Information and communication technologies in conference interpreting

New technologies, more specifically, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), are today indispensable in all professions. It is undeniable, however, that some professions have been affected to a greater extent than others. This study describes ICTs used in conference interpreting, in both professional and educational settings. It also records the interpreters' and interpreter trainers' perceptions of ICTs, especially in terms of improving the quality of their performance and their professionalism. The data has been collected through two global surveys, both conducted mainly through questionnaires and personal interviews, and triangulated with in situ observations. As to the results of the research, it was found that variation in use was not always due to generational or regional differences as had been expected. Conference interpreter trainers, on their part, are identifying different ways to overcome budgetary restrictions to allow students to learn about ICTs in order to better prepare them for the labor market.Las nuevas tecnologías, especialmente las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs), son actualmente un componente indispensable de todas las profesiones. Sin embargo, es innegable que hay profesiones que han resultado más beneficiadas por las TICs que otras. La presente investigación describe las TICs utilizadas en la interpretación de conferencias, tanto en el ámbito profesional como en el formativo. Registra asimismo la percepción y actitud de los intérpretes y de los formadores de intérpretes de conferencia hacia las TICs, en cuanto a mejorar la calidad de su desempeño y su profesionalismo. Para recoger la información, se llevaron a cabo dos encuestas a nivel global por medio de cuestionarios, complementadas con una serie de entrevistas y observaciones.En cuanto a los resultados de la investigación, se encontró que la variación en el uso no era siempre resultado de diferencias generacionales o regionales. Los formadores de intérpretes de conferencia, por su parte, están encontrando nuevas formas de superar las restricciones presupuestales para que sus estudiantes aprendan sobre el uso de las TICs, con el objeto de prepararlos mejor para su inserción en el mercado laboral

Modelo de contribución de grupos para laestimación de la ecotoxicidad de líquidos iónicos

Los líquidos iónicos son sales orgánicas líquidas pordebajo de los 100 ºC e incluso a temperatura ambiente(Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, RTILs), con interesantespropiedades que los convierten en compuestos muyatractivos para diferentes aplicaciones. Debido a su muybaja (prácticamente nula) volatilidad, esta nueva familiade compuestos químicos reduce significativamente supotencial como contaminante atmosférico. Sin embargo,un gran número de líquidos iónicos presentan una elevadasolubilidad en agua y su impacto en el medioambienteacuático debe ser evaluado, antes de su aplicación.Asimismo, dado el gran número de compuestos que puedeser sintetizado (más de 10 6 compuestos puros) es necesariodesarrollar modelos matemáticos que permitanrealizar estimaciones del parámetro de interés minimizandolas medidas experimentales y el consecuente consumode tiempo y recursos materiales.En este trabajo, se presenta un modelo de contribuciónde grupos para estimar el impacto de los líquidos iónicossobre el medio ambiente acuático mediante la ecotoxicidad(EC 50), evaluada a través del ensayo homologado conla bacteria bioluminiscente marina  Vibrio fischeri. Para ellose desarrolla un modelo cuantitativo QSAR (QuantitativeStructure Activity Relationship) que relaciona la ecotoxicidadcon la estructura del líquido iónico y permite dirigir laselección de los líquidos iónicos con este criterio

Effect of water and organic pollutant in CO2/CH4 separation using hydrophilic and hydrophobic composite membranes

Membrane technology is a simple and energy-conservative separation option that is considered to be a green alternative for CO2 capture processes. However, commercially available membranes still face challenges regarding water and chemical resistance. In this study, the effect of water and organic contaminants in the feed stream on the CO2/CH4 separation performance is evaluated as a function of the hydrophilic and permselective features of the top layer of the membrane. The membranes were a commercial hydrophobic membrane with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) top layer (Sulzer Chemtech) and a hydrophilic flat composite membrane with a hydrophilic [emim][ac] ionic liquid–chitosan (IL–CS) thin layer on a commercial polyethersulfone (PES) support developed in our laboratory. Both membranes were immersed in NaOH 1M solutions and washed thoroughly before characterization. The CO2 permeance was similar for both NaOH-treated membranes in the whole range of feed concentration (up to 250 GPU). The presence of water vapor and organic impurities of the feed gas largely affects the gas permeance through the hydrophobic PDMS membrane, while the behavior of the hydrophilic IL–CS/PES membranes is scarcely affected. The effects of the interaction of the contaminants in the membrane selective layer are being further evaluated.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; project CTQ2016-76231-C2-(AEI/FEDER, UE) and project PID2019-108136RB-C31)

Life cycle assessment of bottom ash management from a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI)

Thermal treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) results in various types of solid wastes, distinguishing mainly bottom, boiler and fly ashes and slag. To minimise waste generation it necessary to carry out primary measures for controlling residue outputs that involve optimising control of the combustion process. Obviously, after primary measures a secondary treatment is required. The conventional bottom ash management is to carry out a solidification process. This solidification or stabilization process produces a material with physical and mechanical properties that promote a reduction in contaminant release from the residue matrix. Solidification methods commonly make use of inorganic binder reagents such as cement, lime and other pozzolanic materials. Once waste is stabilized, it is usually sent to the landfill. However, despite the heavy metal content, it is getting more and more common the use of this waste as a natural aggregate. In particular, it could be used as a raw material for clinker production, cement mortar or frit production. Other possible management options included its utilization as a drainage layer on a landfill and as a sub-base material in a road construction. In this work it was assessed different bottom ash management options. In this work the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to assess the environmental impact of different bottom ash management options. Specifically, the conventional ash solidification was compared with the ash recycling in Portland cement production

Absorption of coal combustion flue gases in ionic liquids using different membrane contactors

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are typical gases produced during coal combustion and their emissions have to be controlled and minimized in order to reduce environmental risks. Organic solvents are commonly used as absorption liquids for the chemical absorption of CO2 and SO2, and their use in combination with a membrane device is being studied recently. The volatile character of common solvents produces solvent losses due to their evaporation into the gas stream. Thus, the use of solvents with lower vapor pressure such as ionic liquids as absorption liquids may contribute to the performance of a zero solvent emission process. In the present study, mass transfer of CO2 is studied in a polypropylene hollow fiber membrane contactor when the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate is used as the absorption liquid. Mass transfer coefficients are compared with those obtained with a ceramic hollow fiber contactor for SO2 absorption. The overall mass transfer coefficient takes a value of K overall = (3.69 ±0.18) ×10-7 m s-1 and K overall = (3.38 ±0.09) ×10-6 m s- 1 in CO2 and SO2 systems, respectively. Main resistance to mass transfer has been found to be the membrane itself. In CO2 absorption a theoretical effective diffusivity was estimated as D eff = 4.94 ×10-7 m2 s-1 which differs from diffusivity obtained from experimental results (D eff = (1.717 ±0.18) ×10-11 m2 s-1).This research has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (Project CTM2006-00317 and Project EUI2008-03857)

Innovative alternatives to methanol manufacture: carbon footprint assessment

Finding and implementing more sustainable alternatives to the fossil-dependence routes for methanol (MeOH) manufacturing is undoubtedly one of the challenges of our model of society. Some approaches can be used to convert CO2 into MeOH as direct hydrogenation or electrochemical reduction (ER). These alternatives lead to lower natural resources consumption respect the conventional routes, but they are still found at different technological readiness levels (TRLs). Therefore some remaining challenges need to be overtaken to achieve a carbon neutral cycle respect the conventional route, especially in the case of ER, which is currently found at its infancy. This would indicate their final industrial competitiveness in a sustainable mode. This study uses Life Cycle Assessment as the main tool in order to compare these two CO2-based manufacture alternatives (found at different TRLs) with the fossil-route. The results allow for evaluating the potential challenges inherited to the alternative based on ER. Utilization of renewable energy is one of the most important key issues to achieve a carbon neutral product using these options. However, its benefit could be neglected due to the high requirement of steam in the purification step, particularly in ER. It was demonstrated that a future scenario using ER leads to a lower natural resources consumption (mainly natural gas) compared to the conventional fabrication, which represents an important step towards more green and efficient MeOH synthesis.Authors thank to Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the financial support through the project CTQ2013-48280-C3-1-R. We would like also to thank MINECO for providing Marta Rumayor with a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (FJCI-2015-23658)

A case study for environmental impact assessment in the process industry: municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been introduced in the evaluation of chemical processes and or products in order to take into account the Supply Chain and its environmental constraints and burdens. Regarding to the environmental assessment of chemical processes and/or products two main variables need to be taken into account: Natural Resources Sustainability (NRS) and Environmental Burdens Sustainability (EBS). NRS includes the use of energy, water and materials whereas EBS is given by the environmental sustainability metrics developed by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). The main components of EBS have been classified in 5 environmental impacts to the atmosphere (acidification, global warming, human health effects, stratospheric ozone depletion and photochemical ozone formation), 5 aquatic media impacts (aquatic acidification, aquatic oxygen demand, ecotoxicity (metals), ecotoxicity (others) and eutrophication) and 2 land impacts (hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal). To reduce the number of variables and thus, the complexity, the development of a normalisation and weighting procedure is required. This work proposes the normalization of EB based on the threshold values of the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) and a similar procedure based on the values given by the BREF document on waste incineration for the NRS normalisation. This procedure will help in the decision making process in the waste management field and in the particular, in Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI)

Tailoring gas-phase CO2 electroreduction selectivity to hydrocarbons at Cu nanoparticles

Copper-based surfaces appear as the most active catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to hydrocarbons, even though formation rates and efficiencies still need to be improved. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the continuous gas-phase CO2 electroreduction to hydrocarbons (i.e. ethylene and methane) at copper nanoparticulated-based surfaces, paying attention to particle size influence (ranging from 25–80 nm) on reaction productivity, selectivity, and Faraday efficiency (FE) for CO2conversion. The effect of the current density and the presence of a microporous layer within the working electrode are then evaluated. Copper-based gas diffusion electrodes are prepared by airbrushing the catalytic ink onto carbon supports, which are then coupled to a cation exchange membrane (Nafion) in a membrane electrode assembly. The results show that the use of smaller copper nanoparticles (25 nm) leads to a higher ethylene production (1148 μmol m−2 s−1) with a remarkable high FE (92.8%), at the same time, diminishing the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction in terms of FE. This work demonstrates the importance of nanoparticle size on reaction selectivity, which may be of help to design enhanced electrocatalytic materials for CO2 valorization to hydrocarbons.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the projects CTQ2013-48280-C3-1-R and CTQ2016-76231-C2-1-R. Ivan Merino-Garcia and Jonathan Albo would also like to thank the MINECO for the Early Stage Researcher Contract (BES-2014-070081) and Ramón y Cajal programme (RYC-2015-17080), respectively