191 research outputs found
Pathways to Greener Primary Lithium Extraction for a Really Sustainable Energy Transition: Environmental Challenges and Pioneering Innovations
No full textThe rapid increase in lithium demand has recently drawn attention to the environmental impacts of conventional mining processes. Pyrometallurgical extraction from hard rock is associated with high energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and land degradation. Extraction from brines involves the depletion of water resources and risks to local ecosystems. In response to these environmental challenges, this study explores innovative pathways for more sustainable primary lithium extraction for a truly green energy transition across the entire supply chain. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of novel technologies designed to mitigate these impacts, with particular emphasis on direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies, which offer promising solutions for water savings, CO2e emissions reduction, and improved lithium recovery. A comprehensive review of the scientific literature, along with an analysis of data and information from various pilot projects and demonstration plants, have been conducted. The main conclusion is that, despite considerable efforts by mining companies, two primary obstacles remain to the implementation of novel technology: scalability and operational costs. To address these challenges, it is essential to sustain consistent investments in R&D (Research and Development) initiatives and continue testing the implementation of the most sustainable experimental practices on an industrial scale
One Hundred Years of Pyrethroid Chemistry: A Still-Open Research Effort to Combine Efficacy, Cost-Effectiveness and Environmental Sustainability
No full textA century after the first scientific research on the chemical structures of pyrethrins was published (in 1923), this paper aims to provide an exhaustive review of the historical research pathways and relative turning points that led to the discovery and mass production of pyrethroids, which have become among the most commercially successful insecticides. These compounds, which are not specific to any particular pest, are used globally and offer cost-effective advantages against a broad spectrum of pests in both agricultural and non-agricultural situations. They are utilized in the context of both harvest and post-harvest applications, as well as in the implementation of public health programs and veterinary applications. Currently, the research for new pyrethroids has essentially reached a standstill due to the increasingly widespread occurrence of insecticide resistance in pests. Nevertheless, several research paths remain open regarding these pesticides. This paper represents the current state of knowledge regarding pyrethroids, exposing both their advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, further investigation, at the molecular level, on their mode of action (MoA) could be very useful to improve their specificity. The results of this review may stimulate additional research for the development of novel pyrethroids having enhanced efficacy, low cost and reduced environmental impact
”New-old” textiles by nanotechnologies: business opportunities for advanced economies
No full textNanotechnology (NT), revolutionizing the world of advanced materials, is fast becoming an important business area for many companies in different range of industries. Among these, textile manufacturing seems to be actually the most thriving and promising sector offering high-specialized and performing materials. NTs could represent for European and US textile operators, in a globalized scenario, an excellent opportunity to develop next-generation textiles and to provide enhanced properties and new added-values to standardized and, by now, very cheap textile imported products, revitalizing, in this way, an old hi-labour sector in advanced post-industrial economies, no longer capable of price competition wars against lower-wage countries of Asia and Eastern Europe. In this paper, we'll provide a comprehensive assessment of some of the most important NT textile finishing applications.
We'll deliberately exclude the textile nanofibers production technologies and the newer applications of NTs for "smart & intelligent" textiles, postponing their review to future papers
Ci sarebbe una marea di energia
No full textCon la presente nota, si ha lo scopo di analizzare le potenzialità, i possibili impatti ambientali e gli eventuali altri aspetti negativi dei principali sistemi di conversione dell’energia del mare (onde, gradiente termico, maree) che hanno raggiunto almeno lo stadio di sperimentazione, trascurando volutamente quindi le tecnologie, rinvenenti da brevetti, riguardanti l’utilizzo delle correnti marine e del tasso di salinità, delle quali, finora, non è stato realizzato alcun impianto dimostrativo
Environmental performance and trends of the world's semiconductor foundry industry
No full textThe semiconductor foundry industry faces the challenge of reducing its high environmental impact, mainly due to its energy- and water-intensive processes and significant generation of waste. To date, no other study has focused on the assessment of the environmental performance and related historical trends of this industry as a whole. Methodologically, the first step was to analyze and process a large quantity of economic, production, and environmental data, available in the Corporate Social Responsibility reports of a companies' sample, highly representative of the entire world's foundry industry (about 70% of the global revenue of the related sector). It was thus possible to calculate, using a common manufacturing index (MI) and after appropriate data processing, some key performance indicators, along a significant decade (2012-2021), marked by deep political, economic, and health crises. Some of the main findings of this study are that, over this 10-year period, the increases in technological capacity (patents), wafer production, and revenue (400%, 183%, and 172%, respectively) are matched by a significant increase in hazardous waste generation per MI (20%; 239% in absolute value) and a much larger increase in general waste generation per MI (135%; 568% in absolute value). The indicators of energy, water, and revenue per MI are substantially unchanged. A substantial decrease occurs in GHG1&2 emissions per MI (-32%), mainly due to significant investments in renewable energy sources. The findings of this research could help and guide upcoming sustainability policy decisions and encourage business-to-business collaboration and the adoption of better environmental production practices
Implementing Sustainable Development Goals in Lithium Mining: Strategies for a Greener Future
No full textThe chip manufacturing industry: Environmental impacts and eco-efficiency analysis
No full textSemiconductor manufacturing has followed the fate of a large part of industrial production: many companies, around the world, have maintained higher functions (design and engineering) and outsourced other production stages to third-party manufacturers, located mostly in Asia. Some chip companies have thus become "fabless" firms, commissioning the "fabrication" of their product to wafer "foundries" or "fabs". For the first time, in this paper, by calculating and subsequently analyzing various key environmental performance indicators (KEPIs) from the data of the fabs Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports, the environmental impacts and the eco-efficiency of the world's leading semiconductor foundries are analyzed and assessed. The aim is to highlight the relations between company size, technological capacity and environmental impact. A preliminary homogenization was necessary to process the company original data and indicators, often related to different units of production, and to obtain raw data in absolute value. Subsequently, adopting a single common manufacturing index (MI), it was possible to obtain and use new comparable performance indicators and KEPIs. The consequent comparative assessment allowed to give a reliable overall picture of the current resource consumption and pollution of this highly strategic sector, highlighting its next heavy environmental challenges. The result, in fact, is that, differently to what happens in many other sectors, in the semiconductor industry, larger company size (higher revenue), higher value added per wafer produced (higher revenue/MI), and higher technological capacity (higher R&D expenses and smaller technology node) are not always related to lower quantities (per unit of production) of water, energy, waste, wastewater and GHG emissions. It is hoped that, for the future, foundry firms, especially those with the most advanced technologies, will invest much more to optimize their resource use and to further reduce GHGs emissions and waste generation
La legislazione internazionale sui rifiuti pericolosi. La situazione dei principali paesi asiatici
No full textI paesi esaminati nella nota, presentano diversi gradi di sviluppo della gestione ambientale. Rappresentative sono infatti le situazioni ambientali e normative delle due nazioni più popolate della terra (Cina e India) e del Giappone, uno dei paesi più industrializzati del mondo. I programmi ambientali in Cina e India sono ancora relativamente nuovi. La gestione dei rifiuti tossici e nocivi è ancora ai primi passi, inoltre le tecnologie di trattamento e smaltimento sono primitive e l'equipaggiamento tecnologico è molto povero. Nessuno degli attuali siti di smaltimento, infatti, soddisfa i criteri minimi di sicurezza. In parte ciò è dovuto ad una mancanza di fondi e di capacità manageriali. Come risultato di questa situazione gli incidenti sono innumerevoli. Il Giappone ha le leggi ambientali più sofisticate, che si sono sviluppate in risposta agli sviluppi della normativa americana ed europea sul controllo dell'inquinamento. Comunque, la storia giapponese, fatta di leggi permissive (v. clausola dell'armonia) sui rifiuti, ha ingigantito e complicato il problema della gestione dei rifiuti pericolosi, prova ne sono i più alti costi di trattamento e smaltimento in confronto a quelli americani pur in presenza di un più alto livello tecnologico
La legislazione internazionale sui rifiuti pericolosi: la situazione in Europa
No full textLa legislazione sui rifiuti pericolosi continua ad essere complessa e di non facile interpretazione. Inoltre, sebbene esistano principi di base comuni, le varie legislazioni esistenti, essendo concepite per far fronte ad esigenze locali e contingenti, tendono a variare nei contenuti da una giurisdizione all'altra. Questo è particolarmente vero in Europa, dove in aggiunta alla normativa comunitaria, ogni stato membro ha il proprio corpo di regole ambientali, che si pone spesso in contrasto con quelli degli altri organismi nazionali. Nella presente nota, si analizzano le varie legislazioni europee esistenti nel campo della gestione dei rifiuti pericolosi, approfondendo, soprattutto, le differenti definizioni legislative di rifiuto pericoloso
Energia dal mare
No full textOltre all’energia delle biomasse, da tempo si è pensato, come è noto, anche all’energia dal mare, molto attraente dal punto di vista ambientale, dal momento che è pulita, rinnovabile e disponibile in quantità illimitata. Sfortunatamente, le tecnologie attualmente disponibili per convertire l’energia degli oceani su vasta scala sono ancora ai primi passi del loro sviluppo e presentano altissimi costi d’impianto. L’analisi condotta espone lo stato dell’arte delle principali tecnologie di conversione disponibili e le relative potenzialità commerciali
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