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Sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) are key enablers of sustainable energy storage. NIBs use Earth‐abundant materials and are technologically viable to replace lithium‐ion batteries in the medium term. Na3V2(PO4)3, as a popular cathode for NIBs, requires further improvements to boost its electrochemical performance, particularly regarding the rate capability and operational lifetime. These strategies involve the incorporation of carbonaceous materials, heteroatom doping, morphology modification, or biopolymer incorporation. Considering the circular economy actions to foster environmentally sustainable battery industries, there is an urgent need to disclose the environmental impacts of battery production. A cradle‐to‐gate life cycle assessment methodology is used to quantify, analyze, and compare the environmental impacts of ten representative state‐of‐the‐art Na3V2(PO4)3 cathodes. Impacts are disclosed for 18 indicators normalized to 1 kg of cathode considering laboratory‐scale approaches. Global warming potential values of 423.9–1380.0 kg CO2‐equiv. kgcathode −1 and 539.8–1622.1 kg CO2‐equiv. kWhcathode −1 are obtained considering Na3V2(PO4)3/Na half‐cell configuration. Simple carbon additives mixed with NVP provide a good CO2 footprint‐to‐storage capacity balance, although the sacrificed capacity retention hinders reuse strategies. A sensitivity analysis demonstrates a 16.9–38.0% reduction transitioning from fossil‐based to renewable‐based energy mix. Herein, it is aimed to support battery developers and assist future advances in the development of sustainable cathodes applied into beyond‐Li‐ion technologies.

Hard carbon is one of the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. In this work, new types of biomass-derived hard carbons were obtained through pyrolysis of different kinds of agro-industrial biowaste (corncob, apple pomace, olive mill solid waste, defatted grape seed and dried grape skin). Furthermore, the influence of pretreating the biowaste samples by hydrothermal carbonization and acid hydrolysis was also studied. Except for the olive mill solid waste, discharge capacities typical of biowaste-derived hard carbons were obtained in every case (≈300 mAh·g−1 at C/15). Furthermore, it seems that hydrothermal carbonization could improve the discharge capacity of biowaste samples derived from different nature at high cycling rates, which are the closest conditions to real applications.

In theVespinae, morphological differences of castes are generally well-marked, except for some Vespa species, where it is difficult to distinguish between future queens and workers in autumn-winter colonies. Individual weights have widely been used as a distinguishing factor but recently cuticular hydrocarbon profiles seems to be the definitive tool, although much more expensive and time-consuming. Parameters such as size (mesoscutum width), wet and dry weight were analysed, throughout several colonies, to differentiate female castes (workers and gynes) in the hornet Vespa velutina in Europe. These parameters were compared to cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. The results showed that in late autumn, but not earlier, populations are divided into two size groups, which, based on their CHC profiles, can be hypothesized to correspond to workers and gynes. This differentiation mirrored a good separation by size that proves to be more accurate than weight (wet and dry). The size limit between workers and gynes is established at a mesoscutum width of 4.5 mm.

The effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the wear behavior of different tool steels have been widely reported in the scientific literature with uneven results. Some tool steels show a significant improvement in their wear resistance when they have been cryogenically treated while others exhibit no relevant amelioration or even a reduction in their wear resistance. In this study, the influence of DCT was investigated for a grade that has been barely studied in the scientific literature, the AISI A8 air-hardening medium-alloy cold work tool steel. Several aspects were analyzed in the present work: the wear resistance of the alloy, the internal residual stress, and finally the secondary carbide precipitation in terms of lengths and occupied area and its distribution into the microstructure. The results revealed a reduction in the wear rate of about 14% when the AISI A8 was cryogenically treated before tempering. The number of carbides that precipitated into the microstructure was 6% higher for the cryogenically treated samples, increasing from 0.68% to 0.73% of the total area they covered. Furthermore, the distribution of the carbides into the microstructure was more homogenous for the cryogenically treated samples.

Los yacimientos cuaternarios de la Sierra de Atapuerca ofrecen interés mundial por haber hospedado varias especies de homínidos que vivieron en el último millón de años. En este contexto, durante la campaña de excavaciones de 2003 se realizó un muestreo puntual en algunos de sus yacimientos para obtener los primeros datos de restos de artrópodos que pudieran conservarse en los mismos. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos de ácaros subfósiles pertenecientes al suborden de los oribátidos (Acari, Oribatida). Después de procesar los sedimentos, se obtuvieron un total de 7 individuos en el conjunto de los yacimientos muestreados, de los cuales 6 aparecieron en Gran Dolina en un nivel con datación en torno a los 300.000 años. Los ejemplares, identificados en su mayoría a nivel taxonómico de especie, pertenecen a las familias Cosmochthoniidae, Scheloribatidae, Oribatulidae y Hemileiidae. Dado el conocimiento que se dispone de la biología de los taxones encontrados, que pertenecen a géneros y especies presentes en la actualidad, se han realizado inferencias sobre los ambientes pretéritos en que los animales vivieron.

Nanoparticulate NiO and NiO/C composites with different carbon proportions have been prepared for anode application in lithium and sodium ion batteries. Structural characterization demonstrated the presence of metallic Ni in the composites. Morphological study revealed that the NiO and Ni nanoparticles were well dispersed in the matrix of amorphous carbon. The electrochemical study showed that the lithium ion batteries (LIBs), containing composites with carbon, have promising electrochemical performances, delivering specific discharge capacities of 550 mAh/g after operating for 100 cycles at 1C. These excellent results could be explained by the homogeneity of particle size and structure, as well as the uniform distribution of NiO/Ni nanoparticles in the in situ generated amorphous carbon matrix. On the other hand, the sodium ion battery (NIB) with the NiO/C composite revealed a poor cycling stability. Post-mortem analyses revealed that this fact could be ascribed to the absence of a stable Solid Electrolyte Interface (SEI) or passivation layer upon cycling.

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