Environmental Protection Performance Research Articles

Practice of Ecological Aesthetics in Green Production of Bimetallic Carbide Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction: Integrating Technological Development with Ecological Protection

This work summarizes the disciplinary connotation of ecological aesthetics, discusses the social and philosophical background of the origination of ecological aesthetics, and applies ecological aesthetics to the research on the production processes of catalytic materials. It is found that compared with conventional chemical processes, catalytic materials synthesized using green chemical processes that conform to ecological aesthetics have advantages in raw material cost, energy consumption, environmental protection, operational complexity, and product performance. Based on this, it is proposed that, as green chemical processes develop to a certain extent, they will unify anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, and meet both human needs and ecological protection requirements. The mentioned green chemical processes adopt biomass lotus leaf stems as a carbon source to produce non-noble metal bimetallic carbide (C19Cr7Mo24)-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Its initial half-wave potential (E1/2) for catalyzing ORR in an alkaline medium is 0.903 V, the E1/2 retention rate after 50,000 cycles is 98.9%, and its peak power density in H2/O2 fuel cell reaches 1.47 W cm−2, making it one of the most active non-noble metal catalysts for ORR reported so far; its stability is unparalleled.

Microsoft's Business Model and Strategy Adjustment under ESG Standard

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is an increasingly important consideration in investment and business operations. It covers corporate performance in environmental protection, social responsibility, and good governance. ESG factors can influence the long-term sustainability of a business, positively impacting shareholders, employees, customers, and society. Microsoft, as the world's leading technology company, is also actively paying attention to and practicing ESG principles. The company has undertaken initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, promoting the use of renewable energy, and reducing waste of resources. At the same time, Microsoft is also working to promote diversity and inclusion to ensure equal rights and opportunities for employees. In terms of governance, the company has implemented a sound decision-making and oversight mechanism to ensure transparency and compliance in its business.

Thermal stability of trifluoroiodomethane (R13I1) as an environmentally friendly working fluid for refrigeration and heat pump systems: Investigations and improvement strategies

Trifluoroiodomethane (R13I1) has attracted extensive attention because of its excellent environmental protection performance and flame retardant effect. However, R13I1 has poor thermal stability due to the presence of C-I bonds, which greatly limits its application in refrigeration and heat pump systems. At present, there are few theoretical and experimental studies on the thermal stability of R13I1 and its improvement methods. In order to solve these problems, the thermal stability and pyrolysis mechanism of R13I1 and its mixture with lubricants and stabilizers were investigated using experiments, DFT calculations, and ReaxFF simulations in this study. Firstly, the pyrolysis temperature and pyrolysis products of R13I1 were measured using the reactor method. The initial pyrolysis temperature range of R13I1 was 110–120 °C. C2F6 and I2 are the main pyrolysis products of R13I1. Then, the effect of polyol ester (POE) oil on the thermal stability of R13I1 was analyzed. The results showed that the addition of POE oil significantly promoted the decomposition of R13I1 and the generation of the pyrolysis product CHF3. Circulation systems containing R13I1/POE oil were not suitable for long-term operation at temperatures above 120 °C. The active radicals generated by the pyrolysis of lubricant were the key factor in the deterioration of the thermal stability of R13I1. Finally, a stabilizer addition to the lubricant was used to improve the thermal stability of the R13I1/POE oil, and the optimal stabilizer was determined to be 5 % AN5/0.15 % 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether. The thermal stability of R13I1/POE oil before and after the addition of the optimal stabilizer was compared. The experimental results showed that when the reaction temperature was 160 °C, the concentration of R13I1 increased from 98.94 % to 99.85 %, the concentration of CHF3 decreased from 0.89 % to 0.08 %, and the pyrolysis rate of R13I1 was only 3.86 × 10−9 s−1 with the addition of the optimal stabilizer. The optimal stabilizer achieved excellent improvements. This study not only provides basic thermal stability data for R13I1 and its mixtures, but also proposes effective methods to improve the thermal stability, which is of great significance for the safe and reliable application of R13I1 in refrigeration and heat pump systems.

환경적 경영활동요인이 환경경영수준 및 기업성과에 미치는 영향

Environmental protection and sustainable management of companies are not only social responsibilities, but also essential requirements according to legal regulations. As the importance of environmental management increases, companies try to strategically respond to the relationship between environmental protection and business performance. The main results of this study are as follows. Among environmental management factors, CEO perception, market opportunity, government regulation, and social responsibility were found to have significant effects on strategic responses. Next, the effects of environmental management factors (CEO recognition, management competency, organizational culture, market opportunity, market pressure, government regulation, and social responsibility) on the practice level were all significant. Among environmental management levels, the impact of strategic response on environmental performance, strategic performance, and financial performance was found to be significant. Among the environmental management levels, the effect of the practice level on environmental performance, strategic performance, and financial performance was found to be significant. Finally, the conclusions and implications of this study, limitations of the study, and future research were suggested.

Equivalent analytical models for assessment of landfill composite liners

An equivalent analytical model based on time moments is proposed to estimate the properties of landfill composite liners. The service performance of landfill liners composed of a geomembrane layer (GMBL), a geosynthetic clay layer (GCL), and an attenuation layer (AL) and a GMBL, compacted clay layer (CCL), and AL were equivalently analyzed. The equivalent analysis and quantitative correlation of contaminants at the bottom of the GMBL/GCL/AL and GMBL/CCL/AL systems were considered according to the relative concentration (CN), instantaneous flux (JI) and accumulative flux (JA). The relative concentration (CN) was found to be the most conservative equivalent index. The thickness equivalent relation of the AL for the different composite liners was consequently obtained using the pure diffusion equivalent model and the advection–diffusion equivalent model. It was found that the pure diffusion thickness equivalent relationship was a simplified linear correlation and independent of time. The quadratic polynomial equivalent equations of AL thickness for different service times were obtained by the group method of data handling. The results showed that GCL-based composite liner had a better environmental protection performance than the CCL-based composite liner. When the thickness of the GMBL/CCL/AL composite liner was fixed, the corresponding equivalent thickness of AL in the GMBL/GCL/AL composite liner decreased with an increase in the leachate head and the wrinkle length for the same value of CN.

A Study of Factors Influencing Investor Expectations in the Capital Market

This paper examines three key factors that influence investor expectations: company announcements, market seasonality and environment, and social and corporate governance (ESG). It shows that these factors individually and jointly have a significant impact on investor behavior and market dynamics. Corporate announcements serve as an important source of information that directly influences investor behavior and expectations, while market seasonality demonstrates cyclical patterns in investor expectations. Meanwhile, ESG investments reflect investors’ concerns about corporate performance in environmental protection, social responsibility, and governance. While research on these factors has been more extensive, further research is needed to combine these factors with other market dynamics and to quantify their impact on long-term investment decisions and market trends. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the diverse factors that influence investor expectations by analyzing these factors in an integrated manner. This not only provides insights for investors and market analysts, but also provides important information for policymakers in guiding the market and formulating policies.

How to achieve both environmental protection and firm performance improvement: Based on China's carbon emissions trading (CET) policy

Based on panel data drawn from the Annual Survey of Industrial Firms (ASIF) in China spanning 1998 to 2013, this study assesses the micro-level effects of China's CET policy, reexamining the classic dilemma of balancing “environmental protection and economic growth”. The findings reveal that within the pilot industries, the CET policy leads to lower output and value-added for firms in the pilot regions. This can be attributed to the fact that firms in these regions have not notably increased their independent innovation or adopted imported digital products (technology). However, firms with higher initial productivity levels will benefit, as they engage in more independent innovation, effectively triggering the “Porter Effect”. Furthermore, the discussion highlights the heterogeneous impact of CET, and resulting performance divergence within the industry. The failure of inefficient enterprises to exit promptly and the inability of potential entrants to join in a timely manner, lead to suboptimal resource allocation, which lies at the core of the challenge in balancing environmental protection and economic growth. Additionally, the study reveals that China's CET policy significantly contributes to an increase in the value-added rate, signifying a transformation in the economic growth pattern and a natural alignment between environmental protection and economic growth.

Functional Catalyst Molecular Sieves in Green Chemical Applications

With the development of green chemical industry and the continuous improvement of environmental awareness, the application of various catalysts in environmental protection has been widely concerned. As a green catalyst, molecular sieve catalyst has superior environmental performance, which is mainly reflected in its ability to improve the selectivity of reaction products, can be reused, good thermal stability and strong adaptability. This paper mainly introduces the types, development history, synthesis technology and application of zeolite catalysts, due to the development of science and technology, a large number of new synthetic zeolite catalysts are used in the field of catalysis and meet the requirements of green chemistry, and its synthesis technology is gradually trending towards environmental protection with the development of green chemistry. Zeolite catalysts are widely used in chemical industry and other fields, and their green environmental protection performance promotes the development of chemical processes in the direction of green chemicals.

Experimental study on the viscosity of trifluoroiodomethane (R13I1) with polyol ester and polyvinylether lubricating oils

Trifluoroiodomethane (R13I1) has attracted extensive attention because of its excellent environmental protection performance, and can be used as a component of environmentally friendly refrigerant blends. To better understand the cycle performance of R13I1 as a refrigerant, it is necessary to study the thermodynamic properties of the R13I1/lubricating oil mixture. In this work, the viscosities of polyol ester (POE) oil (RL 32H) and polyvinylether (PVE) oil (FVC 32D) saturated with R13I1 were measured at temperatures ranging from 293.15 to 353.15 K and pressures up to 0.6 MPa using a custom equilibrium viscosity system. The viscosities of R13I1/RL 32H and R13I1/FVC 32D showed similar trends with temperature, pressure, and solubility. With the increase of the solubility of R13I1 in the oil, the viscosity of the mixture decreased sharply at first and then tended to be flat. The dissolved R13I1 in oil greatly reduced the viscosity of lubricating oil, and the effect of R13I1 on the viscosity of RL 32H was greater than that of FVC 32D. The experimental viscosity data were correlated using the modified Setchenow-type equation, the Eyring-NRTL model, and the Eyring-MTSM model, and the calculated results of the models were in good agreement with the experimental data.

A statistical examination of the link between environmental performance and legal practices: an evaluation of China’s strategies for residual legislative power allocation

This study investigates the correlation between the environmental legal practices of different countries and their environmental performance. It entails an empirical analysis of cross-sectional environmental data collected from 34 countries, including members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the BRICs nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Then the study explores the correlation between a country’s environmental performance and both the environmental policy stringency and regulatory enforcement. The findings from this global assessment are subsequently corroborated through an examination of China’s environmental time series data spanning a decade, revealing a significant relationship between a country’s environmental performance and regulatory enforcement. These results validate the Incomplete Law Theory within the field of environmental law. Moreover, as the second most populous and the third-largest country in terms of land area globally, China’s environmental protection strategies and performance play a pivotal role in influencing international environmental outcomes. Consequently, the study conducts a case study on China’s environmental legal practices and provides suggestions for enhancing China’s allocation strategies of residual legislative power. The study advocates for the optimization of residual legislative power allocation within local environmental law enforcement agencies and a balanced distribution of public and private residual legislative power. This approach reinforces the government’s role in strategic formulation.

The Impact of Parallel U-Turns on Urban Intersection: Evidence from Chinese Cities

As the number of motor vehicles in China’s cities continues to increase, the imbalance between the capacity that existing urban roads have for construction and the demand for motor vehicles is becoming increasingly evident. Indeed, the design of the intersection U-turn scheme has garnered significant attention from researchers. However, as the number of vehicles requiring U-turns increases, the traditional U-turn in the median or U-turn at the intersection fails to meet the timely demand for U-turns. In such cases, vehicles needing to make U-turns are required to queue first. As the queue length grows, it ultimately impacts the operational efficiency of the intersection. To optimize the imbalance between supply and demand at these intersections and promote the sustainable development of intersections, an innovative form of U-turn organization called the Parallel U-turn has been developed. In the engineering practice of reconstructing existing intersections or constructing new ones, it is crucial to investigate the compatibility between various U-turn design forms and traffic volumes. This exploration helps ensure that the chosen U-turn design effectively accommodates the specific traffic demands at the intersection. Therefore, in this paper, a typical intersection in Xi’an was chosen as the study intersection to investigate traffic data. The researchers calibrated and simulated four U-turn organization schemes using VISSIM microsimulation software. The four schemes included a traditional U-turn at the intersection, a Parallel U-turn at the intersection, a traditional U-turn in the median, and a Parallel U-turn in the median. Then, the researchers used the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method (EWTM) to evaluate the compatibility of each U-turn organization scheme for different traffic combinations. This assessment was conducted based on three criteria: operational efficiency, environmental protection, and safety performance. The results of this study indicate that the Parallel U-turn design is advantageous for the XiaoZhai intersection in Xi’an, China, under specific traffic conditions. When the traffic volume at the intersection exceeds 5940 vehicles per hour but remains below the intersection’s maximum capacity, implementing the Parallel U-turn design could yield positive outcomes in terms of operational efficiency, safety performance, and a reduction in intersection pollution. In summary, by enhancing operational efficiency, safety, and environmental impact, the Parallel U-turn design promotes the overall performance and sustainability of the XiaoZhai intersection and the transportation system in Xi’an, China.

Technical-economic and environment benefit analyses of a novel building attached photovoltaic system.

This study proposed a novel building attached photovoltaic (BAPV) system mainly comprised of the PV system, building with household appliances, electric vehicle (EV), and power grid. Effect analyses of four typical factors are conducted, including the number of batteries, PV system supporting type, azimuth, and tilt angles of PV panels. The results show that the BAPV system with 8 batteries, an open PV system supporting type, an azimuth angle of 0°, and a tilt angle of 30.5° is relatively optimal. The operation, economic, and environment benefit performances of the BAPV system are analyzed. The results reveal that the annual effective output electricity of the BAPV system is 58.3 MWh, of which about 20 MWh is consumed by household appliances and EV or stored in batteries, and 38.3 MWh is sold to the power grid. The annual performance ratio of the BAPV system is 82.7%. Based on the annual nominal power generation quantity of the PV system, the effective output electricity occupies about 89%, and the energy loss part occupies 11%. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and cost recovery cycle of the BAPV system are 0.132 yuan/kWh and 8.7 years, respectively. For the whole lifetime, the emission reduction quantities of carbon dioxide, dust, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide of the BAPV project are 786.3 t, 4.225 t, 7.275 t, and 6.9 t. The results of this study demonstrate the technical and economic feasibilities as well as the acceptable environmental protection performance of the proposed BAPV system, and this paper will contribute to the research and development works of BAPV systems.

Novel Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphors induced by alkaline metal ions replacement: Green synthesis, luminescence enhancement, high stability and application in warm WLED

Red-emitting Mn4+-doped fluoride phosphors are promising fluorescent material for use in high-performance warm white light emitting diodes (WLEDs). However, low stability and non-green synthesis method limit the development and commercialization of such phosphor. Herein, a series of novel (Li/Na/Cs)0.4Ba0.8SiF6:Mn4+ phosphors with optimized fluorescence properties induced by alkaline metal ions replacement are successfully synthesized via a green and eco-friendly approach. Under the irradiation of 460 nm blue light, Cs0.4Ba0.8SiF6:Mn4+ red phosphor with narrow band emission peak has the best optical performance. The optimal doping concentration of Mn4+ in Cs0.4Ba0.8SiF6 host and the reason for concentration quenching are systematically analyzed. Furthermore, the moisture resistance and thermal stability of this phosphor are discussed. After being soaked in deionized water for 90 min, the PL intensity of Cs0.4Ba0.8SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor can maintain at 40% of that in air, which is 4 times higher than commercial K2SiF6:Mn4+. At the operating temperature of LED (423 K), Cs0.4Ba0.8SiF6:Mn4+ red phosphor can exhibit stable light output intensity and color. A warm WLED with low correlated color temperature of 4336 K, high color rendering index of 88.4 and high lumen efficiency of 105.96 lm/W is fabricated via using Cs0.4Ba0.8SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor as a component of red-light, and the warm WLED can maintain stable output even at high driving currents. Overall, the alkali metal ion replacement and green synthesis strategies have opened up a new perspective for the synthesis of efficient Mn4+-doped fluoride phosphors, which has dual benefits for optimizing the performance of WLED and environmental protection.

Technical-economic and environmental protection performance evaluation of a novel hybrid solar-nuclear thermally coupled power and desalination plant.

Clean energy complementary system can reduce environmental pollution effectively and is considered as a future energy development direction. In this paper, an innovative solar-nuclear thermally coupled power and desalination plant for electricity and freshwater productions is proposed. As solar power and nuclear power are combined, this multi-energy system is a clean energy system and basically has no emissions of soot, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. The operating behavior assessment results of the multi-energy system show that the power generation and freshwater production systems can operate synergistically. The electric power and corresponding efficiency of the multi-energy system are 290.7 MW and 38.2%, in which the solar proportion is about 38.1%. The daily freshwater production of the multi-energy system is 3761.3 t. The economic assessment results reveal that the levelized costs of electricity and freshwater of the multi-energy system are 0.361 yuan/(kWh) and 1.645 yuan/t. The environmental protection analysis results show that in contrast with a coal-fired system, the annual emission reductions of soot, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides of the multi-energy system are 7350.94 t, 12,634.42 t, 513,034.14 t, and 11,945.28 t, revealing a significant environmental protection performance.

Dynamic modeling of a mechanically coupled organic Rankine-vapor compression system for compression heat recovery based on an improved lumped parameter model

Compression heat recovery is getting attention in cryogenic air separation units for its high energy saving potential, while the organic Rankine-vapor compression system (ORVC) is considered as an attractive technology for both compression heat recovery and air pretreatment. As the states of the compression heat inevitably change with the ambient environment, dynamic simulation of the ORVC-air compression heat recovery system (ORVC-ACS) is carried out in this paper. An improved lumped parameter model that enables to solve the dynamic model with complex structure and on large-time scale is proposed and validated. The working fluid density in the heat exchanger is treated as phase-based average in this improved model. The average relative deviations between the simulation results and experimental data are less than 6.8%. The annual dynamic characteristics and varying-duty operation performance of the ORVC-ACS are further studied. The results show that the ORVC-ACS could basically work under the design condition, with the maximum temperature fluctuation amplitude of about 6.9 °C, response time of about 4–6 min without varying-duty conditions and 8 min with duty changing. Besides, for a 60,000 Nm3/h scale ORVC-ACS, the annual energy saving reaches about 13.75 GWh, equivalent to CO2 emission reduction of about 9.9 Mt, and heat recovery ratio of about 76.4%, illustrating great energy saving and environmental protection performance. This research may benefit subsequent control scheme design and actual operation.

Performance Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Combined with Transcritical CO2 Refrigeration Cycle

In order to achieve efficient utilization of solar energy resources, this study combines the trans-critical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power cycle (TORC) with the trans-critical CO2 refrigeration cycle (TCO2). Additionally, a comprehensive three-level index decision evaluation system is developed based on system safety and environmental protection, thermodynamics, and techno-economic performance. The evaluation focuses on typical medium- and high-temperature solar energy applications and considers six organic working gases. The evaluation results demonstrate that the R600 + CO2 solution outperformed the others. This solution achieved a maximum net output power (Pnet) of 1531.31 kW and 2306.43 kW, a maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.16, a predicted payback period of 2.651 years and 2.033 years, and a benefit–investment ratio of 4.533 and 5.773.

The Impact of Environmental Regulations on Enterprise Pollution Emission from the Perspective of “Overseeing the Government”

This study aims to analyze the impact of “overseeing the government” on corporate pollution control and emission reduction behavior and the choice of corporate emission reduction paths. The central government in China persistently reinforces its environmental oversight of local governments. The effectiveness of environmental protection is closely tied to the performance of local officials and the implementation of the “one vote veto” system in the realm of environmental conservation. In this study, we use the evolutionary game model theory and the DID model to test the impact of “overseeing the government” on the environmental behavior of enterprises. Specifically, this study establishes an evolutionary game model between local government and enterprises, exploring how the local government and the enterprise make decisions. The theoretical findings are validated using pollution data from industrial enterprises in China. The study reveals that enterprises are influenced by local governments primarily when the costs of environmental abatement are relatively low, and the costs of noncompliance are high. Strengthening government oversight leads to a reduction in the intensity and overall emissions of both water and air pollutants. Enterprises respond by increasing their utilization of clean energy sources, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, and enhancing their pollution control infrastructure to mitigate emissions. Notably, there is no evidence suggesting that enterprises curtail production levels to reduce emissions. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a rational understanding of the relationship between environmental protection and economic performance. In addition, tailored policies should be formulated to enable precise pollution control measures and facilitate the pursuit of high-quality development.

A novel approach of using TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles and hydrocarbon refrigerant R600a in retrofitted vapour compression refrigeration system for environment protection and system performance enhancement

A novel approach of using TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles and hydrocarbon refrigerant R600a in retrofitted vapour compression refrigeration system for environment protection and system performance enhancement

Mechanical properties of Sn–Pb based solder joints and fatigue life prediction of PBGA package structure

Solder joints are generally the weakest part in electronic packaging structure whose fatigue life depends to a large extent on the durability of solder joints. In pursuit of a balance between environmental protection and soldering performance, commonly used Sn–Pb solder should be modified by adding other chemical elements to reduce Pb content. This work aims to investigate the performance of different solder materials and explore the impact of different electronic package structures. Firstly, tensile experiments are performed on three kinds of solders (Sn–Pb, Sn–Pb–In, Sn–Pb–Bi) to obtain their mechanical behavior, and then the constitutive laws of them are calibrated by Anand model. Additionally, finite element method (FEM) is used simulate the response of plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package structure under thermal cycles, and mechanical variables including deformation, equivalent stress, and equivalent strain are analyzed. Finally, Coffin-Manson and Engelmaier equations are adopted to predict the fatigue life of package structures and the effects of various factors such as solder materials, dimensions of components, and welding quality are further investigated. Results reveal that adding Bi into Sn–Pb solder can make the solder joints have better performance. From the perspective of optimum fatigue life, the plastic package thickness is recommended in the range of 0.8 mm–0.9 mm, the chip thickness is recommended as 0.35 mm, the substrate thickness is recommended to be less than 0.34 mm, and the ratio of stand-off height to solder ball diameter should be controlled between 0.6 and 0.7. According to the prediction, the solder ball diameter is suggested to be 0.54 mm so that fatigue life could reach 194 cycles, and the stand-off height for this package structure is suggested to be 0.36 mm so that fatigue life could reach 123 cycles.

HARMONIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL POLICIES WITH BANKING REGULATION IN INDONESIA

The banking industry plays a crucial and strategic part in efforts to manage and safeguard and take care of the earth. The bank's performance in environmental protection can be achieved by involving the purpose of preserving the environment of life in its business activities, one of which is through the provision of environmentally sound loans. These financial institutions must put forward the sustainable development goals. The current problem is that there is no regulatory firmness that specifically regulates the synergy between environmental law and banking law in a standardization of compliance of banking business activities, especially in the arrangement of environmentally sound lending and borrowing agreements. Therefore, researchers conduct research with the normative legal approach method by collecting primary, secondary and tertiary data using the rules and regulations in laws, books, journals, both the internet. This paper aims to examine the harmonization between environmental law in banking activities, suggest it to the Indonesian Financial Services Authority as well a concept of harmonization and synchronization of banking and environmental regulations by applying sustainable finance principles in a regulation internal banking credit policy.