Search Results (3,806)

The cement industry is one of the most energy- and emission-intensive sectors and plays a crucial role in achieving climate neutrality and sustainability objectives. This study examines waste management practices in cement production within the framework of the circular economy and low-carbon transition, with particular emphasis on Polish cement plants operating under EU environmental regulations. Particular attention is given to the use of waste as alternative fuels and secondary raw materials, as well as to the economic and environmental implications of EU climate policy instruments. The research methodology includes an analysis of key emission sources such as clinker production, fuel combustion, and raw material transport and an evaluation of technological and organizational measures aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The empirical analysis is based primarily on operational observations from selected Polish cement plants operating under EU ETS conditions and combines plant-level operational evidence with comparative sectoral data and scenario-based techno-economic assessments related to selected low-carbon technologies. The results suggest that increasing the use of waste-derived fuels and materials may contribute to emission reduction, lower reliance on non-renewable resources, and improved circularity in cement production systems operating under advanced regulatory conditions. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential for synergies between environmental performance and economic competitiveness. The study underscores the importance of coherent regulatory frameworks and continued investment in low-emission and circular technologies to ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of the cement industry. Full article

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are essential energy reservoirs and industrial raw materials, while structured TAGs (STAGs) with tailored fatty acid distributions possess unique nutritional and functional values but low natural abundance. Enzymatic synthesis is strictly limited by feedstock and cost, making microbial de novo synthesis via metabolic engineering a promising alternative. This review summarizes advances in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and its regulation, key enzymes in TAG synthesis (GPAT, LPAAT, and DGAT), and microbial production of major STAGs (OPO, MLM, CBEs, and PUFA-rich STAGs). Current challenges and future perspectives are also discussed, promoting the shift toward rational design of functional STAGs. Full article

This study evaluates the technical feasibility, environmental sustainability, and economic viability of producing sulfoaluminate cement (SW-SAC) by co-utilizing bauxite and industrial solid wastes—phosphogypsum, calcium carbide residue (CCR), and red mud—with the solid wastes accounting for approximately 75% of the raw meal. CCR replaces limestone as the primary CaO source, releasing H₂O instead of CO₂, while phosphogypsum supplies SO₃; the raw meal is directly calcined in a single step at 1300–1350 °C, 100–150 °C below that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Calcination temperature and holding time were optimized through phase analysis, microstructural observation, free lime (f-CaO) determination, and strength testing. SW-SAC meeting the 42.5 strength class was then prepared using phosphogypsum as a setting regulator and phosphorus slag or limestone powder as Supplementary materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine hydration products and microstructural evolution. The optimized clinker was dominated by ye’elimite (C₄A₃S̄)  and belite (C₂S). Phosphorus slag favored the formation of gel-like products at later ages, whereas limestone powder promoted ettringite (AFt) stabilization and monocarboaluminate (Mc) formation. SW-SAC exhibited a lower carbon footprint than both Type P·I Portland cement and conventional SAC, and a lower production cost than conventional SAC. These results demonstrate a promising low-carbon route for high-value utilization of industrial solid wastes. Full article

The transition toward a circular economy has made industrial symbiosis an important approach for improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the extent to which SMEs can adopt these practices differs across countries. This study aims to explore the readiness of SMEs for industrial symbiosis in Türkiye, Jordan, Portugal, and Croatia, and to propose a digital model that can support this transition. The research is based on a qualitative, literature-driven comparative analysis examining institutional structures, technological capacity, sectoral characteristics, and collaboration networks in each country. The findings indicate that, despite contextual differences, all four countries face similar challenges, such as limited data sharing, insufficient digital infrastructure, and weak inter-firm cooperation. While EU member states demonstrate more developed policy frameworks, implementation gaps remain evident across cases. Building on these insights, the study introduces the Digital Recycling and Material Network (DREAM) model, a digital platform that connects waste-generating firms, recycling companies, and businesses that use secondary raw materials. The model enables real-time data sharing and supports sustainability-oriented matching mechanisms. Overall, the study suggests that digital platforms like DREAM can play a key role in strengthening industrial symbiosis practices and supporting SMEs in their transition toward circular production systems. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable industrial practices has intensified the search for manufacturing processes that minimize environmental impacts without compromising technical performance or economic viability. In this context, powder metallurgy has emerged as a promising alternative in mechanical manufacturing due to its potential for raw material reuse, waste reduction, lower energy consumption, and near-net-shape production. However, despite the growing body of research on this topic, there is still a lack of a comprehensive and integrated framework that systematically organizes and correlates the factors influencing sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions, which limits a holistic understanding of the process. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and classify the main factors affecting sustainability in powder metallurgy. A Systematic Literature Review was conducted following the PRISMA method, using the Scopus, Web of Science and Wiley databases. The initial search identified 1753 articles, of which 56 were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis considers the three pillars of sustainability and examines how variables related to raw materials, energy consumption, processing technologies, waste reuse, product performance, and operational conditions influence process sustainability. The results enable the identification of the most recurrent factors in the literature and support the development of a structured theoretical framework, contributing to a more integrated understanding of sustainability in powder metallurgy. Full article

Against the backdrop of global climate warming and energy shortages, China proposed the” dual-carbon strategy” in 2020 to address climate change and promote ecological civilization. As a high-carbon emission industry, the iron and steel sector faces an urgent need to accelerate low-carbon transformation. In 2024, China’s crude steel production accounted for over 50% of the total global crude steel production, with the blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace route remaining the dominant process. As a natural iron-bearing raw material, lump ore features high iron grade and low cost, eliminating the requirements of high-temperature processing steps such as sintering or pelletizing. Therefore, increasing the proportion of lump ore in the blast furnace burden represents an effective approach to achieving energy conservation and emission reduction. However, constrained by technical constraints, the current utilization rate of natural lump ore in Chinese steel enterprises remains generally low. Research indicates that despite their higher iron content, lump ores exhibit deficiencies in metallurgical properties such as thermal shock resistance and softening–melting drip characteristics, limiting their large-scale application. Therefore, it is typically necessary to perform pre-treatment such as preheating before charging into the furnace. In actual blast furnace burden design, it is essential to balance metallurgical performance and economic considerations by appropriately combining lump ore with high-basicity sinter and pellets. This approach leverages high-temperature interactions among the burden materials to optimize the overall softening and melting behavior of the mixed charge, thereby ensuring smooth furnace operation while simultaneously advancing the low-carbon transition of the iron and steel industry. Full article

The pollution of water, including salt and fresh water, has become an emergency problem. Pollutants come from different sources and have various characteristics, starting from industry and fertilizers used in agriculture, sewage related to human living, and other sources. Diverse sources of pollution require a comprehensive approach to water purification. One possible approach may be the use of appropriate sorbents. Currently, one of the most promising materials used is zeolites. This is because they can come from various sources, including waste raw materials such as fly ash, and, therefore, allow for the use of a circular economy approach. Moreover, these materials can be modified, which enables their selective use for selected types of pollutants. Eventually, these materials become economically viable options. The main aim of this article is to present and analyze possible solutions to water pollution based on zeolite materials. For this purpose, a critical literature review was prepared. The review reveals that zeolites perform particularly well in ion-exchange-driven removal of inorganic contaminants, while their effectiveness for organic micropollutants under realistic conditions is often limited. The identified trade-offs between removal efficiency, regeneration stability, and scalability indicate that zeolites are best applied as function-specific rather than universal sorbents. From a sustainability perspective, this targeted applicability is supported by advantages, such as low material cost, long service life, and the possibility of using naturally occurring or waste-derived precursors, which, together, enable resource-efficient water treatment processes, reduced reliance on energy-intensive technologies, and the valorization of industrial byproducts within circular economy frameworks. Full article

This study evaluated the growth, physiological, chlorophyll fluorescence (JIP-test), and postharvest responses of a shoot-dominant (‘C-P’) and a root-dominant (‘J-L’) garlic material to graded salinity (0, 50, and 200 mM NaCl) in a hydroponic system, with or without seed-clove priming using LEAFENERGY^®, a commercial biostimulant mainly composed of naturally derived rare fatty acids. Results showed 50 mM NaCl significantly inhibited shoot growth, while 200 mM nearly arrested growth and induced clove decay. Under moderate salinity, biostimulant priming exhibited cultivar-dependent mitigation. In ‘C-P’, biostimulant priming increased clove soluble sugar content by 1.140 g 100 g⁻¹ FW under 50 mM NaCl and increased dry-weight-based clove water content after cold storage. In ‘J-L’, biostimulant priming increased SPAD values under 50 mM NaCl and reduced the salt-induced increase in clove yellowness index to a level not significantly different from the non-saline control. In conclusion, garlic’s response to salinity is fundamentally dictated by intrinsic resource allocation strategies. Rather than merely promoting growth, biostimulant priming optimizes photosynthetic energy fluxes and reshapes metabolism. This tailored approach effectively preserves the visual marketability of susceptible cultivars while enhancing osmoprotectant accumulation and hydration in vigorous morphotypes, providing a sustainable strategy to safeguard industrial raw materials in salinized controlled cultivation systems. Full article

The sources of natural lycopene are diverse, and lycopene from different sources may have differences in functional characteristics and bioavailability. In this study, lycopene was extracted from tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red guavas, carrots, and watermelons by ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and the structures were characterized. The differences in their in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacities and anti-inflammatory capacity in vivo were compared. The results showed that under the extraction conditions of this experiment (sample: ethyl acetate: 1:5 m/v, 40 °C, 600 W, 40 kHz, 30 min), lycopene (primarily all-trans structure) from different sources could be effectively extracted from the above five raw materials. The concentration of lycopene extracted from the four samples except tomatoes (14.03 ± 1.08 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW)) was about 30 mg/100 g FW. The analysis of the in vitro antioxidant capacity of lycopene from five different sources showed that the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging rates and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) concentration of the red guava lycopene-rich sample were significantly higher than those of the other four sources of lycopene. Based on the in vitro performance of lycopene from five sources, further in vivo experiments (using only the tomato and red guava groups) also found that compared with lycopene from tomatoes, lycopene-rich extract from red guavas could significantly increase the antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant capacity in the serum, liver and gastrocnemius muscle (GAS) of mice; reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration; and also increase the expression of antioxidant-related genes (GPx, CAT, SOD1, etc.) in the liver and GAS of mice by regulating the Nrf-2/keap1 signaling pathway. In addition, mice in the guava-derived lycopene-rich group had lower serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In summary, these results indicated that the lycopene-rich extract derived from red guava demonstrated higher antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo as well as enhanced anti-inflammatory capabilities within the body, providing an important reference for its application in the food industry and functional foods. Full article

This research paper examines the environmental impact of natural and synthetic fur coats, focusing exclusively on the processing and manufacturing stages. Using one coat weighing approximately 5 kg as the functional unit, a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is conducted from raw material processing to final garment production, explicitly excluding animal farming. The analysis includes key processes such as cleaning, tanning, dyeing, and sewing for natural fur, and polymer production, fabric formation, dyeing, and finishing for synthetic fur. Data from international academic literature (Google Scholar and Scopus) are used to evaluate CO₂ emissions, energy and water consumption, chemical inputs, and waste generation. Results indicate that synthetic fur production is energy-intensive but requires relatively low water use, whereas natural fur processing involves high water consumption and chemical treatments, resulting in significantly higher emissions—often reaching hundreds to thousands of kg CO₂e per coat. The study further investigates the role of embedded IoT systems in improving efficiency within tanneries and textile manufacturing. Real-time monitoring and automated dosing systems can reduce emissions and chemical use by approximately 10–20%. Case studies of a smart tannery and an IoT-enabled synthetic fur production line illustrate potential implementation pathways. Although such optimizations can reduce environmental impacts, the findings clearly show that natural fur processing remains considerably more carbon-intensive than synthetic alternatives. This research highlights the importance of integrating digital technologies into industrial processes and suggests directions for future work based on real-world operational data. Full article

Türkiye possesses significant marble reserves, making marble mining a crucial industry with notable environmental effects due to high energy and fuel consumption. This study assesses the environmental impacts of marble production through a life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on a quarry in Burdur and a cutting plant in Denizli, Türkiye. The analysis covers quarry operations, on-site transport, transportation to the plant, and final processing. Following the cradle-to-gate approach, it includes A1 (raw material sourcing), A2 (transportation), and A3 (production) stages as specified in EN 15804. The LCA was performed using GaBi Education 8.0 software, applying the ReCiPe 2016 v1.1 impact assessment method. Besides evaluating the current system, three scenarios were devised to lessen environmental impacts: solar energy (Scenario A), biodiesel (Scenario B), and a combination of solar and biodiesel (Scenario C). These were compared to the baseline system. The findings reveal that the current system’s climate change impact is 43.97 kg CO₂-eq, while Scenario C’s impact drops to 32.72 kg CO₂-eq, a reduction of about 25.6%. Scenario C achieved the greatest reduction in climate impact, with electricity and diesel consumption, water, and chemicals used in processing being the main contributors to environmental impacts. Full article

The copper industry generates nearly 25 million tons of slag annually, which is stockpiled or landfilled, leading to land occupation and the potential for soil and water contamination alongside the environmental burden of the construction sector, which accounts for up to 9% of global CO₂ emissions and massive raw material consumption. The need for low-carbon, resource-efficient binders has spurred interest in geopolymerization, or the alkali activation of aluminosilicate residues, as a pathway to valorize industrial by-products. The objective of this review is to analyze, synthesize, and critically evaluate the scientific evidence on alkali-activated materials derived from Cu slag, emphasizing the synthesis parameters, mechanical and durability behavior, and environmental performance. The review applies the PRISMA 2020 methodology. The analysis of the 57 reports shows that copper slag—used alone or with metakaolin or blast furnace slag—can produce alkali-activated materials with high compressive strength, refined pore structures, and cradle-to-gate CO₂ reductions of up to 80%. Cu slag is not a chemically homogeneous precursor, and its influence on performance depends on the activation strategy and dosage rather than the slag content alone. Overall, this review consolidates dispersed findings, identifies research gaps, and proposes a framework for sustainable valorization in the form of low-carbon construction materials. Full article

Continuous-flow microwave (MW) pasteurization is a relatively new and still poorly understood preservation method with great potential for industrial applications. The raw material for the research was blue honeysuckle berries (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Sevast.), which are considered a rich source of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effects of various MW power (2100 W, 2400 W, 2700 W, 3000 W), traditional pasteurization parameters (90 °C/10 min), and blue honeysuckle berry varieties (Aurora and Indigo) on the quality of nectars after the preservation process and during 16 weeks of cold storage (4 °C). Physicochemical measurements were performed (pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, nephelometric turbidity), together with spectrophotometric (total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, color parameters) and chromatographic (L-ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, iridoids) analyses. A slight effect of MW power on pH, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, turbidity, and color parameters was demonstrated. Immediately after preservation, the ∆E* values of the samples subjected to MW ranged from 0.48 to 1.06, while after PT they ranged from 1.90 to 5.83. Considering the content of bioactive components, it has been proven that the MW method is more beneficial than traditional pasteurization due to a higher retention of anthocyanins (1–6% reduction or 1–5% increase after MW or 5–16% reduction after PT—values for the individual anthocyanins) and partially higher antioxidant activity. After 16 weeks of storage, MW-treated samples contained more anthocyanins and total polyphenols than untreated samples. The study showed the negligible effect of MW processing on iridoid content; these compounds were the most stable bioactive compounds present in the preserved nectars during storage (changes of up to 5%). Full article

The German industrial and energy sectors accounted for over 52% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. This is influenced both by an ongoing demand for fossil fuels and the usage of emission-intensive raw and processed materials. With the current European directive on corporate sustainability reporting, a push is being made for companies to publish annual emission reports. However, as per a study conducted by the authors, small and medium-sized companies have difficulties accurately calculating emissions across their supply chain without relying on external service providers. As a scientific institute with a real production facility for metal machining, the ETA (Energy Technologies and Applications) Factory bridges the gap between academia and manufacturing enterprises. The authors have used this disposition to calculate scope 1–3 emissions for the factory as per the Greenhouse Gas Protocol across three years, while progressively attempting to automate data collection for all scopes. CO₂e emissions for the years 2022–2024 were 86.3 tCO₂e, 146.9 tCO₂e, and 86.1 tCO₂e, respectively. Emission categories were assessed in terms of relevance to the institute and subsequently used to analyze the emission activities of the factory. The highest contributor to emissions was electricity purchasing for 2022 and 2024, along with business travel for 2023. Within scope 3, the emissions produced by business travel showed the highest impact across all years, followed by either energy-related activities or purchased goods. The sensitivity of CO₂e factors was also investigated, showing discrepancies between 25% and 130% for the utilized CO₂e factor for steel. Automation of data collection benefits largely from implemented manufacturing systems, such as manufacturing execution systems or enterprise resource planning systems. Full article

Rapid urbanization and escalating demands for pollution and carbon reduction pose significant challenges to the cement industry in China, characterized by high energy consumption and emissions. However, a multidimensional framework to assess the synergies and trade-offs between environmental, carbon, and economic effects for various decarbonization technologies in cement production is still lacking. Here, six application scenarios of new suspension preheater dry process cement production were developed and evaluated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to quantify environmental impacts, synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions (SRPC), and economic performance. A multi-attribute decision-making model, Analytic Hierarchy Process–entropy–TOPSIS (AHP–entropy–TOPSIS), was applied to assess environmental–economic trade-offs. The results indicate that biomass fuel substitution and high grinding efficiency achieved the best SRPC and environmental–economic trade-off scores (S_norm: 0.17–0.22). Alternative raw materials moderately reduced carbon but increased pollutant emissions and economic uncertainty (S_norm: 0.14–0.20). Mono-ethanolamine absorption and calcium looping provided substantial carbon reduction but weaker overall performance due to environmental trade-offs and higher costs (S_norm: 0.12–0.16). These findings provide quantitative guidance for prioritizing and combining decarbonization strategies to support the green transition and sustainable development of the cement industry. Full article