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Recently, the development of composite materials from agricultural and forestry waste has become an attractive area of research. The use of bio-waste is beneficial for economic and environmental reasons, adapting it to cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability. In the presented study, the possibility of using hazelnut shell (HS) and hydrotalcite (HT) mineral filler was investigated. The effects of fillers in the amount of 10 wt.% on selected properties of polyurethane composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity, processing times), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, hardness), insulating properties (thermal conductivity), and flame-retardant properties (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, peak heat release), were investigated. Polyurethane foams containing fillers have been shown to have better performance properties compared to unmodified polyurethane foams. For example, the addition of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler leads to PU composite foams with improved compression strength (improvement by ~20%), higher flexural strength (increase of ~38%), and comparable thermal conductivity (0.03055 W m–1 K–1 at 20 °C). Moreover, the incorporation of organic fillers has a positive effect on the fire resistance of PU materials. For example, the results from the cone calorimeter test showed that the incorporation of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler significantly reduced the peak of the heat release rate (pHRR) by ca. 30% compared with that of unmodified PU foam, and increased the value of the limiting oxygen index from 19.8% to 21.7%.

Recently, the influence of the concept of environmental sustainability has increased, which includes environmentally friendly measures related to reducing the consumption of petrochemical fuels and converting post-production feedstocks into raw materials for the synthesis of polymeric materials, the addition of which would improve the performance of the final product. In this regard, the development of bio-based polyurethane foams can be carried out by, among other things, modifying polyurethane foams with vegetable or waste fillers. This paper investigates the possibility of using walnut shells (WS) and the mineral fillers vermiculite (V) and perlite (P) as a flame retardant to increase fire safety and thermal stability at higher temperatures. The effects of the fillers in amounts of 10 wt.% on selected properties of the polyurethane composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity and processing times), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, and hardness), insulating properties (thermal conductivity), and flame retardant properties (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, and peak heat release) were investigated. It has been shown that polyurethane foams containing fillers have better performance properties compared to unmodified polyurethane foams.

Artykuł podejmuje problematykę kwestionowania przez przewoźników kolejowych opłat dotyczących dostępu do infrastruktury kolejowej, naliczonych przez zarządcę infrastruktury kolejowej, w świetle wyroków TSUE w sprawach C-120/20 Koleje Mazowieckie – KM sp. z o.o. i C-563/20 ORLEN KolTrans sp. z o.o. Analizą objęto również rozwiązania instytucjonalno-prawne obowiązujące w tym zakresie w polskim systemie prawnym.

Human adenovirus (HAdV) is a common pathogen, which can lead to various clinical symptoms and—in some cases—central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions, such as encephalitis and meningitis. Although the initial events of virus entry have already been identified in various cell types, the mechanism of neuronal uptake of adenoviruses is relatively little understood. The aim of this study was to investigate early events during adenoviral infection, in particular to determine the connection between cellular coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), clathrin, caveolin, and early endosomal proteins (EEA1 and Rab5) with the entry of HAdVs into primary murine neurons in vitro. An immunofluorescence assay and confocal microscopy analysis were carried out to determine HAdV4, 5, and 7 correlation with CAR, clathrin, caveolin, and early endosomal proteins in neurons. The quantification of Pearson’s coefficient between CAR and HAdVs indicated that the HAdV4 and HAdV5 types correlated with CAR and that the correlation was more substantial for HAdV5. Inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis using chlorpromazine limited the infection with HAdV, whereas inhibition of caveolin-mediated endocytosis did not affect virus entry. Thus, the entry of tested HAdV types into neurons was most likely associated with clathrin but not caveolin. It was also demonstrated that HAdVs correlate with the Rab proteins (EEA1, Rab5) present in early vesicles, and the observed differences in the manner of correlation depended on the serotype of the virus. With our research, we strove to expand knowledge regarding the mechanism of HAdV entry into neurons, which may be beneficial for developing potential therapeutics in the future.

This paper aims to compare two ceramic materials available for additive manufacturing (AM) processes—vat photopolymerization (VPP) and material extrusion (MEX)—that result in fully ceramic parts after proper heat treatment. The analysis points out the most significant differences between the structural and mechanical properties and the potential application of each AM technology. The research revealed different behaviors for the specimens obtained via the two mentioned technologies. In the case of MEX, the specimens exhibited similar microstructures before and after heat treatment. The sintering process did not affect the shape of the grains, only their size. For the VPP specimens, directly after the manufacturing process, irregular grain shapes were registered, but after the sintering process, the grains fused, forming a solid structure that made it impossible to outline individual grains and measure their size. The highest compression strength was 168 MPa for the MEX specimens and 81 MPa for the VPP specimens. While the VPP specimens had half the compression strength, the results for the VPP specimens were significantly more repeatable.

In the paper, special clothing is understood as protective clothing used by services, in particular fire services, but also military and police, working in fire hazard conditions, where the main risk factors for the user are: a high temperature, a contact with hot objects, and a mechanical damage. The presented study deals with the review of special clothing industry and discusses cloths structure for compliance with national and European regulations. The parameters of technical fibers used for production of the above-mentioned clothes used during firefighting in open spaces, made of flame retardant yarns, e.g., aramid yarns or mixtures of flame retardant yarns, were analysed. Keywords: mechanical engineering, fibers, special fabrics, fire resistance, mechanical strength, national and EU standards

Recently, the development of composite materials from agricultural and forestry waste has become an attractive area of research. The use of bio-waste is beneficial for economic and environmental reasons, adapting it to cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability. In the presented study, the possibility of using hazelnut shell (HS) and hydrotalcite (HT) mineral filler was investigated. The effects of fillers in the amount of 10 wt.% on selected properties of polyurethane composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity, processing times), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, hardness), insulating properties (thermal conductivity), and flame-retardant properties (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, peak heat release), were investigated. Polyurethane foams containing fillers have been shown to have better performance properties compared to unmodified polyurethane foams. For example, the addition of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler leads to PU composite foams with improved compression strength (improvement by ~20%), higher flexural strength (increase of ~38%), and comparable thermal conductivity (0.03055 W m–1 K–1 at 20 °C). Moreover, the incorporation of organic fillers has a positive effect on the fire resistance of PU materials. For example, the results from the cone calorimeter test showed that the incorporation of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler significantly reduced the peak of the heat release rate (pHRR) by ca. 30% compared with that of unmodified PU foam, and increased the value of the limiting oxygen index from 19.8% to 21.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the influence of the concept of environmental sustainability has increased, which includes environmentally friendly measures related to reducing the consumption of petrochemical fuels and converting post-production feedstocks into raw materials for the synthesis of polymeric materials, the addition of which would improve the performance of the final product. In this regard, the development of bio-based polyurethane foams can be carried out by, among other things, modifying polyurethane foams with vegetable or waste fillers. This paper investigates the possibility of using walnut shells (WS) and the mineral fillers vermiculite (V) and perlite (P) as a flame retardant to increase fire safety and thermal stability at higher temperatures. The effects of the fillers in amounts of 10 wt.% on selected properties of the polyurethane composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity and processing times), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, and hardness), insulating properties (thermal conductivity), and flame retardant properties (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, and peak heat release) were investigated. It has been shown that polyurethane foams containing fillers have better performance properties compared to unmodified polyurethane foams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine seed shells and yerba mate are common wastes leftover from the food and beverage industry. This study presents the development of rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) filled with pine seed shells and yerba mate at 5, 10 and 15 wt%. The fillers were characterized for chemical properties using bench chemistry analyses, and the RPUFs were investigated in terms of chemical, morphological, mechanical, thermal and colorimetric characteristics. The main results indicated that yerba mate showed good compatibility with the polyurethane system, probably because its available hydroxyl groups reacted with isocyanate groups to form urethane bonds, producing increases in mechanical and thermal properties. However, pine seed shell did not appear to be compatible. Anisotropy increased slightly, as there was an increase in the percentage of reinforcement. The mechanical properties of the yerba mate reinforced foams proved stable, while there was a loss of overall up to ~50% for all mechanical properties in those reinforced with pine seed shell. Thermal properties were improved up to ~40% for the yerba mate reinforced foams, while those reinforced with pine nuts were stable. It was possible to observe a decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg) of ~−5 °C for the yerba mate reinforced foams and ~−14 °C for the pine seed shell reinforced ones.

This article presents an innovative approach to the flame retardancy of rigid polyurethane foams using natural waste in the form of buckwheat hulls in combination with an inorganic additive—perlite. A series of tests were presented in which various contents of flame-retardant additives were used. Based on the test results, it was found that the addition of the buckwheat hull/perlite system affected the physical and mechanical properties of the obtained foams, i.e., apparent density, impact strength, and compressive and flexural strength. The structure of the system had also changed, directly affecting the hydrophobic properties of the foams. In addition, it was observed that the addition of buckwheat hull/perlite modifiers improved the burning behavior of composite foams.

Aluminum honeycomb structures are used in the construction of protective materials due to the positive relationship between their mass and their energy-absorbing properties. Applying such materials in the construction of large machinery, such as military vehicles, requires the development of a new method of finite element modeling, one that considers conditions with high strain rates, because a material model is currently lacking in the available simulation software, including LS-DYNA. In the present study, we proposed and verified a method of numerically modeling honeycomb materials using a simplified Y element. Results with a good level of agreement between the full core model and the Y element were achieved. The obtained description of the material properties was used in the subsequent creation of a homogeneous model. In addition, we considered the influence of increases in pressure and the leakage of the air entrapped in the honeycomb cells. As a result, we were able to attain a high level of accuracy regarding the stress values across the entire range of progressive failure, from the loss of stability to full core densification, and across a wide range of strain rates.

Artykuł podejmuje problematykę wpływu regulacji prawnych dotyczących zapobiegania, przeciwdziałania i zwalczania COVID-19, obowiązujących według stanu prawnego na dzień 24 listopada 2020 r., na sektor transportu kolejowego w Polsce, w tym prowadzenie działalności i uzyskiwanie uprawnień przez przedsiębiorstwa kolejowe. Analizą objęto w szczególności rozwiązania instytucjonalno-prawne zawarte w przepisach rozporządzenia wprowadzającego ograniczenia w związku z wystąpieniem stanu epidemii oraz w odpowiednich ustawach.

Celem artykułu jest omówienie wyroku TSUE z 10 lipca 2019 r. w sprawie C–210/18 WESTbahn Management GmbH. W analizowanym wyroku Trybunał stwierdził, że perony pasażerskie, o których mowa w załączniku I do dyrektywy 2012/34/UE w sprawie utworzenia jednolitego europejskiego obszaru kolejowego, są elementem infrastruktury kolejowej, w związku z czym ich użytkowanie wchodzi w zakres minimalnego pakietu dostępu. Zakwalifikowanie infrastruktury peronowej jako elementu infrastruktury kolejowej lub obiektu infrastruktury usługowej ma istotne znaczenie w kontekście zasad pobierania od przewoźników kolejowych opłat za jej udostępnianie oraz ich wysokości, jak również obowiązku zapewnienia sprawiedliwego dostępu do infrastruktury kolejowej.

The presented research deals with the development of the numerical model for resins used for stereolithography (SLA) rapid prototyping. SLA is an additive method of production of models, prototypes, elements or parts of constructions with the use of 3D printing that covers photochemical processes by which light causes chemical monomers to link together to form polymers. Such method is very useful in design visualization, but also can be applied in numerical modelling for the purpose of validation and verifi-cation. In this application the resin strength parameters must be described and on the base of them the numerical material model is developed and validated. Such a study for SLA resins was presented in the paper.

Rigid polyurethane (PU) foams were modified with rowanberry/vermiculite fillers. The impact of fillers on selected properties of composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity, foaming behavior), mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength, toughness), thermal properties (temperature of thermal decomposition stages, char residues at 600°C), flame retardancy (ignition time IT, total heat, and smoke release THR and TSR, maximum average rate of heat emission MARHE) was investigated. The results show that the incorporation of rowanberry/vermiculite fillers improves the properties of polyurethane foams. For instance, compared with the reference foam, modified foams showed increased synthesis times and higher values of apparent density, which then influenced the mechanical properties. Compared to the unmodified foam, modified foams showed an improvement in compressive strength (up to 7.8%, measured parallel to the foam growth direction), flexural strength (up to 5.8%), and toughness (up to 6.8%). Most importantly, the modified foams showed improved thermal stability and flammability parameters such as elongated ignition time, lowered values of THR, TSR, and MARHE parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foundations and the operating framework of the institutions of the European Union and its Member States are determined by legal acts established at the EU level. The legal bases at the EU level contain key standards in the scope of protection of the financial interests of the European Union and are the main determinants for the individual EU countries when their legal institutions create legal bases at the national level. The aim of this article is to present the main legal basis for the protection of the financial interests of the European Union at the EU level, which will help to examine the impact of these provisions on detecting irregularities and fraud in the EU.

Aramid and polyamide cords are used in a wide range of applications, particularly in the automotive industry (tire reinforcement) and textile industry for military and fireguard purposes. The problem of the reliable experimental study of tensile behavior of synthetic cords is considered in this paper. In the available standards for synthetic cord testing, particularly ASTM D 885-03, the tensile test must result with the cord damage in the middle of gauge length, and the cords should be fixed in the machine clamps. The trial test gave damage near the clamps. We propose a novel testing stage mounted in the testing machine clamps to achieve the uniform tensile stress distribution in the gauge length of the measured cords. The results of the deformations were measured in two ways: using testing machine head displacement and a videoextensometer. Stress curves of four distinguished cords were evaluated and compared. The second method allowed to acquire results differing from the manufacturers’ data from 0.7% to 21.5%, which allowed for the conclusion that the designed test stand allows for obtaining reliable results for stretched cords.

Honeycomb aluminum structures are used in energy-absorbing constructions in military, automotive, aerospace and space industries. Especially, the protection against explosives in military vehicles is very important. The paper deals with the study of selected aluminum honeycomb sandwich materials subjected to static and dynamic compressive loading. The used equipment includes: static strength machine, drop hammer and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). The results show the influence of applied strain rate on the strength properties, especially Plateau stress, of the tested material. In each of the discussed cases, an increase in the value of plateau stresses in the entire strain range was noted with an increase in the strain rate, with an average of 10 to 19%. This increase is mostly visible in the final phase of structure destruction, and considering the geometrical parameters of the samples, the plateau stress increase was about 0.3 MPa between samples with the smallest and largest cell size for the SHPB test and about 0.15 MPa for the drop hammer test.

The problem of effective gas extraction from Polish shale rocks is an interesting research subject for scientists. A properly selected proppant, which protects cracks from closing during the fracturing process, inestimably contributes to an increase of extraction. Grains of proppant are transported along with a fracturing medium to reach the deepest regions of the crack. The proper support of the crack provides an easy flow of gas, therefore it is important in terms of extraction efficiency. This paper shows the interactions of a proppant grain with the crack surface in shale rock. FEM analysis was conducted to observe the stress region, which is generated as a result of pressing the grain into the crack surface. A model of a sphere which was pressed into the rock model with constant velocity was applied. The received results of stress depend on material properties and a range of proppant grain pressing.

Shale rocks are geological formations which can be unconventional gas reservoirs. During their interaction with carbon dioxide, which can be used as a fracturing fluid in shale gas recovery process, many phenomena take place that can influence rock structure and mechanical properties. The research on changes in rock structure under super critical carbon dioxide interaction and their influence of shale properties were presented in the paper. The structural tests were carried out with the use of microscopic techniques with different resolutions of visualization. The uniaxial compression test was applied as a mechanical properties’ assessment experiment. As a result of research, some dependence was observed. The bigger decrease was in porosity after infiltration in lower zooms, the bigger increase in porosity in high zooms and mechanical properties was noticed. Keywords: geomechanics, shale rock, carbon dioxide

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This paper aims to compare two ceramic materials available for additive manufacturing (AM) processes—vat photopolymerization (VPP) and material extrusion (MEX)—that result in fully ceramic parts after proper heat treatment. The analysis points out the most significant differences between the structural and mechanical properties and the potential application of each AM technology. The research revealed different behaviors for the specimens obtained via the two mentioned technologies. In the case of MEX, the specimens exhibited similar microstructures before and after heat treatment. The sintering process did not affect the shape of the grains, only their size. For the VPP specimens, directly after the manufacturing process, irregular grain shapes were registered, but after the sintering process, the grains fused, forming a solid structure that made it impossible to outline individual grains and measure their size. The highest compression strength was 168 MPa for the MEX specimens and 81 MPa for the VPP specimens. While the VPP specimens had half the compression strength, the results for the VPP specimens were significantly more repeatable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fireproof fabrics are commonly used for protection of fireguards. Such materials must be characterized by improved heat resistance, especially to radiation and flame. In this paper, fireproof fabric (NATAN and PROTON—trademark names) was covered with Ti-Si-N nanocomposite reflective coating using magnetron sputtering. The fabrics were subjected to heat radiation of heat flux density from 0.615 to 2.525 kW/m2. A testing stage equipped with a heat source, thermal imaging camera and thermocouples was used. Two variants of the coatings were studied: Ti-Si and (Ti,Si)N considering different thicknesses of layers. The temperature increment and time to reach the pain threshold (60 °C) which corresponds approximately to a 2nd-degree burn according to Henriques criterion were analyzed. In addition, the microstructural analysis of the samples using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) system was performed. The improvement of heat resistance showed for Ti-Si-coated PROTON and NATAN for all tested heat flux densities. Time to reach 60 °C for PROTON fabric increased maximally from 11.23 s (without coating) to 13.13 s (Ti-Si coating) for heat flux density of 0.615 kW/m2 and for NATAN—maximally from 7.76 s (without coating) to 11.30 s (Ti-Si coating) for the same heat flux density.

Polyurethane (PUR) composites reinforced with 1, 2, and 5 wt.% of apricot filler modified with casein were synthesized in the following study. The impact of 1, 2, and 5 wt.% of casein/apricot filler on the cellular structure and physico-mechanical performances of reinforced PUR composites were determined. It was found that the incorporation of 1 and 2 wt.% of casein/apricot filler resulted in the production of PUR composites with improved selected physical, thermal, and mechanical properties, while the addition of 5 wt.% of casein/apricot filler led to some deterioration of their physico-mechanical performance. The best results were obtained for PUR composites reinforced with 2 wt.% of casein/apricot filler. Those composites were characterized by a uniform structure and a high content of closed cells. Compared with the reference foam, the incorporation of 2 wt.% of casein/apricot filler resulted in improvement in compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength, and dynamic mechanical properties—such as glass transition temperature and storage modulus. Most importantly, PUR composites showed better fire resistance and thermal stability due to the good thermal performance of casein. The main aim of this article is to determine the influence of the natural combination of the apricot filler and casein on the mechanical properties and flammability of the obtained composites.

The subject of the research was the production of silsesquioxane modified rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams (POSS-Cl) with chlorine functional groups (chlorobenzyl, chloropropyl, chlorobenzylethyl) characterized by reduced flammability. The foams were prepared in a one-step additive polymerization reaction of isocyanates with polyols, and the POSS modifier was added to the reaction system in an amount of 2 wt.% polyol. The influence of POSS was analyzed by performing a series of tests, such as determination of the kinetics of foam growth, determination of apparent density, and structure analysis. Compressive strength, three-point bending strength, hardness, and shape stability at reduced and elevated temperatures were tested, and the hydrophobicity of the surface was determined. The most important measurement was the determination of the thermal stability (TGA) and the flammability of the modified systems using a cone calorimeter. The obtained results, after comparing with the results for unmodified foam, showed a large influence of POSS modifiers on the functional properties, especially thermal and fire-retardant, of the obtained PUR-POSS-Cl systems.

Hydraulic fracturing of rocks boosts the production rate by increasing the fracture-face surface area through the use of a pressurized liquid. Complex stress distribution and magnitude are the main factors that hinder the use of information gathered from in situ hydraulic fracturing in other locations. Laboratory tests are a good method for precisely determining the characteristics of these processes. One of the most important parameters is breakdown pressure, defined as the wellbore pressure necessary to induce a hydraulic fracture. Therefore, the main purpose of this investigation is to verify fracture resistance of rock samples fractured with the assistance of the most popular industry fluids. The experiments were carried out using a stand designed specifically for laboratory hydraulic fracturing. Repeatable results with a relative error within the range of 6-11% prove that the experimental methodology was correct. Moreover, the obtained results show that fracturing pressure depends significantly on fluid type. In the case of a water test, the fracturing pressure was 7.1±0.4MPa. A similar result was achieved for slickwater, 7.5±0.7MPa; however, a much lower value (4.7±0.5MPa) was registered in the case of carbon dioxide.

Polyurethane (PUR) composites were modified with 2 wt.% of lavender fillers functionalized with kaolinite (K) and hydroxyapatite (HA). The impact of lavender fillers on selected properties of PUR composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity, foaming behavior), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength), insulation properties (thermal conductivity), thermal characteristic (temperature of thermal decomposition stages), flame retardancy (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, heat peak release) and performance properties (water uptake, contact angle) was investigated. Among all modified types of PUR composites, the greatest improvement was observed for PUR composites filled with lavender fillers functionalized with kaolinite and hydroxyapatite. For example, on the addition of functionalized lavender fillers, the compressive strength was enhanced by ~16–18%, flexural strength by ~9–12%, and impact strength by ~7%. Due to the functionalization of lavender filler with thermally stable flame retardant compounds, such modified PUR composites were characterized by higher temperatures of thermal decomposition. Most importantly, PUR composites filled with flame retardant compounds exhibited improved flame resistance characteristics—in both cases, the value of peak heat release was reduced by ~50%, while the value of total smoke release was reduced by ~30%.

Stereolithography (SLA) is an additive manufacturing process based on the photocuring of resins with the use of UV light. The printed samples can be used not only for the visualization of structures, but also to develop elements of real constructions. In the study, SLA-printed samples made of Formlabs’ Durable Resin were tested in static, dynamic, and Hopkinson’s bar tests. The recommended UV and heat curing time for this resin is 60 min for each process. For the tests, 5-minute and 30-min curing times were also considered. The obtained stress-strain curves were compared. The resin showed a difference in response to the strain rate effect and a curing time influence was noticed. For the static tests, the post-curing time had the greatest effect with a very small standard deviation. For the dynamic tests, similar dependencies were observed but with a greater standard deviation. The tests at very high strain rates were associated with a much greater level of difficulty in execution, recording, and signal analyzing, and the influence of the exposure time on the mechanical properties was not straightforward. The tested resin showed strengthening with increases in the strain rate as well as in the curing time.