Ecological Materials Research Articles

Development of films based on chitosan, gelatin and collagen extracted from bocachico scales (Prochilodus magdalenae)

Biodegradable biopolymers from species of the animal kingdom or their byproducts are sustainable as ecological materials due to their abundant supply and compatibility with the environment. The research aims to obtain a biodegradable active material from chitosan, gelatin, and collagen from bocachico scales (Prochilodus magdalenae). Regarding the methodology, films were developed from gelatin, chitosan, and collagen from bocachico scales (Prochilodus magdalenae) at different concentrations using glycerol as a plasticizer and citric acid as a cross-linker. The films were obtained with the hydrated mass processed by compression molding and characterized according to humidity, water solubility, contact angle, mechanical properties, and structural properties. The results of the films showed a hydrophobic characteristic. First, the chitosan-collagen (CS/CO) films showed a yellowish color, while the gelatin-collagen (Gel/CO) films were transparent and less soluble than the gelatin-collagen (Gel/CO) films. Concerning mechanical properties, gelatin films showed higher stiffness and tensile strength than chitosan films. Furthermore, in the morphological analysis, more homogeneous chitosan films were obtained by increasing the concentration of citric acid. In general, chitosan, gelatin, and collagen extracted from the scales of the bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae) are an alternative in the application of films in the food industry.

UTILIZING THE GEOECO-BOOK LEARNING PACKAGE TO IMPROVE ECO-LITERACY OF Z GENERATION STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

<span>The issue of environmental damage has become a contemporary issue and a limelight of the world today. To anticipate environmental disasters needed a strategy that can change the paradigm of the community so that people are more literate about the environment and have a high understanding of the importance of the environment. Environmental education exists and is designed to increase students' eco-literacy of environmental problems that occurred during the 21st century and provide efforts in saving the environment. This study aims to determine the geoeco-book learning package to improve the ecoliteracy of alpha generation of elementary school students. Research and Development was chosen by involving 50 students at Cipinang Melayu 04 East Jakarta Elementary School as a randomly selected sample. This geoeco-book learning package refers to the goal of environmental education which emphasizes the process of introducing values and environmental morals by explaining concepts relevant to basic ecological material in order to develop core competence eco-literacy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to verify product differences and effectiveness. The results showed that there was an increase in the effective and significant generation of Z generation of students after they learned the learning package. Therefore, even though they are an alpha generation, they have a serious interest in reading and understanding learning packages as products. This is one way to change eco-literacy and expect changes in their attitudes towards the environment that will ultimately be more positive in their environmental behavior.</span>

INTERIOR DESIGN IN A PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

The purpose of the article is to investigate the specifics of the influence of interior design on the personality of a preschool child. Preschool is a unique place where children spend most of their time. This is where training and recreation, development and personality formation take place. Children spend a significant amount of time in daycare, and the environment they are in can have a significant impact on their physical and intellectual development. A well-designed kindergarten can create a welcoming and nurturing atmosphere that can encourage learning, exploration and development.That's why it's important to create a cozy, comfortable, and most importantly, safe place. One of the main challenges is to highlight a safe and attractive interior that will not harm the personality of the preschool age and the environment. It was found that when creating the interiors of a preschool educational institution, a kindergarten, it is necessary to use exclusively high-quality and ecological materials for the child's environment to prevent various types of diseases, allergies, and for a comfortable and pleasant stay in this institution. Interior design in kindergartens is a very important component for ensuring the healthy and happy development of children. Parents look at many factors when choosing a daycare center, including safety, comfort, curriculum, and convenient location. And interior design also plays an important role in creating a favorable environment for a child's development. the interior design of preschool educational institutions plays an important role in creating a safe, functional, aesthetic and comfortable environment for children. By considering factors such as lighting, color, furniture and layout, preschools can create a positive, engaging and supportive space for young children to learn and grow, which can have a significant impact on a child's development and well-being.

Thermal insulation revolution in buildings between past and present: an updated review

Eco-design, sustainability and energy efficiency are emerging concepts that reflect the need to design new building solutions that are environmentally friendly and reduce material and energy consumption. Indeed, the probability of a massive climate change, capable of threatening the planet’s stability, is high if the current trend continues. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the main thermal insulation materials dominating the current market as well as their origins, strengths, and weaknesses. Additionally, the study identifies the criteria that make an insulator ideal and may be competitive in the near future as well as the direction of research in order to develop advanced materials. The results of the consulted studies reveal that there is no agreement on an ideal insulator that gather all the thermal insulation requirements. Each of the categories has its own weaknesses that should be addressed in the future to overcome. As well, super-insulators remain one of the most promising materials in this market, but they require more research in order to overcome some of the weaknesses that limit their insertion and production on a large scale. Ecological materials produced from natural fibers are currently far from being the candidates that can compete with super-insulators. Thus, considerable efforts are required to make these natural fibers able to dominate the construction market. Similarly, the comparison of the thermal conductivity of the four categories confirms that super-insulators are the most effective in reducing heat transfer through walls and through thinner layers as well. Finally, in addition to the ecological aspect, the thermo-physical and mechanical properties, and so on, the insulating materials must guarantee certain percentages of acoustic insulation.

Validity and Practicality of SSCS-Based Student Worksheet on Ecology Material and Environmental Change

This research aims to produce student worksheet based on SSCS (Search, Solve, Create and Share). This type of research is development research using the Plomp model. The development stage of this model starts from the initial investigation stage, the development or prototyping stage, and the assessment stage. The instruments used in this development research were teacher questionnaire sheets, student response questionnaire sheets, self-evaluation sheets, and SSCS-based LKPD validation sheets (Search, Solve, Create and Share) by experts, as well as SSCS-based LKPD practicality assessment sheets (Search, Solve, Create and Share) which is filled in by teachers and students. The results showed that the SSCS-based LKPD (Search, Solve, Create and Share) was very valid with a score of 86.31%. The practicality assessment of student assessment in field trials (group evaluation) with a score of 92.00% with very practical criteria, and the practicality assessment by the teacher obtained a score of 96.00% with very practical criteria. It can be concluded that the LKPD based on SSCS (Search, Solve, Create and Share) that has been developed is included in the category of very valid and very practical.

Geotechnical Suitability of Soils in Road Construction for Sustainable Development in Tropical Africa: Case of Lateritic Graveled Soils of Bandjoun (West, Cameroon)

The environmental impact of the exploitation of geomaterials and their relatively high cost, coupled with the increasingly low financial capital in developing countries, are pushing road actors to turn to inexpensive local ecological materials. The present study is conducted on lateritic graveled soils of Bandjoun (LGSB) in the West Cameroon Region. The aim is to determine whether lateritic gravel soils, particularly those in Bandjoun, can be an ecological and economical alternative to rock aggregates in road construction, considering their geotechnical parameters and environmental impact. These soils were described in the field and were also subjected to complete geotechnical identification in the laboratory. The LGSB presents Californian bearing ratio indices ranging from 26% to 83.3%, a plasticity index of 10.11%, a fines content of 12.05%, an average methylene blue value of 4.25, a water content at the Proctor optimum of 27.6% and a dry density of 1.75 g/cm3. They are silty or clayey gravels and sands of subgroup A-2-7 according to the Highway Research Board classification; sandy and gravelly soils with fines of class B according to the classification of the Road Construction Guide; and silty gravels according to the classification of the Central Laboratory of Bridges and Highways. These soils can be used naturally in pavement layers, in particular in subgrade for all traffic classes and in subbase for low traffic. The tonnage of these soils has been estimated at 18,389 t. The global warming index shows that the use of these soils (18,389 t) in road construction can reduce 31,629–62,706 kg of carbon emissions. The use of lateritic soils in road construction is a very interesting alternative to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of rock aggregates. So, lateritic soils should be used instead of rock aggregates for cleaner, more environmentally friendly road construction. The present work presented a specific evaluation of the geotechnical properties and ecological impact of lateritic graveled soils for road construction, as well as their potential for ecological and economic utilization.

Development of Education for Sustainable Development Integrated Coastal Conservation Education Kit in Junior High Schools

Student knowledge regarding abrasion must be instilled as soon as possible. The developed ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) integrated coastal conservation edukit (education kit) can be an interactive medium that helps students understand the factors and impacts of abrasion. This study aims to develop an ESD-integrated coastal conservation education kit suitable for use in Indonesian ecological materials and biological habitats. This development research modifies the ADDIE model with four stages: 1) Analysis, 2) Design, 3) Development, 4) Evaluation. Data collection techniques were carried out through interviews and questionnaires. Expert lecturers' coastal conservation edukit validation results show an average of 98.5% and guidebooks 100% with very suitable criteria. The teacher and student readability test results regarding coastal coral edukit showed an average of 92.3% and guidebooks 93.3% with very decent criteria. Based on the results of expert validation and readability tests, the ESD-integrated coastal conservation education kit and its guidebook have been tested to be very appropriate for learning.

The Spatial Protection and Governance of Territories Based on the Ecological Product Supply: A Case Study in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, China

Territory space is an ecological resource carrier and place for human development. Human activities and ecological systems are the basis of ecological product supply. Promoting territories’ spatial protection and governance by improving the supply of ecological products is very important. In this study, we established an ecological product supply capacity evaluation index system involving three types of ecological products, i.e., ecological environmental products, ecological material products, and ecological cultural products. For the case of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, we comprehensively used principal component analysis, the equivalent factor method, and the entropy method to evaluate the supply capacity of ecological products from 2011 to 2021. Then, we analyzed the spatio-temporal pattern, combining the natural breakpoint and quantile classification methods, and analyzed the obstacle factors using the obstacle degree model of ecological supply. The results show that the supply capacity of different ecological products in each city are closely related to their ecological resource endowment. The supply capacity of ecological products exhibited an upward trend, with the highest ecological environmental product supply being relatively smaller than the ecological material product supply, while the largest growth rate was for ecological cultural product supply. The supply capacity of different ecological products varied across cities over time and displayed noticeable spatial differentiation. The main obstacle factors included eco-land, eco-tourism, eco-leisure, park green space, and fishery products, although there were variations among cities. Finally, based on the level, spatial-temporal pattern, and obstacle factors of ecological product supply, we proposed strategies for territory spatial protection and governance from the perspectives of the integrated protection of elements, structural regulation, and systematic governance. The results reflected the ecological functional heterogeneity of the territory space, which can provide spatial planning guidance for sustainable development.

ІННОВАЦІЙНІ ПРІОРИТЕТИ РОЗВИТКУ БУДІВЕЛЬНОЇ ГАЛУЗІ В КОНТЕКСТІ УКРІПЛЕННЯ ЇЇ КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ

The article defines the importance of innovative priorities for the development of the construction industry in the structure of the national economy. Innovations in the construction industry are considered a science-intensive activity It has been established that in the case of proper justification, development and dissemination, such science-intensive activities form intelligent building systems, which involve the use of computer, information and communication technologies for the management of construction and construction networks in real time, including the use of ecological materials, energy-efficient technologies, etc. . It has been proven that the construction industry plays a leading functional role as a producer of an innovative product, as well as a consumer of innovative technologies that provide competitive advantages in terms of cost savings and profit maximization. The types of innovations in the construction industry were systematized in the context of strengthening its competitiveness in the system of the national economy, and groups of technological, material, process, informational, safety, and environmental innovations were identified. The specified types of innovations in the construction industry are of exceptional importance for Ukraine's entry into the global competitive space and strengthening its competitiveness at the international level.

Fostering Effective Problem Solving Skills: The Role of QR Scanner-Integrated Mobile Ecosystem and Material Modules

This study intends to assess how well the integrated teaching module for the QR Scanner in ecological material improves students' problem-solving abilities. In this study, the experimental technique was used with a pretest-posttest control group design. The study's 60 participants were split into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, each of which included 30 participants. The control group did not get any special intervention, whereas the experimental group received it in the form of a QR scanner and HP Integrated Ecosystem-Based Material Modules. Data from the pre- and post-tests of both groups were gathered in order to assess how the intervention affected the groups' problem-solving abilities. Utilizing exams and questionnaires, data was gathered. Paired t tests were used to compare each group's pretest and posttest results in the analysis of the study data. The findings revealed that the experimental group's problem-solving abilities significantly improved (p 0.001), but the control group exhibited no significant difference (p > 0.05). As a result, the integrated teaching module for the QR Scanner in the ecosystem materials was successful in enhancing students' ability to solve problems. The findings of this study have significant ramifications for the design of technology-based learning strategies that will enhance student learning and help them apply concepts in real-world situations.

Thermal properties and Life Cycle Assessment of new eco-sandwich panel for building thermal insulation

Lightweight eco-materials are in high demand in many sectors, such as aerospace, industry, and building due to their several characteristics. The present paper is an experimental investigation of the thermal characteristics of novel sandwich panels made with local and ecological materials namely agglomerated cork for the core and bio-composite materials for the skin. Three configurations (symmetric, asymmetric, and two layers) were studied with different cork core thicknesses. Density values have been measured and compared. Thermal characterization consists of determining thermal conductivity and specific heat using a HFM apparatus; whilst thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity have been calculated using the experimental findings. The panels are lightweight and thermally insulating. The values of thermal conductivity are in the range 0.071 and 0.102 W.m−1.K−1. The comparison between experimental results of thermal conductivity to theoretical values highlights the accuracy of method for multi-layer thermal characterization and the good adhesion between layers. Finally, a life cycle assessment of the new sandwich panels has been carried out and compared with common insulation materials. The sandwich panels are efficient in terms of embodied energy and CO2 emissions compared to commercialized insulators and some insulators based on recycled or natural materials, the embodied energy for symmetric configuration with 4 cm cork core are 79.73, 94.75, and 89.35 MJ/FU corresponding to an embodied carbon 5.33, 6.32, and 6.01 CO2/FU respectively. They can be classified in the middle between synthetic and natural insulators. Based on the findings, it was concluded that utilizing these sandwich panels as construction materials for interior paneling or partition walls could offer benefits in terms of being environmentally sustainable and cost-efficient.

MECHANICAL AND THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CLAY WITH A VIEW TO POPULARIZING ITS USE AS AN ECOLOGICAL MATERIAL IN CONSTRUCTION

This work is carried out with the aim of enhancing the soils of Djarmaye in order to popularize its use as an ecological material in construction. However, a study of thermo-physical parameters was made to see the influence of cow dung in the mixture. As a result, thermal characterization tests were carried out, using the hot wire method for the determination of thermal conductivity, supported by the hot plane option for the determination of thermal conductivity.supported with the hot plane option for the determination of thermal effusivity was used. The test tubes are made with an incorporation of 0%, 2% and 4% by mass of cow dung. The parameters studied are the thermal conductivity, the thermal effusivity, and the thermal capacity by volume of the specimens. The results showed that the thermal conductivity decreases with cow dung, which confirms its use as an additive to obtain a good thermal insulator.

A Review of Sustainable and Ecological Materials in the Printing Industry

A Review of Sustainable and Ecological Materials in the Printing Industry

The contribution of silica nanoparticles to the stability of styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer (SIS). II. Energetic peculiarities

This study presents the stabilization activity of silica nanoparticles added in the matrix of styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer (SIS). The isothermal chemiluminescence develops the capacity of filler to delay oxidative degradation in γ-irradiated probes. The kinetic parameters, temporal values and activation energies characterize the efficient protection offered by n-SiO2 particles. The increase in the silica content (2, 5 and 10 wt%) provides a significant stability improvement. Even the strength analysis applied to modified polymer samples indicate a slight extension of degradation period, the values of their activation energies are conclusively high according with the protection effects of filler. The association of this additive (5 wt %) with rosemary extract powder (0.5 wt%) reveals a valuable couple of antioxidant compounds, whose high synergistic effect is depicted by great co-operation factors. The results of kinetic investigation on oxidation inhibition over a large dose range, up to 100 kGy may be usefully extended to other polymers and the results are appropriate for the application of radiation sterilization and radiation technologies for the improvement of product life times or the recycling of polymer wastes into ecological materials.

Experimental Study on the Thermal Conductivity of Three Natural Insulators for Industrial Fishing Applications

Ecological materials have been implemented in different industrial sectors due to their good performance as thermal insulators and the fact that they are 100% natural, recyclable, and biodegradable, contributing to environmental sustainability. The main objective of this article is to compare the thermal conductivity coefficients of three natural insulators with that of expanded polystyrene (a non-biodegradable material). Expanded polystyrene is one of the materials which is most often used to maintain cold temperatures in containers built for this purpose in the fishing industry; it is used for this purpose because of its properties, including a light weight and a high thermal insulation capacity and resistance. Almost all insulators have the ecological disadvantage of being environmentally unfriendly materials because they are made up of oil particles, which are not recyclable and are harmful to ecosystems. The natural insulator materials were evaluated and subjected to a drying process to reduce the humidity coefficient; then, the containers were built with an adequate insulation thickness of 25 mm. Three filling tests were carried out (at 100, 70, and 50%) to evaluate the thermal conductivity, using the Mann–Whitney U statistical analysis process to determine insulator differences. The results show that the expanded polystyrene had the lowest thermal conductivity of 0.032 W/m K, followed by the rice husk, which had a value of 0.036 W/m K. Finally, a comparative study of conservation costs was carried out in the different containers built with the natural insulators; the lowest value found was for the expanded polystyrene (COP 159.57 around USD 0.040). This allowed to conclude that rice husk is the material that comes closest to the insulating characteristics of expanded polystyrene.

Super-strong biomimetic bulk bamboo-based composites by a neural network interfacial design strategy

As a sustainable ecological material, bamboo has become a popular modern green building material because of its rich yield, lightweight, high strength and rich cultural heritage. However, due to the limitation of bamboo tube thickness, multiple thickness-direction laminations are usually required to achieve large-sized materials, which leads to a significant decrease in strength. Therefore, it is urgent to find a way produce high-strength bamboo engineering composites on a large scale. Herein, a neural network interface design strategy was proposed, and a mechanical dissociation and partial matrix removal pretreatment method was used to open the weak intercellular layer and bamboo cell wall layer to increase the resin permeation channels. This allowed the resin to form a multi-scale bonding interface between multiple dense bamboo layers, achieving the preparation of bulk bamboo-based composite with adjustable dimensions and properties. The neural network-like bonding interface could firmly fix the compressed bamboo cells and enhance the mechanical properties of the bamboo cell wall and intercellular layer of bamboo, resulting in a tensile strength of 853 MPa for the composite, which was nearly three times that of natural bamboo and significantly superior to many structural materials such as alloys and other bamboo-based composites. In addition, this material showed good mildew resistance, flame retardancy and dimensional stability. This large-size bamboo composites are easy to scale production, which can be used in fields such as wind turbine blades, building structures, and outdoor walkways in the future.

Effective stabilization of electrochemically prepared ecological oxidizing agent-ferrate(VI)-by encapsulation in zeolite and its application to water containing SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Improper and insufficient treatment of infectious hospital wastewater could seriously endanger public health and the environment. Ferrate(VI), a strong oxidizing, disinfecting, and coagulating agent, has the potential as a green solution for decontamination of water and wastewater. In this paper, electrochemically prepared potassium ferrate (K2 FeO4 ) with high purity was successfully encapsulated and applied to the water contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. Natural zeolite was chosen as an appropriate ecological material for ferrate encapsulation. The stability of encapsulated ferrate (in tablet form) was monitored for an extended time period (290 days) and has significantly increased in contrast with free potassium ferrate by almost 30%. Subsequently, the K2 FeO4 encapsulated with zeolite in tablet form was applied to the water and municipal water samples containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The removal efficiency reached up to 98.5% and 86.7%, respectively, under natural conditions. Combination of environmentally friendly oxidizing agent and natural excellent adsorbent leads to the creation of very effective water treatment matter. These findings are essentially immediate and especially important for immediate water treatment in urgent situations such as natural disasters or military conflict. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Electrochemical preparation of oxidizing agent, K2 FeO4 , in high purity by own constructed electrolyzer. Encapsulation of ferrate(VI) to natural zeolite threefold improving the stability during 9 months. SARS-CoV-2 virus was successfully removed from various contaminated types of water. High degradation efficiency of virus fragments by Fe(VI) was achieved without additional water adjustment, in natural pH range.

Ecological materialism: redescribing educational leadership through Actor-Network Theory

ABSTRACT In the latest two decades, there has been an increasing number of publications in education studies drawing on Actor-Network Theory (ANT). However, the uptake of ANT in education studies was not immediate, and the investigations on educational leadership through ANT have been rare. With the aim of promoting the study of educational leadership through ANT, this article shows that ANT is a vocabulary to counter modernistic thinking in education and brings ecological materialism to critical educational leadership studies. While modernity inscribes educational leadership in binary (mind vs body; people vs things; human vs machine) and humanist thinking (humans above things), ANT invites to see it as a more-than-human activity of (re)assemblage of people, technologies, and things for the (re)composition of the common world.

Fabrication of insulating panels with biological materials

Searching new environmentally friendly materials is a goal in the construction area. This sector is one of the most polluting sectors due to the large number of raw materials and the high amount of energy it requires. So, it is necessary to look for ways to reduce this environmental impact. In this work, it is proposed the use of walnut and hazelnut shells as raw material to produce insulating materials, mainly thermal insulation, which can be used in houses or buildings in general. In addition, bone glue and beeswax, which are natural binders and have been obtained in an ecological way, will be used as binders. Tests have been carried out combining different ecological materials and changing the ratio used and their thermal conductivity has been measured. The coefficient of thermal conductivity is obtained by measuring the amount of heat that passes through the sample and applying Fourier's law. The values for the biomaterials are in the range of 0.038–0.071 Kcal/(h·m·K), these coefficients of thermal conductivity are similar to others common materials used as thermal insulators in the construction sector. Therefore, walnut or hazelnut shells could be used, giving a use to this natural waste, in the manufacture of insulating panels in construction.

Combined sand eco-mortar reinforced with polyethylene Terephthalate: Behavior and optimization using RSM method

Today, economic and environmental interests have become imperative in construction works. Therefore, the use of substitute materials for natural aggregates or cement contributes to the preservation of natural resources and the reduction of carbon dioxide diffusion. The large quantity of dune sand available in the Algerian Sahara and the affordable cost of recycled aggregates and plastic waste encourage their use as a replacement for natural aggregates in the production of cementitious materials. The interaction of dune sand (DS) and recycled sand (RS) with the introduction of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET-F) fibre help to design a normative ecological material. The aim of the study was to explore and optimize the proportions of these materials to create an environmentally-friendly cementitious product. The strategy is based on the progressive substitution of dune sand by another originating from demolition waste at different rates: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, and a gradual rate of PET-F fibres, 20 and 30 mm from 0% to 2% with a step of 0.5%. In this article, we study the effect of the new composites on the physico-mechanical performance of the designed eco-mortars through several tests (spreadability, fresh density, porosity, capillary and immersion absorption, compression strength, and flexural strength). In addition, we utilise Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to predict approximate parameters that influence the properties of new cementitious composites. The results obtained show the significant benefit of the following rates: 50% SD, 50% SR and (0.5%, 30 mm) PET-F fibre. Thus, the RSM model correlates well with the experimental data, which has undoubtedly led to an improvement in the physical–mechanical characteristics of the eco-mortar studied. Otherwise, the proposed model reaches a high pertinence, with a good desirability coefficient of 0.917.