Lower Product Cost Research Articles

Copper nanoparticles biosynthesis by Priestia megaterium and its application as antibacterial and antitumor agents

The growth of material science and technology places high importance on creating better processes for synthesizing copper nanoparticles. Thus, an easy, ecological, and benign process for producing copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) has been developed using Priestia sp. bacteria utilizing a variety of low-cost agro-industrial wastes and byproducts. The biosynthesis of CuNPs was conducted using glucose medium and copper ions salt solution, then it was replaced by utilizing low-cost agro-industrial wastes. UV–visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), Attenuated Total Reflectance and Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and zeta potential were used to characterize the biosynthesized CuNPs. The cytotoxicity of CuNPs using Vero -CCL-81 cell lines, and antibacterial and antitumor properties using human colon epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2-HTB-37 cell lines were assessed. The UV–visible and DLS studies revealed CuNPs formation, with a maximum concentration of 6.19 ppm after 48 h, as indicated by a 0.58 Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) within 450 nm and 57.73 nm particle size. The 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that Priestia sp. isolate is closely related to Priestia megaterium and has been deposited in the NCBI GenBank with accession number AMD 2024. The biosynthesis with various agro-industrial wastes indicated blackstrap sugar cane molasses being the most effective for reducing CuNPs size to 3.12 nm owing to various reducing and stabilizing active compounds. The CuNPs were free of contaminants, with a sphere-shaped structure and a cytotoxicity assessment with an IC50 of 367.27 μg/mL. The antibacterial activity exhibited by the most susceptible bacteria were Bacillus cereus ATCC 11788 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 with inhibition zones of 26.0 mm and 28.0 mm, respectively. The antitumor effect showed an IC50 dose of 175.36 μg/mL. Based on the findings, the current work sought to lower product costs and provide a practical solution to the environmental contamination issues brought on by the buildup of agricultural wastes. In addition, the obtained CuNPs could be applied in many fields such as pharmaceuticals, water purification, and agricultural applications as future aspects.

Innovative design of a dome-shaped solar distiller enhanced with a multi-tray conical absorber basin and fountain feeding supply: Experimental study with energy, exergy, and enviro-economic analyses

Augmentation of the condensation cover area of the distiller by using a newly dome-shaped solar distiller could be a low-cost and effective approach for maximization of the distillate product of conventional solar stills. This work aims to evolve an innovative design of a solar distiller that can achieve the highest performance improvement. A novel dome-shaped solar distiller with a multi-tray conical absorber basin and fountain feeding supply is introduced in this study to augment the vaporization rates within the distillation basin and thus augment the freshwater product. Two dome-shaped solar distillers are designed and examined: a modified dome-shaped solar distiller (MDSSD) and a traditional dome-shaped solar distiller (TDSSD), which act as a reference. The energetic, exergetic, and economical analyses of the two stills are conducted regarding freshwater production rate, daily energic and exergic efficiencies, and distillation product cost. The daily freshwater production reached 9.27 kg/m2/d for the MDSSD and 5.57 kg/m2/d for the TDSSD, achieving a 41.0 % enhancement relative to the TDSSD. More so, the daily energic efficiency of MDSSD and TDSSD is evaluated as 69.35 % and 49.30 %, achieving an increase rate of 40.65 % over TDSSD. The daily exergic efficiency of MDSSD and TDSSD reached 6.62 % and 3.40 %, representing an improvement rate of 94.70 %, respectively. Additionally, the findings of cost analysis show that the distilled water cost is appreciated as 0.05073 $/kg and 0.05418 $/kg for MDSSD and TDSSD, respectively. Hence, the MDSSD had a lower distilled product cost than TDSSD by 6.40 %.

Appraisal of awareness of medical staff about preoperative patient blood management in Saudi Arabia: a questionnaire-based study

Patient blood management (PBM) is a comprehensive approach to optimizing the care of patients who might need a transfusion. It involves the use of evidence-based strategies to reduce or avoid the need for allogeneic blood transfusions while ensuring that patients receive safe and appropriate care. PBM includes strategies such as preoperative autologous donation, intraoperative cell salvage, and minimally invasive techniques to reduce bleeding. The purpose of this study is to assess the medical staff’s awareness of preoperative PBM in Saudi Arabia. Between April 2022 and July 2022, data was collected using a 10-minute online (Google Forms) self-administered, anonymous, researcherstructured questionnaire adapted from previous studies and translated into both English and Arabic. The questionnaire was divided into three sections. The first section contained sociodemographic data, while the second section was used to estimate physicians’ and nurses’ knowledge of preoperative PBM. Two questions in Part 3 of the questionnaire were used to assess doctors’ and nurses’ preoperative PBM attitudes and practices. The average relationship between patients’ blood management attitudes and levels of awareness. It was revealed that there was a positive attitude (P≤0.005) as well as a high level of awareness (P≤0.002). The effect of job, gender, or geographical distribution on PBM awareness, attitude, and practice was not significant. Despite the fact that the majority of participants have a positive attitude and good awareness of PBM, more efforts should be implemented to improve PBM awareness, which was linked to increased transfusion practices and lower product costs.

A New Product Configuration Model for Low Product Cost and Carbon-Neutral Expenditure

In the background of global carbon-neutral requirements, enterprises need to control carbon emissions in the process of product lifecycles in order to gain market competitive advantages. Previous product configuration studies, mostly focused on minimizing carbon dioxide emissions, have ignored the issue of carbon-neutral costs. This study quantifies the product costs borne by enterprises and the carbon-neutral cost borne by the government, respectively. A carbon-neutral cost model for suppliers, enterprises, customers, and recycling plants in the whole life cycle of products was constructed. The whole life cycle carbon emissions and the unit carbon removal costs were taken into account in the carbon-neutral cost model. By minimizing product and carbon-neutral costs, a bi-objective integer programming model was constructed. The NSGA-II algorithm was introduced to solve the Pareto front of the model. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method were then illustrated through a case study and results comparison. It showed that, compared with the scheme of carbon emissions reduction, the optimization scheme with carbon-neutral costs as the object had a significant change. Integrating carbon-neutral costs into product development activities was effective in reducing the enterprise’s product cost and the government’s financial expenditure on carbon removal simultaneously. The proposed model could provide a win–win product configuration scheme for the government and enterprises.

A Review on Fullerene Derivatives with Reduced Electron Affinity as Acceptor Materials for Organic Solar Cells

Organic solar cells (OSCs) represent a promising emerging photovoltaic technology offering such benefits as light weight, mechanical flexibility, semitransparency, environmental friendliness and aesthetic design of solar panels. Furthermore, organic solar cells can be produced using scalable and high-throughput solution-based printing and coating technologies, which are expected to lead to very low product costs. Fullerene derivatives have been used as acceptor materials in virtually all efficient organic solar cells for more than two decades, following the demonstration of the first proof-of-concept devices in the middle of 1990s. Still, the power conversion efficiencies of fullerene-based organic solar cells became stuck at around 12% due to the suboptimal optoelectronic properties of conventional fullerene acceptors. Therefore, the latest efficiency records (>18%) for organic solar cells were set using different types of non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) materials with tailorable properties. However, NFA materials appeared to be very sensitive to light, thus impairing the operational stability of OSCs. On the contrary, there is growing evidence that rationally designed fullerene-based acceptors enhance the photostability of conjugated polymers and also NFAs, when used in ternary blends. Hence, a renaissance of fullerene-based materials is currently expected in the context of their use in multicomponent organic solar cells (e.g., as stabilizers) and also lead halide perovskite solar cells, where they play an important role of electron transport materials. The success in both of these applications requires the tunability of optoelectronic characteristics of fullerene derivatives. In particular, electron affinity of the fullerene cage has to be reduced in many cases to match the energy levels of other absorber material(s). Herein, we present a systematic review of different strategies implemented to reduce the acceptor strength of the fullerene derivatives and the results of their performance evaluation in OSCs with model conjugated polymers. Particular attention is paid to correlations between the chemical structure of organic addends and their influence on the electronic properties of the fullerene core. We believe this review would be valuable to researchers working on the rational design of new fullerene-based materials with tailored properties for photovoltaic and other electronic applications.

A novel trigeneration model using landfill gas upgrading process and waste heat recovery: Application of methanol, desalinated water, and oxygen production

In this paper, an integrated process for coproduction of methanol (122500 kgh), desalinated water (40.56 m3h), and oxygen (13420 Nm3h) using landfill gas upgrading is presented. The process embraces negative carbon dioxide (CO2) emission framework, high thermodynamic efficiency, and low product cost. The proposed process consists of nine subsystems, which are utilized for heat recovery in addition to production of electricity and desalinated water. Results showed that the total energy and exergy efficiencies of the trigeneration system are 59.19% and 48%, respectively. According to the conducted analysis, the total exergy destruction rate equals 973291 kW in which the biogas upgrading unit has an 80% contribution. In addition, it is demonstrated that the combustor of the biogas upgrading unit is responsible for 57.96% of the total exergy destruction rate. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis illustrates that the increase in the H2CO2 ratio is an important factor in increasing the carbon efficiency and total energy efficiency, and decreasing the CO2 emission. From the environmental perspective, it is deduced that the total net emission of the proposed process is −0.6773 kgCO2kgMeOH, which is significantly lower than other methanol production technologies. Economic analysis is performed for the integrated structure and its results showed that the total annual cost and methanol production cost rate are 124,660,373 $ and 0.124 $kg, respectively. This value is 91.68% lower than the renewable methanol production technology.

National core competencies and dynamic capabilities in times of crisis: Adaptive regulation of new entrants in advanced technology markets

The extent to which domestic industrial capabilities are essential in contributing to a Nations' prosperity and national well-being is the topic of long-standing debate. On the one hand, globalization and the outsourcing of production can lead to greater productivity, lower product costs, and gains from trade. On the other hand, national capabilities have long been a source of competitiveness and security during times of war and other crises. We explore the importance of domestic industrial capabilities during crises through a comparative case study of two countries - Spain and Portugal - to the sudden spike in demand for the manufacture of mechanical ventilators brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries had to work within the framework of EU regulations, but had very different internal competencies upon which to draw in doing so. In addition, mechanical ventilators serve as a particularly interesting context for study because they involve high risk (loss of patients' lives if incorrectly manufactured) and entering the market presents high entry barriers (including significant tacit knowledge in its production and use, and significant intellectual property embedded in proprietary software at large, established firms). To unpack the processes used by each country we leverage insights from 60 semi-structured interviews across experts from industry, healthcare workers, regulators, non-profit organizations, and research centers. We find that Spanish regulatory measures were more effective, resulting in 12 times more new products receiving regulatory approval to enter the market. Although neither country is known for their mechanical ventilator production, instrumental in informing the Spanish regulatory and industrial responses was their internal knowledge base due to domestic experts and existing capabilities in ventilator production. We conclude by proposing new theory for how nations might identify important core competencies to enhance their dynamic (regulatory) capabilities in areas likely to be critical to their social welfare.

Cold-curing mixtures based on biopolymer lignin complex for casting production in single and small-series conditions

<abstract> <p>This study proves that lignin-based biopolymer materials can be employed as starting materials for the synthesis of novel casting binders that fulfill the current level of characteristics. The optimal concentration of the binder in the mixture was experimentally determined to be 5.8%–6.2%. It has been demonstrated in practice that the employment of ammonium salts as a technical lignosulfonate (TLS) modifier can result in the provision of cold (room temperature) curing of a mixture based on them. It was proposed to use as a technological additive that boosts the strength characteristics of a mixture of substances carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). In a variety of adhesive materials, it is utilized as an active polymer base. The concentration limits for using CMC in the mixture are set at 0.15%–0.25%. To improve the moldability of the combination, it was suggested that kaolin clay be used as a plasticizing addition. The concentration limits for using a plasticizing additive are set at 3.5%–4.0%. The produced mixture was compared to the analog of the alpha-set method in a comparative analysis. It was discovered that the proposed composition is less expensive, more environmentally friendly, and enables the production of high-quality castings. In terms of physical, mechanical, and technological properties, the created composition of the cold curing mixture is not inferior to analogs from the alpha-set method. For the first time, a biopolymer-based binder system containing technical lignosulfonate with the addition of ammonium sulfate and carboxymethyl cellulose was used in the production of cast iron castings on the case of a cylinder casting weighing 18.3 kg from gray cast iron grade SCh20. Thus, it has been proved possible for the first time to replace phenol-based resin binders with products based on natural polymer combinations. For the first time, a cold-hardening mixture based on technological lignosulfonates has been developed without using hardeners made of very hazardous and cancer-causing hexavalent chromium compounds. But is achieved through a combination of specialized additives, including kaolin clay to ensure the mixture can be manufactured, ammonium sulfate to ensure the mixture cures, and carboxymethyl cellulose to enhance the strength properties of the binder composition. The study's importance stems from the substitution of biopolymer natural materials for costly and environmentally harmful binders based on phenolic resins. This development's execution serves as an illustration of how green technology can be used in the foundry sector. Reducing the amount of resin used in foundry manufacturing and substituting it with biopolymer binders based on technological lignosulfonates results in lower product costs as well as the preservation of the environment. Using lignin products judiciously can reduce environmental harm by using technical lignosulfonates, or compounds based on technical lignin. The combination is concentrated on businesses with single and small-scale manufacturing because it is presumable that this is merely the beginning of the investigation. This study confirms the viability of creating a cold-hardening combination based on technical lignosulfonates in practical applications and supports this with the castings produced, using the creation of a gray cast iron cylinder casting as an example.</p> </abstract>

An Experimental Study to Understand the Effect of Calibration Parameters and Operating Conditions on Piston and Cylinder Bore Temperatures for a Multi-Cylinder DI Diesel Engine through Piston Telemetry

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In a bid to adopt pro-active strategies to reduce pollution, the Indian government decided to leapfrog from current emission norms to the advanced emission regulations like BS VI, CPCB4. The advancement in emission regulation is also accompanied by customer expectation of increased product performance with lower cost. Downsizing of the engines has led base engine components to experience more thermomechanical loads. Lower product cost demand of the market has pushed engineers to understand the system level interactions and identify the levers other than component design changes. Current analytical techniques provide little iteration feasibility to explore all the possible levers. This paper focuses on experimental study to understand the effect of engine operating conditions on piston and bore temperatures. Piston telemetry technique is used in capturing the real time piston temperature data with flexibility to carry out design of experiments. Bore temperatures were measured using thermocouples. Impact of variation in Rail pressure (RP), injection timing (SOI), engine coolant out temperature, delta pressure and temperature across CAC, Compressor inlet temperature (CIT) and turbine outlet pressure (TOP) were studied. Results of main and interaction effects for individual factors are discussed. Engine COT and injection timings identified as major levers showing linear relation. Other parameters were found as a minor contributing factor, even though those are critical in engine performance tuning.</div></div>

Modification of starch using alkali, adipic acid, and mustard oil in search of an improved biomaterial

This study aimed to modify starch using a combination of alkali and adipic acid and mustard oil to improve the mechanical and absorbency properties. Acid and oil were applied for uniform and quick swelling and gelatinization of starch, while alkali helped the whole gelatinization process at a lower temperature at a uniform rate. Chain scissoring via oxidation and reformation of bonds within the adjacent chains have resulted in the modified structure of starch. The material underwent several tests, including mechanical, thermal, and absorbency tests. The maximum tensile strength after modification was recorded at 8.58 MPa, while the absorbency reduced to below 60%, which is generally found above 150% in native starch. The thermal properties were found to be the least affected by the modification. Comparison with other modified starches showed considerable success, but the most significant aspect was found to be the low product cost. Comparison with other biopolymers and synthetic polymers also proved some improvements in this study.

Cross-linking the peroxidase: from potato peel valorization to colored effluents treatment

Despite the obvious benefits from mass production such as an increased productivity, lower product cost and rapid evolution, nowadays we are dealing with energy consumption issues and pollution. The generated waste poses a threat to the environment, so new green techniques are developed constantly. Waste valorization is one of the trending concepts that is a part of sustainability strategies. Potato exploitation due to mass production of chips, hash browns, frozen food and starch leads to a formation of high waste load. There are several available ways for potato peel valorization: as a biofertilizer, as a substrate for microbial growth, as an adsorbent, for extraction of antioxidants and for extraction of enzymes. The enzyme peroxidase is abundant in potato peel. This enzyme uses hydrogen peroxide as an activator and can be readily used for oxidation of different compounds - pollutants. In this study, peroxidase was isolated from potato peel and immobilized as cross-linked enzyme aggregates. Pectin was used as a green cross-linker. The immobilized potato peel peroxidase was used for degradation of a textile anthraquinone dye Lanaset Violet B. Under the optimal process parameters: pH 3, 0.4 mM hydrogen peroxide, 0.8 μmol/min CLEA peroxidase, 10 mg/L dye and 70 min, 85.71±1.45 % dye degradation was achieved. The operational stability, as a key parameter for immobilized enzyme systems, was also examined. After 4 cycles CLEA peroxidase kept 31.57±1.79 % of its biodegradation efficiency.

Life cycle assessment and cost of a seawater reverse osmosis plant operated with different energy sources

Seawater desalination plants consume significant amounts of energy sourced primarily from fossil fuels, leading to significant environmental impact. Life Cycle Assessment has been applied to desalination systems powered by a single renewable energy source with the underlying assumption of sufficiency of power supply. However, in several locations in the world the intermittent nature of these renewable sources prevents a full reliance on a single source and necessitates a combined fossil fuel-renewable energy mix. This study addresses this issue by performing life cycle assessment and preliminary costing analysis for different renewable-energy-grid combinations (photovoltaic-grid, wind-grid and anaerobic digestion-grid). Whilst the grid-anaerobic digestion and grid-photovoltaic scenarios provided significant improvements in all environmental impact categories, the grid-wind energy option resulted in the highest reduction whereby a 60% decrease in carbon footprint was observed. The unit product cost for the environmentally optimum grid-anaerobic digestion scheme was the lowest at 0.94 $/m3, while the unit product cost for the grid-photovoltaic scheme was the most expensive at 1.47 $/m3. An integrated photovoltaic-wind-anaerobic digestion scheme may offer further reduction in environmental impact and a potentially lower unit product cost.

Using a bio-economic farm model to evaluate the economic potential and pesticide load reduction of the greenRelease technology

CONTEXTPolicies and strategies at EU and national level aim at a reduced use of pesticides in agriculture, such as the Farm to Fork Strategy of the EU Commission. Technological progress can lower pesticide application and contribute to a sustainable bioeconomy. As an example, the greenRelease technology increases the attachment of the active ingredient of plant protection products to the leaf surface and slowly releases the active ingredient from a microgel container. Experiments under both controlled and field conditions have demonstrated the potential of the greenRelease technology to reduce pesticide use. As a so-called platform technology, the greenRelease concept can be applied to various crops and plant protection chemicals. OBJECTIVETo guide further development, this study analyses the greenRelease technology regarding its economic potential and its possible contribution to the reduction of environmental and health risks from pesticide use. METHODSTo do so, we use a bio-economic farm model to assess the technology potential for a typical farm and spraying sequences of various crops in northwestern Germany. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results reveal that the economic potential of the greenRelease technology is highest for systemic fungicides in all assessed crops as well as for herbicides for potato cultivation. It is lowest for insecticides in winter barley and potato as well as for contact fungicides, due to the small doses and low product costs. The potential to lower possible environmental and health risks of pesticide use, indicated by the Danish pesticide load indicator, is highest for fungicides in potato, winter wheat, and winter barley as well as for herbicides in sugar beet cultivation. Relative to overall costs in arable farming, the cost changes induced by the greenRelease technology are minor, such that the environmental benefits will be key for promoting its application. However, the economic competitiveness of the technology increases if agri-environmental policies progressively internalize the negative externalities of pesticides use. SIGNIFICANCEThis research is the first comprehensive economic and environmental assessment of the technology greenRelease which can contribute to lower the environmental burden of pesticide use in agriculture.

A comparative investigation between particle oxidation catalyst (POC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) coupling aftertreatment system on emission reduction of a non-road diesel engine

Non-road emission regulations are becoming increasingly rigorous, which makes it necessary for non-road engines to adopt aftertreatment systems. The commonly used aftertreatments mainly include diesel oxidation catalytic (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF), particle oxidation catalyst (POC), selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and ammonia purification catalyst (ASC). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using an integrated system (DOC + DPF/POC + SCR + ASC) on non-road diesel engine emissions under steady-state and transient operating conditions, respectively. The major works are the comparison between POC and DPF from the viewpoint of emission reduction. The results show that both POC and DPF can effectively reduce particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions under steady-state conditions, and DPF has better purification effect than POC, especially for PM. The PM conversion rate of DPF is up to 87%, while that of POC is only 60% under the non-road steady-state test cycle (NRSC). Both NOX and hydrocarbon (HC) conversion rates are high, exceeding 95%. The conversions of PM, NOX, HC, and carbon monoxide (CO) of DPF in the non-road transient test cycle (NRTC) are 92.83%, 96.99%, 96.86% and 81.45%, respectively, while those of POC are 60.12%, 95.45%, 92.82% and 79.51%, respectively. Both the POC and DPF systems can meet the emission regulation limits. As a result, POC has the potential to substitute DPF in non-road engines due to its lower product and maintenance costs. We hope that the comparison study will provide useful guidance for improving the emissions performance of non-road diesel engines.

Toward Mail-in-Sensors for SARS-CoV-2 Detection: Interfacing Gel Switch Resonators with Cell-Free Toehold Switches

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of widespread testing to control the spread of infectious diseases. The rapid development, scale-up, and deployment of viral and antibody detection methods since the beginning of the pandemic have greatly increased testing capacity. Desirable attributes of detection methods are low product costs, self-administered protocols, and the ability to be mailed in sealed envelopes for the safe analysis and subsequent logging to public health databases. Herein, such a platform is demonstrated with a screen-printed, inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator as a transducer and a toehold switch coupled with cell-free expression as the biological selective recognition element. In the presence of the N-gene from SARS-CoV-2, the toehold switch relaxes, protease enzyme is expressed, and it degrades a gelatin switch that ultimately shifts the resonant frequency of the planar resonant sensor. The gelatin switch resonator (GSR) can be analyzed through a sealed envelope allowing for assessment without the need for careful sample handling with personal protective equipment or the need for workup with other reagents. The toehold switch used in this sensor demonstrated selectivity to SARS-CoV-2 virus over three seasonal coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-1, with a limit of detection of 100 copies/μL. The functionality of the platform and assessment in a sealed envelope with an automated scanner is shown with overnight shipment, and further improvements are discussed to increase signal stability and further simplify user protocols toward a mail-in platform.

Accelerated wear testing shows that thermoplastic bushings could be a cost-effective and durable alternative to traditional bearings for wheelchair caster use.

Wheelchair caster bearings often suffer high-risk failures that lead to adverse consequences such as user injuries, suggesting that design improvements are necessary. This study aimed to compare thermoplastic bushings to standard roller bearings for potential improvements in durability and cost-effectiveness. The durability and cost-effectiveness of two thermoplastic bushing models and two metallic ball-bearing models were tested using a standard lab-based accelerated wear testing protocol. Bushings and bearings were installed on a standard 8″ caster, and four samples per model underwent testing (16 total samples). All failures were experienced by the stem rolling element. The thermoplastic bushings experienced higher mean durability than the standard ball-bearings. There were significant differences in durability across the tested models, F(3,12) = 3.88, p = 0.04. The durability of thermoplastic bushing #2 was higher than the standard type ZZ shielded deep groove ball bearings, p < 0.05. There were significant differences in cost-effectiveness across the tested models, F(3,12) = 7.64, p = 0.004. The cost-effectiveness of both thermoplastic bushings were significantly higher compared to type 2RS sealed deep groove bearings, p < 0.05. The use of thermoplastic bushings can lower product cost and potentially reduce caster failures in the community that are associated with adverse consequences including user injuries.

Comparison of the Acoustic Performance of Wooden Violins and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Violins Through a Modal Study by Finite Elements Method and Effective Masses

Abstract Even though string musical instruments made of synthetic materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) have respected acoustic performance, but a short manufacturing cycle and low product cost, they do not become an alternative to replace high-quality string instruments made of sound woods. For CFRP violins to approach high acoustic performance wood violins, they must exhibit approximately the same bending stiffness. The CFRP is denser, stiffer, and isotropic compared to the orthotropy of wood. In this work, the acoustic behavior of CFRP violins with the same geometry as high-quality wood violins was compared. A numerical modal study was developed by finite element simulations, comparing two violin top plates, one in CFRP and the other in Picea abies (PA) wood. The simulations were developed in the ansys mechanical software, using the Block Lanczos method with a mesh of 38,216 finite volumes, finding modal patterns for both the CFRP model and the PA model. Mathematical models based on solid state physics such as effective masses and maximum vibration amplitude between models were outlined. Both models were validated against experimental studies developed by other authors. It is concluded that for instruments with the same geometry, a sonorous superiority of the wood over the CFRP was evidenced, which leads to further reinforce the unique, enigmatic, and mythical behavior of violins made of sonorous woods such as the Stradivarius violins.

An Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Pyrrolidinium Ferroelectric Based on Solvent Selective Effect.

Organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectrics (OIHFs) have fueled enormous interest benefiting from their less environmental pollution, performance-tailored functionality, low product costs as well as tunability of structures. However, the lack of material synthesis approaches and diverse targeted molecular design is a stumbling block for designing novel OIHFs rationally. Here, we report a unique organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectric (3,3-difluoropyrrolidine)2CdCl4 1 and another novel nonferroelectric crystal (3,3-difluoropyrrolidine)2Cd2Cl6 2 by changing various crystallization solvents. Significantly, 1 presents a ferroelectric phase transition behavior at ∼367 K, and the distinct symmetry breaking, i.e., mmmFm, sets up a biaxial ferroelectric with four equivalent directions of polarization, which has a Pr ∼ 0.77 μC/cm2. Systematic studies prove that ferroelectricity can be ascribed to the synergistic effects of the distortion of the inorganic anion skeleton and the ordering of organic cations. This work reveals the potential of constructing novel ferroelectrics based on the solvent selective effect and pyrrolidinium as organic cations.

(Invited) Economic Considerations for Low-Temperature Electrochemical Ammonia Production: Ammonia As a Green Energy Vector

As the energy sector shifts from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, there is a need for robust energy storage solutions to handle the intermittency of renewable electricity. With the rise of the electric vehicle, electrochemical storage in the form of lithium-ion batteries has gained significant attention. Lithium-ion batteries are a good solution for short-term and small-scale energy storage. However, they are not optimal for large-scale energy storage due to their high price and low power density. Green fuels, such as ammonia, are ideal for storing large quantities of energy to tackle renewable electricity intermittency. Ammonia has an energy density comparable to certain fossil fuels, and if produced through renewable methods, it can serve as a zero-emission energy vector. For ammonia to serve as an energy storage solution, it has to be available at low costs and in a decentralized manner. However, the prevalent use of ammonia in the fertilizer industry hinders its use as an energy vector.State-of-the-art ammonia synthesis plants (Haber-Bosch process) achieve high energy efficiencies and low product cost through a high temperature and pressure thermochemical process. The process is responsible for feeding half of the global population, but it also emits 450 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Thus, while this process is deemed efficient and affordable, there are many environmental concerns regarding the sustainability of the Haber-Bosch process. Furthermore, the scale at which these facilities must operate to achieve these low costs limits the locations where a Haber-Bosch plant can be built. Centralized manufacturing of ammonia indirectly impacts a developing country’s ability to access fertilizers. With the strong correlation between fertilizer usages and agricultural yield, access to fertilizers is essential to mitigate global hunger. This has motivated a strong interest in rethinking how we manufacture fertilizer-based feedstocks such as ammonia.Electrochemical manufacturing of ammonia is one approach being explored for ammonia production, as electrochemical systems can operate at relatively low temperature and pressure. Additionally, electrochemical technologies are scalable and can enable manufacturing at a range of scales to meet large and small agricultural and energy storage demands. However, there are significant challenges associated with electrochemical manufacturing. Electrocatalysts suffer from poor nitrogen reduction selectivity, resulting in low product yield, low energy efficiency, and high capital and operational cost. Since cost ultimately will be the primary driver for technology adoption, it is critical to begin to determine what role system and catalyst design play in reducing the cost of ammonia to meet Haber-Bosch parity.Here, we present a detailed techno-economic study on low-temperature electrochemical ammonia production. Techno-economic analyses are valuable to determine the cost of the performance targets to achieve economic feasibility and identify possible roadblocks that might hinder the implementation of the technology. We discuss the relevant performance parameters that govern the production cost of an electrochemical system. Additionally, we discuss the benefits of electrochemical approaches over the Haber-Bosch process by evaluating the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions associated with producing ammonia. We then highlight challenges and opportunities for electrochemical ammonia production at low temperatures and pressures and set performance targets for future technologies. Lastly, we emphasize the importance air separation plays in intermittent electrochemical ammonia production and highlight a path towards ammonia as an energy vector. This work offers a better understanding of the current state of the use of electrochemical systems for ammonia production. In addition, this work highlights the thresholds that have to be achieved to provide a competitive advantage of the Haber-Bosch process. Figure 1

The Role of Green Quality Management and Product Life Cycle Costing in Achieving Competitive Advantage

The principal objective of this study is to demonstrate how green quality management and product life cycle costing may help an organization gain a competitive advantage. Green quality management's influence on increasing product quality and meeting environmental criteria, as well as tracking the activities of product life cycle before, during, and after production, is demonstrated. Orienting these activities toward the production of eco-friendly products that fulfill the needs of customers, hence increasing organization's market share. We found from our study that proposed framework can help organizations improve their competitiveness. Green quality management contributes to environmental protection and the provision of high-quality products that fulfill needs and desires of green customer, enhancing product differentiation. Product life cycle costing is to determine costs of environmental activities and seek to minimize those costs, which translates to lower product costs, allowing organization to adopt a cost leadership strategy and gain a competitive advantage.