Raw Material Acquisition Research Articles

Sustainable supplier selection for the cold supply chain (CSC) in the context of a developing country

Cold supply chain (CSC) is a process that involves temperature-controlled activities ranging from the acquisition of raw materials and down to the end consumers. A sustainable cold chain supplier is the one that incorporates sustainable practices in its complete cycle of operations. This is to ensure keeping the products from going to waste, especially in the case of a developing country. To identify the driving factors towards the sustainable cold chain supplier, this study utilizes the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach in the first phase. Fifteen various sustainability factors were analyzed and the “utilization of renewable resources” factor concluded to be the most important driving factor. By implementing renewable resources, a supplier can be able to convert its manufacturing processes and services to sustainable assets. The second phase of this study conducts the selection of cold chain suppliers in the context of Pakistan. For this purpose, fuzzy VIKOR, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique is incorporated to analyze eight suppliers based on fifteen distinct criteria. The results concluded Mitchell foods to be the most economically, environmentally and socially sustainable suppliers in the context of Pakistan. This study recommends providing business-friendly incentives to suppliers like Mitchells and new investors who tend to keep their operations sustainable by adopting renewable resources. Furthermore, the relaxation of taxes and creating job employability by working with sustainable suppliers can contribute positively towards economic growth and the overall society. The study holds novelty in the area of cold chain supplier selection for Pakistan by utilizing a novel approach in the form of ISM and fuzzy VIKOR techniques, thus forming a major application of this research study.

Transport of frozen products as a source of environmental and consumer risks

The article presents the problems related to changes in the quality of frozen food due to its transport, from the point of view of the burden on the environment and the risk for the consumer. The paper presents physical, chemical, and microbiological threats to the quality of frozen food, which are caused by conditions related to the logistics process. Transport of frozen products, which is an essential part of the logistics process, is described in the context of the ATP agreement, the concept of sustainable development, and the HACCP system. As a result of the discussion, it was found that the quality of frozen products during transport may change as a result of different processes and dynamics, which depend on the logistics process as a result of many variables. The logistics process should therefore be considered as a set of related operations from acquisition of raw materials, through production, storage, transport, and distribution, to consumption. The discussion made make it possible to conclude that the integrity of logistics processes determines the quality of frozen products, the final level of which should be considered in terms of the environmental burden and the threats to the safety of consumers. The socio-economic progress and the increasing globalisation in the trade of goods lead to an intensified use of transport processes, the implementation of which should be optimised to ensure high quality of transported goods, including frozen food, and to reduce environmental pollution.

Life-Cycle Assessment of Carbon Footprint of Bike-Share and Bus Systems in Campus Transit

Low-carbon transport system is desired for sustainable cities. The study aims to compare carbon footprint of two transportation modes in campus transit, bus and bike-share systems, using life-cycle assessment (LCA). A case study was conducted for the four-campus (College Ave, Cook/Douglass, Busch, Livingston) transit system at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). The life-cycle of two systems were disaggregated into four stages, namely, raw material acquisition and manufacture, transportation, operation and maintenance, and end-of-life. Three uncertain factors—fossil fuel type, number of bikes provided, and bus ridership—were set as variables for sensitivity analysis. Normalization method was used in two impact categories to analyze and compare environmental impacts. The results show that the majority of CO2 emission and energy consumption comes from the raw material stage (extraction and upstream production) of the bike-share system and the operation stage of the campus bus system. The CO2 emission and energy consumption of the current campus bus system are 46 and 13 times of that of the proposed bike-share system, respectively. Three uncertain factors can influence the results: (1) biodiesel can significantly reduce CO2 emission and energy consumption of the current campus bus system; (2) the increased number of bikes increases CO2 emission of the bike-share system; (3) the increase of bus ridership may result in similar impact between two systems. Finally, an alternative hybrid transit system is proposed that uses campus buses to connect four campuses and creates a bike-share system to satisfy travel demands within each campus. The hybrid system reaches the most environmentally friendly state when 70% passenger-miles provided by campus bus and 30% by bike-share system. Further research is needed to consider the uncertainty of biking behavior and travel choice in LCA. Applicable recommendations include increasing ridership of campus buses and building a bike-share in campus to support the current campus bus system. Other strategies such as increasing parking fees and improving biking environment can also be implemented to reduce automobile usage and encourage biking behavior.

Unpacking Decoloniality and Decolonial Education: South Africa and the World

In this article I unpack the terms ‘decoloniality’ and ‘decolonial’ as a means to address their respective histories in the South African context whilst also drawing on key examples within the global South. Many countries in the global South share histories of usurpation, coloniality and brutality at the hands of the same European colonisers. So, I offer, with overlaps, examples of the early stages of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Spanish, Italian and German colonialism, and their attempts at enslavement and colonisation. Whilst colonisation was for Europeans an escape from poverty, warfare, famine and disease, the pro- mise of immediate and continued wealth through usurpation, settler-coloniality and the acquisition of raw materials through forced slave labour in Africa and the Americas, it secured their prosperity into the eighteenth and nineteenth cen- turies, the afterlife of which they remain beneficiaries to, and which historical texts fraudulently offer them praiseworthy mention as empire builders.

Life cycle assessment of wind farms in Ethiopia

The overall aim of this study is to contribute to the creation of LCA database on electricity generation systems in Ethiopia. This study specifically estimates the environmental impacts associated with wind power systems supplying high voltage electricity to the national grid. The study has regional significance as the Ethiopian electric system is already supplying electricity to Sudan and Djibouti and envisioned to supply to other countries in the region. Three different grid-connected wind power systems consisting of four different models of wind turbines with power rates between 1 and 1.67 MW were analyzed for the situation in Ethiopia. The assessment takes into account all the life cycle stages of the total system, cradle to grave, considering all the processes related to the wind farms: raw material acquisition, manufacturing of main components, transporting to the wind farm, construction, operation and maintenance, and the final dismantling and waste treatment. The study has been developed in line with the main principles of the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standard procedures. The analysis is done using SimaPro software 8.0.3.14 multi-user, Ecoinvent database version 3.01, and ReCiPe 2008 impact assessment method. The assumed operational lifetime as a baseline is 20 years. The average midpoint environmental impact of Ethiopian wind power system per kWh electricity generated is for climate change: 33.6 g CO2 eq., fossil depletion: 8 g oil eq., freshwater ecotoxicity: 0.023 g 1,4-DCB eq., freshwater eutrophication: 0.005 g N eq., human toxicity: 9.9 g 1,4-DCB eq., metal depletion: 18.7 g Fe eq., marine ecotoxicity: 0.098 g 1,4-DCB eq., particulate matter formation: 0.097 g PM10 eq., photochemical oxidant formation: 0.144 g NMVOC, and terrestrial acidification: 0.21 g SO2 eq. The pre-operation phase that includes the upstream life cycle stage is the largest contributor to all the environmental impacts, with shares ranging between 82 and 96%. The values of cumulative energy demand (CED) and energy return on investment (EROI) for the wind power system are 0.393 MJ and 9.2, respectively. The pre-operation phase is the largest contributor to all the environmental impact categories. The sensitivity and scenario analyses indicate that changes in wind turbine lifespans, capacity factors, exchange rates for parts, transport routes, and treatment activities would result in significant changes in the LCA results.

Use of life cycle assessment and water quality analysis to evaluate the environmental impacts of the bioremediation of polluted water

The lakes along the Yangtze River are important source of pollutants that ultimately flow from the river into the East China Sea. Bioremediation is a green technology used to treat polluted water in lakes along the Yangtze River. Life cycle assessment and a comprehensive water quality index are used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of constructed wetlands (CWs), ecological floating beds (EFBs), and combined ecological floating beds (CEFBs). The results showed that the raw material acquisition, construction, and operation of the CWs, EFBs, and CEFBs accounted for 24.1%, 35.3%, and 40.6%, respectively, of the total environmental impact. The acquisition of raw materials to construct the bioremediation system accounted for 51.6% of the total environmental impact. Among the nine impact categories considered, the system's global warming potential was the largest. Among the three stages of the project (raw material acquisition, construction, and operation), construction had the largest impact on eutrophication (the eutrophic potential of the construction stage was the largest). Furthermore, the operation of the project reduced the human eco-toxicity potential. The evaluation of the water quality before and after implementing the project revealed that CEFBs purified the water more effectively than CWs and EFBs did, particularly with respect to the removal of the total phosphorus.

Ocher in Late Paleolithic Contexts at the Kovrizhka IV Site, the Baikal-Patom Highlands (Eastern Siberia, Russia)

This paper deals with numerous ocher remains found in cultural layers 6, 2G, and 2B of the Paleolithic site Kovrizhka IV on the Vitim River, in the Baikal-Patom Highlands (Eastern Siberia). These layers are dated by radiocarbon to the interval of ~19.2–18.3 ka cal BP. In cultural layers 2B and 2G, ocher colored the living fl oors and combustion areas. Stratigraphic observations indicate that this was done at the very beginning of the occupation. In layer 6, traces of ocher were present on an anthropomorphic fi gurine made of mammoth ivory, and pieces of ocher were found near the head of another such fi gurine. In layer 2B, a large piece of ocher was unearthed at the edge of the hearth. Ocher residues were also detected by use-wear analysis on certain artifacts. This variety of patterns suggests different functions of ocher, possibly both symbolic and utilitarian. The mineral composition of ocher was assessed by X-ray diffraction analysis. In all three layers, hematite is associated with quartz. In layer 2G, an additional type of ocher was identifi ed, containing impurities, such as calcite and chlorite. Known sources of ocher are located in the distribution areas of magnetite and hematite ores, over 500 km southwest and southeast of Kovrizhka IV. The importance of ocher in the life of these societies is discussed in light of the archaeological evidence and the longdistance raw material acquisition patterns of ocher.

Pegada de carbono da produção de pão francês em padaria no nordeste brasileiro

A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma importante metodologia para avaliar os aspectos e os impactos ambientais de um produto, bem ou serviço. A ACV é uma ferramenta analítica de gestão ambiental que pode analisar a aquisição de matéria-prima, fabricação, utilização, manutenção e até seu destino final. Este estudo quantificou os impactos ambientais associados à produção do pão francês em uma panificadora no Nordeste brasileiro. Os métodos de avaliação de impacto ambiental empregados na ACV foram IPCC 2013 GWP 100a (midpoint, que expressa os impactos ambientais em kg CO2-eq) e o ReCiPe (endpoint, que agrupa impactos na saúde humana, danos ao ecossistema e uso de recursos energéticos). Constatou-se que a fonte energética com maior impacto ambiental foi o gás natural, para ambos os métodos aplicados, chegando a contribuir com mais de 23% para o impacto final. Como o gás natural participou do mix energético da panificadora em maior porcentagem, também foi responsável pela maior parcela de custos. O briquete de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar apresentou baixos níveis de impactos ambientais e preço reduzido, mas a substituição do gás natural pelo briquete não é direta e deve considerar seu poder calorífico, bem mais baixo. 

Acquisition of Stone Raw Material and Pecularities of the Lithic Technology in the Initial Upper Paleolithic of Mongolia: the «Horizon of Hearths» at the Tolbor 21 Site

Acquisition of Stone Raw Material and Pecularities of the Lithic Technology in the Initial Upper Paleolithic of Mongolia: the «Horizon of Hearths» at the Tolbor 21 Site

Could the recycled yarns substitute for the virgin cotton yarns: a comparative LCA

Cotton yarns spun from natural fibers are widely used in the apparel industry. Most of waste cotton goods are now disposed by incineration or landfill, which brings resource and environmental challenges to the society. Using the waste cotton to spin yarns is an alternative way to forward a more sustainable future. In this research, two scenarios for the environmental impacts of yarns spun from corresponding fibers are investigated, including recycled cotton fibers and virgin cotton fibers. The life cycle assessment (LCA) has been conducted according to the collected data from on-site investigation of typical production factories. The life cycle for the recycled cotton yarn production is divided into five stages, i.e., raw material acquisition, transportation, breaking, mixing, and spinning. The life cycle of virgin cotton yarn production is been divided into four stages, i.e., raw material acquisition, transportation, mixing, and spinning. The functional unit is 1000 kg produced yarns which are used for weaving into the fabrics. Notable impacts on climate change, fossil depletion, water depletion, and human toxicity were observed. The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results show that environmental impacts of recycled cotton yarns are far less than those of virgin cotton yarns, except for climate change and water depletion. The reason is that the land occupation and irrigation water have great impact on environmental impacts of cotton cultivation. In spinning, the electricity is the key factor whose environmental impacts account for the most in the virgin cotton yarn scenario, while the electricity and water consumptions are the key factors for the recycled cotton yarn scenario in the life cycle of yarn production. The sensitivity analysis indicates that improving energy efficiency can significantly reduce environmental burdens for both the two scenarios. The uncertainty distribution of water depletion, human toxicity, fossil depletion, and climate change of the two scenarios were determined with a 90% confidence interval. The LCIA results reveal recycled cotton yarn is a viable alternative to relieve resource and environmental pressure. About 0.5 ha of agricultural land can be saved, 6600 kg CO2 eq can be reduced, and 2783 m3 irrigation water can be saved by using 1000 kg of the recycled cotton yarns. It can be concluded that the recycled cotton fibers can be served as a substitute for virgin cotton fibers to reduce agricultural land and avoid environmental impacts generated from the cotton planting.

Sustainable packaging: an evaluation of crates for food through a life cycle approach

PurposeThe packaging system plays an essential role in the logistic chain and takes into account the rise in packaging demand and consumption. A study on sustainability was carried out through a comparative life cycle assessment in order to quantify and compare the environmental impacts of plastic, corrugated board and wood (solid, MDF and particleboard) crates used for food delivery. Single-use and multi-use systems were considered and compared.MethodsAccording to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, the whole life cycle of crates was divided into four primary phases: raw materials acquisition, crate manufacturing, transport (including the reuse, if applicable) and final disposal. The functional unit used for this study was 1 crate with an external dimension of 400 × 600 × 240 mm and with an inner volume of 50 l. The comparison focused on the critical parameters expected to have a higher influence on the results, such as the distances for delivery and the number of reuses for multi-use crates. All input data came from sector studies, literature and Ecoinvent database. The results were evaluated according to 8 impact categories. Two sensitivity analyses were performed.Results and discussionThe most relevant impacts are linked to transport, electricity and raw materials contributions. Cumulative energy demand results show that the renewable energy resources in the case of plastic crates are about 3% while for the other type of crates exceed the 30% reaching the 77.5% in the case of solid wood crate. The environmental impacts result lower for multi-use plastic crate due to its possibility of being reused during its lifetime, avoiding the high impacts of the manufacturing. The best option among the single-use systems is the solid wood crate. The final results of the sensitivity analysis applied to the transport distances show that the impacts related to solid wood are more stable than plastic. Concerning the end-of-life scenarios, a significant decreasing (around 14.7%) in the global warming potential can be reached increasing the crates recycling till 100%.Conclusions and recommendationsThe best crate materials are plastic crates if a recovery system is planned; otherwise, the best choice is the wood crate. It is preferable to use raw material, such as solid wood than processed material, such as particle board, MDF and corrugated board. In performing this type of analysis, it is important to have accurate data, preferentially primary data, in particular for plastic crates as evidenced by the sensitivity analysis.

Identifying new quarries as a method for expanding research: A GIS case study from the Mesa Verde region in the American Southwest

The study of stone-tool raw material acquisition to evaluate temporal changes in regional sociopolitical organization and economic-related behaviors in the American Southwest is relatively rare when compared to pottery studies for the same purpose. To promote and conduct more meaningful study of these activities using lithic remains, we contend that the location of additional local raw material quarries must be identified and documented. Because of known data gaps in regional quarry datasets, we develop a method to identify additional quarries in the central Mesa Verde region of the American Southwest using a multi-step GIS approach. Our exploratory analysis of new quarry sites uses community-center site locations coupled with a site suitability analysis (a Linear Scale Transformation of geological attributes) to identify future survey target areas. This method of identifying areas that are highly suitable for local raw materials seeks to both optimize our time in the field, while also providing us with additional data points to conduct more sophisticated GIS analyses. Our analysis has identified areas of western Papoose and Ruin Canyons that will serve as the target of future surveys, with the goal of ground truthing our model and discovering, and documenting, new local quarries.

Challenges and Solutions for Non-Timber Forest Product Businesses in Finland–An Application of the SODA Analysis

This study aims to present a holistic image of the strategic development needs and potential solutions within the Finnish non-timber forest product (NTFP) business sector and demonstrate a new hybrid methodology for collaborative strategy formulation. The perceived challenges and solutions were collected with the 635 group-working method in a nationwide series of NTFP actor workshops. The analysis applied the Strategic Option Development and Analysis (SODA) approach and the formal network analysis. Business actors emphasised two complex and interrelated aims of development at the core of the business activity: (1) to improve the profitability of the NTFP business and (2) to facilitate the growth of the sector. The present bottleneck is perceived in the raw material acquisition and productising, and many wider development themes, such as business logic and sustainability, received little attention.

CO2 footprint for distribution oil immersed transformers according to ISO 14067:2018

In the last few decades, climate change and the global warming have emerged as important environmental issues. The cause of global warming is the increase of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). There are several greenhouse gases responsible for global warming: water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and others. They are mostly the result of the fossil fuels' combustion in cars, buildings, factories, and power plants. The gas responsible for the most of the global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase in the greenhouse gas emissions leads to a greater interest of the consumers, board management and stakeholders in the environmental impact of their activities, products and services.The verification of the Carbon Footprint of distribution oil immersed transformer, presented in this paper, was recognized as an opportunity for the company to understand its own environmental impact and to identify inefficiencies and opportunities within its business.Carbon Footprint of a Product (CFP) is a rather new term closely related to the greenhouse gas emissions. The CFP is considered as a total of the greenhouse emissions generated during the life cycle of a product – that is, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to a final disposal. It is described within the standard ISO 14067:2018 Carbon footprint of products – Requirements and guidelines for quantification [1]. This standard belongs to the environmental series ISO 14000 and enables the organization to demonstrate its environmental responsibility.Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as well as the Carbon Footprint of products together with environmental impact of the product, are shown in this paper in accordance with standard ISO 14067:2018. The LCA is a method for the quantification of the environmental impacts of individual products. It takes into account a complete life cycle, starting from a raw material production, until the product’s final disposal or materials’ recycling in accordance with ISO 14040 [2] and ISO 14044 [3]. Greenhouse gases are expressed in mass-based CO2 equivalents (CO2e), which is the unit of measurement in the ISO 14067:2018 standard. The functional unit in ISO 14067:2018 can be either a product or a service. In this paper, the functional unit was the product – oil immersed distribution transformer, in four product variations. The LCA scope used in the preparation of this study was "cradle to gate" – it covers the CFP from the acquisition of the raw materials ("cradle") up to dispatch from the factory ("gate").The objectives of product life cycle considerations in Končar D&ST Inc. are to reduce the use of natural resources and emissions to the environment, as well as to improve social performance at different stages of the product life cycle.By linking the economic and ecological dimension of the production, different aspects during realization of product in all phases of the life cycle come together. In this way company achieves cleaner products and processes, competitive advantage in the market and improved platform that will meet the needs of the changing business climate.Lifecycle thinking is based on the principles of reducing environmental impacts at the beginning of product creation, giving a wider picture of material and energy flow and ultimately environmental pollution prevention. These principles are organized in Končar D&ST Inc. internally by planning and introducing cleaner manufacturing processes, environmental protection management and eco-design.Incorporating ISO 14067:2018 into company business is recognized as an opportunity for transparent communication to interested parties, incorporating CO2 emissions into annual reports and as a baseline information for a first step towards managing carbon emissions.

Supply Chain Analysis with focus on Africa FEEM's Methodological Approach

Supply chain analysis is an expression used to refer to the process of investigating and studying the role and contribution of each economic agent along the supply chain (actors such as producers, traders and consumers, as well as legal entities such as businesses, authorities and development organizations) that contributes directly to the generation of a final product or service. It involves the evaluation of every stage of the supply chain starting from the raw material or intermediate product acquisition and finishes downstream, after several stages of transformation or increase in value and the final delivery of the product to the costumer. The rise of globalization caused global trading to become more common, increasing the role and importance of supply chain management. Global supply chains usually extend between industrialized and developing countries, in which the variation of economy, regulations, legalisation and standards pose difficulties in managing the supply chain. Usually developing countries play the role of raw material suppliers or manufacturers to industrialized countries. However, they face problems affecting the performance of the supply chain, which include instability of governments and policies, corruption, labour intensive industries, deteriorated infrastructures, limited use of new technologies, underemployment, child labour, and low education level of the population. This report provides a set of simple and easy to follow tools for analysing supply chains in developing countries.

Application of scenario analysis for assessing the environmental impacts of thermal energy substitution and electrical energy efficiency in clinker production by life cycle approach

In this work, a life cycle approach is used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of thermal energy substitution and electrical energy efficiency applications in clinker production, which is a highly energy-intensive process. Sixteen scenarios are designed in addition to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario by considering two approaches: (1) eight scenarios that feature different types (dried sludge [DS], refuse-derived fuel [RDF], and residual oil) and substitution rates (15% and 30% of thermal energy) of alternative fuels and (2) eight scenarios that consider the projected electricity consumption and electricity generation mix for 2023 in Turkey. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted, including raw material acquisition from nature, transportation of all materials to a cement plant, raw material preparation, raw meal milling, and kiln burning. The life cycle impacts are assessed with the IMPACT 2002+ method, including both the midpoint and endpoint approaches. As the substitution rate of dried sludge and RDF is increased from 15% to 30%, all midpoint impacts are improved except respiratory inorganics because of the additional electricity usage of the pretreatment processes of those waste fuels before incineration in cement kiln. Reducing the specific amount of electricity consumption and the preferred electrical energy produced through renewable sources in clinker production is a more suitable option compared with the thermal energy substitution scenarios. In terms of overall environmental burden, Scenario 6E, which uses RDF with a thermal substitution rate of 30%, is the most environmentally friendly option among the 16 scenarios. On the contrary, Scenario 5, which uses dried sludge with a thermal substitution rate of 30%, is the worst option.

Screening of active anti-myocardial ischemia components of Panax notoginseng based on molecular docking technology

The molecular docking technology was used in this study to virtually screen the active anti-myocardial ischemic components in Panax notoginseng, clarify the compositions of the anti-myocardial ischemic component unit and the basis for pharmacological activity of P. notoginseng, and provide the basis for the acquisition of the component raw materials and the formulation design before the preparations. One hundred and nineteen compounds in P. notoginseng were collected by searching TCMSP to establish the ligand database, and TNF, IL1 B, NFKBIA, and NOS3 which were related with myocardial ischemia were selected to create the receptor database. Then Discovery Studio software LibDock module was used to dock the ligands and receptors, with the approved small-molecule drugs which were related to targets or the treatment of myocardial ischemia disease in the DrugBank as the reference, and the average scores of approved small-molecule drugs were set as the threshold. A total of 13 compounds with a score above the threshold and in the top ranking were virtually screened. The study showed that all the 13 components screened out were saponins, which constituted the main component unit of the anti-myocardial ischemic activity of P. notoginseng, namely the P. notoginseng saponin components. After the comparative analysis of the main active residues of the approved commercial drugs and P. notoginseng saponin components on each target, the similarity of their effects suggested that the P. notoginseng saponin components may have the same anti-myocardial ischemic efficacy as clinical drugs. The components of P. notoginseng which exerted anti-myocardial ischemic activity were mainly the saponin components. The preliminary screening of the active anti-myocardial ischemic components of P. notoginseng had been completed, which provided a certain reference for the development of anti-myocardial ischemic Chinese medicine component preparations.

Insertion of Silicon Carbide as Cutting Element in Ecological Fickerts for Dimension Stone Polishing

The dimension stone polishing consists of eliminating the surface roughness of the slabs with the use of fickerts. The main tools used for this activity are composed of epoxy resin, derived from petroleum, which contains chemical elements with harmful potential to the environment and human health. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to develop new technologies with the lowest environmental impact in the life cycle, from the raw material acquisition to the waste disposal. This study aims to contribute to the improvement of an ecological fickert developed by the Centre for Mineral Technology (CETEM). The fickerts presented here are composed of castor oil resin, silicon carbide and silica from rice hull ash. Two different compositional formulas were used for the preparation of the pieces that were tested in an industrial polishing machine. The results showed that the formula with higher percentage of fillers showed better performance, expressed by the relation between the loss of mass of the pieces and the increase of gloss on the surface of the slab. Other particularities of the product, as the high abrasion resistance of the matrix that reduced the cutting function, could be solved by choosing a filler with a lower hardness. This fact allows to infer that this line of research presents great potential of applicability in the dimension stones market.

Trend in environmental impact of the energy produced and distributed by wind power systems

Wind turbine (WT) manufacturers are focusing on reducing the cost of energy produced by new models; however, the same consideration has not been given to their environmental consequences, nor the academic literature. For these reasons, the case study focuses on the environmental performance of the energy generated and distributed by the models launched from 2010 to 2018 by a world-leading manufacturer. It has been shown that, in relation to the year of release, the impacts per kWh of electricity generated and distributed increase on annual average in the four categories of environmental impact analysed: acidification potential, 11.3%; eutrophication potential, 34.5%; global warming potential, 7.8%; and photochemical ozone, 3.2%. The “Raw material acquisition and WT manufacturing” phase accounts for 49% to 74% of the global impacts generated, depending on the model and the category analysed. This is mainly due to energy consumption in the manufacturing of blades and consumption of electrical and electronic components in cabinets and converter. In the “Construction of wind farms” phase, impacts vary between 21 and 41%. Transport, steel and concrete in the foundations and metals in the transmission network are the most critical aspects. In the “Operation and Maintenance” phase, impacts vary between 3.5 and 27%, but it is the phase with the highest growth in impact, mainly due to the replacement of larger blades. Finally, the “End-of-Life” phase generates the lowest impact (between 0.3 and 4%). The research highlights the need to control the environmental impacts of all energy sources, including renewable energies.

O FLUXO MONTANTE NA LOGÍSTICA DE UMA FARMÁCIA ESCOLA PÚBLICA:

A gestão de materiais é um dos processos mais críticos nas farmácias-escola públicas brasileiras. Vários desafios se colocam em vista da necessidade de compatibilizar as exigências impostas tanto pela Lei 8666/93 quanto pela RDC nº 44/2009 ao processo de aquisição de medicamentos e matérias-primas, com a dinâmica do setor produtivo. Este estudo de caso buscou analisar as variáveis do processo de gestão de materiais que interferem positiva ou negativamente na administração de uma farmácia escola pública situada em Niterói. Através da observação direta e da análise documental, o processo foi mapeado. Os resultados de três pregões eletrônicos foram acompanhados, observando-se alto percentual de itens cancelados na aceitação do pregão (média 44,3; dp=28,3); apenas 29,5% dos produtos entregues no prazo; tempo médio de compras de 48,5 dias (dp=14,9) e uma média de 19.7 % de itens cancelados (dp=17). Entre os pontos críticos identificados destacam-se o sistema de informações gerenciais da logística de materiais e a comunicação com os fornecedores. Os resultados possibilitaram uma revisão dos processos logísticos da farmácia, com potencial redução nos episódios de ruptura de estoques.