Product Upgrading Research Articles

Simultaneous biosuccinic production and biogas upgrading: Exploring the potential of sugar-based confectionery waste within a biorefinery concept

The imminent need for fossil fuel independence in EU countries has led to an increased development of organic waste valorisation technologies for the production of biomethane and chemical building blocks, such as bio-succinic acid (SA). In this work, the potential of two confectionery waste, in the form of wastewater (SCWW) or a side-stream rejection (SSCW), as inexpensive carbon sources for simultaneous SA production and biogas upgrading was evaluated for the first time. Both substrates were tested batchwise with evolved Actinobacillus succinogenes cultures at different nutrient conditions, SSCW at 100 g L−1 resulting in the highest titres/productivities (∼80 g L−1 and 1.3 g L−1h−1, respectively). Then, simultaneous biogas upgrading under continuous gas feeding was studied at bioreactor-scale, higher gas residence times and pressurization leading to desirable biomethane purities (>98%). The research here conducted is crucial for the cost-effectiveness and scale-up of the technology along this new waste-based biorefinery concept.

How to deeply embed the digital economy into the product quality upgrade? The moderating effect of resource allocation

PurposeThis paper evaluates the level of the digital economy in Chinese cities based on digital industrialization and industrial digitalization. The research focuses on the effects of spatial mechanism of the urban digital economy on the quality of firms’ exported products.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the principal component analysis method to evaluate the level of China’s urban digital economy, and spatial metrology to measure the spatial effects of the digital economy on product quality.FindingsThe findings suggest that the urban digital economy can expand the quality of firms’ exports. The digital economy has spatial dependence, spatial spillover and spatial heterogeneity on product quality. At the same time, the spatial effect has a significant nonlinear effect and threshold effect. Further decomposition shows that industrial digitalization is the core factor of enterprises’ export products quality, and the micro-mechanism of this impact is mainly manifested in optimization of resource allocation.Originality/valueThe innovation of this paper is reflected explicitly in exploring the quality upgrading of export products from the background of the digital economy, providing a reference for the improvement of China’s export trade competitiveness and the cultivation of a trade power. The authors studied two different mechanisms (specialization division of labor and optimization of resource allocation) to explain the spatial imbalance of export product quality to provide empirical support for enterprises and government departments to formulate quality upgrading policies accurately.

FDI and Firm Productivity: A Comprehensive Review of Macroeconomic and Microeconomic Models

This paper reviews the literature on foreign direct investment (FDI), productivity, and technology upgrading, with a focus on macroeconomic and microeconomic models. It compares the performance of various models used to study FDI and its effects on firms’ productivity, via skill and technology upgrading, offshoring, institutional quality, and other related factors. This review highlights the differences and similarities between macroeconomic and microeconomic models, their empirical strategies, and their ability to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which FDI affects productivity and other variables. The empirical literature on the impact of FDI on the productivity of local firms is derived from association studies, which use a neoclassic production function and an augmented Solow-type equation. These models have been shown to be inadequate in capturing the dynamic and complex nature of FDI and the associated externalities, particularly vertical externalities. This paper identifies three criticisms of the literature on pecuniary externalities, including a lack of models that focus specifically on the mechanism of forward linkages, inadequate measures to assess linkage effects, and the failure to include crucial determinant factors in empirical models. Overall, this paper calls for more comprehensive and nuanced models that incorporate the dynamic and complex nature of FDI and its externalities.

Interfacial engineering of two-dimensional NiS2/VS heterostructure nanosheets as bifunctional electrocatalysts for urea-assisted energy-saving water electrolysis

Heterostructure electrocatalysts based on transition metal sulfides (TMS) have been extensively applied in renewable energy research because the rich interfaces afford high intrinsic activities for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we have fabricated two-dimensional (2D) nickel sulfide and vanadium sulfide heterojunction nanosheets (NiS2/VS-3:1) arranged on carbon cloth as efficient bifunctional catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting. The strong electronic interaction between NiS2 and VS in the NiS2/VS-3:1 heterostructure nanosheets was beneficial to tune the electronic structures and induce the formation of dual-functional reactive sites (Ni3+ for OER and V2+ for HER) in one heterojunction electrocatalyst, contributing to the promising catalytic activities toward electrocatalytic water splitting. The NiS2/VS-3:1 electrocatalyst has exhibited prominent catalytic activities toward HER and OER, which required low overpotentials of 74 and 235 mV to yield the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH. Compared with pure NiS2 or VS, the NiS2/VS-3:1 electrocatalyst delivered faster reaction kinetics, improved electron-transfer ability, and enlarged electrochemical active surface area, which were mainly attributed to the fascinating heterostructure in the nanosheets. Some more easily oxidized substances have been added into electrolyte as adjuvants to realize energy-saving hydrogen production, pollutant degradation, and biomass upgrading.

Training and Marketing of Fashion Upcycling Products in Local Communities

This article focuses on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), about responsible consumption and production, particularly the fifth target of reducing waste production through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. The study explored and evaluated the results of the product upgrading performed in a community empowerment activity, which involved upcycling denim waste into A-line skirts and tote bags, and adding decorative materials using sewing techniques such as decorative stitches, tie-dye, and macrame. The article also discusses the importance of producing goods with greater value in terms of sustainability in natural resource utilization. On-site surveys were conducted to evaluate the results of the product upgrading, and the survey results were analyzed qualitatively for further sustainability efforts related to upcycling. Overall, 15 buyers participated, and the results showed positive perceptions about the use of products from fashion waste and there is interest in participating in similar activities in the future.

Supply chain decision-making of green products considering a retailer's fairness concerns under a pre-sale model

Advancing the upgrade and promotion of green products can facilitate green supply chain transformations. Currently, manufacturers cooperate with retailers stationed on e-commerce platforms to promote green products through a pre-sale model. Thus, we propose a green product supply chain comprising one dominant manufacturer and one retailer, where the manufacturer can invest to improve a product's green level, and the retailer can make regular-sale promotional efforts. Combining the pre-sale model and fairness concerns of the retailer, three models using the Stackelberg game were demonstrated to analyze the impact of the pre-sale scale and the retailer's fairness concerns on the supply chain members' optimal decisions. The results indicate that an improvement in consumers' green sensitivity can lead to a reduction in promotional efforts and is not conducive to upgrading under the fairness concerns of the retailer. Additionally, increasing the pre-sale scale does not continuously alleviate the uneven profit distribution. Therefore, we propose a cost-sharing contract to achieve the goal of coordination and find that adopting the contract weakens the negative effects of fairness concerns. Interestingly, the influence of adopting a cost-sharing contract is more significant when the pre-sale scale is large, and it improves the profits of retailers more than those of manufacturers. A larger cost-sharing coefficient aggravates the negative effect of fairness concerns on the entire chain's profits. When members set a sensible cost-sharing coefficient, the contract is beneficial for all members of the entire chain and green supply chain transformation.

A machine learning framework for improving refinery production planning

AbstractWe propose a framework that relies on machine learning techniques and statistical modeling to enhance industrial production planning. Supervised learning is employed to improve the production planning model, whereas unsupervised learning is used to achieve economic synchronization between the process control and production planning layers. Finally, an upgraded production planning decision‐making structure is formulated where model uncertainty, the effect of process control/disturbances, and time correlation are considered. The proposed framework is implemented on an industry‐relevant refinery model demonstrating that the performance of the framework is substantially better than established industrial production planning techniques.

Discrete Whale Optimization Algorithm for Disassembly Line Balancing With Carbon Emission Constraint

With the advancement of science and technology in recent years, the rate of product upgrading by end users has increased, resulting in a high number of End-Of-Life (EOL) products. For environmental protection and economic benefits, disassembly lines are set up to recycle them. A disassembly line balancing problem arises and has attracted widespread attention. In this paper, we design a model to address a class of disassembly line balancing problems in which the main optimization objective is to maximize profits, while keeping carbon emission in a tolerable range. A discrete whale optimization algorithm is proposed to search their high-quality solutions. Its efficiency is verified by comparing its solutions with their analytic solutions obtained from a commercial optimization solver and other swarm intelligence algorithms. Experimental results show that it is significantly faster than CPLEX and other swarm intelligence algorithms in solving large-scale optimization problems while guaranteeing its solutions quality.

A review of biomass pyrolysis gas: Forming mechanisms, influencing parameters, and product application upgrades

Biomass energy has become the fourth largest energy source following coal, oil, and natural gas due to its abundantly available sources. At present, pyrolysis oil and biochar are the main products of biomass pyrolysis for applications. Despite this, biomass products still have an untapped potential that deserves further exploration. Research on biomass pyrolysis gas has progressed gradually and is reaching a commercial level through deeper research. It is possible to purify and decoke pyrolysis gas into different gaseous products according to demand, and its components can also be separated and extracted for other purposes. Therefore, biomass pyrolysis gas has a great deal of potential for development. This paper reviews the mechanism of biomass transformation into pyrolysis gas, equipment, the influence of process parameters, analysis methods, potential applications of pyrolysis gas, and ideas for future pyrolysis gas product upgrading.

Role of C/N ratio in a pilot scale Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC) for biomethane production and biogas upgrading

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) permit to couple the oxidation of waste organic streams (e.g., wastewater, fermentate or digestate) with the reduction of carbon dioxide into products with a high market value (e.g., methane or acetic acid). MECs exploit the ability of electroactive microorganisms to use a solid electrode as final electron acceptor or donor. Here, a micro pilot tubular MEC has been set up combining the anodic oxidation of the organic matter with the bioelectromethanogenesis reaction in the cathodic chamber. Seven different synthetic feeding solutions, simulating a domestic wastewater or an acidogenic fermentate, have been used to test different C/N ratio on the performance of the MEC bioanode in the range between 25 and 0.4 (molC/molN). As a main result it was found that, under the same operating conditions (i.e., anode potential controlled at + 0.2 V vs SHE and HRT of 0.5 d), a high C/N ratio (e.g., 19 mol/mol) promotes the bioelectrochemical metabolism of the electroactive biofilm. These findings are relevant for a practical application of the technology considering the variable content of carbon and nitrogen in real feedstocks.

How Digitalization Shapes Export Product Quality: Evidence from China

Digitalization has imposed new production and trade requirements on enterprises. Quality upgrading of export products, a requirement of international consumption upgrading, is also a product of enterprise industrial upgrading. We examine the impact of the digitalization of Chinese listed firms on the quality of their export products from 2011 to 2015 using the panel fixed effects model and chain mediating effects model. The results demonstrate that digitalization has an inverted U-shaped effect on the quality of export products. Further, digitalization can promote the quality upgrading of enterprises’ export products. However, the supporting capacity of digital infrastructure and the decreasing consumption upgrading of foreign customers limit this process. Empirical results show that digitalization can alleviate the financing constraints to improve the quality of export products. Because digitalization can improve human capital quality, this effect can improve the export product quality. A chain mediation effect also occurs. Digitalization alleviates financing constraints to improve human capital and enterprises’ export product quality. By clarifying digitalization⇒, alleviating financing constraints⇒, improving human capital quality⇒ improve export product quality relationships, executives can improve the competitiveness of enterprises in the international market.

Intellectualized Collection and Analysis of Multimedia Computer Teaching Based on the Fusion of Audio-visual Information

In the post-epidemic era, online classrooms and multimedia computers are increasingly connected. In order to efficiently conduct online teaching and answer questions after class, this paper intelligently collects and analyzes current multimedia computer teaching materials based on the latest audio-visual information fusion algorithm. First, the spatial frequency SF of the online classroom is selected as the input excitation of audio-visual information, and the direction information at the pixel is fixed as the link strength slice relationship of PCNN. Compared with traditional computer teaching, this method has many advantages. Multimedia electronic classrooms are very suitable for computer teaching, and the use of multimedia electronic classrooms can diversify the forms of computer teaching. Then, the source image is decomposed in a two-dimensional experience mode, and the obtained residual images are fused to complete the intelligent collection and analysis of the characteristics of teaching information; the function design is carried out under the framework of learning activities, and the functional upgrade of technical products requires the teaching and learning.

Circular economy versus copyright protection of computer programs in the EU: challenges and lessons from the CJEU’s judgment in Top System

... In the Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Commission declared the intention to improve ‘product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability’. The plan mentions ‘electronics and ICT as a priority sector for implementing the “right to repair”, including a right to update obsolete software’.1 Indeed, few contemporary devices, regardless of whether they are ‘connected’ or Internet-of-things devices, can perform their functions without computer programs that steer them. The shift in the European Union (EU) legal landscape is already discernible. First, the Sale of Goods Directive2 and the Digital Content Directive3 both refer to goods with digital elements, which are tangibles that incorporate or are interconnected with digital content or a digital service in such a way that without them, the goods would not perform their functions. Secondly, the regulations that implement the Ecodesign Directive4 have addressed requirements concerning the repairability and durability of some categories of electronic devices, such as televisions.5 Additional regulations concerning mobile phones and tablets are about to be enacted.6 Notably, the requirements include the obligation to make available updates of crucial computer programs, including firmware and operating systems. Finally, the currently discussed proposals for the Data Act include the definition of a related service, ie ‘digital service, including software, which … at the time of the purchase, rent or lease agreement’, is similarly interconnected with a product.7

Incentive strategy of safe and intelligent production in assembled steel plants from the perspective of evolutionary game

Due to the numerous cross-operations and poor information communication, it is easy to cause production safety accidents in traditional assembled steel plants. The transformation and upgrading of smart production in the assembly steel plants is helpful to improve the efficiency of safety management. In order to effectively reduce the safety risks in the production of assembled steel components, this paper integrates policy incentives and safety supervision, constructs an evolutionary game model between the government and assembled steel producers, and analyzes the strategic evolution rules and stability conditions of stakeholders through the replication dynamics equation. Moreover, based on the empirical simulation of the Fuzhou X Steel Structure Plant project, the effectiveness of the evolutionary model incentive strategy setting is verified. The results show that whether an assembled steel plants adopt a smart management strategy or not is influenced by the government's incentive subsidy mechanism, penalty mechanism, the benefits and costs generated by traditional/ smart management, the probability and loss of safety accidents and other factors. The conclusion is important for upgrading the safety management mode, improving the safety production efficiency and constructing the safety supervision system of the assembled steel smart plant.

The Impact of Green Finance on Export Technology Complexity: Evidence from China

With the improvement of the technology level and the prevalence of the concept of environmental protection, green finance has been gradually applied to the field of production and economic development. As an important measure of economic development, the export sector is inevitably affected by the development of green finance. However, using the high technology of exports to analyze the relationship between green finance and exports has not drawn much attention. Based on the panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, this study empirically examined the impact of green finance as well as export technology complexity, by using a combination of fixed effects and mechanism analysis. The results show that green finance has a significantly positive impact on export technology complexity, which means that an increase in the depth of green finance can improve export product quality. In terms of regional heterogeneity, the impact of green finance on the high technology of exports is greater in the eastern region than in the central and western regions of China. In terms of the manifestation of green finance, the effect of green bonds on export technology complexity is greater than that of green investment and insurance. Green finance improves the export technical complexity through three intermediaries, such as green technology innovation, capital investment strength, and product upgrading capacity. This study highlights the importance of green finance and provides new methods for governments to assist in the formulation of policies that can improve export technology complexity.

Circular economy and firm performance: The influence of product life cycle analysis, upcycling, and redesign

AbstractThe transition toward a circular economy (CE) implies the introduction of innovative practices at the firm level. Nevertheless, an important question is under discussion: What are the consequences of these practices on firm performance? Using a survey approach, this article analyzes the effect of CE practices related to product design on economic and environmental performance: life cycle assessment (LCA), product upgradability, and design for disassembly, reuse, and recycling in a sample of 300 firms. Our findings show that, although most of the companies are carrying out some eco‐innovation (innovations aimed to reduce the environmental damage of their activity), only process eco‐innovations new to the market improve economic performance but not environmental performance. However, LCA is a tool for implementing CE principles, helping to improve both. Eco‐design is positively associated with economic performance. The results provide managers and policy makers new insights on the long road to achieving this transition.

Boosting ethanol oxidation by NiOOH-CuO nano-heterostructure for energy-saving hydrogen production and biomass upgrading

Substituting the anodic oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis with a thermodynamically more favorable ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) provides a promising route for simultaneous biomass upgrading and energy-saving hydrogen production. Herein, we synthesize a NiOOH-CuO nano-heterostructure anchored on a three-dimensional conductive Cu foam, which exhibits remarkable EOR performance, surpassing all the state-of-the-art 3d transition-metal-based EOR electrocatalysts. Density functional theory reveals that the coupling between CuO and NiOOH by charge redistribution at the interface is critical, synergistically reducing the EOR energy barriers into an energetically favorable pathway. Conclusively, the hybrid water electrolysis cell using our catalyst as the anode (1) requires only a low cell voltage for H2 generation at the cathode and only liquid chemical production of acetate at the anode, and (2) shows a high ethanol conversion rate to acetate, which can readily be separated from the aqueous electrolyte by subsequent acidification and extraction processes.

Competition, reallocation, and growth: Theory and evidence from Africa

This paper investigates whether economic policy facilitates output growth by exploring the role of competition. We present a growth model with heterogeneous firms in which exposure to competition induces reallocation of market shares from less productive to more productive firms and forces the least productive firms to exit the industry. Confronted by a competition threat, incumbent firms choose either upgrading their products or bribing a policymaker in order to prevent entry by potential competitors. Product upgrading is less profitable than bribing for low-productivity firms but more profitable for high-productivity firms. Reallocation of market shares to more productive firms leads to higher aggregate industry productivity. Testing this prediction of the model using a generalized difference-in-differences approach and production data that cover 23 manufacturing industries and 34 African countries, we found that industries that upgrade more grow disproportionately faster in countries where competition policy is more intensive.

Fisher–Tropsch Synthesis for Conversion of Methane into Liquid Hydrocarbons through Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Process: A Review

The interest in Gas-to-Liquid technology (GTL) is growing worldwide because it involves a two-step indirect conversion of natural gas to higher hydrocarbons ranging from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to paraffin wax. GTL makes it possible to obtain clean diesel, naphtha, lubes, olefins, and other industrially important organics from natural gas. This article is a brief review discussing the state-of-the-art of GTL, including the basics of syngas manufacturing as a source for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), hydrocarbons synthesis (Fischer-Tropsch process), and product upgrading. Each one is analyzed, and the main characteristics of traditional and catalysts technologies are presented. For syngas generation, steam methane reforming, partial oxidation, two-step reforming, and autothermal reforming of methane are discussed. For Fischer–Tropsch, we highlight the role of catalysis and selectivity to high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Also, new reactors technologies, such as microreactors, are presented. The GTL technology still faces several challenges; the biggest is obtaining the right H2:CO ratio when using a low steam-to-carbon ratio. Despite the great understanding of the carbon formation mechanism, little has been made in developing newer catalysts. Since 60–70% of a GTL plant cost is for syngas production, it needs more attention, particularly for developing the catalytic partial oxidation process (CPO), given that modern CPO processes using a ceramic membrane reactor reduce the plant’s capital cost. Improving the membrane’s mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability can commercialize the process. Catalytic challenges accompanying the FTS need attention to enhance the selectivity to produce high-octane gasoline, lower the production cost, develop new reactor systems, and enhance the selectivity to produce high molecular weight hydrocarbons. Catalytically, more attention should be given to the generation of a convenient catalyst layer and the coating process for a given configuration.

Guideline for Green Design of Printers and Multi-function Printers

This paper regulates the purposes and basic principles of green design of printers and multi-function printers, and provides the green design requirements and procedures of printers and multi-function printers. This paper will provide the guiding targets for the printer manufacturer, standardize the enterprise behaviour of printer, and lead the printer product enterprise to implement the product green design, which is of great significance in promoting the transformation and upgrading of printer product, enhancing the green manufacturing level and increasing the green product supply.