Product Lifetime Research Articles

A Framework for Comprehensive Dairy Calf Health Investigations

The objective of this narrative review is to provide a systematic framework for veterinarians to investigate dairy calf health, focusing on critical control points and key performance indicators (KPIs) to address morbidity and mortality challenges in preweaned calves. Recommendations target prenatal maternal nutrition, heat stress abatement, and optimal calving management to minimize risks associated with perinatal mortality and preweaning morbidity. Further, comprehensive colostrum management is discussed to ensure excellent transfer of passive immunity, which includes prompt collection and feeding within two hours of birth at a volume of 8.5–10% of calf body weight. Nutritional guidance emphasizes the importance of transition milk and feeding higher planes of nutrition to support immunity, with recommendations that milk total solids exceed 10% to meet energy needs. Environmental management recommendations include a minimum of 3.3 m2 of space per calf, the use of low-dust bedding, and air quality controls to reduce respiratory disease. Lastly, regular health data collection and KPI monitoring, such as average daily gain and morbidity rates, are essential for data-driven improvements. By implementing these evidence-based recommendations, veterinarians can support dairy farmers in reducing calf morbidity and mortality, ultimately enhancing calf welfare and lifetime productivity.

Effect of age-associated oxidative stress on sperm viability, acrosomal integrity and sperm apoptosis and DNA fragmentation in Sahiwal breeding bulls.

Sperm motility is the prime functional attribute for semen quality and fertility of the bull. However, the bull's age directly affects the semen quality, and the bull's fertility and productive life decline with age. Even though research on age has been conducted in the past, it is still unclear how old a bull should be maintained at artificial insemination centers. The minimum standard protocol (MSP) states that a bull has an 8-years productive lifespan, yet it has been shown that some bulls older than 8 years have produced freezable ejaculates. It has yet to be established what the bull's ideal productive life is under the tropical climate of India without affecting in-vitro sperm functions. For the validation of the maximum age of a bull up to that it could be utilized in the artificial insemination centers, cut-off values of oxidative stress in freezable semen ejaculates were used. The current study was done at the Artificial Breeding Research Centre, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, Haryana, India. A total of eighteen Sahiwal breeding bulls were divided into three groups: Young (2-4 years), Adult (> 4-8 years), and Older (> 8-11 years). Three ejaculates were taken from each bull; thus, a total of 18 ejaculates were utilized in each group for semen examination. Semen quality of Young bulls was poor compared with adult and older bulls. Seminal parameters such as dead, moribund, apoptotic, reacted acrosome, and protamine deficient sperms were higher in older bulls than in adult bulls; however, the values were non-significant. Less difference was found in the semen parameters among adult and older bulls. This indicates that the semen quality of older Sahiwal bulls was optimum, freezable, and can be utilized for up to 11 years (Average 9.5 years).

Correlating photochemical H2 production and excited state lifetimes of heterostructured and doped ZnCdS nanoparticles.

A variety of ZnCdS-based semiconductor nanoparticle heterostructures with extended exciton lifetimes were synthesized to enhance the efficacy of photocatalytic hydrogen production in water. Specifically, doped nanoparticles (NPs), as well as core/shell NPs with and without palladium and platinum co-catalysts, were solubilized into water using various methods to assess their efficacy for solar H2 fuel synthesis. The best results were obtained with low bandgap ZnCdS cores and ZnCdS/ZnS core/shell NPs with palladium co-catalysts. The results, augmented with DFT and tight binding electronic structure calculations, revealed the importance of exciton charge carrier separation via tunneling. While the systems studied here were photocatalytically active, they nonetheless lagged behind the quantum efficiency observed from "gold standard" CdSe/CdS·Pt dot-in-rod nanoparticles as evident from quantum efficiencies that were estimated to be 0.5 → 2%.

Progress in the Experimental Design and Performance Characterization of Artificial Accelerated Photodegradation of Wood

Wood, a natural and renewable material, is extensively utilized in furniture, construction, and outdoor landscapes due to its sustainability and esthetic appeal. However, exposure to environmental elements, particularly sunlight, leads to photodegradation, affecting wood’s chemical and physical structure. This degradation results in color fading, increased surface roughness, and reduced mechanical properties, shortening the lifespan of wooden products. Artificial accelerated photodegradation tests have become a crucial method for studying wood’s aging process under controlled laboratory conditions, mimicking prolonged exposure to sunlight. This review explores the mechanisms behind wood photodegradation, focusing on the effects of UV radiation on wood’s major components—cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives. Additionally, it summarizes the latest advancements in experimental design for artificial aging tests, including factors like radiation source selection, temperature, and humidity control. The paper also highlights performance characterization methods for evaluating the impact of photodegradation on wood’s physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Understanding these processes is essential for enhancing the durability of wood products and developing effective treatments for wood preservation in outdoor environments.

Effect of displaced abomasum on milk production, reproductive performance, and culling of Holstein dairy cattle in Iran

Displaced abomasum (DA) is an important digestive condition that adversely affects the economic performance and the productive lifespan of a dairy cow. Due to increasing DA incidence in recent years, the present research was performed to estimate the potential effects of DA on the performance of Iranian Holstein. Production data were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the associations of DA occurrence with the time from calving to first service, pregnancy (in 120 and 220 DIM, respectively) and culling. The least-square means showed that DA was significantly ( P < 0.0001) associated with reduced milk, fat, and protein yields, especially during peak milk production. Results of survival analyzes showed that DA could be associated with reduced probability pregnancy in the first service at 120 DIM (hazard ratio = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.51–0.64), and at 220 DIM (hazard ratio = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.76–0.86) and with an increased hazard of culling in the same lactation (hazard ratio = 3.85; 95% CI = 3.13–4.74). Considering negative effects of DA in dairy cows, it can be concluded, quantitative knowledge of the consequences of DA may convince dairy farmers to apply preventive strategies to reduce the incidence of DA in the herd.

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Reduction Effects Induced by Turbocharger Multiple Remanufacturing in South Korea

In light of growing global supply chain instability and carbon neutrality initiatives, South Korea has highlighted the need for a circular economy to reduce its reliance on natural resources. As a critical strategy for promoting a circular economy, remanufacturing has become essential because of its ability to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. The automotive sector, which accounts for 80% of the remanufacturing industry, plays a critical role in these efforts. Turbochargers, primarily made of cast iron, represent approximately 20% of sales in this sector and are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, making them an important target for emission reduction. This study examined the greenhouse gas emissions associated with turbochargers across multiple remanufacturing cycles using the LCA method. The results indicated an approximate decrease of 50%, 48%, and 46%, based on a comparative analysis between brand-new products and those remanufactured one to three times. Comparing brand-new and remanufactured products does not fully capture the key advantage of remanufacturing. This advantage lies in its ability to extend a product’s life cycle by using core parts as primary raw materials and reducing the consumption of new resources. Therefore, it is important to consider the environmental impact of remanufacturing within an expanded process, where brand-new products are included in the entire life cycle. Using this approach, the accumulated annual greenhouse gas reduction effect for multiple remanufacturing indicated decreases of approximately 25%, 32%, and 35% for remanufacturing one, two, or three times, respectively, compared to using only brand-new products. This study shows that multiple remanufacturing reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to the use of brand-new products. In particular, as remanufacturing is repeated, the product lifespan can be extended from 3 years to up to 12 years with a concomitant decrease in annual greenhouse gas emissions. These findings provide valuable data for modeling and encouraging the greenhouse gas reduction potential driven by remanufacturing across various industrial sectors.

Marginal oil and gas field development using stranded and flaring gas

Indonesia’s abundant natural gas reserves present an opportunity to transition towards natural gas as a primary energy source due to its efficiency and industrial versatility. However, stranded gas and flare gas remain underutilized, especially in remote and challenging areas like Papua, Indonesia. This research investigates the utilization of such limited gas resources through technical and economic evaluations. This region is characterized by logistical challenges and a scarcity of natural gas users, making it a representative example for similar cases across Indonesia. The study assessed product and technology options for utilizing feed gas with an average volume of 2.5 MMSCFD over a 15-year production lifetime. The findings indicate that converting the gas into CNG and LPG is the most viable solution, yielding an average of 1,264 MMBTU/day of CNG and 4 MT/day of LPG. Economic analysis shows a net present value (NPV) of USD 1.83 million, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 13.01%, and a payback period (POT) of 6.31 years. The use of skid-mounted transportation modules and barges aligns well with the geographical complexities of Eastern Indonesia, offering a scalable and commercially viable approach to stranded gas utilization. This research highlights a sustainable pathway for monetizing marginal gas fields.

Assessment of type and quantities of food and beverage plastic packaging: A case study.

Plastic pollution has been identified as one of the most pressing environmental issues of the 21st century, driven by excessive consumption and inadequate plastic waste management. This issue is particularly reflected in short lifespan of plastic products, particularly plastic packaging within the food and beverage (F&B) industry. Urgent and relevant policy actions are needed to promote plastic circularity and improve waste management practices. Developing countries such as Montenegro face significant challenges in managing plastic waste flows due to legal, institutional and infrastructural gaps. This research addresses these challenges by employing material flow analysis (MFA) and advanced techniques like artificial neural networks to estimate the quantities and types of plastic packaging used in the F&B sector in Montenegro. The findings reveal that over 21,300 tonnes of F&B plastic packaging were placed on the market in Montenegro in 2018. Approximately 11% of this amount ends up directly littered in the environment or dumpsites, whereas the remaining 89% is predominantly collected and deposited in controlled landfills. Detailed MFA models were developed separately for the eight most common polymer types used in the F&B sector, along with specific models for plastic bags and polyethene terephthalate bottles to explore closed-loop recycling systems. It was found that only a small fraction of all analysed types of plastic packaging placed on the market can be effectively treated and recycled. This research contributes to the understanding of plastic waste management in Montenegro and facilitates the formulation of effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution in the F&B industry.

Photoinduced ultrafast multielectron transfer and long-lived charge-accumulated state in a fullerene-indacenodithiophene dumbbell triad

Photoinduced ultrafast multielectron transfer (m-ET) and long-lived charge-accumulated states in single molecules hold promise for light-energy conversion and utilization. However, compared to single-electron transfer (s-ET), m-ET tends to be thermodynamically and kinetically unfavorable. Here, we construct a dumbbell-shaped fullerene-indacenodithiophene triad, IT2, modified with two C60 units in the donor indacenodithiophene. Exciting the C60 units, ultrafast m-ET occurs with a time constant of 0.5 ps, accumulating two holes with a lifetime of 10 μs. Benefitting from a larger driving force, lower reorganization energy, and smaller structural changes, the rate of m-ET is 23 times faster than that of s-ET, and the lifetime of the m-ET product is 1.4 × 105 times longer than that of the s-ET products. These attributes endow IT2 with superior photocatalytic performance in multielectron oxidation reactions. This is an instance of achieving faster m-ET and a longer m-ET product lifetime than s-ET in a single molecule. This finding provides unique insights for the construction and application of intramolecular m-ET and charge accumulation systems in photocatalysis and molecular devices.

Accelerating Plastic Pollution Mitigation through Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development

Plastic waste plagues both land and aquatic environments. The surface layer refers to the road pavement layer that comes into direct contact with a vehicle's wheel surface. The surface layer distributes wheel load far more evenly than the layer underneath. The surface layer design incorporates top-notch materials that can be used as additives to enhance the quality of the asphalt mixture. This study evaluates the asphalt mixture's durability using Marshall characteristics and Cantabria tests carried out in a lab setting. An ideal asphalt concentration of 5.25% is obtained. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is added to the asphalt mixture at various contents, 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%. The study's findings indicate that adding plastic waste to the asphalt mixture can enhance its performance. The two main mitigating actions are probably plastic prohibition laws and public awareness campaigns. To evaluate the possible environmental effects and resources utilized over the course of a plastic product's life span, researchers stress the importance of its life cycle assessment and circularity. Innovations are necessary to minimize, reuse, recycle, recover, and develop environmentally friendly plastic substitutes. By empowering and educating communities and citizens on how to reduce plastic pollution and use alternative plastic solutions, governments must enforce and promote collective action. This research must prioritize addressing plastic waste as a global issue.

Advancing Anomaly Detection in Oil Production Wells with TranAD: A Deep Transformer Network Approach

The oil and gas industry is undergoing a profound transformation, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things to optimize operational efficiency and safety. Within this context, ensuring the integrity of oil production wells is paramount for operational safety, environmental preservation, and minimizing production losses. Detecting unexpected events, namely anomalies such as spurious closures of Downhole Safety Valves (DHSV) and rapid productivity loss events, in well operations in a timely manner is crucial. The integration of sensor-based monitoring and computational modeling provides vital insights for identifying and mitigating such anomalies, thereby bolstering the industry's reliability and sustainability. However, the complexity of anomaly detection in oil production wells presents significant challenges. Firstly, historical data from producing oil wells tends to be highly unbalanced, with only occasional unexpected events occurring over the well's lifetime. Secondly, frequent valve change operations during the well's productive lifespan, while expected, can substantially alter pressure and temperature behavior, potentially confounding unsupervised techniques. To address these challenges, this paper proposes the evaluation of TranAD, a deep transformer network-based multivariate time-series anomaly detection model, applied on oil production wells data. TranAD utilizes attention-based sequence encoders to detect anomalies solely based on non-anomalous training data in the context of oil production wells. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of TranAD models in detecting anomalies using the 3W database, the first public repository released by Petrobras containing rare real-world undesirable events in oil wells. This dataset serves as a benchmark for the development of machine learning techniques tailored to the inherent complexities of real-world data. TranAD models trained on the 3W dataset will be compared with established benchmark techniques to validate their efficacy in this scenario. Drawing from previous case studies where TranAD demonstrated superior performance in detection and diagnosis across various domains, along with its data and time-efficient training, it is anticipated that TranAD will yield promising results in detecting anomalies in oil production wells.

Modeling Feed Efficiency over Productive Lifetime and Integrating a Sub-Model for Body Reserve Management in Nordic Dairy Cattle.

Genetic enhancement of feed efficiency can improve the economic sustainability and environmental responsibility of dairy farming. While genetic selection holds promise for improving feed efficiency across the lifespan of dairy cows, comprehensive data spanning whole lactations or even a productive lifetime are currently limited. To address this, we used production data and data from a camera-based feed intake and body weight recording system, along with records of production, feed intake, and weight on Holstein cows from a research herd. We aimed to estimate variance components for a multi-variate multi-parity model of production, feed intake, and body weight data to calculate genetic residual feed intake (gRFI) for each of the Nordic breeds (Holstein, Jersey, and Red Dairy Cattle). Our approach included investigating a new definition of energy balance (EBbody) calculated from changes in body reserves, serving as an energy sink in gRFI. The data in our analysis consisted of 4,751 Holstein cows (7,851 lactations), 2,068 Jersey cows (3,486 lactations), and 3,235 Red Dairy Cattle cows (5,419 lactations). We used Gibbs sampling to estimate posterior means and standard deviations for all model parameters. Our findings revealed moderate lactation-wise heritability of gRFI (0.15 to 0.38) across all breeds and parities. Moreover, gRFI genetic correlations varied (-0.2 to 0.4) between early and mid to late lactation stages across all breeds, and for lactation-wise gRFI there were moderately high genetic correlations (0.39 to 0.59) between primi- and multiparous lactations across the 3 breeds. Those results suggest the importance of recording phenotypes in most time periods within and across lactations. Our analysis indicated that improving gRFI with one genetic standard deviation unit corresponded to a 2-3% gain in net return profit per cow-year, with no or minimal impact on production and body reserve management. We demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating EBbody into gRFI. Comparing gRFI calculated with EBbody or changes in body weight as an energy sink trait for body reserve management were highly genetically correlated (>0.95). This result shows that the choice of the energy sink trait for body reserve management in gRFI will yield limited reranking among cows and sires when based on body weight records only. However, EBbody offers an opportunity to incorporate body condition score information without increasing the number of genetic parameters to be estimated, but it relies on parameters estimated in experimental settings. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the feasibility of developing a model for gRFI over most of the productive lifetime of dairy cattle, offering significant economic benefits without compromising productivity or body reserve management. Moving forward, comprehensive recording schemes covering whole lactations and productive lifetimes are advantageous for accurate selection indices of gRFI.

Finding Effective Factor for Circular Economy Using Uncertain MCDM Approach

The paper aims to analyze the efficiency of the related criterion for adopting the circular economy concepts. The five related criteria, namely sustainability, resource management, product lifespan, collaboration and partnerships, and technology-innovation, are considered to formulate the decision-making models. For methodology, interval-valued DEMATEL is considered. Multi expert’s data sets are taken to reach the final decision. Finally, analysis of the result in an uncertain environment and the scatter diagram to examine the dependency among the criteria.

E-waste as a potential precursor for geopolymers

Abstract The rapid growth in electronics production and the shortening product lifespans have resulted in a growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic materials, making its recycling a challenge. This study explores the potential of powdered e-waste as a geopolymer precursor and investigates the geopolymerization of reactive phases in e-waste. Research techniques, including XRD, XRF, SEM/EDX, and FTIR, were used to characterize the e-waste and obtained geopolymers. Significant contents of reactive SiO2, Al2O3 and CaO components were detected in the e-waste which can participate in the formation of geopolymer gel. The present study elucidate the feasibility of utilizing e-waste as a geopolymer precursor, offering a potential for sustainable waste management and resource recovery in the electronics recycling industry.

Online ICP-OES for Studying the Alloying Effect of Zn and Cu on Corrosion of Al-10 Mass% Si Alloy

Introduction Alloying elements in Al alloy have important effects on corrosion properties as well as strength, formability, brazinability, and other properties. This is mainly due to the low solubility of the alloying elements in Al, which leads to the formation of precipitates along with various structures [1]. Al-Si is one of the major Al alloys, particularly applied in automotive industry due to high castability and machinability despite being lightweight. However, various studies have highlighted their poor corrosion resistance, which shortens the lifetime of alloy products. Previous studies have extensively investigated the effect of Si particle size and morphology on corrosion, suggesting that Si particles act as a cathode and selectively dissolve the surrounding Al matrix [2]. On the other hand, the actual dissolved mass and the effects of other alloying elements on corrosion have not been sufficiently discussed because of the difficulty of detecting the mass of corrosion for each element.Recently, online inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), which combines electrochemical measurements with solution analysis, has attracted attention as an innovative method for analyzing the dissolution reaction of alloys [3,4]. Elements dissolved into the electrolyte solution through electrochemical reactions are carried away by flow and introduced to ICP-OES, enabling simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of dissolved elements. In this study, we apply it to measure the reaction rate of Al-Si alloy corrosion and elucidate the effect of additive elements on the corrosion. Experimental Alloys of Al-10 mass% Si, Al-10 mass% Si-3 mass% Zn, and Al-10 mass% Si-3 mass% Zn-0.5 mass% Cu were employed as specimens. Potentio-dynamic polarizations of specimens in a 0.1 mol dm-3 KCl aqueous solution and solution analyses using a SPECTRO ICP-OES apparatus (ARCOS) were conducted at a solution flowing rate of 1 cm3 min-1. In the OES, the dissolution rates of Al, Si, Zn, and Cu were detected at wavelength of 176, 288, 206, and 219 nm, respectively. Results and discussion Specimen alloys exhibited hypoeutectic, which is composed of a primary α-Al phase and a eutectic structure consisting of α-Al and Si particles. Added Zn and Cu in the alloy were melted in α-Al phase, especially eutectic α-Al phase. In the simple immersion test in KCl solution, the formation of a pit was observed on Al-10 mass% Si surface after several hundred seconds. In the polarization experiment in anodic direction, anodic current density increased with increasing electrode potential, a detection rate of Al (vAl ) and Si (vSi) was also increased with increasing the current density. At anodic potential, a ratio of vSi to vAl was significantly larger than a solid-solubility limit of 1.6%. This suggests natural oxide film on eutectic α-Al phase initiates breakdown easier than those on other phases and allows to dissolve eutectic α-Al more than primary α-Al. In the polarization in cathodic direction, the dissolution of Al, which was above the detection limit of ICP-OES, was detected. The detection rate of Al was strongly depended on pH or buffering effect of solution, indicating that alloy surface dissolves Al species in local alkaline environment. In the presentation, we discuss the alloying effects of Zn and Cu on corrosion of Al-Si alloy as well.

Development of Evaluation Method of Corrosion Resistance and Long-Term Durability of Stainless Steel for PEMFC

In recent years, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) have attracted attention as an important technology for achieving carbon neutral society due to high energy efficiency without carbon dioxide emission during power generation. In order to cost reduction of PEMFC, the use of cheaper structural materials, such as stainless steels, that possess excellent processability, has been studied in substitution for titanium for bipolar plate (separator). The practical environment in PEMFC is severely corrosive: high temperature, acidic, and fluoride-containing solution. Many study has been conducted on the development of materials that have sufficient corrosion resistance and low contact resistance enabling long-term durability even in such severe environment. However, present evaluation method is insufficient for diagnosis the lifetime of bipolar plate. The new evaluation technique, that accurately simulates the environment inside PEMFC and appropriately accelerates the corrosion degradation reaction, make it easier to predict the lifetime of products and precisely evaluate the performance of newly developed materials. Therefore, the purpose of this study is development of novel corrosion evaluation method with high reproducibility, high and rapid diagnosis performance via applying various electrochemical measurements simulating PEMFC environment and for elucidation the corrosion behavior in practical environment.Firstly, several common corrosion resistance tests were performed in a specific solution (80 ℃, pH3, 10ppm Cl-, 3ppm F-) that simulated the internal environment of PEMFC. As a result, potentiostatic polarization (0.724 V vs. Ag/AgCl, 24 h) showed poor reproducibility because the corrosion behavior in later stage depends largely on the occurrence of localized corrosion initial stage of the test. In the case of potentiodynamic polarization(+1 mV/s sweep from open-circuit potential), risk of localized corrosion could be investigated, however, it was not suitable to predict long-term corrosion behavior. In the case of potentiodynamic cyclic polarization (cyclic voltammetry), it was found that the cathodic sweep, which never occur at in-sever PEMFC condition, inhibited the stable growth of the passivation film on the steel surface by reduction reaction, resulting in improperly accelerated excessive corrosion.Then, new testing method of the intermittent polarization, which was a combination of potentiostatic polarization and open-circuit condition, was performed. It has the advantage in flexibility of testing conditions such as polarization potential and duty cycle in accordance with to the degree the corrosion acceleration. In fact, it was found that the localized corrosion caused by initial stage of potentiostatic polarization step was repassivated during the following open circuit step. Therefore, the reproducibility was improved and the passive film growth was properly evaluated by intermittent polarization test, therefore. It was expected to be promising technique to diagnose the long-term durability of PEMFC bipolar plate.In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the intermittent potentiostatic polarization method, a variety of type 304 stainless steel specimens with different corrosion resistance were used. The detailed results will be presented on the relevant session.

High Performance Li-Ion Batteries Using Binder-Free Anodes

Li-ion batteries have polymeric binder in their electrodes resulting in high internal resistance and hence long charge times and compromised product lifetime. We previously developed Li-ion batteries utilizing binder-free NMC cathodes containing carbon nanotube (CNT). In this work, we extend the ‘binder-free’concept to two types of battery anodes - graphite and lithium titanate (LTO) anodes. Our proprietary processing of CNT into viscous organic or water-based slurry without surfactant or dispersant eliminates the need for organic binder and carbon black additives in both cathode and anode electrodes. To formulate the binder-free anodes, our processed CNT slurry was mixed with a target quantity of either battery-grade graphite or LTO in IPA solvent using a conventional planetary mixer. The IPA-based binder-free anode mixes were coated onto either Cu foil (graphite) or Al foil (LTO) using a commercial slot-die coater, resulting in uniform coatings after drying which did not exhibit any signs of flaking off or delamination from the respective current collector foils. LiB pouch cells rated at 1.5 Ah and 3 Ah were subsequently assembled containing NMC cathode paired with both types of binder-free anodes. LiB cells with binder-free graphitic anode exhibit very low impedance of 5.2 x 10-2 mΩ/cm2, or >35 % reduction in impedance compared to conventional LiB cell with binder containing graphitic anode, while LiB cells with binder-free LTO anode showed >75 % reduction in impedance compared to LiB cell with binder containing LTO anode. Moreover, the LiB cells with binder-free anodes exhibit superior high-rate capability compared to their counterpart cells containing electrodes with polymeric binder. The LiB pouch cells were tested for fast discharge rate performance at 10C. LiB cells with binder-free graphitic anode display >2x higher specific capacity compared to the cell with binder, while cells with binder-free LTO show 8x higher capacity at 10C rate than conventional LiB cell with polymeric binder after high discharge rate testing. Figure 1

Next Generation Cathode Catalyst Layer Design with High Oxygen Permeable Ionomer – Benefits, Challenges, and Prospects for Heavy Duty Fuel Cell Applications

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) has a growing demand to power zero emission fuel cell applications. Ballard is the fuel cell industry leader, developing the next generation core technology to fulfill such demand and giving continuous efforts on cost reduction. Key requirements in fuel cell market applications include high power density and long-life operation, while maintaining high efficiencies and reducing costs. This places a high demand on improving catalyst performance and electrode layer transport, which can be sustained over the duration of the product lifetime. To reduce fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) cost, the push for high performance catalyst layers (CLs) with low platinum (Pt) loadings results in new challenges for the cathode material selection and electrode design. The increased oxygen transport resistance that occurs at lower catalyst loadings with reduced available catalyst electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), causes two very closely related challenges: 1) greater performance losses at high current density increases the difficulty to achieve the power requirements for the heavy duty market, and 2) the loss of catalyst ECSA via platinum dissolution over time puts additional demands on the design to achieve the end of life (EOL) performance requirement. Therefore, a combination of material solution, design choice and processing parameters are the key to optimize next generation cathode design for fuel cell applications1.One material solution to achieve high performance while reducing catalyst loadings is the development of high oxygen permeable ionomer (HOPI) that mitigates oxygen transport limitations at the Pt surface. Chemours has developed a HOPI with a bulky, sterically rigid monomer group in the ionomer backbone, which disrupts the packing density, improving oxygen permeability on the catalyst surface2. One of the key challenges of HOPI integration and the scale-able fabrication of the catalyst layer is high crack density of CL due to the rigid nature of the ionomer. Ballard has integrated HOPI in the cathode CL overcoming scale-able fabrication challenges through appropriate process parameter selection and evaluated CL performance. The use of accelerated testing and modeling approach developed by numerous product iteration, has been applied for lifetime estimation for HOPI technology introduction. In this talk, we will discuss details about benefit of High Oxygen Permeable Ionomer (HOPI) in next generation cathode CL design.Recently, key requirements in heavy-duty market applications are placing more importance on high efficiency rather than high power density to reduce fuel cost rather catalyst cost. Reaching the target lifetime, catalyst overloading to 0.45 mg/cm2 total Pt in anode and cathode, and 44% active membrane area oversizing are suggested3. Therefore, to achieve high efficiency target, high catalyst activity is more desired. Interestingly, HOPI also showed high specific activity due to the mitigation of catalyst poisoning by sulfonate anion groups4. We will also discuss the catalyst layer design prospect with HOPI for such transition on heavy duty market application.Acknowledgement: US Department of Energy (DOE) funded heavy duty MEA development project (DE-EE0008822).References M. Dutta, A. Young, V. Colbow, J. Bellerive and S. Knights 2020 Examining Catalyst Layer Design Strategies for Improved Fuel Cell Performance and Durability. ECS PRiME 2020S. Litster et al. 2020 Durable High-Power Density Fuel Cell Cathodes for Heavy-Duty Vehicle. DOE AMR 2020K. Ahluwalia and X. Wang 2024 Performance and Durability of Hybrid Fuel Cell Systems for Class-8 Long Haul Trucks. J. Electrochem. Soc. 171 034507R. Jinnouchi, K. Kudo and K. Kodama 2021 The role of oxygen-permeable ionomer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Nat Commun 12, 4956.

The “nature” and “nurture” of product lifetimes in dynamic stock modeling

AbstractProduct life extension is often portrayed as one of the pillars of the circular economy since longer lifetimes slow down material turnover rates and thus decrease resource use and associated emissions. Strategies for product longevity can involve addressing the product “nature” (inherent product durability) or “nurture” (external factors). Yet, in most dynamic material flow analysis (dMFA) studies, lifetime is an intrinsic property of the cohort assigned “at birth,” so “nurture” strategies such as repair or reuse cannot be explicitly considered. Here, we introduce a Python‐based tool for comprehensive modeling of lifetime changes in dMFA, including three dimensions of lifetime: age, period (time), and cohort. The tool employs the hazard function, which directly links the outflow to the preceding year's stock, allowing for differentiating the influence of product nature and nurture on lifetimes. The tool supports dynamic stock and flow calculations and is compatible with ODYM, a commonly used dMFA framework. We apply the tool to a case study on dishwashers in Norway to illustrate nature‐ and nurture‐focused lifetime extension strategies. The framework enables linking product lifespans with events such as economic crises and pandemics. It can serve to model life extension scenarios in dMFA that (i) extend the lifetime not only of the new products entering use but also of the products already in use, thus achieving faster effects; and (ii) expand the group of potential stakeholders beyond producers and designers to, for example, consumers, repairers, and resellers. This article met the requirements for a gold‐gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.

An examination of 3R (Reuse-remanufacturing-recycling) challenges in the reverse logistics process of the textile and clothing industry

ABSTRACT The world without the textile and clothing industry would be unimaginable as it plays an essential role in the lifecycle of human beings. However, due to rapidly changing fashion trends and the short lifespan of textile products, the consumption rate is increasing daily, resulting in worldwide concern about managing textile waste and sustainability. Reuse-remanufacturing-recycling (3R) of textile items is an alternative for longer product life and reduced consumption. This paper attempted to identify the 3R challenges and possible solutions in the reverse logistics process of the textile supply chain. A systematic literature review of 68 articles was done to develop five propositions of 3R challenges: product acquisition, waste collection, inspection & sorting, disposition, and information & legislation. The understanding of challenges helps managers to develop mitigation strategies to overcome them. Implementing 3R practices by overcoming the challenges helps the stakeholders for sustainable reverse logistics (economic, environmental, and social) in the textile and clothing units. Knowledge about a comprehensive list of challenges to 3R practices in reverse logistics helps policymakers to develop regulations and rules that encourage sustainability practices in the textile and clothing industry. The study concluded with limitations and future research directions.