Raw Material Prices Research Articles

Minimasi Biaya Persediaan Ikan Kakap Merah PT. MMU Metode Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)

PT. MMU is an industry engaged in processing marine fish. The aim of this research is to minimize the cost of snapper supplies so that the production process becomes more efficient. The analysis begins with data on demand for red snapper in 2023. The movement of recorded demand shows fairly stable fluctuations, although there are some significant declines in certain months, data on ordering costs and storage costs, including raw material prices, ordering frequency, costs forklift, and ice cube costs, have been obtained to account for the total cost of raw material inventory. Data on fish demand, ordering costs, storage costs, and inventory factors were analyzed, resulting in an optimal order quantity of 298.98 kg per order with an order frequency of 6 times a year. Cost analysis shows potential savings of Rp. 3,078,677.43, safety stock of 127 kg and re order point of 42 kg. This research provides insight into the efficiency of inventory management at PT. MMU and its important implications for stock control in the fishing industry

Increasing Production Capacity by Designing Facilities to Reduce Production Costs

This research discusses facility design in the lightweight brick manufacturing industry. Every year the production costs of making lightweight bricks continue to increase due to increases in raw material prices, increases in minimum wages and increases in several auxiliary materials. The increase in selling prices cannot offset the increase in production costs because price competition in the market is high. This research aims to plan to increase the production capacity of lightweight bricks from initially 679.4m³ per day to 794.7m³ per day by designing facilities at lightweight brick manufacturing companies. This research also calculated how much it costs to produce lightweight bricks before designing, namely with a capacity of 679.4 m³ per day and how much it costs to produce lightweight bricks after designing the facilities, namely 794.7 m³ per day. The results of this research are in the form of production capacity data from each production work floor, as well as production work floors where facilities were designed so that a production capacity of 794.7 m³ per day could be achieved. And also calculate how much production costs will be with a production capacity of 679.4m³ and 794.7m³ per day.

Analisis Kelayakan Investasi Penambahan Gudang Bahan Baku Garam Beriodium Pada PT. SSD Lamongan

A warehouse is a place used to store finished goods or raw materials and is an important factor so that the production process runs optimally, therefore a company needs adequate facilities and infrastructure. PT. SSD Lamongan experiences limited storage space for raw materials in the form of krosok salt. This company wants to purchase raw materials in large quantities to avoid large increases in raw material prices in the dry, wet, and rainy seasons. However, the current warehouse capacity is insufficient to store these raw materials. So the company plans to build a new warehouse to store raw materials. The construction of this warehouse requires careful consideration and calculations so that it is profitable in the future. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyze the feasibility of investment by considering market and financial aspects for 10 years, using the Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Payback Period (PP) methods. Based on the results and calculations carried out by researchers, the Net Present Value (NPV) value obtained with an interest rate of 9.08% was IDR 4,615,037,364.00. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is 64.94% (IRR>9.08%) and the investment payback period (PP) will be returned for 1 year and 6 months. From the results obtained, this project is feasible. Keywords: Investment Feasibility, IRR, NPV, PP, Raw Material Warehouse

Russia–Ukraine Conflict, Commodities and Stock Market: A Quantile VAR Analysis

The Russia–Ukrainian war, which began in 2014 and exploded with the invasion of the Russian army on 24 February 2022, has profoundly destabilized the political, economic and financial balance of Europe and beyond. To the humanitarian emergency associated with every war has been added the deep crisis generated by the strong energy and food dependence that many European countries, and not only European, have developed over decades on Ukraine (especially for wheat) and Russia (especially for natural gas). The aim of this article is to verify the existence of a link between the performance of the Eurostoxx index and the price of wheat futures and TTF natural gas, from 25 February 2019 to 28 September 2023. Through a quantile VAR analysis, a link is sought between the Eurostoxx 50 index, and wheat and TTF gas futures prices. Furthermore, the analysis intends to understand whether the presence of such relationship only manifested itself following the war events, or whether it was already present in the market. The analysis carried out also shows that the relationship between the stock market and raw material prices was present even before the conflict.

Pendampingan Pengelolaan Risiko Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah untuk Keberlanjutan Bisnis

Currently, many Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including Kopi Kotak located in Depok, are not yet aware of the importance of risk management and do not have structured procedures to identify risks. The purpose of this community service is to provide direct assistance and guidance to Kopi Kotak MSMEs regarding risk management so that they can improve their business capabilities and sustainability. This service involves conducting observations and interviews with employees of Kopi Kotak MSME to formulate a risk register based on the research results. The research identified six main risks faced by Kopi Kotak MSMEs, including raw material shortages, equipment, raw material quality, compliance, weather, and changes in raw material prices and rent. With guidance, Kopi Kotak MSMEs received assistance in creating a comprehensive risk identification plan. This included identifying the root causes of risks, providing risk assessments, and formulating risk mitigation recommendations. This process aims to increase the awareness and readiness of Kopi Kotak MSMEs in managing day-to-day operational risks.

REFLEKSIVITAS PELAKU INDUSTRI KECIL PEMPEK PADA MASA PANDEMI DI KECAMATAN SEBERANG ULU SATU KOTA PALEMBANG

This research examines small pempek industry players who are increasingly reflexive in anticipating risks during a pandemic, to be precise in the location of Seberang Ulu Satu District, Palembang City. The method used is descriptive qualitative using a case study strategy. There were seven informants in this study, consisting of key, main and supporting informants. Based on the results of this study, it can be shown that the pandemic has caused social anxiety and brought risks of economic loss to small pempek industry players. Various risk threats such as reduced buyers, decreased income, reduced workforce, increased raw material prices and marketing delays. This risk vulnerability phase requires the awareness of small pempek industry players to be more reflexive, to make changes in adaptive behavior to anticipate risk threats, namely through diversification. Diversification is an action or behavior effort to minimize risks due to a pandemic. This reflexivity is carried out based on the capabilities and experience of each industry player, so that pandemic events or situations that are out of control, which can disrupt the economy of small pempek industry players can be anticipated by reducing the amount of production, selling prices adjusted to the market, looking for materials cheaper raw materials, looking for additional income, online promotion, and even closing a business. All of these changes in behavior are a form of reflexivity for small pempek industry players to survive to be able to adapt and be individually responsible for anticipating risk threats during a pandemic so that financial prosperity is achieved in meeting the needs of daily life

Optimal strategies for green supply chains with competition between green and traditional suppliers

We consider a green supply chain that consists of a traditional supplier, a green supplier, and a manufacturer. We investigate the optimal strategies for the suppliers’ raw material prices, and the manufacturer’s production and green raw material ordering. In particular, we consider three price competition models: the traditional supplier-led model, the green supplier-led model, and the Nash game model. The results indicate that the more dominant the green supplier, the more likely the green material price will be higher than the traditional material price. In addition, the manufacturers’ product greenness level is the lowest under the green supplier-led model and the highest under the traditional supplier-led model. We also find that, as the manufacturer’s yield uncertainty increases, the prices of traditional and green raw materials both decrease with respect to the manufacturer’s product greenness level. Moreover, as customers’ green preference increases, the price of green raw materials increases, the price of traditional raw materials decreases, and the product greenness level increases.

ЗМІНИ УПРАВЛІНСЬКИХ ПРОЦЕСІВ В ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯХ, ВИКЛИКАНІ ВІЙНОЮ В УКРАЇНІ

The article is devoted to the study of the changes in management process at enterprises in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine influenced all areas of activity and all industries. Transformations in management processes in organizations have also undergone. The study is based on the analysis of literature and experience in war. Methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalization are used to understand and identify the main aspects of management transformation. Management processes in organizations during the war have their own characteristics. The main changes in the management process relate to four management functions – planning, organizing, motivation and control are defined. It is revealed that during the war business organizations change the time horizons of planning and move from strategic to tactical and operational planning. When it becomes dangerous to work, there are interruptions of electro-, heat, water supply, prices for raw materials, materials, goods are increasing, there is not enough labor, lack of fuel, strategic plans become inappropriate. Increasingly, organizations are practicing partial or complete transfer of physical space to online environment. The key aspects of business transition into virtual format are identified: communication, remote work, online sales and customer service, cybersecurity, process optimization, data restoration and backup, training and staff development, accessibility, adaptation of marketing strategies, process and project management, data analysis and tracking indicators, adaptation of company culture. The key to maintaining motivation is to preserve the opportunities for career development and professional growth of workers, increase wages, provide financial bonuses or compensation for risk for workers in the area of hostilities, providing social packages, health insurance for families. Possible aspects of changes in control are the introduction of new security, monitoring and control measures, as well as cooperation with the authorities and security authorities. The results of the study can be used by the managers of organizations for development of strategies and practical approaches to achieve sustainability and success in time of war.

A Central de Medicamentos e a assistência farmacêutica na ditadura civil-militar (1970-1974)

Abstract The present article analyzes the formation of the first pharmaceutical care policies implemented by the Brazilian Federal Government between 1968 and 1974, during the civil-military dictatorship. It examines a set of measures adopted by the Costa e Silva and Médici governments to contain a continuous rise in the prices of raw materials and pharmaceutical specialties, with this context being essential to the creation of the Medicines Center (CEME) in 1971. The core argument of the article is that CEME represented, at the federal level, the consolidation of a policy carried out at the National Institute of Social Security (Instituto Nacional da Previdência Social - INPS) between 1968 and 1970, based on the production of inputs and medicines in public laboratories. Ended in 1970, this policy was resumed the following year with broad participation of military personnel and laboratories of the Armed Forces. The originality of this article lies in its explanation of how such support influenced the establishment of CEME in its early years. Until 1974, military members were the majority in the Board of Directors of CEME, with some of the agency’s early missions being the supplier for Civil-Social Actions of the Armed Forces.

Развитие мясного подкомплекса АПК Донецкой Народной Республики путем создания агропромышленного кластера

The article deals with the problems of the development of agro-industrial enterprises engaged in animal husbandry and processing of meat products, as a consequence of low competitiveness, as well as difficult logistics chains. The prerequisites for the creation of a meat and sausage cluster on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic have been identified, which will contribute to the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic and, in general, improve the standard of living in the Russian Federation. The analysis of the meat products market is carried out, namely: the main producers, the level of self-sufficiency in meat and sausage products are considered, as well as the dynamics of prices for meat processing products and raw materials are investigated. It was revealed that due to the lack of a rational production and trade network between agricultural enterprises in 2023, there was an increase in prices for meat and sausage products. A number of meat production enterprises, as well as producers engaged in meat processing and sausage production, have been identified in order to unite large and small agribusiness of the Donetsk People’s Republic into a single production chain, which is a cluster. The geographical structure of the creation of a meat agro cluster, which includes the leading cities and districts representing agriculture, is presented. The result of the study is the development of a mechanism for creating a cluster in the meat subcomplex of the agro-industrial complex of the Donetsk People’s Republic, in which one of the key elements is a breeding and genetic center and a wholesale distribution center.

ПРОБЛЕМА СТВОРЕННЯ ДОДАНОЇ ВАРТОСТІ В АГРАРНОМУ СЕКТОРІ ЕКОНОМІКИ В ПРАЦЯХ ДЕЯКИХ ПРЕДСТАВНИКІВ ФРАНЦУЗЬКОГО ВІДГАЛУЖЕННЯ КЛАСИЧНОГО НАПРЯМУ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ТЕОРІЇ

The article systematizes the theoretical views of the classical school of economics, namely its French branch, on the problem of creation and distribution of value added in the agricultural sector, and proves the relevance of this development for ensuring the development of the agricultural industry of Ukraine and strengthening its place in the global value chains. It is shown that the early French school of economics raised important questions about the genesis of value added, the relationship between real and market value, the issue of proportionality in the national economy with a special emphasis on the role of the agricultural sector in this process, raised the problems of taxation of various industries and types of activity in accordance with their productive or unproductive nature. It has been proven that the prices for agricultural products of Ukrainian producers generally do not correspond neither to world prices for such products, nor to production prices that would cover costs and provide farmers with a profit that is not lower than the average. In the short term, these problems could be tackled by applying the elements of the agricultural policy of the European Union. In the long term, the goal of the structural policy should be the movement towards the production and export of finished products of the agro-industrial sector, the prices of which, including on the world market, unlike the prices of raw materials, are characterized by relative stability. The application of the elements of the scientific approach of the French classical school of economics within the framework of economic policy could contribute to the formation of the appropriate market infrastructure, the approximation of prices for domestic agricultural products to the world average, and in the long term to the emergence of complex value added chains within the national economy, which would unite the agro-industrial complex and related industries, generating multiplicative effect of creating value added both due to forward upgrading (shifting to the production and export of finished goods) and backward urgrading (strengthening of national industries which produce the means of agricultural production).

ПЛАТІЖНИЙ БАЛАНС: МЕТОДИ ПРОГНОЗУВАННЯ

The article develops a model for forecasting the main items of the balance of payments, makes a forecast of the balance of payments of Ukraine, and develops recommendations on ways to improve the accuracy of the forecast of the balance of payments. An analysis of current trends in the development of Ukraine’s foreign trade, as well as the impact of global economic processes on the country’s balance of payments, has been carried out. Various methods of econometric modeling have been used to estimate future changes in the balance of payments. The main factors influencing the dynamics of exports and imports, in particular, fluctuations in world prices for raw materials, changes in international trade and political risks, are studied. The results of the study allow us to identify the most vulnerable items of the balance of payments and develop recommendations for the government and business to increase the sustainability of the country’s foreign economic activity. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the impact of internal economic reforms on the balance of payments. It is determined how these reforms can affect international transactions and the overall balance of payments. The issues of regulation of financial flows and their impact on the balance of payments, in particular, the role of international investments in the formation of the balance of payments, are considered separately. The measures that can be implemented to stabilize financial flows and reduce the negative impact of external factors on the country’s economy have been studied. Analyzing the relationship between sustainable development strategies and the balance of payments, the article examines how different initiatives affect international trade and investment. The recommendations presented in the article are aimed at increasing the stability and competitiveness of the Ukrainian economy, as well as strengthening its position in the international market. The developed methodology for forecasting the balance of payments allowed to build a model for forecasting the balance of payments, which provides for the study of each of the items of the economy, taking into account the factors that influence them both from the domestic economic side and from abroad.

Optimizing Bacterial Cellulose Production From Kombucha Tea Utilizing Molasses and Tea Dust in Growth Medium

Kombucha, a potentially probiotic beverage renowned for its health benefits, was brewed using sweetened tea and a microbial consortium known as symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). This study is aimed at optimizing SCOBY production media using economical substrates through the Taguchi method of response surface methodology (RSM). Kombucha production was optimized for SCOBY yield by utilizing tea dust as a nitrogen source instead of tea leaves and blackstrap molasses as a carbon source. The cost per liter of the optimized medium was reduced to $0.027 (optimized) from $0.075 (unoptimized). The SCOBY yield was higher in the optimized condition (2.56%) compared to the control (2.44%) by Day 10. Optimal conditions for maximal SCOBY yield (2.56%) included 75 g/L molasses, 10 g/L tea dust, 20 g/L SCOBY seeding, pH 5, and an incubation temperature of 30°C. The growth rate (μ) of SCOBY was marginally higher in the test sample (1.142 kg/day) compared to the control (1.136 kg/day). The cost difference in SCOBY production between control and test samples was 97.8%, considering current raw material prices. Utilizing cost‐effective substrates, bacterial cellulose from kombucha fermentation could be feasibly commercialized within a short timeframe.

PIAȚA ROMÂNEASCĂ A PELETELOR DIN BIOMASĂ - ANALIZĂ TEHNICOECONOMICĂ

Biomass is currently the most widespread form of renewable energy, and its exploitation is constantly increasing due to concerns about the major impact of fossil fuel consumption, in terms of climate change, global warming and their negative impact on the human factor. Biomass can be transformed using modern technologies into solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. One of the most widely used biomass biofuels is wood pellets. Pellets obtained from woody biomass represent a very successful renewable energy source, due to their characteristics that include high density, high calorific value, low moisture content, but also ease of storage and transport. Romania's biomass pellet industry has recorded significant growth due to the increasing demand for green energy. Investment in modern technology improves production efficiency and enhances competitiveness in international markets. However, fluctuations in raw material prices such as biomass transportation costs and moisture content often affect profit margins. Improving infrastructure and continued investment in research and development are crucial to strengthening Romania’s position in the global renewable energy market. In this context, the purpose of the article is to present an analysis for Romanian pellet market industry.

Structural and geomorphological regional studies of the Kryvyi Rih-Kremenchuk suture zone using remote data

The economy of Ukraine is raw material and depends on the prices of raw materials on world markets. The five largest iron ore producing countries accounted for 86% of its world production in 2020. China, with 41% of world production, was in first place, Ukraine was in seventh place, ahead of Canada and the USA. In terms of raw iron ore reserves, our country is also in seventh place. The largest reserves of iron ore in Ukraine are concentrated in deposits of the the Kryvyi Rih-Kremenchuk zone. The article deals with a set of structural, geomorphological and aerospace geological studies to identify the relative neotectonic activity of the blocks of the Kryvyi Rih-Kremenchuk suture zone, within which the predictive structures promising for the search for ore minerals are identified. A fundamentally new geologic and tectonic model of the Kryvyi Rih-Kremenchuk suture zone has been built, which is confirmed by the analysis of geophysical fields, structural, geomorphological and aerospace data. Because of our studies, it is proposed to pay attention to the object highlighted by our research - the Zhovtorichenska syncline area within the Ternovska depression of the Kryvyi Rih-Kremenchuk zone.

FORMATION OF A NEW PARADIGM OF GLOBAL POLITICAL AND MIGRATION PROCESSES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN UKRAINE

The events of February 2022, related to the military aggression of the Russian Federation and a full-scale attack on Ukraine, became the greatest catastrophe of the XXI century and the most brutal war on European soil since the World War II, and is gradually being defined as the World War III in terms of its impact on global political and economic relations and the use of military weaponry. Although no final assessment can be made (the war is ongoing), the undeniable consequence of Russia's aggression has been the disruption of the world order built after World War II and the risk of global chaos. One of the most powerful consequences of the war was an unprecedented wave of Ukrainian migration, the lion's share of which took place in Europe. While European countries, faced with an unprecedented influx of refugees, are withstanding the socio-economic burden with dignity, Ukraine is in fact in a demographic catastrophe. The wave of forced migration coincided with long-term demographic problems: a decline in the birth rate, an increase in the number of middle-aged people, and the outflow of population during the war. All these processes will have a steady impact on global migration and political processes. New instruments of state and global regulation of these processes will be required. They will also require the formation of a new paradigm of global economic development. The purpose of the study is to deepen the research on identifying and assessing the preconditions and consequences of migration processes in the world under the influence of military operations in Ukraine. The paper examines the impact of migration processes on globalisation and economic processes in Europe and the world; the dynamics of the share of labour migrants in the total labour force by income level of destination countries in 2013, 2017, 2020; the peculiarities of the migration wave of Ukrainians evacuated due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation in 2022. generalised statistical information on the migration processes of Ukrainians in the period 01.02.2023-21.06.2023; detailed statistical data on the number of Ukrainian citizens abroad (as of 01.02.2023) by migrant countries; political and socio-cultural context of the formation of a new paradigm of migration processes. The full implications for Ukrainian migration will be summarised after the war is over, but the following interim conclusions are relevant today. Results. The analysis of migration processes in the world and Europe in the current context suggests that migration is actively taking place and contributes to the development of international integration, as it reduces the number of barriers and increases opportunities. The war in Ukraine will have a significant impact on the economy in terms of the following effects: disruption of global supply chains, increased inflationary pressures, higher energy and raw material prices; food prices will also rise as supplies of wheat and grain from Russia and Ukraine are disrupted; higher energy and commodity prices will cause further inflation, deterioration of economic prospects, reduced confidence and increased financial market risk associated with greater geopolitical tensions; worsening food security in some developing countries in the Middle East and Africa. On the other hand, migration is currently seen as a tool for long-term growth in the EU. The analysis shows that migration provides significant economic benefits, primarily to host countries. Currently, the EU is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour due to unfavourable demographic trends in Europe. Given the massive emigration of Ukrainian citizens to the EU, migrants are solving the problem of staff shortages. Considering that the emigration of Ukrainians provides for adequate social protection and legal support, which guarantees the right to settlement, work and education. The right to employment is readily exercised by Ukrainian migrants, as they are largely people of working age, primarily women. Conclusion. In general, it can be argued that the prospects for regional migration are currently linked to many factors and very uncertain prospects for a return to the pre-2022 or pre-pandemic EaP models. The war in Ukraine is already turning into a protracted conflict that will threaten both the economic situation of millions of people and the hopes of temporarily displaced Ukrainians to return home for a long time. As a result, displaced Ukrainians, the EU host countries and the Ukrainian government will have to deal with the new circumstances, adapting temporary modalities to longer-term solutions.

DEVELOPING A RECIPE FOR MEAT BREADS WITH THE ADDITION OF SWEET MUSTARD

Consumption of meat products is constantly growing in Ukraine, as well as around the world. In recent years, the meat industry has seen increased competition between companies to expand the range of products using flavour compositions. Due to rising prices for meat raw materials and energy, meat industry enterprises are in constant economic dependence on a significant increase in the cost of products. Today, the task of forming safety and quality indicators in the production of cooked sausages is an urgent one. Improving the technology of cooked sausages with the addition of vegetable raw materials - mustard seeds enriched with minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids to improve quality and give the product improved organoleptic properties is relevant in the current environment of shortage of meat raw materials and its constant rise in price. Pork is traditionally the main component of sausage products in Ukraine. It is highly digestible. This meat contains biologically complete proteins and fats in an easily accessible form, as well as B vitamins. In the experimental recipes of meat breads, mustard is used as a filler, which increases the nutritional value and improves the taste of the product. Mustard stimulates the breakdown of fat and improves protein digestion, while activating metabolism. The peculiarity of this flavouring is that in addition to mustard grains, honey, sugar, ground cloves and wine vinegar are added in appropriate proportions, which gives this additive a sweetness with a slight burning sensation. The study proved that it is possible to improve the formulation of meat breads with flavour fillers. This flavour composition improves the functional and technological properties of model minced meat: The moisture content is increased by 2.4%, and the moisture content is increased by 2.1%, which makes the product juicier. It has been shown that the use of crushed mustard grains with varying degrees of hydration in the specified proportions does not worsen the sensory characteristics of the developed meat breads, but, on the contrary, improves their organoleptic characteristics.

Techno-economic and environmental life cycle assessment of next-generation fiber-encapsulated nanoscale hybrid materials for direct air carbon capture

A techno-economic and environmental life cycle assessment was conducted for manufacturing two novel types of solid sorbents used for direct air CO2 capture (DAC). One type of solid sorbent comprised Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/Organopolysilizane (OPSZ)/nanoscale organic hybrid materials (NOHM), and the other comprised polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM)/NOHM. These solid sorbents were assumed to be manufactured via an unconventional route: electrospinning as fibers. Economic analyses revealed that manufacturing costs for a 0.73 MT/year capacity plant were $831 and $1398/kg of electrospun fiber in the case of PAN/OPSZ/NOHM and PIM/NOHM, respectively. The costs were higher for PIM/NOHM owing to high raw material prices (Spirobisindane and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile), which are used only in manufacturing PIM. Scaling up the plant capacity from 0.73 to 30 MT/year decreased the manufacturing cost by nearly half from $831 to $379 in the case of PAN/OPSZ/NOHM, depicting the economies of scale effect. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of both types of solid sorbent was performed using OpenLCA software, the Ecoinvent v 3.5 database, and the TRACI LCI assessment method. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of PAN/OPSZ/NOHM and PIM/NOHM was observed to be 151 × 10−3 and 166 × 10−3 kg CO2 eq. per kg CO2 captured in the DAC plant, respectively. These GWP values were nearly five times as high as those observed for other solid sorbents existing in the literature, such as PEI on silica gel, carbonate on silica, and carbonate on activated carbon, owing to the large amounts of electricity used in the electrospinning unit operation.

Structure-Controlled Prussian Blue Analog as a Cathode Material for Long-Life Seawater Batteries

Nowadays, as the use of fossil fuels is suppressed for achieving carbon neutrality, rechargeable battery is considered as a key factor to lead sustainable society. As far, the most developed and already commercialized batteries are lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, as the demand for LIBs is increasing, there are also several issues in the process of obtaining high-performance batteries. First, as the price of raw materials in LIB rises rapidly, a cost issue arises. In addition, as the fire accidents have occurred consistently due to overcharging or use of organic electrolyte, safety concerns are being raised. Finally, the environmental issues are emerging in the process of mining raw material and disposal of waste batteries. Therefore, a cheap, safe, and environmentally friendly battery system is needed as an alternative to LIBs.In this situation, a battery system called seawater battery (SWB) using seawater as a raw material is attracting attention. Since seawater is super-abundant resource, accounting 97% of the earth’s water, the material and manufacturing cost can be effectively reduced. Also, since it is operated in seawater, it is free from fire hazard and environmentally benign. In addition, as natural seawater can be used without additional treatment, energy can be reduced used for refining raw materials in LIBs.Likely to other battery systems, SWB consists of anode, cathode and separator. In anode part, Na-ions originated from NaCl in seawater are plated and stripped during cycling process. For facile metal plating, the anode part is filled with organic electrolyte, which also broaden the operation voltage window of overall cell. The ceramic solid electrolyte is used as separator, which is called Na-ion selective membrane, NASICON. The cathode part contains seawater which can act as an electrolyte or cathode as well (catholyte).The reaction mechanism mechanisms of cathode part can be sorted into three types―Na-intercalation, oxygen evolution/reduction reaction, and Cl-capturing. Herein, we have focused on the intercalation cathode to realize long-life and stable SWB, which is critical properties for large-scale energy storage systems. For intercalation cathode material, Prussian blue analog (PBA) was selected. PBA is an analog form of Prussian blue (PB). Since PB/PBAs have frame-like structures consist of metal nodes and cyanide ligands, the big alkali ions including Na-ions can be inserted and released through interstitial sites. By substituting the iron of PB to other transition metals, various form of PBAs can be synthesized. Among them, Ni-based PBA (Na2Ni[Fe(CN)6] when fully sodiated) was selected, because it is known as stable in seawater and undergoing small volume change during repeating ion (de)insertion, which is advantageous properties for stable SWB application.However, during synthetic process of PBAs, when metal ions and ligands meet rapidly, vacancies are easily created inside the structure. In these empty sites, the water molecules tend to coordinate, becoming crystal water. Since crystal water negatively affects the electrochemical performance of PB/PBAs, it should be controlled. Therefore, we have controlled the structure of Ni-based PBAs by chelation and improved the electrochemical performance of SWBs.By aid of chelating agent, well-structured Ni-based PBA was successfully synthesized. The defect ratio was effectively reduced from 40% to 6%, followed by less crystal water and more Na-ions inside the structure. When applied to SWB system, the cycle performance of chelated PBA was superior to untreated PBA, exhibiting capacity retention of 92.8% after 2000 cycles at 5 C. In conclusion, showing stable and reversible operation during 2000 cycles at the first time in SWB field, PBA-based SWB showed potential to be a promising next-generation battery. Figure 1

Sustainable aviation fuel as a pathway to mitigate global warming in the aviation industry

The extensive utilization of fossil fuels by humanity has led to notable ecological degradation alongside a surge in productivity. The ensuing climate change, a result of global warming, poses a grave threat to human survival. A significant contributor to global warming is the emission of abundant greenhouse gases, with carbon dioxide being the most prevalent. Addressing global warming necessitates the identification and adoption of cleaner, alternative fuels to diminish carbon dioxide emissions. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) emerges as a prime alternative in this context. Chemically akin to conventional and fossil fuels, SAF originates from cleaner sources, offering a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions upon combustion. This paper highlights the importance of SAF as a viable strategy to mitigate CO2 emissions resulting from fossil fuel combustion. The paper also examines different SAF synthesis approaches, such as Fischer-Tropsch, Hydrogenated fatty acid esters and fatty acids (HEFA), and Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) processes. In summary, challenges such as high production costs, raw material price fluctuations, and the need for supportive policies hinder SAF's widespread adoption. To address climate change and reduce aviation emissions, further research, technological advancements, government incentives, and collaborative efforts within the aviation industry are crucial.