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This study focuses on evaluating potential raw material providers (RMPs) as one of the critical tasks of the logistics managers. In this regard, the literature showed that the simultaneous consideration of resilience, digitalization, and circular economy in the RMP selection problem (RMPSP) has been ignored by previous studies. Therefore, to cover the mentioned gap, this research attempts to study the RMPSP by considering other crucial concepts namely resilience and Circular Economy (CE). For this purpose, by considering a real-world case study in the steel industry, the current work first specifies the indicators of the research problem. Then, the indicators’ weights are measured using the stochastic Best-Worst Method (BWM). In the next step, the RMPs are prioritized by developing a novel approach called the stochastic Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). In general, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the RMPs in the steel industry based on the CE, resilience, and digitalization aspects. According to the achieved results, “Reliability”, “Price”, “Quality”, “Reverse logistics and Waste management”, “Information systems usage”, and “Restorative Capacity”, are identified as the most desirable indicators. Moreover, the results confirm the effectiveness and validation of the developed method.

This research seeks to analyze the logic of Brazilian academic capitalism that conditions a process of commodification of the production of knowledge, as well as the prioritization of the supply of training courses for professionals. This process is characterized as raw material knowledge contributing to the creation of a kind of World Class University. Concerning the methodological procedures of the research, it was decided to develop a bibliographic and documentary research based on critical-dialectic epistemology. Content analysis was used in the treatment of data. It is considered that, despite policy development for the entrepreneurship of higher education through public-private partnerships that subsidize the expansion of the private-mercantile sector of higher education through its financialization, the adaptation to the standard of the New American University is carried out from the movement to commercialize scientific production and private investments in the public sector, as well as prioritizing the offer of technological courses and bachelor's degrees to the detriment of undergraduate degrees, in addition to the incorporation of technological innovations resulting from the pandemic crisis, thus tending toward the constitution of the World Class University.

As a source substitution technology that reduces pollutants emission and optimizes sinter properties, H2-rich gas injection-assisted iron ore sintering holds significant practical value. This study analyzed the adaptability of this technology to different ore blend ratios and basicity levels by comparing sintering indexes, pore structure, mineral phase composition, and metallurgical performance before and after H2-rich gas injection. The carbon emission reduction following H2-rich gas injection was calculated. The results indicate that increasing the proportion of high-silica, low-alumina ore (Ore-A) and basicity, along with H2-rich gas injection, can effectively enhance sinter yield and quality, but shrink the pore structure of sinter. Under H2-rich gas injection conditions, decreasing Ore-A ratios and increasing basicity can augment SFCA phase formation and mineral phase uniformity, thereby improving the anti-pulverization ability and reductivity of the sinter. H2-rich gas injection presents better adaptability to sintered ore with lower Ore-A ratio and basicity, which can achieve greater improvements in the sintering indexes, RDI, and RI. For a 265 m2 sinter plant producing sinter with 18 wt% Ore-A and 2.0 basicity, annual CO2 emissions can be reduced by approximately 40,000 t.

Critical raw materials (CRMs) represent essential resources for several strategic sectors in the European Union and strategies are necessary to reduce dependence on imports and improve the efficiency of their use. The European Union is facing significant challenges in diversifying supply chains, implementing effective sustainability standards, and reducing strategic dependencies on imports. Our study investigates the impact of critical raw material (CRM) imports on the competitiveness of the European market, addressing significant gaps in the existing literature regarding this relationship. Utilizing quarterly import values of CRMs for the EU during the period 2023-2024, the research employs a linear regression model to explore the correlation between CRM imports and economic competitiveness. The findings underscore the complexities of the relationship between CRM imports and EU competitiveness, highlighting the need for strategic policy frameworks that enhance recycling rates, promote research into alternative materials, and ensure sustainable practices in raw material extraction. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between resource dependency and market competitiveness, providing insights for policymakers aiming to secure a sustainable and competitive European economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yerba mate plays an important socio-economic role in the subtropical and temperate regions of South America, where it is cultivated and used to make chimarrão and tereré, as well as in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The various cultivation and management conditions, such as climate, soil, plant age, planting and harvesting times, cultivation location, and harvesting and processing methods, should be investigated in more detail, since each of these stages influences the physical characteristics like texture and colour, as well as the physicochemical properties like flavour and aroma, resulting in varying acceptability by consumers. Yerba mate producers and processing industries are characterised by being small and medium-sized. Studies reveal the need to value yerba mate through geographical indication, implying a quality link primarily attributed to the producing regions, aiding in the sustainability of the yerba mate production chain. In addition, there is a need to establish assessment methods and qualitative attribute standards to characterise the raw material and the processed yerba mate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical raw materials (CRMs) represent essential resources for several strategic sectors in the European Union and strategies are necessary to reduce dependence on imports and improve the efficiency of their use. The European Union is facing significant challenges in diversifying supply chains, implementing effective sustainability standards, and reducing strategic dependencies on imports. Our study investigates the impact of critical raw material (CRM) imports on the competitiveness of the European market, addressing significant gaps in the existing literature regarding this relationship. Utilizing quarterly import values of CRMs for the EU during the period 2023-2024, the research employs a linear regression model to explore the correlation between CRM imports and economic competitiveness. The findings underscore the complexities of the relationship between CRM imports and EU competitiveness, highlighting the need for strategic policy frameworks that enhance recycling rates, promote research into alternative materials, and ensure sustainable practices in raw material extraction. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between resource dependency and market competitiveness, providing insights for policymakers aiming to secure a sustainable and competitive European economy.

Abstract The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) in China challenges raw material demand. This study evaluates the impact of recycling and reusing EV batteries on reducing material demand and carbon emissions. Integrating a national-level vehicle stock turnover model with life-cycle carbon emission assessment, we found that replacing nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries with lithium iron phosphate batteries with battery recycling can reduce lithium, cobalt, and nickel demand between 2021 and 2060 by up to 7.8 million tons (Mt) (67%), 12.4 Mt (96%), and 37.2 Mt (93%), respectively, significantly decreasing reliance on import. Moreover, battery recycling coupled with reuse can reduce carbon emissions by up to 6,532-6,864 Mt (36.0-37.9%), depending on four recycling methods employed. However, this reuse strategy delays battery recycling and risks lithium supply shortage, necessitating trade-offs between carbon reduction and material supply. Future technologies, such as lithium-sulfur and all-solid-state batteries, despite their energy efficiency, might exacerbate lithium shortage, underscoring the crucial need for increased lithium supply.

The paper presents the possibility of evaluation of using apple pomace as an alternative solid fuel. Taking into account the high initial moisture content of the raw material, preliminary drying using a highly efficient filtration drying method is proposed. Based on the experimental data, the following were determined: generalized dependencies describing the change in the moisture content of raw materials and the drying duration; dependence of hydraulic resistance on the stationary layer height of the material during the filtration drying process; technologically feasible parameters of filtration drying (layer height of the dried material 120 mm, temperature of the thermal agent 90 °C, velocity of the thermal agent 1.76 m/sec); energy consumption for the removal of 1 kg of moisture under these process parameters is 21990.02 kJ/kg H2O or 6.11 kW h/kg H2O. An estimated calculation of the industrial drying of apple pomace from a moisture content of 83 % wt. to 14 % wt. by the filtration method in terms of drying ≈ 1000 kg of raw materials established the total energy consumption for removing 1 kg of moisture of 6.36 kW h/kg H2O, and the total amount of energy required for the drying process of 92977.11 kJ/kg dry mat. For comparison, an estimated calculation of apple pomace drying in a rotary dryer was performed, which showed the advantage of the filtration method. The samples of briquetted solid fuel from dried apple pomace were made and their main characteristics were investigated: higher calorific value (≈ 19438 kJ/kg), residual moisture content (< 1 % wt.), ash content (≈ 0.55 % wt.). The compliance of the created briquettes characteristics with the requirements of existing European standards for solid fuels is shown. With rational preliminary preparation of secondary raw materials of plant origin, their use as solid fuels can become an alternative to slowly renewable or non-renewable fuel sources, solve the problem of accumulation of industrial waste with a limited shelf life, and generally improve the environmental situation.

This study explores the integration of sustainability in decision-making processes within a steel manufacturing company in Poland. As global clients increasingly demand sustainable practices, companies must adapt their operations to meet these expectations. We applied Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods, specifically TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) and VIKOR (in Serbian: VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje), along with three weighting techniques, namely Entropy, Standard Deviation, and CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation), to evaluate the sustainability of four products. Nine criteria were considered, including material type, corrosion protection, surface treatment, and various manufacturing processes. Our findings reveal that the MCDA framework effectively ranks products from most to least sustainable, highlighting the importance of raw material efficiency and waste management. This research demonstrates the practical application of MCDA methods in assessing sustainability within the steel industry, providing a basis for future studies to extend this framework to other manufacturing sectors and regions. Overall, this approach supports informed decision-making, aligning with broader sustainability goals while satisfying the demands of business partners and clients.

In the modern era, electrical energy has become a significant need that drives the large consumption of fossil fuels and their environmental impacts. Supercapacitors can reduce this large consumption of natural polymers such as cellulose acetate (CA), which can be synthesized from Gracilaria sp. Composites with CA can be an environmentally friendly alternative electrode with low toxicity. The results show that the cellulose has been successfully synthesized from the algae Gracilaria sp., which was proven by FTIR spectra analysis. The results also show that supercapacitor electrodes have been successfully made where the manufactured electrodes form a composite between CA and nickel oxide (NiO), with the highest specific capacitance and specific energy values of 15.5 × 102 F/g and 13.3 × 102 Wh/kg, respectively, on the CA-NiO2 electrode, but when the NiO concentration is higher than the CA concentration the specific capacitance and specific energy decrease as shown on the CA-NiO electrode with NiO mass of 0.6 g. Thus, the materials results of this study can be applied to electric vehicles and technology that requires electricity storage in the future.

Abstract Refractory High-Entropy Alloys (RHEAs), such as NbMoTaW, MoNbTaVW, HfNbTaZr, Re0.1Hf0.25NbTaW0.4, Nb40Ti25Al15V10Ta5Hf3W2, Ti x NbMoTaW (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1), and 3d transition metal HEAs such as Al10.3Co17Cr7.5Fe9Ni48.6Ti5.8Ta0.6Mo0.8W0.4 have demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional superalloys, particularly in high-temperature applications for engine components. However, the development of these alloys often depends on critical raw materials (CRMs) such as Ta, W, Nb, Hf, and others. The reliance on critical raw materials (CRMs) not only generates substantial emissions during recycling processes but also imposes considerable risks across global supply chains, hindering the pursuit of Net-zero ambitions. In this pioneering work, we unveil an inventive approach to inversely predict novel multicomponent alloy compositions, meticulously crafted to eliminate CRMs while achieving hardness levels comparable to those of CRM-containing multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs). A robust machine learning (ML) model was developed using a computational database of 3,608 entries, covering unary and binary materials from the Thermo-Calc 2024a software. Among various ML models, the Extra Trees Regressor (ETR) exhibited superior performance and was integrated with metaheuristic optimization techniques to identify novel MPEA compositions. The Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSO) method produced reduced-CRM MPEAs that closely matched Thermo-Calc predictions, with an error margin below ± 20%. To assess the efficacy of these reduced-CRM MPEAs, we compared the hardness of newly synthesized MPEA with CRM-containing counterparts reported in the literature, particularly those with high-risk critical raw materials like Niobium (Nb) and Tantalum (Ta). For example, the CoCrFeNb0.309Ni alloy, which includes CRMs Nb and Co exhibits a Vickers hardness of 480 HV. In contrast, our proposed composition, Ti0.01111NiFe0.4Cu0.4 achieves a comparable hardness of 488 HV without using a CRM. Our objective was not to develop high hardness alloy but to facilitate the development of reduced-CRM multi-principal element alloys (R-CRM-MPEAs). We validated our computational approach through the experimental synthesis of an FCC-phase alloy, Al6.25Cu18.75Fe25Co25Ni25. Thermo-Calc evaluation and ML model predictions of the Vickers hardness showed excellent agreement with the experimental hardness values, which lends credence to our approach. In conclusion, this study provides a robust framework for accelerating the discovery of novel R-CRM-MPEAs, effectively addressing challenges related to supply chain vulnerabilities, import dependence, and related environmental concerns.