Potential of Using Recycled Low-Density Polyethylene in Wood Composites Board

The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of using recycled low density polyethylene (RLDPE) in wood board manufacturing. The composite board was produced by compressive moulding by increasing the percentage LDPE from 30 to 50wt% with interval of 10wt% at a temperatures of 140 and 180oC, pressure of 30-40 Kg/cm2 and pressing time 7-13minutes. The microstructure and mechanical properties: modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), Tensile strength, impact strength properties of boards were determined. The results showed that high modulus of rupture of 20.31N/mm2and MOE of 1363N/mm2 were obtained from board produced at 140oC, 60/40wt% wood particles/LDPE content. The uniform distribution of the particles and the recycled LDPE in the microstructure of the composites board is the major factor responsible for the improvement in the mechanical properties. The results showed that the MOE, MOR meets the minimum requirements of the European standards, for general purpose. The boards produced had tensile strength that is within the requirement. Hence this LDPE can be used in board production for general purpose applications

Precision Die Design by The Die Expansion Method

A new method for the design of precision dies used in cold forging, extrusion and drawing processes is presented. It is based on die expansion. It attempts to provide a clear-cut theoretical basis for the selection of critical die dimensions for this group of precision dies when the tolerance on product diameter (or thickness) is specified. It also presents a procedure for selecting the minimum-production-cost die from a set of design alternatives. The results show that as external die diameter increases, die expansion decreases while die strength increases. Also, as the degree of die compounding increases, die expansion decreases and die strength increases. Comparison of theoretical and experimental results shows good agreement especially at full die cavity filling stage. Die selection from a set of multi-layer dies is based on the die that has minimum Design Effectiveness Index (DEI) which gives the minimum-production-cost die. It is hoped that the design method, apart from providing solutions to simple design problems, can be applied as a first approximation to the solution of more complex problems, based on a clear-cut theory rather than the usual rule-of-thumb method. Thereafter, more sophisticated computer-based methods may be applied for refinement

Exploratory study of CDP sustainability framework’s effectiveness to portray companies sustainability strategiesvaamiseen

Abstract. Sustainability reporting is becoming more popular as there is awareness of the benefits of reporting and sanctions of neglecting the environment. Companies have started participating actively, but there remains the question about how well the reports are being prepared effectively and the extent of which the reporting organizations know the key variables needed by stakeholders in the report. Different sustainability reporting frameworks (e.g., Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Global Reporting Initiative Standards (GRIs), United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs)) have been setup to render guidance and help curb this problem. One of the fastest growing sustainability frameworks is CDP, with over 14 000 companies globally reporting under the framework. To this end, this thesis carried out exploratory research on the data in the CDP database to understand the extent that CDP’s framework helps companies report their sustainability activities effectively, in a way that it informs stakeholders of the problems created, the strategies in place to eradicate the problems, and the cost and benefits of venturing into such plans. This study’s theoretical framework adopts sustainability and carbon accounting base on the research of some prominent sustainability researchers (e.g., Gibassier & Schaltegger, 2015; Laine et. al., 2022). The study data was based on CDP’s 2021 data from companies and two paper/pulp companies with their headquarters in Finland (UPM-Kymmene and Metsä board) were used as the case companies, to explore CDP database due to the massive environmental impact from operation in the forest industry as it helps to demonstrate the effectiveness of CDP database. Also, a comparison was made between financial statement sustainability information and CDP data through comparative analysis, to establish whether the information presented in both platforms are the same, or if one has better information than the other. The study was able to illustrate the strategies used by both companies (UPM & Metsä board) to tackle their environmental issues, with specific references to the cost and benefits of their transition to green operation, the strategies employed to eliminate their scope 1 & 2 emissions and reduce their scope 3 emissions, which signals that CDP database has great impact in helping companies to effectively present their sustainability information. Also, the comparison done between financial statement sustainability information and CDP database information gave CDP more credibility as the information contained in the CDP database was more detailed and the financial burden and benefits of their environmental journey were only captured in the CDP database with specifics

PERFORMANCE OF AN AUTOMOTIVE BUMPER FROM LALLOH (Corchorus triden L.) PLANT FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITE UNDER MODIFIED DYNATUP MODEL 8150 TEST

The work presented here is the production of an automotive Bumper from Lalloh plant (Corchorus tridenL.) fibre reinforced epoxy composite and its performance evaluation using the drop weight test method. An impact test was carried out on the bumper using a test rig modeled after the Dynatup Model 8150 drop weight test set up. Two test variants were used that is, with the bumper completely restraint and the bumper restraint at two-points. The bumper damage were assessed using a set of criteria as outlined by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Results obtained showed that the bumper performed satisfactorily under the completely restraint condition. However, there were, tears, distortion and delamination observed on the bumper after the two-point constraint test. Although the extent of the tear, distortion and delamination were minimal which did not result in the shattering of the bumper. This therefore showed that, the bumper was able to absorb the impact energy by confining the damage to itself, thereby protecting adjacent components

Investigation of Heavy Metals Level in selected Boreholes around the Vicinity of some Cemeteries in Benin City, Nigeria

Groundwater pollution by heavy metals such as lead, copper, nickel and iron is one of the major environmental issues of concern which has developed into a widely studied area. In this study, attempt was made to investigate the level of heavy metals in selected boreholes around the vicinity of cemeteries in Benin City. Seventy-two (72) samples of groundwater were taken from boreholes in 9 stations around the three cemeteries in Benin City on monthly basis. The samples were analysed for 7 heavy metals, in accordance with standard procedures. The heavy metals include; Zinc, Lead Iron, Copper, Cadmium, Nickel and Mercury. From the results of the study, a variation in the mean concentration of zinc was observed. The mean concentration of zinc in site 1 was 0.450mg/l, for site 2, it was 0.140mg/l and for site 3, it was 1.0533mg/l. For iron, mean concentration was 0.072mg/l in site 1. For site 2, mean concentration of iron was 2.140mg/l and for site 3, mean concentration of iron was 0.560mg/l. It was further revealed based on the results that mean value of heavy metals in groundwater around cemeteries in Benin City were generally lower during dry season compared to wet season. In addition, result of computed pollution index (Pi) revealed that the heavy metal with the highest potential to pollute groundwater is Cadmium, with Pi of 0.5333 and 0.400 representing dry season and wet season respectively

Adequacy or otherwise of cemetery space for sustainable human body disposal in Benin city, Nigeria

The adequacy or otherwise of cemetery space in Benin City was assessed in 2014, based on population projected from the 2006 census figures. The area of each cemetery was determined by running a Global Positioning System (GPS) traverse round each, which gave a total of 11.979 Ha. At a rate of 0.5 Ha of cemetery space to 1000 population, for 50 years, 702.749 Ha would be required for cemetery in Benin City. Results have shown that of these, only 1.68% is available for the teeming population of the city which comprised the three major Local Government Areas (LGAs). It is therefore recommended that cemeteries be established in new sites in each LGA, should reflect the population trends in order to achieve sustainable human body disposal in the city.Key Words:  Death, Global Positioning System, Inhabitants, Population, Site

A New Lightweight Material for Possible Engine Parts Manufacture

In the current drive for cleaner energy use, the application of lightweight materials in internal combustion engines becomes imperative as it makes for greater fuel efficiency which results in pollution reduction. This chapter reviews the materials being developed in this direction and then discusses a particularly new lightweight hybrid composite material made of palm kernel shell (PKS) and periwinkle shell (PS) particles as reinforcements in commercially pure aluminium matrix. The fabricated composite had significantly improved properties over the commercially pure aluminium and was used to produce a lightweight engine block. Preliminary performance test results show that the hybrid aluminium composite may be suitable for some engine parts manufacture such as an engine block. Weight analysis carried out on an existing engine shows that the use of this new material in the manufacture of the engine block, cylinder head, piston and connecting rod could give a potential weight reduction of over 25% when used in place of conventional materials. Also, the results show that potential energy cost saving of over 62% could be achieved when this new material is used. However, further work is needed to properly ascertain its areas of specific application

Structural Design Strategies for the Production of Internal Combustion Engine Components by Additive Manufacturing: A Case Study of a Connecting Rod

Topology optimization and lattice design strategies are excellent tools within the design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) workflow as they generate structurally optimal, lightweight, and complex features often difficult to produce by conventional manufacturing methods. Moreover, topology optimization approaches are quickly evolving to accommodate AM-related processes and geometric constraints. In this study, the re-design of the connecting rod of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is explored by topology optimization and lattice structures. In both topology optimization and lattice design, the objective is to maximize their structural performances while constraining material usage. Structural analyses are carried out on the optimized topologies to compare their mechanical performances with a benchmark design. Results show that the redesign of the connecting rod through topology optimization alone can realize 20% material savings with only a 5% reduction in the factor of safety. However, the combination of topology optimization and lattice structure design can result in over 50% material savings with a 21–26% reduction in the factor of safety. For manufacturability, the fast-predictive inherent strain model shows the designs through topology optimization and lattice design gives the lowest process-induced deformations before and after support structure removal

Opportunities for local electric vehicle manufacturing in Africa

In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations on Clean Energy, Sustainable Industrialization and Climate Change, there is an urgent call on Africa to decarbonize transportation. Achieving these goals requires that Africa grows its current, largely, non-existent EV fleet to a reasonable level in the near future, to counter harmful emissions from fossil fuel vehicles. This paper discusses the opportunities available to African entrepreneurs on investing in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. It also discusses the factors militating against the establishment of a viable automotive sector. To exploit the opportunities offered despite the limitations, the paper advocates a paradigm shift from the conventional vehicle assembly of foreign vehicles to one in which African original designs are made in low-cost, low-volume vehicle manufacturing plants consisting of general-purpose workshop equipment and intensive labour such that the whole value chain for vehicle manufacturing is develope

Engine Lightweighting: Use of Green Materials as Reinforcement in Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites

Lightweighting of automobiles of which the IC engine is a part has become very important due to stringent emission regulations being imposed on vehicle manufacturers, and the need to have more fuel-efficient vehicles. The use of light weight materials such as aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs) made up of aluminum alloy and nonmetal reinforcements such as alumina and silicon carbide is one strategy used for lightweighting. Recently, there has been active research in the use of biodegradable green materials such as agricultural wastes as reinforcements for AMMCs. In this chapter, work done on the use of biodegradable green materials as reinforcements for AMMCs is reviewed. The potential for their use as engine parts materials is analyzed. The results show that they have the potential to provide significant weight and cost savings when used as engine parts materials