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Among the environmental issues, plastic waste is one of the most significant problems, and thus, searching for ways to solve it is critical. In the present work, a green process is proposed for synthesizing RGO nanosheets from recycled plastic waste for efficient supercapacitor applications. The suggested approach consists of the transformation of plastic waste into GO using a direct and reproducible strategy and then the transformation of GO to RGO via an eco-friendly reducing agent. The synthesized RGO nanosheets possessed desirable electrochemical characteristics such as a specific capacitance of 104F/g at 0.5A/g, 90% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles, and good rate capability. The RGO nanosheets were further employed as electrode materials for the supercapacitor devices which has been evidenced with high energy density and power density. Physical properties have been characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope have clearly observed the structure and the morphology of Graphene nanosheets has been established. The electrochemical properties of RGO have been examined and demonstrated to be regular. The proposed structure exhibits a nearly rectangular shape within the range of the potential window, conforming to the standard characteristics of an ideal capacitor. The findings of this study represent a viable and techno-economically feasible strategy to address the global issue of plastic waste and generate high-value graphene materials for energy storage technologies.

The difficulty of recycling and low photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light significantly limit the use of nano-TiO₂ in water pollution control. In this work, Bucky papers (BPs), which play a vital role for adsorption of pollutants and transfer of electrons, are introduced as substrates to fabricate and anchor TiO₂ nanorods by a facile hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic properties of the TiO₂ and BP composites (TiO₂@BP) are studied by photodegrading methylene blue in water solutions. It is found that TiO₂@BP possesses four times photocatalytic efficiency for methylene blue of TiO₂@Si under ultraviolet light irradiation and 10 times under visible light irradiation. This is considered to be attributed to the synergic effect of TiO₂@BP system and surface defects of TiO₂ nanorods. The TiO₂@BP also shows a stable photocatalytic property even after five cyclic photocatalytic degradation. This study indicates that TiO₂@BP is a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications, which provides a reference for further research on synthesis of reusable photocatalysts with higher efficiency.

Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon in which oscillations occur around an equilibrium point. In addition, the used and waste-cutting inserts create a great problem for the industry; therefore, these inserts constitute a problem to be solved in terms of both recycling and waste costs. The aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between vibration process parameters, formed during deep rolling, and surface roughness, micro-hardness with the using of the waste CBN inserts. For this, in total, 27 experiments in total were conducted with the help of a specially designed tool holder after parameters had been selected. The surface roughness, micro-hardness and vibration values of the specimens that were applied deep rolling were measured and the correlation between these values was investigated. When deep rolling was applied to the workpieces with used and waste CBN inserts, it was seen that the waste CBN inserts could be used in deep rolling and that the surface roughness improved and the surface hardness increased. In addition, it was seen that with the increase of the number of passes and rolling forces, the micro-hardness increased, and that feed rate, the number of passes and rolling forces had the biggest effect on vibration, respectively.

The following topics are under this section:

• Repurposing of Waste
• Brain Tumours: Identifying Patients for Targeted Therapy
• Metabolic Imaging

Recent developments in the field of manufacturing techniques and alloy development of light materials are reviewed. In the field of manufacturing Aluminium based components, special attention is given to casting, including liquid forging and semi-solid forming technology while for sheet metal forming technology the focus is on material properties and process technology in superplastic forming. For the manufacturing of Magnesium-based components, special attention is given to casting processes and alloy development for casting. For wrought Magnesium, material properties control is covered. For Titanium-based components, an overview of the latest additions to high strength alloys are given, including non-linear elasticity as demonstrated by materials like GUM Metal™. Advanced forming technology such as Levi Casting are also treated.

Protection of environment from industrialization and urbanization waste is the prime duty of engineers and researchers. Elimination of industrial waste completely is not possible because it is generally a byproduct of the process. It can be minimized by recycling or reusing. In this research, waste slag generated by steel plant is recycled as a useful flux for submerged arc welding. It is found that recycled slag is capable of producing acceptable weld bead geometry. The penetration achieved using recycled slag is 7.897mm, which is more than the penetration obtained using fresh flux, i.e. 6.027mm. The reinforcement produced by recycled slag is 2.632mm, which is close to the reinforcement obtained using fresh flux. It is further observed that chemistry of weld metal deposited using recycled slag is also at par with that of weld metal produced using fresh original flux. The amount of carbon present in weld metal produced by recycled slag is 0.15%, which is comparable to the percentage of carbon present in weld metal produced using fresh flux. The microstructure and microhardness obtained using recycled slag are also comparable with the microstructure and microhardness obtained using fresh flux. This research established the feasibility of recycling slag as a flux required for submerged arc welding process.

This research paper recognizes the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and firm reputation. The researcher collected the data from 239 fast moving consumer goods enterprises located in the industrial area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The CSR practices are measured by recycling of products, green purchasing, environmental awareness/protection programs, and direct support to the community. This research adopts a simultaneous regression technique to test hypotheses. The results show that CSR practices have a strong positive relationship with enterprise reputation. Meanwhile, direct support to community and environmental protection programs have a greater positive effect on firms’ reputation as compared to green purchasing and recycling of products. In addition, CSR practices arouse sympathy in consumers’ minds, which translates into repeat buying of products.

In this paper, we present a multi-criteria optimization model of a disassembly-to-order system to determine the best combination of the number of each product type to be taken back at the end-of-life and disassembled to meet the demand for items and materials retrieved from them under a variety of physical, financial and environmental constrains so as to achieve the preemptive goals of maximum total profit, maximum sales from materials, minimum number of disposed items, minimum number of stored items, minimum cost of disposal and minimum cost of preparation, in that order. When solved, the model provides the number of reused, recycled, stored and disposed items as well as the values of a host of other performance measures. A case example is presented to illustrate the model's implementation.

A restriction of the use of lead in electronics can be expected. Conductive adhesives are able to replace the lead containing solder. The alternative joining technology should not only replace lead, debonding of the connection must be possible for the purpose of repair and recycling, too. Possible methods for debonding are described as well as requirements of environmentally friendly adhesively bonded electronics.

This paper reviews the problems that many electronics manufacturers are facing in a society of rules and regulations that are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. The effect of electronics assembly, disassembly, and disposal on the environment is reviewed, and the potential hazards of continuing the present trends in electronics parts disposal is discussed. The paper contains a comprehensive survey of previous works related to environmentally conscious manufacturing practices, recycling, and the complexities of disassembly in the electronics industry. Interest in this area has intensified in recent years due to an increased awareness of the problem in a world of high technology where electronic products dominate. Industrial applications of recycling programs are presented and existing methodologies and evaluation systems are discussed. In order to promote and support this new environmental ethic in electronics assembly and disassembly, the need for improved methods of electronics reuse, minimization of life-cycle scrap, development of planning tools, and an increase in research activity in this area are also highlighted.

Since European and national legislation is shifting responsibility for discarded products more and more to the producer, the need for efficient tools to evaluate and improve products with regard to their environmental impact is increasing. In this paper, the results of a beneficial cooperation between industry and university in the area of environmental evaluation and optimization of products is presented. The developed Design for Environment (DFE) tool "Green Design Advisor" (GDA) is currently implemented as a best practice DFE-tool into industry. As the knowledge about the end-of-life behavior of a product is essential for the environmental evaluation, a specific method for the end-of-life simulation is an important issue of the paper. Furthermore, the integration and enlargement of this end-of-life related evaluation into a DFE-method is described. The resulting tool also includes features to detect environmental product design weaknesses, by using special characteristic values that have been developed. Those allow, along with a tailored integrated optimization sequence, the efficient use of the software to achieve significant design improvements.

Increasing population and individual wealth have led to a higher demand for energy and raw material resources as well as for steady improvement of processing technology in view of efficient use of resources and avoiding emissions in production and recycling processes. Present situation and future trend of recycling processing are discussed by examples from the aluminium and steel industries, recycling of cars and post-consumer municipal recovery. The importance of more intense observance of thermodynamic laws and of a 4E strategy "Economy, Energy, Environment and Education" is outlined.

The aim of this work is to investigate the potential for lower cost production of Ca-α-SiAlON materials. In order to reduce the costs typically associated with the production of these materials, we have investigated Reaction Bonding (RB) as an alternative processing route, as well as alternative raw materials for the source of calcium by recycling waste mussel shells from the New Zealand aquaculture industry. Full transformation to Ca-α-SiAlON was achieved at 1400°C in the reaction bonded materials, whereas the conventional silicon nitride based materials required temperatures of 1800°C to achieve full transformation. The relative density of the sintered samples was low but, as a production route for SiALON powders or for materials for low tech applications, the reaction bonding / mussel shell combination offers significant cost benefits.

Effects of water absorption on the flexural properties of kenaf-unsaturated polyester composites and kenaf/recycled jute-unsaturated polyester composites were investigated. In the hybrid composites, the total fiber content was fixed to 20 wt%. In this 20 wt%, the addition of jute fiber varied from 0 to 75%, with increment of 25%. The result demonstrates the water absorption and the thickness swelling increased with increase in immersion time. Effects of water absorption on flexural properties of kenaf fiber composites can be reduced significantly with incorporation of recycled jute in composites formulation. The process of absorption of water was found to approach Fickian diffusion behavior for both kenaf composites and hybrid composites.

Composting using earthworms provides an opportunity to recycle and valorise food wastes that too often are carelessly neglected as a resource and considered simply in terms of disposal options. This chapter describes the process and technology associated with providing a high-quality fertility amendment that has remarkable biostimulant effects on the growth and quality of food crops. We review the knowledge base and the practicalities of vermicomposting, using the results from scientific studies that show the benefits that can be achieved with the help of composting earthworms. Vermicomposting is cheap, time-proven, well evidenced, requires minimal upkeep and maintenance, and provides a renewable product that is effectively safety-assured. Vermicomposting offers a solution to food waste that complements waste minimisation. Large-scale management of organic waste including food waste by vermicomposting is also quite feasible. On a small and local scale, vermicomposting tackles major food waste problems at the source, providing engagement between people, science, nature, and the circular economy. Vermicomposting improves public awareness of food waste management, providing contemporary environmental kudos for urban citizens.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) production generates over 10 million tonnes of herb residues annually, contributing to disposal challenges, environmental pollution, and wasted resources if proper management is not implemented. TCM residues have carbon-rich structures and abundant lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, bioactive compounds, and antibacterial compounds, which can be used to produce pharmaceuticals, biofuel, biochar, and organic fertiliser. Thus, TCM residues have potential applications in agriculture, fisheries, energy production, environmental remediation, food, and pharmaceutical industries. In this chapter, existing challenges and potential pathways for valorising TCM residues are discussed. It is suggested that TCM enterprises should establish a sustainable circular economy via the rational utilisation of herb residues, which will alleviate environmental pollution and provide valuable by-products.

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA), located in southern New Jersey, is responsible for treating and managing waste in Atlantic County. At both its solid waste facility (Egg Harbor Township) and wastewater treatment facility (Atlantic City), the ACUA has successfully implemented initiatives including renewable energy projects to reduce emissions. These projects have also saved the Authority money. ACUA’s ability to carry out these projects as a government entity demonstrate that opportunities are available for businesses of all types to have an impact.

With advantages like reducing pollution, conserving resources and energy, recycling is an important solution for waste management. The goal of recycling is to use materials again. However, for recycling to be commercially viable, the effects it has on the properties of materials have to be understood and reviewed. In the present study, the effect of recycling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a metal matrix composite is being investigated. A magnesium-silicon carbide composite was successfully synthesized and recycled using an innovative disintegrated melt deposition technique. Microstructural characterization studies conducted on the original and recycled composites in the extruded condition using optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed marginal decrease in porosity and no significant change in grain morphology, distribution of reinforcement and interfacial integrity between matrix and reinforcement. Mechanical properties characterization conducted using a servohydraulic Instron machine revealed no change in elastic modulus, and a marginal increase in 0.2% yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and ductility. The results of the mechanical properties were then rationalized in terms of the microstructural characteristics associated with the composite samples. An attempt was also made in rationalizing the variations in microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties with the recycling of the composite.

Given the limited natural resources and the ever increasing demand for energy and materials, along with accumulating waste has forced us to think about recycling as a solution. However, a constraint is the change in physical, chemical and mechanical properties associated with recycling. Understanding the factors that influence the properties of materials after recycling presents quite a challenge. The present study is undertaken to investigate the effect of recycling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a metal matrix composite. An aluminum-based metallic matrix was successfully reinforced with silicon carbide using an innovative disintegrated melt deposition technique. With the same technique, the composite was recycled twice. Microstructure characterization studies conducted using optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed a marginal decrease in porosity levels and SiC particulates size, and no change in distribution pattern of SiC particulates, Al-SiC interfacial integrity and matrix grain morphology. Mechanical properties characterization conducted using a servohydraulic Instron machine revealed an increase in elastic modulus, 0.2% yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and ductility of the recycled materials when compared to that of the material in the as-extruded condition. The obtained mechanical properties were then rationalised in terms of the microstructural characteristics associated with the disintegrated melt deposited composite samples. Particular emphasis is placed to study the effect of recycling on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the composites synthesized.

The harm of waste battery is known to all. The optimal scheme for the disposal of waste battery is recovery and reusing from the perspective of environmental protection and resource management. Though many activities about waste battery recovery have been carried out among the people, they have many disadvantages such as scattered distribution, low recovery rate, lack of professional waste battery recovery and replacement device, irregular and immethodical recovery activities and lack of effective and long-term tracking by authoritative organization. Therefore, they ended in failure…