Use of coatings to minimise acid emissions during ceramic tile firing

The manufacture of traditional ceramic products (ceramic tiles, roof tiles, and bricks) is often associated with the emission of F, Cl, and S compounds during the firing stage. According to the literature, fluorine emissions can be reduced by adding CaCO₃ to the raw materials mixture used in fabricating these products. However, data available to the authors indicate that this procedure, which has been successfully applied in manufacturing structural ceramics (roof tiles and bricks), is ineffective in ceramic tile manufacture and modifies tile end properties.This paper examines the possibility of reducing such emissions by applying coatings of alkaline-earth carbonates on to the ceramic tile bottom surface to retain the acid compounds emitted during tile firing. The effectiveness of MgCO₃, CaCO₃, SrCO₃, and BaCO₃ coatings for retaining these acid emissions was studied, using the evolved gas analysis (EGA) technique with a TG-DSC-FTIR-QM instrument.The SrCO₃ coating was found to provide the greatest retention, showing that SO₂ and HCl were retained more efficiently than HF. The presence of fluorides, chlorides, and sulphates of Ca, Sr, and Ba was verified in the respective fired coatings, confirming the existence of chemical reactions between the emitted acid compounds and the coating materials at high temperature.     

生态效率变动的产业及要素推动:基于投入产出和系统优化模型

论文以Leontief 投入产出分析为基础,利用系统优化模型测算中国的生态效率,并分析生产要素、产业产出和污染物对效率水平的影响;为了聚焦于低碳经济发展,模型仅包括温室气体一种污染物。从1997 到2010 年,中国生态效率约下降一半,要素投入和产出变动均是效率降低的原因。在劳动、资本和土地三种要素中,惟有高水平劳动影子价格为正、能够影响生态效率;1997-2010 年间,高水平劳动力实际利用率降低、稀缺性上升,加剧了实际生产与前沿面的距离、降低了生态效率。在18 类产业中,12 类产值上升、对生态效率贡献为正;食品、纺织、非金属制造、运输及公私服务业等6 类对生态效率作用为负。以上结果有助于明确实现保增长、减排放的关键产业部门和要素投入。     

Improving eco-efficiency in the steel industry: The ArcelorMittal Gent case

In addition to CO₂ released by the combustion of fossil fuel and leading to climate change, large steelworks emit pollutants that have other environmental impacts. ArcelorMittal Gent, an integrated steelwork producing ca. 5 × 10⁶ tons of steel per year, not only decreased its specific energy consumption and CO₂-emissions, but also reduced the environmental impact of its other emissions. This is illustrated by means of the evolution of 6 partial eco-efficiency indicators for the impact categories acidification, photo-oxidant formation, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, eutrophication and water use. The partial eco-efficiency indicators are eco-intensities, defined as the environmental impact in the respective impact category, divided by the amount of liquid steel produced. In the period 1995 – 2005 these indicators decreased by 45, 4, 52, 9, 11 and 33% respectively, whereas the steel production increased by 17%. The net impact of discharges of wastewater is negligible for human toxicity and is negative (concentrations lower than in the canal water used) for freshwater aquatic toxicity and eutrophication. For acidification, human toxicity (only emissions to air) and water use, the decoupling between environmental impact and production was absolute; for photo-oxidant formation, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity (only emissions to air) and eutrophication, it was relative.     

焦作市工业行业的生态效率

以工业城市焦作市为例,选择工业能源消费和污染物(包括废水、固体废物、SO2、烟尘等)排放作为环境负荷,定量分析工业分行业的生态效率及分行业特定环境负荷对总环境负荷的贡献率.结果表明,能源效率最高的行业是黑色金属矿采选业(FMM),为43.19万元·tce-1,贡献率为0.003%;废水排放相关环境效率最高的是交通运输设...     

Eco-efficiency trends of the Flemish industry: decoupling of environmental impact from economic growth

A methodology for eco-efficiency reporting is proposed with eco-efficiency indicators for climate change, acidification, photo-oxidant formation, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, eutrophication, energy consumption and waste generation. The method is applied to emission, consumption and production data of the Flemish industry provided by the Flemish environmental agency for the period 1995–2006. For climate change, acidification, photo-oxidant formation, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity and eutrophication, the eco-efficiency improved by 39, 55, 41, 58, 72 and 53%, respectively. For each of these impact categories, the total environmental impact decreased despite an increase in production, indicating absolute decoupling of environmental impact from economic growth. The eco-efficiency indicator for energy consumption and waste generation improved by 16 and 14%, respectively. However, due to the increase in production, the total energy consumption and the amount of waste generated increased: for these two environmental themes decoupling from economic growth was relative. Despite the improved eco-efficiency, industry remains one of the main polluters in Flanders. The application of the method to emission, energy consumption and production data of the Flemish industry resulted in a comprehensive and correct source of information for the general public and the government. Moreover, it can serve as a basis for economically and environmentally sound decisions and for the evaluation of the impact of former decisions.     

碳排放视角下的江苏省土地利用转型生态效率研究——基于混合方向性距离函数

生态效率关乎经济与生态之间的双重问题,要保证在实现社会经济正常发展的同时将环境影响控制到最小程度。CO₂等温室气体的排放作为造成全球气候变暖的主要产物,成为改善全球环境问题的焦点。土地利用转型在一定程度上影响着土地生态,并从土地的投入和产出方面影响土地生态效应,分析其影响机理将有助于最小化土地利用成本,最大化土地生态价值。论文运用混合方向性距离函数模型和Global Malmquist-Luenberger（GML）指数,将CO₂排放量作为生态效率的非期望产出指标,构建土地利用转型投入和产出指标体系,测算2006—2014年江苏省13个城市在土地利用转型背景下的生态效率及环境全要素生产率增长状况,并对全要素生产率变动进行分解,以期缓解经济快速增进带来的生态环境问题。研究结果表明：CO₂过度排放以及能源过度消耗,使得很多城市普遍存在生态低效率;2006—2014年江苏省总体平均生态效率值为0.827,若能够充分利用当前技术水平,资源强度和污染排放强度在平均意义上可以提高17%;江苏省生态效率变化区域差异明显,生态效率存在空间关联性和集聚效应;环境全要素生产率增长呈现地域不均衡性,纯技术进步是影响环境全要素生产率增长变动的重要影响因素;技术规模变化的区域差异幅度最大,是构成环境全要素生产率增长差异的重要因素。     

Eco-efficiency and industrial symbiosis – a counterfactual analysis of a mining community

Complex utilization, a production model analogous to those described by industrial symbiosis, was planned at the Russian Kola Science Center in mid-1980. The model integrates the waste streams of mining industries in the Kola Peninsula in such a way that waste from one industrial operator becomes raw material for another. Using a counterfactual method, this article determines the eco-efficiency of the model between the years 1985 and 2005. A parallel study of the eco-efficiency of the actual system, i.e. in the absence of complex utilization, is then performed for the same time period. The study shows that complex utilization would indeed have yielded increased eco-efficiency, even though not all environmentally harmful emissions would have decreased. As a result of market collapse and the use of upstream pollution prevention together with traditional end-of-pipe technologies, however, the actual system shows net emission reductions similar to those modeled in complex utilization. It is suggested that in systems like the mining industry of the Kola Peninsula, with high production volumes and poorly developed environmental technologies, upstream pollution prevention together with traditional end-of-pipe technologies may prove more attractive than industrial symbiosis, despite the substantial increases in eco-efficiency of the latter.     

厦门港船舶排放清单及港口生态效率评价

采用基于船舶活动的排放因子法,测算了2018年进出厦门港的船舶排放清单,并在排放数据的基础上,借助外部成本评估工具,从环境和社会两类指标层面上评估了港口的生态效率.结果表明：2018年厦门港船舶排放SO_x、NO_x、HC、CO、PM_2.5、PM_2.0和CO₂e（二氧化碳当量）的总量分别为3222,11977,490,1118,411,542和710374t;集装箱船为最大贡献船型,船舶主机排放比例最大;对于不同运行工况,巡航工况排放的污染气体最多,停泊工况（包括港内停泊和港外锚泊）排放的温室气体最多;8~12月份的船舶排放量较高.船舶排放的外部总成本约为19.95亿元（约为港口年收入的7.6%）,其中NO_x、PM₁₀和SO_x的外部成本较高.港口生态效率的评估反映了港口生产运营对环境和社会的影响.船舶使用低硫油和岸电能够减少船舶排放,同时能够提高港口的生态效率.     

Eco-efficiency evaluation of iron rod industry in Nepal

This paper presents the eco-efficiency of energy intensity, material consumption, water use, waste generation, and CO₂ emission in terms of production value in net sales (US$) per environmental influence using empirical evaluation. Evaluation has been considered only within production process boundary of iron rod industry. Evaluation of eco-efficiency tried to couple the economic and environmental influences of industry to know economic and environmental excellence. Eco-efficiency of iron rod industry was quantitatively analyzed and determined that energy, material consumption, water use, waste generation, and CO₂ emission eco-efficiency have been increased gradually along with increased production during analysis period of five years (2001–2005). It was possible due to installing heat recovery unit along with innovative processes modification. While comparing each year's eco-efficiency of all above-mentioned parameters, eco-efficiencies were increased that indicates less resource use and less waste released. As a general statement of overall comparison and characterization of eco-efficiencies of five years duration, iron rod industry was eco-efficient in all aspects. Eco-efficiency being an emerging trend has not yet been implemented in Nepal. It is further recommended to adopt the eco-efficiency evaluation in other industries. In addition, it is high time to augment the provision of eco-efficiency concepts in industrial policy and legislation concerned.     

Quantifying producer and consumer-based eco-efficiencies for the identification of key ecodesign issues

We can find numerous case studies showing eco-efficiency being used as an analytical tool in ecodesign. But, all of these studies show that eco-efficiency being used only as an evaluation tool for design alternatives, not as a tool for the identification of key ecodesign issues. Here, we propose that producer-based eco-efficiency and consumer-based eco-efficiency can be used in identifying key ecodesign issues, which encompass not only the environmental aspects of a product, but also other aspects such as product quality and consumer satisfaction. The applicability of the proposed method was evaluated using 19 digital cameras. The results show that it is possible to identify weak points of a product in relation to the environment, product quality, and consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, it is possible to design a product that is environmentally friendly, while still maintaining a high level of quality and consumer satisfaction.     

环保投资占比最优化:基于生态效率的考量

将生态效率作为综合衡量环保投资效益的指标,利用中国2003~2015年30个省（区、市）的数据,研究生态效率与环保投资的双向影响关系,并估算环保投资占比的最优区间.结果表明：（1）2003~2015年,全国平均生态效率整体呈略微下降趋势,由0.79下降至0.69.（2）环保投资占比对生态效率构成倒"N"型影响,经历"降低-提升-抑制"3个阶段.根据所获数据进行计算和推测,当环保投资占比处于0~1.50%时,环保投资不能有效防止生态效率下降;占比处于1.50%~3.30%时,环保投资能显著提升生态效率,至3.30%时达到最大值;占比大于3.30%时,过多的环保投资投入反而使生态效率下降.（3）省际生态效率具有空间溢出效应,省级政府环保投资策略具有协同性.     

A method to improve the international comparability of emission data from industrial installations

Emissions from industrial installations are regulated under several international conventions and directives to prevent harmful impacts on environment and human health. Stricter limitations often exist in national legislations, or due to regional and local conditions, than in the international conventions. The international comparability of emission data from industrial installations is currently poor. Comparability is an essential element when the environmental performance of different installations or techniques is studied, as well as in reviewing data presented in emission registers. The availability of reliable and comparable data is an important requirement for the emissions trading market. Comparable emission data ought to be used when reviewing compliance with the national emission reduction targets established under international conventions, as well as in reviewing the compliance of industrial installations with the requirements set in the environmental permit conditions. There are currently no internationally agreed principles or a comprehensive strategy for production of emission data at the level of an industrial installation.The data production chain principle presented in this paper provides a tool for identifying elements that are essential in comparing emission data correctly and that need to be taken into consideration to ensure emission data reliability. The method was originally developed and applied in Finland for emission and impact monitoring of wastewaters from industrial installations and fisheries. Due to the implementation of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) directive the methodology was reconstructed for integrated emissions monitoring purposes. The data production principle was introduced for European use when preparing the BREF document on monitoring of emissions. It will also be relevant when the industrial installations report their emissions data to the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs).     

Eco-efficiency in the SMEs of Venezuela. Current status and future perspectives

This paper presents a comparison analysis of eco-efficiency in the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) of Venezuela. The research can be divided into three parts: the first part reviews similar studies in the literature on the level of eco-efficiency exhibited by the companies of Venezuela and other countries. In the second place, the findings of a survey conducted on Venezuelan SMEs allowed the definition of 54 eco-efficiency profiles. Thirdly, six national experts in cleaner production and eco-efficiency were interviewed. The interview was based on a questionnaire similar to that used in the survey of the Venezuelan SMEs. At a second meeting, the experts were asked to discuss on the similarities and differences between their answers and those of the company's managers.The findings of the survey allow us to conclude that Venezuelan SMEs understand the legal environmental regulations that affect them but they do not perceive the influence of external driving forces like customers demand for green products or institutional incentives. The adoption of eco-efficiency practices is not perceived as an incentive to improve competitiveness so that the environmental strategies adopted generally aim at reducing costs or avoiding non-compliance sanctions and negative effects on the company image. Materials recycling and reuse, especially packaging materials, are common practices; however, other environmental tools or practices have not been implemented yet, e.g. environmental management systems (EMS), process, product and services design tools based on the product life cycle, renewable energy resources or green marketing. There are also differences among the eight industrial sectors analyzed, food and chemical industries having the higher index of eco-efficiency practices, and plastic and wood industries the lower.     

Neutron activation analysis of ceramic tiles and its component and radon exhalation rate

IntroductionCeramic,consistofearthymaterialslikeclaykaolin ,limestoneandsandglass .Ceramicmaterialsarenonmetalic ,inorganiccompoundsprimaryoxides ,alsocarbides ,nitridesandsilicides .Twotypesofbondingmechanismsoccurinceramicmaterial ,ionicandcovalent.Theo…     

A novel approach of preparing press-powders for cleaner production of ceramic tiles

China produces almost half of ceramic tiles in the world. However, serious air pollution and high energy consumption in the preparation of ceramic press-powders by traditional wet process (WP) have become major barriers for the sustainable development of ceramic tile manufacturing industry. A novel cleaner production process, named by the authors as Droplet-Powder Granulation Process (DPGP), was proposed and tested in this work. Droplet-powder granulator, a key facility of DPGP, was designed. In the granulator, ceramic suspension was directly sprayed to form fine suspension droplets and ceramic dry powder was simultaneously jetted and dispersed to enwrap, insulate and adsorb the suspension droplets so as to form coarse granules that were then rolled, tamped and dried into press-powders. Lab experiments of preparing press-powders by DPGP were carried out. The as-prepared DPGP press-powders consist of solid granules with nearly spherical shape and approximately normal grain size distribution, and present favorable flowability and relatively high bulk density, with the similar properties of the press-powders as those prepared by WP. Moreover, as compared with WP, DPGP can reduce both pollutant emission of 98% dust, 65% sulfur oxides and 71% nitrogen oxides and resource consumption of 24% energy and 69% water. Therefore, DPGP is an innovative approach for cleaner production of ceramic press-powders.     

生活垃圾分类处理方式的生态效率评价

中国生活垃圾产量大、增速快，若处理方式不当会给环境和社会带来巨大危害，近年来提倡的垃圾分类处理方式是垃圾减量化的关键一环.综合考虑垃圾处理对环境、能源、经济和社会四方面影响，构建适用于垃圾处理的3E+S生态效率评价模型.将垃圾源头分类、末端分类处理方式纳入垃圾处理生命周期中构建4种生活垃圾处理情景.结果表明，混合收运+末端分类的处理情景具有潜在最优生态效率，分类收运+焚烧的处理情景由于源头分类、收运环节更为复杂导致其总环境影响潜值最大，且生命周期成本最高.对比考虑或不考虑社会成本计算得到的生态效率表明，社会成本的加入显著影响生态效率.源头分类是影响生活垃圾分类处理生态效率的敏感性因素，通过降低垃圾源头分类单元过程多余的环境排放和成本或推广使用以末端机械化分类（PGAS）技术为代表的低污染低成本的垃圾分类新技术，都能够提高垃圾处理的生态效率.     

Quantification of energy related industrial eco-efficiency of China

Improving eco-efficiency is propitious for saving resources and reducing emissions, and has become a popular route to sustainable development. We define two energy-related eco-efficiencies: energy efficiency (ENE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-related eco-efficiency (GEE) using energy consumption and the associated GHG emissions as the environmental impacts. Using statistical data, we analyze China’s energy consumption and GHG emissions by industrial subsystem and sector, and estimate the ENE and GEE values for China in 2007 as 4.871×10⁷ US/PJ and 4.26×10 < sup > 8 < /sup > US/PJ and 4.26×10⁸ US/TgCO₂eq, respectively. Industry is the primary contributing subsystem of China’s economy, contributing 45.2% to the total economic production, using 79.6% of the energy consumed, and generating 91.4% of the total GHG emissions. We distinguish the individual contributions of the 39 industrial sectors to the national economy, overall energy consumption, and GHG emissions, and estimate their energyrelated eco-efficiencies. The results show that although ferrous metal production contributes only 3.5% to the national industrial economy, it consumes the most industrial energy (20% of total), contributes 16% to the total industrial global warming potential (GWP), and ranks third in GHG emissions. The power and heat sector ranks first in GHG emissions and contributes one-third of the total industrial GWP, although it only consumes about 8% of total industrial energy and, like ferrous metal production, contributes 3.5% to the national economy. The ENE of the ferrous metal and power and heat sectors are only 8 and 2.1×10⁷ US/PJ, while the GEE for these two sectors are 9 and 4×10 < sup > 4 < /sup > US/PJ, while the GEE for these two sectors are 9 and 4×10⁴ US/GgCO₂eq, respectively; these are nearly the lowest ENE and GEE values among all 39 industry sectors. Finally, we discuss the possibility of ecoefficiency improvement through a comparison with other countries.     

以晶体硅太阳能电池产业为例的产业生命周期评价初探

面对日益复杂的环境问题和精细化环境管理需求,为了将生命周期评价在产业结构调整、发展方式转变中更好地发挥作用,对在产业层面开展生命周期评价的方法进行了探索研究.产业生命周期评价是在产品生命周期评价的基础上增加了:①基于“可拆解可组合”生态设计理念的功能单位和系统边界确定;②质量评估和数据整合的数据收集过程;③以不确定性分析来验证数据的合理性.选择晶体硅太阳能电池产业进行了产业生命周期评价的案例应用.结果表明:晶体硅太阳能电池产业可分为4个产品单元和11个工艺单元.基于上述产品单元和工艺单元的资源能源投入和污染物排放数据进行收集,在数据质量评估之后通过数据整合形成了产业生命周期数据清单.产业生命周期环境影响主要集中在呼吸系统影响（41.94%）、化石燃料（25.20%）、致癌（14.89%）和气候变化（8.80%）4个环境影响类别;减少环境影响的精准化途径是减少高纯多晶硅、硅片、电池片产品的电耗,组件产品中焊带消耗,硅片产品中的砂浆消耗和组件产品的铝合金边框消耗.蒙特卡洛分析结果显示,高纯多晶硅生命周期评价结果不确定性较高,与数据质量评估的结果较为一致.案例应用结果说明,产品生命周期评价可将生命周期评价从产品层面提升到产业层面,可为国家产业发展提供科学支撑.      

Environmental management accounting applications and eco-efficiency: case studies from Japan

This paper explores the links between environmental management accounting and measures of eco-efficiency in Japanese business. Environmental management accounting is a relatively new environmental management tool initially designed to trace and track environmental costs and physical environmental flows. In the paper, first, the recent development of environmental management accounting is considered; second, the links between environmental management accounting and eco-efficiency measurement are examined. Recent case studies in environmental management accounting from Japan are used as a basis for the analysis. It is concluded from the analysis that the practice of linking eco-efficiency measurement with environmental management accounting information is underutilised, diverse and in need of further promotion if EMA is to help Japanese business move production processes and consumption of its products towards sustainability.     

Assessing the environmental impact of metal production processes

Evaluating both new and existing processes for primary metal production to assess their environmental impacts is often difficult due to the many inputs and outputs involved. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology that can be used for such purposes to identify those parts of the metal production life cycle that have significant environmental impacts. LCA has been used by CSIRO Minerals to assess the “cradle-to-gate” environmental impacts of a number of metal production processes practised either currently or potentially in Australia. The metals considered included copper, nickel, aluminium, lead, zinc, steel, stainless steel and titanium, by both pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical routes in some instances. The environmental profile included greenhouse and acid rain gas emissions, solid waste emissions and gross energy consumption. The results for various metals are compared in this paper. New process technologies for primary metal production can be expected to reduce the environmental impacts of metal production, and estimates of likely reductions for technologies involving stainless steel, titanium and aluminium are also presented in this paper.