Eco-Design Tool to support the Use of Renewable Polymers within Packaging Applications

Bioplastics derived from renewable polymers such as sugars, starches and cellulose, have attracted significant interest from companies looking to reduce their environmental footprint. New production capacity and improved materials have resulted in their increasing adoption for mainstream consumer products packaging. However questions remain regarding their overall environmental benefits and how the maximum environmental gain can be achieved. These uncertainties highlight the need for a decision support tool to aid the packaging design process. This paper examines the issues surrounding bio-derived polymer use and discusses the development of an eco-design tool to assist in their rapid and efficient adoption

Crystal structure of (E)-1,2-diferrocenyl-1,2-bis­(furan-2-yl)ethene

The title compound, [Fe₂(C₅H₅)₂(C₂₀H₁₄O₂)], is the product of a new synthetic route towards tetraaryl/hetaryl-substituted ethenes that reduces the occurrence of side-products. In the crystal, the molecule is centrosymmetric and the cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings are nearly coplanar and aligned slightly closer to a staggered conformation than to an eclipsed one. The ethene plane is tilted by 32.40 (18)° with respect to that of the substituted Cp ring and by 63.19 (19)° with respect to that of the furan ring. C—H··· π interactions link the molecules into a three-dimensional supramolecular framework.Funding for this research was provided by: Maestro-3 (grant No. Dec-2012/06/A/ST5/00219 to R. Hamera-Fałdyga, G. Mlostoń); Institutspartnerschaft, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn (grant to R. Hamera-Fałdyga, G. Mlostoń)

The 70-year history of metallurgical production at the Minsk automobile plant and prospects of its development

The data on the creation of the Minsk automobile plant, the formation and development of its foundre shops, measures taken to ensure the growth of the volume and quality of iron and steel casting on MAW are given. The measures to improve working conditions at the plant and improve the environmental situation are shown. The brief characteristics of the technological processes created at MAW for obtaining steel cast heat-treated shot and briquetting metal chips using induction heating, as well as modern molding and core mixtures and equipment developed at MAW and eqiopment created at OJSC «BELNIILIT», are given

Enhanced biotransformations and product recovery in a membrane bioreactor through application of a direct electric current.

The simultaneous enhancement of biotransformation coupled to product recovery, purification and concentration is presented. The nitrilase of Rhodococcus rhodochrous LL100-21 catalyses the single-step hydrolytic biotransformation of benzonitrile to benzoic acid and ammonia. When a direct electric current is applied across a bioreactor containing the bacterium and benzonitrile, the charged product (benzoic acid) can be removed in situ across an anion exchange membrane and recovered in a separate compartment. Over the course of a 24-hour biotransformation, benzonitrile was converted to benzoic acid which was completely removed from the bioreactor chamber and concentrated 3-fold in a separate chamber. The rate of production of benzoic acid increased by 42% when the current was applied (0.044 mmol/min/g dry cell weight in the presence of current as compared to 0.03 mmol/min/g dry cell weight in its absence). The enhanced reaction rate was achieved irrespective of product separation and therefore appears to be a direct effect upon the bacterial cells. This process has potential for enhanced productivity from biotransformations through a simultaneous increase in metabolic activity and in situ product recovery

alpha,omega-diferrocenyl cumulene molecular wires. Synthesis, spectroscopy, structure, and electrochemistry

8Cumulene sp-carbon molecular wires C2 [Fc(Ph)CC(Ph)Fc] up to C7 [Fc(Ph)CCCCCCC(Ph)Fc] endcapped by two electroactive ferrocenyl groups are presented in this report. Synthetically, ferrocenyl cumulenes can be built-up by a modular strategy using C1 synthon ferrocenyl(phenyl)ketone as starting material with various acetylenic/propargylic/homopropargylic C2−C5 reagents, taking into account and exploiting the efficient stabilization of an electron-deficient carbenium center by an adjacent ferrocenyl moiety. With increasing cumulene chain length the reactivity of cumulenes increases considerably, indicating steric protection as the main requirement for bulk stability. Even cumulenes C2, C4, and C6 are conjugated “molecular wires” effecting electronic communication between the terminal ferrocenyl substituents, whereas odd cumulenes C3, C5, and C7 are nonconjugated and electronically decoupled due to their orthogonal terminal π-systems. Electrochemically, separate redox waves can be detected up to a C6 cumulene spacer, but the electronic communication between the endcapping redox-active ferrocenyl substituents decreases with increasing cumulene length.nonenoneSkibar, W.; Kopacka, H.; Wurst, K.; Salzmann, C.; Ongania, K. H.; FABRIZI DE BIANI, Fabrizia; Zanello, Piero; Bildstein, B.Skibar, W.; Kopacka, H.; Wurst, K.; Salzmann, C.; Ongania, K. H.; FABRIZI DE BIANI, Fabrizia; Zanello, Piero; Bildstein, B

An electrokinetic bioreactor: using direct electric current for enhanced lactic acid fermentation and product recovery.

The microbiological production of organic acids by fermentation processes is growing in commercial importance. However, the removal of product and pH control are two main issues that limit the technical and commercial viability of such processes. A laboratory scale bioreactor combining conventional electrodialysis and bipolar membrane electrodialysis has been developed for in situ product removal and pH control in lactic acid fermentation. The electrokinetic process enabled removal of the biocatalytic product (lactic acid) directly from the bioreactor system, in a concentrated form, as well as enabling good pH control without generation of troublesome salts. Moreover, end-product inhibition of glucose catabolism was reduced, resulting in a greater generation of the end-product lactic acid. An automatic pH sensor and current application system was developed and successfully implemented for lactic acid fermentation in the electrokinetic bioreactor