Bottle Caps Research Articles

Polyethylene terephthalate cap‐based bioreactors for combined domestic and dye wastewater treatment

AbstractIn the current study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) and a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) were designed and used to treat actual samples of combined domestic and dye (Congo red) wastewaters over a 10‐hour cycle. A new application of reusing plastic bottle caps in the SBBR and MBBR was examined. In the SBR, maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of up to 66% ± 3% was achieved after nine cycles of operation. In the SBBR, a rapid increase in COD removal efficiency was observed during the first cycle, with a noticeable improvement in performance in subsequent cycles, eventually reaching a maximum COD removal efficiency of 77% ± 3%. In the MBBR, maximum COD removal of up to 88% ± 3% was achieved after nine cycles of operation. The biodegradation occurred during two phases in the SBR and SBBR, as an anaerobic phase in the first 2 hours and then as an aerobic phase in the last 8 hours of operation; the MBBR operated in the fully saturated aerobic phase for 10 hours. Of the three reactors used, results for the MBBR in the fully aerobic condition by using polyethylene terephthalate caps as a biocarrier, demonstrated the optimum conditions under which to treat and biodegrade Congo red at all concentration in each cycle. The maximum removal efficiency, which equalled 99% ± 1%, was recorded at an optimal concentration of 50 mg/L. Additionally, five kinetic models were proposed to assess microbial growth activity, and the results demonstrated the elimination of toxic effects when using polyethylene terephthalate caps as biocarriers in the MBBR. The laboratory experiments were consistent with the Monod model.

Data-driven prediction of possible quality deterioration in injection molding processes

We propose an approach for the automated prediction of possible quality deteriorations at injection molding machines using data-driven models. This approach relies on data solely recorded during the regular production phase without the need to (i.) collect data from anomalous phases, which may be cost-intensive due to production waste, (ii.) perform time-intensive (manual) annotation cycles for assigning class labels, and (iii.) know specific fault modes in advance. Our approach embeds two main concepts: the first is the establishment of causal relations between process variables, which serve as online residual generators. The multi-variate residual signals are analyzed using an advanced independent component analysis, whose reconstruction characteristics serve as a control signal indicating a potential anomaly of any type/mode, upon violation of the internal dependence structure. No parameters are needed for the online analysis, which in turn avoids the use of (pre-collected) data from anomalous phases, which is typically required to tune the parameters properly. The second concept performs a direct prediction of quality criteria, which are permanently by-measured through the usage of an optical inspection system of the produced/molded parts. Time series-based trends of the process data are used to establish quality prediction models based on a specific time series transformation technique. It preserves the local structure of the data to ensure it can be effectively combined with predictive fuzzy systems training. To account for system dynamics, the prior trained prediction models can be automatically updated on the fly with new measurements. To further increase flexibility in the case of higher dynamics, as was the case in our application, a dynamic lazy learning (dLL) approach was developed in combination with partial least squares. This technique is able to permanently update the reference data base and establish a local model per new query sample with reduced input dimensionality. Our approach was successfully evaluated during the real injection molding processes of bottle caps: several real-occurring anomalies and significant changes in material and production parameters were successfully found over a horizon of 7162 production cycles. Furthermore, three essential quality criteria were predicted with a correlation of 0.7, 0.89 and 0.98 between predicted and observed trend lines, with mean absolute error rates below 5%. This makes the detection of quality deteriorations possible at an early stage.

Effect of Dual-task Training on the Upper Limb Functon, Muscle Tone, and Actvites of Daily Living in Women With Chronic Stroke

Background and Aims Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the world; which can cause disability. One of the main goals of rehabilitation in these patients is to improve their upper limb function. Dual-task training (DTT) is one of the rehabilitation methods in stroke patients, which include performing motor tasks along with mental exercises. This study aims to investigate the effect of DTT on upper limb function, elbow flexor muscle tone, wrist extension range of motion (ROM), and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) in women with chronic stroke. Methods In this pilot study, 16 female patients suffering from chronic stroke for more than 6 months were selected and divided into two groups of 8 including training and control. In both groups, the routine treatment included electrical stimulation of quadriceps and dorsiflexors of the affected hand, 10 minutes of bicycling, and performing three movement tasks for the upper limb (sorting colored blocks, opening and closing the bottle cap with the affected hand, and moving the beans with a spoon towards a determined point). In the training group, DTT included performing these three movement tasks simultaneously with performing mental task (counting down from 100). The training was performed for 4 weeks at 12 sessions, three sessions per week. The upper limb function was measured by the box & block test; elbow flexor muscle tone by the modified Ashworth scale; active ROM of wrist extension by a goniometer; and ADL by the Barthel index before and after the treatments. Results No significant difference was found in any variables between the two groups (P>0.05). In both in groups, there was a significant improvement in the three variables of elbow flexor muscle tone, upper limb function, and the ability to perform ADL after interventions compared to baseline (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was found in the active ROM of wrist extension in any groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Training with and without DTT can lead to significant improvement in elbow flexor muscle tone, upper limb function, and the ability to perform ADL in women with chronic stroke. The DTT has no superior effect on these variables.

Shear-Pressure Decoupling and Accurate Perception of Shear Directions in Ionic Sensors by Analyzing the Frequency-Dependent Ionic Behavior.

In artificial tactile sensing, to emulate the human sense of touch, independent perception of shear force and pressure is important. Decoupling the pressure and shear force is a challenging task for ensuring stable grasping manipulation for both soft and brittle objects. This study introduces a deformable ion gel-based tactile sensor that is capable of distinguishing pressure from shear force when pressurized shear force is applied in any direction. Recognition of the decoupled forces and precise shear directions is enabled by acquiring tactile data at only two frequencies (20 Hz and 10 kHz) based on the frequency-dependent ion dynamics. This study demonstrates monitoring the changes in pressure, shear force, and shear directions while performing practical robotic actions, such as pouring a water bottle, opening a water bottle cap, and picking up a book and placing it on a shelf.

Ultrasonically welded eco-friendly sandwich panels based on upcycled thermoplastic core: An eco-mechanical characterisation

A structure's sustainability depends not only on its components, but also on the manufacturing process. The adhesive layer mostly increases the structural weight, reducing weight-specific properties, beside hindering its disassembly and sorting at end-of-life. This study investigates an alternative joining method based on ultrasonic welding for upcycled honeycomb core sandwich panels. Thermoplastic composite skins, reinforced with flax or glass fibres, are connected to an upcycled polyethylene core made from disposed bottle caps and tested under quasi-static and dynamic loads. A life cycle assessment evaluates the environmental benefits of skin/core welding compared with adhesive bonding. Welded panels made from similar skins and cores presented similar to higher weight-specific flexural properties of adhesive-bonded structures (up to 45 % increase), while specific energy absorption under impact is increased by up to 23 % with welded joints. Skin/core welding reduces the panel environmental damage by up to 71 %, with an increment of up to 130 % in its eco-mechanical efficiency.

Experimental Study and Process Optimisation for Fabrication of Circular Sheet Made from Waste PP/HDPE via Extrusion and Hydraulic Press

Plastic waste is a well-known hazard to the ecosystem due to which many countries are exploring ways to mitigate this polymer from the environment. Various plastic wastes are generated after end use in the form of plastic bottles, plastic bags, bottle caps, straw, plastic cups, etc. These are generally made up of HDPE, LPDE, PP, PET, PS, etc. Therefore, this study focusses to utilise this wastage to make some value-added products. In this context, waste plastic bottles and containers made up of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene were targeted and shredded into small pieces ranging from 1.4 to 2 mm and mixed with additives in the extruder and hydraulic press to make circular sheets that can be used for electrical purposes. During the study, the effect of various process parameters on fabricated circular sheet properties such as tensile strength, melt flow index (MFI), and thermal conductivity were investigated. The developed non-linear theoretical models were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The gradient descent method is applied in BBD for estimating the optimum condition for fabricating a circular sheet. Under optimum conditions, the tensile strength and thermal conductivity were found to be 1535 MPa and 0.0312 W/mK, respectively, for the HDPE circular sheet using extrusion. The tensile strength, MFI, and thermal conductivity were determined using a Universal testing machine, melt flow tester (ASTM D1238), and Thermal constant analyser based on ASTM D1350.

Experimental Investigation on Concrete With M-Sand and Waste Bottle Cap

A large portion of the world's structure is made of concrete, and as technology has evolved, its various parts have undergone alterations. Cement, sand, coarse aggregate, and water are the main four components in concrete. Technology development improves human comforts while also degrading the environment. Environmental engineers struggle concerning the disposal of metal caps from soft drink bottles, which either involves recycling or repurposing. To further increase the strength, we will add metal caps fibre to the concrete there. This design displays the findings from a study on the effects of bottle caps on concrete behavior. concrete is mixed with metal bottle cap fibre at volumes of 0 %to 1.5% in coarse aggregate, and its compressive and flexural strengths are analysis. Here M20 is the concrete grade utilized in the project. 1:1.6:3 is the mix ratio. Key Words: metal cap, environmental engineers disposing, repurposing, cap fibre,

Utilization of Polypropylene Plastic Waste for Visual and Textural Effects in Wall-Tile Making

This research is an experimental process of polypropylene (PP) plastic material in search for novelty values in the form of physical properties, textures and visual effects for decoration design. This research is based on the availability of plastic material as a choice of recycled material in the design of functional products. The purpose of this research is to produce decorative products that have the character of the visuals. The result of this research is a wall tile from a coaster combination from the plastic recycling process. The design has a novelty in the form of the application of the plastic material recycling process and visual effects in the form of color and texture. Materials for plastic processing can come from plastic bottles, plastic bottle caps, gallon caps, and the rest of production from large-scale industries. Experiments were melting out the plastic ore using a semi-machinal method that requires heat and metal molding and then semi-machinal processed using an injection molding machine to produce a wall-tile product. In this case, the author uses an experimental method through material exploration to find novelty values and see opportunities from exploration results in the form of decoration products.

4D Printing of Chiral Mechanical Metamaterials with Modular Programmability using Shape Memory Polymer

AbstractThe rational design of mechanical metamaterials endows them with unusual properties inaccessible by conventional materials. In this study, compression–twist coupling building blocks with embedded chirality are fabricated by multimaterial 4D printing of shape memory polymers. Each chiral unit can be programmed individually by mechanical compression at a selected high temperature, whose temporary shape is self‐maintained at the reduced temperature when the load is removed. With these building blocks, lattice‐like architectures can be constructed in planar and layer‐to‐layer assemblies. Such modular design overcomes the limitation of conventional material arrangement by allowing on‐demand re‐programmability of chirality‐defined structural heterogeneity. Using this strategy, metamaterials with tunable Poisson's ratio and shape‐morphing metastructures are developed by harnessing the cooperative deformation of spatially heterogenous tessellation that undergoes local shrinkage or expansion, depending on the encoded Poisson response. An untethered multimodal soft gripper is assembled by chiral metastructures with distinct morphing modes, capable of unscrewing up a bottle cap attributed by the programmed functionality at module‐level. The present modular chiral metamaterials with embedded chirality and flexible deployability may promote the applications of mechanical metamaterials in active shape‐morphing structures and functional soft machines.

High Quantum Yield Shortwave Infrared Luminescent Tracers for Improved Sorting of Plastic Waste.

More complete recycling of plastic waste is possible only if new technologies that go beyond state-of-the-art near-infrared (NIR) sorting are developed. For example, tracer-based sorting is a new technology that explores the upconversion or down-shift luminescence of special tracers based on inorganic materials codoped with lanthanide ions. Specifically, down-shift tracers emit in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral range and can be detected using a SWIR camera preinstalled in a state-of-the-art sorting machine for NIR sorting. In this study, we synthesized a very efficient SWIR tracer by codoping Li3Ba2Gd3 (MoO4)8 with Yb3+ and Er3+, where Yb3+ is a synthesizer ion (excited near 976 nm) and Er3+ emits near 1550 nm. Fine-tuning of the doping concentration resulted in a tracer (Li3Ba2Gd(3-x-y)(MoO4)8:xYb3+, yEr3+, where x = 0.2 and y = 0.4) with a high photoluminescence quantum yield for 1550 nm emission of 70% (using 976 nm excitation). This tracer was used to mark plastic objects. When the object was illuminated by a halogen lamp and a 976 nm laser, the three parts could be easily distinguished based on reflectance and luminescence spectra in the SWIR range: a plastic bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate, a bottle cap made of high-density polyethylene, and a label made of the tracer Li3Ba2Gd3(MoO4)8:Yb3+, Er3+. Importantly, the use of the tracer in sorting may require only the installation of a 976 nm laser in a state-of-the-art NIR sorting system.

Review of Design and Production of the Injection Moulding Machine

Plastics are being employed for both light and heavy items in industrial settings more and more often. Plastic daily objects like bottle caps, remote control casings, needles, and more are created using injection molding equipment, along with large goods like automotive body panels. During the molding process, a liquid or flexible raw material is shaped using a rigid structure known as a mold. This technique originally became popular during the Second World War as the need for mass-produced items increased. It is now extensively utilized across various industries. This study examined the role of plastic molding machines in the design and production of these devices. To correctly examine the corpus of knowledge about the design and production of plastic molding machines, this was done by comparing and assessing already published, widely available works, beginning with early innovations and continuing with more recent advancements. The study's objective was met. Despite rising efforts to design and construct more modern machines that are economical and compact, it was noticed that the bulk of early injection molding machines were large. The injector molding machine has the potential for further improvement and local manufacture, according to the study's conclusions.

PROJETO DE UP-CYCLING: O DESENVOLVIMENTO DE UM ORGANIZADOR DE MESA DE CABECEIRA FEITO DE POLÍMERO PEAD RECICLADO

This article aims to reflect and learn about the contributions that Design can offer considering sustainable aspects. In a quick Up-cycling project, it was designed as a bedside table organizer made from discarded packaging waste and bottle caps, composed of HDPE polymer, focusing on some of the principles of Eco-design. The methodology used in the study was based on Gui Bonsiepe's project methodology, outlining at first bibliographical research and in a second moment characterizing the stages for the product development. As a result, an efficient, useful and practical final product was obtained. The success of the project suggests the continuity of the product development, the performance of more tests, as well as studies about the production costs in order to be able to prospect it in a future market.

Assessment of hybrid fixed and moving bed biofilm applications for wastewater treatment capacity increase – In situ tests in El-Gouna WWTP, Egypt

This paper provides a procedure for comparing the performance of different biofilm carrier medias and their surrounding suspended biomass through oxygen uptake rate (OUR) tests. For in situ (oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements, three identical lab scale biofilm reactors were set up at the El Gouna wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this setup, two options of media for moving-bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) and one media for fixed-bed biofilm reactors (FBBR) were compared. The WWTP also used the same carrier in a real scale hybrid application to analyze how the interactions between the carrier type and the suspended biomass influences the overall performance. The in situ OUR approach is recommended to measure the contribution of the biofilm fixed biomass under site specific conditions. Specifically, settleability and diffusion limitations are the two opposite poles that cannot be predicted adequately for mild climate conditions based on the literature. A biofilm carrier application can add but actually can also reduce the capacity in a hybrid activated sludge system: The added MBBR-media was able to grind down the sludge flocs forming a poorly settleable suspended biomass. The added FBBR-media can lead to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) rich biofilms that contribute very little as substrate and oxygen are unavailable for the microorganisms present in the biofilm. In this application of the comparison procedure, Kaldnes K1 like MBBR media was compared with a recycling MBBR carrier option (poly propylene bottle caps) and Jäger Envirotech “BioCurlz™” FBBR media. The study showed higher average rates for the MBBR but decreased settleability. The FBBR showed higher peak rates when flushed to break up the biofilm and well settleable sludge. The determination of OUR per g of volatile solids (SOUR) showed comparable results for all the carriers and in warm conditions, only the capacity to accommodate biomass determines the contribution of the carrier.

Composition of marine litter from fishing activities: a preliminary study at the fish landing base of Pantai Labu North Sumatera

Pantai Labu Fish Landing Base (PPI) is a type D fishing port that’s located in Paluh Sibaji Village, Pantai Labu District, Deli Serdang Regency. The existence of garbage in the sea is important to know because the generation of garbage in the sea can have a negative effect in several sectors, one of which is in carrying out fishing activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the composition of marine litter from fishing activities by fishing units at Pantai Labu Fish Landing Base. This research was conducted in January 2022 in Paluh Sibaji Village, Pantai Labu District, North Sumatra. Data collection method used purposive sampling. The results showed that the composition of inorganic waste generated from fishing activities consisted of plastic, metal, paper and cardboard. Types of waste made from plastic materials consist of plastic bags, food wrappers, plastic bottles, bottle caps, plastic cups, cigarette packs, foamed plastic, and monofilament fishing line.

Machine learning and RSM-CCD analysis of green concrete made from waste water plastic bottle caps: Towards performance and optimization

This study aims to serve as a performance indicator for the workability and strength of concrete when coarse aggregate, sand, cement, and water are partially substituted with waste plastic bottle caps. The significance of these alternative plastic water bottle caps is to reduce plastic trash that is difficult to lapse and to prevent waste that can be transformed to something that may be employed in the advancement of technology in the future. The principle of "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" is used, which not only lowers environmental pollution but also reduces costs. In the building industry, concrete is the most often utilized material. In order to preserve natural resources and minimize the number of materials that end up in landfills, green construction is becoming a more significant worldwide issue. Empty cans and bottle tops from drinking water bottle produce a lot of garbage. The difficulty of biodegrading plastic trash and the need for techniques for recycling or reuse make this a problem for the environment. Such problems are being investigated in this study in order to determine whether it could be possible to partially replace coarse aggregate with 0, 6 and 12% in the manufacturing of concrete using discarded bottle caps. To evaluate the compressive strength, split tensile, and flexural strength test characteristics in a laboratory setting; waste bottle caps were used as replacements for coarse aggregate at different percentages. The highest compressive strength was determined to be 28.80 MPa with 12% replacement of used plastic bottle caps with a water cement ratio of 0.55. Advanced statistical methods, including RSM-CCD (Response Surface Method-Central Composite Design) and machine learning models ANN-LM (Artificial Neural Network- Levenberg Marquardt), were applied in this study to predict concrete performances based on mix design variations. It was found that ANN-LM model displayed more accurate prediction relative to RSM-CCD method.

Engineering Design Of Fuel Reactor Pirolysis Incinerator (IPFR) Processing Plastic Waste into alternative Fuel with Residual Oil Heating

In Indonesia, plastic waste has become an important problem at this time, because it causes environmental pollution problems. With this, further action is needed regarding the treatment of waste utilization, one of which is by converting waste into liquid fuel. Some types of rubbish that we often encounter are plastic bottles such as plastic cups, plastic bottle caps, children's toys and margarines and others, which is one of the types of PP (polypropylene) waste. The development of current plastic waste treatment technology is to convert plastic waste into fuel oil by utilizing plastic waste to be processed as plastic fuels such as premium fuel, diesel and kerosene. Polypropylene type plastic is the type of plastic that is most widely used in daily life because it has good mechanical properties with low density, heat and moisture resistance, and has good dimensional stability. Some of the technology used to convert plastic waste, among others, by using the method of high temperature (Thermal Cracking). In this study, researchers designed a Thermal cracking device, namely an Incinerator, a plastic waste smelter with high temperature, where the modification of this tool is to use used fuel oil or residual oil. In this study, the researcher analyzed the burning time, the amount of waste mass needed for the melting process in the Incinerator. In this research, a fuel equivalent of 1.5 liters of premium fuel was produced with 10 kg of plastic waste burned in the incinerator with a burning time of 125 minutes of the pyrolysis process, with a combustion temperature of 180-250 degrees Celsius.

Effect of pH on Domestic Wastewater Treatment Efficiency with Biofilter Media Plastic Mineral Water Bottle Cap

Effect of pH on Domestic Wastewater Treatment Efficiency with Biofilter Media Plastic Mineral Water Bottle Cap

Karakteristik Sampah Makroplastik di Pantai Wisata Lamaru Kota Balikpapan

Marine debris is one of the environmental problems in Indonesia's coastal and marine areas, especially macroplastics. One of the coastal areas with macroplastic problems is the tourist beach, which may adversely affect the coastal ecosystem, biota, and reduce the quality of the coastal environment. The purpose of this study was to identify the type and composition, calculate the total weight, and determine the difference in macroplastic density in two different periods. This study was conducted in March and August 2022 at Lamaru tourism beach, Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan. Transect lines and sampling at the research site were determined by following guidelines from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. Sampling was carried out in transect areas with a length of 100 metres parallel to the shoreline and following the width of the beach ridge. All data collected were analysed using Microsoft Office Excel and SPSS software. It was found that the types and composition of macroplastic at Lamaru tourism beach were 12 types such as bottle caps, spoons, food and beverage packaging, plastic bags, toys, cigarette butts, plastic basins, net bags, tarpaulins, rope, raffia, and other plastic materials with a total of 142 items. The total weight of macroplastic waste in period I was 5.6792 gr/m2 and in period II was 4.1874 gr/m2. There was no significant effect (p>0.05) between different periods on the amount, weight and density of microplastics at Lamaru Tourism Beach, Balikpapan City. The dominant source of macroplastic at Lamaru beach comes from human activities on land.

Enhancing Properties of Concrete Mix Using Different Types of Waste Materials: A Review Paper

The proliferation of civilization, industry, and urbanization, along with population growth, has contributed significantly to the generation of waste materials, and this trend continues to this day. Such waste has far-reaching impacts on both human health and the environment, leading to environmental degradation and rendering it non-environmentally friendly. To address these concerns, many scientists have directed towards the possibility of using waste materials as a substitute for some components of the concrete mixture. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of incorporating such materials such as (coal bottom ash (CBA), waste plastic and fibers, wood waste, and soft drink bottle caps) in enhancing concrete's properties, including durability, compressive and tensile strength, water content, slump flow, and suitability for reuse in engineering projects. The use of such materials not only provides an economic solution but also promotes environmental preservation by mitigating environmental problems.

From Bottle Caps to Frisbee-A Case Study on Mechanical Recycling of Plastic Waste towards a Circular Economy.

This study demonstrates an open-loop recycling process of a specific post-consumer plastic waste stream. The targeted input waste material was defined as high-density polyethylene beverage bottle caps. Two methods of waste collection, informal and formal, were employed. Thereafter, materials were hand-sorted, shredded, regranulated, and then injection-molded into a flying disc (i.e., frisbee) as a pilot product. To observe the potential changes in the material throughout the entire recycling process, eight different test methods including melt mass-flow rate (MFR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical tests were carried out on the various material states. The study showed that the informal collection led to a relatively higher purity in the input stream, which also appeared to have a 23% lower MFR value compared to that of the formally collected materials. The DSC measurements revealed a cross-contamination by polypropylene, which clearly affected the properties of all investigated materials. The cross-contamination led to a slightly higher tensile modulus in the recyclate, while the Charpy notched impact strength declined after processing by approximately 15% and 8% compared to those of the informal and formal input materials, respectively. All materials and the processing data were documented and stored online as a practical implementation of a digital product passport as a potential digital traceability tool. Furthermore, the suitability of the resulting recyclate to be used in transport packaging applications was also investigated. It was found that a direct replacement of virgin materials for this specific application is not possible without proper material modification.