Sustainable supply chain management in Indian organisations: an empirical investigation

The present work is an attempt to investigate the adoption of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices amongst manufacturing and process based organisations in India and its impact on organisational performance encompassing all three dimensions of sustainability. SSCM practices conceived in the present study include environmental management practices (EMP), socially inclusive practices for employees (SPE), socially inclusive practices for community (SPC), operations practices (OP) and supply chain integration (SCI) which were treated as exogenous variables. Organisational performance considered in this study includes five dimensions, namely environmental performance (EPR), employee-centred social performance (ESP), community-centred social performance (CSP), operations performance (OPR) and competitiveness, which were regarded as endogenous variables. The analysis was carried out with the help of structural equation modelling considering natural logarithm of manpower as a control variable. Few major findings are mentioned. EMP does not have any significant association with OPR, nor does it result in competitiveness. However, when jointly mediated through both EPR and OPR, EMP leads to competitiveness. SPC has significant negative association with competitiveness, when only direct relationship is considered. However, indirect relationship between SPC and competitiveness shows significant positive association when mediated through CSP. The resultant total effect between SPC and competitiveness turns out to be insignificant. Further, OPR fully mediates the relationship between OP and competitiveness. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed.     

Performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 prepared from spent lithium-ion batteries by a carbonate co-precipitation method

Spherical LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode particles were resynthesized by a carbonate co-precipitation method using spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as a raw material. The physical characteristics of the Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3CO₃ precursor, the (Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3)₃O₄ intermediate, and the regenerated LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode material were investigated by laser particle-size analysis, scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical performance of the regenerated LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ was studied by continuous charge–discharge cycling and cyclic voltammetry. The results indicate that the regenerated Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3CO₃ precursor comprises uniform spherical particles with a narrow particle-size distribution. The regenerated LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ comprises spherical particles similar to those of the Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3CO₃ precursor, but with a narrower particle-size distribution. Moreover, it has a well-ordered layered structure and a low degree of cation mixing. The regenerated LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ shows an initial discharge capacity of 163.5 mA h g^?1 at 0.1 C, between 2.7 and 4.3 V; the discharge capacity at 1 C is 135.1 mA h g^?1, and the capacity retention ratio is 94.1% after 50 cycles. Even at the high rate of 5 C, LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ delivers the high capacity of 112.6 mA h g^?1. These results demonstrate that the electrochemical performance of the regenerated LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ is comparable to that of a cathode synthesized from fresh materials by carbonate co-precipitation.     

Comparative studies on thermal and toughness properties of polybenzoxazine composites with two functionalized graphene oxides

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized by polyether amine (PEA) via two methods which were one-pot modification in acetone (GON) and two steps with the intermediate product of GOCO-Cl generated (GONS). There were more PEA successfully grafted onto GO for GONS than GON. The onset polymerization temperatures of the benzoxazine (Bz) composites decreased by the inclusion of 1?wt% of GO, GON or GONS. Thermal stability of the polybenzoxazine (PBz) composites was significantly improved indicated from the increase of weight loss temperature. T₁₀, T₂₀ and T₅₀ values of the composites with GONS were higher than that of the others. Toughness of PBzs may be enhanced by the incorporation of nanofillers, and GONS had stronger interfacial interaction with PBz matrix than GON.     

膨胀剂对约束条件下UHPC早期抗裂性能影响的试验研究

超高性能混凝土(UHPC)在钢桥面铺装结构中由于铺装材料受到钢板、栓钉等的约束,加上材料本身水胶比小,更易收缩,早期容易承受拉应力导致开裂。通过在拌和过程中添加膨胀剂可以起到减小收缩的作用,但该方法对于约束条件下的UHPC铺装的早期抗裂性能提升是否有促进作用,仍需通过更多试验进行合理评估和深入研究。通过圆环法对3组不同配方的UHPC在均匀约束条件下的早期抗裂性能进行定量测试,并将试验数据进行回归分析和计算,得到了各组的平均应力发展速率,进而评估了各组的开裂风险等级。试验结果表明,通过在UHPC中加入适量膨胀剂,可使其最终收缩应力减小,并可降低其收缩应力发展速率,进一步降低其在约束条件下的开裂风险。     

海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐产量确定新方法

针对目前蒸汽吞吐产量预测模型假设条件简单、普适性差等问题,一般采用测试法和类比法综合确定海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量。由于目前海上油田通常只开展常规测试,无法直接获得热采开发初期产量。笔者提出海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量确定新方法,建立蒸汽吞吐相对于常规开发的初期产量倍数预测模型,通过蒸汽吞吐产量倍数,将常规测试确定的产量转化为蒸汽吞吐产量。研究表明,蒸汽吞吐初期产量倍数主要受储集层渗透率、原油黏度、注入强度、蒸汽干度等因素影响,利用正交试验设计和多元回归等方法,建立海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量倍数与油藏地质参数及注入参数之间的非线性预测模型,该模型经实际生产数据验证,预测误差小于5%,可靠性高,能够为海上稠油油田蒸汽吞吐初期产量的确定提供依据。     

Flame Front Deformation Instabilities of Filtration Combustion for Initial Thermal Perturbation

The flame front deformation instability of low-velocity filtration combustion within an inert packed bed is studied based on the initial preheating non-uniformity. Based on the experimental phenomena, an initial thermal perturbation model is numerically proposed so as to predict the deformation behaviors of the flame front instabilities. The numerical prediction indicates that the assumption of an initial thermal perturbation is a feasible explanation as the cause of the flame front inclination instability. As the initial thermal perturbation increases, the phenomena of the flame front break and shrinking instabilities could easily occur at high filtration velocity or low equivalence ratio. Moreover, the evolutions of the flame front break rate and the shrinking rate are quantitatively analyzed.     

张峰水库溢洪道体型优化设计

本文对已设计的张峰水库溢洪道进行了模型试验,根据对试验结果分析,认为原方案设计存在一些问题,并针对问题进行了优化设计。通过对修改方案模型试验结果分析,得出修改方案改进了原方案中存在的不足,优化合理,是可以采用的。     

PETROLEUM POTENTIAL, THERMAL MATURITY AND THE OIL WINDOW OF OIL SHALES AND COALS IN CENOZOIC RIFT BASINS, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN THAILAND

Oil shales and coals occur in Cenozoic rift basins in central and northern Thailand. Thermally immature outcrops of these rocks may constitute analogues for source rocks which have generated oil in several of these rift basins. A total of 56 oil shale and coal samples were collected from eight different basins and analysed in detail in this study. The samples were analysed for their content of total organic carbon (TOC) and elemental composition. Source rock quality was determined by Rock‐Eval pyrolysis. Reflected light microscopy was used to analyse the organic matter (maceral) composition of the rocks, and the thermal maturity was determined by vitrinite reflectance (VR) measurements. In addition to the 56 samples, VR measurements were carried out in three wells from two oil‐producing basins and VR gradients were constructed. Rock‐Eval screening data from one of the wells is also presented. The oil shales were deposited in freshwater (to brackish) lakes with a high preservation potential (TOC contents up to 44.18 wt%). They contain abundant lamalginite and principally algal‐derived fluorescing amorphous organic matter followed by liptodetrinite and telalginite (Botryococcus‐type). Huminite may be present in subordinate amounts. The coals are completely dominated by huminite and were formed in freshwater mires. VR values from 0.38 to 0.47%R_o show that the exposed coals are thermally immature. VR values from the associated oil shales are suppressed by 0.11 to 0.28%R_o. The oil shales have H/C ratios >1.43, and Hydrogen Index (HI) values are generally >400 mg HC/g TOC and may reach 704 mg HC/ gTOC. In general, the coals have H/C ratios between about 0.80 and 0.90, and the HI values vary considerably from approximately 50 to 300 mg HC/gTOC. The HI_max of the coals, which represent the true source rock potential, range from ～160 to 310 mg HC/g TOC indicating a potential for oil/gas and oil generation. The steep VR curves from the oil‐producing basins reflect high geothermal gradients of ～62°C/km and ～92°C/km. The depth to the top oil window for the oil shales at a VR of ～0.70%R_o is determined to be between ～1100 m and 1800 m depending on the geothermal gradient. The kerogen composition of the oil shales and the high geothermal gradients result in narrow oil windows, possibly spanning only ～300 to 400 m in the warmest basins. The effective oil window of the coals is estimated to start from ～0.82 to 0.98%R_o and burial depths of ～1300 to 1400 m (～92°C/km) and ～2100 to 2300 m (～62°C/km) are necessary for efficient oil expulsion to occur.     

The factorial structure of the Dutch translation of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems: A test of the long and short versions.

In this article, the authors study the factorial structure of 2 versions (64 items and 32 items) of the Dutch translation of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP; L. M. Horowitz, L. E. Alden, J. S. Wiggins, & A. L. Pincus, 2000) in both a clinical sample (n = 382) and a student sample (n = 287). First, the authors test whether both inventories are constituted by correlated uni-dimensional subscales, and they conclude that this is true only for the short version. Second, the authors study whether the correlations between the subscales follow a circumplex pattern. This proves to be true for both versions. Coefficients alpha and correlations between the IIP-64 and IIP-32 subscales are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)