Sustainability issues in sheet metal forming processes: an overview

Environmental sustainability in manufacturing is nowadays an urgent and remarkable issue and the main concerns are related to more efficient use of materials and energy.In sheet metal forming processes there is still a lack of knowledge in this field mainly due to the need of a proper modelling of sustainability issues and factors to be taken into account. The aim of this paper is mainly to underline the state of the art from a forming point of view about the sustainability contributions offered in any phase of a product life cycle. Actually, a lack in terms of comprehensive contributions is present in the technical literature, thus, the authors try to give a sort of holistic vision aimed to provide basic guidelines in order to help in identifying the possible solutions with regard to all the phases of a forming product life cycle. The main attention was paid to sheet metal forming technologies. The paper gives an overview of the main topics concerning sheet metal forming problems related to energy and resource efficiency with the aim to stress the principal contributions which may derive from such processes to environmental performances of manufacturing.     

An environmental impact assessment of quantum dot photovoltaics (QDPV) from raw material acquisition through use

Some emerging technologies are expected to be pivotal for solving many of the environmental challenges faced today, especially those related to energy. However, many of these technologies may incur significant environmental impacts over their life cycle, while having environmental benefits during their use. This paper presents results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a proposed type of nanophotovoltaic, quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) module. The LCA is confined to the stages of raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, and use. The impacts of QDPV are compared with other types of PV modules and energy sources - both renewable and nonrenewable. To provide a comprehensive comparative assessment, QDPV modules were compared with mature as well as emerging PV types for which data are available. Comparative assessment with other types of energy sources includes coal, oil, lignite, natural gas, diesel, nuclear, wind, and hydropower.QDPV modules may have the potential to overcome two current barriers of solar technology: low efficiencies and high manufacturing costs. If higher efficiencies are realized, QDPV modules could pave the way to large scale implementation of solar energy, helping nations move toward greater energy independence. On the other hand, candidate materials as quantum dots for solar cell applications are mostly compound semiconductors such as cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, and lead sulfide which may be toxic and for which renewable options are limited. Toxic effects of these materials may be exacerbated by their nanoscale features.The LCA was carried out using the software SimaPro, and the Ecoinvent Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) database supplemented with available literature and patent information. Our results indicate that while QDPV modules have shorter Energy PayBack Time (EPBT), lower Global Warming Potential (GWP), SO_x and NO_x emissions than other types of PV modules, they have higher heavy metal emissions, underscoring the need for investigation of emerging technologies, especially nano-based ones, from a life cycle perspective. QDPV modules are better in all impact categories assessed than carbon-based energy sources but they have longer EPBT than wind and hydropower and higher GWP.     

LCA of eucalyptus wood charcoal briquettes

This paper sets out to describe the environmental impact assessment for wood charcoal briquettes produced from eucalyptus wood in Brazil, with specific reference to those impacts associated with Global Warming Potential. To achieve that objective, the work was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14040 "Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework" which describes essential LCA characteristics and good practices. Charcoal briquettes are produced from two basic raw materials, charcoal fines and starch. The fines result from the production of charcoal from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Starch is extracted from babaçu pulp in the Amazon region. Multi-output processes were allocated based on income from the different by-products. The results showed that more than 90% of incoming CO₂ was due to biomass production for charcoal, and the remainder to starch biomass production. Based on Brazilian data, as well as information provided by the GaBi4.3 database, it turned out that supplying the energy content of 1 kg of briquettes resulted in the sequestration of 3.9690 kg of CO₂, i.e. around 4 kg of CO₂ per kg of briquettes produced. CO₂ emissions throughout the briquette production process are totally compensated for by the environmental quality of the raw materials used.     

基于STIRPAT模型的能源消费碳足迹变化及影响因素——以江苏省苏锡常地区为例

定量研究经济社会发展对地区能源消费碳足迹的影响对区域实现低碳发展具有重要意义。论文计算了江苏省苏锡常地区1991-2008年能源消费碳足迹,采用岭回归函数对STIRPAT模型进行了拟合,采用脱钩指数分析了经济发展与能源消费碳足迹之间的关系。结果表明:①1991-2008年能源消费碳足迹平均增长速度为15.30%,能源消费碳足迹分配率以煤炭为主,石油所占比例呈波动下降趋势,天然气所占比例上升较快,能源消费碳足迹产值总体呈波动下降趋势;②经济增长是能源消费碳足迹的主要影响因素,两者关系模型拟合未出现环境库兹涅茨曲线;③经济增长与能源消费碳足迹之间处于相对脱钩与复钩的波动状态,从另一侧面验证了目前两者之间不存在库兹涅茨曲线假说的结论。     

粗粒子气溶胶远距离输送造成华南严重空气污染的分析

2009年4月末,发生了一次罕见的粗粒子气溶胶远距离输送造成华南地区出现严重的空气污染事件,其特征主要是气溶胶质量浓度超标,而能见度没有明显恶化,对这次空气污染事件进行分析的结果表明.在过程中,粗细粒子质量比(PM2.5/PM10)有明显的3次下降,最低达到0.3,即PM2.5仅占PM10的30%,这与珠江三角洲地区通常以细粒子为主的污染特征有很大不同,反映了外来粗粒子的侵入特征.长江流域浮尘天气的沙尘粒子变性后,长距离输送污染物叠加本地污染物,造成这次严重空气污染事件.     

长期暴露于全氟十三酸的青鳉鱼体内分布和生物富集

研究了将青鳉鱼长期暴露于不同浓度的全氟羧酸类物质全氟十三酸(PFTriDA)后的器官分布和富集系数.结果显示, PFTriDA最高富集在性腺;其次是卵、肝脏;浓度最低的部分是残体.除了性腺之外,该器官分布与野生中华鲟的一致.在相同暴露浓度下,雄鱼体内各器官的PFTriDA的含量高于雌鱼,机理模型计算进一步表明高母子传递系数是造成雌雄差异的可能原因.随着PFTriDA暴露浓度的升高,鱼体内同一器官的生物富集系数(BCF)呈现下降趋势.     

基于PPI的河段水体潜在污染研究

提出了一种预报河段水体潜在污染的方法——河段潜在污染指数法(riversection potential pollution index,R-PPI),并在北京市山区3个典型小流域进行应用.河流水体污染是我国目前最为突出的水环境问题,在治理工作开展前需要确定重点污染河段、区域和污染源,而基于河流水质监测的水质评价方法难以确定重点污染源.因此引入了潜在非点源污染指数(potential non-point pollution index,PNPI)法,进行了土地利用类型扩展、土地利用分类比对和土壤渗透性分级3个方面改进,得到潜在污染指数(potential pollution index,PPI),并在此基础上建立了河段潜在污染指数法.通过在3个小流域的应用研究可知,该方法具有所需监测资料少、操作简单、便于确定重点污染源、综合性强等特点,可为流域污染治理提供科学指导.     

碳源变化对降解2,4-D的好氧颗粒污泥性能及形态的影响

在长期运行的序批式生物反应器(SBR)中,考察了以葡萄糖和2,4-二氯苯氧乙酸(2,4-D)为混合碳源培养的好氧颗粒污泥在转换为2,4-D唯一碳源废水后,其形态、结构及对目标污染物去除功能的变化.结果表明,基质转换为2,4-D单一碳源后,好氧颗粒污泥仍保持了对目标污染物高效的去除能力.当进水2,4-D浓度为361～564mg/L,其去除率为99.2%～100%,COD平均去除率达到85.6%.混合碳源向2,4-D单一碳源转换对原好氧颗粒结构产生一定破坏作用,使其发生部分解体,粒径由513μm下降到302μm.但好氧颗粒污泥良好的耐负荷冲击使其保持了颗粒主体,通过一段时间适应调整后能够重新聚集生长,最终获得能够利用2,4-D为唯一碳源生长并具有良好沉降性(SVI20～40mL/g)的好氧颗粒污泥,粒径为489μm.扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察结果表明,混合碳源转向单一碳源使好氧颗粒生物相丰富度降低.     

生物活性炭去除水中挥发性苯系物的基础研究

采用连续流生物活性炭(BAC)工艺处理水中挥发性苯系物(BTEX,包括苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯),评价进水负荷、活性炭炭型等因素对于BAC处理性能的影响.研究表明,在40d的处理时间内,除苯之外,其余BTEX的BAC出水中均未检出苯系物(进水为6mg/L).为了检验BAC在高BTEX负荷情况时的处理效果,将进水浓度设定为19~32mg/L左右,在EBCT为1.2min条件下同样只有苯的出水浓度上升至10mg/L(C/Cin为0.45),然后略有下降,最终保持在5~10mg/L(C/Cin为0.3以下),其余苯系物出水浓度均一直保持小于5mg/L.这表明BAC可以有效地处理高负荷BTEX(8.68~12.9kgTOC/(m3·d))的进水.生物活性炭对于活性炭吸附容量的恢复有比较明显的作用,煤质炭和椰壳炭的生物再生效率分别为53.6%和26.6%,煤质炭再生效率高的原因可能是其具备更多的大型中孔和大孔.     

钢渣处理技术的环境性能比较

随着钢铁工业的快速发展,大量钢渣弃置堆积,不仅成为环境污染源,而且占用大量的土地。目前钢渣处理技术较多,其中主要的处理方法有冷弃法、热闷法、热泼法、浅盘法、水淬法、风淬法等。本研究采用生命周期评价方法,对主要钢渣处理技术进行评估,定义了生命周期评估边界和清单指标,建立了清单计算模型,得到了不同钢渣处理技术的生命周期清单。为了提高结果的可信性,对模型进行了不确定性分析。结果表明滚筒法和风淬法的环境性能较好,是值得推广的钢渣处理技术。