Reactor Network Synthesis for Waste Reduction Using Instantaneous Value of Environmental Index

Waste reduction is gaining importance as the preferred means of pollution prevention. Reactor network synthesis is one of the key parts of chemical process synthesis. In this study, a geometric approach to reactor network synthesis for waste reduction is presented. The bases of the approach are potential environment impact （PEI） rate-law expression, PEI balance and the instantaneous value of environmental indexes. The instantaneous value can be derived using the PEI balance, PEI rate-law expression and the environmental indexes. The optimal reactor networks with the minimum generation of potential environment impact are geometrically derived by comparing with areas of the corresponding regions. From the case study involving complex reactions, the approach does not involve solving the complicated mathematical problem and can avoid the dimension limitation in the attainable region approach.

Household Waste Reduction Effect of Sorted Collection of Recyclable Waste in Japan

The purpose of this study is to analyze the household waste reduction effect of sorted collection of recyclable waste in Japan using a panel data analysis, which considers time-series and cross-section data simultaneously. Also, the study shows the effect of the type of sorted items on the quantity of household waste disposed. We used the data attained from 103 cities recorded over three years, and applied the quantity of total waste disposed, the quantity of combustible waste, the quantity of other waste （waste excluding combustible and recyclable waste）, and the quantity of combustible plus other waste as objective variables, respectively, in the models. The result suggests that when the number of sorted items is increased marginally, the quantity of household waste decreases by about 0.5%-3.3% or 1.28-4.17 grams per capita per day. In addition, it is shown that sorting out white trays is effective in reducing the quantity of combustible waste. Sorting out paper containers and packages is also effective in reducing the quantity of other waste and combustible plus other waste.

Waste Reduction in a Manufacturing Process： A Case Study of Ceramics Factory in Thailand

The objective of this research is to reduce waste in the production ceramics of Ceramics Factory in Thailand. The 7 Quality Control Tools （7 QC Tools） were implemented including Check sheet, Graph, Pareto diagram and Fishbone diagram, which were used to analyze and solve the problems. It was found that most of the wastes come from burning ceramics process. The kilns and trolleys has been used for a long time. Furthermore, the equipment and parts were damaged from lack of maintenance. The non-standard of product arrangement method into the kilns were the cause of waste. Thus, the researcher improved trolleys into the kilns and designed a fixture to help worker to product arrangement. The results of the research gathered data from quality inspection department. Then comparing data before the improvement （between September 2013 to December 2013） and after the improvement （between November 2014 to February 2015）, the wastes are reduced from 8.97% to 0.29%. The result of improving is very efficiency because it can reduce the wastes by 8.68%.

Influence of coke rate on thermal treatment of waste selective catalytic reduction(SCR)catalyst during iron ore sintering

Waste selective catalytic reduction(SCR)catalyst as a hazardous waste has a significant impact on the environment and human health.In present study,a novel technology for thermal treatment of waste SCR catalyst was proposed by adding it to sinter mix for iron ore sintering.The influences of coke rate on the flame front propagation,sinter microstructure,and sinter quality during sintering co-processing the waste SCR catalyst process were studied.In situ tests results indicated the maximum sintering bed temperature increased at higher coke rate,indicating more liquid phase generated and higher airflow resistance.The sintering time was longer and the calculated flame front speed dropped at higher coke rate.Sinter microstructure results found the coalescence and reshaping of bubbles were more fully with increasing coke rate.The porosity dropped from 35.28%to 25.66%,the pore average diameter of large pores decreased from 383.76μm to 311.43μm.With increasing coke rate,the sinter indexes of tumbler index,productivity,and yield,increased from 33.2%,9.2 t·m^(-2)·d^(-1),28.9%to 58.0%,36.0 t·m^(-2)·d^(-1),68.9%,respectively.Finally,a comprehensive index was introduced to systematically assess the influence of coke rate on sinter quality,which rose from 100 to 200 when coke rate was increased from 3.5%(mass)to 5.5%(mass).

Environmental and Social Advantages to On-Site andLocal Vermicomposting of Food and Agricultural Waste

This paper is a distillation of thirty-plus years of experience,experimentation,and observations,gleaned while designing,setting up,nunning,refining,and training people to run indoor vemicomposting systems.The objectives of this study are to reduce thevolume of food waste going into the waste stream;produce ligh quality organic fertilizer,improve soil heath,reduce waste-haulingcosts;encourage community members to move away from using chemical fertilizers,herbicides,and pesticides,in their gardens.Thishas been,essentially,a long-term,crowd-conducted,wide-ranging.and ongoing experiment.The design of a system is important,butthe way it is run is more important.For some people,prison inmates,for example,leaning to nun a vermicomposting system,can belife-and mind-altering.

Waste Minimization Practices at the National University of Costa Rica

In order to determine the quantity of laboratories doing waste minimization practice related with the USEPA （United State Environmental Protection Agency） pollution hierarchy, an initial diagnostic about waste management at laboratories was conducted. The data gathered were used to start a training to laboratory personnel training about EPA-PH （Environmental Protection Agency-Pollution Hierarchy）. After training new diagnostics were performed. The applications of waste minimization practices in the laboratories were analyzed before and after the training. The most poorly practices performed year by year during the study period were ＂substitute nonhazardous materials＂, ＂chemical treatment＂ and ＂distillation＂. ＂Redistribute surplus chemical＂ was performed in 22 labs, 30 labs and 48 labs during years 2010, 2011 and 2013 respectively as the most common practice. This study showed that training about pollution prevention hierarchy increased the number of laboratories doing waste minimization practices, prioritizing reduction and prevention from the source.

Study on the construction and operation for management system of municipal domestic wastes

In recent years, the quantity of our country＇s municipal damestic wustes increase rapidly, but the waste disposal still has problems, such as the simple way of processing, wasting the resources, the serious environmental pollution and so on. By holding waste minimization as the center, the developed countries have formed perfect waste management system, Based on analyzing the status quo and problems of processing in our country, on the principle of benefit, scale, waste minimization, reclamation and hazard-free treatment, according to the recycling model of processing, the article has constructed ant country＇s domestic wastes management system, proposed the meusures of promoting the operation of system. It has realized the traasformatian of waste management system from terminal disposal to source reduction. ewhieved the goals, including domestic wastes categorizing and reclaiming, industrialization and non-pollution processing, and finally brought sustainable development for resources, environment, economy and society.

Strength Characteristics of Treated Soil with Proposed Layer Formation

The engineering characteristics of the soil,soil-fly ash and fly ash-lime,were examined to utilize as base layer material in civil construction.The influence of fly ash percentage and the effect of curing on California bearing ratio(CBR)and unconfined compressive strength(UCS),of soil and soil-fly ash mixing and layered system were examined to estimate the optimum quantity.The volumetric swelling of the optimal mixture was estimated to be within the allowable limits.Scanning microscope analysis and X-ray diffraction tests were performed.A model test analyses with three layers were conducted by finite element method and stress-strain behavior was observed.

Minimization of Air Consumption and Potential Savings of Textile Denim Fabric Manufacturing Process

One of the most important aspects of Bangladesh’s textile industry is denim. Bangladesh now has a new opportunity thanks to the global demand for denim among fashion industry professionals. Entrepreneurs from Bangladesh provide denim products to well-known international merchants all over the world. The worldwide denim market is predicted to expand by roughly 8% through the year 2020. We must raise the standard of denim if we are to keep up with the expanding industry. In contrast to projectile and rapier systems, air-jet weaving machines nowadays can weave practically all types of yarns without any issues and at higher rates. Due to this, air-jet looms are an excellent substitute for other weft insertion techniques. This kind of device still has one significant flaw, though, and that is the enormous power consumption brought on by the creation of compressed air. Researchers and manufacturers of air-jet looms have therefore worked very hard to find a solution to this issue and achieve a huge reduction in air consumption without compromising loom performance or fabric quality. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to look into ways to decrease air consumption and reduce auxiliary selvedge waste without any decrease in loom performance and fabric quality on existing air-jet weaving looms which reduce the manufacturing costs with process improvement. Just updating the air pressure allowed a weaving mill to reduce air usage by 11 cfm. So, with just almost no cost, a company with 100 looms could save $0.15 M each year, on compressed air. Two new methods for decreasing process costs on air jet looms have also been developed by this project work.

Formulation of a Net Zero Assessment System for Healthcare Facilities

The international efforts to limit climate change are increasing, that during the COP26 convention, reaching Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions became part of the global goals for many countries and entities. One of the sectors that holds the responsibility of addressing the impacts of climate change is the healthcare sector, and accordingly, it is also encouraged to take a leading role in maintaining its sustainability and be a role model for the other sectors. Additionally, the buildings sector, through the World Green Building council, has taken the initiative to launch the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment for the sector. Based on these practices, the work presented aims to introduce and formulate an Approaching Net Zero assessment methodology to be integrated as part of the sustainability criteria and rating system for healthcare facilities in developing countries. The methodology planned is based on four different aspects which are: 1) Approaching Net Zero Energy, 2) Approaching Net Zero Wastewater, 3) Approaching Net Zero Solid Waste, and 4) Approaching Net Zero GHG emissions. The facility should have achieved a Green Building certification through any certification body, and then apply for the aspect on which it requires to be assessed. The assessment methodology follows a systematic approach, where a baseline year of normal operation is determined for existing facilities to act as a base of assessment, and normal design practices for new facilities Based on the assessment and proof of performance enhancement, the facility will either be awarded a basic certificate for achieving continuous savings, or additionally be awarded a best performance certificate compared to other facilities in the same category.

Use of Quality Control Circles-A Fad or Need

Different techniques including Quality Control Circles, Business Process Reengineering and Statistical Process Control （SPC）, Total Quality Management have been in use to reduce waste in the industry. Waste is considered as necessary evil and there are many types of waste in the industry. There are many ways and means to reduce waste but the less costly is to use Quality Control Circles technique effectively and efficiently. In quality control circles human resources that consist of small groups of employees are selected, who voluntarily meet at regular intervals to identify, analyze and solve quality and other problems in their work areas. In the Quality Control Circles different techniques of the quality improvement and total quality management are utilized which could be numeric or nonnumeric such as statistical quality control techniques and fish bone diagram or brain storming respectively. This article discusses that how reduction of waste in Pakistan industry is possible by using Quality Control Circles implementation.

An efficient methodology for utilization of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum with reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions

The issues of reducing CO_2 emissions, sustainably utilizing natural mineral resources, and dealing with industrial waste offer challenges for sustainable development in energy and the environment. We propose an efficient methodology via the co-reaction of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum for the extraction of soluble potassium salts and recovery of SO_2 with reduced CO_2 emission and energy consumption. The results of characterization and reactivity evaluation indicated that the partial melting of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum in the hightemperature co-reaction significantly facilitated the reduction of phosphogypsum to SO_2 and the exchange of K^+(K-feldspar) with Ca^(2+)(CaSO_4 in phosphogypsum). The reaction parameters were systematically investigated with the highest sulfur recovery ratio of ~ 60% and K extraction ratio of ~ 87.7%. This novel methodology possesses an energy consumption reduction of ~ 28% and CO_2 emission reduction of ~ 55% comparing with the present typical commercial technologies for utilization of K-feldspar and the treatment of phosphogypsum.

Cr(Ⅵ) reduction capability of humic acid extracted from the organic component of municipal solid waste

The capacity of humic acid extracted from organic waste （HAw） to reduce Cr（Ⅵ） was tested at pH 2.5,4 and 6 and compared with coal-derived humic acid （HAc）.HAw was more effective than HAc in reducing Cr（Ⅵ）.The kinetics of Cr（Ⅵ） reductions depended strongly on pH.The calculation of the apparent rate coefficients indicated that HAw was more efficient at reducing Cr（Ⅵ） than HAc,but was also more efficient than HAs from soil and peat.The reduction capability of HAs depends on the type of functional groups （i.e.,thiols and phenols） present,rather than the free radicals.HAw was more efficient at reducing Cr（Ⅵ） than HAc because more reactive phenols were present,i.e.,methoxy-and methyl-phenols.

In-situ investigation of melting characteristics of waste selective catalytic reduction catalysts during harmless melting treatment

Selective catalytic reduction(SCR) catalyst waste is a hazardous solid waste that seriously threatens the environment and public health.In this study,a thermal melting technology is proposed for the treatment of waste SCR catalysts.The melting characteristics and mineral phase transformation of waste SCR catalysts blended with three different groups of additives were explored by heating stage microscopy,thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry(TG/DSC) analysis,thermodynamic simulation,and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis;heavy metal leaching toxicity was tested by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry(I CP-AES) analysis.The results indicated that the melting point of waste SCR catalysts can be effectively reduced with proper additives.The additive formula of 39.00% Fe2 O3(in weight),6.50% CaO,3.30% SiO2,and 1.20% Al2 O3 achieves the optimal fluxing behavior,significantly decreasing the initial melting temperature from 1223℃ to1169℃.Furthermore,the whole heating process of waste SCR catalysts can be divided into three stages:the solid reaction stage,the sintering stage,and the primary melting stage.The leaching concentrations of V,As,Pb,and Se are significantly reduced,from 10.64,1.054,0.195,and 0.347 mg/L to 0.178,0.025,0.048,and 0.003 mg/L,respectively,much lower than the standard limits after melting treatment,showing the strong immobilization capacity of optimal additives for heavy metals in waste SCR catalysts.The results demonstrate the feasibility of harmless melting treatments for waste SCR catalysts with relatively low energy consumption,providing theoretical support for a novel method of disposing of hazardous waste SCR catalysts.

Mn3O4/carbon nanotube nanocomposites recycled from waste alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries as high-performance energy materials

Alkaline zinc manganese dioxide（Zn–MnO2）batteries are widely used in everyday life. Recycling of waste alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries has always been a hot environmental concern. In this study, a simple and costeffective process for synthesizing Mn3O4/carbon nanotube（CNT） nanocomposites from recycled alkaline Zn–MnO2 batteries is presented. Manganese oxide was recovered from spent Zn–MnO2 battery cathodes. The Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposites were produced by ball milling the recovered manganese oxide in a commercial multi-wall carbon nanotubes（MWCNTs） solution. Scanning electron microscopy（SEM） analysis demonstrates that the nanocomposite has a unique three-dimensional（3D） bird nest structure. Mn3O4 nanoparticles are homogeneously distributed on MWCNT framework. Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposites were evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, exhibiting a highly reversible specific capacitance of -580 mA h·g^-1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, Mn3O4/CNT nanocomposite also shows a fairly positive onset potential of -0.15 V and quite high oxygen reducibility when considered as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.

Sintered Ore Sprayed by Acid and Alkaline Waste Water Resulted From Cold Rolling

In order to prevent the powdering of a sintered ore from influencing the smooth operation of a blast furnace,the conventional way to deal with it is that the CaCl2 solution is prepared by tap water,and then the solution is sprayed onto the sintered ore for improving its RDI（low temperature reduction degradation index）.The CaCl2 solution prepared by adding acid and alkaline waste water resulted from cold rolling is sprayed onto the sintered ore to improve its RDI.The values of RDI＋6.3 and RDI＋3.15 of the sintered ore which is sprayed by the CaCl2 solution with the CaCl2 concentration of 3.5%（mass percent） are increased by 17.5% and 11.63%,but the index of RDI-0.5 is decreased by 3.1% when the spraying amount of the solution is making up 0.5% of the total sintered ore sprayed in comparison with those of the sintered ore which is not sprayed by using the CaCl2 solution.Experimental results show that after the CaCl2 solutions prepared by adding the acid and alkaline waste water are sprayed on the sintered ore,RDI of the ore can be remarkably improved and therefore another way for recycling acid and alkaline waste water can be available,by which both cost for treating waste water and cost for producing a sintered ore can be decreased and environment is free of pollution by harmful substances in the waste water.

GREEN FURNITURE:AN ASSESSMENT OF FURNITURE SOCIETY MEMBER WORK

The Furniture Society is a member-based nonprofit organization founded in 1996.Its mission is to advance the art of furniture making by inspiring creativity,promoting excellence and fostering an understanding of this art and its place in society.By sponsoring a variety of programs that contribute to the education and enrichment of members and the public,the Furniture Society champions excel-lence,refinement,responsibility,and craftsmanship in furniture.It seems that when it comes to woodworking and working with our hands,we are inherently more connected to nature than many other occupations.I attend the Furniture Society’s annual conference every year in June.In almost every furniture maker presentation that I’ve listened to,the artist has mentioned nature as a source of inspiration.And in most encounters with fellow makers,I find that the lot genuinely tries to do good by our planet and its limited resources.Of course,the level of awareness varies among each maker,but consciousness of how we’re using resources seems to exist on at least some level.What is green furniture?There are many elements to consider when identify-ing green furniture,and I’ve listed only some of the ingredients below that respon-sible furniture makers are taking into account as they design and build.There are other elements to consider,and within the list below,one can continue to dissect each depending on the degree of responsibility a person chooses to pursue.Materials-How are materials sourced and used,and is there waste?Are they renewable,recyclable,reused or repurposed?Are they safe?Do they off-gas?Manufacturing Practices-Is the object designed well,and is it easy/efficient to manufacture?Are alternative sources of energy used during its manufacture?Use-Keep it out of the landfill!Is the object durable,useable,and/or multi-functional?What happens at the object’s end of life?Is it easily recycled or repurposed?Fair Labor-Are the folks involved in the manufacture of the object treated and paid fairly?Maybe this doesn’t apply to a one-person woodshop,but what about the laborers who made or processed the materials the furniture maker is using?Transportation-Is the object going to a local client?How are materials trans-ported to the woodshop or place of manufacture?How does the final product reach the client?Is the maker able to walk or ride a bike to work?Rather than try to place my own judgments about what’s green enough,I opted to highlight the green practices that Furniture Society members are endeav-oring.There’s always room for improvement just like there’s always more to learn.It’s my hope that this peek into what different makers,educators,and businesses are doing will inspire even better things to come.

SIMULATION OF O_(2)-BLOWN CO-GASIFICATION OF WOOD CHIP AND POTATO PEEL FOR PRODUCING SYNGAS

Potato is the fifth largest agricultural crop in Canada and contributes to the generation of an abundant amount of potato peel.However,disposal/recycling this peel remains a challenge due to the stringent environmental regulations.Consequently,there is a lack of an appropriate recycling and valorization methods of potato peel.Gasification is an effective technology for producing syngas and an ecofriendly waste disposal approach.Syngas is an important industrial intermediate to produce synthetic fuels and chemicals.To develop an ecofriendly and cost-effective valorization approach for potato peel,this study used a mixture of woody biomass(i.e.,wood chips)and potato peel to produce syngas by co-gasification using O_(2) as the gasifying agent at a constant equivalence ratio of 0.3 using Aspen Plus simulation software.The influences of gasification temperature and wood chip/potato peel weight ratio on the carbon conversion efficiency(CCE),and product gas composition(molar fraction)and lower heating value(LHV)of product gas were investigated.This simulation indicated that a positive synergistic interaction occurs between wood chips and potato peel in co-gasification process in terms of an increase in CCE by comparing the arithmetic value and real value at all simulated wood chip to potato peel weight ratios(44.9%to 85.8%,46.5%to 76.2%,and 48.1%to 78.6%at ratios of 25:75,50:50,and 75:25,respectively,for wood chips to potato peel).While the molar fraction of H_(2) and CO decreased continuously with increase in the weight percentage of wood chips in the wood chip-potato peel mixture from 0 wt%to 100 wt%(H_(2),at 42.1 mol%to 41.4 mol%;and CO at 44.0 mol%to 40.4 mol%),accompanied by a decrease of the LHV of the product gas(10.3 to 9.78 MJ·Nm^(−3)).The study concluded that co-gasification for producing syngas is feasible and environmental-friendly option to recycle and valorize potato peel.

Utilization of plant-based natural coagulants as future alternatives towards sustainable water clarification

Rapid industrial developments coupled with surging population growth have complicated issues dealing with water scarcity as the quest for clean and sanitized water intensifies globally. Existing flesh water supplies could be contaminated with organic, inorganic and biological matters that have potential harm to the society. Turbidity in general is a measure of water cloudiness induced by such colloidal and suspended matters and is also one of the major criteria in raw water monitoring to meet the stipulated water quality guidelines. Turbidity reduction is often accomplished using chemical coagulants such as alum. The use of alum is widely associated with potential development of health issues and generation of voluminous sludge. Natural coagulants that are available in abundance can certainly be considered in addressing the drawbacks associated with the use of chemical coagulants. Twenty one types of plant-based natural coagulants categorized as fruit waste and others are identified and presented collectively with their research summary in this review. The barriers and prospects of commercialization of natural coagulants in near future are also discussed.