Search results for "responsible consumption"
showing 10 items of 95 documents
Os-isotope constraints on the dynamics of orogenic mantle: The case of the Central Balkans
2015
Abstract We used Os isotopic systematics to assess the geochemical relationship between the lithospheric mantle beneath the Balkans (Mediterranean), ophiolitic peridotites and lavas derived from the lithospheric mantle. In our holistic approach we studied samples of Tertiary post-collisional ultrapotassic lavas sourced within the lithospheric mantle, placer Pt alloys from Vardar ophiolites, peridotites from nearby Othris ophiolites, as well as four mantle xenoliths representative for the composition of the local mantle lithosphere. Our ultimate aim was to monitor lithospheric mantle evolution under the Balkan part of the Alpine-Himalayan belt. The observations made on Os isotope and highly …
Green composites of organic materials and recycled post-consumer polyethylene
2004
International audience; Addition of organic fillers to post‐consumer recycled plastics can give rise to several advantages. First of all, the cost of these fillers is usually very low, the organic fillers are biodegradable contributing to an improved environmental impact and, last but not least, some mechanical and thermomechanical properties can be enhanced. Organic fillers are not widely used in the plastic industry although their use is increasing. Bad dispersion into the polymer matrix at high‐level content and poor adhesion with the matrix are the more important obstacles to this approach. In this work various organic fillers have been used with a post‐consumer plastic material origina…
Preparation and characterization of continuous fly ash derived glass fibers with improved tensile strength
2018
Abstract The coal-based energy production in China generates more than 600 million tons of coal fly ash (CFA) each year, which drives us searching for new methods for recycling CFA. In this work, continuous glass fibers with a range of CFA (25–45%) were successfully prepared without showing any sign of fiber crystallization. The measured fiber tensile strength was found to increase with CFA proportionally. The fiber derived from 45% CFA exhibited the best tensile strength (higher than the E glass fiber prepared/tested under the same conditions) and good chemical stability (98% mass retention in the acid corrosion test). Our study shows a feasibility of making continuous CFA derived glass fi…
TOWARD A SOLUTION OF ALLOCATION IN LIFE CYCLE INVENTORIES: THE USE OF LEAST SQUARES TECHNIQUES
2010
Purpose: The matrix method for the solution of the so-called inventory problem in LCA generally determines the inventory vector related to a specific system of processes by solving a system of linear equations. The paper proposes a new approach to deal with systems characterized by a rectangular (and thus non-invertible) coefficients matrix. The approach, based on the application of regression techniques, allows solving the system without using computational expedients such as the allocation procedure. Methods: The regression techniques used in the paper are (besides the ordinary least squares, OLS) total least squares (TLS) and data least squares (DLS). In this paper, the authors present t…
Multiobjective optimization of building energy consumption and thermal comfort based on integrated BIM framework with machine learning-NSGA II
2022
Detailed parametric analysis and measurements are required to reduce building energy usage while maintaining acceptable thermal conditions. This research suggested a system that combines Building Information Modeling (BIM), machine learning, and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA II) to investigate the impact of building factors on energy usage and find the optimal design. A plugin is developed to receive sensor data and export all necessary information from BIM to MSSQL and Excel. The BIM model was imported to IDA Indoor Climate and Energy (IDA ICE) to execute an energy consumption simulation and then a pairwise test to produce the sample data set. To study the data set a…
Assembly-Induced Bright-Light Emission from Solution-Processed Platinum(II) Inorganic Polymers
2019
Synthesis, processing, and characterization are reported for a series of tetracyanoplatinate Magnus' salt (TCN-MS) derivatives-soluble derivatives of the generally intractable Magnus' green salt-that feature the general structure [Pt(NH2R)(4)] [Pt(CN)(4)] where R is a branched alkyl group or a w-phenylalkyl group. In solutions, these coordination compounds generally dissolve on the level of individual ion pairs as shown by X-ray diffraction analysis. To enable the formation of quasi-one-dimensional linear stacks of Pt(II) atoms in thin films, the matrix-assisted assembly is employed, whereby the compounds are codissolved with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), followed by film casting, thermally a…
Soil Science Challenges in a New Era: A Transdisciplinary Overview of Relevant Topics
2020
Transdisciplinary approaches that provide holistic views are essential to properly understand soil processes and the importance of soil to society and will be crucial in the future to integrate distinct disciplines into soil studies. A myriad of challenges faces soil science at the beginning of the 2020s. The main aim of this overview is to assess past achievements and current challenges regarding soil threats such as ero-sion and soil contamination related to different United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) including (1) sustainable food production, (2) ensure healthy lives and reduce environmental risks (SDG3), (3) ensure water availability (SDG6), and (4) enhanced soil carbo…
From Buildings' End of Life to Aggregate Recycling under a Circular Economic Perspective: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Case Study
2021
The demolition of buildings, apart from being energy intensive and disruptive, inevitably produces construction and demolition waste (C&Dw). Unfortunately, even today, the majority of this waste ends up underexploited and not considered as valuable resources to be re-circulated into a closed/open loop process under the umbrella of circular economy (CE). Considering the amount of virgin aggregates needed in civil engineering applications, C&Dw can act as sustainable catalyst towards the preservation of natural resources and the shift towards a CE. This study completes current research by presenting a life cycle inventory compilation and life cycle assessment case study of two buildin…
Valorization of Marine Waste: Use of Industrial By-Products and Beach Wrack Towards the Production of High Added-Value Products
2021
Biomass is defined as organic matter from living organisms represented in all kingdoms. It is recognized to be an excellent source of proteins, polysaccharides and lipids and, as such, embodies a tailored feedstock for new products and processes to apply in green industries. The industrial processes focused on the valorization of terrestrial biomass are well established, but marine sources still represent an untapped resource. Oceans and seas occupy over 70% of the Earth’s surface and are used intensively in worldwide economies through the fishery industry, as logistical routes, for mining ores and exploitation of fossil fuels, among others. All these activities produce waste. The other sou…
Promoting Food Waste Reduction at Primary Schools. A Case Study
2021
Food waste (FW) has recently attracted the interest of different institutions and has been the focus of many studies due to its important environmental, social and economic impact. This paper aims to analyze whether a didactic intervention, consisting of informing teachers and pupils and involving pupils in reducing FW, could bring about changes in the level of knowledge and attitude towards FW and in the amount of FW generated during the mid-morning break and lunch at schools. This study was conducted at a public Primary School in Valencia (Spain). Subtle changes in the level of knowledge and attitude towards FW were detected in teachers and pupils after the intervention. Around 30% of FW …