Materials In Taiwan Research Articles

Valorization of Dredged Harbor Sediments through Lightweight Aggregate Production: Application of Waste Oyster Shells

The treatment and valorization of wastes such as dredged harbor sediments and oyster shells have become critical for environmental management. In order to promote waste valorization and resource sustainability, this study evaluated the feasibility of using harbor sediments and oyster shells for lightweight aggregate (LWA) production. The effects of the oyster shell content and sintering temperature on the sediment-based LWA properties, including particle density (PD), water absorption (WA), and crushing strength (CS), were investigated. The engineering applicability of the sediment-based LWAs was also assessed. The results showed that it was feasible to use harbor sediments admixed with oyster shells to produce LWAs that were suitable for engineering applications. The LWA properties were highly varied according to the sintering temperature and oyster shell content. Remarkably, the LWAs prepared with a 5–15% oyster shell content and sintered at 1125 °C were suitable for structural lightweight concrete (PD: 1.73–1.83 g/cm3, WA: 12.2–15.1%, CS: 7.2–10.4 MPa). The open porosity was a key factor affecting the particle density, water absorption, and crushing strength of the LWAs. Moreover, the leachability of toxic metals and chloride ions in the LWAs complied with the regulations for building materials in Taiwan. Waste oyster shells could be an excellent additive to lower the optimal sintering temperature required for sediment-based LWA production.

Characterization and Prediction of Physical Properties of Luanta Fir Wood with Vacuum Hydrothermal Treatment.

This study used the luanta fir (Cunninghamia konishii Hayata) wood, one of the most used wood construction and building materials in Taiwan, as specimens to examine the impact of different conditions of vacuum hydrothermal (VH) treatment on the physical properties of this wood. A prediction model for these properties was created using a nondestructive spectroscopy technique. The test results revealed that the mass loss, moisture exclusion efficiency, anti-swelling efficiency, color difference, and surface contact angle of the VH-treated wood all increased under increasing heat treatment temperature and time. Moreover, the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in creating the prediction model for the physical properties of the VH-treated luanta fir wood revealed that the ratios of performance to deviation (RPD) for mass loss, equilibrium moisture content, and color difference were all above 2.5, indicating a high prediction accuracy. These results suggested that an NIR spectrometer can serve as a useful instrument for the accurate prediction of the physical properties or for controlling the quality of VH-treated wood.

A review on safety inspection and research of plastic food packaging materials in Taiwan

Plastics for food packaging are polymers made from monomers and with additives to enhance the technical properties of final products. Some non-reacted monomers and potential mobile additives may be present in plastic products, and may migrate into contact with foods during storage, cooking or serving as potential sources of contamination. For the regulation of these compounds, the residual and migration limits are set by the authority in Taiwan, based on their extent of migration from plastic products and their toxicological properties. This report reviewed the management for 7 kinds of common plastic food packaging materials, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, Polyvinylchloride (PVC), polycarbonate and plastics with formaldehyde as raw materials for synthesis, and their sanitation inspection from 1983 to 2010. A total of 1,623 food-contact plastic samples have been inspected according to the Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages announced by the Taiwan Department of Health. Among them, 99 samples and 52 samples were not in accordance with the regulation of the material test and the migration test, respectively. These samples mostly had printing ink on the food-contact surfaces or have rough and cracking surfaces due to incomplete process of final products. In addition, endocrine disrupters in plastics, such as phthalates, bisphenol A and nonylphenol, were studied. Testing methods of those compounds have been developed, and the migration tests for the related food-contact plastic products were also conducted. The results indicated PVC-made products were worth being noticed in respect of phthalates and nonylphenol, and consumers should avoid using PVC-made products for fatty foods.

Investigation on Evaluation Framework of Elementary School Teaching Materials for Sustainable Development

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) forms part of Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 in the 2030 Agenda. This paper presents an effort to propose an evaluation framework of elementary school teaching materials in Taiwan for sustainable development considering three dimensions of sustainability: Environmental, social, and economic. The proposed framework comprises four levels: Lever 1, education for sustainable development; Level 2, teaching scopes; Level 3, learning indicators, and; Level 4, learning topics. This study first, through literature reviews, proposed an initial evaluation framework and then, through in-depth expert interviews, obtained a modified framework. Thereafter, the Delphi questionnaires were conducted to establish the final evaluation framework. The framework includes four teaching scopes, ten learning indicators and twenty-one learning topics. Furthermore, the weights of each scope and its associated indicators were analyzed and compared through AHP questionnaires to obtain the scoring table for sustainability teaching materials implemented in a school. Finally, the scoring table was applied to an existing elementary school to investigate its implementation of the teaching materials on sustainable development. Based on the result from the scoring table, the areas needed for improvement were identified and the improvement strategies were then proposed.

Systematics of Hymenophyllum subgenus Mecodium (Hymenophyllaceae) in Taiwan

Abstract—Hymenophyllum subg. Mecodium, composed of the taxonomically notorious H. polyanthos and approximately 15 other closely related taxa, is a common element of filmy fern communities in the tropical and subtropical moist forests. In Taiwan, although only H. polyanthos and one or two closely related taxa were recognized in recent studies, considerable morphological variation has been observed among populations throughout the island. Thus, we conducted an extensive morphological investigation, as well as a molecular phylogenetic analysis, to clarify the specific diversity and phylogenetic relationships within Hymenophyllum subg. Mecodium in Taiwan. Field and herbaria surveys helped in recognizing five morphs in Taiwan, mainly differentiated by the combination of certain traits, viz., the presence or absence of stipe wings, general frond size and shape, degree of laminar crispation, sori position, and involucre shape. The different morphs had diverse ecological preferences. The phylogenetic tree, inferred from the sequences of the plastid loci rbcL and rps4-trnS, demonstrated that Hymenophyllum subg. Mecodium materials in Taiwan comprise several well-supported lineages, mostly corresponding to the classification based on morphology. Comparing with the protologues and type specimens of 34 related scientific names, the five morphs are herein recognized as five independent species. A new species, Hymenophyllum exquisitum, is described here. Also, the status of H. paniculiflorum is reconfirmed and that of H. fujisanense, H. parallelocarpum, and H. punctisorum reinstated. Only H. exquisitum and H. parallelocarpum are endemic to Taiwan among all the species studied. In addition, the names Hymenophyllum blumeanum, H. integrum, H. microsorum, H. polyanthos, H. tenellum, and H. wrightii are now excluded from the regional flora, and several related taxa from China, Taiwan, and the Philippines are treated as synonyms. This study unravels the deep phylogenetic relationships within Hymenophyllum subg. Mecodium in Taiwan and Eastern Asia.

Study on effective thermal conductivity of the local buffer material in Taiwan

The characterization of thermal conductivity of the buffer/backfill material is of great importance for dissipating the decay heat of the spent nuclear fuel and safety estimates of disposal site. The buffer/backfill material is usually a kind of complex material, which includes multi composition particles and multi-phase systems in which nearly all the constituents are distributed randomly. Its properties are complicated and that is dependent on all the constituents of material. Therefore, this study’s purpose is to assess the effective thermal conductivity of the Zhihsin clay from Taiwan. First, the matrix material property of Zhihsin clay was obtained by heat transfer, statistics and probability methodology in considering constituents and distribution types. Relative to other bentonites, the effective properties of Zhihsin clay have a higher uncertainty due to the fewer smectite and more complicated compositions. Then, this study takes the matrix material result to estimate the effective values. The ETC of solid of the Zhihsin clay was obtained as normal distribution form N(2.33, 0.07). The results show that the effective values have nonlinear changes under various porosities and saturations. Finally, the equation of the effective thermal conductivity was received by the design of experiment and response surface methodology. In the regression analysis, porosity multiply saturation is one of significant model terms. It represents that the effective thermal conductivity was affected by interaction between porosity and saturation.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Total Cost Analysis of BOF and BSSF Slag in Asphalt Concrete

Abstract Dense grade asphalt concrete (DGAC), a popular surface material in Taiwan, allows for the design of the new recycling materials to reduce the use of natural aggregate. Basic oxygen-furnace...

Challenges of Interior Decoration Using Low Formaldehyde-Emitting Materials in Taiwan

AbstractRegardless of material regulations at the supply source or post-construction quality inspection systems, certain levels of model management systems have been developed. However, in the hospital waiting room, the measured formaldehyde concentration in the air reached 0.99 ppm, which is 12 times higher than that of the standard value.The formaldehyde emission rates measured in the building materials of the private housings or hospital waiting room ranged from 158 to 238 μg/m2∙h, which exceed both the ABSL and BSMI standards. Moreover, the decoration locations, construction staff, and construction behaviors varied despite their claims of using low formaldehyde-emitting materials.This study compiled the current objectives and regulations established by various supervising authorities and implemented a supporting management system in material grading, amount of material usage, ventilation path control, and ventilation effectiveness for facilitating the promotion of healthy indoor air quality, thereby enhancing public health.

Current Status and Problems of Building Interior Decoration Using Low Formaldehyde-Emitting Materials in Taiwan

Regardless of material regulations at the supply source or post-construction quality inspection systems, certain levels of model management systems have been developed. However, in the hospital waiting room, the measured formaldehyde concentration in the air reached 0.99 ppm, which is 12 times higher than that of the standard value. The formaldehyde emission rates measured in the building materials of the private housings or hospital waiting room ranged from 158 to 238 μg/m2∙h, which exceed both the ABSL and BSMI standards. Moreover, the decoration locations, construction staff, and construction behaviors varied despite their claims of using low formaldehyde-emitting materials. This study compiled the current objectives and regulations established by various supervising authorities and implemented a supporting management system in material grading, amount of material usage, ventilation path control, and ventilation effectiveness for facilitating the promotion of healthy indoor air quality, thereby enhancing public health.

A study of the English appearing in Mandarin direct marketing materials in Taiwan

The research discussed here is a project examining English expressions used in Mandarin direct marketing materials in Taiwan. Altogether, 283 Mandarin direct marketing materials were collected from the mailbox at the researcher’s home and selected randomly from 10 different places on the street, with 2710 English expressions found in the text of the acquired materials. The top 10 English expressions were listed in order of their frequency counts. Then all the English expressions were tabulated according to their syntactic categories. After this, two chi-square tests were performed for the purpose of (1) observing the association between the selection of English syntactic categories and the sources of the materials and (2) investigating whether a certain English syntactic category was used most frequently. Statistical results indicated that the top 10 English expressions used in the sample materials were either single words or alphabetic letters, each signifying dissimilar purposes. Regarding the syntactic categories of the English expressions, nouns made up a considerably large amount. Additionally, the study revealed that there was no relationship between employment of English syntactic categories and the origins of the sample materials. Significance of using English in Taiwanese advertisements was specified accordingly.

Translation and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring the Suitability of Health Educational Materials in Taiwan

It is essential to provide readily comprehensible health information to the public to increase healthy behaviors and improve outcomes. Researchers in English-speaking countries possess well-developed instruments to evaluate the suitability of health education materials. However, few of these instruments are available for use in Chinese-language environments. This study aimed to translate the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) into Chinese. Researchers used a rigorous translation and testing process to provide a valid instrument to evaluate the suitability of health education materials written in Chinese. The translation process included forward- and back-translations and a test for translation equivalence that evaluated semantic and content equivalence. A panel discussion was held on the discrepancies between the original English and back-translated English versions. The content validity index was calculated to confirm the validity of the SAM Chinese version. Two raters used the Chinese-version SAM to evaluate seven health education handouts. A Cohen's kappa coefficient was calculated to estimate interrater agreement, and Cronbach's alpha assessed the internal consistency of the instrument. Discussions on the differences between the original English and initially translated Chinese versions of the SAM resulted in a final 22-item SAM Chinese version. The content validity index of the final Chinese-language SAM scale was .99, the Cohen's kappa coefficient of agreement was .25, and the Cronbach's alpha value was .91. The SAM Chinese version is a valid and reliable instrument with potential use in evaluating the suitability of health education materials written in Chinese.

Nature and properties of lateritic soils derived from different parent materials in Taiwan.

The objective of this study was to investigate the physical, chemical, and mineralogical composition of lateritic soils in order to use these soils as potential commercial products for industrial application in the future. Five lateritic soils derived from various parent materials in Taiwan, including andesite, diluvium, shale stone, basalt, and Pleistocene deposit, were collected from the Bt1 level of soil samples. Based on the analyses, the Tungwei soil is an alfisol, whereas other lateritic soils are ultisol. Higher pH value of Tungwei is attributed to the large amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Loupi and Pingchen soils would be the older lateritic soils because of the lower active iron ratio. For the iron minerals, the magnetic iron oxides such as major amounts of magnetite and maghemite were found for Tamshui and Tungwei lateritic soils, respectively. Lepidocrocite was only found in Soka soil and intermediate amounts of goethite were detected for Loupi and Pingchen soils. After Mg-saturated and K-saturated processes, major amounts of mixed layer were observed in Loupi and Soka soils, whereas the montmorillonite was only detected in Tungwei soil. The investigation results revealed that the parent materials would play an important role during soil weathering process and physical, chemical, and mineralogy compositions strongly affect the formation of lateritic soils.

A study of production of radioactive environmental reference materials used for proficiency testing program in Taiwan

To realise radioactive environmental reference materials in Taiwan, seven environmental materials of soil, water, vegetation, meat, airborne particles (filter paper), milk and mushroom samples that are frequently encountered were used to establish the preparation of the reference materials. These seven environmental materials were collected, checked for freedom from radioactivity and prepared according to their properties. The preparation was carried out by using activity about 10–100 times that of the minimum detectable activity (MDA) in routine measurements in the radioactive standard used to spike the inactive material and this standard is traceable to national ionising radioactivity standards (TAF, 2004). To demonstrate sample traceability to the added standard, each sample was carefully measured and its uncertainty evaluated.Based on the recommendations of ISO Guide 35 for evaluation of reference materials and with the above assessment and verification procedures, the uncertainties (k=1) of the spike activity used in making reference materials were: 60Co≤4.6%, 134Cs≤4.7%, 137Cs≤5.0%, total β≤0.6% and 3H≤1.3%.

A Strategy for Promoting Utility of Recycling Green Building Materials in Taiwan

The role of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) in constructing the Eco-society or Eco-city has been comprehensively recognized and promoted worldwide over the past two decades. Nowadays, several hot issues such as the energy saving, CO2 reduction, and eco-society have received great attention. Approximately 40% of global energy is used in the construction and subsequent operation stage, while a large amount of construction waste is produced during construction and after demolition. In Taiwan, the government continuously makes great efforts to promote the development of green building materials produced with the recycling construction waste over the past decades. However, the recycling green building materials are not extensively accepted and used in the construction industry of Taiwan. The objective of this study is to propose a strategy for promoting the recycling green building materials through the investigation of “cradle-to-cradle” life cycle of construction products. The key factors lowering people’s impression and purchase behavior have been studied. The disadvantage of existing policy of government is also discussed and compared. Finally, the present study attempts to propose a feasible strategy to assist government to promote the utility of recycling green building materials.

Recycling Lime Sludge from CPDC An-Shun Site as Coarse Aggregates through Cold-Bonding Technique

This paper shows that a new approach (i.e. cold-bonding technique) to recycle uncontaminated and innocuous lime sludge as coarse aggregates. The cold-bonding technique incorporates the principles of the cement chemistry and composite material to develop recycling coarse aggregates. Herein lime sludge was regarded as the main materials to produce recycling coarse aggregates, which meet the specifications of green building materials in Taiwan, using the cold-bonding technique instead of sintering method in light of the issues of reduction of waste, energy, and CO2 footprint. The results show that the specific gravity (in the oven-dry state, OD) of recycling coarse aggregate is in the range of 1.20 to 1.23; the absorption capacity is in 40.0 to 44.6 %; the dry loose density (i.e. unit weight) is 811 to 837 kg/m3; the single particle compressive strength at 28-day is in the range of 17.8 to 20.4 MPa; the particle cylindrical crushing strength ranges from 27.9 to 33.8 MPa; other characteristics also satisfies ASTM C33. The developed recycling coarse aggregates could increase the reuse and recycling of lime sludge, reduce the energy consumption and CO2 footprint, and diminish the impact on the environment and future generations.

Variance Analysis from an Inter-Laboratory Comparison about Different Emission Test Methods by a Certified Green Building Material in Taiwan

This paper utilizes a product certified by Green Building Material Label (TGBML) in Taiwan on comparing the benchmarks of emission, test methods and compounds with other green building material labels, especially focusing the analyte on HCHO and VOCs. On a statistical basis, we get the test values of 288 low-emission products certified by TGBML. The average emission rates of HCHO and VOCs are as follows: HCHO=0.0028 mg/m2*hr, and TVOC=0.0683 mg/m2*hr. (Benchmarks of low-emission product of TGBML are as follows: HCHO=0.08 mg/m2*hr, and TVOC=0.19 mg/m2*hr) This paper reveals that the product certified by Taiwan Green Building Material Label (TGBML) can pass the benchmarks of other 3 building material labels. In order to promote a healthy IEQ environment in Taiwan, these results may provide stricter low-emission benchmarks and suggestions of other compounds which can be added to the prerequisites of tests in Taiwan.

Establish Sorptive Test System and Validation of the Reduction Indoor HCHO Concentrations by Building Material in Taiwan

With the countries in the world gradually emphasize that the well-controlled of indoor air quality (IAQ) and indoor environment health (IEH) would reduce the hazards of human health. This study response the international community has been launched sorptive building materials, such as standards ISO, JIS, etc in recent years, and based on ISO 16000-23 through the small-scale chamber equipment system to develop and establish “sorptive building material test system, SBMTS”, National Performance Laboratory Center in Taiwan. In accordance with standard operating procedures (SOP) to validation of the test system and provided for sorption test by three building materials. The results was verified SBMTS to conform concentrations of HCHO recovery more than 80% by repeatedly sampling and the system was meet the stability through the instrument monitoring display, which could to provide the relevant performance validation and testing for SBM. This study according results with sorption test of select foreign and domestic by building materials, and the performance calculation include the sorption flux, Fm and the equivalent ventilation rate, Fv, eq by SBM, which could provide to reference of the national standards.

Environmental impacts of building structures in Taiwan

Environmental quality has become increasingly influenced by the built environment and buildings play an important role in energy consumption and CO2 emissions through phases of life cycle. This paper evaluates environmental impacts of reinforced concrete structure, steel structure and wood structure in terms of embodied energy and CO2 emissions of building materials in Taiwan. Environmental burdens of materials from cradle to gate including long transportation factor are taken into analysis since a great amount of wood is imported from the North America and ore of steel is imported from the West of Australia to Taiwan. The results show that wood structure has great benefits for the built environment in Taiwan.

Sediment Budget in the Taiwan Strait with High Fluvial Sediment Inputs from Mountainous Rivers: New Observations and Synthesis

The shallow Taiwan Strait at the southern opening of the East China Sea (ECS) receives abundant sediments from turbid mountainous rivers in Taiwan. The volume of sediment is among the highest sediment yields on the global surface. This large amount of sediment discharged from modern Taiwan (range: 175-380 Mt y^(-1) based on 50-yr data) is comparable to that discharged from Changjaing (500 Mt y^(-1)-decreasing in recent decades), underscoring the importance of sediment budget in the Taiwan Strait and sediment flux from Taiwan into the ECS. We documented fluvial mud and sand concentrations during flash flooding with our observations indicating that fluvial materials in Taiwan's rivers are chiefly composed of mud (＞70% and up to 98%). By contrast, sand fraction dominates (＞ 85% for most stations) surface sediments in the Taiwan Strait. Super typhoon Herb alone delivered 130 Mt of sediments from Choshui, the largest river in Taiwan, yet only insignificant amounts of mud were found at the river mouth six months later. The actions of waves, tides, and currents apparently prevent the deposition of fine grained sediments. Assuming sand occupied 30%(the maximum) of the 60 Mt y^(-1) total sediment input from major western Taiwanese rivers, our annual budget estimate shows that the amount of sand input (18±5 Mt y^(-1)) is comparable to the burial output of sand (12±10 Mt y^(-1)). However, mud burial (6±5 Mt y^(-1)) in the strait is far below the estimated mud input (42±11 Mt y^(-1)), resulting in a significant shortfall. Hydrodynamic conditions were synthesized to explain the distribution pattern of limited mud patches in the strait and to reveal potential pathways by which fine-grain sediment transportation takes place in the seas surrounding Taiwan. A significant shortfall in the mud budget in the Taiwan Strait suggests that ~85% of the fluvial mud left the strait. Alternatively, the 50-year modern sediment flux data used in this study reflects exacerbated sediment flux due to human activity and is possibly too high to represent loads during pre-Anthropocene. Additional studies are needed to explore the flux and fate of mud in and surrounding Taiwan over a longer time scale.

Nondestructive evaluation techniques for assessing dynamic modulus of elasticity of moso bamboo (Phyllosachys edulis) lamina

Bamboo, an extensively used material in Asia, is becoming an increasingly available structural (e.g., flooring and furniture) material in Taiwan. The bending strength and dynamic modulus of elasticity of moso bamboo (Phyllosachys edulis) laminae were investigated using ultrasonic-wave and drilling resistance techniques. The strength quality of bamboo was reduced after steaming treatment and was significantly affected by node characteristics. The transverse variations of the mean drilling resistance value (R) gradually increased outward from the bamboo cavity layer. There were very significant positive relationships among density (ju), the drilling resistance value (R), the dynamic modulus of elasticity (Eb), the modulus of elasticity (MOE), and the modulus of rupture (MOR), although the coefficients of determination were small. Combining ultrasonic-wave and drilling resistance techniques is efficient in estimating and establishing the dynamic modulus of elasticity (REb). Values of REb for moso bamboo increased with increasing ju, R, Eb, MOE, and MOR, and the relationships could each be represented by positive linear regression formulas.