High Toughness and Fast Crystallization Poly(Lactic Acid)/Polyamide 11/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Composites

A poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/polyamide 11 (PA11)/SiO₂ composite was mixed from PLA, PA11, and nanosilica particles through twin-screw extrusion. The PLA/PA11/SiO₂ composite was evaluated with tensile and Izod impact tests, light transmission and haze measurement, and isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization behavior determinations. The PLA/PA11/SiO₂ (97.0/3.0) composite had approximately 10.8% less ultimate tensile strength than neat PLA, but it had greater ductility and approximately ninefold greater elongation at break. A dimple morphology was observed on the fractural surface of the PLA/PA11/SiO₂ composite, indicating that the incorporation of PA11 and nanosilica particles increased the ductility of the PLA matrix. PLA with less than 3 wt% of PA11 and 0.5 phr of nanosilica particles had an Izod impact strength of 8.72 kJ/m². PA11 and nanosilica particles effectively toughened this PLA polymer; they accelerated both isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization rates and increased the crystallinities of the resulting composites under isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization processes.     

吊拖船队通过限制性顺直航段安全限制因素研究

为了保障吊拖船队通过顺直航道的航行安全,充分考虑吊拖船队的柔性结构特征和航道条件,深入研究限制性航道顺直航段航道特点,运用船舶操纵与引航理论,建立以吊拖船队为研究对象的顺直航段航道宽度计算模型,从而确定针对航道宽度的吊拖船队通过顺直航段的安全限制因素,运用实船试验数据和现有航道维护尺度对建立的公式进行验算。提出了符合我国运河航道条件和吊拖船队航行特点的运河限制性航道顺直航段航道宽度计算公式,以期为保障吊拖船队在顺直航道安全航行提供理论支撑,弥补我国运河以吊拖船队为主要船型的航道技术尺度计算方面的不足。     

A comparative study of vocational education and occupational safety and health training in China and the UK

In order to enhance Chinese workers’ occupational safety awareness, it is essential to learn from developed countries’ experiences. This article investigates thoroughly occupational safety and health (OSH) in China and the UK; moreover, the article performs a comparison of Chinese and British OSH training-related laws, regulations and education system. The following conclusions are drawn: China’s work safety continues to improve, but there is still a large gap compared with the UK. In China a relatively complete vocational education and training (VET) system has been established. However, there exist some defects in OSH. In the UK, the employer will not only pay attention to employees’ physiological health, but also to their mental health. The UK’s VET is characterized by classification and grading management, which helps integrate OSH into the whole education system. China can learn from the UK in the development of policies, VET and OSH training.     

Evaluation of geometrically personalized THUMS pedestrian model response against sedan–pedestrian PMHS impact test data

Objective: Evaluating the biofidelity of pedestrian finite element models (PFEM) using postmortem human subjects (PMHS) is a challenge because differences in anthropometry between PMHS and PFEM could limit a model's capability to accurately capture cadaveric responses. Geometrical personalization via morphing can modify the PFEM geometry to match the specific PMHS anthropometry, which could alleviate this issue. In this study, the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) PFEM (Ver 4.01) was compared to the cadaveric response in vehicle–pedestrian impacts using geometrically personalized models.

Methods: The AM50 THUMS PFEM was used as the baseline model, and 2 morphed PFEM were created to the anthropometric specifications of 2 obese PMHS used in a previous pedestrian impact study with a mid-size sedan. The same measurements as those obtained during the PMHS tests were calculated from the simulations (kinematics, accelerations, strains), and biofidelity metrics based on signals correlation (correlation and analysis, CORA) were established to compare the response of the models to the experiments. Injury outcomes were predicted deterministically (through strain-based threshold) and probabilistically (with injury risk functions) and compared with the injuries reported in the necropsy.

Results: The baseline model could not accurately capture all aspects of the PMHS kinematics, strain, and injury risks, whereas the morphed models reproduced biofidelic response in terms of trajectory (CORA score = 0.927 ± 0.092), velocities (0.975 ± 0.027), accelerations (0.862 ± 0.072), and strains (0.707 ± 0.143). The personalized THUMS models also generally predicted injuries consistent with those identified during posttest autopsy.

Conclusions: The study highlights the need to control for pedestrian anthropometry when validating pedestrian human body models against PMHS data. The information provided in the current study could be useful for improving model biofidelity for vehicle–pedestrian impact scenarios.     

Assessing groundwater quality and its sustainability in Joypurhat district of Bangladesh using GIS and multivariate statistical approaches

Sustainable groundwater quality is a key global concern and has become a major issue of disquiets in most parts of the world including Bangladesh. Hence, the assessment of groundwater quality is an important study to ensure its sustainability for various uses. In this study, a combination of multivariate statistics, geographical information system (GIS) and geochemical approaches was employed to evaluate the groundwater quality and its sustainability in Joypurhat district of Bangladesh. The results showed that the groundwater samples are mainly Ca–Mg–HCO₃ type. Principal component analysis (PCA) results revealed that geogenic sources (rock weathering and cation exchange) followed by anthropogenic activities (domestic sewage and agro-chemicals) were the major factors governing the groundwater quality of the study area. Furthermore, the results of PCA are validated using the cluster analysis and correlation matrix analysis. Based on the groundwater quality index (GWQI), it is found that all the groundwater samples belong to excellent to good water quality domains for human consumption, although iron, fluoride and iodide contaminated to the groundwater, which do not pose any significant health hazard according to World Health Organization’s and Bangladesh’s guideline values. The results of irrigation water quality index including sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), permeability index and sodium percentage (Na %) suggested that most of the groundwater samples are good quality water for agricultural uses. The spatial distribution of the measured values of GWQI, SAR, Fe (iron), EC (electrical conductivity) and TH (total hardness) were spatially mapped using the GIS tool in the study area.     

Sustainability indicators of water sharing compacts

There is an increasing crisis of fresh water availability throughout the world. Sharing the available water resources in a sustainable manner among numerous stakeholders in the backdrop of this crisis is more challenging. Very often water conflicts are triggered out in this challenging scenario. These conflicts are sometimes reconciled with compacts on sharing. Water sharing compacts on both surface and aquifer resources are very common. Whether these compacts are founded on postulates of sustainability is the important question we want to investigate. Conflicts resurface when the sustainability of a compact is at stake. In this paper, we are reviewing three compacts on surface water sharing to understand their sustainability perspectives and how it has helped addressing conflicts. An introduction to various legal instruments promulgated aiming water conflict abatement is given first. Different types of water sharing agreements being signed in the current water management practice are also looked into. Theoretical background of sustainability analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, applicable in the case of water sharing models is then discussed. This is followed by specific case study analysis of three interstate water sharing agreements executed in basins of different agro-climatic regions across the world. It includes the Colorado basin (USA), Murray Darling basin (Australia) and the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) basins (India). Interstate water sharing agreement of these basins is critically examined and compared to comment on its sustainability perspective. The Murray Darling basin and its compact appear to be better in its overall considerations of sustainability. Compared to Colorado and Murray Darling, PAP requires major revisions in its sustainability context. E flows and stochastic modeling are the thrust areas of PAP that require major revision.     

生物滴滤塔处理模拟甲硫醚废气

在常温条件下,采用生物滴滤塔处理模拟甲硫醚废气,考察了气体空床停留时间(EBRT)、容积负荷、喷淋密度及营养液pH对生物滴滤塔性能的影响。实验结果表明:当EBRT为90 s、进气甲硫醚质量浓度为150 mg/m~3、喷淋密度为0.65 m~3/(m~2·h),营养液pH为6.8时,甲硫醚去除率为90%;容积负荷高于15 g/(m~3·h)时,对生物滴滤塔的性能产生抑制作用;EBRT为90 s及60 s时,最佳喷淋密度分别为0.56~0.65 m~3/(m~2·h)及0.65~0.75 m~3/(m~2·h);降解甲硫醚的微生物对pH的变化较敏感,最适营养液pH为6~7。     

采用支持向量机算法优化电化学处理油田污水的工艺参数

采用支持向量机(SVM)算法,将Box-Behnken设计法与支持向量回归算法(SVR)实验参数优化软件相结合,优化电化学去除油田污水COD的工艺参数。通过量子粒子群算法对SVM算法参数进行优化,从建立的回归模型中找到工艺参数的全局最佳点:电解时间60 min,电解电流3 A,三维电极填充料中石英砂质量695 g。模型得到的COD理论最优去除率为92.48%,验证实验得到的COD去除率为91.43%。     

海上含聚污水电化学处理装置的优化

为解决传统电化学方法在含聚污水处理时电极板消耗严重、絮渣量大的问题,通过改进电极板材料、组合数及结构等,研究适度降解-除油一体化电化学技术,在降低渣泥量的同时保证处理效果。实验结果表明:最佳电极板组合为"网状惰性金属复合物极板(阳)-网状铝极板(阴)-网状铝极板(阴)-网状惰性金属复合物极板(阳)";在电解电流为4.0 A、极板间距为8.0 cm、面体比(电极板面积与处理污水量的比值)为2/17 cm~2/mL、电解时间为30 min的最佳处理条件下,几乎无絮渣产出,含聚污水的浊度去除率为93.3%、聚合物降解率为92.0%、除油率为95.0%,展现了优良的处理效果。     

Triboelectrostatic separation for PP and ABS plastics in end of life passenger vehicles

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The recovery and utilization of automotive plastics are global concerns because of the increasing number of end-of-life vehicles. Passenger...