Material Issues Research Articles

Ciemnoekologiczna niebinarność na przykładach z poezji Łukasza Kaźmierczaka / Łucji Kuttig

My paper examines how the queer theme, particularly the issue of nonbinarity, is realized in Timothy Morton’s concept of dark ecology. The project of dark ecology assumes a mutual enmeshing of human and nonhuman beings, creating space for non-heteronormativity and non-cisgender, among other things. Dark ecology combines reflection that is feminist (e.g., by referring to the legacy of ecofeminists) and queer. It broadly describes the problems associated with binarism (not only gender binarism, but also that concerning the nature-culture dualisms that are foundational to Western reflection) and seeks an alternative in the aforementioned network of connections between all beings, which – as in Stacy Alaimo’s concept of transcorporeality or Donna Haraway’s sympoiesis – are interdependent. Dark ecology also proposes a practice of solidarity, which consists in accepting the common entanglement of all elements of the world in a catastrophe (which the author calls explicitly global warming) that is revolutionizing reality as we know it. The editors of <i>Disorientation. An Anthology of Polish Queer Literature</i> refer to Łukasz Kaźmierczak/Łucja Kuttig’s poems as non-binary poetry. In the author’s work, gender is fluid and, like other words, is subject to inflectional manipulation. The author touches on gender motifs directly and juxtaposes them with the problem of dichotomousness. In their texts, I am also interested in the issues of corporeality and the relationship of man with the environment (i.e., Morton’s mesh). Keywords: dark ecology, gender, queer studies, nonbinarity

Enhancing the Performance of Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes in Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes Using Omniphobic Surface Modification

The necessity for advantageous advancements in filtering technology has resulted in limited attention towards emerging materials, specifically nanofiber membranes, for water purification. The issue of organic material and the collection of residual organics in wastewater is a significant challenge since existing treatments like coagulation/flocculation and chlorine treatment have proven insufficient in achieving satisfactory outcomes. Further treatment and disposal steps are required for the additional amount of sludge produced by these methods. The field of nanotechnology has remarkable promise in filtration applications owing to its capacity to fabricate materials with exact structural control to meet specific needs. Membrane distillation (MD) has emerged as a potentially viable method for treating industrial wastewater. However, the existing hydrophobic MD membranes encounter substantial challenges related to wetting, mostly caused by the presence of pollutants often found in wastewater. This work presents a novel approach for the production of a Poly Vinylidene Fluoride - Hexa Fluoro Propylene Electrospun Nanofiber Membrane (PVF-HFP-ENM) that exhibits enhanced resistance to wetting by reduced surface-tension materials. The PVF-HFP-ENM membrane, which possesses an inherent re-entrant structure, has been fluorinated using 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Per Fluoro Decyl Trichlorosilane (PFDT) by Vapor Deposition (VD) without the need for surface activation. The fluorinated membrane had exceptional surface omniphobicity, as evidenced by its high contact angles with water and ethanol, measuring 148±0.4° and 120 ± 0.8°, respectively. The fluorinated membrane exhibited exceptional stability regarding omniphobicity and mechanical qualities, even when subjected to extreme circumstances such as ultrasonic disinfection, boiling water, and acidic and base exposure. The present work focuses on utilizing ENM in the context of industrial wastewater treatment and the alteration of nanomembranes to mitigate clogging problems and enhance the efficiency of wastewater treatment processes.

Decomposed defect formation energy for analysis of doping process: The case of n-type and p-type doping of β-FeSi2

Defect formation energy governs the thermodynamics of a specific dopant within the host material. Here, we introduce an approach to decomposing the defect formation energy into intuitive components, each representing a distinct physical step in the process of defect formation. Through this approach, we illustrate that adhering solely to conventional criteria, such as ionic radius, may overlook potential dopants. Taking β-FeSi2, a promising high-temperature thermoelectric material, as an example, we demonstrate that non-intuitive chemical interactions can play a more significant role in lowering the defect formation energy. As a result, Ir on Fe site is found to exhibit unexpected low defect formation energy among the 26 candidate dopants and has been employed in experiment to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit of n-type β-FeSi2. The understanding gained from this work could be of general interest for addressing the doping limit issue for other potential thermoelectric materials.

Economic issue of material reserves management taking into account probabilistic model

ObjectivesRunning a business effectively requires ensuring continuity and regularity of the activity. For this purpose, it is important to effectively and rationally manage inventories and maintain them at various levels of optimality.Material and methodsIn the paper a design of the probabilistic model of reserves is discussed. The objective was an elaboration of the optimal strategy of materials reserves management in the series manufacturing.ResultsThe model has been verified at an attainable scale using the numerical data concerning different assortment of materials in the serial production of furniture. The proposed probabilistic model makes it possible to elaborate the optimal strategy of type R, Z in the management of reserves of based materials of the manufacturing company with large-lot production. The strategy is based on minimal expenses connected with a supply of materials.ConclusionsFor each company to provide good quality services, it is necessary for individual, cooperating enterprises to function efficiently. The so-called "supply chain" is a specific sequence of activities enabling the satisfaction of market demand for a given product. The supply chain consists of companies and plants that are involved in supplying raw materials, processing them into semi-finished products and, ultimately, creating a finished product. The simplest supply chain consists of a company, suppliers and customers. However, it is good to know that many more companies are involved in most production processes, including transport, logistics, finance and IT.

Enhancing the corrosion resistance of 2205 duplex stainless steel in molten carbonate salts by laser-surface texturing

Next-generation concentrated solar power (CSP) technology needs to work at high temperatures to increase its power generation efficiency. It represents overcoming some issues for the structural materials, such as corrosion mitigation. In the present work, the laser-surface texturing (LST) treatment is investigated as a surface modification method to mitigate corrosion of a duplex stainless steel for CSP structural material. Corrosion tests of duplex steel were carried out immersed in a static molten salt mixture of Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3 at 600 °C for 1000 h. Complementary microscopy, microanalysis and optical characterization techniques were used to analyse both the steel surface after LST and the oxide scales formed after corrosion tests. Results evidenced that the laser treatment favoured the formation of a denser oxide layer, improving its effectiveness as a protective barrier against further oxidation. Compared with an untreated surface, the laser-treated one significantly decreased the corrosion rate by 48 %.

Electric field-induced deterioration of cement mortars owing to calcium leaching

This paper investigated the calcium leaching from plain and fly ash/limestone blended cement mortars under an electric field. The Ca2+ leaching degree and reduced CaO content were measured to assess the extent of calcium leaching, and the compressive strength loss was used as an indicator to evaluate the degradation of the mortars due to leaching. Additionally, the changes in mineralogical composition, micrograph, Ca/Si ratio of C–S–H gel, and pore structure of leached samples were analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The findings indicated a notable acceleration in the leaching of Ca2+ due to the application of an electric field. Consequently, the calcium leaching degree of mortars continuously increased with time. The accelerated calcium leaching resulted in the loose microstructure and increased porosity mainly for the cathode part as well as the reduction in compressive strength of mortars. The addition of fly ash was beneficial in reducing the calcium leaching and strength loss of mortars after 90 days of exposure to the electric field, contrary to the effects observed with the incorporation of limestone powders. Attention should be paid to the durability issues of cement-based materials induced by the electric field.

Human – Environment QSAR Studies of Radioactive Chemicals by Online Prediction Websites

Diagnosis, therapy, and research – development are main targets in radioactive materials issues that took huge places in medical sector of radio-molecular imaging and nuclear medicine where adsorbed radionuclide by the target(s) with high selectivity and minimum duration management compared to chemotherapy. In this study, three online websites created by various scientific groups in Baker Institute, university of Queensland, and School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne as a computed base to predict toxicity of various radiopharmaceuticals having Sm-153; Ga-68; F-18; Hg-197; I-131; I-123; Tc-99m: In-111, or Se-75. Prediction of forty – five radio-chemicals targeted embryo, cardio-: Arrhythmia, heart block, Cardiac Failure, hERG, Myocardial Infarction, and hypertension. Herbicidal activity and environmental safety represented by Honey Bee, Avian, Minnow, as well as human toxicity that include Ames, rat acute (LD50) and chronic (LOAEL) toxicities were additionally evaluated by these three online websites. Here first Iraqi attempt showed that these tested materials had a toxic site to one or more of human (embryo or pregnant mother), cardio- (Arrhythmia, Cardiac Failure, Heart Block, hERG, Hypertension, or Myocardial Infarction) or rat acute (LD50) – chronic (LOAEL), as well as environment (honey, avian, Minnow) characters. Samarium-153 Lexidronam gave a safe in Silico toxicological response to embryo (and pregnant mother), all tested cardio-, honey, and avian. Also, it showed a low number towards Minnow and rat chronic (LOAEL) toxicities. In the same manner, Selenomethionine - 75Se derivative was highly unsafe to embryo (and mother) beside toxic effect in Arrhythmia case. In comparison to Sm-153, Se-75, as a corresponding radio – compound of the naturally amino acid found in soybeans and nuts, had lower Minnow and rat chronic toxicological values but not LD50. So, both radiopharmaceuticals were structurally toxic especially in high concentration and repeated uptake by human or other species.

Improving the Stability of Halide Perovskites for Photo‐, Electro‐, Photoelectro‐Chemical Applications

AbstractOwing to their remarkable and adjustable optoelectronic properties, halide perovskites (HPs) have been regarded as a class of promising materials for various optoelectronic applications based on different energy conversion reactions, including photovoltaic cell, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. However, the low stability of HPs upon exposure to ambient conditions (e.g., water, heat, light, electricity) greatly hinders the practical applications of HPs. In the past few years, significant efforts have been devoted to enhancing the eventual stability of the perovskite‐based optoelectronic systems, mainly focusing on delivering improvements in the stabilities of halide perovskite materials and the relevant operation conditions of optoelectronic systems, which deserve in‐depth and systematic summaries. In this comprehensive review, the in‐depth environment‐induced decomposition mechanisms of typical HPs are elucidated. Simultaneously, the strategies for addressing the instability issues of halide perovskite materials are critically reviewed, including dimension control, compositional engineering, ligand passivation, and encapsulation engineering. Furthermore, the photoelectric applications based on the modified HPs and operation conditions are discussed systematically. In the last part of this review, future perspectives and outlooks toward the stability of HPs and their photoelectric applications are envisaged respectively.

Preface

It is a matter of great pleasure for the organizers to bring out the Conference proceedings of the 6th National Conference on Advanced Materials and Radiation Physics (AMRP-2023) in Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The 6th National Conference on Advanced Materials and Radiation Physics (AMRP-2023) was held during May 18-19, 2023 through HYBRID Mode at Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal, Punjab (INDIA). The AMRP-2023 conference is an important event that brings academics and researchers from all over India to share their professional experiences, expand their professional knowledge and receive updates on the latest advances in the field of advanced materials and radiation Physics.Materials science is an interdisciplinary field which deals with the discovery and design of new materials involving the study of materials through the materials paradigm (synthesis, structure, properties and performance). The subject covers a broad spectrum of materials science research including functional materials, synthesis and processing, theoretical analyses, characterization and properties of materials. Emphasis is also placed on the interdisciplinary nature of materials science and issues at the forefront of the field, such as energy and environmental issues, as well as medical and bioengineering applications are also discussed.The Radiation Physics is highly multidisciplinary in nature and is now the backbone of the nuclear medical diagnostics. The radiation physics research covers many areas of radiation imaging techniques, fundamental studies of semiconductor radiation detectors, detector materials, radiation interaction with matter and medical physics which aims to improve knowledge and methods in the field of radiation physics and radiation dosimetry, in order to develop new radiation measurement instruments and methods for applications in research, industry and medicine.In this conference more than 150 researchers from reputed universities/institutes have shown interest in hybrid mode participation. The conference included one key note address, four plenary talks, six invited talks, and presentation of more than 130 contributed papers via online & offline mode on different aspects of the conference theme. We extend our sincere gratitude to all the authors who submitted their papers to the AMRP conference. We also like to express our great appreciation to the Keynote, plenary and invited speakers.We are thankful to Institute administration for extending all support and motivation to organize this conference. On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee, we would like to thank the referees for their efficient and thoughtful actions. We are grateful to the members of the Organising Committee for their efforts in making and shaping the program for AMRP 2023. Particularly, we acknowledge the publishing support from the members of Journal of Physics: Conference Series. We hope that the future AMRP will be as successful and stimulating, as indicated with the contributions presented in this volume.Organising Committee AMRP-2023List of Organising Committee is available in this Pdf.

Mendelsohn’s Rudderless Ship

In 1921 the German-Jewish architect Erich Mendelsohn designed and built his seminal hat factory Steinberg, Herrmann & Co., whose many transformations and changing patterns of ownership finally led to a state of obsolesence. After first successful attempts to reconstruct the premises from the 2000s onwards, the building remains predominantly idle, with the risk of falling into disrepair again. Rather than focussing on issues of style, composition, or materiality, this article looks at the life of this building and its current condition, thus seeking to trace some of the aspects that are imbricated in its architecture: issues of race, war, politics, economics, preservation, climate, and function.

Early adopters of institutional creativity in integrated reporting

PurposeIn the last two decades, risk reporting has followed a normative and calculative culture rather than the “materiality” of data. Although integrated reporting (IR) has become flooded with extra information, it does not adequately disseminate material information to stakeholders. In addition, the poor tone from the top diminishes creativity. This study aims to investigate how companies creatively address issues of the materiality of risk information in IR and how IR can be aligned with enterprise risk management.Design/methodology/approachQualitative research was conducted via interviews with 50 chief risk officers and senior management executives in the Indian and UK insurance markets.FindingsOverall, five institutions were observed to exhibit elements of being early adopters of institutional creativity. This confirmed the present study’s theoretical contribution of five divergent types of early adopters. The motivations for creativity are reflected in the resources available to these institutions.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study provides a new insight into IR from internal mechanisms to deal with issue of materiality.

Electrochemical Processes and Reactions In Rechargeable Battery Materials Revealed via In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

AbstractRechargeable batteries that make renewable energy resources feasible for electrification technologies have been extensively investigated. Their corresponding performance is strongly dependent on the structural characteristics and chemical dynamics of internal electrode and electrolyte materials under operating conditions. To enhance battery performance and lifetime, a comprehensive understanding of the structure‐dynamics‐performance correlation of such materials under different working conditions is of great significance. Fortunately, in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) encompassing high‐resolution imaging, diffraction, and spectroscopic analysis, offers unprecedented insights into the nano/atomic scale structural changes and degradation pathways of rechargeable battery materials under operational conditions. Such insights are pivotal for a deep‐rooted understanding of reaction mechanisms and the structure‐activity interplay within battery materials. This work, therefore, highlights the advances in in situ TEM's utility in unveiling dynamic chemical and physical changes in real‐time within battery materials of rechargeable batteries. Electrochemical processes and degradation mechanisms are systematically explored and summarized. Moreover, the technical progress, challenges, and valuable insights provided by in situ TEM techniques for addressing critical issues in battery materials are underscored. The work concludes with a discussion of emerging research directions that hold the potential to revolutionize the renewable energy field in the near future.

High-capacity hydrogen storage in lithium decorated penta-BN2: A first-principles study

The development of solid hydrogen storage materials is an important part of the large-scale application of hydrogen energy. The gravimetric density of hydrogen storage materials and modified metal atoms agglomeration are the key research issues in two-dimensional hydrogen storage materials. Based on first-principles calculations, lithium-modified penta-BN2(P-BN2) is developed as a new hydrogen storage material. The geometric and electronic structures of lithium-modified P-BN2 (Li-P-BN2) have been calculated. P-BN2 has strong binding ability to lithium metal atoms, preventing the formation of lithium metal clusters, and the material has a strong stability. Twenty-eight hydrogen molecules can be stably adsorbed by the Li-P-BN2 system, and the theoretical storage gravimetric density of hydrogen is 13.27 wt%. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) shows that the material has a useable capacity of 8.95 wt% at 300 K. The mean desorption temperature is 437.13 K. The excellent hydrogen adsorption capacity and high gravimetric density of Li-P-BN2 may make it a promising hydrogen storage material.

Hole and electron transport materials: A review on recent progress in organic charge transport materials for efficient, stable, and scalable perovskite solar cells

Charge transporting materials are essential for fabricating stable and efficient perovskite solar cells. The high-temperature processing, surface defects, and low mobility are common issues in inorganic charge transport materials which can hinder the fabrication of low-cost, efficient, and stable perovskite solar cells. Dopants increase the processing cost of the hole transport materials. Surface defects are observed in the high-temperature processed inorganic electron transport materials. There is a need to develop organic compounds for charge transportation in perovskite solar cells. Herein, the advancements in the organic materials for charge transport in the perovskite solar cells are reviewed. The low-cost processing, better solubility, efficient charge mobility, tunable molecular orbitals, and better stability of organic compounds are some properties for their utilization as charge transport materials in perovskite solar cells. Organic small molecules, polymers, and phthalocyanine compounds can be utilized as dopant-free hole transport materials. Fullerene and non-fullerene derivatives like C60, C70, azaacenes, indacenodithiophene, polymers, and rylene diimides are promising electron transport materials. The functionality, engineering, charge transport properties, and device characteristics of different organic materials are discussed. The review will offer a forecast for improving device stability and efficiency in terms of architecture, engineering, and materials to realize the commercialization of perovskite solar cells soon.

Architecture is Interface: Latent Virtuality from Antiquity to Zoom

AbstractArchitectural educators Joshua Bard and Francesca Torello embrace numerous digital technologies to subvert issues of scale, framing, materiality, inside and outside to provoke viewers into contemplating the current nature of architecture and its discourse. Their inspiration is Sir John Soane's Museum in London, which is a multilayered conversation between objects and their interrelationships with themselves and their settings.

Peierls plasticity of thermoelectric lead telluride assessed by local misfit energy

High brittleness observed in p-type PbTe is a significant obstacle in the commercial use of PbTe-based thermoelectric materials. An in-depth study of dislocations in PbTe is crucial due to their significant impact on material plasticity. In this work, the properties of 12[011](0 1¯ 1) edge dislocation in PbTe are investigated by using the local misfit energy of a shear model within the framework of the Peierls–Nabarro theory. By incorporating a moderate strain region size, a smooth and gradual transition of Pb–Te bonds during the shear process can be facilitated while balancing the elastic and inelastic components of the local misfit energy. The average misfit energy and the Peierls stress of the dislocation are calculated and compared with those of SrTiO3, a material that has demonstrated unexpected plasticity in its single crystal form. The findings indicate that undoped PbTe exhibits reasonably good plasticity. This work presents a theoretical approach to investigate dislocation properties in PbTe, laying the foundation for further research on the mechanical aspects of p-type dopant-induced issues in PbTe-based materials.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Magnetic Properties of Lanthanide-Containing Paramagnetic Ionic Liquids: An Evan's NMR Study.

The present study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of lanthanide-containing paramagnetic ionic liquids (ILs), [CnC1Im]3[MCl3X3] (n = 4, 6, and 8; M = Gd, Dy, and Ho; X = Br and Cl), derived from 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium anions. These paramagnetic ILs exhibit low vapor pressure, high thermal stability, physiochemical stability, and tunability, along with significant magnetic susceptibility, making them of interest in advanced material applications that may take advantage of neat liquids with magnetic susceptibility. Structural and physical properties were determined using FTIR, 1H NMR, DSC, and TGA. The room temperature density and viscosity of the iron paramagnetic ILs were also reported. Accompanying this report of paramagnetic IL products, we reintroduce and highlight Evan's NMR technique, an accessible magnetic susceptibility measurement technique that can utilize any available proton NMR to characterize the magnetic susceptibility of ILs. This work demonstrates the robustness of Evan's technique by demonstrating the ability to account for the IL water content, a common issue for hygroscopic materials, during the measurement of magnetic susceptibility. A detailed comparison of the ILs is presented, with dysprosium- and holmium-containing paramagnetic ILs exhibiting the highest magnetic susceptibility reported for mononuclear ILs reported to date. These materials have been studied with an eye on applications for mass transfer, eventually seeking to optimize magnetic susceptibility and viscosity using magnetic field gradients to move paramagnetic ILs carrying solute or heat. The study of paramagnetic ILs is important not only for understanding the magnetic properties of these materials but also for potential applications in areas such as magnetic resonance imaging, biomedicine, environmental remediation, and mass transfer. These unique materials have the potential to bring about new advances and technologies in the fields of materials science and analytical chemistry.

Enhancing sulfate resistance of sulfate-aluminate cement grouting material through acrylamide in-situ polymerization modification

Sulfate attack is a major durability issue for cement-based materials. This study investigates enhancing the sulfate resistance of sulfate-aluminate cement grouting material (SCGM) through in-situ polymerization modification with acrylamide (AM). SCGM samples with 0–40 % mass AM were subjected to water and Na2SO4 solution erosion for 28, 180, and 360 days. Mechanical properties, relative toughness, volume changes, pore structure, hydration products, and microstructure were evaluated. Results show that 10 % AM dosage substantially improved sulfate resistance, with 200 % enhancement after 360 days compared to the control SCGM, and a resistance coefficient exceeding 2.2. The 20 % AM dosage provided optimal toughness, with relative toughness remaining above 45. In-situ polymerized polyacrylamide (PAM) facilitated expansive hydration product formation, filled pores, and inhibited microcracking during sulfate attack. However, higher AM levels (30–40 %) reduced strength and durability due to excess swelling weakening the hardened cement structure. Overall, appropriate AM modification via in-situ polymerization significantly enhances the mechanical performance and sulfate resistance of SCGM, with 10 % AM giving optimal durability. This study provides an effective approach to improving the sulfate resistance of cement-based grouts.

Risk assessment for pharmaceutical industry in uncertain environment: An integrated multi-criteria decision-making approach

The pharmaceutical industry is the backbone of the healthcare system for any country. However, this industry faces various risks, which hamper its efficient working in providing life-saving medicines/services to the people. In this context, the purpose of the study is to improve the resilience and performance of the pharmaceutical industry (PI) with the identification, and assessment of supply chain (SC) risks. A case illustration has also been presented in the Indian context. The study utilizes an extensive literature survey and the Delphi method for identifying, finalizing, and classifying the risks into seven categories. The Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) has been used to analyze and prioritize the risks to determine their criticality. The results show that the three most important risks are financial, supplier, and demand/customer/market. Within these risks, the three most critical sub-risks are found to be loss of customers, raw material (RM) issues, and bad reputation of the company, respectively. The study provides managers with an extensive list of PI risks for their consideration. The results also present the critical risks which need to be mitigated for enhanced performance and resilience of the industry. The study also emphasizes the importance of interconnection between various SC partners for better risk management.

Experimental research on bimetallic ion crosslinked gel to inhibit the spontaneous combustion of coal

To address the environmentally friendly issue of fire prevention and extinguishing materials in coal mines, a new type of mine fire prevention and extinguishing gel was prepared using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the matrix, ferro aluminum citrate (Fe-AlCit) as the cross-linking agent, and gluconic acid-δ-lactone (GDL) as the pH modifier. The preferred ratio was 2.5 % CMC + 4 % Fe-AlCit + 2 % GDL of No. 23 gel material by gelation time, thermal stability, strength, and permeability performance tests. The results show that the gelation time of No. 23 gel was 10 min, and its complete water loss time was 1.97 times that of water at a high temperature of 180 °C. The gel for sealing the surface of the coal body still maintained good stability after two weeks. Furthermore, A metal coordination bond favorable to the stability of gel is formed by the carboxylate ion in CMC and the double high-valent metal ions Fe3+ and Al3+ ionized by Fe-AlCit. No. 23 gel exhibits excellent fire prevention and extinguishing properties. The temperature-programmed test showed that the CO and C2H4 gas inhibition rate of the coal sample treated with No. 23 gel reached 33.42 % and 56.86 % at 220 ℃, and the activation energy growth rate reached 26.5 % and 21.1 % in the first and second stages, respectively. The fire extinguishing test indicated that No. 23 gel can significantly reduce the temperature of the coal sample and extinguish the coal fire quickly. The study is useful to develop efficient and environmentally friendly coal mine fire prevention and extinguishing materials.