Characteristics Of Raw Materials Research Articles

The Story of the International Scientific Commission of the UISPP for Archaeometry of Pre- and Protohistoric Inorganic Artifacts, Materials and Technologies

The International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), an organisation with over 90 years of history, includes all the fields and disciplines that contribute to the development of prehistory and protohistory. To achieve their goals, the UISPP organises periodically a world congress on prehistoric and protohistoric sciences. Based on proposals received, the general assembly decides on the creation of scientific commissions, following the advice of the executive committee of the UISPP. The main objective of these commissions is to promote and coordinate international research in a specific or specialised domain of the prehistoric and protohistoric sciences between each world congress. Based on the success and interest shown in a session of the 17th UISPP Congress, the need has arisen to create a new scientific commission in the field of archaeometry. This brief text describes the creation of this commission and its scientific activities to date. The commission aims at discussing and transmitting the archaeometric approaches to technologies in Prehistory and Protohistory concerning lithic technology, metallurgy, ceramics and glass making; gathering and organising the results, conclusions and circumstances of archaeometric case studies of artifacts; paying particular attention to production, procurement and characterisation of raw materials, and fabrication technologies; and discussing relevant interdisciplinary investigation methods and techniques.

RATIONALE FOR THE USE OF QUAIL MEAT IN THE PRODUCTION OF HYPOALLERGENIC PRODUCTS FOR CHILDREN

Data on the biological and nutritional value of quail meat have been studied. The use of quail meat and product development have been substantiated on the materials and technical basis of KubSAU named after I.T. Trubilin. As a result of the research, biotechnological requirements for the composition and quality of the developed products intended for preschool children have been analyzed, the qualitative characteristics of the main raw material, i.e. quail meat and additional raw materials have been selected and assessed. By the method of calculating the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the selected ingredients, a combination of formulation components with a hypoallergenic effect has been determined. The modeling of prescription compositions of products containing dietary raw materials of low allergenic activity has been carried out, a technology for the production of products developed, including the heat treatment of whole quail carcasses, which has made it possible to reduce the loss of meat juice to 35.8% against 55.17% during heat treatment of deboned meat. Experimental batches of food products for the nutrition of pre-preschool children have been developed, followed by an assessment of the nutritional and biological value. The daily satisfaction of toddler children in the main nutrients has been studied. The developed boiled sausage product and meat souffle meet the requirements for protein content of 13.37 and 14.6; fat 16.56 and 4.4; salts 0.72 and 0.4, respectively.

Synthesis, characterization and safety evaluation of raw materials for cyclodextrin fullerene derivatives

To further improved the water solubility of fullerene, a new cyclodextrin and fullerene derivative was synthesized in this paper. NMR, elemental analysis, spectral analysis, tunnel scanning electron microscopy and X powder diffraction were used to characterize the material. Spectral analysis showed that the assembly had a wide acromion at 343nm and a large tail band absorption in the range of 350-600nm, indicating the presence of C60. From the STM images, it can be inferred that the weak interaction between the cyclodextrin cavity and the fullerene tail-to-tail form a regular linear arrangement. X-ray shows that there have many characteristic diffraction peak of 11, such as 2θ=11.52° (d=7.68Å), 2θ=14.62° (d=6.05Å), 2θ=25.5° (d=3.49 Å), 2θ=29.62° (d=3.01Å), 2θ=31.68° (d=2.82 Å), which proved that the cyclodextrin and fullerenes formed supramolecular polymers Through chemical safety tests, the results showed that there were no risk substances, pollutants, prohibited substances and restricted substances in the samples which could affect the safety of cosmetics. Phototoxicity, eye irritation/corrosiveness, skin irritation and cytotoxicity were not detected by toxicological safety test. This study provides technical data support for the use of new cyclodextrin and fullerene derivatives as cosmetic raw materials.

Upcycling Different Particle Sizes and Contents of Pine Branches into Particleboard.

A growing world population means that demand for wood-based materials such as particleboard is constantly increasing. In recent years, wood prices have reached record highs, so a good alternative can be the utilization of branches, which can reduce the cost of raw materials for particleboard production. The goal of the study was to confirm the feasibility of using an alternative raw material in the form of Pinus sylvestris L. pine branches for the production of three-layer particleboard. Characterization of the alternative raw material was also carried out, and the bulk density was determined. As part of the research, six variants of particleboard, 0%, 5%, 10%, 25%, and 50%, w/w, and two variants where the first one had the face layer made of branch particles and the core layer made of industrial particles, and the reverse variant (all produced panels were three-layer) were produced and then their physical and mechanical properties were studied. The results show that even if the bulk density of branch particles is significantly higher than industrial material, the internal bond and water absorption rises as branch particle content increases. In the case of bending strength and modulus of elasticity, these were decreased with a branch particle content increase. The conducted tests confirmed the possibility of using the raw material, which was usually used as fuel or mulch, to produce particleboards even in 50% content. The present solution also contributes to the positive phenomenon of carbon storage, due to incorporating the branches' biomass into panels rather than burning it. Further research should be focused on the modification of particle production from branches to obtain lower bulk density and to reach fraction shares closer to industrial particles. Furthermore, the chemical characterization of the pine branch particles (cellulose and lignin content, extractives content, pH value) would provide valuable data about this potential alternative raw material.

(Corrosion Division H. H. Uhlig Award) The Journey from Numerical Simulations to Impedance Analysis

Our work in corrosion has encompassed numerical simulations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This presentation provides an overview of insights gained from these endeavors.Numerical simulations train insightIn collaboration with Kevin Kennelley and Lee Bone, then from Arco, our group developed boundary-element models to simulate cathodic protection (CP) of pipelines with coating defects that exposed bare steel. Designed initially for the trans-Alaska pipeline,1 the model was extended to account for multiple pipes, multiple CP systems,2 buried tanks, and tank bottoms.3 The program could be used to simulate rectifier wars in which impressed current on one CP system can induce corrosion on adjacent or crossing systems. This program was used to demonstrate the behavior of heterogeneous anodes. For example, addition of impressed current anodes to an inadequate set of sacrificial anodes runs the risk of protecting the sacrificial anodes at the expense of protecting steel exposed by coating defects.In collaboration with Richard Woollam, then with BP, and, later, with Scott Briggs, NWMO, our group developed finite-element COMSOL models that accounted for corrosion under droplets containing dissolved oxygen.4 The models include coupled, nonlinear, conservation equations for ionic species, which account for migration, diffusion, local electroneutrality, homogeneous reactions, and formation of precipitates. The presence of anodic and cathodic regions was not assumed a priori, but was rather the result of numerical simulations, which revealed galvanic coupling caused by differential aeration cells. This work showed that, while differential aeration created nonuniform corrosion for steel covered by a deposit or droplet, corrosion of copper was largely uniform.Impedance spectroscopy can provide useful parametersWhile the use of the Stern-Geary relationship to extract corrosion current is well known, this approach applies only for systems under kinetic control. More information may be extracted from the ubiquitous constant-phase-element (CPE) behavior. In collaboration with scientists/engineers from France and Italy, our group developed the power-law model, which provides an equation that relates CPE parameters to film thickness, dielectric constant, and film resistivity at the film-electrolyte interface.5,6 This model can be augmented with the measurement model, from which capacitance may be extracted.7 Thus, if the dielectric constant is known, the measurement model can yield the corresponding film thickness and the power-law model can yield the resistivity distribution in the film.8 An early version of this approach is now in commercial use.9 Acknowledgements I am grateful for all the students and collaborators who walked part of this journey with me. These include students J. Matthew Esteban and Doug Riemer (CP models), Ya-Chiao Chang and Chen You, (droplet models), and Bryan Hirschorn (power-law model). I thank collaborators Bernard Tribollet, Vincent Vivier, Marco Musiani, and Nadine Pébère, with whom I have explored the arcane arts of impedance spectroscopy. Finally, I thank the Corrosion Division awards committee for bestowing upon me the 2022 H. H. Uhlig Award. References E. Orazem, J. M. Esteban, K. J. Kennelley, and R. M. Degerstedt, “Mathematical Models for Cathodic Protection of an Underground Pipeline with Coating Holidays: 1. Theoretical Development,” Corrosion, 53 (1997), 264-272.Liu, A. Shankar, M. E. Orazem, and D. P. Riemer, “Numerical Simulations for Cathodic Protection of Pipelines,” in Underground Pipeline Corrosion: Detection, Analysis, and Prevention, M. E. Orazem, editor, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, UK, 2014, 85-126.P. Riemer and M. E. Orazem, “A Mathematical Model for the Cathodic Protection of Tank Bottoms,” Corrosion Science, 47 (2005), 849-868.-C. Chang, R. Woollam, and M. E. Orazem, “Mathematical Models for Under-Deposit Corrosion: 1. Aerated Media,” Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 161 (2014), C321-C329.Hirschorn, M. E. Orazem, B. Tribollet, V. Vivier, I. Frateur, and M. Musiani, “Constant-Phase-Element Behavior Caused by Resistivity Distributions in Films: 1. Theory,” Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 157 (2010) C452-C457.E. Orazem, B. Tribollet, V. Vivier, S. Marcelin, N. Pébère, A. L. Bunge, E. A. White, D. P. Riemer, I. Frateur, and M. Musiani, “Dielectric Properties of Materials showing Constant-Phase Element (CPE) Impedance Response,” Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 160 (2013), C215-C225.Liao, W. Watson, A. Dizon, B. Tribollet, V. Vivier, and M. E. Orazem, “Physical Properties Obtained from Measurement Model Analysis of Impedance Measurements,” Electrochimica Acta, 354 (2020), 136747.You, A. Titov, B. H. Kim, and M. E. Orazem, “Impedance Measurements on QLED Devices: Analysis of High-Frequency Loop in Terms of Material Properties,” Journal of Solid-State Electrochemistry, 24 (2020), 3083-3090.P. Riemer and M. E. Orazem, “Impedance-Based Characterization of Raw Materials as Used in Electrochemical Manufacturing,” The Electrochemical Society Interface, Fall 2014, 23:3 (2014), 63-67.

Microstructural and 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopic evaluations of alkali cation and curing effects on Class C fly ash-based geopolymer

The present paper investigates the effect of the alkali cation and curing conditions on the microstructure of Class C fly ash-based geopolymer using 27 Al and 29 Si MAS NMR spectroscopy. 27 Al and 29 Si MAS NMR spectroscopy has been utilized to characterize the geopolymer with a different alkaline activator (Na and/or K) and curing at different condition temperatures (25, 40 and 70°C) and oven curing time (8, 12 and 24h). Also, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT–IR) spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) were applied for the characterization of raw materials and samples. 29 Si MAS NMR chemical shift of different silicon sites revealed that the alkali cation, the oven curing time and temperature affect the microstructure of the formed material. The results showed that in KNa-based gels; the silica content in the gel is higher and the width of the 29Si MAS-NMR component line is reduced moderately which indicates that a more ordered phase has been formed.

GRAPE BUNCH POLYPHENOLS, QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION, TECHNOLOGICAL STOCK

The Magarach Institute has been addressing the issue of developing technologies for obtaining functional food products from grapes saturated with grape polyphenols; and of determining main properties and modes of grape polyphenol extraction from potential raw materials (pomace, seeds, crests) for the production of experimental samples of functional products. The aim of the present research was not only to experimentally determine the total stock of polyphenols in pomace, seeds, crests of red and white grape varieties, but also to assess empirically the qualitative and quantitative composition of total polyphenols in pomace, seeds, stems, vines, leaves of red and white grape varieties as functional components of a healthy nutrition. The research has dwelled upon the empiric assessment of the characteristics of grape raw materials (grape must, pomace, seeds, crests) in terms of their technological stock, quantitative and qualitative composition of polyphenols (by HPLC), and the main functional ingredients of the biological activity of grape products. An analysis of the data obtained shows that the aqueous-alcoholic extracts of grape raw materials possess the whole spectrum of polyphenols typical for red grape wines (anthocyanins, flavones, flavan-3-ols, hydroxycinnamic, hydroxybenzoic acids, stilbenes, oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins), however their concentration quantitatively exceeds that found in wines. It has been shown that the total content of water-soluble antioxidants experimentally determined by the amperometric method depends on the content of oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins in the extracts of grape raw materials. Thus, the content of oligomeric procyanidins in the extracts of grape raw materials from the sum of phenolic substances averaged 5.7%; while the content of polymer procyanides went up to 94%. The technological availability of polyphenols of pomace, stalks and grape seeds during water-alcohol extraction in the piled layer without mixing was shown, the equilibrium concentrations of polyphenols transferred into the extract and the potential amounts of polyphenols extracted during single-stage extraction (technological stock) were assessed. The maximum values of technological stock of polyphenols of 29.2–76.02 g/kg dry weight in the stalks of white and red grape varieties were determined.

Predicting the reaction efficiency of ginkgo biloba residues pyrolysis by using artificial intelligent algorithms under the background of Carbon Neutrality

Since the beginning of 2016, China’s annual emissions of herbal residues (HR) have exceeded 30 million tons. As a kind of solid waste, HR still contains a large amount of organic matter, which requires further industrial extraction procedure. Most of the existing studies are concerned with the feasibility of utilizing traditional Chinese medicine residues, meanwhile there are very few studies regarding the kinetics of pyrolysis in the process of resource utilization of traditional Chinese medicine residues. In this study, we comprehensively studied the kinetics characteristics of raw materials with various heating rates (10, 20, 30, and 40°C/min) using a synchronous thermogravimetric analysis, and we adopted Coats-Redfern model to study the thermal kinetics and thermal analysis of GBR. A novel method combining Genetic algorithm and Adaboost algorithm (GA-Adaboost) is proposed to predict the thermogravimetric curve of the raw plant material with respect to the heating rate and temperature. The experimental result shows that the activation energy of the raw material was determined by the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) (E=148.71kJ/mol), and the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.99. The optimal reaction mechanism determined by the Coats - Redfern method was random nucleation and subsequent growth. The GA-Adaboost model achieved good performance (with a fitting degree of 99.88% on training data, 99.80% on verification data, and MSE of3.4173) while predicting the pyrolysis process of ginkgo biloba residue. This study will provide theoretical basis and technical support for the efficient resource utilization of pharmaceutical residues and reduce environmental pressure.

Productivity and Quality of Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rausch.) Grown in an Organic System Depending on Foliar Biopreparations and Row Spacing

The study involved a field experiment conducted on two cultivars of chamomile (‘Złoty Łan’ and ‘Mastar’) in the climatic and soil conditions of the central Lublin region (Poland) during the years 2016–2018. The experiment was designed to determine the effects of three foliar biological preparations (growth stimulant Bio-algeen, fertilizer Herbagreen Basic, and Effective Microorganisms applied as EM Farming spray), which were applied once or twice, on the yield and quality of herbal raw material of chamomile grown under organic conditions. Chamomile was grown at different row spacings (40 cm and 30 cm). The biopreparations (in particular Herbagreen Basic) had a positive effect on chamomile yield (about 10–11% in comparison with control treatment) and yield attributing characters (plant height, number of branches, and inflorescences per plant) as well as on the quality parameters. The EM Farming had a minimal influence on the quantity characteristics studied, but it beneficially affected essential oil and chlorophyll content. The biopreparations had a more favorable effect when they were applied twice. The wider row spacing of chamomile (40 cm) promoted higher yields (about 18%) compared to 30 cm. The narrower spacing (30 cm), however, contributed to better quality characteristics of herbal raw material. The study confirmed much higher productivity and quality of the cultivar ‘Złoty Łan’ compared to cv. ‘Mastar’ (about 15%). Significant interactions of experimental factors concerned mainly the formation of the essential oil content in herbal raw material (the most advantageous was the ‘Złoty Łan’ cultivar sown at a row spacing of 30 cm with the use of Herbagreen Basic biopreparation twice).

The Technological Behaviours of Homo antecessor: Core Management and Reduction Intensity at Gran Dolina-TD6.2 (Atapuerca, Spain)

The ability of early hominins to overcome the constraints imposed by the characteristics of raw materials used for stone tool production is a key topic on the discussion about the evolution of hominin cognitive capabilities and technical behaviours. Thus, technological variability has been the centrepiece on this debate. However, the variability of lithic assemblages cannot be correctly interpreted without understanding site occupational models and function and considering that individual tools represent specific discard moments in a continuous reduction process. In Europe, the earliest technological record is represented by the scarce and scattered Mode 1 technologies, often deriving from occasional occupations or restricted activity areas yielding unrepresentative assemblages. In this paper, we approach the technological behaviours exhibited by Lower Palaeolithic hominins from the subunit TD6.2 of the Gran Dolina site (Atapuerca, Burgos) by including the perspective of reduction intensity studies on the analysis of technological variability. Gran Dolina TD6.2 is a unique and extremely significant archaeological context, as it represents the oldest multi-layered unit of domestic hominin occupations in the Early Pleistocene of Europe. We use the Volumetric Reconstruction Method (VRM) to estimate the original volume of the blanks and quantify the reduction intensity of each core individually to characterise the reduction distribution patterns using Weibull probability distribution functions. Our results suggest differential raw material management in terms of reduction intensity, according to the characteristics of each lithology. This could reflect a solid understanding of raw material qualities and a certain degree of planning. Altogether, the continuity between knapping strategies through reduction denotes constant adaptation to raw material constraints as well as particular knapping conditions, rather than specific compartmentalised mental schemes. In conclusion, Homo antecessor toolmakers would have been situational knappers whose technological behaviour would be highly adaptive. This research constitutes the first reduction approach for the European Early Pleistocene assemblages that will lead to a referential framework for other European Early Pleistocene sites.

All-Cellulose Composite Laminates Made from Wood-Based Textiles: Effects of Process Conditions and the Addition of TEMPO-Oxidized Nanocellulose.

All-cellulose composites (ACCs) are manufactured using only cellulose as a raw material. Biobased materials are more sustainable alternatives to the petroleum-based composites that are used in many technical and life-science applications. In this study, an aquatic NaOH-urea solvent system was used to produce sustainable ACCs from wood-based woven textiles with and without the addition of TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose (at 1 wt.-%). This study investigated the effects of dissolution time, temperature during hot press, and the addition of TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. The results showed a significant change in the tensile properties of the layered textile composite at dissolution times of 30 s and 1 min, while ACC elongation was the highest after 2 and 5 min. Changes in hot press temperature from 70 °C to 150 °C had a significant effect: with an increase in hot press temperature, the tensile strength increased and the elongation at break decreased. Incorporating TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose into the interface of textile layers before partial dissolution improved tensile strength and, even more markedly, the elongation at break. According to thermal analyses, textile-based ACCs have a higher storage modulus (0.6 GPa) and thermal stabilization than ACCs with nanocellulose additives. This study highlights the important roles of process conditions and raw material characteristics on the structure and properties of ACCs.

Living in the Mountains. Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic Settlement in Northwest Portugal: Rock Shelter 1 of Vale de Cerdeira (Vieira do Minho)

Abstract In the 1990s, a research project was developed to identify, in the mountainous areas of the Northwest (NW) of Portugal, the existence of an occupation model associated with the last hunter–gatherer prehistoric communities in the region. Therefore, a set of consistent and detailed field surveys took place in the mountains of NW Portugal, leading to the discovery of the archaeological site named “Rock Shelter 1 of Cerdeira Valley,” a granite rock shelter situated in Cabreira mountain. The campaigns of excavations undertaken permitted the identification of two combustion structures, from which charcoal samples provided two C-14 dates, as well as a significant stone tool assemblage (around 30,000 pieces), that established the prehistoric occupation of “Rock Shelter 1 of Cerdeira Valley” between the Late Mesolithic and the Early Neolithic. This archaeological site and its body of evidences are being analysed within the context of an ongoing PhD project developed by one of the authors (P. Xavier), through two mutually related lines of research. The first one relates to the complete technological and typological study of the lithic assembly, identifying the objectives of the stone tool production, i.e. lithic production systems and related châines opératoires; and the second concerns itself with the classification and characterisation of different raw materials exploited by the prehistoric communities and, wherever possible, to make some additional considerations about raw material procurement. The goals of this article are the presentation of the methodologies adopted in the study of raw materials and the results obtained from the techno-typological study.

Effects of composition, thermal, and theological properties of rice raw material on rice noodle quality.

The study aims to evaluate the relationships between characteristics of regional rice raw material and resulting quality of rice noodles. Four of most commonly used rice cultivars in Guangxi for noodles production were investigated. The results showed that compositions of rice flour primarily affected gelatinization and retrogradation, which then influenced the textural and sensory properties of rice noodles. Amylose content had strong positive correlation with peak viscosity (PV) and trough viscosity (TV) of rice flour (P < 0.01). PV and TV had strong negative correlations with adhesive strength (P < 0.01) and positive correlations with chewiness (P < 0.05), hardness, peak load and deformation at peak of rice noodles (P < 0.01). Protein content had positive correlation with the Setback of rice flour (P < 0.05), which is known to have influences on retrogradation. In addition, solubility had positive correlations with cooking loss (P < 0.01) and broken rate (P < 0.05) of rice noodles and strong negative correlation with its springiness (P < 0.01). Swelling power had negative correlation with broken rate (P < 0.05). As sensory score of rice noodles was negatively correlated with broken rate (P < 0.05) and cooking loss (P < 0.01) and positively correlated with springiness (P < 0.01), solubility and swelling power of rice flours were presumed to be useful for predicting consumer acceptability of rice noodles.

Characterization Biofuel from Empty Fruit Bunch through Thermal Cracking

Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) are oil palm waste that has the potential as a source of bioenergy because it contains lignocellulose (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) so that it can be converted into biofuel through thermal cracking, adsorption, and distillation processes. Thermal cracking is the decomposition of the chemical content of biomass by utilizing heat without a mixture of oxygen at a temperature of 200oC–600oC. This study aims to obtain the characteristics of the raw material of EFB in the form of proximate, ultimate, lignin, and biofuel produced. The research was conducted using a thermal cracking reactor designed to control the temperature at 300oC, 350oC, 400oC, and 450oC. The results showed that the raw material characteristics of EFB from proximate were 13.66% water content, 8.74% ash content, 58.66% volatile matter and 18.90% fixed carbon. This water content is relatively high. This is because the drying process on the material has not run perfectly. The ultimate result showed that the EFB had a C content of 54.45%, H content of 5.00%, and O content of 16.27%. The atomic ratio obtained from the ultimate analysis can indicate the amount of calorific value that can be used for certain fuels. The smaller the atomic ratio value contained, the more significant the calorific value contained in a particular fuel. Klason method was carried out to decrease the level of lignin through 4 stages; the lignin content without delignification was resulting into 24.87%, the addition of aquadest was resulting into18.71%, the addition of 5% HCl resulting into 15.34%, and 10% HCl resulting into 14.49%. Delignification of 10% HCl is the pretreatment process before the thermal cracking. The thermal cracking process forms steam; the steam is then condensed to obtain bio-oil. The formed bio-oil was kept to separate the oil from tar. In order to obtain good biofuel quality, adsorption is carried out with zeolite adsorbent, which has been activated with HCL. A comparison of the physical properties of bio-oil before and after adsorption shows a color difference from brownish black to the adsorbed bio-oil, which is distilled to separate the heavy and light fractions. The temperature of 450oC at thermal cracking is close to optimum; when the temperature is increased, the cracking process will be more straightforward and occur optimally. The biofuel produced in this study was tested for its characteristics such as, density (927-1086.68 Kg/m3), kinematic viscosity (1.17-1.43 mm2/s), and flash point (66.00-70, 23oC). The biofuel product produced is dominated by C5-C15 compounds (45.07%) according to the results of GC-MS analysis.

Phytochemical characteristic and activity of medicinal raw material from the leaves of pharmacopoeial plant

In 2016-2020 there was carried out a comprehensive study of the problem on involvement into the industrial turnover of ecdysterone-containing substance from the leaf parts of Rhaponticum carthamoides, which is included in the list of plants of the State Pharmacopoeia, in relation to the activity and safety of harvested raw materials. Studied were phytochemical and qualitative characteristics of medicinal raw materials obtained by alternative technology (vegetative shoots instead of roots with rhizomes). Cultivated by organic cultivation in the European North-East of Russia (Archangelsk region) with a cool and humid climate, in an agropopulation with a density of 24-28 thousand plants per 1 ha. Harvesting was carried out at the beginning of the budding phase, the concentration of the active ecdysterone substance was determined by the pharmacopoeial method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. It has been established that the objects of collection are the fractions of young and adult rosette leaves, where the accumulation of large amounts of ecdysterone is associated with the presence of increased amounts of protein substances (r2 = 0.99-0.98) and there is an inverse negative dependence on fiber (r2 = -0.99…-0.94). An indicator of increased synthesis of ecdysterone is the level of crude protein of 33-27 %, at which the concentration of ecdysterone reaches 4850-3550 mg/kg (0.49-0.36 %) at a standard of 1000 mg/kg (0.1 % based on dry substance). A high degree of availability of ecdysterone from the substance in aqueous extracts, in the temperature range from -10 to +100 ºC, with subsequent preservation of the active substances during the day by 93-98 % was revealed. Total yield of extractive substances is 50.2 % (with the standard value of 12.0 %). Complex biological activity of the extract in biotests was characterized by a stimulating effect at high dilution (10-9-10-11 M per ecdysterone) and inhibitory at low dilution (1:100). Medicinal raw materials meet the established sanitary and toxicological safety standards for the content of pollutants: it does not accumulate heavy metals (Hg, Cd, As, Zn; Ni, Cu, Cr) above the background level; there are no prohibited chlorine and organophosphorus compounds; radionuclide, nitrate and nitrite content is below norms of maximum allowable concentration.

Innovative glass-ceramic foams prepared by alkali activation and reactive sintering of clay containing zeolite (zeolite-poor rock) and sawdust for thermal insulation

Energy-saving through thermal insulation of the buildings is becoming extremely important recently, addressing sustainability-connected challenges. This work examines the potential for producing innovative glass-ceramic foams from zeolite-poor rock and sawdust using alkali activation and reactive sintering techniques. A comprehensive analysis has been conducted for the detailed characterization of raw materials as well as the produced samples. The starting raw materials and the produced samples were investigated based on their chemical constituents, particle size distribution, BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and computed tomography (CT). The alkali activation and the mechanism of foaming were systematically discussed. The optimal sintering temperature and the maximum expansion percentage are evaluated using heating microscopy. The findings show that the used alkali-activated raw mixtures have excellent foamability at 850–950 °C. The influence of the sawdust content and sintering temperatures on different technical characteristics such as bulk density, volume expansion, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, morphologies, phase identification, and microstructural properties of the sintered samples were thoroughly examined. The SEM and CT analysis of the produced specimens reveals the formation of foams with different types of pore sizes and distribution. The produced glass-ceramic foams have compressive strengths ranging from 0.3 to 4.5 MPa and thermal conductivities ranging from 0.058 to 0.178 W/mK. Development of these value-added glass-ceramic foams utilizing easily obtainable, low price raw materials should result in economically cost-effective materials with extra environmental benefits.

Multi‐scale study of the structuration of candle blends with a high content of vegetable fats to replace paraffins: Effect of 12‐hydroxystearic acid content

AbstractThe aim is to replace mineral waxes with vegetable fats as an organogel for candle manufacturing while keeping the same texture. The physico‐chemical characteristics of renewable vegetable raw materials differ from those of mineral waxes and consequently the structure of the blends in which they are used is modified. Their properties are measured at different scales using FT‐IR analysis, polarized light microscopy, calorimetry and rheology. The addition of 12‐hydroxystearic acid (12‐HSA) promotes the creation of hydrogen bonds within the rapeseed oil that makes possible its incorporation to form an organogel. The addition of 12‐HSA also results in a modification of the crystal microstructure of blends made of 90% vegetable raw materials. Hence, the crystal lattice is denser and the crystal size is reduced compared to blends including mineral waxes. At a macroscopic scale, the physical properties of blends with 12‐HSA are modified compared to the reference one, mainly made of mineral waxes. A modification of crystallization and melting temperatures as measured by differential scanning calorimetry as well as the rheological behavior and the hardness assessed by penetrometer are observed. This results in a higher stability against exudation for blends with a high content of 12‐HSA. Mineral waxes can thus be substituted in the formulation of candles by renewable materials for the use of organogel, via the incorporation of an organogelator, 12‐HSA.

The Floating-Cuts model: a general and flexible mixed-integer programming model for non-guillotine and guillotine rectangular cutting problems

Cutting and packing problems are challenging combinatorial optimization problems that have many relevant industrial applications and arise whenever a raw material has to be cut into smaller parts while minimizing waste, or products have to be packed, minimizing the empty space. Thus, the optimal solution to these problems has a positive economic and environmental impact.In many practical applications, both the raw material and the cut parts have a rectangular shape, and cutting plans are generated for one raw material rectangle (also known as plate) at a time. This is known in the literature as the (two-dimensional) rectangular cutting problem. Many variants of this problem may arise, led by cutting technology constraints, raw-material characteristics, and different planning goals, the most relevant of which are the guillotine cuts. The absence of the guillotine cuts imposition makes the problem harder to solve to optimality.Based on the Floating-Cuts paradigm, a general and flexible mixed-integer programming model for the general rectangular cutting problem is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first mixed integer linear programming model in the literature for both non-guillotine and guillotine problems. The basic idea of this model is a tree search where branching occurs by successive first-order non-guillotine-type cuts. The exact position of the cuts is not fixed, but instead remains floating until a concrete small rectangle (also known as item) is assigned to a child node. This model does not include decision variables either for the position coordinates of the items or for the coordinates of the cuts. Under this framework, it was possible to address various different variants of the problem.Extensive computational experiments were run to evaluate the model’s performance considering 16 different problem variants, and to compare it with the state-of-the-art formulations of each variant. The results confirm the power of this flexible model, as, for some variants, it outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches and, for the other variants, it presents results fairly close to the best approaches. But, even more importantly, this is a new way of looking at these problems which may trigger even better approaches, with the consequent economic and environmental benefits.

Recent Developments in Fermented Cereals on Nutritional Constituents and Potential Health Benefits.

Fermentation is one of the most economical and safe methods to improve the nutritional value, sensory quality and functional characteristics of raw materials, and it is also an important method for cereal processing. This paper reviews the effects of microbial fermentation on cereals, focusing on their nutritional value and health benefits, including the effects of fermentation on the protein, starch, phenolic compounds contents, and other nutrient components of cereals. The bioactive compounds produced by fermented cereals have positive effects on health regulation. Finally, the future market development of fermented cereal products is summarized and prospected.

Investigation of the biochemical characteristics of the secondary raw materials of caviar production for its subsequent industrial processing

The results of analytical and experimental studies on the biochemical characteristics of secondary raw materials of caviar production are presented. It is noted that the studied raw materials are formed during the production of caviar products from Pacific salmon (connective tissue, burst eggs). The prospects of using secondary raw materials for obtaining biologically valuable food products on the basis of their biochemical characteristics and resource sufficiency are assessed. The annual volume of salmon fishing and consumption of salted salmon caviar is presented, indicating the feasibility of collecting secondary raw materials and their subsequent industrial processing. The high value of the secondary raw materials under study has been proved due to their protein content, including collagen, as well as lipids and minerals. The fatty acid composition of raw material lipids is given, which confirms its biological value due to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The mineral composition is presented, in which the biologically valuable minerals potassium and calcium prevail. On the basis of the biochemical characteristics of the studied raw materials the method of its processing by enzymatic biomodification for the production of new biologically valuable foodstuffs is predetermined.