Stringent Environmental Requirements Research Articles

Strategies for Managing Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) in Semiconductor Manufacturing: A Supply Chain and Public Management Approach

The semiconductor industry stands as a pillar of modern technological progression, yet it grapples with significant environmental challenges, predominantly due to the emissions of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). PFCs, critical in semiconductor manufacturing processes like dry etching and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber cleaning, present a dire environmental concern given their high Global Warming Potential (GWP) and persistent nature. This treatise delves into a comprehensive analysis of how supply chain management and astute public policy can mitigate the deleterious impact of PFCs. It methodically scrutinizes the current challenges in curbing these emissions, assesses the efficacy of prevailing strategies, and champions the inception of trailblazing abatement technologies alongside forward-thinking regulatory frameworks. The research presents a critical evaluation of the interplay between stringent environmental requirements and the semiconductor industry's economic and innovation imperatives. It underscores the intricacies of aligning the sector's operations with sustainable practices while maintaining its economic vitality and capacity for innovation. Through a meticulous exploration of advanced material alternatives, state-of-the-art emissions control technologies, and progressive policy initiatives, this paper endeavors to steer the semiconductor industry towards a future where environmental sustainability becomes a cornerstone of its developmental ethos without stifling its technological evolution or economic robustness.

Prediction of moisture content for a single maize kernel based on viscoelastic properties.

The rapid and accurate detection of moisture content is important to ensure maize quality. However, existing technologies for rapidly detecting moisture content often suffer from the use of costly equipment, stringent environmental requirements, or limited accuracy. This study proposes a simple and effective method for detecting the moisture content of single maize kernels based on viscoelastic properties. Two types of viscoelastic experiments were conducted involving three different parameters: relaxation tests (initial loads: 60, 80, 100 N) and frequency-sweep tests (frequencies: 0.6, 0.8, 1 Hz). These experiments generated corresponding force-time graphs and viscoelastic parameters were extracted based on the four-element Maxwell model. Then, viscoelastic parameters and data of force-time graphs were employed as input variables to explore the relationships with moisture content separately. The impact of different preprocessing methods and featuretime variables on model accuracy was explored based on force-time graphs. The results indicate that models utilizing the force-time data were more accurate than those utilizing viscoelastic parameters. The best model was established by partial least squares regression based on S-G smoothing data from relaxation tests conducted with initial force of 100 N. The correlation coefficient and the root mean square error of the calibration set were 0.954 and 0.021, respectively. The corresponding values of the prediction set were 0.905 and 0.029, respectively. This study confirms the potential for accurate and fast detection of moisture content in single maize kernels using viscoelastic properties, which provides a novel approach for the detection of various components in cereals. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Treatment technology of shale gas fracturing flowback fluid: a mini review

Shale gas fracturing flowback fluid, characterized by its large volume, complex composition, and potential adverse environmental impacts, has gradually become one of the problems affecting the large-scale development of shale gas resources. Failure to effectively address the treatment of fracturing flowback fluid will severely constrain shale gas development. This paper focuses on the treatment technologies for shale gas fracturing flowback fluid, discussing its water quality characteristics and summarizing the research progress in physical technology, chemical technology, biological technology, and combined technology. Development recommendations are also provided. The results show that shale gas fracturing flowback fluid exhibits characteristics such as complex composition, high viscosity, and high emulsification, and difficult to treat. Individual physical technology, chemical technology, or biological technology is effective in removing certain pollutants from the flowback fluid. Moreover, the combined use of these treatment technologies prove more effective in achieving reuse or discharge standards. With the continuous expansion of shale gas development and increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements worldwide, the volume of flowback fluid requiring treatment is continuously rising. By developing energy-efficient and emission-reduction treatment technologies, and actively recycling and utilizing resources and energy, and adopting clean fracturing fluid system, efficient, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and economically viable treatment for shale gas fracturing flowback fluid can be achieved.

Exploring Design Optimization of Self-Compacting Mortars with Response Surface Methodology

The ever-evolving construction sector demands technological developments to provide consumers with products that meet stringent technical, environmental, and economic requirements. Self-compacting cementitious mixtures have garnered significance in the construction market due to their enhanced compaction, workability, fluidity, and mechanical properties. This study aimed to harness the potential of statistical response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the fresh properties and strength development of self-compacting mortars. A self-compacting mortar repository was used to build meaningful and robust models describing D-Flow and T-Funnel results, as well as the compressive strength development after 24 h (CS24h) and 28 days (CS28d) of curing. The quantitative input factors considered were A (water/cement), B (superplasticizer/powder), C (water/powder), and D (sand/mortar), and the output variables were Y1 (D-Flow), Y2 (T-Funnel), Y3 (CS24h), and Y4 (CS28d). The results found adjusted response models, with significant R2 values of 87.4% for the D-Flow, 93.3% for the T-Funnel, and 79.1% for the CS24h. However, for the CS28d model, a low R2 of 39.9% was found. Variable A had the greatest influence on the response models. The best correlations found were between inputs A and C and outputs Y1 and Y2, as well as input factors A and D for responses Y3 and Y4. The resulting model was enhanced, thereby resulting in a global desirability of approximately 60%, which showcases the potential for the further refinement and optimization of RSM models applied to self-compacting mortars.

Uganda’s Hydropower System Resilience to Extreme Climate Variability

This study was motivated by the high reliance on hydropower plants (HPPs) developed and planned along the river Nile and the fact that drought events are the most imminent and drastic threats to Uganda’s power production. The study aimed to assess HPPs’ resilience and the effectiveness of selected adaptation measures. The climate, land, energy, and water system (CLEWs) framework was employed to assess resilience amidst competing water demands and stringent environmental flow requirements. Under extreme dry conditions, power generation could plummet by 91% over the next 40 years, which translates into an annual per capita consumption of 19 kWh, barely sufficient to sustain a decent socioeconomic livelihood. During arid conditions, climate models predicted an increase in streamflow with increasing radiative forcing. Restricting the ecological flow to 150 m3/s could improve generation by 207%. In addition, if planned power plants were to be built 5 years ahead of schedule, the normalized mean annual plant production could increase by 23%. In contrast, increasing reservoir volumes for planned power plants will have no significant impact on generation. The path to HPP resilience could entail a combination of diversifying the generation mix, installing generators with varying capacities, and incorporating adjustable orifices on reservoirs.

Two-Way Blade Modeling Method for Structural Redesign of Compressor Blades

Over the past few years, stringent environmental requirements and the need for increased overall efficiency have forced designers to bring turbomachine components closer to their operating limits. To address lifespan issues, costly redesign operations are thus unavoidable. These operations face many roadblocks, especially when they are triggered by nonlinear phenomena for which there exists no design guidelines. For aircraft engine blades, the handling of nonlinear structural interactions is a major challenge. This works proposes a proof of concept for the redesign of compressor blades undergoing structural contact interactions at the blade-tip/casing interface. The redesign process involves the modeling of an existing input blade, followed by a shape update based on an iterative optimization algorithm. A two-way modeling method is proposed to parameterize the input blade and generate a computer-aided design model from blade parameters describing several conical blade sections. The fidelity of the parameterized blade with respect to the input blade is assessed for the NASA blades rotor 37 and rotor 67. A high fidelity is observed with respect to geometric and dynamic characteristics. The modeling method is fully compatible with an iterative redesign process: it is applied to the redesign of rotor 37 to increase its robustness to contact interactions.

Cooperatives and sustainability drivers in the Spanish wine sector. What differences do we find with investor owner firms?

AbstractThe fight against climate change has become a basic vector for agri‐food business strategies. In Spain, commercial wineries (Investor Owner Firms, IOFs) and cooperatives are facing major challenges in adapting to the most stringent environmental requirements and in becoming sustainable and environmentally responsible companies. The European winemaking model, unlike its “new world” competitors, has a very distinct configuration with the predominance of the social economy in parallel with capitalist enterprises. However, these two forms of business organization are different in terms of objectives, position in the value chain, type of organization and form of management. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether these two types of companies have a different orientation towards sustainability, and which are the drivers that facilitate a greater approach to sustainability in each group. With a sample of 411 wineries, the results of the study show a lower orientation towards sustainability among the cooperatives, without a relevant alignment of their resources towards this objective. However, IOFs orient their resources towards sustainability in a consistent and strategic way. This may infer that the European model, with a clear advantage in the social component, could be somewhat more limited in the environmental aspect.

Significantly enhanced surface oxygen vacancies over W18O49 via Mo doping and plasma-induced surface reconstruction for oxidative desulfurization

The non-stoichiometric structure of tungsten oxide (W18O49) makes it easy to form oxygen vacancies near the low-valence W atoms, so the W18O49 can be applied to oxidative desulfurization. To further improve the desulfurization activity of W18O49 to meet the increasingly stringent environmental requirements, Mo doping and plasma-induced surface reconstruction cooperative strategies are developed. The incorporation of Mo species into the W18O49 surface by replacing W sites can adjust the atomic and electronic structure of the catalyst surface and form more oxygen vacancies. After Mo doping into the W18O49, the plasma bombarded the surface of material to destroy part of the surface structure, thus producing the reactive sites with low coordination numbers. This reconstructed atomic surface also accompany to generate more oxygen vacancies, thus greatly improving the catalytic activity. Compared to pure W18O49, significantly improves oxidative desulfurization performance can be achieved over Mo-W18O49-P, and deep desulfurization is realized within 3 h. Moreover, the optimal Mo-W18O49-P shows better stability than pure W18O49, which can be recycled for 12 times. This work provides an accessible pathway for cooperative enhancing the catalytic oxidative desulfurization activity of oxide catalysts.

Research on optimization test of electrode material in desulfurization wastewater purification system of coal-fired power plant

The traditional coal-fired power plant wastewater treatment technology is faced with the problems of complex system, high operating cost, easy scaling and corrosion, etc. Therefore, coal-fired power plants need to adopt an integrated multi-functional coupling system, taking into account the desalination, anti-scaling, etc. function to remove pollutants from wastewater. Electro-adsorption technology is a technology that can realize water purification and water desalination. It is a new type of water treatment technology. It can effectively remove impurity ions in water without scaling under the premise of low energy consumption. In this paper, the development history of electrosorption theory, the principle of electrosorption, the main points of electric double layer theory, the structure of electrosorption and its working process are reviewed. Several main electrode materials and their advantages and disadvantages are introduced in this paper. Based on the increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements, electro-adsorption technology is expected to be widely used in the power industry due to its advantages of low energy consumption, low cost, and no secondary pollution.

РАБОТА СУДОВОГО ДВИГАТЕЛЯ ПО ЗАМКНУТОМУ ЦИКЛУ С НУЛЕВЫМ ВЫБРОСОМ ВРЕДНЫХ ПРОДУКТОВ СГОРАНИЯ

In the modern world, the problem of environmental pollution with various toxic emissions is growing more and
 more. Exhaust or exhaust gases of internal combustion engines are one of those man-made factors. All countries
 impose restrictions on the concentration of hazardous substances, for example: Euro - for cars, Tier and Stage
 - for heavy equipment and MARPOL-73/78, which regulates emissions from maritime transport. The situation
 is extremely acute for marine vessels, since engines of impressive power that operate for a long period are
 difficult to adapt to stringent environmental requirements. The purpose of the article, based on open sources, is
 to evaluate the prospects for the development of internal combustion engines with an exhaust gas recirculation
 system to minimize the amount of toxic emissions into the atmosphere. The development of technologies that allow for the recirculation of exhaust gases in ship conditions is quite promising. The installation of such equipment
 will significantly reduce emissions into the environment.
 Keywords: environment, exhaust gases, toxic emissions, internal combustion engines

Matching ecological transition and food security in the cereal sector: The role of farmers' preferences on production contracts

IntroductionUnder an increasing demand from citizen and public institutions, agri-food supply chains are requested to comply with stringent environmental requirements. Moreover, new sources of uncertainty related to pandemic and geo-political turbulences put further pressures on economic agents, calling for proper and resilient governance mechanisms. Under the lens of the Neo Institutional Economics, we focus on production contracts and their clauses which, in turn, perform different functions and contribute to allocate property and decision rights, in the attempt to conciliate sustainability and food security.MethodsIn this framework, contract design assumes a key importance. Thus, we analyze farmers' preferences for different contractual clauses in the cereal sector. A choice experiment is carried out among durum wheat producers in Italy and mixed logit estimations assuming heterogeneous preferences are performed.Results and discussionFindings provide interesting indications, revealing a strong farmers' willingness to adhere production contracts in exchange for price stability and knowledge transfer offered by technical assistance services. However, producers are not available to limit their decisional autonomy in unilateral agreement with buyers and they reveal a certain indifference to costly production techniques aimed to improve environmental sustainability.

NOx reduction system selection and energy efficiency impact evaluation for ships sailing in restricted areas

The worldwide shipping provides 90 percent of the goods carriage and in the last 20 years their absolute volume is constantly increasing. However, carriers need to maintain service levels and reduce exploitation costs, and at the same time must ensure higher sustainability in all operations. The growth in number of ships in service inevitably leads to much more harmful emissions released by vessels in to the atmosphere. In the same time, more stringent environmental requirements and laws continue to regulate the maritime transport sector. Progress was made by International Maritime Organization (IMO) towards the ambition on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships. That is why IMO based International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention) and its regulations continuously sets higher thresholds for environment protection expressed by Nitrous Oxides (NOx), Sulphur Oxides (SOx) and Carbone Dioxides (CO2) limitations. The new higher ecological requirements put on the table new technical and economic challenges for the shipowners and ship designers.In the current paper Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust Gas Bypass (EGR) NOx emissions reduction systems and their affect on the fuel consumption are under consideration. The application of each system depends on the ship’s type, installed propulsion system and its main engines and operational modes.The numerical study is carried based on 31800 DWT vessel for bulk loads, operating in restricted areas of the Great Lakes of North America. In the course of the research the fulfilment of the following objectives are being leaned: the ship must be capable for operation in Nitrogen Emission Control Areas (NECA’s), as well as its Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) must be in compliance with Required Energy Efficiency Design Index (REEDI) Phase 3 coming in force in 2025.

Influence of Scott pine seed size on the quality of seedlings produced

The creation of highly productive forests should be based on the use of high quality seedlings. Those machines and technologies that have been used for cleaning and subsequent sorting of coniferous seeds with their subsequent sowing in the nursery do not fully provide the forestry complex with good-quality planting material. The reason for this is the use of seeds of unsorted fractions in nurseries, the failure to observe conditions during sowing that ensure the amicable emergence of seedlings and conditions in the sowing rows for the normal development of plants, excluding their large mortality and obtaining non-standard seedlings. It should be noted that modern requirements for silvicultural production largely depend on the quality of planting material. Seedlings obtained by growing them without overshooting give a high silvicultural effect if they meet the intended purpose of the cultivated area, have biometric parameters determined by GOST, which make it possible to grow high-quality planting material without overshooting in two growing seasons. The use of innovations in the restoration of forest landscapes is necessary for the cooperation of engineers and researchers. The integration of scientific and technical research and engineering design contributes to the speedy achievement of stringent environmental requirements for vehicle engines and tools. Obtaining high-quality seed is possible while maintaining the sowing qualities of seeds, reducing the degree of injury and treatment cycles, reducing losses during processing and sowing in the nursery. Based on this, there is a need to develop a device for sorting seeds of coniferous species, which will ensure the quality and efficiency of the technological process, as well as obtaining high-quality seed material in a minimum number of processing cycles.

Hemp Biocomposite Boards Using Improved Magnesium Oxychloride Cement

The share of bio-based materials in modern construction needs to grow more rapidly due to increasingly stringent environmental requirements as a direct result of the climate emergency. This research aims to expand the use of hemp concrete in construction by replacing traditional lime binder with magnesium oxychloride cement, which provides a faster setting and higher strength, opening the door for industrial production. However, the negative feature of this binder is its low water resistance. In this work, the water resistance of magnesium cement was studied, and the possibilities of improving it by adding fly ash, various acids and nano-silica were considered. Nano-silica and citric acid showed the most significant impact, increasing the binder water resistance up to four times, reaching softening coefficient of 0.80 while reducing the compressive strength of the magnesium cement in a dry state by only 2–10%. On the downside, citric and phosphoric acid significantly extended the setting of the binder, delaying it 2–4 times. Regarding board production, prototype samples of hemp magnesium biocomposite demonstrated compressive strength of more than 3.8 MPa in the dry state but only 1.1–1.6 MPa in the wet state. These results did not correlate with binder tests, as the additives did not increase the strength in the wet state.

Contributions Regarding Testing and Analysis with Finite Element Method of the Brake Pads Made of Composite Material

AbstractThe automotive industry continues to be one of the most dynamic and innovative. A revolution in propulsion systems that are becoming increasingly complex and must meet a number of extremely stringent environmental pollution requirements is currently witnessed. On the other hand, one of the systems that remains unchanged is the braking system that has been proving its efficiency for a very long time but with gradual continuous improvements. The presented work is based on tests and experiments performed in collaboration with the manufacturer Fermit S.A. which is one of the most experienced and long‐standing actors in the automotive industry in Romania. They produce a wide range of brake pads for the automotive, heavy duty, and railway industries. Starting from the experiments that offer the input data in the modeling and simulation activity, the paper presents the analysis of the behavior of a braking plate produced by Fermit S.A. Based on the geometry provided by the manufacturer, the properties of the composite material that forms the basis of the braking element and the experimental data that are presented, an analysis is made with finite elements in which to study, analyze, and interpret data such as displacements and stress states that occur in the structure formed by the composite material and the metal support plate on which it is deposited.

Automated Quantitative Mapping of Ore Minerals by Multispectral Reflected-light Microscopy

ABSTRACT An innovative multispectral reflected-light microscopy system is able to automatically identify ore minerals by measuring their specular reflectance with non-polarized light in a number of spectral bands, and comparing the values obtained with a reference database. In this way it can provide quantitative mineralogical mapping comparable to that obtained from automated mineralogy systems based on SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy), at a fraction of the cost and with less stringent environmental and operational requirements. The new system, called AMCO (for Automated Microscopic Characterization of Ores), consists of an instrument and two proprietary software applications: amcoCapture, to acquire multispectral images of a polished section prepared from an ore sample, and amcoAnalysis, to process these images and extract different types of mineralogical information from them.

JOINT DEVELOPMENT: OIL AND GAS RESOURCES

Commercial production of unconventional oil and gas resources will be difficult to achieve without large-scale engineering measures, let alone the additional operating costs, increasingly stringent safety and environmental requirements, fluctuating low oil and gas prices, and so on, all of which will undermine investors' confidence. As a reason, unconventional techniques to steering the exploration and production of nontraditional oil and gas production are urgently required. As a conclusion, we proposed the notion of joint exploration and development, which involves combining search strategy and operational approaches for a variety of oil resources in order to analyze, develop, acquire, and utilize numerous hydrocarbon sources at the same time. In this method, the vexing interference between the created mixture of hydrocarbon flow, which results in a reduction in single-well flowrate, might be transformed into a dynamic mutual force that boosts the well's flowrate. The necessity of joint exploration and development is dictated by the occurrence circumstances of oil and gas resources, its practicality is dependent on technological advancements, and its laborious and long-term nature is linked to the existing energy market and environment, we also point out. Despite a number of issues and challenges, we believe that collaborative exploration and development will be a viable choice for lowering costs and increasing output and benefits, boosting investor confidence, increasing energy comprehensive use, and improving energy supply efficiency. Keywords: development oil and gas resources, analysis, energy comprehensive use

Comparison of the on Board Measured and Simulated Exhaust Gas Emissions on the Ro-Pax Vessels

Increasingly stringent environmental requirements for marine engines imposed by the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union require that marine engines have the lowest possible emissions of greenhouse and harmful exhaust gases into the atmosphere. In this research, exhaust gas emissions were measured on three Ro-Pax vessels sailing in the Adriatic Sea. Testo 350 Maritime exhaust gas analyser was used for monitoring the dry exhaust gas concentrations of CO2 and O2 in percentage, concentrations of CO and NOx in ppm and exhaust gas temperature in °C after the turbocharger at different engine loads. In order to compare and validate measured values, exhaust gas measurement data were also obtained from a Wartsila-Transas simulator model of a similar Ro-Pax vessel during the joint operation of the engine room and navigational simulators. All analysed main engines on three vessels had complete combustion processes in the cylinders with small differences which should be further investigated. Comparison of on board measured parameters with simulated parameters showed that significant fuel oil reduction per voyage could be accomplished by voyage and/or engine operation optimization procedures. Results of this analysis could be used for creating additional emission database and data-driven models for further analysis and improved estimation of exhaust gasses under various marine engine conditions. Additionally, the results could be useful to all interested parties in reducing the fuel oil consumption and emissions of greenhouse and harmful exhaust gases from vessels into the atmosphere.

Experimental study of operating parameters on the performance of a novel U-type radiant tube with dual flue gas self-circulation structures

Faced with the challenges of gas-fired radiant tube performance improvement and increasingly stringent environmental requirements, we proposed a novel U-type radiant tube (N-URT) with dual flue gas self-circulation structures for heat treatment furnaces. A 1:1 scale experimental system was established to evaluate heating characteristics of the N-URT under different operating conditions. The effects of input power (P) and excess air coefficient (α) on temperature uniformity, NOx emission and thermal efficiency were analyzed and discussed in-depth. It was found that the N-URT can significantly improve the heating performance compared to conventional U-type radiant tube. As P increased from 35 to 50 kW, the maximum wall temperature difference decreased from 86.9 to 63.2 °C, the thermal efficiency dropped from 92.7% to 89.1%, and the outlet NOx emission increased from 89.6 to 103.6 mg·m−3 @8% O2. As α increased, the temperature uniformity increased, but the heat recovery and NOx reduction decreased. In addition, the effect of P on NOx emission and maximum wall temperature difference was more significant than α, indicating that the air supply strategy for a given P should be carefully considered. Accordingly, the experimental results can provide a theoretical guidance for the development and application of the radiant tube.

Європейський зелений курс в Україні: можливості та наслідки для промисловості

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the European Green Deal (EGD) commitments, identify opportunities and threats for the development of Ukrainian industry, and elaborate proposals for the adaptation of Ukrainian producers to the requirements of the EGD. It is shown that the EGD is at the centre of the European agenda, and it is a modern challenge that can change the economy and consumption patterns not only in the European Union but throughout the world. This could have profound geopolitical implications. The authors justify that Ukraine has stable economic, social, and political ties with the EU and has been involved in new value chains with European producers, so implementing the EGD opens new opportunities for “green” transformations of the Ukrainian industry. It has been found that Ukraine should serve to implement international commitments on development. However, such compliance carries significant threats aggravated by technological backwardness and financial insecurity of industrial agents. Also, complying with Ukraine’s international commitments and other international agreements could further impede access of Ukrainian goods to the EU market by strengthening trade barriers associated with more stringent environmental requirements. It has been shown that today the level of climatic neutrality and environmental load on the environment in Ukraine does not correspond to European standards. This enhances the importance of adapting the Ukrainian industry to the requirements of the EGD. To address the shortcomings, the authors propose regulatory and institutional changes. Paper recommends developing economic incentives to save energy and primary material resources, modern waste management methods to minimize waste volumes, disseminate environmental innovations and environmentally friendly resource-efficient technologies to develop “green” business.