A structured methodology to optimise throughput of production lines

The increasing social and environmental demands, financial and operational restraints, and high qualification requirements constantly affect the competitiveness and performance of the mining industry. In the literature, a wide range of techniques have been developed to cope with these challenges. However, a structured methodology to integrate solutions of a diverse nature considering physical asset management perspectives has not been developed in depth. In this work, we introduce a continuous improvement methodology based on prioritising and optimising the best opportunities in different asset management areas to achieve throughput targets. The proposed procedure, called throughput-oriented system improvement methodology, starts with a criticality analysis to identify the bottleneck components. It is followed by the application of an optimisation technique, finishing with the implementation and evaluation of policy changes. The aforementioned steps have to be applied cyclically until the production target is reached. We illustrate its use in a case study from a mining company in northern Chile. Results show that the operational efficiency can be significantly improved by optimally changing the maintenance policy and the plant layout.     

Antagonistic effects of copper on the electrochemical performance of LiFePO4

In the last few years, several strategies towards boosting the electrochemical performance of LiFePO₄ cathodes have been envisaged. Copper addition to the phosphate seems to be a simple, inexpensive method for this purpose. However, it has a serious drawback: at voltages slightly higher than that required for lithium extraction from LiFePO₄, the copper is oxidized to either Cu(I) or Cu(II) with partial decomposition of the electrolyte. XRD patterns are consistent with the disappearance of copper from pristine composites upon charging at up to 4.0 V. Moreover, a copper deposit is formed on the lithium surface in the discharged state that creates a barrier hindering the release of Li ion from the electrode. Therefore, copper electroactivity strongly influences the capacity and cycling life of the cell.     

Characterization of the glycerolipid composition of a high‐palmitoleic acid sunflower mutant

The glycerolipid composition of a high‐palmitoleic acid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) mutant accumulating up to 20% of n‐7 fatty acids was studied. This line produces oil with a complex triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, containing species that have not been previously identified in sunflower. In this regard, palmitoleic acid was esterified in an unexpected way in the three positions of the TAG molecules. The polar glycerolipid composition of the mutant was also studied, in order to identify and quantify the changes in membrane lipids imposed by the sunflower enzymatic machinery during the accumulation of the unusual n‐7 fatty acids. The high‐palmitoleic mutant accumulated important quantities of n‐7 fatty acids in the polar lipid fraction, especially in the phosphatidylcholine lipid class. However, the total polar lipid content of these lines was not affected. On the other hand, the mutations responsible for the n‐7 lipid accumulation induced an important decrease in the oil yield of the new mutant.     

Removal of Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions using tururi fibers as an adsorbent

This work investigates the removal of Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions using tururi fibers as an adsorbent under both batchwise and fixed‐bed conditions. It was found that modification of the tururi fibers with sodium hydroxide increased the adsorption efficiencies of all metal ions studied. The fractional factorial design showed that pH, adsorbent mass, agitation rate, and initial metal concentration influenced each metal adsorption differently. The kinetics showed that multi‐element adsorption equilibria were reached after 15 min following pseudo‐second‐order kinetics. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Peterson models were used to evaluate the adsorption capacities by tururi fibers. The Langmuir model was found to be suitable for all metal ions. Breakthrough curves revealed that saturation of the bed was reached in 160.0 mL with Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺, and 52.0 mL with Ni²⁺ and Pb²⁺. The Thomas model was applied to the experimental data of breakthrough curves and represented the data well. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40883.     

Selective Inhibition of Heparan Sulphate and Not Chondroitin Sulphate Biosynthesis by a Small,Soluble Competitive Inhibitor

The glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulphate (HS), orchestrates many developmental processes. Yet its biological role has not yet fully been elucidated. Small molecule chemical inhibitors can be used to perturb HS function and these compounds provide cheap alternatives to genetic manipulation methods. However, existing chemical inhibition methods for HS also interfere with chondroitin sulphate (CS), complicating data interpretation of HS function. Herein, a simple method for the selective inhibition of HS biosynthesis is described. Using endogenous metabolic sugar pathways, Ac₄GalNAz produces UDP-GlcNAz, which can target HS synthesis. Cell treatment with Ac₄GalNAz resulted in defective chain elongation of the polymer and decreased HS expression. Conversely, no adverse effect on CS production was observed. The inhibition was transient and dose-dependent, affording rescue of HS expression after removal of the unnatural azido sugar. The utility of inhibition is demonstrated in cell culture and in whole organisms, demonstrating that this small molecule can be used as a tool for HS inhibition in biological systems.     

Self‐healing imidazolium‐based ionene‐polyamide membranes: an experimental study on physical and gas transport properties

A new series of six imidazolium‐based ionenes containing aromatic amide linkages has been developed. These ionene‐polyamides are all constitutional isomers varying in the regiochemistry of the amide linkages (para, meta) and xylyl linkages (ortho, meta, para) along the polymer backbone. The physical properties as well as the gas separation behaviors of the corresponding membranes have been extensively studied. These ionene‐polyamide membranes show excellent thermal and mechanical stabilities, together with self‐healing and shape memory characteristics. Most importantly, [TC‐API(p)‐Xy][Tf₂N] and [IC‐API(m)‐Xy][Tf₂N] membranes (TC, terephthaloyl chloride; API, 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole; Xy, xylyl; Tf₂N, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide; IC, isophthaloyl chloride), where the amide and xylyl linkages are attached at para and meta positions, exhibit superior selectivity for CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ gas pairs. We also demonstrate the transport properties and diverse applicability of our newly developed ionene‐polyamides, particularly [TC‐API(p)‐Xy][Tf₂N], for various industrial applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of poly(lactic acid) films with propolis as a source of active compounds: Biodegradability,physical, and functional properties

Active films (AFs) using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a polymeric matrix containing various propolis concentrations (5, 8.5, and 13%) as the active agent (AA) were developed using a casting method. The purpose was to determine the effects of the incorporation of AA on the physical properties of the films and to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Tensile strength and elastic modulus of the AFs decreased relative to the control (PLA without AA). Introducing the active substances from propolis into the PLA also affected its thermal properties (glass transition). Adding AAs to the polymer generated more opacity with a green-yellowish color compared to the control. In addition, AFs exhibited reduced water vapor permeability as the AA concentration increased. Biodegradation assay showed that the AFs degraded faster than the control. AFs exhibited antioxidant activity, which was measured as the ability to scavenge free radicals (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)), due to the presence of bioactive compounds (phenolics). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli and showed a reduction over 4-log cycles. Therefore, incorporation of propolis is a useful strategy for the development of active packaging with antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which increase the shelf life of food products. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47090.     

Improvement of dynamic response in an impact absorber by frictional elements

A novel device that uses friction between one or more pairs of elastic conical rings to dissipate the energy from an impacting body is presented. The device consists of one moving and one stationary cylinders coupled to each other using two pairs of conical rings and a spring. The spring is used to restore the system to its original configuration after the impact. The dynamic response of the system to the impact forces during impact events is analysed numerically and experimentally. The effects of several governing parameters, such as the mass ratio between the cylinders, the duration of the transient response of the device, the magnitude of the rest zone of the moving element and the peak impact force are investigated. The proposed system is applicable in sequential impact scenarios, in which remarkable improvements were observed over traditional solid-rod impact absorbers. The present study may serve as a guide for the design of improved damping devices for impact applications.     

Environmental and mechanical aspects of an anchored mesh for stabilisation of a cliff at La Alhambra

The wire meshes described herein are anchored flexible steel nets used for slope stabilisation. They enable post-tensioned loads to be transmitted to the ground through anchors. The objective of this work is to consider the design of these systems and their environmental impact. Extensive laboratory tests on normalised meshes were conducted in order to assess their parameters in simulated field conditions. The simple theoretical equations employed by the specialised enterprises for design are presented. The design is applied to San Pedro Cliff, a unique geological transgression. It is a dihedral, 65.5 m (215 ft) high, which has progressed to place itself at a distance of 23.8 m (78 ft) from the Alhambra palace that is a World Heritage site. The western part of the cliff is a fault-line scarp, modified by river erosion and latterly by successive slab falls. Stability analyses suggest that the factor of safety of this slope under 1,000-year return period earthquake loading may drop below 1.0 and the critical slip surface could penetrate the Alhambra walls. To raise the safety factor up to 1.0 and to counteract extensional stress in the cliff, a solution with minimal visual impact is proposed, consisting of a high-yield-stress wire mesh, post-tensioned by anchors and coloured to blend with the cliff. Two-dimensional finite element analyses have allowed testing the design methods indicated above. It is shown that the simple methods used up to now have many shortcomings.     

Effect of pH,temperature and maturity on pectinmethylesterase inactivation of citrus juices treated by high-pressure homogenization

The effects of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) at 150 MPa combined with heating at 58, 63 and 68 °C on inactivation of pectinmethylesterase (PME) were studied in orange and Clementine juices. Juices covering a range of total soluble solids (°Bx) to acid ratios (10.2–15.0 in oranges and 9.2–19.4 in Clementines) were adjusted to pH 3.1, 3.5 and 3.9 before homogenization. Results indicated how the residual PME activity of homogenized samples was greatly attenuated by lowering the pH and in a lesser extent by increasing the homogenization temperature (finding orange enzymes more HPH sensitive than their Clementine counterparts). Generally, ripeness of fruits had little influence on PME inactivation (especially in Clementine juices). In any case, orange and Clementine samples with pH 3.1 and homogenized at 68 °C showed residual PME activities below 10% of the initial value from their respective fresh juices.