Design and Characterization of Electrospun Polyamide Nanofiber Media for Air Filtration Applications

Electrospun polyamide 6 (PA 6) and polyamide 6/6 (PA 6/6) nanofibers were produced in order to investigate their experimental characteristics with the goal of obtaining filtration relevant fiber media. The experimental design model of each PA nanofibers contained the following variables: polymer concentration, ratio of solvents, nanofiber media collection time, tip-to-collector distance, and the deposition voltage. The average diameter of the fibers, their morphology, basis weight, thickness, and resulting media solidity were investigated. Effects of each variable on the essential characteristics of PA 6/6 and PA 6 nanofiber media were studied. The comparative analysis of the obtained PA 6/6 and PA 6 nanofiber characteristics revealed that PA 6/6 had higher potential to be used in filtration applications. Based on the experimental results, the graphical representation—response surfaces—for obtaining nanofiber media with the desirable fiber diameter and basis weight characteristics were derived. Based on the modelling results the nanofiber filter media (mats) were fabricated. Filtration results revealed that nanofiber filter media electrospun from PA6/6 8% (w/vol) solutions with the smallest fiber diameters (62–66 nm) had the highest filtration efficiency (PA6/6_30 = 84.9–90.9%) and the highest quality factor (PA6/6_10 = 0.0486–0.0749 Pa−1)

Plasma treatment in textile industry

Plasma technology applied to textiles is a dry, environmentally- and worker-friendly method to achieve surface alteration without modifying the bulk properties of different materials. In particular, atmospheric non-thermal plasmas are suited because most textile materials are heat sensitive polymers and applicable in a continuous processes. In the last years plasma technology has become a very active, high growth research field, assuming a great importance among all available material surface modifications in textile industry. The main objective of this review is to provide a critical update on the current state of art relating plasma technologies applied to textile industryFernando Oliveira (SFRH/BD/65254/2009) acknowledges Fundacao para a Cioncia e Tecnologia, Portugal, for its doctoral grant financial support. Andrea Zille (C2011-UMINHO-2C2T-01) acknowledges funding from Programa Compromisso para a Cioncia 2008, Portugal

Intellectual property: pecularities of mass communication marketable mark protection in lithuania

This work Peculiarities of mass communication marketable mark protection in Lithuania is an attempt to analyze juridical basis of the summary. Main consideration is paid to mass communication marketable mark, it‘s protection peculiarities in Lithuania, because very big importance on the development of economics stimulates the improvement of marketable marks protection. Serious consideration is paid to efficiency of the protection of authors rights as the most vulnerable rights. The subject of research is protection of mass communication marketable mark in Lithuania. The aim of the research is to analyze the juridical basis of mass communication marketable mark in Lithuania. The goals of the research are: 1) to analyze aspects of intellectual property concept; 2) to discuss protection of author and conterminous rights; 3) to introduce the characteristic of the marketable mark’s conception; 4) to compare the registration of marketable mark in Lithuania and abroad; 5) to analyze well known marketable mark’s peculiarities; 6) to present to the rights of marketable mark’s owner; 7) to disclose the aspects of plagiarism concept and to analyze the criterion of the marketable mark identity and similarity; 8) to find out how chosen respondents rate two similar mass communication marketable marks through quantitative research. The methods of the research: analytical, comparative, modelling, interview. Importance and topicality of the work. One of the most important marketable mark’s parts is topic, which later on becomes as a symbol, which sometimes loses original meaning and assumes extra nuances. Not only big material contribution but also intellectual efforts are needful while creating marketable mark. Good and well known marketable mark is the way to a success in appropriate market sphere. Although all accept that effectual laws in Lithuania should vouch effective author rights’ protection, practical realization of these rights very often is problematical. So systematic disquisition of this topic will help to survey, how the summary, which opens lots of prospects to the owner of it, is protected. The work is based on sources of Lithuanian authors: THE LAW OF AUTHOR AND CONTERMINOUS RIGHTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, THE LAW OF THE MARKETABLE MARK OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, Marketable mark: some aspects of theoretical conception (L. Bivainienė), instruction of marketable mark’s registration in the Republic of Lithuania, THE RECORD OF MADRID PACT ABOUT INTERNATIONAL MARKETABLE MARK REGISTRATION, Protection of marketable mark (V. Viešiūnaitė) and others. To sum it up, the conclusion is: registration of the mark gives exclusive right to use this mark; to prohibit using of the same and the similar mark for others; to bring lawsuits and to demand compensation for contravention of the owner rights. The protection of marketable mark in Lithuania is regulated by the law of marketable mark. Widely known marketable marks are protected without formal administrative registration procedure. The largest and the most influential mass communication concerns in Lithuania are: MG Baltic, Achema Group, Hermis Capital, Rubicon Group, Joint-Sock Company “Lietuvos Rytas”, Editions’ Group of the Republic, Publishing industry of brothers Tomkai, Lithuanian national radio, and others. Accomplished quantitative research proves the statement that intellectual proprietary protection legislatively is effective in Lithuania, but real realization of it is still complicated

Piezoelectric actuators for transport flashlight position control

In this article of piezoelectric transducers (vibration motors) used to regulate the inclination of transport flashlights are described. There are bloc, princqjle and control diagrams, description of how it works. Actuator purpose of regulation inclination of transport flashlights has vibration motor for each flashlight Vibration motor consists of upper case, lower part of case, bearing, piezoceramic cylinder with radial polarisation. Geometric parameters of cylinder are defined by experimental and analytical methods. When diameter and thickness of cylinder wall are taken, height is alternative and is selected for getting optimal oscillations, creating regime of travelling waves, optimal fonn of which appears on the top of piezoceramic cylinder, with ratio equal between radial and axial oscillations to twoStraipsnyje aprašoma originali pavara automobilių žibintų optinių elementų padėčiai nustatyti bei valdyti, kurioje panaudojami pjezoelementai: cilindras ir plokštelė. Pateikta pjezopavaros valdymo schema, aprašyta eksperimentinių tyrimu metodika, nustatytos pjezopavaros techninės charakteristikos ir priklausomybės, apibendrtinti atliktų tyrimų rezultataiVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Sustainable green technology for recovery of cotton fibers and polyester from textile waste

Waste jeans represent one of the major fractions of textile waste that is generated in millions of tons annually. Waste jeans are classified as a cotton-rich material, which can potentially become a sustainable source of raw cotton for production of new goods to tackle the shortage in cultivated cotton. In this framework, present research aims to develop a sustainable green technology for recovery of cotton fibers and polyester from textile waste. The first stage of the technology was concerned with removal of textile dyes from waste jeans using nitric acid leaching (conc. <60%) followed by the regeneration of the spent acid by activated carbon. After that, polyester was dissolved and separated from cotton by using a green switchable hydrophilicity solvent. To extract the polyester and regenerate the solvent, CO₂ was added to the solution after mixing with distilled water at 0 °C for 1 h; the solidified polyester was collected by filtration, and the form of solvent was switched back to hydrophobic through heating and corresponding CO₂ removal. Morphology and composition of the liberated fibers and extracted polyester were investigated using optical microscopy, SEM, and FITR. Regenerated solvent and acid were examined using FTIR and titration-based analysis. Performance of the proposed technology was studied based on the principles of circular economy and included determining of recycling rates, economic evaluation, greenhouse gas emissions estimates, and sustainability of the consumed and recovered materials. The results showed possibility of reaching economic returns up to 1,629 $/ton of waste and reduction of carbon footprint by −1,440 kg of CO₂-eq/t of waste

Interdisciplinary Water Research Network Building within Nordic and Baltic Countries

Viable Water Management and Governance for Futures (VIWAFU), a professional network for international and interdisciplinary collaboration amongst researchers from the Nordic and Baltic countries, was built for providing and sharing knowledge on water management and governance for future policy and decision making during the years 2012–2014. VIWAFU organized four workshops for MSc students, PhD students, and post-docs, focusing on different topics, e.g. water services management, water supply infrastructure, innovative water strategies, and water management in tourist areas. In top of the seminar themes, the students discussed and practiced communication – orally in small and big groups, and as written communication aimed at appealing to diverse readers. The communication was challenging because of cultural differences, but also because of the diverse disciplinary backgrounds of the participants. Altogether, the VIWAFU seminars were successful in creating a strong network between coming researchers from Nordic and Baltic countries. Hopefully this will lead to a tighter cooperation within water-related research around the Baltic Sea in the future

Biogas combustion with various oxidizers in a nanosecond DBD microplasma burner

This study concerns the effect of non-thermal plasma discharges on simulated biogas (mixture of CH4 with 80–20 vol% CO2) combustion at atmospheric pressure in synthetic air or synthetic air enriched by oxygen. The plasma-assisted, premixed combustion was performed in a porous-plate burner with dielectric barrier discharge microplasmas driven by nanosecond high-voltage pulses at 3 kHz and 10 kHz repetition rates in the burner holes. The characteristics of the plasma-assisted flames and the role of reactive oxygen species in the plasma-assisted combustion process supplying various oxidizers were determined using a spatial flame chemiluminescence scanning technique acquiring OH*, C2* and CH* emission intensities. From the obtained results, the pathways of combustion enhancement by the plasma were established. During plasma-assisted combustion, the biogas flame stability has improved. The highest plasma impact on the flame stability was observed for the biogas mixture (CH4-60%/CO2-40%). The flame lift-off for a stoichiometric mixture was reduced by 54% with the discharge at 10 kHz repetition rate, but a decrease of fuel–air ratio φ resulted in reduced effect of plasma and the lift-off was reduced only by 38–10% with 10 kHz discharge and by 22–7% with 3 kHz discharge. The experiments with oxygen-enriched synthetic air showed that the oxygen addition increases the flammability limit of biogas mixtures (CH4 with 50–20 vol% in CO2), and allowed to burn mixtures which were not able to combust under normal conditions. However, the plasma-assisted combustion with oxygen enrichment showed a lower effect on the combustion enhancement than without. During experiments of plasma-assisted combustion, the plasma impact on NOX emissions was also determined, showing that NOX concentrations increased with increasing plasma power