Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation
PORTO@iris (Publications Open Repository TOrino - Politecnico di Torino)Not a member yet
146173 research outputs found
Sort by
Biobased Epoxidized Castor Oil Covalent Adaptable Networks Adhesives Reinforced with Recycled Carbon Fibers
Get PDFThe development of sustainable, smart, and functional adhesives is crucial in advancing environmentally friendly materials. In
this study, a fully biobased adhesive based on Covalent Adaptable Networks (CANs) is presented, integrating epoxidized castor oil
(ECO) as the bio-based monomer and a novel eugenol-based phosphate ester (EUGP) as the transesterification catalyst. The system
was further enhanced with Recycled Carbon Fibers (RCF) as reinforcing filler. The curing process was thermally initiated using
Ytterbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate (YTT), enabling efficient crosslinking even at room temperature over 24 h, permitting
an eco-friendly production. Extensive characterizations were conducted. FT-IR confirmed high conversion rates, even with 20 phr
of RCF, proving the curing efficiency. DSC revealed curing kinetics, and DMTA revealed a tunable glass transition temperature
(0–10 ◦◦C) depending on the filler content. Rheological stress-relaxation tests demonstrated rapid stress relaxation (1000 s at
70 ◦◦C), confirming dynamic bond exchange and reprocessability. Contact angle analysis confirmed the presence of hydrophobic
surfaces, which enhance moisture resistance. TGA indicated thermal stability up to 105 ◦◦C. Mechanical tests performed on
different joined substrates (metals and ceramic composites) showed that both adhesive bulk and joint strength at room temperature
increased with fiber loading. Rebonded joints retained 74–91% of their initial strength after two repair cycles. By exploiting
transesterification chemistry, bio-based materials, and recycled conductive fillers, this study highlights a sustainable alternative
to conventional adhesives. The results indicate that the analyzed fully biobased adhesive offers promising applications in flexible
electronics, smart adhesives, and advanced composites, supporting the transition toward more environmentally responsible
materials
CIAO! Online Escape Room: Assessment of Basic Mathematical Skills for Incoming Engineering Students
Get PDFSTEM education requires a solid foundation in mathematics, which is often lacking in incoming students. To address these gaps, Politecnico di Torino developed CIAO!/OAIC! (Corso Interattivo di Accompagnamento Online / Online Accompanying Interactive Course), an online preparatory course featuring a virtual escape room as its final self-assessment activity. This escape room, set in the digitalized spaces of the actual university, tests mathematical prerequisites through problem-solving challenges while providing immediate feedback. The study analyzes two implementations: a pilot with time constraints and prize incentives and an updated version with extended access and no external rewards. Results show that removing competitive elements and extending gameplay duration led to increased student engagement and higher success rates. The findings demonstrate that reduced time pressure facilitated deeper learning and knowledge consolidation. Additionally, the study reveals that external incentives did not significantly impact participation rates, suggesting that students’ intrinsic motivation to assess their mathematical readiness was sufficient to drive engagement with the platform
Oldest proof of metal surface alteration? Characterization of Cu3As formation of prehistoric and recent Cu-As alloys
Get PDFArsenical copper artifacts from prehistory often display silvery Cu3As surface layers whose origin has been debated for decades. To clarify the mechanisms, we reproduced the phenomenon experimentally by exposing Cu–As alloys (6–11 wt.% As) to acetic acid and vinegar–salt solutions, mimicking accessible prehistoric materials. Surface and microstructural characterization (LOM, SEM-EDXS, XRD) combined with ICP-AES analysis demonstrates that these conditions trigger selective copper leaching and progressive surface enrichment of Cu3As. The resulting layers form banded morphologies with penetration depths up to 400 μm, closely resembling archaeological specimens, and enhance corrosion resistance. We introduce the term arsenification for this process of Cu3As surface enrichment. Beyond providing insights into the earliest known case of intentional surface modification, these results establish a model for alloy surface engineering via controlled dealloying under mild acidic and saline conditions
Rhenium-Based Dual-Function Materials for Integrated CO2 Capture and Methanation
No full textIntegrated CO2 capture and utilization (ICCU) is a promising transition route for mitigating flue-gas emissions while producinguseful energy-carrying chemicals. This study reveals the potential of rhenium as an alternative to nickel or ruthenium forcatalyzing CO2 methanation. It is shown that the mixing of Re/γ-Al 2 O3 with CeO2 or a synthetic hydrotalcite-derived Mg–Aloxide (layered double oxide [LDO]) provides tunable low-Re-content dual-function materials (DFMs) with 100% CO 2 conversionand 100% methane selectivity at 300◦C under cyclic operation. The direct deposition of rhenium, in an atomically dispersedform, onto CeO2 or LDO increases the methane yield up to 128 μmol/g per 10 + 10 min cycle, suggesting a synergy betweencatalytic and adsorbing functions. In contrast, these two systems are poorly selective to methane in conventional gas-phase CO 2 –H 2 reaction, showing the beneficial effect of sequential adsorption–hydrogenation operation on selectivity. In terms of stability,Re/CeO2 appears as the most efficient DFM, showing stable methane production over 50 cycles, moderate deactivation in thepresence of water, and full recovery after return to dry conditions. An operando diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS)investigation of this catalyst under both ICCU and conventional hydrogenation discloses the nature of molecular adsorbates (CO,formates) and their dependence on the reaction regime. In situ Raman spectroscopy shows that the oxidation state of the activeReOx species undergoes only minor modifications upon alternating CO 2 and H2 steps, maintaining predominantly Re7+ moietie
Completing the Puzzle of European Public Procurement Reform: Towards a European System of Supplier Qualification?
Get PDFForthcoming reforms of EU public procurement coincide with a broader shift toward a more strategic role of the state, in which procurement is increasingly expected to deliver sustainability, resilience, innovation and, in sensitive sectors, European preference, alongside value for money. This paper argues that supplier qualification constitutes a pivotal but under examined design variable, particularly in works and infrastructure procurement. It develops an analytical framework to assess qualification systems along three dimensions—trust building, cost, and timeline effects—and applies it to the Italian SOA system, the most advanced mandatory pre qualification regime for public works in the EU. The analysis combines legal and institutional assessment with original survey evidence collected in December 2025 from SOA certified Italian construction firms. Findings show that direct cross border participation remains extremely limited and is mainly deterred by information gaps and administrative duplication rather than discrimination at award stage. The paper demonstrates that reusable, legally constitutive pre bid qualification can reduce public verification costs, compress award timelines, and enhance trust. It concludes by outlining three EU policy pathways: strengthened mutual recognition of qualification evidence, an EU enabled system of harmonised supplier qualification bodies issuing reusable passports, and the creation of a European Supplier Qualification Authority (“Euro SOA”)
Pathways to Just Green Transitions: Reflections and Future Directions
No full textThis concluding chapter explores and summarises the results of the collection of contributions in this handbook. It emphasises the need for equitable sustainability that balances socio-economic resilience, environmental stewardship, and territorial cohesion. Through diverse case studies and theoretical frameworks, it highlights the importance of multiscalar, flexible, and inclusive governance, particularly in the Western Balkans. Key challenges include economic displacement, energy poverty, and governance inefficiencies, underscoring the risks of unjust transitions. The results of this volume stress the necessity of tailored, region-specific strategies, participatory policymaking, and investment in education and workforce reskilling to ensure fair and sustainable transitions. Cross-border cooperation, interdisciplinary research, and innovative policy approaches are essential to overcoming socioeconomic disparities and fostering long-term resilience. Future research should deepen insights into the geopolitical implications of JGT and the intersection of environmental justice, governance, and economic development. This handbook serves as a roadmap for policy interventions and collaborative efforts towards a just and sustainable future
V-CEM: Bridging Performance and Intervenability in Concept-Based Models
Get PDFConcept-based eXplainable AI (C-XAI) is a rapidly growing research field that enhances AI model interpretability by leveraging intermediate, human-understandable concepts. This approach not only enhances model transparency but also enables human intervention, allowing users to interact with these concepts to refine and improve the model’s performance. Concept Bottleneck Models (CBMs) explicitly predict concepts before making final decisions, enabling interventions to correct misclassified concepts. While CBMs remain effective in Out-Of-Distribution (OOD) settings with intervention, they struggle to match the performance of black-box models. Concept Embedding Models (CEMs) address this by learning concept embeddings from both concept predictions and input data, enhancing In-Distribution (ID) accuracy but reducing the effectiveness of interventions, especially in OOD scenarios. In this work, we propose the Variational Concept Embedding Model (V-CEM), which leverages variational inference to improve intervention responsiveness in CEMs. We evaluated our model on various textual and visual datasets in terms of ID performance, intervention responsiveness in both ID and OOD settings, and Concept Representation Cohesiveness (CRC), a metric we propose to assess the quality of the concept embedding representations. The results demonstrate that V-CEM retains CEM-level ID performance while achieving intervention effectiveness similar to CBM in OOD settings, effectively reducing the gap between interpretability (intervention) and generalization (performance)
Experimental evaluation of high RAP bituminous mixtures modified with recycled waste plastics
Get PDFThe increasing demand for sustainable road construction materials, driven by environmental concerns and resource scarcity, has accelerated efforts to incorporate recycled components into bituminous mixtures. In this context, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled plastics have emerged as promising materials, which may be able to enhance both the environmental and mechanical performance of road pavements. While the individual effects of RAP and recycled plastics have been extensively studied, their combined influence still needs to be further explored. The present study investigated bituminous mixtures containing a recycled plastic compound (RPC) derived from waste plastics and 50 % RAP through a comprehensive laboratory testing program, which included determination of their stiffness properties, cracking resistance, and anti-rutting potential. The role of binder type was also examined by combining RPC with either a softer binder or a harder binder with a bio-based rejuvenator. For comparison, two additional mixtures were produced and tested: a control mixture produced with a neat bitumen without any modification and a mixture containing a SBS highly-modified binder. An extensive statistical analysis was performed on test data to evaluate the actual differences in mechanical characteristics among the mixtures. Overall, the experimental findings demonstrated that the combined use of RPC and high content of RAP represents a viable and promising solution for the production of sustainable asphalt mixtures. When employed together with a suitably selected neat binder and a rejuvenating agent, the modification with RPC may deliver performance levels comparable or even exceeding those of mixtures incorporating a SBS highly-modified binder
A Highway Vehicular Channel Model for OTFS Performance Evaluation
Get PDFIn vehicular communications, accurate modeling of real-world radio propagation channels is essential. To this end, we propose a novel stochastic model, named Vehicular-Tapped Delay-Line (V-TDL) that accurately captures the statistical behavior of multipath channels characterized by path-dependent gains, delays, and Doppler shifts. V-TDL supports diverse traffic conditions and road geometries by generating channel instances through well-established probability distributions. Also, it effectively models the parameters of the distributions through realistic geometry-based simulations, achieving the accuracy of a ray- tracing-based model while maintaining the low complexity of a purely stochastic approach. In contrast to existing models, V- TDL accounts for the correlation between propagation paths. Our findings show that this correlation is inherent in high-speed vehicular environments and neglecting it leads to a significant overestimation of channel diversity and system performance. We compare our model to existing alternatives to assess the performance of OTFS and OFDM modulations. The results demonstrate that, unlike traditional models such as the 3GPP EVA, V-TDL captures variations in channel diversity influenced by traffic intensity and road geometry, which impact the OTFS and OFDM performance. Although OTFS is penalized by path correlation, it consistently outperforms OFDM in all evaluated vehicular environments, confirming its suitability for high-speed vehicular communication scenarios
ZnO micro- and nano-structures for the design of piezoelectric composites: recent advances in energy harvesting applications
Get PDFOne of the current world’s challenging issues concerns the design, development, and exploitation of efficient devices for energy harvesting that, in the last few years, has gathered a growing interest not only from academia but also from an industrial point of view. Although the general concept of (macro)energy harvesting has been successfully exploited for centuries in the design of passive solar power systems, as well as wind and water mills, only during the last 10 to 15 years there has been particular attention toward the development of effective (micro)energy harvesting systems, exploiting the energy from the ambient provided by light, radiofrequency radiation, or motion/vibration/thermal sources. These (micro)energy harvesting systems require efficient and reliable materials to convert the input environmental energy into an exploitable electrical output. In this context, among the most currently employed ceramics, zinc oxide (ZnO), both micro- and nano-structured, is gaining more and more importance in the design of energy harvesting devices because of its interesting features that comprise low cost, high piezoelectric characteristics, and ease of production, among others. The present work aims to summarize the current state-of-the-art on the use of ZnO micro- and nano-structures for the design and manufacturing of advanced piezoelectric devices and to provide the reader with some recent progress that may pave the way toward further advances in the forthcoming years