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Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.648  Citation Impact (citeScore): 2 Number of Followers: 5  Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)ISSN (Print) 1618-9558 - ISSN (Online) 1618-954X Published by Springer-Verlag  [2468 journals]
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- Energy-related uncertainty, financial regulations, and environmental
sustainability in the United States-
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Abstract: The US has been classified as being “insufficient” by the Climate Action Tracker, indicating that the current actions and policies fall short of addressing critical environmental challenges. This suggests the need for enhancing the existing policy measures for improving environmental sustainability. To this end, this study investigates the time-varying impact of energy-related uncertainty and financial regulations on sectoral CO2 emissions in the US. The bootstrap rolling-window Granger causality approach is employed to examine quarterly data spanning 1990Q1–2021Q4. The estimation results reveal that energy-related uncertainty increases CO2 emissions in the transportation, residential, manufacturing, and construction sectors. On the other hand, financial regulations are found to reduce CO2 emissions across the agricultural, transportation, residential, manufacturing, and construction sectors. The findings suggest the need for enhanced policy measures to improve energy stability and strengthen financial regulations focusing on climate-related disclosures and facilitating investments in low-carbon initiatives. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-09
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- Green energy and institution: a study of energy transition and sustainable
environment development-
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Abstract: This study examines the possibility of achieving climate goals (energy transition and clean and sustainable environmental development) through the green energy and institutional quality policies for the Australia. Australia is a major producer and exporter of coal to the rest of the world. Considering the position of Australia in fossil fuels market and its reliance on coal as source of its electricity, this study adopts Australia’s data of 1996Q1 2018Q4 to test the possibility of achieving climate goals (energy transition and clean and sustainable environmental development) for the country. Institutional quality is adopted in this study to fill the gap in the study of Australia’s sustainable development goal. Prior literature reveals that numerous scholars have investigated various aspects of Australia’s sustainable development, under different indicators yet gaps persist in institutional quality literature. The novelty of this study will reveal the best practice of achieving sustainable development through good governance. This can be adopted by other economies especially, the emerging countries in framing best polices in addressing their environmental issues and achieving sustainable development. Scientific methods, such as cointegration, autoregressive distribution lag-ARDL and granger causality, are all utilized for clear insight into the chosen objectives. Findings from the linear (ARDL) dynamics point toward the ability of Australia to achieve its climate goals through green energy and instructional quality policies; hence, significant and negative relationship is found between the policies (green energy-renewables and institution quality), and CO2. However, significant and positive connection is found among fossils and CO2. Among the findings is the establishment of EKC hypothesis through inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and environment. Results from granger causation uncovered one-way transmission from all the policies to CO2. Also, bidirectional relationship is established among economic growth, fossil fuels and CO2; hence, a triangular nexus is found among economic growth, fossil fuels and CO2. This suggests trade-off among trio in determining the Australian environment. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-08
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- Embodied carbon flows in resource-based cities based on multiregional
input–output model: a case study of Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin urban
agglomeration in China-
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Abstract: Managing embodied carbon flows in the supply chains of resource-based cities is crucial to China’s carbon neutrality. However, the embodied carbon flows in these regions are still unclear. Taking the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin (HBOY) urban agglomeration as a case, this study reveals the process and critical pathways of embodied carbon flows in resource-based cities by using environmentally extended multiregional input–output model and structural path analysis. The results indicated that embodied carbon flows from high-to-low emission intensity along the supply chain in HBOY. Spatially, Ordos located upstream in the supply chain, exhibited a net carbon outflow of 11.24 Mt to midstream and downstream areas, while Hohhot situated downstream, demonstrated a net carbon inflow of 6.87 Mt from upstream and midstream areas. Sectorally, a significant flow of embodied carbon from the electricity and heat supply industry to the construction industry and other service industry was observed, with 11.55 Mt and 10.08 Mt, respectively. The embodied carbon flows in HBOY were mainly driven by fixed capital formation, with 44.40% of the emissions in the top 20 critical paths attributed to it. To ensure the achievement of extensive carbon emission reduction targets in resource-based cities, it is essential to complement emission reduction measures on the production side with differentiated regional and sectoral policies that leverage the characteristics of embodied carbon flows. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-08
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- From pollution to preservation: a dynamic examination of tourism,
globalization, and environmental resilience in top-tier economies-
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Abstract: Tourism is an important growth driver for global economies in today's globalization era. The increase in tourism activities has caused policymakers to worry about carbon emissions from related tourist transportation movements and how it might affect environmental quality. Several scholars have investigated the nexus of tourism-related CO2 pollution to solve this puzzle; however, the issue persists. In this vein, this study contributes to evaluating the nexus among tourism, globalization, and environmental quality in the top ten most polluted economies from 1995–2020. We employ the dynamic common correlated effect (DCCE) methodology. Additionally, the DCCE technique estimates econometrics tools to resolve the concerns of cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity. Study results demonstrate that tourism has positive environmental effects over the long term. Globalization, gross capital formation, and economic growth all positively affect CO2 emissions. Interestingly, interaction terms results show the real effect of all variables on the environment. The government of the top ten most polluted countries can play an important role in ensuring sustainability by encouraging sustainable tourism, environmental-friendly globalization, and favorable gross capital formation for the environment and economic growth. Graphical abstract The long-run findings
PubDate: 2024-08-08
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- The impacts of ESG policy on clean technology innovation: a gateway to
promote renewable energy transition-
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Abstract: In the face of the global mandate of seeking an economic paradigm that reconciles growth with environmental preservation, it is imperative to find ways to accelerate the renewable energy transition. Using the zero-inflated negative binomial distribution model, this study finds that corporate ESG is significantly positively associated with clean technology innovation. Further incorporating the three zero-inflated factors of enterprise size, digital transformation, and government environmental attention in the threshold model, it is found that enterprise size, digital transformation, and deepening environmental concern can all play the role of gas pedals in the positive contribution of ESG to cleantech innovation. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that no difference in the nature of enterprises’ ownership in terms of how cleantech innovation is positively affected by ESG performance. The ESG performance of enterprises has a more pronounced effect on the enhancement of cleantech innovation in heavily polluting enterprises than enterprises in non-heavily polluting industries, which in turn show a positive response to green transformation and improvement efforts. This paper provides theoretical analysis and empirical evidence to make a thin force for enterprises to facilitate renewable energy transformation. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-07
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- Designing a safer circular economy of chemicals
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PubDate: 2024-08-03
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- Enhancement of energy efficiency in greenhouses with solar-selective
plastic incorporating ATO nanoparticles-
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Abstract: Innovative solutions for enhancing energy efficiency are crucial in the context of escalating energy concerns for greenhouse facilities, particularly during summer and in hot climate zones. This study focuses on the integration of plasmonic nanoparticle coatings into greenhouse coverings, specifically polyethylene (PE) and polycarbonate (PC) plastic films, as a strategy to address these challenges. The primary objective is to improve solar control properties while ensuring adequate photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for optimal plant growth. The experiment findings reveal that the antimony tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticle coatings significantly reduce summer heat gain—41.5% for PE and 42.4% for PC, thus leading to a reduction in cooling energy demands in greenhouses. Spectral analysis and energy estimation demonstrate a slight decrease in PAR transmission due to the coatings, which can be effectively compensated with energy-efficient LED lighting. The study underscores that the application of ATO nanocoatings on PE and PC films strikes a balance between solar radiation mitigation and maintaining necessary PAR levels, resulting in substantial energy savings. These advancements align with the principles of clean energy and environmental policy, offering a sustainable approach to greenhouse management. By significantly reducing the operational energy footprint of greenhouses, this research contributes to the broader goals of energy efficiency and environmental stewardship in agricultural practices. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-02
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- Review of semiconductor laser diode technologies for sustainable energy in
leather machining-
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Abstract: Efficient and eco-friendly leather manufacturing is crucial for industries such as fashion, automotive, and other related sectors. The traditional leather cutting techniques like manual cutting, rotary cutting, and die pressing have served for centuries, they often suffer from sluggishness, labour intensiveness, and lack of precision. Modern techniques like water jet, ultrasonic, and especially laser cutting offer superior precision and efficiency. This study comprehensively reviews advancements in semiconductor laser diode technologies for sustainable energy applications in leather machining. This technology enables precise control of cutting processes via pulse-width modulation, significantly minimizing energy usage and mitigating carbonization during leather cutting. The advent of semiconductor laser diode technology offers a promising avenue for sustainable energy adoption in leather machining, fostering cleaner production practices. Further research and development endeavours in this domain are imperative to refine this technology for wider industry adoption, promoting sustainable manufacturing practices in the leather industry. Graphical
PubDate: 2024-08-02
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- The role of energy intensity, green energy transition, and environmental
policy stringency on environmental sustainability in G7 countries-
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Abstract: The increase in energy intensity and energy depletion may lead to faster depletion of natural resources and increased environmental impacts. The green energy transition can improve environmental quality by reducing the pressure on natural resources and the carbon footprint. At this point, public environmental regulations are significant for environmental sustainability. On the one hand, the environmental policy stringency imposes high environmental taxes on polluting activities and, on the other hand, provides R&D support to clean technologies. This study examines the impact of energy intensity, energy depletion, green energy transition, and environmental policy stringency on load capacity factor in G7 countries from 1990–2020 using common correlated effects mean group and augmented mean group panel long run estimators. The study's robust results show that i) energy intensity has a negative impact on environmental sustainability in Germany, Italy, and the USA, ii) energy depletion has a negative impact on environmental sustainability in Canada and France, and iii) green energy transition has a positive impact on environmental sustainability in Japan. G7 countries must reverse the adverse effects of energy intensity and energy depletion by accelerating the transition to green energy. These countries with significant fiscal capacity should use environmental policy instruments that include environmental taxes. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-01
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- Prediction method of carbon emissions of intelligent buildings based on
secondary decomposition BAS-LSTM-
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Abstract: In the face of the challenges of global climate change, smart building carbon emission prediction has become a key energy management tool. Therefore, this paper proposes an innovative BAS-LSTM carbon emission prediction method for intelligent buildings based on quadratic decomposition. This method combines variational mode decomposition and comprehensive empirical mode decomposition to decompose historical data of carbon emissions of intelligent buildings in detail, aiming to fully reveal their inherent time series patterns and dynamic characteristics. With this quadratic decomposition, we succeeded in obtaining the intrinsic modal function component of the carbon emission data, thereby building a rich input dataset. These components are integrated and fed into a long short-term memory network (LSTM) model. LSTM is a special recurrent neural network, which is especially suitable for processing time-dependent data. Through in depth learning and training, the model can effectively predict future carbon emissions. In order to further improve the accuracy and reliability of prediction, BAS algorithm is introduced to optimize the weights of LSTM model. The BAS algorithm is a global search strategy designed to find the optimal model parameters to obtain more accurate prediction results. In the experimental part, the proposed method is tested and evaluated comprehensively. The results show that this method not only has good quadratic decomposition effect, can capture all the components in the data, but also shows stable performance and powerful global search ability. In addition, by comparing with traditional carbon emission prediction methods, we find that the fitting coefficients of this method are all above 0.94, which indicates that it has excellent prediction accuracy. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-01
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- A novel modeling approach on the water–electricity–climate nexus in
the context of resource sustainability-
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Abstract: Water and energy have become essential resources and must be wisely managed for a sustainable future. This paper explores the relationship between water consumption and electricity generation in hydropower plants with dams under different climate change scenarios to contribute to the policy perspectives with a new tool and method to sustain the future. Still, as a reliable forecasting tool, the evaluation of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system model has not been tested for forecasting water consumption during electricity generation. Thus, this study uses this modeling approach to generate reliable water consumption estimates based on electricity generation. The operational data of 78 hydroelectric power plants with dams and meteorological parameters were used as input variables, while water consumption was the output parameter in the model. The dataset was randomly divided into training and testing sets, and 85–15% data splitting presented the best-fitted model. The lowest mean average percent error of the hydroelectric power plants' model resulted in 9.59%, and the coefficient of determination of the model was 0.97, which showed that the developed model presented acceptable prediction performance. Various climate change scenarios are applied to analyze the effects of climate parameters on the water consumption of hydropower plants. The annual hydroelectric power plant water consumption and water intensity were estimated between 2,609 million m3 and 4,393 million m3, and 50,768 m3/GWh and 85,487 m3/GWh, respectively, based on climate change scenarios. The study concludes with significant policy suggestions to endorse this approach. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-01
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- Assessing the efficiency of the technological innovation ecosystem in
China-
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Abstract: Technological innovation has emerged as a vital strategic resource in recent years in the context of global economic and technological competition. This study combines the concepts of ecosystem theory and evolutionary economics to model the functioning of three types of innovation ecosystems: independent, competitive, and cooperative. It then adopts an innovation systems approach to assess the efficiency of technological innovation in China from 2011 to 2021 by using the network DEA-based model. The results show that the overall average efficiency experienced a slight but noticeable increasing trajectory, particularly in Beijing, Heilongjiang, and Shaanxi, where the increases were particularly considerable. Regions exhibit greater technical innovation efficiency while operating inside independent innovation ecosystems, followed by cooperative innovation ecosystems, and the lowest efficiency is observed in competitive innovation ecosystems. From 2011 to 2021, the average efficiency of commercializing R&D in the 30 provinces of China varied between 0.68 and 0.81. The average efficiency of resource backflow had a W-shaped trend. Beijing was consistently efficient in resource backflow throughout the study period according to the DEA. On the contrary, the efficiency of resource backflow in Liaoning, Chongqing, and Xinjiang was relatively low. This study highlights the need for improved resource allocation to enhance innovation efficiency, providing valuable insights for policymakers in optimizing regional strategies and resource management. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-08-01
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- Nanofluids in solar collectors: a comprehensive review focused on its
sedimentation-
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Abstract: The use of nanofluids as working fluids in energy systems, such as solar collectors, natural circulation loops, geothermal plants, and nuclear reactors, has the potential to enhance their efficiency. Nanofluids have improved optical and thermal properties, enabling better energetic performance than common working fluids. However, the stability of nanofluids depends on multiple factors that can cause nanoparticles to sediment in the base fluid, leading to the degradation of physical properties that affect system performance. Experimental, analytical, and computational-based approaches have been used to study the sedimentation process in nanofluids. This review presents a comprehensive comparison of these research methods, with a particular focus on the role of gravitational sedimentation when nanofluids are used in solar collectors. Sedimentation remains the primary limitation of the engineering application of nanofluids. Some key factors that affect this process, such as volumetric concentration, flow regime, and additives, have been addressed to solve the sedimentation problem. However, other factors that can influence sedimentation in solar collectors, such as thermal cycling, ultraviolet radiation, and rest periods, remain open problems that require extensive investigation in the future. Graphical abstract Sketch depicting various factors and impacts of nanofluid sedimentation in solar collectors
PubDate: 2024-08-01
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- Biogenically synthesized copper oxide, titanium oxide, and silver oxide
nanoparticles: characterization and biological effects-
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Abstract: Foodborne and phytopathogenic bacteria pose notable threats to human health and agricultural productivity. Biologically produced metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) can act as potent antimicrobial alternatives. Using the cultural filtrate of Trichoderma virens, copper oxide (CuO), titanium oxide (TiO2), and silver oxide (Ag2O) NPs were mycofabricated. The pale yellowish filtrate gradually turned in color to greenish, white creamy, and brownish colloidal dispersions, implying initial confirmation for the synthesis of CuO NPs, TiO2 NPs, and Ag2O NPs, respectively. CuO NPs, TiO2 NPs, and Ag2O NPs exhibited distinct absorption peaks at 275 nm, 380 nm, and 422 nm as revealed by UV–Vis spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction depicted the crystallinity of monoclinic CuO, rutile TiO2, and cubic Ag2O NPs with respective average sizes of 31.2 nm, 75.6 nm, and 31 nm. Functional groups from fungal bioconstituents, as shown by FTIR, contributed to the chelation and stability of the MONPs. Zeta potential analysis demonstrated the stability of the CuO NPs, TiO2 NPs, and Ag2O NPs (+ 20.5 mV, − 32.7 mV, and − 18.0 mV, respectively). EDX spectroscopy verified the purity of the MONPs, showing no impurities. Raman analysis identified structural defects, while XPS confirmed the pure elemental composition, chemical oxidation states, and binding energies of the MONPs. FESEM revealed the mycosynthesis of flake-shaped and plate-like structures of CuO NPs with sharp edges. TiO2 NPs had a monodispersed morphology, involving quasi-spherical, polygonal, and tetragonal structures, whereas Ag2O NPs had sphere- and oval-shaped architectures. CuO NPs and Ag2O NPs suppressed the growth of three foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus, in addition to six phytopathogenic bacteria, involving Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, C. michiganensis subsp. capsici, and streptomycin-susceptible wild types and streptomycin-resistant mutants of Pectobacterium carotovorum and Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. However, TiO2 NPs had no antibacterial potential against the tested bacterial pathogens. FESEM revealed significant deformation of bacterial cells upon exposure to CuO NPs and Ag2O NPs. The findings establish a framework for the role of T. virens as a nano-biofactory for synthesizing antibacterial MONPs. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-07-31
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- Thermal energy transfer for green urban development: numerical
investigation on the heat transfer and flow noise in heat exchangers with
different helical and segmental baffles-
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Abstract: Noise pollution in pipelines of heat exchangers has existed for a long time, which often results in severe equipment destruction and environmental pollution. To emphasize the importance of green urban development and satisfy the growingly stringent environmental noise policy, it is essential to investigate the thermal energy transfer process and develop low-noise heat exchangers while maintaining heat transfer capability. The shell and tube heat exchangers with helical baffles have clear advantages in enhancing heat transfer and reducing pressure drop, although the acoustic characteristics are not very distinct. This work numerically investigated the heat transfer and flow noise propagation mechanism inside heat exchangers, including path lines routes, sound pressure distributions, shell side pressure drops, heat transfer coefficients, and outlet sound pressure levels. The low-noise advantage of helical baffles in shell and tube heat exchangers has been proved. And the effect of different baffles has been analyzed from the perspective of multi-objective optimization. The results show that the helical baffle heat exchanger with β = 40° offers the best overall performance, which has a relatively higher h/Δp and a lower noise level. This paper's novelty lies in investigating the effect of different baffles on the flow-induced noise in shell and tube heat exchangers. It is innovative to perform a comprehensive evaluation of heat exchanger in flow noise, flow resistance, and heat transfer from the perspective of thermal energy transfer process. And it is a new trial to investigate the noise generation with fluid flowing across the tube bundles in integrated heat exchangers. The research on the heat transfer and flow noise in the shell and tube heat exchangers can not only emphasize the low-noise advantages of helical baffles and improve the comprehensive performance, but also provide a new design basis for the vibration and noise reduction in heat exchangers. Graphic abstract
PubDate: 2024-07-30
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- Enzymatic extraction and characterization of nanocellulose from cornhusk
fiber-
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Abstract: Poor disposal of crop wastes, such as incineration, will cause serious environmental problems. Using green methods to extract nanocellulose from cornhusk fiber (CF) can realize resource utilization of cornhusk, reduce environmental pressure and create market value. This study aims to extract and characterize nanocellulose using CF as a raw material by high-shear-assisted enzyme hydrolysis. The extraction process was optimized by investigating the particle size distribution. The optimal extraction conditions of cornhusk nanocellulose (CNC) were as follows: cellulase concentration of 1 mg/g, pH of 4.8, temperature of 50 °C, and 24 h treatment under high-shear conditions for 20 min. The morphological characteristics of the CNC and CF were investigated, and FTIR, XRD, and TGA analyses were performed. Compared with CF, CNC exhibited slenderer nanofibrils with a smoother surface. FTIR analysis showed that the peaks that represented hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin disappeared or diminished in the CNC spectrum. The crystal type of CNC did not change and was identical to that of CF (cellulose type I). The TGA results showed that CNC possessed a lower thermal stability and higher char residuals than those of CF. Graphical abstract Extraction process of nanocellulose from cornhusk fiber
PubDate: 2024-07-30
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- A comprehensive energy, water and carbon footprint analysis of petroleum
fuel production in Iran: an allocation approach with uncertainty
quantification-
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Abstract: Oil refining is the second major CO2 emission and water consumption (WC) stage in the life cycle of a petroleum fuel. However, despite having high greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and suffering from water scarcity, Iran has barely documented energy, water, and CO2 footprints for the production of petroleum fuels. Therefore, this study tried to cover this gap using an energy, water and GHGs allocation approach at the process unit level. Stochastic modeling was used to quantify the uncertainty of the results. The results indicated that diesel oil production consumed the highest amounts of energy (32.2%) and water (38.3%), and emitted the highest CO2eq (36.0%). However, jet fuel showed the highest energy consumption (EC) intensity (6.6–7.5 GJ/m3), WC intensity (0.770–0.883 m3/m3), and CO2eq emission intensity (522.4 ± 41.2 kg/m3). Thus, Merox process would be a better approach to provide jet fuel than hydrocracking that is currently used for this purpose. Upgrading the refinery’s configuration, which is the future plan of the refinery, will increase energy/water consumption and CO2eq emission needing to be alleviated. Therefore, methods to optimize EC and WC in the refinery and various mitigation measures were discussed. The findings can be used to improve resources and environmental sustainability in the refining industry. They can also be applied in estimating the well to wheel life cycle assessment of the petroleum fuels. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-07-30
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- Agricultural low-cost waste adsorption of methylene blue and modelling
linear isotherm method versus nonlinear prediction-
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Abstract: This study shows that geographically marked wheat hull, named Siyez, rice hull Sarı Kılçık, and Taşköprü Garlic stalk were used as agricultural waste to potential adsorbent materials for removing methylene blue from aqueous solution. Experimental data were evaluated in both equilibrium batch process and kinetic studies. In addition, the factors that affect the adsorption capacities, such as pH solutions, methylene blue concentration, contact time, and temperatures, were also investigated. Obtained data were subject to two constant adsorption models of Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin−Radushkevich. The kinetic models (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion and film diffusion) and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. The adsorption isotherms, characterized by an excellent fit with the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.99) across all adsorbents, underscore the prevalence of monolayer adsorption of methylene blue, in contrast to the Freundlich equation. Adsorption kinetics of the methylene blue onto the adsorbents followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. According to high regression coefficient (R2) and minimal values of nonlinear error functions like RMSE; the maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of wheat hull, rice hull and garlic stalk were found to be 62.50 (mg/g), 54.94 (mg/g), and 370.37 (mg/g), respectively. The results indicated that these proposed adsorbents could be low-cost and effective adsorbents for water purification and have adsorption capacity as much as comparable with the literature. In batch equilibrium studies, the adsorption of methylene blue dye onto the wheat hull, rice hull, and garlic stalk exhibited a significant correlation with temperature, contact time, and initial concentration of methylene blue dye and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System algorithm for forecasting overall the system parameter well fitted with these findings with the accuracy of outputs (R2 about 0.99 for each). Consequently, the thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption process takes place in bulk diffusion by liquid phase mass transfer and occurred spontaneously with endothermically except garlic stalk. Adsorption thermodynamic studies show that the adsorption of methylene blue onto the garlic stalk was spontaneous and exothermic. Graphical
PubDate: 2024-07-29
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- Comparative life cycle assessment for end-of-life treatment of expanded
polystyrene produced in street markets of the municipality of
Thessaloniki, Greece-
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Abstract: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a useful material, often used as food packaging, mainly in the form of fish boxes. Though, after its useful life, EPS waste should be properly disposed of to avoid impacts on the environment or human health. In this study, three EPS end-of-life treatment options are considered and compared for EPS waste produced in street markets of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece: (a) collection and landfill disposal, (b) collection and recycling at a local facility and (c) collection, compacting and long-distance transport for recycling in Athens. Field research was carried out to obtain the total quantity of EPS waste produced per week. In general, recycling has favorable results, but certain trade-offs have been found. Transport has no significant effect for the scenarios in question. This is not the case with electricity consumption, which has a significant effect in shaping environmental impacts. Improvements regarding the country’s energy mix, which are already taking place, as well as minimization of water usage during or before recycling are important steps in achieving the maximum benefits of recycling. Graphical abstract
PubDate: 2024-07-27
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- The dual-effect of the CO2 capture efficient by red mud under atmospheric
pressure and synergistic de–alkalization-
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Abstract: With the objective of using red mud to 60% by 2025 and carbon peaking in the Al2O3 industry by 2030, red mud carbon capture would become an area of investigation. This research presents a synergistic dealkalization technique for net CO2 capture from red mud at atmospheric pressure. Red mud captures 11.67 g/kg CO2 at 80–100 mesh particle size, 1:20 solid–liquid ratio, 10 ml/(g min) ventilation rate, 60 °C reaction temperature, and 10% CO2 ratio. FTIR and XRD revealed the primary mechanism for capturing CO2 is the reaction of CO32− and HCO32− with other minerals, including aqueous calcium aluminum garnet, to form minerals that were primarily calcium nephelite. Furthermore, H2O mostly coupled with SiO2 and other Si-containing components to generate silicate, which then combined with CO2 to form calcium nepheline, achieving CO2 capture and mineralization, according to C and Si XPS. Finally, given the present yearly production of red mud, which is around 120 million tons, the net fixed CO2 of red mud in China is 600–700 kt. Graphical
PubDate: 2024-07-27
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