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"Sustainable processing"
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Enhancing urban sustainability with data, modeling, and simulation : proceedings of a workshop
\"On January 30-31, 2019 the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics, in collaboration with the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, convened a workshop in Washington, D.C. to explore the frontiers of mathematics and data science needs for sustainable urban communities. The workshop strengthened the emerging interdisciplinary network of practitioners, business leaders, government officials, nonprofit stakeholders, academics, and policy makers using data, modeling, and simulation for urban and community sustainability, and addressed common challenges that the community faces. Presentations highlighted urban sustainability research efforts and programs under way, including research into air quality, water management, waste disposal, and social equity and discussed promising urban sustainability research questions that improved use of big data, modeling, and simulation can help address. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop\"--Publisher's description.
Book
Enzyme-assisted valorization of plant bioresources for functional bioproducts. A review
Plant bioresources are an abundant, sustainable, and underutilized source of essential bioactive substances for use in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical sectors. The increased demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly processing technologies has fueled interest in enzyme-assisted valorization as a greener alternative to traditional extraction methods. This review emphasizes the relevance of plant bioresources and functioning bioproducts, particularly the use of enzymes in green extraction methods. The many kinds of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes that contribute to biomass valorization are described, as well as their modes of action. Uses of enzyme-assisted extraction in the production of functional bioproducts are discussed, followed by a review of commercial scale-up issues, economic feasibility, and regulatory implications. In terms of sustainability, selectivity, and environmental effect, enzyme-assisted approaches can outperform traditional, microwave, ultrasound, and pressurized liquid extraction procedures. Enzymes can selectively break down complex polysaccharides and phenolic chemicals. Challenges persist in enzyme cost, capacity, and regulatory barriers. Future studies should focus on optimizing enzyme combinations, increasing cost-efficiency through enzyme recycling, and combining enzymatic approaches with other green technologies to improve sustainability. Furthermore, broadening the spectrum of feedstocks and guaranteeing compliance with industry norms will be critical for widespread industrial use of enzyme-assisted procedures.
Journal Article
Design energy simulation for architects : guide to 3D graphics
\"Energy modeling calculations for urban, complex buildings are most effective during the early design phase. And most analysis takes only four to sixteen hours to get results you can use. This software-agnostic book, which is intended for you to use as a professional architect, shows you how to reduce the energy use of all buildings. Written by a practicing architect who specializes in energy modeling, the book includes case studies of net-zero buildings, of Living Building Challenge-certified buildings, as well as of projects with less lofty goals to demonstrate how energy simulation has helped designers make early decisions. Within each case study, author Kjell Anderson mentions the software used and other software that could have been used to get similar results so that you learn general concepts without being tied to particular programs. Each chapter builds on the theory from previous chapters, includes a summary of concept-level hand calculations (if applicable), and gives comprehensive explanations with examples. Topics covered include comfort, design energy simulation, climate analysis, master planning, conceptual design, design development, and existing buildings so that you can create more responsive designs quicker\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Approach towards sustainable circular economy: waste biorefinery for the production of cellulose nanocrystals
The rapid increase in solid waste along with urbanisation, especially arising from the industrial and agricultural sectors, sparks concern from the public regarding their adverse impact on human and environmental wellness. Therefore, waste biorefinery is the current interest that aligns with the concept of ‘waste-to-wealth’. The conversion of waste into valuable products such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is an alternative method of circular waste management as CNCs have various applications. Their non-toxicity, biocompatibility, excellent mechanical strength, and load-bearing properties render them a good reinforcement agent for packaging films, sensors, and scaffolds. Nonetheless, the lack of studies on the comparison of waste sources and the complex parameters for the extraction of CNCs hinders the development of CNC extraction from waste products. This review paper compares and organizes the information from previously published scientific papers and reports on waste product sources, methods, parameters, and environmental effects of the derivation of CNCs from waste. Previously, no thorough reviews have been done closely on the sustainability aspect of CNC extraction from waste products. Through this review, it shows that there is a positive trend where novel CNC extraction routes are discovered to improve the yield, environmental friendliness, performance, and cost. However, most of the studies did not specify the environmental impacts of the extraction routes, limiting their feasibility for conventional applications.
Journal Article
Hydrogen-Based Reduction Technologies in Low-Carbon Sustainable Ironmaking and Steelmaking: A Review
The traditional ironmaking technologies (including coking, sintering, pelletizing, and BF ironmaking process) are carbon-intensive, which makes the industry a significant contributor to global CO
2
emissions. Hydrogen replacement of carbon in steelmaking processes is a sustainable way to reduce CO
2
emissions. First, the reduction thermodynamics and kinetics of iron oxide by carbon and hydrogen are compared. Then, the latest researches on different hydrogen reduction technologies in ironmaking industry are compared and analyzed. Based on this, the advantages and problems faced by hydrogen-based reduction over carbon-based reduction are presented. And finally, the possible pathways for the future development of hydrogen metallurgy are proposed, hoping to provide guidance for the hydrogen metallurgy in the steel industry. The reduction product of hydrogen metallurgy is H
2
O, and has a faster reduction rate than CO reduction. Therefore, hydrogen metallurgy is considered to be an effective way to achieve low-carbon green transformation in the metallurgical industry.
Graphical Abstract
Journal Article
Exploiting the mechanical properties and optimising wear characteristics of Mg–Al–Zn hybrid composites reinforced with Si3N4 and MoS2
The advancement of lightweight structural materials with enhanced wear resistance continues to be a significant problem for magnesium-based alloys exploited in engineering applications. This research investigates the constraints of mechanical integrity and subpar tribological performance in Mg–Al–Zn alloys by integrating Si
3
N
4
and MoS
2
hybrid reinforcements through a powder metallurgy approach. The effect of reinforcement content on density, hardness, and compressive strength was assessed, and wear behaviour was optimised through a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array to determine the main variables influencing the tribological responses. Three different trials (1–3) were used to analyse the mechanical properties with varied processing parameters, and its microstructure and mechanical properties were analysed as per ASTM standards. The microstructure observation revealed that trial 1 (Mg–Al–Zn alloy + 2 wt% Si
3
N
4
+ 2 wt% MoS
2
) and trial 2 (Mg–Al–Zn alloy + 4 wt% Si
3
N
4
+ 2 wt% MoS
2
) showed Si
3
N
4
and MoS
2
particles agglomerating in the Mg alloy due to lower surface energy, while trial 3 (6 wt% of Si
3
N
4
, 2 wt% of MoS
2
) exhibited a refined grain structure and acted as nucleation sites for grain refinement during sintering. SEM morphology inferred that the ceramic particles are uniformly distributed in trial 3 comprising of MoS
2
, 510 °C of sintering temperature, 2.5 h soaking time, 550 MPa compaction pressure, improving mechanical properties such as hardness (43.47 ± 0.1%), compressive strength (51.16 ± 0.2%), and corrosion resistance (30.86 ± 0.01%) compared to trials 2, 3, and the Mg–Al–Zn alloy. XRDA confirms that due to higher sintering temperatures, Mg alloy interacts with ceramic particles to form the Mg
2
Si, Mg
3
N
2
interface. The intermixture’s enhanced particle diffusion and bonding resulted in improved corrosion resistance. ANOVA analysis confirmed that Trial 3 confirmed that applied load significantly influences wear rate and CoF, with a contribution exceeding 90% and
p
< 0.05 in CoF analysis, followed by sliding speed and distance.
Journal Article
An Overview on Management and Valorisation of Winery Wastes
As we address important societal needs, the circular economy equips us with the means to jointly combat climate change and biodiversity loss, including the revaluation of waste. The wine-making process is a huge generator of waste, creating problems for manufacturers every year; therefore, an appropriate management and valorisation of winery wastes are crucial, even if it is difficult. This results from the hardship of disposing of grape marc, which is considered a pollutant for the environment. In the past, the simplest option for this waste disposal was the payment of a fee around EUR 3000, which recently increased up to EUR 30,000–40,000. Several environmentally friendly technologies have been proposed for the recovery of cellar waste. Fermentation of grape residue, pruning, or wine-making lees have been reported to yield lactic acid, surfactants, xylitol, ethanol, and other compounds. In addition, grape pulp and seeds are rich in phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant properties, and tartaric acid from vinasse can be extracted and marketed. Additionally, complex phenol mixtures, such as those found in wine residues (seeds, bark, stems, or leaves), are effective as chemotherapeutic agents and can be used in medicine. In this review, the potential of using wine-making by-products, extracts, and their constituent parts as raw materials for adsorbents, biopolymers, natural reinforcing fillers, and sustainable energy production will be a key point of discussion. An overview on how wine producers, based on wine and wastes chemistry, can implement the circular economy as an alternative to the conventional linear economy (make, use, dispose) will be provided.
Journal Article
Influence of the Degree of Substitution of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Binders on the Properties and Performance of Aqueously Processed LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2‐Based Positive Electrodes—A Comparative Study
The production of positive electrodes for lithium ion batteries typically involves the use of the environmentally harmful solvent N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone to process the binder polyvinylidene difluoride. An alternative approach is aqueous processing with more environmentally friendly binding agents (BAs) like sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). This article investigates the influence of the degree of substitution (DS) of CMC, indicating the average number of hydroxy groups substituted with carboxymethyl groups, on the microstructure, as well as on the physical properties of LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2‐based positive electrodes. The results indicate a higher DS to be associated with enhanced electronic conductivity and improved adhesion of/within the composite electrode. Battery cells containing aqueously processed electrodes with CMC, with a DS of 1.2, displayed enhanced cycling stability and rate capability in comparison to cells based on CMCs with a lower DS of 0.9 and 0.7. This is attributed to stabilizing effects that occurred during the process of electrode drying. These became more prominent with increasing DS and resulted in the formation of electrodes with higher initial porosity and a favorable distribution of the carbon binder domain comprised of BA and conductive additive. Aqueous processing of positive electrodes is a crucial step toward sustainable production of lithium ion batteries. Therein, the individual properties of the binding agent can largely influence processing, the physical electrode properties, and thus, the electrochemical performance and cycle life. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the influence of the degree of substitution within sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is conducted.
Journal Article
Sustainable Cellulose Production from Agro-Industrial Waste: A Comprehensive Review
The growing demand for sustainable and renewable materials has intensified interest in agro-industrial waste as an alternative source of cellulose. This review critically examines current approaches to cellulose production from major agro-industrial residues, including cereal straw, corn residues, rice waste, sugarcane bagasse, and oilseed by-products. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between feedstock composition and extraction efficiency, highlighting how lignin distribution, hemicellulose content, and mineral impurities influence pretreatment severity, cellulose yield, and process sustainability. The review systematically analyzes chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical processing routes, with particular attention being paid to pretreatment strategies, fibrillation intensity, and yield variability. Beyond cellulose recovery, key sustainability indicators—such as energy demand, water and chemical consumption, waste generation, and chemical recovery—are evaluated to provide a system-level perspective on process efficiency. The analysis demonstrates that cellulose yield alone is an insufficient criterion for sustainable process design and must be considered alongside environmental and techno-economic metrics. Advanced applications of agro-waste-derived cellulose are discussed using a feedstock-driven approach, showing that high functional performance can often be achieved with moderately processed cellulose tailored to specific end uses. Finally, the review addresses challenges related to feedstock heterogeneity, mineral management, standardization, and industrial scale-up, underscoring the importance of biorefinery integration, closed-loop resource management, and harmonized quality descriptors. These insights provide a foundation for the development of scalable and sustainable cellulose production pathways based on agro-industrial waste.
Journal Article
Development of sustainable and cost efficient textile foam-finishing and its comparison with conventional padding
Conventional padding is a non-sustainable textile processing technique, which consumes excessive water, chemicals and energy. To support the survival of the textile processing industry, researchers have identified the foam technology for application of dyes and finishes. Foam technology is more ecofriendly than the conventional padding. However, the successful foam generation for different finishes is a challenging task. In addition, it is more difficult and complicated task to effectively apply the foam on the fabrics and get the results which should be comparable with the conventional padding. This paper compares the pad-finishing with foam-finishing on the basis of sustainability, cost, productivity, and performance using 11 different non-toxic and sustainable finishes including cross-linkers, oil and water repellents, softeners, and fire retardant on the cotton fabric samples. Cost, productivity, performance and sustainability were estimated through the specific methods. The paper organizes the problem as analytic hierarchy process model and solves the model using super decisions software. The results reveal that the foam-finishing technique is more preferable in terms of cost, productivity and sustainability, if optimized properly. In addition, the successful foam-finishing recipes have been generated and the performance of foam-finishing has been comparable with pad-finishing. For instance, if all the criteria were given the same priority, the foam-finishing recipe with less quantity of chemical was 84.61% better than the pad-finishing. The optimized foam-finishing recipe was 84.55% better than the pad-finishing. In addition, the optimized foam-finishing recipe indicated better finishing performance in term of some important tests as compared to padding.
Journal Article