Search

Emerging technologies such as electronic procurement have rapidly become common practice in recent years. With the advent of internet technologies and open innovations, the traditional procurement system is transformed into an electronic procurement system. Technology adoption is influenced by multiple factors, including the adopter, technology, and ecosystem in which they function. Considering this, E-procurement is still being adopted slowly. This research aims to investigate the extension of the adoption of E-procurement and identify the relationships between the E-procurement technologies and green procurement practices across different sectors of ISO 14001-certified Malaysian enterprises. This research is supported by the Technology Acceptance Model, one of the significant theories of technology adoption. Using SPSS and SmartPLS, the survey data is analyzed quantitatively. The structural model explains 86% of the variance in green procurement and shows the positive significant relationship between green procurement and the E-procurement technology of the ISO 14001 firms. Consequently, adopting E-procurement technology would benefit company sustainability. A benchmark for ISO companies will be established, highlighting the importance of E-procurement technology in improving green procurement and supply chain efficiency. The study recommends that demand for environmentally friendly products and services be fueled by technology-based purchases, resulting in a greener supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effectiveness of tartaric acid treatment in inhibiting the expansive behaviour of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steel slag, aiming to optimize its utilization as a sustainable replacement for natural coarse aggregate in concrete. Tartaric acid-treated steel slag (TTSS) and non-tartaric acid-treated steel slag (NTSS) were comprehensively characterized for particle size and shape properties, physical and mechanical behaviour, and durability aspects including MgO stability factor and iron unsoundness. Chemical, morphological, mineralogical, and microstructural analyses were conducted using XRF, SEM-EDS, XRD, FT-IR, and optical microscopy, elucidating the impact of tartaric acid treatment. Compressive strength tests were then performed with TTSS incorporation levels of 30 %, 40 %, 50 %, and 0 % as reference batch (RB). As a result, TTSS showed 7.44 % and 10.92 % better physical and mechanical properties than NTSS respectively. Whereas on durability aspects, TTSS depicts 40 % better results on iron unsoundness and 36.43 % higher water absorption over NTSS. Furthermore, a maximum compressive strength of 44 MPa was achieved with a significant improvement of 15.80 % from RB. Additionally, TTSS aggregate-based cement concrete exhibited a denser microstructure and improved performance. This work highlights the potential of BOF steel slag as an aggregate resource, contributing to a circular economy and mitigating the environmental burdens associated with traditional aggregate production. [Display omitted] • Treated steel slag aggregate significantly improves the volumetric stability. • Steel slag tartaric treatment showed better or comparable key aggregate properties. • Achieved 50 % replacement of conventional aggregate with the treated aggregate. • Sustainable and eco-friendly approach towards steel slag solid waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and chronoamperometric (CA) studies on potentiostatic deposition of MnO2 on Pt from Mn(II) solution in very weakly alkaline media show the process to be controlled by a one-electron transfer step, which means that the deposition proceeds through the generation of Mn(III). The electrocatalytic activity of the deposited electrode towards carbohydrate oxidation is found to be maximum at an optimum amount of deposition. Chronopotentiometric (CP) and CV measurements show that the oxidation of carbohydrates on the deposited electrodes follows a catalytic EC (electrochemical–chemical) mechanism via electrolytic formation of Mn(V) and its subsequent consumption either by disproportionation or by chemical reaction in the presence of carbohydrates. The rate constants of the reaction of Mn(V) with dextrose and fructose have been obtained from CA results. The relative order of the oxidation currents for dextrose and fructose as well as their dependence on carbohydrate concentration has been discussed. Replacement of Pt by carbon as the electrode support material does not affect the electrocatalytic activity of the MnO2 deposit. The observed linear variation of the steady state oxidation currents with carbohydrate concentration can be exploited for analytical application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• MLIs are advantageous to be used in RES, FACTs, and electric vehicular system, etc. • A modified cost-effective 1 multilevel inverter topology has been proposed. • The superiority of the MLI is validated by its 21-level experimental prototype. • The performance of the system has been verified with FSQST switching technique. • The proposed MLI exhibits reduced %THD in the output response and higher efficiency. • It provides an efficient, cost-effective solution for 1∅ PV application. This paper presents a new 1- ϕ multilevel inverter topology, which requires a reduced number of switching components, leading to a reduction in the overall expenditure, and enhances reliability for 1- ϕ applications. Without employing any additional H-bridge circuit, the proposed topology can generate both positive and negative polarity output with reduced switching losses and voltage stress. A detailed comparison with some of the prominent multilevel inverters has been presented, which indicates the superiority of the proposed inverter in terms of its design. In addition, to mitigate the harmonics content in the output response, the fundamental sine quantized switching technique has been incorporated into the proposed configuration. The operation and performance of the proposed multilevel inverter have been ascertained by MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation. Finally, a 21-level experimental prototype has been developed to validate theoretical analysis and exhibit the merits of the proposed topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]