RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden
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Development of a solid food simulant to evaluate migration of chemicals from paper and board food contact materials to moist food
No full textFood contact materials (FCMs) i.e. materials that food is packaged or handled in, must be safe for their intended use. European FCM legislation uses a risk-based approach, with a cornerstone of FCM’s safety evaluation being measurement of migration of substances from FCMs to food simulants. The standard methods mainly developed for plastic FCMs are not always suitable for less inert and moisture sensitive materials such as paper and board. However, these are becoming increasingly common as FCMs e.g. to replace single-use plastics. In addition, there is a drive to further use recycled materials. To support this development, new methods for assessing the safety of these materials are needed. In the present feasibility study, a hydrogel crosslinked through freeze-thawing of poly(vinyl alcohol) was evaluated as a food simulant for moist foods. The migration of surrogate compounds from a spiked paperboard to the hydrogel was determined and compared to the migration to a real moist food (a slice of apple), the commonly used modified polyphenylene oxide (MPPO) and a water extract. Migration of polar surrogates to the hydrogel correlated well with the migration to the apple slice. However, our results indicate that the hydrogel is less suitable as simulant for non-polar surrogates. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of this hydrogel-based simulant for improving risk assessment of less inert FCMs. This project was funded by Packforsk Owners Association (Intressentf\u00F6reningen Packforsk, IFP).</p
Non-conformance aspects of moulded composite materials and “corresponding” simulation models with 3D textile reinforcement
No full textComposite materials with 3-dimensional (3D) reinforcement were manufactured and corresponding simulation models were created in parallel. The used simulation approach has earlier been shown to produce close to authentic geometrical representation of the yarn architecture in 3D reinforcement. It is shown that although the as-woven reinforcement pattern can be modelled quite reliably, significant distortion from the nominal fibre arrangement might take place later in manufacturing, primarily related to compression during moulding. Such effects have earlier received significant attention for composites with 2-dimensional reinforcement but not as much for their 3D counterparts. The yarns in the real and the simulated materials are studied and compared, and some of the discrepancies and the mechanisms behind are discussed. The distortions are partly attributed to the relatively sparse weave that allows yarns oriented in the through-thickness direction, in particular, to deviate from their original positions. The authors acknowledge the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) for funding this work through project 43346-1. PPG Fiberglass is acknowledged for providing the fibre rovings for the preforms,Biteam AB for manufacturing the woven preforms and Elitkomposit ABfor assisting with the impregnation of the preforms</p
Charting the path to a sustainable, competitive and green industry in an era of rapid change : proposing a research agenda
No full textGlobal labor market shifts have spurred the need for innovations and adaptations in workplace norms. This evolution demands a workforce with technical and soft skills to meet sustainability and industry advancements. The paper aims to elucidate the complex challenges related to the ambition to develop a socially sustainable, competitive, and green industry subjected to an accelerating pace of change. It outlines the findings of a Delphi study conducted in Sweden, which integrated workshops, interviews, and surveys with experts from various sectors to identify 14 key challenges. These challenges were synthesized into five themes: innovative competence supply management practices, resilient organizations and production systems, analytics for improvement and learning, socially sustainable work, and green transformation practices. The study provides a set of propositions within these themes, offering a strategic roadmap for future research to foster the growth of industries that are socially responsible, competitive, and committed to environmental sustainability. A practical implication of the study is the recognition of the larger competence ecosystem of which industrial companies are a part. This community must work together to create the knowledge needed to manage the shift to a green, sustainable, and digital working life. This research was funded by Vinnova, Sweden\u2019s innovation agency with additional funding from the XPRES (Initiative for Excellence in Production Research). </p
Bio-based ski wax : Prototype develoment, hydrophobicity, hardness, biodegradation and glide performance on snow
No full textReplacing petroleum-based with bio-based ingredients in articles and chemical products is one important step towards reducing the environmental impact, and promoting circular economy practices, aligning with the goal “Responsible Consumption and Production” within United Nations’ Agenda 2030. The aim of the project was to develop bio-based prototype ski waxes and to evaluate and benchmark them with commercial petroleum-based PFAS-free ski waxes, in terms of hydrophobicity, glide performance and biodegradation. Bio-based ski wax prototypes were blended using a mixture of ingredients approved for either topical application or ingestion by humans. Which ingredients and relative ratios to mix were based on melting points, general hydrophobic properties and generated knowledge from testing of earlier prototypes. It should be noted that only Vallakokerskan has the information about the exact content in the ski wax prototypes. The hypothesis is that more hydrophobic, i.e. more water repellent, ski wax allows better transportation of the water film away from the ski/snow interface, providing lower friction and better glide. The hydrophobicity of ski waxes and ingredients was quantified from contact angle measurements using water and ethylene glycol as the liquid in a climate-controlled room (23°C and 50% relative humidity). To measure contact angles at sub-zero degrees, a less sensitive but portable device was put in a freezer room at -5°C where contact angles were measured using ethylene glycol. The ski waxes showed similar hydrophobicity, in the measured static, advancing and receding contact angles, both in room temperature and at -5°C. However, the roll-off angle when the water droplet started to roll, was slightly lower for the commercial ski waxes than the bio-based prototypes. Greater differences in hydrophobicity and roll-off angles were observed for the ingredients compared to the ski wax. In the glide tests on snow, it was difficult to separate the bio-based and commercial ski wax. This was both when considering the total glide time from four skiers testing each ski wax (ski pair) twice, and in the pairwise comparisons as is normally done when selecting skis before competition. These results show that the bio-based prototypes are comparable to commercial ski wax that is used both for competition and recreational skiing. While having similar glide function, the advantage of the bio-based ski wax is that it contains only naturally derived ingredients and that it seems to degrade slightly more rapidly in the environment. The biodegradation was compared between one bio-based and one petroleum-based ski wax using a respiration test where formed CO₂ was quantified over time. The estimated number of days required for complete degradation of the bio-based ski wax and commercial ski wax would be 223 days and 335 days, respectively, if the degradation continues at the same rate and if all carbon is converted to CO₂. In comparison to cellulose, both ski waxes degrade relatively slowly, most likely due to their hydrophobic properties. During the project it was decided to also quantify and compare the hardness of the waxes since that is being discussed more and more as one additional characterisation technique in the project. The hardness measurements were done at -5°C. The maximum force encountered (firmness) when a probe was lowered into the sample during the compression test was taken as the hardness. Differences were obtained between the samples where the average firmness (hardness) was higher for the commercial green, blue and purple commercial ski waxes compared to the corresponding bio-based wax. However, the bio-based yellow was harder than the corresponding yellow commercial ski wax. Large differences in hardness at -5°C for the ingredients were noted. The prototypes have been made with a mixture of different ingredients. The results from the hydrophobicity and hardness measurements of ingredients, can be used to select and modify the relative amount of each ingredient in the ski wax. If the hypothesis is that more hydrophobic and harder ingredients are better for the glide, it could be interesting to see if a wax containing a higher amount of those harder and more hydrophobic ingredients could increase the performance. The focus in this project has been to develop a bio-based ski wax matrix. As a next step it would be interesting to develop and incorporate bio-based additives to try to increase the performance further. Another future outlook is to make the bio-based wax as a liquid product that are becoming more popular due the ease of application and less waste during the waxing procedure. The project (reference number 2023-02657) was granted within the call "BioInnovation Hypotesprövning steg 1 - Nyskapande projekt med hög risk" and was run between 15th of November 2023 to 31st of May 2024.</p
Measurements of Methane Emissions from a Biofertilizer Storage Tank Using Ground-Based Hyperspectral Imaging and Flux Chambers
No full textOpen storages of organic material represent potentially large sources of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), an emissions source that will likely become more common as a part of societal efforts toward sustainability. Hence, monitoring and minimizing CH4 emissions from such facilities are key, but effective assessment of emissions without disturbing the flux is challenging. We demonstrate the capacity of using a novel high-resolution hyperspectral camera to perform sensitive CH4 flux assessments at such facilities, using as a test case a biofertilizer storage tank for residual material from a biogas plant. The camera and simultaneous conventional flux chamber measurements showed emissions of 6.0 ± 1.3 and 13 ± 5.7 kg of CH4 h-1, respectively. The camera measurements covered the whole tank surface of 1104 m2, and the chamber results were extrapolated from measurements over 5 m2. This corresponds to 0.7-1.4% of the total CH4 production at the biogas plant (1330 N m3 h-1 corresponding to 950 kg h-1). The camera could assess the entire tank emission in minutes without disturbing normal operations at the plant and revealed additional unknown emissions from the inlet to the tank (17 g of CH4 h-1) and during the loading of the biofertilizer into trucks (3.1 kg of CH4 h-1 during loading events). This study illustrates the importance of adequate measurement capacity to map methane fluxes and to verify that methane emission mitigation efforts are effective. Given the high methane emissions observed, it is important to reduce methane emissions from open storage of organic material, for example by improved digestion in the biogas reactor, precooling of sludge before storage, or building gastight storage tanks with sealed covers. We conclude that hyperspectral, ground-based remote sensing is a promising approach for greenhouse gas monitoring and mitigation. © 2024 The Authors. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant 725546), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant 101015825 (TRIAGE), grants from the Swedish Research Council VR (Grant VR 2016-04829) and FORMAS (Grant 2018-01794), and a grant from Avfall Sverige (Project U 1000).</p
Need for a protocol for performance evaluation of the gas analyzers used in biomethane conformity assessment
No full textBiomethane may contain trace components that can have adverse effects on gas vehicles performances and on the pipelines when injected in the gas grid. Biomethane quality assurance against specifications is therefore crucial for the integrity of the end-users’ appliances. Analytical methods used to assess biomethane conformity assessment must be validated properly and possibly, new methods specifically for biomethane should be developed. This paper provides an overview of the biomethane quality assurance infrastructure and the challenges faced with focus on sampling, analysis methods, reference gas mixtures, and performance evaluation. Currently, requirements for analytical method validation and fit-for-purpose assessments do not exist for biomethane. The industry is in urgent need of a protocol to evaluate the fit-for-purpose of methods in a harmonized manner. Reference gas mixtures to check the accuracy of the instrument and to determine the traceability of the measurement are also urgently required. The project has received funding from the European Partnership on Metrology, co-financed by European Union Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Program and from the Participating States.Funder name: European Partnership on Metrology, Funder ID: 10.13039/100019599, Grant number: 21NRM04 BiometCAP.</p
Corrigendum to “Viscosity of alumina doped soda lime silicate glasses – observation of anomaly in the linear increase as Al2O3 replaces SiO2” [Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids Vol 573 (2021) start 121149]
No full textFeiing av ildsteder
No full textSweeping of fireplaces The aim of the study is to obtain a data and knowledge base to provide an overview of how sweeping of fireplaces should be regulated, as well as mapping how chimney and fire place sweeping is regulated in other European countries, above all the Nordic and Baltic countries. Furthermore, it is desirable to look at existing research and investigate to which extent sweeping of fireplace will have a fire preventive effect. A literature review was carried out, searching for existing research that could be used to determine what should be viewed as best practice. In the literature review it became clear that sweeping of fireplaces is a topic with limited attention, and the literature was therefore insufficient, and no conclusion could be drawn based on this. Through contact with professional networks, a project carried out by the local sweeping service in Trondheim was found, which shed light on how sweeping of fireplaces affects the energy efficiency of a stove. If soot builds up on the inside of the fireplace, this will insulate the fireplace which in turn yields a lower energy output to the room. Another possible result of the insulating property of the soot is that the combustion takes place at a higher temperature, which makes the combustion cleaner and more complete, which in turn reduces the number of combustible particles in the smoke ducts. Without further testing, it is difficult to say whether the sum of these effects is positive or negative for the overall fire safety of the system. Through contact with professional personnel experience-based issues have been discussed from a fire technical point of view. This involves issues such as: - Incorrect handling of the fire place and user habits - Sweeping and energy efficiency A literature review has been carried out on combustion products produced under different combustion conditions. Furthermore, it has been identified that the part of the combustion products that pose the greatest risk of starting chimney fires is the organic carbon particles. These are produced at a low combustion temperature or during low-oxygen combustion. For obtaining optimal combustion from a fire technical perspective, correct handling of the fire place and good user habits are important. Based on the limited existing research, it is difficult to provide a conclusion on whether sweeping of fireplaces will have a fire preventive effect. In order to determine this, it is necessary to perform research focusing on this topic.Dette prosjektet er finansiert av Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap (DSB) og Direktoratet for byggkvalitet (DiBK) som en del av prosjektporteføljen under forskningsavtalen mellom DSB og RISE Fire Research.</p
Kostnad och nytta av föräldraskapsstödet ABC - Slutrapportering av uppdrag i Göteborgs Stads budget 2022
No full textI Göteborgs Stads budget 2022 fick de fyra socialnämnderna i uppdrag att ta fram en modell för att göra samhällsekonomiska analyser av insatser mot rekrytering av unga till kriminella gäng. Vi fyra socialförvaltningar inledde därför ett samarbete med RISE och påbörjade en pilotstudie där vi kunde utveckla en sådan modell och pröva den i ett avgränsat sammanhang. Vi riktade in studien på det generella föräldraskapsstödsprogrammet Alla barn i centrum (ABC). Socialförvaltningarna och RISE tog tillsammans fram en teoretisk modell där vi med hjälp av tidigare forskning kopplade föräldrars deltagande i ABC till minskat utagerande beteende hos deras barn. Utagerande beteende kan medföra kostnader för skolan genom stödinsatser. Det är också en riskfaktor för kriminalitet, och gick därmed att koppla till insatser från socialtjänsten. På så sätt kunde vi jämföra de kostnader staden har för ABC med uppskattade framtida minskningar i kostnader för skolinsatser och socialtjänstinsatser. På grund av att det var få tjejer som fått insatser för kriminalitet var vi tvungna att avgränsa modellen till att endast inkludera pojkar. Dataunderlaget för tjejer var för litet för att det skulle bli säkert att räkna på. Det skulle dock vara möjligt att inkludera tjejerna i modellen med ett större dataunderlag i framtiden. Våra analyser med hjälp av modellen har visat att det sannolikt är ekonomiskt lönsamt för staden att tillhandahålla ABC för pojkar. Den uppskattade nyttan, i form av minskade kostnader för stödinsatser i skola och socialtjänstinsatser mot kriminalitet för pojkar under åldern 13–20 år, var ungefär dubbelt så stor som kostnaden för att tillhandahålla ABC till föräldrarna någon gång när pojkarna var 12 år eller yngre. Varje deltagare kostade staden 7684 kronor men innebar sedan nytta motsvarande 14 003 kronor. Uppdelat per verksamhet så var nyttan per deltagare 10 843 kronor för socialtjänsten och 3160 kronor för skolan
Directionality in transformative policy missions: The case of reaching net zero emissions in the Swedish process industry
No full textThis paper proposes a directionality framework that highlights goal, sector and solution as key dimensions of transformative policy missions. The framework is used to investigate the directionality of process industry decarbonization in Sweden, by analyzing the orientation of projects supported by the major national funding program the ‘Industry Leap’ between 2017 and 2022. The results show that innovation activities (i) mainly aim to reduce fossil emissions rather than produce negative emissions, (ii) focus on the steel and chemicals industries, and (iii) engage mostly with carbon capture, electrification and hydrogen. This indicates that innovation activities are somewhat narrow and imbalanced, which suggests that policymakers should promote broader experimentation. The theoretical and empirical contribution of this paper supports academics, policymakers and other actors in understanding, evaluating and shaping the directionality of transformative policy missions.The research presented in this paper was funded by the Swedish Energy Agency (grant no. 48508-1). They also shared data about projects co-funded by the Industry Leap, but had no other involvement in the research.</p