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The corrosion behavior of aluminium-magnesium alloy in natural seawater: effects of the biological activity [Resumo]
No full textABSTRACT: Concerning the corrosion in seawater environments, microorganisms can cause corrosion (Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion - MIC) [1], but also inhibit it or protect against it, a process known as MIC Inhibition (MICI) [2-3]. Corrosion studies of Al-Mg alloys of the 5XXX series, widely used in the shipbuilding industry, requires wider comprehension regarding the impact of the microbial activity [4-7]. Recent studies indicate that the biological activity tends to mitigate the Al alloy corrosion processes [8-11]. The objective of the present study is to assess the influence of natural seawater and the related biological activity on the resistance of the AA5083 Al-Mg alloy by the means of immersion experiments in natural (biotic) vs control (abiotic) seawater. Ennoblement of the open circuit potential (OCP) on Stainless steel (SS) probes was used to monitor the biofilm growth [12].N/
Repensar as embalagens
No full textRESUMO: As embalagens têm um papel muito importante no nosso dia-a-dia. Protegem os produtos e materiais de danos ou deterioção no seu percurso desde a manufatura ou confeção até ao utilizador final, diponibilizam informação util para a escolha e utilização do seu conteúdo e dão visibilidade às marcas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Dissemination Activity Report: 4th Edition
No full textProject TradeRES - New Markets Design & Models for 100% Renewable Power SystemsABSTRACT: This report presents the dissemination activities conducted in the scope of TradeRES project during the fourth year. The content of this report follows the initial dissemination and exploitation plan (D7.2) and corresponds to an update of the information reported in the previous editions of the progress dissemination report (D7.4 – Dissemination Activity Report). This report describes the highlights of the dissemination activities that occurred in the reporting period, and the stakeholders and target groups, fulfilment, and progress indicators. It also presents, detailed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) lists including general promotion of the project, social media, traditional media promotion and communication of regular news and announcements, publication in scientific journals, special book chapters and participation in workshops and international conferences, organization of scientific events, conferences, workshops, thesis, and dissemination
material. Finally, conclusions on the achievement of the defined KPIs and identification of points to be improved during the 4th year of the project are presented. Following the discussions held during the WP7 monthly meetings during this period, there was the need to revise the accounting methodology for KPIs, to provide a more accurate representation of the metrics. It was agreed by the participant partners to implement these changes from this deliverable forward. For instance, the previous approach considered only “one” entry for conference participation, regardless of whether it involved one or multiple partners, which didn’t reflect the number of effective participations. This adjustment ensures a more real approach on the nature of each participation, considering the involvement of multiple partners, associated costs, and exposure in each
event. The approved extension of the project until the end of 2024, provides a valuable opportunity to deepen research and elevate the dissemination metrics (KPIs). This report will be updated at the end of the project, with final status, and overview of the entire project. The additional time allow to share the project’s outcomes more comprehensively, aiming to overcome the gaps and contribute even further to the dissemination of knowledge of the project field. It is important to note that some KPIs are challenging to quantify accurately because of their subjective nature. Therefore, in this context, they are treated as estimates; for instance,
determining the exact number of people reached during a specific event may fall into this category.N/
Critical raw materials in the global high-throughput ceramic industry
Get PDFABSTRACT: The high-throughput ceramic industry is exposed, at the global level, to the risk of shortage and/or sudden price growth of raw materials, particularly Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). The goal of the present study is to overview the dependence on CRMs of a sector transforming a large amount of mineral resources, i.e. the ceramic manufacturing and its supply chain (wall and floor tiles, sanitaryware and tableware, frits and glazes, pigments and inks, and so on). For this purpose, a critical assessment with expert consultation was carried out to quantify demand, uses, recycling and possible substitutes of CRMs. Such data allowed assessing the risk exposure for the ceramic industry at the global level, at the light of expected trends in production and demand for every CRM. The various subsectors into which the high-throughput ceramic industry is divided are exposed differently to supply risk. The production of inks, pigments, dyes and effects for ceramic decoration is mainly exposed to supply risk, and similarly that of frits, glazes and grinding media. End-users of these materials (in particular tile manufacturers) are equally exposed to risk, albeit indirectly. However, the direct use of CRMs in ceramic bodies occurs massively only for feldspar (in different percentages in wall and floor tiles, sanitaryware, and tableware). Other subsectors (silicate refractories and insulators, clay bricks and roof tiles, machinery components, etc.) do not make use of or only make occasional use of certain CRMs. The ceramic industry must implement actions to mitigate the different degrees of supply risk to which the CRM is exposed. The extreme risk (Cobalt and Praseodymium) makes it necessary to search for substitutes and technological solutions to reduce CRM consumption. These actions are also recommended in the case of high risk (Antimony and Lithium). The recommended actions to mitigate moderate risk (Barium, Bismuth, Borates, Feldspar, Tungsten, Vanadium and Yttrium) consist mainly of strengthening the supply chain and improving resource efficiency. No action appears to be necessary for low risk (Cerium, Manganese, Phosphate and Platinum Group), while no risk has been found for Fluorine and Niobium. To ensure the access to CRMs without disruptions, it is appropriate to envisage a medium-long term strategy, involving the various players in the ceramic supply chain.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Drill core libraries: scientific and cultural responsibility. The case of lignite prospection in Rio Maior
Get PDFRESUMO: A Litoteca do LNEG é uma importante infraestrutura de apoio à investigação e ao desenvolvimento, onde se encontram arquivados cerca de 600 km de testemunhos de sondagens das diversas regiões do país. No presente artigo será efetuado o enquadramento relativo às sondagens de prospeção realizadas na região de Rio Maior durante os tempos áureos de prospeção de lignite nesta área, realçando os registos existentes no LNEG e a importância da sua manutenção para a Ciência e a Cultura.ABSTRACT: LNEG’s core library (Litoteca) is an important infrastructure to support research and development, where ca. 600 km of drill cores from various regions of the country are archived. In this work, the framework for the prospecting drillings conducted in the Rio Maior region during the heyday of coal exploration will be carried out, highlighting the records still existing in the LNEG’ facilities and the importance of their maintenance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Microwave-assisted hydrothermal processing of pine nut shells for oligosaccharide production
Get PDFABSTRACT: Pine nut shells, a biomass residue from the Mediterranean Pinus pinea pine nut industrial processing, were treated by microwave-assisted autohydrolysis to produce xylo-oligosaccharides. Microwave-assisted processes provide alternative heating that may reduce energy input and increase overall process efficiency. The autohydrolysis treatments were performed under isothermal and non-isothermal operations within a wide range of operational conditions (temperature/reaction times) covering several severity regimes (as measured by the log R-0 severity factor). The composition of the autohydrolysis liquors was determined in terms of oligo- and monosaccharides, aliphatic acids and degradation compounds. The process was highly selective towards hemicelluloses hydrolysis and liquid streams containing a mixture of oligomeric compounds (mainly xylo-oligosaccharides) could be obtained under relatively mild operation conditions (190 degrees C, 30 min) with a maximal oligosaccharides' concentration of 18.48 g/L. The average polymerization degree of the obtained oligosaccharides was characterised by HPLC, showing that for the optimal conditions a mixture of oligomers with DPs from 2 to 6.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Strategic Behavior of Competitive Local Citizen Energy Communities in Liberalized Electricity Markets
Get PDFABSTRACT: The liberalization of energy retail markets empowered consumers with the ability to be part of new emerging entities, such as Citizen Energy Communities. With the increasing penetration of decentralized variable generation, communities have the advantage of incentive local carbon neutrality and sustainability. Local generation reduces transport grid usage and costs to consumers. Furthermore, worldwide legislation incentives energy communities by providing them discounts to other fee parts of the tariff apart from wholesale prices. This paper presents a model of strategic behavior, investment, and trading of energy communities. The model comprises the investment in local renewable generation, the design of competitive tariffs, and strategic bidding on wholesale markets. Consumers have an optimization model that selects the retail tariff that minimizes their costs with energy. These models are tested using data from Portuguese consumers and the Iberian electricity market. Results from the study indicate that inflexible consumers may reduce their costs by 29% by being part of the community. Furthermore, they have the potential to reduce their costs above 50% when using demand-response, adapting themselves to local production and wholesale prices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The positive impact of biomineralization for marine corrosion protection of AA5083 alloy
Get PDFABSTRACT: This paper investigates, using surface characterisation techniques (SEM, XPS and ToF-SIMS), the impact of marine biological activity on AA5083 corrosion behaviour during seawater immersion. Different solar exposure (light vs. dark) results in distinct marine fouling development, influencing surface modifications. On the dark side, an Al/Mg oxide/hydroxide layer forms, allowing Cl - penetration. Pitting attack is observed after immersion. For the light side, a dual layer structure forms, with a hydrated Mg rich outer layer, showing barrier effect to Cl - penetration. No localized corrosion occurs. A comparison with abiotic conditions demonstrates the corrosion inhibiting effect of marine biological activity on AA5083.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Geophysical characterization of the Cercal Paleozoic structure, Iberian Pyrite Belt, from a mineral exploration perspective
Get PDFABSTRACT: The Cercal Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (Cercal VSC) structure is the westernmost sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) giant metallogenic province and was explored since Roman times for volcanogenic massive sulphides (VMS) and Fe–Mn (Ba) deposits. However, presently only a single deposit is known, the Salgadinho Cu-Ag-Au stockwork/disseminated deposit. Nevertheless, according to several mining companies that operated in the area during the last two decades, the Cercal area keeps a high potential for the discovery of new massive and stockwork mineralization deposits hosted in VSC felsic volcanic rocks. The lack of seismic data and deep drill holes (> 800 m), has been limiting the discovery of possible deep seated massive/stockwork deposits. The goal of this work is to provide new insights into the Cercal deep and near surface structure through the integrated interpretation of geophysical and geological data and contribute to the discovery of new stockwork or massive sulphide deposits. For this purpose, we reprocessed ground gravity, airborne magnetic/radiometric and electrical resistivity/induced polarization data which was interpreted and integrated with geological data. Data interpretation included 2.5D forward gravimetric modeling constrained by i) a new rock density database (from outcrops and drill-holes) built under the scope of this work, ii) the scarce available drill-holes and iii) geological information. A small magnetic susceptibility/conductivity database based on drill-hole core samples was also built to assist the magnetic and electrical/chargeability data interpretation. The integrated interpretation agrees with some of the expected geological scenarios predicted by surface mapping and exploration drill-hole logs in the IPB and provides further details on the deep structure of the Cercal Anticline, a NNW-SSE oriented VSC unrooted structure, controlled by variscan SW verging thrust faults and discordant strike-slip Late-Variscan faults. This geological scenario favors the possibility of new findings at relatively shallow depths (200–900 m), and a few sites for further exploration are indicated based on the integrated interpretation. Therefore, this work contributes to the understanding of the Cercal deep structure from a mineral exploration perspective and confirms the proposed structural models for the IPB’s westernmost region.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Unlocking the potential of Euglena gracilis cultivated in piggery wastewater: biomass production, nutrient removal, and biostimulant potential in lettuce and tomato plants
Get PDFABSTRACT: Microalgae are increasingly recognized as a valuable resource for bolstering sustainability in agriculture. However, current research and patents primarily focus on Chlorella spp., Scenedesmus spp., and Spirulina spp., thus leaving the vast diversity of microalgae relatively unexplored for agricultural applications. Euglena gracilis (Euglenophyta) is a microalga renowned for its resilience to diverse environmental stressors and capability to produce a variety of bioactive metabolites. This study investigated the potential of cultivating E. gracilis in piggery wastewater for nutrient recycling and as a source of beneficial biomolecules, particularly for biostimulant use. Utilizing raw wastewater diluted to 25% (P25) and pre-treated wastewater with photo-Fenton (PF), the research found that E. gracilis exhibited elevated cell density, biomass concentration, and overall cell health in both wastewaters compared to a synthetic medium (BG11-NPK). This was due to its efficient removal of nutrients, especially ammoniacal-nitrogen and phosphate, resulting in a biomass rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and paramylon content. The whole-cell biomass significantly enhanced the germination index of lettuce and tomato seeds compared to the water control. Additionally, it promoted cell expansion and root formation in cucumber cotyledons, exhibiting similarities to phytohormones such as gibberellin, cytokinin, and auxin. Furthermore, it is suggested that E. gracilis biomass contains molecules related to resistance to environmental stresses, particularly in tomatoes, given the enhancement in the seedling vigor index. E. gracilis exhibited remarkable adaptability to piggery wastewater, recycling nutrients and yielding biomass rich in bioactive molecules with potential as plant biostimulants. These findings significantly contribute to understanding E. gracilis's potential applications in agriculture and developing a circular bioeconomy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio