Commercial Barrier Research Articles

High-barrier, flexible, hydrophobic, and biodegradable cellulose-based films prepared by ascorbic acid regeneration and low temperature plasma technologies

Regenerated cellulose (RC) films are considered a sustainable packaging material that can replace non-degradable petroleum-based plastics. However, their susceptibility to water vapor and oxygen can limit their effectiveness in protecting products. This study introduces a novel approach for enhancing RC films to create durable, flexible, hydrophobic, high-barrier, and biodegradable packaging materials. By exploring the impact of ascorbic acid coagulation bath treatment and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on the properties of RC films, we found that the coagulation bath treatment facilitated the organized reconfiguration of cellulose chains, while PECVD applied a dense SiOx coating on the film surface. The results demonstrated a significant enhancement in water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of the composite film, almost reaching the level of commercial barrier films. Moreover, the composite film displayed exceptional biodegradability, fully degrading in soil within 35 days. Additionally, it showcased impressive mechanical strength, hydrophobic characteristics, and freshness preservation, positioning it as a valuable option for bio-based high-barrier packaging applications.

The Current Status and Future Prospects of Carbon Capture, Carbon Transportation, And Carbon Utilization Technologies in Chinese Coal-Fired Power Plants Within the Context of Dual Carbon Goals

Carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) constitute vital measures for achieving net emissions reduction in China. Against the backdrop of the “dual carbon” initiative in China, this paper meticulously examines and analyzes the key technological principles, merits and demerits, and bottlenecks associated with CCUS carbon capture in the country’s thermal power plants at the current stage. It combines the prevailing industrial application status and the future development trajectory of pertinent technologies with considerations of industrial economic benefits and business models. Building upon this analysis, the paper summarizes the application status of CCUS technology in China’s thermal power plant industry and presents future prospects. On the technological front, the three capture methods grapple with the challenge of high costs. Therefore, there is a need to intensify efforts in developing low-cost and efficient carbon capture materials, as well as researching and practically applying low-cost oxygen generation technology. Economically, CCUS technology currently faces high costs, low returns, and certain commercial barriers, placing China in a demonstrative business model stage. To overcome these challenges and realize the economic benefits of CCUS technology, government incentives and technological innovation are imperative. These measures aim to reduce the overall cost of CCUS technology, stimulate the scale development, and foster commercialization, ultimately contributing to the achievement of China’s carbon emission reduction targets.

A method based on DWRNet and MGAU for RUL prediction of bearing with few samples

Accurately predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of a bearing is crucial in the prognostics and reliability management of machinery. Owing to the cost of wind power operation and maintenance and commercial barriers, collecting early failure samples of gearbox bearings is costly. Accordingly, the prediction of the RUL of bearings with few samples remains a challenging problem. To address this challenge, a two-stage method based on DWRNet and MGAU is proposed to predict the RUL of bearings with few samples. First, a bearing’s health indicator (HI) is constructed using a dynamic weighted residual network (DWRNet), which utilizes a dynamic weighted residual block to fully extract the fault feature of the bearing. Then, a meta-gated adaptive unit (MGAU) neural network is implemented to predict RUL of bearings with few samples via a gated adaptive unit and multi-task learning. Finally, the prediction ability of the proposed method is verified using a dataset of bearings.

A Review of Emerging Revenue Models for Low-carbon Hydrogen Technologies

Adoption of Low-Carbon Hydrogen (LCH) technologies is considered promising to curtail carbon emissions in the industrial sectors and substitute high carbon-intensive fuels. However, LCH technologies are still evolving and face several technical & commercial barriers. On the commercial side, they face economic viability and financial risks and, therefore, fail to attract investments. Recently, some countries have developed policy support to incentivize LCH technologies, but their reward mechanisms and design vary widely and lack a standardized approach. The paper aims to contribute to the current knowledge by discussing the theoretical underpinning of LCH revenue models. It reviews emerging revenue models for LCH technologies in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. The review covers CCfD (Carbon Contract for Difference) in Germany, SDE++ (Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition) in the Netherlands, and HPBM (Hydrogen production Business Model) in the United Kingdom (UK). The review highlighted CCfD acts as simple hedging instrument against CO2 market price fluctuations without any visibility on hydrogen prices in the market. In contrast, SDE++ and HPBM are found to more comprehensive incentive schemes for LCH development.

Multi-functional dual-layer nanofibrous membrane for prevention of postoperative pancreatic leakage

Postoperative pancreatic leakage due to pancreatitis in patients is a life-threatening surgical complication. The majority of commercial barriers are unable to meet the demands for pancreatic leakage due to poor adhesiveness, toxicity, and inability to degrade. In this study, we fabricated mitomycin-c and thrombin-loaded multifunctional dual-layer nanofibrous membrane with a combination of alginate, PCL, and gelatin to resolve the leakage due to suture line disruption, promote hemostasis, wound healing, and prevent postoperative tissue adhesion. Electrospinning was used to fabricate the dual-layer system. The study results demonstrated that high gelatin and alginate content in the inner layer decreased the fiber diameter and water contact angle, and crosslinking allowed the membrane to be more hydrophilic, making it highly biodegradable, and adhering firmly to the tissue surfaces. The results of in vitro biocompatibility and hemostatic assay revealed that the dual-layer had a higher cell proliferation and showed effective hemostatic properties. Moreover, the in vivo studies and in silico molecular simulation indicated that the dual layer was covered at the wound site, prevented suture disruption and leakage, inhibited hemorrhage, and reduced postoperative tissue adhesion. Finally, the study results proved that dual-layer multifunctional nanofibrous membrane has a promising therapeutic potential in preventing postoperative pancreatic leakage.

Influence of Nutrient Deprivation on the Antioxidant Capacity and Chemical Profile of Two Diatoms from Genus Chaetoceros.

The limited availability of phosphate, nitrogen and silicon in the growth media affects the growth, cellular processes, and metabolism of diatoms. Silicon deficiency primarily affects diatom morphology, while phosphate deficiency reduces the production of nucleic acids and phospholipids. Differences in pigment and protein composition are mainly due to nitrogen deficiency. In this study, Chaetoceros socialis and Chaetoceros costatus were cultured under phosphate, nitrogen, and silicon deprivation conditions. The diatom biomass was collected during the stationary growth phase and extracted with 70% ethanol under ultrasonication. The chemical profiles of the extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation (UHPLC-ESI-HRMS), while the antioxidant capacity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Pigments, fatty acids, sterols, and derivatives were detected in both species. The total phenolic content in the extracts ranged from 46.25 ± 1.08 to 89.38 ± 6.21 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/L and from 29.58 ± 1.08 to 54.17 ± 1.18 mg GAE/L. for C. costatus and C. socialis, respectively. Antioxidant activity was higher in C. costatus extracts, especially those obtained from nitrogen-deprived media. The results of this study contribute to the existing knowledge and the ongoing efforts to overcome application and commercialization barriers of microalgae for wide-ranging potential in different industries.

Surmounting Commercialization Barriers in Malaysian Research Universities: Paving the Way for Unprecedented Innovation Impact

The process of commercialising research findings remains a crucial element in fostering innovation and stimulating economic growth within academic environments. This study explores the obstacles encountered by Malaysian research universities in transforming their research findings into tangible products or services with commercial viability. Leveraging empirical data and case studies from multiple Malaysian research universities, expert inventors participated in two rounds of interviews using the Delphi method and Semi-Structured Interviews (SSI) survey. They were selected based on their expertise and involvement in product development, and assessed the market alignment of their innovations. The study meticulously analysed the gathered insights to develop a comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing technology commercialization in Malaysia. It specifically focused on addressing challenges related to Intellectual Property (IP) management and exploitation that impact both universities and industries. The final output of the study comprises a detailed outline of current commercialization barriers in Malaysian research universities, accompanied by actionable recommendations for dissemination to relevant stakeholders.

Chicken production competitiveness: commercial barriers, projections vs. reality, and perspectives of Brazilian industry managers

This paper aims to analyze the tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting international trade in chicken meat and their impact on global trade between 2015 and 2016, using two approaches. The first draws from a study by Peterson and Orden (2005), where the authors projected scenarios concerning the evolution of tariff and non-tariff barriers in the international context, evaluating the accuracy of their predictions, and updating future scenarios. The second approach involved interviews with managers from the primary chicken meat-producing industries in the western region of Paraná to gauge their perceptions of the situation. These managers identified several key factors impacting competitiveness, including tariffs, technical and sanitary barriers, and specific legislation related to environmental criteria.

Unveiling the electrochemical CO oxidation activity on support-free porous PdM (M = Fe, Co, Ni) foam-like nanocrystals over a wide pH range

Binary PdM-based nanocrystals are efficient electrocatalysts for a wide range of renewable and green fuel cell applications; however, their poisoning by CO is a great barrier for commercialization, so it is pivotal to solve this issue. Herein, we fabricated support-free PdM alloys (M = Fe, Co, and Ni) by a prompt one-step aqueous-solution co-reduction with sodium borohydride driven by the coalescence growth mechanism. This forms support-free PdM porous foam-like nanostructures with well-defined compositions from the ICP-OES analysis and clean surface without any hazardous chemicals or multiple reaction steps. The as-prepared PdM foam-like nanostructures were demonstrated for carbon monoxide oxidation (COOxid) electrocatalysis at varied electrolyte pH compared with commercial Pd/C catalyst. The foam-like PdFe nanocrystals achieved an excellent electrochemical COOxid activity that was at least 2.18-times of PdCo, 4.35-times of PdNi, and 1.56-times of Pd/C in both alkaline (KOH) and acidic (HClO4) electrolytes, but PdCo was the best in neutral (NaHCO3) medium. The superior activity of PdM is due to the strain and alloying effect, which promoted the superb CO oxidation durability for 1000 cycles than Pd/C catalyst. This study demonstrated the superiority of support-free bimetallic PdM alloys than Pd/C catalyst in all electrolytes, which may open new gates for understanding CO-poisoning in alcohol-based fuel cells.

Injectable Multifunctional Composite Hydrogel as a Combination Therapy for Preventing Postsurgical Adhesion.

Postsurgical adhesion (PA) is a common and serious postoperative complication that affects millions of patients worldwide. However, current commercial barrier materials are insufficient to inhibit diverse pathological factors during PA formation, and thus, highly bioactive materials are needed. Here, this work designs an injectable multifunctional composite hydrogel that can serve as a combination therapy for preventing PA. In brief, this work reveals that multiple pathological events, such as chronic inflammatory and fibrotic processes, contribute to adhesion formation in vivo, and such processes can not be attenuated by barrier material (e.g., hydrogel) alone treatments. To solve this limitation, this work designs a composite hydrogel made of the cationic self-assembling peptide KLD2R and TGF-β receptor inhibitor (TGF-βRi)-loaded mesenchymal stem cell-derived nanovesicles (MSC-NVs). The resulting composite hydrogel displays multiple functions, including physical separation of the injured tissue areas, antibacterial effects, and local delivery and sustained release of anti-inflammatory MSC-NVs and antifibrotic TGF-βRi. As a result, this composite hydrogel effectively inhibited local inflammation, fibrosis and adhesion formation in vivo. Moreover, the hydrogel also exhibits good biocompatibility and biodegradability in vivo. Together, the results highlight that this "all-in-one" composite hydrogel strategy may provide insights into designing advanced therapies for many types of tissue injury.

A Review of Renewable Electricity Cost and Capacity Factor Impact on Green Hydrogen Levelized Cost in Off-grid Configuration

Green hydrogen development is still at a niche stage and faces several technical & commercial barriers. Among them is the high LCOH (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen) of green hydrogen, predominantly due to the cost of renewable electricity. In recent years, several research studies have focused on finding the most cost-effective renewable electricity option to feed electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen. However, their findings suggest that renewable electricity costs vary widely between solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies based on the meteorological conditions of the location. With a focus on the United Kingdom (UK), this paper does a high-level business case analysis to assess renewable electricity options considering their impact on the green hydrogen LCOH in off-grid configuration. The paper uses the cost and capacity factors of renewable electricity generated from solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind in the UK. The paper discusses how offshore wind electricity in an off-grid configuration could be the most effective in bringing down the green hydrogen LCOH and reducing offshore wind curtailments in the UK.

A Review of Renewable Electricity Cost and Capacity Factor Impact on Green Hydrogen Levelized Cost in Off-grid Configuration

Green hydrogen development is still at a niche stage and faces several technical & commercial barriers. Among them is the high LCOH (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen) of green hydrogen, predominantly due to the cost of renewable electricity. In recent years, several research studies have focused on finding the most cost-effective renewable electricity option to feed electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen. However, their findings suggest that renewable electricity costs vary widely between solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies based on the meteorological conditions of the location. With a focus on the United Kingdom (UK), this paper does a high-level business case analysis to assess renewable electricity options considering their impact on the green hydrogen LCOH in off-grid configuration. The paper uses the cost and capacity factors of renewable electricity generated from solar, onshore wind, and offshore wind in the UK. The paper discusses how offshore wind electricity in an off-grid configuration could be the most effective in bringing down the green hydrogen LCOH and reducing offshore wind curtailments in the UK.

Recent Developments in the Field of Sulfide Ceramic Solid‐State Electrolytes

The demand for higher energy density and safety leads to replacement of conventional Li+ batteries for all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion batteries (ASSLIB). A Li+ conductivity comparable with those of liquid electrolytes is sine qua non for commercialization of ASSLIB, and sulfide solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) demonstrate this feature. However, the interfacial SSE decomposition at electrodes/electrolyte interfaces and Li‐dendrite growth at anodes represent a serious barrier for commercialization of ASSLIBs with SSEs. Herein, an overview on the progress made in this arena is provided and the state of the art and the latest development of SSE with high Li+ ‐conductivity are included, and the progress in engineering of the SSE/electrode interfaces, along with the vision of the perspectives on research in the field, is presented.

A novel ex vivo perfusion-based mandibular pig model for dental product testing and training

BackgroundA translational ex vivo perfusion-based mandibular pig model was developed as an alternative to animal experiments, for initial assessment of biomaterials in dental and maxillofacial surgery and training. This study aimed to assess the face and content validity of the novel perfusion-based model.MethodsCadaveric porcine heads were connected to an organ assist perfusion device for blood circulation and tissue oxygenation. Dental professionals and dental trainees performed a surgical procedure on the mandibula resembling a submandibular extraoral incision to create bone defects. The bone defects were filled and covered with a commercial barrier membrane. All participants completed a questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale to assess the face and content validity of the model. Validation data between the two groups of participants were compared with Mann–Whitney U test.ResultsTen dental professionals and seven trainees evaluated the model for face and content validity. Participants reported model realism, with a mean face validity score of 3.9 ± 1.0 and a content validity of 4.1 ± 0.8. No significant differences were found for overall face and content validity between experts and trainees.ConclusionWe established face and content validity in a novel perfusion-based mandibular surgery model. This model can be used as an alternative for animal studies evaluating new biomaterials and related dental and maxillofacial surgical procedural training.

Impact of Ni Content on the Electrochemical Performance of the Co-Free, Li and Mn-Rich Layered Cathode Materials

Li and Mn-rich layered cathode (LLC) materials show great potential as the next generation cathode materials because of their high, practical and achievable specific capacity of ~250 mAh/g, thermal stability and lower raw material cost. However, LLC materials suffer from degradation of specific capacity, voltage fading due to phase transformation upon cycling and transition-metal dissolution, which presents a significant barrier for commercialization. Here, we report the effects of Ni content on the electrochemical performance, structural and thermal stability of a series of Co-free, LLC materials (Li1.2NixMn0.8-xO2, x = 0.12, 0.18, 0.24, 0.30 and 0.36) synthesized via a sol-gel method. Our study shows that the structure of the material as well as the electrochemical and thermal stability properties of the LLC materials are strongly dependent on the Ni or Mn content. An increase in the Ni to Mn ratio results in an increase in the average discharge voltage and capacity, as well as improved structural stability but decreased thermal stability.

Printed Antifouling Electrodes for Biosensing Applications.

Biosensors based on miniaturized, functional electrodes are of high potential for various biosensing applications, especially at the point-of-care setting among others. However, the sensor performance of such electrochemical devices is still strongly limited, especially due to surface fouling in complex sample fluids, such as blood serum. Electrode coatings based on conductive nanomaterials embedded in antifouling matrices offer a promising strategy to overcome this limitation. However, known composite coatings require long (typically >24 h) and complex fabrication processes, which pose a strong barrier for cost-effective mass manufacturing and successful commercialization. Here, we describe a novel polymer/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite coating that can be produced from an ink containing a photoreactive and antifouling copolymer as well as conductive CNTs using fast and highly scalable printing processes. Coatings were prepared on screen-printed electrodes and characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and protein fouling experiments. The coatings offered an electroactive surface area (EASA) comparable to uncoated screen-printed electrodes and retained >90% of initial EASA after 1 h of exposure to concentrated bovine serum albumin solution, while uncoated electrodes decreased to <20% of initial EASA after the same treatment. Utilizing the universal crosslinking reaction of the polymer coating, antibodies against the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP) were photochemically immobilized on the electrodes. Functionalized electrodes were fabricated in <2 h and were successfully used to quantify nanogram-range concentrations of CRP spiked in undiluted human blood serum using a sandwich-immunoassay with electrochemical read-out, demonstrating the high potential of the platform for biosensing applications.

Code Checking using BIM for Digital Building Permit: a case study in a Brazilian municipality

There is a growing interest from municipalities around the world in digitizing the building permit process using building information modeling (BIM) and geographic information system (GIS) for automated code checking. However, technical, political, and commercial barriers still prevent digitization from becoming a reality and being widely implemented and locally adapted. The main objective of this research is to analyse best practices and lessons learned by a Brazilian municipality for BIM-based electronic system implementation. The adopted methodology included a comprehensive literature review of existing international initiatives in America, Europe, and Asia. Data collection occurred in a case study in a Brazilian municipality implementing BIM to digitize the different types of existing permits. The results indicate the leading practices and lessons learned by the municipality in their internal stage for developing the automated code checking system and promoting changes in processes, policies, and organizational culture. The findings also highlight best practices and promising international experiences, a comparative analysis with the Brazilian municipal context. The main contribution of this study is to provide a greater understanding of the required practices and the BIM/GIS role in the digital building permit process. As a practical contribution, the experiences in the Brazilian context provide valuable inputs for the journey of smart cities.

Biodegradable materials: Foundation of transient and sustainable electronics

Biodegradable materials are designed to degrade in a desired time either through the action of microorganisms or under certain physical conditions. The driving force behind the rise of biodegradable materials is the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste), low recyclability, and toxicity of electronic materials. Transient response of biodegradable materials has found application in next-generation health-care and biomedical devices. Advances in material science and manufacturing technique have pushed the envelope of innovation further. This review discusses different biodegradable material classes that have emerged to replace the traditional non-biodegradable materials in electronics. Focus has been given to conversion of biodegradable materials to inks and pastes that find use in printed electronics to create flexible, bendable, soft, and degradable devices. Material degradation behavior and dissolution chemistries have been illustrated to understand their impact on electrical performance of devices. Finally, some short-term and long-term challenges are pointed out to overcome the commercialization barrier.

A critical review on solar chimney power plant technology: influence of environment and geometrical parameters, barriers for commercialization, opportunities, and carbon emission mitigation.

Solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is one of the promising technologies to convert solar energy into carbon-free power generation. It has cost competitiveness, environment friendly and longer service life. Although remarkable advancements were achieved, commercialization aspect of the SCPP has not been established so far. Feasibility assessment of the large-scale plants was carried out by researchers in different climatic conditions across the globe but none of the studies materialized to date. However, it is almost four decades from the development of the first prototype, and no studies have been discussed the barriers to commercialization of the SCPP yet. Therefore, in this present study, a-state-of-the-art review has been presented which discussed the overview of SCPP technologies, factors affecting the flow and performance characteristics of the plant and major barriers in the commercialization aspect of the plant. The overview of SCPP technology including its global status and recent advances are spotlighted. The power potential and carbon emission mitigation of the SCPP based on the climatic condition and geographical location was studied by taking India as an example. In addition to that, the major challenges and opportunities in the SCPP are also addressed. Based on the analysis, a few recommendations are given for commercialization the plant.

Market Needs, Opportunities and Barriers for the Floating Wind Industry

This paper reviews the status of floating wind energy expansion, market needs, opportunities, and barriers. Even more expensive than many other generation technologies currently, the floating wind will contribute to the decarbonization of Europe. This document assesses the market strategies available to develop floating wind farms in Europe. The study includes four main phases in addition to the overview of the current state-of-the-art: a technology review, market outlook, opportunities, and commercialization barriers. During its development, the offshore wind has moved from experimentation to a final design (Semisubmersible/barge, Tension Leg Platform, and Spar).