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Processes
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Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration
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Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 36810

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jun-Wei Lim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia
Interests: wastewater treatment process
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Worapon Kiatkittipong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom 73000, Thailand
Interests: process intensification; biorefinery; bioresources; biofuels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to an Processes Special Issue titled “Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration”, publishing selected papers from the 2nd ICEIT 2021 jointly with SICTAS, scheduled to be published in 2020.

Selected papers from the 2nd International Conference on Engineering and Industrial Technology (http://www.iceitsu.org/Home/Home.aspx) in conjunction with the Silpakorn International Conference on Total Art and Science 2021 (http://www.sictas.org/Home/Home.aspx), to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 3–5 November 2021 will be considered for this Special Issue.

The 2nd International Conference on Engineering and Industrial Technology 2021 (ICEIT 2021) is organized by the Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Silpakorn University, Thailand together with eight co-hosts: Chengdu University, China; National Institute of Technology, Toyota college, Japan; Yamaguchi University, Japan; Kumamoto University, Japan; Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia; Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (Akuatrop) of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia and Bio-Circular-Green-economy Technology & Engineering Center (BCGeTEC) and Center of Excellence on Catalysis and Catalytic Reaction Engineering (CECC) of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

In this year, the 2nd ICEIT 2021 will be held in conjunction with SICTAS 2021 on 3–5 November 2021 at Pathumwan Princess Hotel AND Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Bangkok, Thailand. This is part of Reinventing University project granted by Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand.

The 2nd ICEIT 2021 is a major international conference bringing together researchers, engineers, and practitioners who work in the areas of engineering and industrial technology with a wide spectrum of scientific themes, while the aim of SICTAS is to share and exchange experiences and research findings in all areas, including science and technology, art, and social science.

In this Special Issue, we seek to include comprehensive review papers, methodologies, experimental works, and modeling research articles that could improve our understandings from various disciplinary in processing of energy and natural resources. Potential topics include but are not limited to process intensification and integration for sustainable development, alternative and renewable energy, biomass energy, environment, catalytic reaction engineering, carbon capture and utilization (CCU), and climate change.

P.S.

After the 2nd ICEIT 2021 and SICTAS 2021 conferences, you are welcome to submit your full paper to this Processes Special Issue (Reinventing Process for Sustainability by Process Intensification and Integration, Selected papers from the 2nd ICEIT and SICTAS 2021). There is no need to wait for the submission deadline. All papers accepted for publication will be immediately published.

Dr. Jun-Wei Lim
Dr. Worapon Kiatkittipong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • process intensification and integration
  • biomass and bioresources
  • chemical and pharmaceutical
  • sustainability
  • process development

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 152 KiB  
Editorial
Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration
by Worapon Kiatkittipong and Jun Wei Lim
Processes 2024, 12(1), 63; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr12010063 - 27 Dec 2023
Viewed by 573
Abstract
A waste material cannot truly be called waste when the procedures and technologies have been invented and developed to exploit and utilize it [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 5058 KiB  
Article
Experimental Evaluation of Chemical Reactions Involved in Ultrasonic-Assisted Absorption of Bulk CO2
by Fatemeh Shokrollahi, Kok Keong Lau and Behzad Partoon
Processes 2023, 11(12), 3266; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11123266 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 641
Abstract
As the most mature natural gas sweetening process, absorption has always been improved to meet the separation requirement. Recently, ultrasonic irradiation has been proposed as a technique that can intensify CO2 absorption. However, further studies are still required, particularly focusing on the [...] Read more.
As the most mature natural gas sweetening process, absorption has always been improved to meet the separation requirement. Recently, ultrasonic irradiation has been proposed as a technique that can intensify CO2 absorption. However, further studies are still required, particularly focusing on the sonochemical effect. Since the influence of the sonochemical effect on the reaction pathway is still debatable, attention must be given to verifying the influence of ultrasonic irradiation on the chemical reactions of CO2 absorption. Hence, this work aims to evaluate the influence of OH˙ radicals generated by the sonochemical effect on the chemical reactions involved during CO2 absorption using promoter-free methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). For the evaluation, various samples under irradiated and non-irradiated conditions are analyzed using the HPLC characterization technique. The results show that the hypothesis of changing the reaction pathway due to the presence of the sonochemical effect is invalid. However, it can accelerate the generation of hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) via water sonolysis. Thus, the origin of sonochemistry in aqueous solutions is defined as water sonolysis. The analysis of the CO2 absorption rate also demonstrates the presence of accelerated chemical reactions (contributed by the OH˙ radicals), which could potentially make the slow kinetic MDEA more practical for industrial application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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23 pages, 2086 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Mean-Variance Mapping Optimization Using Opposite Gradient Method and Interior Point Method for Real Parameter Optimization Problems
by Thirachit Saenphon, Suphakant Phimoltares and Chidchanok Lursinsap
Processes 2023, 11(2), 465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020465 - 03 Feb 2023
Viewed by 967
Abstract
The aim of optimization methods is to identify the best results in the search area. In this research, we focused on a mixture of the interior point method, opposite gradient method, and mean-variance mapping optimization, named IPOG-MVMO, where the solutions can be obtained [...] Read more.
The aim of optimization methods is to identify the best results in the search area. In this research, we focused on a mixture of the interior point method, opposite gradient method, and mean-variance mapping optimization, named IPOG-MVMO, where the solutions can be obtained from the gradient field of the cost function on the constraint manifold. The process was divided into three main phases. In the first phase, the interior point method was applied for local searching. Secondly, the opposite gradient method was used to generate a population of candidate solutions. The last phase involved updating the population according to the mean and variance of the solutions. In the experiments on real parameter optimization problems, three types of functions, which were unimodal, multimodal, and continuous composition functions, were considered and used to compare our proposed method with other meta-heuristics techniques. The results showed that our proposed algorithms outperformed other algorithms in terms of finding the optimal solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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19 pages, 12933 KiB  
Article
Developing Design Approaches for Tile Pattern Designs Inspired by Traditional Textile Patterns
by Arus Kunkhet and Disaya Chudasri
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2744; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10122744 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3207
Abstract
This article presents multidisciplinary research that involved design (i.e., textiles, tiles, pattern design), mathematics (i.e., symmetry and seven frieze groups) and a viewpoint on product design and development for business opportunities. This research comprised a design experiment and a survey. In the design [...] Read more.
This article presents multidisciplinary research that involved design (i.e., textiles, tiles, pattern design), mathematics (i.e., symmetry and seven frieze groups) and a viewpoint on product design and development for business opportunities. This research comprised a design experiment and a survey. In the design experiment, two design approaches were created to translate the characteristics of traditional textile patterns into new pattern designs for floor tiles. These two design approaches were entitled: “partial replication”, and “combination and simplification”. The seven frieze groups were used as a transformation rule in both design approaches, resulting in two sets of frieze patterns. Although they were derived from the same origin, they looked different. A survey was conducted with 61 respondents to gain outsiders’ perspectives on these new pattern designs. The findings include: (i) positive responses to applying traditional textile patterns to other products, (ii) plausible products for pattern designs, (iii) preferences for design approaches and frieze patterns and (iv) opportunities for design research and education with other disciplines. This paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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17 pages, 4902 KiB  
Article
Model Forecasting Development for Dengue Fever Incidence in Surabaya City Using Time Series Analysis
by Mahmod Othman, Rachmah Indawati, Ahmad Abubakar Suleiman, Mochammad Bagus Qomaruddin and Rajalingam Sokkalingam
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2454; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112454 - 19 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3236
Abstract
Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is one of the most widespread and deadly diseases in several parts of Indonesia. An accurate forecast-based model is required to reduce the incidence rate of this disease. Time-series methods such as autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models are [...] Read more.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is one of the most widespread and deadly diseases in several parts of Indonesia. An accurate forecast-based model is required to reduce the incidence rate of this disease. Time-series methods such as autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models are used in epidemiology as statistical tools to study and forecast DHF and other infectious diseases. The present study attempted to forecast the monthly confirmed DHF cases via a time-series approach. The ARIMA, seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA), and long short-term memory (LSTM) models were compared to select the most accurate forecasting method for the deadly disease. The data were obtained from the Surabaya Health Office covering January 2014 to December 2016. The data were partitioned into the training and testing sets. The best forecasting model was selected based on the lowest values of accuracy metrics such as the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The findings demonstrated that the SARIMA (2,1,1) (1,0,0) model was able to forecast the DHF outbreaks in Surabaya City compared to the ARIMA (2,1,1) and LSTM models. We further forecasted the DHF cases for 12 month horizons starting from January 2017 to December 2017 using the SARIMA (2,1,1) (1,0,0), ARIMA (2,1,1), and LSTM models. The results revealed that the SARIMA (2,1,1) (1,0,0) model outperformed the ARIMA (2,1,1) and LSTM models based on the goodness-of-fit measure. The results showed significant seasonal outbreaks of DHF, particularly from March to September. The highest cases observed in May suggested a significant seasonal correlation between DHF and air temperature. This research is the first attempt to analyze the time-series model for DHF cases in Surabaya City and forecast future outbreaks. The findings could help policymakers and public health specialists develop efficient public health strategies to detect and control the disease, especially in the early phases of outbreaks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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20 pages, 3261 KiB  
Article
CO2 Adsorption Performance on Surface-Functionalized Activated Carbon Impregnated with Pyrrolidinium-Based Ionic Liquid
by Syeda Saba Fatima, Azry Borhan, Muhammad Ayoub and Noraini Abd Ghani
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2372; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112372 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2215
Abstract
The serious environmental issues associated with CO2 emissions have triggered the search for energy efficient processes and CO2 capture technologies to control the amount of gas released into the atmosphere. One of the suitable techniques is CO2 adsorption using functionalized [...] Read more.
The serious environmental issues associated with CO2 emissions have triggered the search for energy efficient processes and CO2 capture technologies to control the amount of gas released into the atmosphere. One of the suitable techniques is CO2 adsorption using functionalized sorbents. In this study, a functionalized activated carbon (AC) material was developed via the wet impregnation technique. The AC was synthesized from a rubber seed shell (RSS) precursor using chemical activation and was later impregnated with different ratios of [bmpy][Tf2N] ionic liquid (IL). The AC was successfully functionalized with IL as confirmed by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy analyses. Incorporation of IL resulted in a reduction in the surface area and total pore volume of the parent adsorbent. Bare AC showed the largest SBET value of 683 m2/g, while AC functionalized with the maximum amount of IL showed 14 m2/g. A comparative analysis of CO2 adsorption data revealed that CO2 adsorption performance of AC is majorly affected by surface area and a pore-clogging effect. Temperature has a positive impact on the CO2 adsorption capacity of functionalized AC due to better dispersion of IL at higher temperatures. The CO2 adsorption capacity of AC (30) increased from 1.124 mmol/g at 25 °C to 1.714 mmol/g at 40 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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16 pages, 23962 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study of Electrostatic Desalting: A Detailed Parametric Study
by Marco A. Ramirez-Argaez, Diego Abreú-López, Jesús Gracia-Fadrique and Abhishek Dutta
Processes 2022, 10(10), 2118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10102118 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1229
Abstract
A systematic process analysis was conducted to study the effect of the main variables in an industrial electrostatic desalter, such as electric field intensity, wash water content, droplet size, and oil viscosity, on the efficiency of the separation of water from oil. The [...] Read more.
A systematic process analysis was conducted to study the effect of the main variables in an industrial electrostatic desalter, such as electric field intensity, wash water content, droplet size, and oil viscosity, on the efficiency of the separation of water from oil. The analysis was assessed through an already published and validated CFD multiphase numerical model that considers the expression of the frequency of collisions as a function of the mentioned process variables. Additionally, the study allowed the formal optimization exercise of the operation to maximize the separation efficiency. The most significant variables were the initial water content and the electric field intensity, while the temperature (oil viscosity) had an effect to a lower extent. An increase in the electric field and temperature and a decrease in the water content improved the water separation from oil. Optimum values suggested from the factorial experimental design and the optimization implemented in this work indicated the use of an electric field of 3 kV/cm, water content of 3%, and an oil viscosity of 0.017 kg/ms. At the same time, the droplet size showed no significant effect under the conditions explored in this work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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10 pages, 10117 KiB  
Article
Dechlorination of Polyvinyl Chloride via Solvothermal Treatment with Glycerol
by Katsuki Kusakabe, Anna Nagai, Wai Hong Leong, Kouki Yamasaka, Takuro Nakaaki, Yoshimitsu Uemura and Kazutoshi Ikenaga
Processes 2022, 10(10), 2047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10102047 - 11 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
Solvothermal treatment using glycerol effectively removes chlorine from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Additive-free PVC was dechlorinated by treatment with glycerol in an autoclave at 200–240 °C. Liquid glycerol was coexistent with a red powder after the reaction at 200 °C. At reaction temperatures of [...] Read more.
Solvothermal treatment using glycerol effectively removes chlorine from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Additive-free PVC was dechlorinated by treatment with glycerol in an autoclave at 200–240 °C. Liquid glycerol was coexistent with a red powder after the reaction at 200 °C. At reaction temperatures of 220 and 240 °C, the liquid glycerol disappeared, and carbonization proceeded to form a black powder. In this reaction, the glycerol was directly converted into glycidol. Epichlorohydrin was also produced from the glycerol via 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol as an intermediate. The PVC was converted into the polyethylene oxide structure, following the generation of the polyene structure by zip-elimination. Finally, the converted PVC was resinified by an epoxidation reaction with the glycidol and epichlorohydrin. Thus, glycerol acted as a useful reaction medium for this reaction system. The analysis of the decomposition ratio and dechlorination yield showed that the PVC was converted into solid products in high yields via chlorine release, and 30% of the glycerol was solidified by resinification at 240 °C. The effects of the additives on dechlorination were investigated using commercially available PVC sheets. Elemental analysis showed that the calorific value of the solid product dechlorinated at 240 °C was found to be higher than that of standard bituminous coal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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17 pages, 1742 KiB  
Article
Impact of Various Visible Spectra on Attached Microalgal Growth on Palm Decanter Cake in Triggering Protein, Carbohydrate, and Lipid to Biodiesel Production
by Zhi Wei Tiong, Hemamalini Rawindran, Wai Hong Leong, Chin Seng Liew, Yi Ying Wong, Worapon Kiatkittipong, Eman Alaaeldin Abdelfattah, Pau Loke Show, Anisa Ur Rahmah, Woei Yenn Tong and Jun Wei Lim
Processes 2022, 10(8), 1583; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10081583 - 12 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
Attached microalgal growth of Chlorella vulgaris on palm decanter cake (PDC) under irradiation with various visible monochromatic and polychromatic spectra to produce biodiesel was studied in this work. The results demonstrated that the white spectrum cultivation exhibited the highest microalgal density of 1.13 [...] Read more.
Attached microalgal growth of Chlorella vulgaris on palm decanter cake (PDC) under irradiation with various visible monochromatic and polychromatic spectra to produce biodiesel was studied in this work. The results demonstrated that the white spectrum cultivation exhibited the highest microalgal density of 1.13 g/g along with 1.213 g/L day of microalgal productivity. Correspondingly, the biodiesel obtained was comprised mainly of C16 and C18 fatty acids, possessing a high cetane number and oxidation stability from the high saturated fatty acid content (70.38%), which was appealing in terms of most biodiesel production requirements. Nevertheless, the highest lipid content (14.341%) and lipid productivity (93.428 mg/L per day) were discovered with green spectrum cultivation. Blue and white spectra led to similar protein contents (34%) as well as carbohydrate contents (61%), corroborating PDC as a feasible carbon and nutrient source for growing microalgae. Lastly, the energy feasibilities of growing the attached microalgae under visible spectra were investigated, with the highest net energy ratio (NER) of 0.302 found for the yellow spectrum. This value outweighed that in many other works which have used suspended growth systems to produce microalgal fuel feedstock. The microalgal growth attached to PDC is deemed to be a suitable alternative cultivation mode for producing sustainable microalgal feedstock for the biofuel industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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13 pages, 1162 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Aerobic Compression Composting Technology on Raw Mushroom Waste for Bioenergy Pellets Production
by Wen Yi Chia, Kit Wayne Chew, Cheng Foh Le, Chelsea Siew Chyi Chee, Mae See Luan Ooi and Pau Loke Show
Processes 2022, 10(3), 463; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10030463 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2079
Abstract
Raw mushroom waste has been an enormous solid waste, not only causing a huge cut on profit margin of mushroom industries but also leading to environmental pollution. Unfortunately, the current utilization methods, such as pharmaceutical extractions, are unable to keep up with the [...] Read more.
Raw mushroom waste has been an enormous solid waste, not only causing a huge cut on profit margin of mushroom industries but also leading to environmental pollution. Unfortunately, the current utilization methods, such as pharmaceutical extractions, are unable to keep up with the waste generation rate due to the large-scale mushroom production. Yet, the utilization of raw mushroom waste to produce biomass pellets for energetic purposes and the role of an electric composter on shortening the processing time remain unexplored. This is important because conventional composting, which takes a relatively long period (e.g., weeks to months), is less practical when it comes to commercial use of the biomass pellets. To explore this issue, an industrial composter with initial compost was utilized to process the raw mushroom waste, followed by pelletization. Extraction of the material inside the composter at different timing was carried out to determine the optimal processing time for optimal texture to form pellets. It was found that prolonged composting hour affected the pelletization process since moisture, which acts as a natural binder, reduced when the composting hour increased. The gross calorific value increased from 14.07 MJ/kg to 18.76 MJ/kg for raw mushroom waste and compost pellets at the fifth hour, respectively. This study revealed that the raw mushroom waste compost could serve as a valuable renewable energy source and that the production of energy-rich biomass compost fuel pellets without using any binder within a short composting duration is achievable with the aid of an in-vessel composter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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14 pages, 1569 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Performance and Economic Efficiency for Greenhouse Solar versus Hot Air Drying: A Case of Crispy Mango Production
by Kanokwan Kingphadung, Patsanan Kurdkaew, Prasong Siriwongwilaichat and Suphaphat Kwonpongsagoon
Processes 2022, 10(2), 311; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10020311 - 05 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2656
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the performance and economic efficiency of greenhouse solar and hot air drying. These are widely used and inexpensive techniques for preserved fruit production in Thailand. Two drying methods were used to dry mango fruit, var. Nam Dok Mai. [...] Read more.
This study aimed to compare the performance and economic efficiency of greenhouse solar and hot air drying. These are widely used and inexpensive techniques for preserved fruit production in Thailand. Two drying methods were used to dry mango fruit, var. Nam Dok Mai. During the process of both drying methods, the moisture content of mango slices was reduced from an average 85.6% to 12.5% wet basis. To determine the most profitable dryer system for investment, economic analyses of greenhouse solar and hot air drying, involving the main variables affecting their profitability, were investigated, including production and maintenance cost, capital costs, revenue, and drying capacities. The internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), benefit to cost ratio (BCR) and payback period (PBP) were all evaluated. The results of economic evaluation revealed that high values of IRR, NPV, and BCR, and low value of PBP made the two drying systems cost efficient. However, when the incremental rate of return (ROR) was determined, 66% incremental ROR was much greater than the minimum attractive rate of return (MARR = 4.875%). Consequently, the greenhouse solar drying method proved to be the most suitable method for small-to-medium-scale entrepreneurs to produce crispy mango. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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16 pages, 379 KiB  
Article
Research on the Path of Manufacturing Enterprises Supply Chain Integration from the Configuration Perspective
by Hongxiong Yang and Yunpeng Wang
Processes 2021, 9(10), 1746; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9101746 - 29 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1818
Abstract
In digital transformation and development, supply chain integration has become a key strategy to improve supply chain synergy efficiency and enhance enterprise competitiveness. Based on the survey data of 185 manufacturing enterprises in Tianjin, the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs QCA) method [...] Read more.
In digital transformation and development, supply chain integration has become a key strategy to improve supply chain synergy efficiency and enhance enterprise competitiveness. Based on the survey data of 185 manufacturing enterprises in Tianjin, the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs QCA) method is used to explore the synergistic mechanism of government policy, supply chain partnership, information sharing, risk avoidance, and intelligence degree on supply chain integration and the interaction among them. The results show that: (1) a single factor does not constitute a necessary condition for promoting supply chain integration, but the formation and development of supply chain partnership plays a universal role in promoting supply chain integration; (2) the “multiple concurrent” of five factors constitute the diversified configuration of a driving supply chain integration path, that is, the driving supply chain integration path has the characteristic of “all roads lead to the same destination”; (3) there is a “sharing” type, a “cooperative” type, and a “cooperative-sharing” type three equivalent path, whereby the formation of supply chain partnership can enhance the trust between manufacturing enterprises and suppliers and customers, increase the transaction frequency of upstream and downstream enterprises, and improve the cooperation efficiency. The utility model can effectively reduce the “long whip” problem caused by the information asymmetry, and improve the operational efficiency and stability of the whole supply chain. The purpose of this study is to inspire manufacturing enterprises in the context of digital supply chain integration to improve the collaborative efficiency of the supply chain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

24 pages, 1040 KiB  
Review
Lithium in a Sustainable Circular Economy: A Comprehensive Review
by Laura Vega Garcia, Yeek-Chia Ho, Maung Maung Myo Thant, Dong Suk Han and Jun Wei Lim
Processes 2023, 11(2), 418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020418 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 10666
Abstract
Lithium is a vital raw material used for a wide range of applications, such as the fabrication of glass, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and batteries for electric cars. The accelerating electrification transition and the global commitment to decarbonization have caused an increasing demand for lithium. [...] Read more.
Lithium is a vital raw material used for a wide range of applications, such as the fabrication of glass, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and batteries for electric cars. The accelerating electrification transition and the global commitment to decarbonization have caused an increasing demand for lithium. The current supply derived from brines and hard rock ores is not enough to meet the global demand unless alternate resources and efficient techniques to recover this valuable metal are implemented. In the past few decades, several approaches have been studied to extract lithium from aqueous resources. Among those studied, chemical precipitation is considered the most efficient technology for the extraction of metals from wastewater. This paper outlines the current technology, its challenges, and its environmental impacts. Moreover, it reviews alternative approaches to recover lithium via chemical precipitation, and systematically studies the effects of different operating conditions on the lithium precipitation rate. In addition, the biggest challenges of the most recent studies are discussed, along with implications for future innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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17 pages, 1041 KiB  
Review
Incorporated Metal–Organic Framework Hybrid Materials for Gas Separation, Catalysis and Wastewater Treatment
by Zahirah Jaffar, Normawati M. Yunus, Maizatul Shima Shaharun, Muhammad Faizadmesa Allim and Asyraf Hanim Ab Rahim
Processes 2022, 10(11), 2368; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10112368 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1718
Abstract
The special features of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, tunable porosity, exceptional structure, high surface area and high adsorption capability enable them to be widely studied in many applications including carbon capture and storage (CCS), biomedical engineering, catalysis and pollutant treatment. Despite these remarkable [...] Read more.
The special features of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, tunable porosity, exceptional structure, high surface area and high adsorption capability enable them to be widely studied in many applications including carbon capture and storage (CCS), biomedical engineering, catalysis and pollutant treatment. Despite these remarkable properties, MOFs are known to be moisture-sensitive, hardly recyclable and expensive in fabrication cost which limits their breakthrough performance in more efficient uses. Recently, extensive studies have been devoted to counter those shortcomings by embedding MOFs with support materials using various series of synthetic designs to yield incorporated MOF hybrid materials to counter their limitations. In view of this interest, this review summarizes the latest developments of incorporated MOFs with various materials, namely, ionic liquids (ILs), membranes and metal species. Pre-synthetic and post-synthetic synthesis methods are also discussed. This review also aims to highlight the factors associated with incorporated MOF performance such as materials selection and mass ratio which could have favorable effects in gas separation, catalysis and wastewater treatment applications. The data indicate that incorporated MOF hybrid materials exhibit exceptional properties including excellent robustness and stability. Correspondingly, in comparison to pristine MOFs, incorporated MOF hybrid materials significantly improve, among others, the gas selectivity, catalyst activity and dye removal efficiency in gas separation, catalysis and wastewater treatment, respectively. In addition, the challenge related to the utilization of this newly incorporated material is mentioned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Processes for Sustainability via Process Intensification and Integration)
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