Some remarks on the concepts of Preferences and Freedom of choice.

No abstract available.

Selective Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuyl Alcohol Over Copper Magnesium Oxide

Furfural is a byproduct of biomass hydrolysis and novel means of utilizing this platform chemical are at the forefront of biofuel research. This project investigated many of the various and viable means of catalytic upgrading of furfural to other value-added chemicals, before ultimately exploring the conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol over a copper catalyst on a magnesium oxide support. Reasonable reaction conditions, mechanisms, and catalysts for the conversion of furfural to various products and platform chemicals exist, but no circumstance represents an obviously preferred method. The objective of this research project was to design and conduct experiments that characterize this catalyst and qualify its applicability for the selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. The catalyst was explored in terms of its conversion of furfural, selectivity to furfuryl alcohol, BET-surface area, reaction rate, and performance over time. It was found that the catalyst performs very well for the first five hours of reaction time with furfural conversion averaging 94% with selectivity of furfuryl alcohol around 75%. But, issues arose beyond the first few hours and the reaction rate dropped by as much as 75% over 26 hours as the catalyst deactivated. There was also a reaction of furfural on the surface of the catalyst led to plugging of the reactor after approximately 20 hours. This project is very relevant to the field of chemical engineering and biofuel research. As biofuel production increases, so will the production of furfural, and finding ways to utilize this chemical in both an economical and environmentally friendly manner will greatly impact the growth and relevance of biofuels in the upcoming years

LHDA 1000 impact assessment : impact assessment report

Summary in English.The purpose of this report is to present an impact assessment of two possible access routes to the Mohale Dam in Lesotho, namely the Western Access Road and the Least Cost Alternative Route. It is an academic work to demonstrate an adequate grasp of principles, methods and techniques appropriate to the assessment, termed LHDA 1000. The water resources of Lesotho are being exploited to augment the current supply to the PWV industrial area of the Republic of South Africa, in terms of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. This project is being implemented in phases. Phase lA, currently being constructed, involves the damming of the Malibamatso River at Katse in the Maluti Mountains (Figure1), a transfer tunnel through the mountains, a hydroelectric power station at 'Muela in Lesotho, and a delivery tunnel under the Caledon River to the Ash River (a tributary of the Vaal River which feeds the primary PW impoundment, the Vaal Dam) in the South Africa

Blogging to Develop Honors Students’ Writing

After an exciting class discussion, you might want students to write conventional papers directed at you and focused ultimately on a grade, or you might prefer that they bring their further insights to their classmates, continuing and enriching the ongoing class collaboration. Blogging is an excellent way to implement the second option, continuing an exchange of ideas and providing students with another tool to improve their writing skills. Student class blogging offers many benefits—for student and instructor alike—compared to assigning conventional papers directed only at the instructor. The collaborative writing and peer editing inherent in blogging offer challenges as well as benefits, so guidance in facilitating a meaningful exchange as well as navigating the nuts-and-bolts technicalities may be useful to honors faculty who are establishing a class blog. Ideas for class exercises, assignments, and evaluative expectations co-designed by an instructor and a team of honors students may also help bring out maximum creativity and collegiality in the honors blog

Can investments in manure technology reduce nutrient leakage to the Baltic Sea?

In this study, quantitative models of the agricultural sector and nutrient transport and cycling are used to analyse the impacts in the Baltic Sea of replacing the current Greening measures of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy with a package of investments in manure handling. The investments aim at improving nutrient utilization and reducing nitrogen leaching, based on the assumption that lagging farms and regions can catch up with observed good practice. Our results indicate that such investments could reduce nitrogen surpluses in agriculture by 18% and nitrogen concentrations in the Baltic Sea by 1 to 9% depending on the basin. The Greening measures, in contrast, are found to actually increase nitrogen leaching.Peer reviewe