗模型,完善了Eco-LCA方法应用于工业过程可持续分析的理论框架.最后,以此生态累积耗模型对中国原油生产进行了示例性分析讨论.     

Influence of the pH Value on the Hydrothermal Degradation of Fructose

The hydrothermal treatment of sugars features a promising technology for the production of fine and platform chemicals from renewable resources. In this work the hydrothermal decomposition of fructose was studied in a buffered medium at a pH range between 2.2 and 8.0. It is demonstrated that at lower pH values mainly 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), levulinic acid and humin are generated, while lactic acid and acetic acid are produced at higher pH values. The work shows that the use of moderate acidic conditions may have advantages for the hydrothermal HMF production over the use of strongly acidic conditions, as especially the degradation into levulinic acid is suppressed. Besides, this study deals with a rather complex reaction network, hence limitations and need for adaption of the kinetic model are discussed.     

Scientometric Overview of Coffee By-Products and Their Applications

As coffee consumption is on the rise, and the global coffee production creates an excess of 23 million tons of waste per year, a revolutionary transition towards a circular economy via the transformation and valorization of the main by-products from its cultivation and preparation (Coffee Husk (CH), Coffee Pulp (CP), Coffee Silverskin (CS), and Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG)) is inspiring researchers around the world. The recent growth of scholarly publications in the field and the emerging applications of coffee by-products published in these scientific papers encourages a systematic review to identify the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and to discuss the challenges and future directions. This paper displays a comprehensive scientometric analysis based on 108 articles with a high level of influence in the field of coffee by-products and their applications. According to our analysis, the research in this field shows an explosive growth since 2017, clustered in five core applications: bioactive compounds, microbial transformation, environmental applications, biofuels from thermochemical processes, and construction materials.     

Electrochemical Monitoring of ROS/RNS Homeostasis Within Individual Phagolysosomes Inside Single Macrophages

The existence of a homeostatic mechanism regulating reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) amounts inside phagolysosomes has been invoked to account for the efficiency of this process but could not be unambiguously documented. Now, intracellular electrochemical analysis with platinized nanowire electrodes (Pt‐NWEs) allowed monitoring ROS/RNS effluxes with sub‐millisecond resolution from individual phagolysosomes impacting onto the electrode inserted inside a living macrophage. This shows for the first time that the consumption of ROS/RNS by their oxidation at the nanoelectrode surface stimulates the production of significant ROS/RNS amounts inside phagolysosomes. These results establish the existence of the long‐postulated ROS/RNS homeostasis and allows its kinetics and efficiency to be quantified. ROS/RNS concentrations may then be maintained at sufficiently high levels for sustaining proper pathogen digestion rates without endangering the macrophage internal structures.     

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

Nanocellulose-based materials are attracting an increasing interest for the positive role they could play in sustainable development; being originated from renewable resources. Moreover, cellulose has a high potential of recycling from both post-consumer waste and industrial waste. Both factors, i.e., recyclability and renewable resources; results are also extremely favourable in the perspective of circular economy. Despite all these positive aspects, an industrial production has yet to start. At the lab scale, many preparation methods of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) are available; here, the three most common are analysed: (1) enzymatic pre-treatment followed by homogenisation (ENZHO), (2) oxidative pre-treatment combined with homogenisation (TOHO) or (3) oxidative pre-treatment followed by sonication (TOSO). All three processes have been experimentally carried out starting from both virgin and recycled cellulose from industrial waste sludge. The environmental sustainability of these three routes is estimated by the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using experimental lab scale data. In this scenario, the comparative LCA has pointed out a superior performance of the ENZHO process, followed by TOHO and, lastly, by TOSO. The influence of energy consumption on the final results has been further investigated by a sensitivity analysis, showing that the TOHO and TOSO routes could reach similar performances by scaling-up the process from the laboratory. The different typology of CNF obtained by conducting the ENZHO process with respect to the TEMPO-mediated oxidation approach is also outlined as an additional element to be considered for the final selection of a suitable process.     

Lithium ion battery production

Recently, new materials and chemistry for lithium ion batteries have been developed. There is a great emphasis on electrification in the transport sector replacing part of motor powered engines with battery powered applications. There are plans both to increase energy efficiency and to reduce the overall need for consumption of non-renewable liquid fuels. Even more significant applications are dependent on energy storage. Materials needed for battery applications require specially made high quality products.Diminishing amounts of easily minable metal ores increase the consumption of separation and purification energy and chemicals. The metals are likely to be increasingly difficult to process. Iron, manganese, lead, zinc, lithium, aluminium, and nickel are still relatively abundant but many metals like cobalt and rare earths are becoming limited resources more rapidly.The global capacity of industrial-scale production of larger lithium ion battery cells may become a limiting factor in the near future if plans for even partial electrification of vehicles or energy storage visions are realized. The energy capacity needed is huge and one has to be reminded that in terms of cars for example production of 100 MWh equals the need of 3000 full-electric cars. Consequently annual production capacity of 10⁶ cars requires 100 factories each with a 300 MWh capacity. Present day lithium ion batteries have limitations but significant improvements have been achieved recently [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]. The main challenges of lithium ion batteries are related to material deterioration, operating temperatures, energy and power output, and lifetime. Increased lifetime combined with a higher recycling rate of battery materials is essential for a sustainable battery industry.     

Emergy Based Analysis of Italian Electricity Production System

The continuously increasing demand for electric power together with the demand of environmental friendly technologies require a deep acknowledgement of the directions to give to electric power production in order to satisfy both necessities. The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability of Italian electric system by using the emergy function, a methodology developed in the early80s by Odum, and its correlated indices. Emergy is a thermodynamic based function that calculates all the fluxes of energy requested to obtain a product going backward to the solar energy invested. We analyzed all the inputs concurring to the yield of electricity taking into account not only the final phases of the production but also all the sources and materials that had been necessary for the system to operate. We have performed a wide analysis of all the different types of production focusing on thermoelectric sector. We have obtained not only a thermodynamic analysis of electricity production but also an evaluation of the sustainability of the entire process and a scenario for a correct exploitation of resources. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF MELANIN: AN ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE STUDY OF SENSITIZED RADICAL PRODUCTION AND OXYGEN CONSUMPTION

Abstract Rose Bengal is shown to photosensitize free-radical production and oxygen consumption in solutions of melanin from autooxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). In anaerobic solutions the sensitizer enhances rates of free-radical production by up to a factor of 20. In aerobic solutions, rates of oxygen consumption can be increased by a factor of several hundred. The reactions appear to involve the triplet state of the sensitizer. The effect of the sensitizer in increasing oxygen consumption is quenched by low concentrations of azide and enhanced by D₂O, suggesting that a singlet oxygen mechanism is involved.