291. Investigation of surface treatment effects on the environmentally-assisted cracking behaviour of Alloy 182 in boiling water reactor environmentZaiqing Que, Bojan Zajec, Stefan Ritter, Tommi Seppänen, Timo Saario, Aki Toivonen, Aleksandra Treichel, Valentin Lautaru, Fabio Scenini, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Surface treatments of primary circuit components in light water reactors are regarded as possible ways to mitigate environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC). To date, it is not fully conclusive which surface condition is suitable to reduce the EAC initiation susceptibility. Constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests were performed by several labs using flat tapered tensile specimens with different surface conditions (ground, industrial face milled, advanced face milled and shot peened), exposed to a boiling water reactor normal water chemistry environment at 288°C. Despite some scatter in the results, the CERT tests revealed that the EAC initiation susceptibility seems lowest for the advanced face milled surface and highest for the shot peened surface. However, it must be emphasised that the differences were moderate and that the surprising behaviour of the shot peened surface can be explained. The mechanical grinding of the surface did not significantly retard EAC initiation compared to industrial face milling.
Ključne besede: crack initiation, environmentally-assisted cracking, Alloy 182, surface machining, boiling water reactor, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 05.05.2023; Ogledov: 381; Prenosov: 162
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292. Bioleaching process for copper extraction from waste in alkaline and acid mediumIvica Ristović, Darina Štyriaková, Iveta Štyriakova, Jaroslav Šuba, Emilija Širadović, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Flotation wastes are becoming a valuable secondary raw material and source of many metals and semimetals worldwide with the possibilities of industrial recycling. The flotation tailings contain oxide and sulfide minerals that have not been sufficiently stabilized and form acidic mine waters, which in turn contaminate groundwater, rivers, and reservoi6sediments. An effective way to recycle these mine wastes is to recover the metals through leaching. While the focus is on acid bioleaching by iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, alkaline leaching, and the removal of iron- containing surface coatings on sulfide minerals contribute significantly to the overall environmental efficiency of leaching. For this study, static and percolate bioleaching of copper from flotation waste at the Bor copper mine in Serbia was investigated in alkaline and then acidic environments. The aim of the study was to verify the effect of alkaline pH and nutrient stimulation on the bioleaching process and element extraction. A sample was taken from a mine waste site, which was characterized by XRF analyses. The concentration of leached copper was increased when copper oxide minerals dissolved during alkaline bioleaching. The highest copper yield during alkaline bioleaching was achieved after 9 days and reached 67%. The addition of nutrients in acidic medium enhanced the degradation of sulfide minerals and increased Cu recovery to 74%, while Fe and Ag recoveries were not significantly affected. Combined bioleaching with alkaline media and iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in acidic media should be a good reference for ecological Cu recovery from copper oxide and sulfide wastes.
Ključne besede: copper, alkaline, acidic bioleaching, secondary raw materials, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 05.05.2023; Ogledov: 331; Prenosov: 169
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293. Environmental hazard of polypropylene microplastics from disposable medical masks : acute toxicity towards Daphnia magna and current knowledge on other polypropylene microplasticsAnita Jemec Kokalj, Andraž Dolar, Damjana Drobne, Marjan Marinšek, Matej Dolenec, Luka Škrlep, Gregor Strmljan, Branka Mušič, Andrijana Sever Škapin, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of disposable plastics, including medical masks, which have become a necessity in our daily lives. As these are often improperly disposed of, they represent an important potential source of microplastics in the environment. We prepared microplastics from polypropylene medical masks and characterised their size, shape, organic chemical leaching, and acute toxicity to the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna. The three layers of the masks were separately milled and characterised. Each of the inner frontal, middle filtering, and outer layers yielded different types of microplastics: fibres were obtained from the inner and outer layer, but irregular fragments from the middle layer. The shape of the obtained microplastics differed from the initial fibrous structure of the intact medical mask layers, which indicates that the material is deformed during cryo-milling. The chemical compositions of plastics-associated chemicals also varied between the different layers. Typically, the inner layer contained more chemicals related to antimicrobial function and flavouring. The other two layers also contained antioxidants and their degradation products, plasticisers, cross-linking agents, antistatic agents, lubricants, and non-ionic surfactants. An acute study with D. magna showed that these microplastics do not cause immobility but do physically interact with the daphnids. Further long-term studies with these microplastics are needed using a suite of test organisms. Indeed, studies with other polypropylene microplastics have shown numerous adverse effects on other organisms at concentrations that have already been reported in the environment. Further efforts should be made to investigate the environmental hazards of polypropylene microplastics from medical masks and how to handle this new source of environmental burden.
Ključne besede: COVID-19 pandemic, plastics-associated chemicals, Daphnia magna, fibres, fragments, nanofibres, polypropylene microplastics, single-use plastic
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 05.05.2023; Ogledov: 376; Prenosov: 233
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294. Impact of leaching on chloride ingress profiles in concreteAlisa Machner, Marie Helene Bjørndal, Aljoša Šajna, Nikola Mikanovic, Klaartje De Weerdt, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: To investigate the effect of leaching on chloride ingress profiles in concrete and mortar, we exposed concrete and mortar specimens for 90 and 180 days to two different exposure solutions: 3% NaCl, and 3% NaCl with KOH added to limit leaching. The solutions were replaced weekly. After exposure, we determined total chloride profiles to investigate the chloride ingress, and portlandite profiles to assess the extent of leaching. The results showed that leaching during exposure greatly affects the chloride ingress profiles in mortar and concrete. We found that leaching leads to considerably higher maximum total chloride content and deeper chloride penetration into the concrete than in the specimens where leaching was limited. We recommend therefore that leaching should be taken into account in standard laboratory testing and that more mechanistic service life models should be used to take into account the impact of leaching.
Ključne besede: chloride ingress, service life prediction, leaching, concrete, portlandite, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 04.05.2023; Ogledov: 331; Prenosov: 210
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295. Metal and non-metal modified titania : the effect of phase composition and surface area on photocatalytic activityBoštjan Žener, Lev Matoh, Martin Reli, Andrijana Sever Škapin, Romana Cerc Korošec, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: The application of TiO 2 photocatalysis in various environmental fields has been extensively studied in the last decades due to its ability to induce the degradation of adsorbed organic pollutants. In the present work, TiO 2 powders doped and co-doped with sulfur and nitrogen and modified with platinum were prepared by particulate sol-gel synthesis. PXRD measurements revealed that the replacement of HCl with H 2SO4 during synthesis reduced the size of the crystallites from ~ 30 nm to ~20 nm, increasing the surface area from ~44 m2/g to ~80 m2/g. This is consistent with the photocatalytic activity of the samples and the measured photocurrent behavior of the photocatalysts. The results showed that the prop- erties of the powders (i.e., surface area, crystallite size, photocurrent behavior) depend strongly not only on the type but also on the amount of acid and dopants used in the synthesis. Doping, co-doping and modification of TiO 2 samples with nitrogen, sulfur and platinum increased their photocatalytic activity up to 6 times.
Ključne besede: titanium dioxide, powders, doping, photocatalysis, photocurrent, SEM
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 04.05.2023; Ogledov: 354; Prenosov: 150
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296. Innovative calcium carbonate-based products to repair cracked cement mortarsMartina Zuena, Andreja Pondelak, Enrico Garbin, Matteo Panizza, Luca Nodari, Andrijana Sever Škapin, Luka Škrlep, Gilberto Artioli, Patrizia Tomasin, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: The durability of Portland cement mortars is often affected by environmental factors, which can cause physicochemical and mechanical degradation processes. In this study, the performance of three products, calcium acetoacetate and calcium tetrahydrofurfuryloxide dissolved in two different solvents developed and tested as stone consolidants, was evaluated in terms of crack filling or sealing and consolidation. Realistic cracks were induced in quasibrittle cement mortar prisms using a custom-designed test rig. The effectiveness and the performance of the considered treatments, investigated on specimens, were evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, colourimetry, water absorption rate, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and surface hardness measurements. Results revealed that, in the examined conditions, the products were more suitable as surface consolidants than as crack fillers.
Ključne besede: cement mortars, 20th century architecture conservation, calcium acetoacetate, calcium alkoxide, concrete repair, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 04.05.2023; Ogledov: 390; Prenosov: 224
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297. Mode I fracture of beech-adhesive bondline at three different temperaturesJaka Gašper Pečnik, Andreja Pondelak, Michael David Burnard, Václav Sebera, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Single edge-notched three-point bending tests (SEN-TPB) for mode I were utilized to experimentallyevaluate fracture properties of adhesive bondlines in European beech (Fagus SylvaticaL.). Thebondline was examined at two anatomical planes with TR and RT orientation and at control andtwo elevated temperatures (70°C and 140°C). Among epoxy (EPI), melamine-urea formaldehyde (MUF), and polyurethane (PUR) adhesives, the highest average critical energyGcwith 0.80 N/mmand fracture energyGfwith 1079.4 N/mm were obtained for EPI in the TR plane and understandard climate conditions (20°C/65% relative humidity), followed by MUF (Gc= 0.50 N/mm andGf= 620 N/mm) and PUR (Gc= 0.25 N/mm andGf= 290.9 N/mm), respectively. PUR was leasteffected by elevated temperature, and no significant differences forGcandGfbetween TR and RTbondline orientations were found for MUF and PUR treated at 20°C/65% relative humidity whilecomparisons between other factors varied significantly. Treatment of specimens at elevatedtemperatures resulted in reduced fracture performance regardless of wood grain orientation orthe adhesive system.
Ključne besede: crack, fracture, grain orientation, temperature, European Beech, odprti dostop
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.05.2023; Ogledov: 457; Prenosov: 365
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298. Improved synthetic route of incorporation of nanosilicon species into phenol-formaldehyde resin and preparation of novel ZnAl-layered double-hydroxide hybrid phenol-formaldehyde resinAna Dremelj, Romana Cerc Korošec, Andreja Pondelak, Branka Mušič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Hybrid phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins represent one of the most important niche groups of binding systems for composites. New industrial needs, environmental requirements, and price fluctuations have led to further research on materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. The preparation of novel hybrid materials can be achieved by inclusion of various elements or functional groups in the organic polymer phenolic framework. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a PF-based hybrid material with different nanoscale silicone species and ZnAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH). The main goals of this study were to improve the synthetic pathways of hybrid resin, as well as to prepare granulated composite materials and test samples and determine their characterization. Added inorganic species increased the glass-transition temperature by a minimum of 8 °C, which was determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Rheological properties (melting viscosity and flow distance) of the hybrid resin were measured. The homogeneity of distribution of added species across the organic matrix was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With synthesized new hybrid-binding systems, we prepared different granulated composite materials and evaluated them with the measurements of rheological properties (flow curing characteristics). Tensile strength of samples, prepared from granulated composite material, improved by more than 5%.
Ključne besede: phenol-formaldehyde hybrid resins, nano-SiO2, ZnAl-LDH, composites, glass-transition temperature, mechanical properties
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.05.2023; Ogledov: 421; Prenosov: 184
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299. Magnetic extraction of weathered tire wear particles and polyethylene microplasticsVaibhav Budhiraja, Branka Mušič, Andrej Kržan, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Magnetic extraction offers a rapid and low-cost solution to microplastic (MP) separation, in which we magnetize the hydrophobic surface of MPs to separate them from complex environmental matrices using magnets. We synthesized a hydrophobic Fe-silane based nanocomposite (Fe@SiO2/MDOS) to separate MPs from freshwater. Pristine and weathered, polyethylene (PE) and tire wear particles (TWP) of different sizes were used in the study. The weathering of MPs was performed in an accelerated weathering chamber according to ISO 4892-2:2013 standards that mimic natural weathering conditions. The chemical properties and morphology of the Fe@SiO2/MDOS, PE and TWP were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The thermal properties of PE and TWP were evaluated by Thermogravimetric analysis. Using 1.00 mg of Fe@SiO2/MDOS nanocomposite, 2.00 mg of pristine and weathered PE were extracted from freshwater; whereas, using the same amount of the nanocomposite, 7.92 mg of pristine TWP and 6.87 mg of weathered TWP were extracted. The retrieval of weathered TWP was 13% less than that of pristine TWP, which can be attributed to the increasing hydrophilicity of weathered TWP. The results reveal that the effectiveness of the magnetic separation technique varies among different polymer types and their sizes; the weathering of MPs also influences the magnetic separation efficiency.
Ključne besede: degradation, magnetic separation, microplastics, polyethylene, tire wear particles, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.05.2023; Ogledov: 464; Prenosov: 380
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300. Production and characterization of lightweight aggregates from municipal solid waste incineration fly-ash through single- and double-step pelletization processAlberto Ferraro, Vilma Ducman, Francesco Colangelo, Lidija Korat, Danilo Spasiano, Ilenia Farina, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: The performance of a cold-bonding pelletization process was investigated for lightweight aggregates (LWAs) production from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly-ash (FA), by including multiple waste materials in the aggregate mixture. Before pelletization, FA was pre-treated by washing with water, which led to a reduction of chloride (66.79%) and sulphate (25.30%) content. This was further confirmed by XRF and XRD analyses, which showed a reduction of chloride elements and the content of chlorine crystalline phases. The pelletization process was carried out using both single- and double-step methods. For single-step pelletization, all the mixtures contained 80% FA, combined with various compositions of cement (5, 10, and 15%) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) (5, 10, and 15%). For the double-step pelletization 30% of cement and 70% of marble sludge (MS) were added to each of the previous mixtures. The apparent density of all the aggregates varied between 1.60 and 1.87 g cm 3, suggesting their suitability to be classified as LWAs. Aggregates produced from double-step pelletization showed improved characteristics, with water absorption capacity and open porosity generally lower compared to the corresponding aggregates from the single-step pelletization. The best values of compressive (crushing) strength (almost 11 MPa) were observed for double-step pelletization aggregates with initial cement: GBFS mixture of 15%:5%. Results from leaching tests showed an overall significant release of chloride and sulphate. Nevertheless, leaching from double-step pelletization aggregates was reduced by 1.73- 4.02 times for chloride and 1.58-5.67 times for sulphate, further suggesting that better performances are achievable through the addition of an aggregate second layer.
Ključne besede: MSWI fly ash, lightweight aggregate, microtomography, open access
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.05.2023; Ogledov: 364; Prenosov: 312
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