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The present Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) intends to investigate the environmental benefit of using natural fibres and/or recyclable epoxy resins for future manufacturing of small/medium wind turbine blades to handle thermoset polymer composites that are designed to be recyclable at the end of life”). LCA comparison of a modelled blade based on flax fibres reinforced recyclable epoxy resin and a traditional blade made of glass fibres and non recyclable epoxy resin is presented. In the production phase the environmental impacts of the flax fibre reinforced recyclable epoxy resin composite blade are higher than the blade based on glass fibre epoxy composite mainly due to the higher amount of epoxy resin necessary to satisfy the design criteria of the blade e.g. fatigue and deflection. The end of life is significative as the environmental impacts are reduced by the recycling and recovery of the fibres and the resin, being the resin more significative.

Introduction/Objective: The efficacy of biologic therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been well-established but, in practice, a quarter of patients will either not respond to the first biologic agent or will suffer an adverse event requiring a switch to a different drug. While clinical guidelines exist to help guide therapy and previous studies have examined sequential use of anti-TNF agents, there is little data to inform a multiple switch strategy. Our aim was to measure the efficacy of multiple switches of biologic in severe refractory RA. Methods: We enrolled 111 patients whose therapy with one anti-TNF agent had failed in this open-label observational study. These patients were all treated with a second biologic agent and 27 ultimately required treatment with a third. The response to the therapy and disease activity were assessed at 6 and 12 months after each switch. Results: The remission rates at 6 months were lower than previously reported and the initiation of a second biologic agent resulted in significant improvement at 12 months, including DAS remission in 36% of patients. The response in those receiving a third biologic was less pronounced, as might be expected in this relatively treatment-refractory population. In this group, only patients treated with tocilizumab had maintained remission at one year. Conclusion: Patients who do not respond to an anti-TNF agent often benefit from being switched to a second, or even third, biologic. Importantly, it may take longer than expected to fully assess the effectiveness of a second or third agent in patients with refractory disease.

Manufacturing scientists have to find new processes enabling energy and resource efficient circular economy strategies. Solid state recycling processes have proved to be environmentally friendly alternatives to recycle aluminum alloys process scraps like chips. In this paper the environmental characterization of a solid state recycling process named Friction Stir Consolidation (FSC) is presented. A full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparative analysis is developed: the environmental performance of new and different variants of FSC processes and remelting based routes are quantified and compared to one another. Also, different scenarios are analysed to provide guidelines for the correct implementation of FSC based recycling processes. Results revealed that: 1/ FSC is an environmentally friendly solution although a correct industrial implementation is needed to reduce non-productive production steps, 2/ the transition towards a wider use of renewable energy sources would amplify the advantage of FSC with respect to conventional remelting route in terms of environmental sustainability

There is currently limited work on synchronous forms of hybrid education although it has become the norm in university education. In addition, there is a gab on empirical studies that are focusing on quantitative measures (such as student performance data) in this particular setting. To compensate for this gab in the literature, the paper presents a case study of hybrid teaching in the context of higher education that revolves around a quasi-experimental design with student performance data. The results were analysed quantitatively and they indicate that there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups in their performance in the final exams (with a large size effect). That finding is somewhat surprising since there is research indicating that the learning experience and performance of the students that attend a hybrid learning course remotely are not equally good as in the case of the students that participate in-class/on-site.

In the present paper, we investigated a sandwich composite as a potential electromagnetic interference shielding wall panel for buildings. The panel was built using a ferrite-particle modified high density polyethylene in a sandwich assembly enabling electromagnetic shielding properties. The life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was employed here to assist in the production phase and in the materials selection, in order to obtain an environmental friendly final product. An optimization of the constituents of the sandwich structure is proposed by comparing the environmental impact of different potential solutions without influencing the EMI shielding properties.

This paper reports an experimental investigation on embedded polyurethane (PUR) electrodes into a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite to enable the dependable use of composites as a piezoresistive sensors, among other uses, and pave the way towards advanced structural health monitoring (SHM). To be able to use polyurethane as electrodes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used as fillers in PUR to increase its electrical conductivity. Various concentrations of MWCNTs in PUR were tested to reveal the optimum synthesis. This was conducted by performing mechanical and electrical property tests of the electrodes, studying the adhesion capabilities between composite matrix and polyurethane electrode and carrying out load-unload testing where the composite acts as a strain sensor.

Epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins are the most used thermosetting polymers. They are commonly used in electronics, construction, marine, automotive and aircraft industries. Moreover, reinforcing both epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins with carbon or glass fibre in a fabric form has enabled them to be used in high-performance applications. However, their organic nature as any other polymeric materials made them highly flammable materials. Enhancing the flame retardancy performance of thermosetting polymers and their composites can be improved by the addition of flame-retardant materials, but this comes at the expense of their mechanical properties. In this regard, a comprehensive review on the recent research articles that studied the flame retardancy of epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin and their composites were covered. Flame retardancy performance of different flame retardant/polymer systems was evaluated in terms of Flame Retardancy index (FRI) that was calculated based on the data extracted from the cone calorimeter test. Furthermore, flame retardant selection charts that relate between the flame retardancy level with mechanical properties in the aspects of tensile and flexural strength were presented. This review paper is also dedicated to providing the reader with a brief overview on the combustion mechanism of polymeric materials, their flammability behaviour and the commonly used flammability testing techniques and the mechanism of action of flame retardants.

Automated Compliance Checking (ACC) of building/construction projects is one of the important applications in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, because it provides the checking processes and results of whether a building design complies with relevant laws, policies and regulations. Currently, Automated Compliance Checking still involves lots of manual operations, and massive time and cost consumption. Additionally, some sub-tasks of ACC have been researched, while few studies can automatically implement the whole ACC process. To solve related issues, we proposed a semantic approach to implement the whole ACC process in an automated way. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is used to extract rule terms and logic relationships among these terms from text regulatory documents. Rule terms are mapped to keywords (concepts or properties) in BIM data through term matching and semantic similarity analysis. After that, according to the mapped keywords in BIM and logic relationships among keywords, a corresponding SPARQL query is automatically generated. The query results can be non-compliance or compliance with rules based on the generated SPARQL query and requirements of stakeholders. The cases study proves that the proposed approach can provide a flexible and effective rule checking for BIM data. In addition, based on the proposed approach, we also further develop a semantic framework to implement automated rule compliance checking in construction industry.

Interaction between industry and environment is crucial for industrial business performance as environmental impacts are constantly increasing pressure on industrial businesses. The creation of eco-industrial parks aims at transforming industrial systems into industrial ecosystems by including some measures like infrastructure and material/energy flows sharing. The introduction of industrial symbiosis scenario in which one firm’s waste becomes another firm’s feedstock represents a further development of eco-industrial parks design. This principle may be extended to cities and, doing so, an integration of socio-economic and ecological systems will be promoted. At the industrial park level, the practice of the circular transformation through waste exchange enhances circular economy. The application of the same principles to cities promotes the circular urban metabolism, where the conversion of natural resources into society occurs with zero-waste production.

As the impact of transport on the issue of global warming is considerable, the fleet-wide average emission target for new cars is continuously lowered. Car weight reduction is considered as one of the possible strategies to pursue in the perspective of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Part design based on the use of new lightweight materials is fundamental to reduce fuel car consumption. This production strategy has to be achieved also by taking into consideration the car safety standards. Hence, the employing of these promising materials has to be evaluated in designing specific components aiming at increasing the car body performance in crash energy absorption. In the research, herein proposed, the environmental impact, quantified by the life cycle assessment tool, was executed on a number of side-door intrusion beams made of different materials. Specifically, the analysis was performed focusing on the global warming potential and the cumulative energy demand of the entire life cycle of different beams considering: the material production, the manufacturing processes employed to produce the intrusion beam and the product use phase. The evaluation was conducted taking into consideration the fact that each beam was mounted on an economy car, and the end-of-life scenario was strictly connected to the recycling properties of the selected materials. The obtained results highlighted that the glass-fiber reinforced thermoset (3 kgCO2eq) and the carbon-fiber reinforced thermoplastic (4 kgCO2eq) show the lowest environmental impact among the analysed materials. Their low impact is mainly due to, respectively, product manufacturing and use phase. However, for each case, the units of the beam life cycle can affect the natural environmental, differently. Therefore, various solutions can be competitive in an optimization perspective aiming to the achievement of zero emissions per km that is the final target of the research.

The present study reports the development of sandwich panels for building walls having electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding abilities. Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) have started being employed as EMI shielding materials. In this paper we propose the use of a conductive polymer composite flat sheet made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) recovered from municipal solid wastes (MSW) used as polymeric matrix, “doped” with dispersed metal fillers recycled from e-wastes. Test results proved that the recycled metal fillers enhance the electrical conductivity and enable EMI shielding. Different sandwich panels were discussed in the context of building applications, using identical HDPE/metal-filler EMI sheets, but different thermal insulation material (polystyrene and glass wool). The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to evaluate the environmental impact generated during the following steps: a) recycling of thermoplastic materials from MSW; b) recovering of metallic components from waste PCB; c) re-use of the recovered components into sandwich panels with electromagnetic shielding properties for buildings. The goal of the LCA was to perform a comparative analysis of the composite sandwich structures manufactured to be used as EMI shielding in buildings applications in order to assist the materials selection and eco-design. By means of the LCA results it was possible to manufacture a building component with good EMI shielding properties and reduced environmental impacts. ©2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Journal of Cleaner Production 280 (2021)

Among natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, wool, flax, hemp, etc., cotton is the one that takes up the highest percentage in the textile market. Nevertheless, there are obstacles associated with its cultivation, it is restricted to sub-tropical climates, and it is dependent upon high amounts of water, as well as the use of agrochemicals to ensure good yields. The use of pesticides and other types of chemical products give a negative impact on the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used in the present study in order to evaluate the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and fibers production for textiles. Comparisons among traditional and organic cropping have been carried out. Further comparisons are described with other natural fibers, such as jute, hemp and kenaf, in order to identify the strong and weak points of each product. Weak (e.g., lack of supply, transportation and storage of biomass, infancy of the value chain, lack of production/distribution chains, etc.) and strong aspects (e.g., market potential, rural development, environmental benefits, etc.) are considered for the production of each type of fiber.

The case study presented in this paper is a follow up of a topic already examined in previous studies relating the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a chemical treatment process used to recycle a specific type of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced thermoset composite. In the present study the LCA is coupled with the life cycle cost (LCC) analysis for the economic assessment. Furthermore, the research sought to specify the best available technology for the reuse of the materials recovered through the chemical recycling process. The new LCA results are more reliable and more current than the scenario presented in the previous LCA studies. In the previous scenario the possibility to recover long carbon fibers “ready to use” was considered. This scenario, even if under investigation by the recycling company, is still not possible for technological limitations as the fibers recovered after the chemical process require further treatments before being used in thermoset composite. Consequently, a more feasible technology was investigated and, according to our laboratory research results, one practical way to recycle the CF-thermoset composites is to shred them before the chemical treatment in order to recover shredded CFs and epoxy thermoplastic from cleavable thermosets. These materials can be easily compounded together to manufacture a CF-thermoplastic composite through injection moulding as we demonstrated herein through some laboratory experiments. The LCA and LCC were accounted for the recycling process via solvolysis up to the recovery phase of the epoxy-thermoplastic resin and the short carbon fibers. The paper presents laboratory test results of the remanufacture of the two reclaimed materials for the production of a thermoplastic CF-composite.

Generally, building information modelling (BIM) models contain multiple dimensions of building information, including building design data, construction information, and maintenance-related contents, which are related with different engineering stakeholders. Efficient extraction of BIM data is a necessary and vital step for various data analyses and applications, especially in large-scale BIM projects. In order to extract BIM data, multiple query languages have been developed. However, the use of these query languages for data extraction usually requires that engineers have good programming skills, flexibly master query language(s), and fully understand the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) express schema or the ontology expression of the IFC schema (ifcOWL). These limitations have virtually increased the difficulties of using query language(s) and raised the requirements on engineers&rsquo, essential knowledge reserves in data extraction. In this paper, we develop a simple method for automatic SPARQL (SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language) query generation to implement effective data extraction. Based on the users&rsquo, data requirements, we match users&rsquo, requirements with ifcOWL ontology concepts or instances, search the connected relationships among query keywords based on semantic BIM data, and generate the user-desired SPARQL query. We demonstrate through several case studies that our approach is effective and the generated SPARQL queries are accurate.

Composite materials are materials with anisotropic properties, consisting of several components, whose organization and elaboration allow the use of the best components of the components so that the resulting material possesses general final properties superior to the components it is made of. The paper presents experimental aspects related to the development of experimental models of nanostructured adhesives.

Microwave activated adhesives were manufactured, at laboratory scale, with micro-nanosized fillers embedded in traditional thermoplastic matrix. These metal-based susceptors are highly loss materials (e.g.: iron and aluminium micro/nano-powders), which rapidly heat-up by means of the microwaves/radio frequency irradiation. The heat is then transferred to the matrix through conventional heat transfer. This is a very effective technology to create reversible adhesives suitable for many applications in various industries including the automotive and the aerospace industry. Susceptor technology is a good way to replace traditional hot-melt adhesives. Hot-melt adhesives are thermoplastic bonding materials applied as melts that achieve a solid state and resultant strength on cooling. These thermoplastics of 100% solid materials melt in the temperature range from 65 °C to 180 °C. Theoretically, any thermoplastic can be a hot-melt adhesive, however, preferred materials are usually solid up to 79.4 °C or higher. Metal particles are suitable for susceptor materials that create hysteresis heating-based Curie temperature control for polymer processing. The electrical properties of the reinforcement are mainly used for matrix melting by induction heating. Induction heating has several features, including high efficiency and economic benefits and environmental benefits. In this study we investigated a formulation of MW/activated adhesives made of LDPE mixed with aluminium micro-particles. An optimization of the best materials concentration and dimensions was carried out according with the electro-magnetic performances evaluated.

A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) is presented to evaluate the environmental impacts of two adhesive technologies: the traditional hot-melt adhesive production and the Microwave(MW) activatable hot-melt adhesives. This technology is very useful for the creation of reversible adhesive suitable formany applications in various industries including the automotive and the aerospace industry. The LCA was performed to quantify and verify the environmental impacts of all the involved processes. The main advantages of this new class of adhesives are mainly, the energy reduction during the production phase (as the electromagnetic activation occurs in few seconds) and the possibility of recycling the bonded components at the end of life. This is because the MW/RF-activatable adhesives are reversible, as they can be re-melt through the MW/RF irradiation, without heating the bonded components, which could be easily disassembled and recycled. The LCA was carried out according to the ISO14040 and 14044,using the Simapro 8.05.13 software coupled with the Ecoinvent 3 database.

The paper presents aspects related to the simulation of electromagnetic properties in the case of the development of hot melt nanostructured adhesives, and the correlation of these simulations with the results of the preliminary tests performed.

An innovative recycling process for thermoset polymer composites developed by Connora Technologies (Hayward, CA, USA) was studied. The process efficacy has already been tested, and it is currently working at the plant level. The main aspect investigated in the present paper was the environmental impact by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. Because of the need to recycle and recover materials at their end of life, the Connora process creates a great innovation in the market of epoxy composites, as they are notoriously not recyclable. Connora Technologies developed a relatively gentle chemical recycling process that induces the conversion of thermosets into thermoplastics. The LCA demonstrated that low environmental burdens are associated with the process itself and, furthermore, impacts are avoided due to the recovery of the epoxy-composite constituents (fibres and matrix). A carbon fibre (CF) epoxy-composite panel was produced through Vacuum Resin Transfer Moulding (VRTM) and afterwards treated using the Connora recycling process. The LCA results of both the production and the recycling phases are reported.

A comparative LCA between an eco-sandwich made of bio-based epoxy resin (SuperSap 100/1000) and natural fibers against a traditional sandwich made of epoxy/glass-fibers was carried out. The main purpose and contribution of this study is the exploration of the eco-efficiency of this new material which featured applications span from naval to automotive and building sectors. To a minor degree, it is also a contribution in the sense that it provides life cycle inventory data on composites, which as yet are scarce in the LCA community. Life cycle assessments of bio-based polymers have shown favourable results in terms of environmental impacts and energy use compared to petroleum-based products. However, calculation of these impacts always depends on the system and boundary conditions considered during the study.

Patient: Female, 56 Final Diagnosis: Hereditary thombophilia Symptoms: Dyspnea Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Hematology Objective: Congenital defects/diseases Background: Thrombophilia is a predisposition to thrombosis. Genetic causes include antithrombin III, protein C, protein S, factor V Leiden, prothrombin 20210A allele, and MTHFR mutations. Other genetic factors causing thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been identified in recent studies, including 4G/4G polymorphism of the PAI-1 gene. Case Report: A patient with a personal and family history of recurrent thrombosis and pulmonary embolism was admitted to our Internal Medicine Department. After the most common acquired risk factors for thromboembolism were ruled out, the patient and her family members underwent genetic diagnostic testing. These tests showed homozygous 4G/4G polymorphism of the PAI-1 gene in 14 subjects, homozygous 4G/4G polymorphism of the PAI-1 gene and C677T/A1298C polymorphism of the MTHFR gene in 4 subjects, and heterozygous 4G/4G polymorphism of the PAI-1 gene and C677T/A1298C polymorphism of the MTHFR gene in 3 subjects. Afterwards, we initiated the administration of Rivaroxaban, with beneficial results. Conclusions: No thrombotic recurrence has been observed in the patient since 2014. This case report shows the efficacy and superiority of Rivaroxaban over traditional anticoagulants in the treatment of hereditary thrombophilia. Further studies are clearly needed before Rivaroxaban can be recommended as a standard treatment in patients with inherited thrombophilia.

Green composites from polypropylene and lignin-based natural material were manufactured using a melt extrusion process. The lignin-based material used was the so called “liquid wood”. The PP/“Liquid Wood” blends were extruded with “liquid wood” content varying from 20 wt % to 80 wt %. The blends were thoroughly characterized by flexural, impact, and dynamic mechanical testing. The addition of the Liquid Wood resulted in a great improvement in terms of both the flexural modulus and strength but, on the other hand, a reduction of the impact strength was observed. For one blend composition, the composites reinforced with hemp fibers were also studied. The addition of hemp allowed us to further improve the mechanical properties. The composite with 20 wt % of hemp, subjected to up to three recycling cycles, showed good mechanical property retention and thermal stability after recycling.

An investigation of the electrochemical oxidation of glycerol as alternative to hydrogen and methane in an intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) by using a noble metal-free anode catalyst was carried out. The anode electrocatalyst was based on a Ni-modified La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Co0.2O3 (LSFCO) perovskite. After thermal activation, Ni was mainly present as ultrafine La2NiO4 particles homogeneously dispersed on the perovskite surface. The thermal treatment also caused a modification of perovskite into a lanthanum depleted SrFe0.8Co0.2O3 (SFCO) structure. These results were corroborated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By using this modified perovskite, a low ohmic resistance was recorded and suitable power density achieved for an electrolyte supported IT-SOFC. The effects on the electrochemical performance produced by the variation of the ratio of glycerol / water for the anode feed were investigated.

The effect of barium-doping on carbon deposition during the CH4 oxidation over a Ni0.53Cu0.47 alloy/CGO cermet catalyst has been investigated in an Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (IT-SOFC). Electrolyte-supported SOFCs composed of different anodes were compared in terms of performance, steady state operation, and formation of carbon deposits on the anode surface. After proper cell conditioning, similar maximum power densities of 285 mW cm-2 and 310 mW cm-2 were obtained in dry methane fuel at 750{degree sign}C for the anodic compositions with and without barium, respectively. As evidenced by microscopy and X-ray diffraction, the anode without barium showed the presence of carbon deposits whereas the anode containing barium did not show significant carbon deposits after a 200 h time-study in dry methane.

The physico-chemical properties of two protonic electrolytes BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ and BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-δ were investigated. The BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ electrolyte showed better crystallographic purity and lower amount of carbonate phase on the surface. A comparison between the BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-δ protonic electrolyte supported cell and an anionic (Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.95) one was made. The maximum power densities (IR-free) of 183 mW cm−2 and 400 mW cm−2 were obtained in H2 (R.H. 3%) at 700 °C, for the protonic and anionic electrolyte based cells, respectively.

Automotive composite applications are increasingly growing due to demand for lightweight structures to comply to the requirements for fuel reduction. HP-RTM is gaining relevance as one of the preferred production technologies for high volume applications. The BMW i3 life module being a notable example of HP-RTM application. The key aspects of HP-RTM are the short injection times (i.e. less than 1min) and the fast curing of the thermoset resins (i.e. less than 10min). The choice of using thermosets poses relevant issues for their limited recycling options. The standard recycling solution is the incineration but, this solution poses some concerns in terms of global environmental impact. Novel solutions are presented in this work based on the use of recyclable epoxy systems. In our work the results of experimentation carried out by our group with cleavable ammines by Connora Technologies and bioepoxy resins by Entropy Resins will be discussed. The multiple uses of recycled matrices obtained treating the recyclable epoxy resins are discussed in the framework of a “cradle” to “crave” approach. Finally, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental benefits of the proposed approach.

Ni-doped perovskite anodes have been investigated for direct oxidation of hydrocarbon in IT-SOFC. Perovskite materials are characterized by mixed electronic-ionic conductivity that combined to the high intrinsic catalytic activity of Ni allows to achieve high reaction rates in both direct oxidation and internal reforming processes while minimizing the cracking and carbon deposition processes. Suitable power densities of about 300mW•cm-2 for the direct oxidation of propane were achieved at 800{degree sign}C. Temperature programmed reduction analysis carried out in methane on a reduced catalyst has shown that Ni-doped perovskite has good catalytic activity at higher temperatures than 600{degree sign}C in absence of humidity. No carbon formation was observed in the discharged catalysts as confirmed by XRD analysis that however showed a modification of the perovskite structure.

The emergy analysis was used to evaluate the sustainability of a village which aims to be ecologically friendly. The choice of focusing on the use of local resources including agriculture and farm goods, photovoltaic panels, renewable heating and cooling systems, recycled water from constructed wetlands etc., aims to obtain a sustainable village. Indices and ratios based on emergy flows have been calculated and used to evaluate the behaviour of the whole system. Their dependence upon the fraction of renewable and non renewable inputs as well as locally available versus purchased inputs from outside is stressed. A new index of sustainability (SI) is also applied to the case study.

The principal drivers of the new direction of research in energy technologies can be exemplified in three major targets: security of supply, environmental pollution issues (with particular reference to the Kyoto protocol), and adherence to the new European legislation related to the deregulation of the energy market. All these drivers contribute to the introduction of new technologies that better fit the requirements of the new scenario in which all the actors in the energy field are working. In this view, the contribution of Advanced Ceramics to such a big effort, with the identification of some development routes needed in terms of new materials and technologies, is analysed. In particular, the possible future trends in Solid Oxide and High Temperature PEM fuel cells, as well as oxygen and hydrogen pumping for hydrogen production connected with R&D in Advanced Ceramics, are discussed.