...Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The world population is living, working, vacationing, increasingly mixing along the coasts, and standing on the front row of the greatest, most extraordinary, plastic waste tide ever faced. Washed out on the coasts in obvious and clearly visible form, the plastic pollution display obviously seen on the beaches is only the preface of the greater story that unfolded further away in the world’s oceans, yet mostly originating from where people stand: the land. In 2008, our global plastic consumption worldwide has been estimated at 260 million tons, and, according to a 2012 report by Global Industry Analysts, plastic consumption is to reach 297.5 million tons by 2015. Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong, and relatively inexpensive. Those are the attractive qualities that lead us, around the world, to such a voracious appetite and over-consumption of plastic goods. However, durable and very slow to degrade, plastic materials that are used in the production of so many products all, ultimately, become waste with staying power. Our tremendous attraction to plastic, coupled with an undeniable behavioral propensity of increasingly over-consuming, discarding, littering and thus polluting, has become a combination of lethal nature. Plastic bags are in use by consumers worldwide since the 1960’s, (Mc Kinley, 2010). These bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. Open bags with...
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...Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Faculty of Engineering EMM 5977 Independent Study Lecturer: Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Nor Mariah Adam Name Lai Jee Inn Matrik No. GS 42146 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT Review on How to Improve the Efficiency of the Rechargeable Batteries-Lithium Batteries Lai Jee Inn GS42146 ABSTRACT Batteries are playing important role in our life especially in this high technology era. Laptop, mobile phone, camera and otherwise are using battery to make it to function. In order to improve the efficiency the batteries, several methods are discussed in this paper. INTRODUCTION In this advanced technology era, batteries have been commonly used by the consumers. We use them in different fields like cars, mobile phone, laptop and other else. (Hiroki Kitamura, 2012).Batteries is divided into two main groups which are primary and secondary batteries. (Clean Up Australia, 2009) Primary batteries are the batteries that normally use in dairy life such as remote control, clock but for this kind of batteries is a non rechargeable battery which means that we only can use it for one time and will be throw away after used. This kind of batteries is actually converting the chemical energy to electrical energy and they are normally known as the alkaline batteries. Secondary batteries are batteries that can be rechargeable and recycle after it cannot be recharge. This batteries mostly use for our mobile phone, laptop and other. Although...
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...waste deposits. Only a small quantity is disposed of in appropriate places. A city like São Paulo spends, per day, US$ 300,000 with waste. According to the Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas – IPT (Institute of Technological Research), only few municipalities have specific teams and public policies engaged in dealing with the waste. When it is not treated, waste becomes a serious sanitary problem, since it exposes the community to illnesses like diarrhea, amebiasis, and parasitosis, apart from contaminating the soil, waters and water tables. Among solutions, there are the creation of sanitary landfills in appropriate places, adoption of selective collecting and recycling programs, conducting of campaigns with the aim of both making society conscious about the problem and demanding a greater participation of government authorities (Editora Abril, 2002). The manufacturing of biodegradable material offers an interesting solution for plastic materials. Like it happens with organic residues, such as foodstuff, elimination of biodegradable materials is not automatic and is considered as a recycling process by many experts. Biodegradable materials go through a composting process, for the obtaining of a stable compound, considered the final product of recycling. The bioplastics found in the market are made mainly from starch. Starch-based bioplastics represent from 85% to 90% of market’s bioplastics (Bastioli, 2000). Among starch...
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...available evidence to gather and present data from secondary sources and analyse progress in the recent development and use of a named biopolymer. This analysis should name the specific enzyme(s) used or organism used to synthesise the material and an evaluation of the use or potential use of the polymer produced related to its properties. a) Name a biopolymer (eg. Biopol) outlining how it’s produced. Biopol: Made in the 1960s In an American company. This biopolymer is a PHA and is produced industrially by growing it in tanks with bacteria such as Alcaligenes eutrophus along with a carbon based food source. It is then isolated from the tank to be purified by various methods such as dissolving the PHB in trichloromethane and then removing all its waste to create Biopol. b) Construct a table, relating its uses/possible uses to its properties. Uses Properties related Act as a carrier for slowly releasing insecticides and herbicides and fertilizers Biodegradable – able to break down in the natural environment Use as containers for plastics as well as shampoo containers and cosmetics insoluble in water and relatively high tensile strength Medical applications Biocompatibility and biodegradable Non toxic c) Evaluate the importance of this biopolymer now and its potential for use in the future based on part b. Biopol is quite an important biopolymer as a future resource because firstly, there have been attempt to make this product more economically by genetic engineering. It’s...
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...http://www.kewpid.com 1. Fossil fuels provide both energy and raw materials such as ethylene, for the production of other substances 1) Construct word and balanced chemical equations of chemical reactions as they are encountered • Methane + oxygen carbon dioxide + water • CH4(g) + 2O2(g) CO2(g) + 2H2O(l) 2) Identify the industrial source of ethylene from the cracking of some of the fractions from refining of petroleum Generally, demand for petrol exceeds supply produced from fractional distillation of crude oil. Thus, oil refineries increase the proportion of the desired hydrocarbon (ie ethylene) by converting lower demand fractions. This process is called catalytic cracking. Catalytic Cracking: process where high molecular weight fractions from crude oil are broken into lower molecular weight compounds. 3) Identify that ethylene, because of the high reactivity of its double bond, is readily transformed into many suitable products The two bonds of ethylene are not identical. The second bond (pi-bond) is weaker than the first bond (sigma-bond). Thus, only a small amount of energy is needed to enter the system in order to convert a double bond into a single bond. This results in ethylene’s high reactivity. 4) Identify that ethylene serves as a monomer from which polymers are made • • • Ethylene is polymerised to polyethylene High pressures produce soft, low density polyethylene, consisting of tangled chains (with molecular masses 100,000) 5) Identify polyethylene as an addition...
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...Corn, the Misunderstood Miracle Grass Corn, the Misunderstood Miracle Grass From the ancient Mayan culture to colonization of America to modern society, Corn has been a large part of many cultures. In Mayan Corn was such an important crop to them that they actually gave sacrifices to ensure that the Corn crops came out with abundance. With all of the changing it has done many do not understand that Corn is actually a grass and a sophisticated one at that. Corn has adapted itself to many environments and has changed forms dramatically over decades of being grown. Although Corn has advanced many times over, it still requires human intervention. Corn has been so much more than just food for people. From creating food for the livestock we grow and eat to being used in many everyday products from medicines down to the rubber in tires and gas in cars. While for many years Corn was thought to be just another vegetable Corn is actually grass that has evolved many different ways, been implemented in many products, and has become a part of everyday life. Corn has many points where evolution has taken its role in the Corn we know today (Omnivores Dilemma P. 37-38). The structure of Corn has been a crucial factor for its survival. The structure of Corn cannot be weak and flimsy; it has to withstand harsh weather, plowing, birds, and or insects. Many times Corn can adjust itself to the different climates whether there is abundance of water or lack thereof. “Like a giant wick, a growing...
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...Environmental assessment of bio-based polymers and natural fibres Dr. Martin Patel*), Dr. Catia Bastioli**), Dr. Luigi Marini**), Dipl.-Geoökol. Eduard Würdinger***) *) Utrecht University, Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS), Copernicus Institute, Padualaan 14, NL-3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands; Phone: +31 30 253 7634; Fax: +31 30 253 7601; E-mail: m.patel@chem.uu.nl **) Novamont, Via Fauser 8, I-28100 Novara, Italy; Phone: +39 0321 699 611; Fax: +39 0321 699 600; E-mail: bastioli@materbi.com, marini@materbi.com ***) BIFA (Bavarian Institute of Applied Environmental Research and Technology), Am Mittleren Moos 46, D-86167 Augsburg, Germany; Phone: +49 821 7000-181; Fax: +49 821 7000-100; Email: ewuerdinger@bifa.de Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 2. HISTORICAL OUTLINE 3. METHODOLOGY OF LCA 4. PRESENTATION OF COMPARATIVE DATA 4.1 STARCH POLYMERS 4.1.1 Starch polymer pellets 4.1.2 Starch polymer loose fills 4.1.3 Starch polymer films and bags 4.1.4 Starch nanoparticles as fillers in tyres 4.2 POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES (PHA) 4.3 POLYLACTIDES (PLA) 4.4 OTHER POLYMERS BASED ON RENEWABLE RESOURCES 4.5 NATURAL FIBRES 5. SUMMARISING COMPARISON 6. DISCUSSION 7. CONCLUSIONS 7.1 7.2 SUMMARY AND FURTHER ELABORATION OF FINDINGS OUTLOOK AND PERSPECTIVES 8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 9. REFERENCES ANNEX 1: OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE CYCLE COMPARISONS FOR BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW ANNEX 2:...
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...the same but in a much bigger or smaller ways. From self cleaning windows, smart foods, cheap and efficient energy, smart surfaces, faster computers, to changing our basic human appearance and the chance to clean up our world from toxic waste. Nanotechnology is not the yellow brick road leading us to a perfect utopian society. With the power to create at an atomic level in our hands, we will also have that same power to destroy. Future safe guards must be put in place to help us avoid manufacturing ourselves right out of existence. FOOD/FARMING/FOOD PRODUCTION The next areas will address what the possible near future will hold in the arena of farming, the types of foods that will be available and the methods that farmers will use to get the most out of their efforts. NANO-FARMING It has been a long term goal of farmers all over the world to get the most out of their farms while putting the least into them. Over the last decade, nanotechnology has played a major role in helping farmers achieve those goals. That methodology of incorporating nanotechnology in agriculture has been widely adopted in Europe, Japan and the USA under the title of Controlled Environment Agriculture. (Joseph & Morrison, 2006) The process of delivering pesticides and herbicides in the past has been through broadcast spray dispersal or time...
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...International Paper: Combining Industry and Social Responsibility Marketing 406 Roosevelt University December 6, 2014 Natalie Mierzynska, Sujatha Lekshmivaragan, Dmitry Rozental, Ebuka Nkwonta Table of Contents Background 2 Objectives 4 Procedures 4 Summary of Findings 4 Detailed Findings 6 Defying Common Criticisms 6 Integrating Sustainability Principles 8 “Greening” and Beyond 11 Enlightened Marketing 14 Social Responsibility & Financial Success 15 Conclusion 16 Works Cited 18 Background International Paper (IP) is the global leader in the production and distribution of paper and packaging products (Internationalpaper.com). It was founded more than 110 years ago, and produces products that we use every day including various types of paper, consumer packaging, pulp, recycling, and industrial packaging. The company’s stock symbol is IP, and a share of IP stock currently sells at around $53/share. IP is currently headquartered in Memphis Tennessee, and employs over 62,000 people (Kotler & Armstrong, 607). Last year, the company sold over $26 billion worth of product, placing it 111th on the Fortune 500. From a consumer perspective, when a multi-billion dollar producer of paper and packaging products comes to mind, we automatically assume that the company produces a large amount of pollution and destroys forests all over the world. However, International Paper prides itself on being on top of Fortune Magazine’s “Most...
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...what mainly causes any dry eye symptom1. Tear film is made up of a complex mixture of several glands and consists of three layers; the superficial lipid layer (the outermost layer), the aqueous layer (middle layer) and the mucous layer (inner layer) 2. The lipid layer is secreted by the meibomian gland and is made up of cholesterol esters, and low polarity lipids2. This layer floats on top of the aqueous layer just like oil on water2. The middle aqueous layer is secreted by the lacrimal gland proper and the accessory lacrimal glands of Wolfring and Krause2. It floats on a mucin layer which is secreted mainly by conjunctival goblet cells2. The aqueous layer makes up most of the tear film and consists of tear fluid that is made up of many biopolymers such as proteins and is also made up of urea, glucose, ions of inorganic salts2. The mucous layer is an extremely thin layer, mainly a mucous coat of superficial epithelium and is highly vital for the role it plays towards the stability of the tear film2. All these layers form a complex mixture that bathes the cornea and conjunctiva as a source of moisture1. If there is any change to the components due to disease, then there is a possibility for a dry eye symptom to develop1. The aetiology of Sjogrens Syndrome is largely obscure6. A viral aetiology has been suspected for the induction of Sjogrens Syndrome, but no definite conclusion has so far been drawn6. Genetics have also been thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease...
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...Systems Research and Behavioral Science Syst. Res. 15, 365–372 (1998) & Research Paper Evolution and Thermodynamics: The New Paradigm{ Jeffrey S. Wicken* Department of Biochemistry, Penn State University, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA This paper introduces the new evolutionary paradigm born of the synthesis of Darwinism and thermodynamics. It also introduces this volume, whose theme is the integration of life and social process with physical law. The sense of this expansion is as follows: Darwinism has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, from several fields. These range from statistical mechanics to developmental biology. In this paper, I will discuss the direction the revision of the Darwinian program is taking through thermodynamics, which is the science of irreversible process and self-organization. My objective is to show the coherence of life with the rest of nature. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Keywords evolution; emergence; thermodynamics INTRODUCTION Evolutionary theory is presently undergoing the kind of massive conceptual restructuring that marked the two great scientific revolutions of our century: relativity and quantum mechanics. Like those two revolutions, the one occurring in evolutionary theory has tremendous practical and epistemological implications for understanding, and dealing with, nature. Much is dissonant in the Darwinian world. The ecological relationality of life had, from the time of Aristotle, suggested a functional order of nature...
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...Front. Mech. Eng. 2013, 8(3): 215–243 DOI 10.1007/s11465-013-0248-8 REVIEW ARTICLE Nannan GUO, Ming C. LEU Additive manufacturing: technology, applications and research needs © Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been researched and developed for more than 20 years. Rather than removing materials, AM processes make three-dimensional parts directly from CAD models by adding materials layer by layer, offering the beneficial ability to build parts with geometric and material complexities that could not be produced by subtractive manufacturing processes. Through intensive research over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the development and commercialization of new and innovative AM processes, as well as numerous practical applications in aerospace, automotive, biomedical, energy and other fields. This paper reviews the main processes, materials and applications of the current AM technology and presents future research needs for this technology. Keywords additive manufacturing (AM), AM processes, AM materials, AM applications 1 Introduction The ASTM F42 Technical Committee defines additive manufacturing (AM) as the “process of joining materials to make objects from three-dimensional (3D) model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies” [1]. It is also known as additive fabrication, additive processes, direct digital...
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...Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan Received 22 November 2007; received in revised form 31 December 2007; accepted 31 December 2007 Available online 26 January 2008 Abstract Lack of degradability and the closing of landfill sites as well as growing water and land pollution problems have led to concern about plastics. With the excessive use of plastics and increasing pressure being placed on capacities available for plastic waste disposal, the need for biodegradable plastics and biodegradation of plastic wastes has assumed increasing importance in the last few years. Awareness of the waste problem and its impact on the environment has awakened new interest in the area of degradable polymers. The interest in environmental issues is growing and there are increasing demands to develop material which do not burden the environment significantly. Biodegradation is necessary for water-soluble or water-immiscible polymers because they eventually enter streams which can neither be recycled nor incinerated. It is important to consider the microbial degradation of natural and synthetic polymers in order to understand what is necessary for biodegradation and the mechanisms involved. This requires understanding of the interactions between materials and microorganisms and the biochemical changes involved. Widespread studies on the biodegradation of plastics have been carried out in order to overcome the environmental problems associated with synthetic plastic waste. This paper...
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...Definition of biometals A group of chemical elements that are needed in minute quantities for the proper growth, development, and physiology of an organism. The term Biometal refers to the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry and medicine. The metals copper, zinc, iron and manganese are examples of metals that are essential for the normal functioning of the body. It is also a term used to describe a living machine. Definition of bioceramics An advanced ceramic used to create components suitable for use or replacement in the human body. Biocompatible or osteoinductive (stimulating bone growth) ceramic material, such as hydroxyapatite or some other type of calcium phosphate ceramic, used for reconstructive bone surgery and dental implants. Definition of biosemiconductor The biosemiconductor, together with the drift of charges, ions, and radicals, may be considered as a form of "bioplasma". Bioplasma may be subject to magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) control. The EM fields emitted by trained healers may be considered as coherent, resonant biomagnetic emissions by which a less coherent EM field of the patient is "tuned" to the specific frequency and phase, and through which homeostasis can be "aligned" to induce "healing". Definition of bioelectronics The application of electronic theories and techniques to the problems of biology. The use of biotechnology in electronic devices such as biosensors, molecular electronics, and neuronal interfaces; more speculatively, the use...
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...ANALYSIS OF FOOD PRODUCTS FOOD SCIENCE 581 Instructor Prof. D. Julian McClements Room 238, Chenoweth Lab Tel: 545 1019 Email: mcclements@foodsci.umass.edu Course Description Food products are analyzed for a variety of reasons, e.g., compliance with legal and labeling requirements, assessment of product quality, determination of nutritive value, detection of adulteration, research and development. The lectures will cover the basic principles of analytical procedures and techniques commonly used to provide information about the chemical composition, structure and physical properties of food materials. The aim of the laboratory classes is to give students experience in performing food analysis experiments, analyzing data and reporting their findings. In addition, students are expected to work in teams on a special project where they will identify and critically assess the most appropriate analytical methods for analyzing the properties of a particular food product. [4 Credits]. Textbooks * Introduction to Food Analysis. S.S. Nielsen, 1998. Aspen Publishers - The best general overview of food analysis techniques currently available. (Required). * Food Analysis: Theory and Practice. Y. Pomeranz and C.E. Meloan, Chapman and Hall - General overview of food analysis techniques (Useful) * Food Analysis: Principles and Techniques. D.W. Gruenwedel and J.R. Whitaker, Marcel Dekker - General overview of food analysis techniques (Useful) * Analytical Chemistry of Foods...
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