The construction industry is particularly responsible for the appearance of the earth and the environment and for its partial degradation related to climate warming through the production of cement, brick burning, and the processing of substrates for the production of building materials (lime, gypsum, polystyrene, processed materials, etc.). An important aspect of the 21st century has been the overproduction and excessive use of natural resources, including sand. The purpose of this article is to analyze the possibility of using glass sand as a substitute for quartz sand in the production of materials resulting from hydrothermal treatment (so-called silicate bricks). The article is a review of the research conducted since 2016 on laboratory tests on the modification of silicate mass with glass sand from recycled bottle glass, the properties of the mass modified in this way (hydration temperature, consistency, and humidity of the mixture), its physical and mechanical properties, and its... [more]

MXenes are progressively evolving two-dimensional (2D) materials with an expanding wide range of applications in the field of energy storage. They rank among the best electrode materials for cutting-edge energy storage systems. Energy storage device performance is greatly enhanced by MXenes and their composite materials. As technology has improved over the last several decades, the demand for high-capacity energy storage devices that are versatile, sturdy, and have cheap production costs has increased. MXene, which is based on Nb2CTx, is the most current material to emerge for energy storage applications. Nb2CTx MXene is now the most sought-after material in the 2D family due to its flexibility, high conductivity, superior electrochemical nature, superior hydrophilicity, tunable surface functional groups, great mechanical properties, and 2D layered structure. Examples include gas and biosensors, water splitting, water purification, antimicrobial coatings, electromagnetic interference s... [more]

Despite its immense natural resources, Angola struggles to significantly improve its economy to reduce poverty. Carbon emissions have been increasing over the years, even though the country plans to reduce them by 35% by 2030. This paper attempts to assess the carbon emissions of several sectors (industries, transport, services, and residences) on economic growth, intending to find a balance between environmental protection that requires carbon emissions reduction and economic development that may add to environmental degradation. The study employed time series data on GDP, CO2, CH4, and N2O covering 1971 to 2021 and ARDL and ECM models. This is the first study at the state level in Angola on the relationship between economic development and environmental sustainability considering methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Additionally, the paper assesses the responses of GDP to deviation shock of GDP, CO2, CH4, and N2O by 2032. Phillip Perron and Augmented Dickey-Fuller tests showed that a... [more]

Total organic carbon (TOC) and hydrocarbon generation potential (Pg) are essential parameters for the qualitative evaluation of source rock and the basis for evaluating hydrocarbon resources in petroliferous basins. However, there will be some deviations in evaluating hydrocarbon resources of overmature source rock by using TOC and Pg. The super-thick overmature source rock of the Early Cretaceous Laiyang Formation was found in well LK-1, the Riqingwei Basin. To accurately understand the oil and gas potential of the Riqingwei Basin, this paper conducted a systematic organic geochemical analysis of the overmature source rock of the Early Cretaceous Laiyang Formation found in well LK-1. Combined with the results of previous thermal simulation tests on hydrocarbon generation of low-maturity samples in the Jiaolai Basin, the original total organic carbon (TOC0) content of source rock in well LK-1 was recovered and the evaluation criteria of overmature source rock was established. Results:... [more]

The need to effectively control and reduce energy consumption in buildings has become a global concern, prompting an increasing number of studies on the energy efficiency of straw buildings. However, previous review articles on straw research have primarily focused on fragmented material properties such as thermal insulation and mechanical strength and have lacked a comprehensive review of straw materials in building energy efficiency, as well as a thorough analysis of the development lineage of straw building materials. To fill this research gap, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 338 papers on the energy efficiency of straw materials published in the WOS core database between 1992 and 2022. The study constructed and visualized multifaceted co-occurrence networks representing the research literature on the energy efficiency of straw building materials, providing a comprehensive understanding of current research efforts, development trends, hot research directions, and the... [more]

More than 25% of the total energy consumption in Finland has been produced with wood fuels. Since 2012, the share has been greater than that of oil, coal, or natural gas. Internal carbon pricing is used to manage the risks in wood procurement after wood import from Russia ended. Further, the EU announced plans to sell more carbon emission permits to fund the EU’s exit from Russian energy. To manage these challenges, a data-driven internal carbon pricing mechanism (DDICPM) has been developed for wood procurement optimization. Particularly, local changes are considered via available information about growth-based carbon sinks (GBCS). The results of the new scenario were compared to the basic national scenario that ensures carbon neutrality in forestry. The DDICPM may provide the optimum wood-procurement operations maintaining carbon neutrality in the integrated energy and material industry (IEMI). In this study, the use of DDICPM increased profitability b 16.2, 16.1, and 16.0% between ad... [more]

The geometrical configuration is one of the main factors that affect the thermoelectric performance of a device. Research on the trapezoidal thermoelectric generator (TTEG) with varied cross section is mainly based on finite element simulation and experiment. In this paper, an explicit analytical solution of the maximum output power of annular thermoelectric generators (ATEG) is proposed, which has been proved to have high accuracy. Then, the maximum output power between ATEG and TTEG is compared. Results show that, for the appropriate geometric parameter δ, the relative error of maximum output power between explicit analytical ATEG and the simulated solution of TTEG can reach the order of 10−3. When the hot end is at the a side, the high temperature and θ is 510 K and 10°, respectively. For Bi2Te3 material and PbTe material, the relative error of maximum output power between the explicit analytical and simulated solution is 0.0261% and 0.074%, respectively. Under suitable working cond... [more]

In thermal cracking and collision-induced dissociation (CID) processes, molecules/ions mainly undergo cleavage reactions. In theory, the cleavage reaction is preferred for weak bonds in both processes. The present study investigates the thermal cracking and CID behavior of polar compounds in vacuum residue. By controlling the thermal reaction temperature and collision energy, different degrees of fragmentation were achieved. The molecular composition before and after the cracking process was analyzed through electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). There was a correlation between the reaction temperature and the collision energy for the average carbon number value. Both desulfurization and decarboxylation were also observed in two processes due to the low C-S bond energy and poor stability of carboxylic acid groups. Nevertheless, the two processes still had some differences in reaction selectivity. Polar species tended to be d... [more]

Naturally fractured reservoirs are indescribable systems to characterize and difficult to produce and forecast. For the development of such reservoirs, the role of naturally forming fractures in the different development stages needs to be recognized, especially for the pressure maintenance and enhanced oil recovery stages. Recent development in the field of naturally carbonate fractured aimed at fracture characterization, fracture modeling, and fracture network impact of fracture networks on oil recovery were reviewed. Consequently, fracture identification and characterization played pivotal roles in understanding production mechanisms by integrating multiple geosciences sources and reservoir engineering data. In addition, a realistic fracture modeling approach, such as a hybrid, can provide a more accurate representation of the behavior of the fracture and, hence, a more realistic reservoir model for reservoir production and management. In this respect, the influence of different fra... [more]

Brush seals can improve engine performance by reducing leakage. Wear models of brush seals provide methods to predict wear and leakage. However, rotor eccentricity, radial deformation, and hysteresis effect of bristles are not considered systematically in the existing models, which may lead to large errors in some cases. To investigate the influence of rotor-stator eccentricity and radial deformation on the wear process and leakage performance of brush seal, a brush seal test was planned and executed, in which the air leakage rates were measured at different testing times and operating conditions, the eccentricity and radial deformation was measured using eddy current sensors. The test results showed that the eccentricity and radial deformation significantly affected the wear behavior and leakage performance. In the theoretical research, the abrasive wear equation is adopted to describe the material loss of bristles, and a simplified description is used to express the rotor-stator ecce... [more]

The European steel industry is experiencing new challenges related to the market situation and climate policy. Experience from the period of pandemic restrictions and the effects of Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine has given many countries a basis for including steel along with raw materials (coke, iron ore, electricity) in economic security products (CRMA). Steel is needed for economic infrastructure and construction development as well as a material for other industries (without steel, factories will not produce cars, machinery, ships, washing machines, etc.). In 2022, steelmakers faced a deepening energy crisis and economic slowdown. The market situation prompted steelmakers to impose restrictions on production volumes (worldwide production fell by 4% compared to the previous year). Despite the difficult economic situation of the steel industry (production in EU countries fell by 11% in 2022 compared to the previous year), the EU is strengthening its industrial decarbonisation pol... [more]

The increased voltage loading of transformers has led to research on improving transformers’ lifespans to meet demand. Insulation oil acts as cooling medium that can significantly affect the performance of a transformer. This paper discusses an experimental study on the influences of the doping of carbon nanotube (CNT) particles and magnetic fields on the electrical properties of mineral oil (MO). An analysis of electrical properties was conducted using AC breakdown tests, Tan Delta tests, Raman measurements, and simultaneous thermal analysis. Proper preparation was considered before starting the analysis of the electrical properties. The AC breakdown voltages before and after modification were measured. The experiment results indicated that the AC breakdown of mineral oil with a suitable amount of carbon nanotube particles (0.005 g/L) and a suitable magnetic field (0.45 T) gives the highest breakdown voltage. It was found that the proper treatment of nanofluid also greatly influences... [more]

Lightweight design is a common approach to reduce energy demand in the use stage of vehicles. The production of lightweight materials is usually associated with an increase in energy demand, so the environmental impacts of lightweight structures need to be assessed holistically using a life cycle assessment. To estimate the life cycle environmental impacts of a product in its developmental stage, for example, by life cycle engineering, future changes in relevant influencing factors must be considered. Prospective life cycle assessment provides methods for integrating future scenarios into life cycle assessment studies. However, approaches for integrating prospective life cycle assessment into product development are limited. The objective of this work is to provide the methodological foundation for integrating future scenarios of relevant influencing factors in the development of lightweight structures. The applicability of the novel methodology is demonstrated by a case study of a str... [more]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been garnering wide attention over conventional fossil fuel-based vehicles due to the serious concerns of environmental pollution and crude oil depletion. In this article, we have conducted a systematic literature survey to explore the battery raw material supply chain, material processing, and the economy behind the commodity price appreciation. We present significant areas of concern, including resource reserves, supply, demand, geographical distribution, battery reuse, and recycling industries. Furthermore, details of the battery supply chain and its associated steps are illustrated. The authors believe the presented study will be an information cornerstone in boosting manufacturing and understanding the key components and materials required to facilitate EV battery production. Further, this study discusses the major industries, and their policies and global market share in each material category.

Aspects concerning resonance and global stability of a wind turbine blade must be carefully considered in its optimal design. In this paper, a composite wind turbine blade with an external geometry based on the NREL 5 MW model was subjected to multi-objective structural optimization considering these aspects. Four multi-objective structural optimization problems are formulated considering the blade mass, the maximum blade tip displacement, the natural frequencies of vibration, and the critical load factor as objective functions. The design variables are the number of plies, material, and fiber orientation. The design constraints are the materials’ margin of safety, the blade’s allowable tip displacement, and the minimum load factor. The blade model is submitted to the loads determined by the actuator lines theory and discretized in a finite element parameterized model using the Femap software according to geometric design variables. Among many multi-objective evolutionary algorithms av... [more]

To explore the influence of electrothermal aging on the properties of HVAC XLPE cable during its normal operation, two circuits of 110 kV XLPE cable were subjected to a combined electrothermal accelerated aging test for 180 days. The test voltage was set at 95 kV, and the test temperature was set at 90 °C. The constant temperature aging mode was adopted for one circuit, and the periodic thermal cycle aging mode was adopted for the other circuit. The dielectric property of the cable was diagnosed with dielectric spectroscopy measurement, and the thermal property was diagnosed with thermal parameters (thermal capacity and thermal resistance) measurement. Combined with Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, morphological changes in the insulation under different electrothermal aging modes were analyzed to construct the correlation with the dielectric and thermal properties. The results show that the short-term electrothermal constant... [more]

The field of energy harvesting is expanding to power various devices, including electric vehicles, with energy derived from their surrounding environments. The unique mechanical and electrical qualities of composite materials make them ideal for energy harvesting applications, and they have shown tremendous promise in this area. Yet additional studies are needed to fully grasp the promise of composite materials for energy harvesting in electric vehicles. This article reviews composite materials used for energy harvesting in electric vehicles, discussing mechanical characteristics, electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and cost-effectiveness. As a bonus, it delves into using composites in piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and thermoelectric energy harvesters. The high strength-to-weight ratio provided by composite materials is a major benefit for energy harvesting. Especially important in electric vehicles, where saving weight means saving money at the pump and driving farther betwe... [more]

Building cooling and heating, solar-powered energy production, energy recovery, and other energy-consuming industries have all seen an increase in the use of cold/hot latent thermal energy storage (LH-TES). Through energy recovery, LH-TES that uses phase-change materials (PCMs) as a storage medium helps to close the energy supply and demand gap and raises the possibility of energy savings. However, the stability, thermal, physical, and chemical properties of the PCM play a major role in how effectively it can be used. In recent years, adding gelling and thickening agents (GTAs) has gained popularity apart from the nanoparticles (NPs) and nucleating triggers (NTs), particularly for the creation of stable PCMs. Therefore, the current work’s goal is to provide an overview of how GTAs are used in the process of developing reliable PCMs for TES applications. It has been found that using GTAs not only increased stability but also decreased sedimentation, leakage, and the supercooling degree... [more]

A BiF3 powder sample was prepared from the purchased Bi2O3 powder via the precipitation route. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared BiF3 powder was compared with the Bi2O3 powder and recognized as superior. The prepared BiF3 powder sample was added in a plaster of Paris (POP) matrix in the proportion of 0%, 1%, 5%, and 10% by wt% to form POP−BiF3(0%), POP−BiF3(1%), POP−BiF3(5%), and POP−BiF3(10%) composite pellets, respectively, and activated the photocatalytic property under the UV−light irradiation,in the POP. In this work, Resazurin (Rz) ink was utilized as an indicator to examine the photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning performance of POP−BiF3(0%), POP−BiF3(1%), POP−BiF3(5%), and POP−BiF3(10%) composite pellets. In addition to the digital photographic method, the UV−visible absorption technique was adopted to quantify the rate of the de-colorization of the Rz ink, which is a direct measure of comparative photocatalytic performance of samples.

This paper contains a comprehensive study regarding the synthesis and physicochemical properties of new hexasubstitued benzene derivatives. In this work, three compounds of this type (including two electropolymerisable monomers) were synthesized in a one-step reaction with good yields ranging from 34% to 56%. A thermal investigation shows that this type of compound is stable up to 360 °C (10% weight loss temperature). The influence of the substituents in the first and second position of the central benzene on the stability, luminescence, and (spectro)electrochemical behavior was thoroughly studied with the aid of theoretical calculations. In each case, strong blue shifting of the π-π* transition (according to 1,4-disubstitued analogs) was observed, proving this moieties’ orthogonal orientation. In the case of derivatives with a Bt-core-Bt formula (where Bt = 2,2′-bithiophene-5-yl), an electrochemical oxidation process transformed them into conducting polymers. The polymer presents extr... [more]

The research on pore structure and heterogeneity of shale reservoirs has always been a hotspot in the study of unconventional reservoir characteristics. China is a country dominated by continental shale. Compared with marine shale, continental shale has lower maturity and stronger reservoir heterogeneity. In this study, Sha-4 shale in the Liaohe Western Depression was selected for low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and other experiments revealing the pore structure and fractal characteristics of continental low mature organic-rich shale. The fractal dimension was calculated by the FHH model and the effects of TOC and mineral composition on pore structure and fractal characteristics were discussed. The results show that the Sha-4 shale in the study area is mainly mesoporous and the main pore types are inorganic pores with relatively large pore diameters, such as intergranular pores and inter-crystalline pores. The pore morphology is very complex, mainly na... [more]

Low field pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to analyze the effects of a polymeric ion retarder and the amount of acryloxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride (DMC) in the retarder on the distribution of T2, thickening property, and strength of cement paste. The effect of pressure and temperature on the thickening curve was investigated, and the hydration products were analyzed using XRD. The result shows that the wrapped water of the precipitation is the main reaction aqueous phase of cement slurry in the hydration, with short T2 time and a large relaxation peak area. The retarder weakens the van der Waals force and electrostatic adsorption force between the water and cement particles, reducing the hydration rate of cement particles. An appropriate increase in the cationic content of polymeric ion retarder can improve the early strength of cement slurry.

Large quantities of gas resources have been found in the Paleo-Mesozoic carbonate rocks in the Sichuan Basin. However, many wells cannot obtain high production in deep low porosity-permeability reservoirs. For this contribution, we provide a steerable pyramid method for identifying the fault damage zone in the Kaijiang−Liangping platform margin, which is infeasible by conventional seismic methods. The results show that steerable pyramid processing could enhance the seismic fault imaging and a series of NW-trending strike-slip faults are found along the trend of the carbonate platform margin. The steerable pyramid attribute presents distinct vertical and horizontal boundaries of the fault damage zone, and heterogeneous intensity of an un-through-going damage zone. The width of the fault damage zone is generally varied in the range of 100−500 m, and could be increased to more than 1000 m in the fault overlap zone, intersection area, and fault tips. Further, the fault damage zone plays a... [more]

Liquid dielectrics are different from each other, but are used to perform the same tasks in high-voltage electrical equipment, especially transformers. In similar conditions, the insulation performance of transformer oils under different types of voltage will provide dielectric resistance. In this study, three different dielectric liquids applied in transformers, namely mineral oil, natural ester and synthetic ester, were tested. Tests under AC and negative DC voltage were performed at electrode gaps of 2.5 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm using disk and VDE type electrodes as per ASTM D1816-84A and ASTM D877-87 standards, respectively. In turn, the impulse voltage tests were performed under an electrode configuration suggested by the IEC 60897 standard. The current data of 500 ms prior to breakdown under AC electrical field stress was decomposed using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and variational mode decomposition (VMD) methods. These analyses were conducted before the full electrical brea... [more]

Aiming at obtaining the application characteristics of more nanofluidic stuffing to enrich the database of nanofluidic packer rubber, three zeolite-based nanofluidic types of stuffing with water, glycerin, and a saturated aqueous solution of KCl (hereinafter referred to as saturated KCl solution) as the functional liquids were studied using experiments. The results showed that all the three zeolite-based nanofluidic stuffing types could be applied as stuffing for nanofluidic packer rubber. The setting pressure ranges for zeolite/water, zeolite/glycerin, and zeolite/saturated KCl solution stuffing were 21.71 to 30.62 MPa, 15.31 to 23.57 MPa, and 27.50 to 38.83 MPa, and the specific deformation quantities of the three stuffing types were 72.76, 102.07, and 77.54 mm3∙g−1, respectively. In zeolite/saturated KCl solution stuffing, the number of liquid molecules retained in the nanochannels was the minimum; thus, this stuffing type was the most stable during application. The order of the equ... [more]