RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden
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Health risks from exposure to chemicals in clothing - Non-regulated halogenated aromatic compounds
No full textThe objective of the present study was to investigate some commonly detected halogenated textile pollutants for their bioavailability and hazardous properties. Release into artificial sweat and skin absorption in vitro were examined as well as mutagenic effects by Ames test, and skin-sensitizing properties from a peptide reactivity assay combined with a cell test. All investigated compounds were shown to migrate from the textile into sweat and be absorbed by the skin, although to a different extent. The experimental values for migration were found to be up to 390 times higher compared to literature values. Two of the studied compounds, 2,5-dinitrochlorobenzene and 3,5-dinitrobromobenzene, both exhibited mutagenic effects in the Ames test, while both 2,5-dinitrochlorobenzene and 2,6-dichlorobenzene-1,4-diamine were classified as skin sensitizers. The allergenic reactivity of the latter was found to be due to an oxidized transformation product. Risks for the induction of skin allergy and other non-carcinogenic effects from dermal exposure to the individual compounds were found low, even when considering clothing with the highest reported levels. However, the complex mixtures of chemicals often present in garments may still constitute a health risk, especially when considering the many hours of daily exposure. It is important to further study the toxicity of other frequently occurring chemicals as well as the synergistic effects of chemicals that co-occur in clothing.The authors thank the following funding agencies for financial support: Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA SafeChem, project number 2018/11) and the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (Formas, Grant No: 2021-01540).</p
User performance and Quality of Experience for a remote-controlled lab based moving platform
No full textIn this study, we designed an experiment using remote-controlled lab based moving platform to evaluate the impact of resolution, latency, and field of view on the Quality of Experience, performance, user experience and depth perception. The experiment involves two tasks: driving the platform to a stop point and parking it between two boxes. Participants provided feedback through questionnaires, and their experiences were analyzed. Seven participants between 30 and 57 (average of 37) years old participated. We used Google Forms for data collection, including pre-experiment and recurring questionnaires as well as a simulator sickness questionnaire. Despite the low number of test participants leading to uncertainty in quantitative analysis, significant effects were observed, albeit with contradictory statistical outcomes. The data suggests that lower latency corresponds to better performance, with participants not always perceiving higher latency accurately. Video quality notably impacts user experience, with higher resolution being preferred. This research has been funded by Sweden's Innovation Agency (VINNOVA, dnr. 2021-02107) through the Celtic-Next project IMMINENCE (C2020/2-2), and the VINNOVA project CONTROL (dnr. 2022-02670) as well as the Swedish foundation for strategic research (SSF dnr. FID18-0030).</p
Towards Sustainable Viscose-to-Viscose Production : Strategies for Recycling of Viscose Fibres
No full textThe potential for using discarded viscose textiles to produce high-quality viscose fibres is limited by the low molecular weight of the cellulose and its continued reduction in the recycling process. Herein, we present a straightforward approach of reprocessing discarded viscose textiles while achieving high-quality recycled viscose fibres. Discarded viscose textile was defibrated and centrifuged, and the resulting fibres were reprocessed under industrially relevant conditions. The produced viscose dope was fluid and resulted in viscose fibres with properties comparable to fibres made from commercial wood cellulose pulp (titer 2 dtex; dry elongation 16%, dry tenacity 15 cN/tex). To explore the potential for a more environmentally friendly production process, the steeping step was performed twice (double-steeping), thereby producing a more homogeneous viscose dope. Through double-steeping, the consumption of carbon disulfide (CS2) could be reduced by 30.5%. The double-steeping method shows to be a suitable approach to reprocess discarded viscose textiles while reducing the environmental impact of the viscose process associated with the use of CS2. Our work demonstrates that discarded viscose textile has the potential to be part of a circular textile value chain. The authors acknowledge BioInnovation and Vinnova (2021-04404) for financial support.</p
How Can XR Enhance Collaboration with CAD/CAE Tools in Remote Design Reviews?
No full textThis study studies the challenges of effective communication and collaboration in remote design review meetings (DRMs) and explores the potential of Extended Reality (XR) technologies to address these challenges. The research focuses on identifying recurring communication issues and the preferences of companies within the context of remote DRMs. The study involves qualitative content analysis and industry workshops to uncover the current problems with conventional approaches and the aspirations of companies regarding improved collaboration in the DRM process. Drawing upon the insights gathered from both the workshop and design review observations, this paper highlights the features that are critical for collaborative software to handle online design reviews. XR technologies offer immersive and interactive experiences that can transform communication and collaboration in the context of DRMs. By identifying the specific challenges faced in remote DRMs and understanding the desires of companies, this study sets the stage for a more efficient and effective collaborative process. It emphasizes the adaptability of XR technologies to meet industry needs and integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. The study concludes by highlighting the potential for XR technologies to enhance collaboration in DRMs, making them a valuable tool for various industries. The authors would like to thank the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova for their funding of the PLENUM project, grant number: 2022-01704 as well as the partners in the projects that made this work possible.</p
A Systematic Workflow for Compliance Testing of Emerging International Classwide Restrictions on PFAS
No full textSkin Anatomy, Bone Histology and Taphonomy of a Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) Ichthyosaur (Reptilia : Ichthyopterygia) from Luxembourg, with Implications for Paleobiology
No full textA partial ichthyosaur skeleton from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) bituminous shales of the ‘Schistes Carton’ unit of southern Luxembourg is described and illustrated. In addition, associated remnant soft tissues are analyzed using a combination of imaging and molecular techniques. The fossil (MNHNL TV344) comprises scattered appendicular elements, together with a consecutive series of semi-articulated vertebrae surrounded by extensive soft-tissue remains. We conclude that TV344 represents a skeletally immature individual (possibly of the genus Stenopterygius) and that the soft parts primarily consist of fossilized skin, including the epidermis (with embedded melanophore pigment cells and melanosome organelles) and dermis. Ground sections of dorsal ribs display cortical microstructures reminiscent of lines of arrested growth (LAGs), providing an opportunity for a tentative age determination of the animal at the time of death (>3 years). It is further inferred that the exceptional preservation of TV344 was facilitated by seafloor dysoxia/anoxia with periodical intervals of oxygenation, which triggered phosphatization and the subsequent formation of a carbonate concretion. Financial support was provided by project grants (#2020-03542), (#2019-03516) and (#2019-03731) from the Swedish Research Council to J.L., M.E.E. and P.S., respectively, and a research grant(#20220563) from the Crafoord Foundation to J.L.</p
Analysis of tool wear after hot forging
No full textWhen hot forging components, wear can occur in the tool after a period of use, leading to incorrect geometry in the final component. This necessitates replacing the worn tool with a new one, which is costly. The current approach is to repair the tool using machining that removes the worn surface which is less efficient from a circularity standpoint. A more sustainable approach is to maximize the tool life by carefully adjusting the material and process parameters to slow the wearing process and repair without removing material as much as the cost is justified. Factors such as sliding distance, normal forces between the billet and forging tool, and the hardness of the tool all influence wear during forging. This study focuses on analytics of the process using measurements of the tool conditions and wear simulation based on Archard's law. The tool was analysed using stress, geometry, and hardness measurements. Several strategies to maintain or increase hardness, thereby extending tool life, are proposed. These include adjusting heat treatment before forging, modifying machining parameters, extending cooling time during hot forging, and replacing the current coolant with a more effective one.This publication describes the research carried out in the FFI project "Effective Remanufacturing of Forging Tools – Reforging" (Vinnova, ref. no. 2023-02618). The investigation was carried out in collaboration between Forgex, RISE, KTH and Dibo.</p
Model Predictive Geofencing for Vehicle Containment
No full text As automated vehicle technology advances, measures for their safe containment become increasingly important. To this end, geofencing is a prominent alternative as a fundamental technique for triggering specific actions when vehicles enter or leave a predefined operational area. Today’s geofencing methods usually fall short in safety-critical use cases, failing to contain vehicles, or triggering needless intervening actions. This work presents the novel model predictive geofence, which predicts future transgressions based on vehicle dynamics-informed real-time decisions. We studied its performance compared to representative approaches, both physically at the AstaZero Proving Ground in Sweden and through numerical calculations. Our geofence utilised the operational area more effectively than current approaches. Furthermore, the model predictive geofence successfully contained the vehicle to the operational area in all experiments, preventing exit with a low amount of false stops. The model predictive geofence presents an applicable approach for quick decision-making regarding the containment of vehicles in operational areas.
Development of a Reliable Accelerated Corrosion Test for Painted Aluminum Alloys Used in the Aerospace Industry
No full textNew environmental regulations have led to major changes in aluminum corrosion protection by prohibiting, for example, Cr(VI). Thus, the assessment of the corrosion behavior of Cr-free systems under atmospheric conditions is a major topic of interest for the aerospace industry. One major difficulty in this task is the lack of robust and reliable accelerated corrosion test(s) in this field. The aim of the present study is to compare the results of various accelerated corrosion standards (ASTM B117, ISO 4623-2, VCS 1027,149) to results obtained after 5 years of exposure at a marine atmospheric site in Brest, France. Additional accelerated corrosion tests were designed by varying several parameters in the VCS 1027, 149, such as the salt concentration, the time of wetness, and the relative humidity. The different modes of failure obtained in accelerated corrosion tests on the painted samples were then compared to field exposures in a marine atmospheric site. The first results obtained showed that the developed tests are more representative of service conditions than standard tests. © 2024 by the authors. The authors acknowledge the industrial partners of the Member Research Consortium (MRC) “Aerospace” from the ARCOR association for funding, material supply, and fruitful discussions on the experimental protocol and results: Boeing, Airbus Commercial, Airbus Defense and Space, Airbus Helicopters, Constellium, DGA, Socomore, AkzoNobel, Henkel, Liebherr, PPG Aerospace, and Safran Tech.</p
Centurial Variation in Size at Maturity of Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) Mirrors Conditions for Growth
No full textThe status of Eastern Baltic cod (EBC) Gadus morhua has remained poor despite low fishing mortality for over a decade, including a fishing ban since 2019. Although the decline in productivity can be explained by lower individual growth and survival rates, other aspects of life-history changes such as maturation patterns for EBC has so far not been sufficiently explored. According to current stock assessments, the median size at maturity (L50) has halved from 40 to around 20 cm in total length since the 1990s, while the overall size distribution has become increasingly truncated. It has previously been suggested that changes in L50 can be attributed to both fishing-induced evolution and phenotypic plasticity induced by growth rates. However, since L50 is currently occurring around 20 cm, the maturation process must have been initiated at much smaller sizes, that is, long before the fish could be caught in the dominant trawl fishery at around 35 cm. In this study, we aimed to further investigate what drivers may have led to reduced productivity in EBC by determining variations in size at sexual maturity in longer time series than has been done before (1930s to 1980s) and include prey productivity and quality. We found that L50 declined already in the 1930s and thereafter remained stable at around 40 cm up to the 1990s. On a centurial perspective, L50 has been positively correlated to growth potential (L95), length diversity, total stock biomass, total catch and yield per recruit, while Fulton’s condition factor was not related to L50. Our results suggest that the links between life-history parameters and external drivers are complex, but the present unprecedented early onset of maturity and hence decline in L50 since the 1990s signals a decline in growth potential, which also has hampered the productivity of EBC. This work was supported by Waldemar och Emmys naturvårdsfond, Baltic CAT (Swedish EPA), BalticSea2020, Thuréus Forskarhem.</p