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1 – 10 of 10Barbara Ocicka, Grażyna Kędzia and Jakub Brzeziński
The purpose of this article is twofold. First, this study characterises the current state of the bio-packaging market's development. Second, it identifies key factors influencing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is twofold. First, this study characterises the current state of the bio-packaging market's development. Second, it identifies key factors influencing and possible scenarios of the bio-packaging market transition to increase the market share of compostable packaging.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of 29 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with representatives of the key groups of bio-packaging supply chains' (SCs') stakeholders were the input for the consideration of the research problem.
Findings
The main economic, legal, social and technological enablers and barriers to the bio-packaging regime transition are recognised, and their impact at the market level is explained. The authors recognised the hybrid transition scenario towards an increase in the market share of compostable packaging related to the three traditional pathways of transformation, reconfiguration and technological substitution.
Originality/value
This study contributes to a better understanding of the socio-technical system theory by examining interdependencies between landscape (external environment), market regime (bio-packaging market) and niche innovations (compostable packaging) as well as system transition pathways. The findings and conclusions on bio-packaging market developments can be important lessons learnt to be applied in different countries due to the same current development stage of the compostable packaging lifecycle worldwide.
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Francis O. Uzuegbunam, Lawrence A. Isiofia and Eziyi O. Ibem
Buildings respond differently to microbial invasion depending on the design, type of construction materials and finishes used and extent of exposure to climatic factors. However…
Abstract
Purpose
Buildings respond differently to microbial invasion depending on the design, type of construction materials and finishes used and extent of exposure to climatic factors. However, in the hot-humid tropical environment of Nigeria, much is not known about how buildings with different types of façade finishes or claddings are liable to microbial decay. The purpose of this research is to investigate the susceptibility of buildings with different types of façade finishes to microbial decay in Enugu metropolis, southeast Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey involving physical observation of purposively selected 383 buildings and questionnaire administration to their owners was carried out in the study area. The data were subjected to descriptive and logistic regression analyses.
Findings
Most of the 383 buildings sampled were less than 41 year and 47% of them had painted façade finishes followed by 25.1% with cementitious finishes. Around 63.4% of the buildings had their façade finishes or claddings colonised by microbes. Older buildings of 15 years and above and those with cementitious materials and paints as their predominant façade finishes were more likely to experience microbial decay than newer ones and those having refractory bricks, ceramic tiles, aluminium composite materials and plastics/polymers as their predominant façade finishes or claddings.
Practical implications
The study identifies the categories of buildings that are likely to be more susceptible to microbial decay; and thus contributes to research on how to slow down the rate of biodeterioration of building façade finishes or claddings in the hot-humid tropical environments.
Originality/value
This is the first study on the susceptibility of buildings with different types of façade finishes or claddings to microbial decay in the hot-humid tropical environment of Enugu metropolis, southeast Nigeria. It also provides a clue on the age at which buildings become more vulnerable to microbial decay in the study area.
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Nicholas Tymvios, Jake Smithwick and Michael Behm
With proper design and work planning, falls through fragile skylights are preventable. Skylights pose a hazard to workers when their work tasks for operations, maintenance and…
Abstract
Purpose
With proper design and work planning, falls through fragile skylights are preventable. Skylights pose a hazard to workers when their work tasks for operations, maintenance and repair require them to be on roofs. The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety produced guidelines and special alerts to address the dangers that are present around skylights, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations have prescriptive requirements for work performed around skylights, and yet incidents still occur. The purpose of this study is to investigate and raise awareness for the causality of the incidents involving skylights in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors investigated and analyzed 204 incidents involving skylights recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to characterize their nature and to determine any correlation with the roof environment or the nature of the work performed. Using Google Earth and Google Maps roof geometry, proximity of skylights to roof edge and rooftop mechanical equipment was determined.
Findings
The majority of falls through skylights occur during roof maintenance and repair activities. Falls through skylights are underreported. Because of a general lack of good design to reduce or eliminate the risk of falling through skylights, facility managers carry the burden to properly assess work and access on roofs where fragile skylights are present.
Originality/value
The phenomenon of falling through skylights was made aware on a national level in the USA in 1989; however, little has been done from a design and planning perspective to reduce these incidents. This paper presents a unique perspective on the role of facility managers in understanding the hazards associated with roof maintenance near skylights.
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Lawrence A. Isiofia, Emmanuel Nna, Francis O. Uzuegbunam and Eziyi O. Ibem
This research examines the association of physical development density, prevalence and types of microbes in colonized façade finishes of buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the association of physical development density, prevalence and types of microbes in colonized façade finishes of buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey and experimental research designs were adopted. A total of 383 buildings were investigated with samples collected from those with colonized façade finishes. The microbes were identified using the standard procedure for genomic sequencing with descriptive statistics, and the chi-square test used to analyse the data.
Findings
The results revealed a 64% prevalence of microbial colonization and a significant association between this and physical development density with 71.0% of the colonized buildings located in high-density neighbourhoods of the metropolis. The sequencing also showed 24 different microbes with Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichoderma harzianum species being the most common in the colonized façade finishes.
Practical implications
The research informs building professionals and owners of the specific microbes involved in the colonization of façade finishes of buildings in high-density urban areas. It also provides a clue about the nature of damages and defects associated with microbial colonization of building façades and the type of biocide additives required for the production of microbial-resistant façade finishes in the hot-humid tropical environment of Nigeria and beyond.
Originality/value
The study has shown that there is a significant relationship between the intensity of urban land use and microbial colonization of façade finishes of buildings. It also identified some new or less known microbes responsible for the biodeterioration of façade finishes and the effects this has on the buildings and public health in the hot-humid tropics of Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.
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Khaled Mohamed Seddik, Lamiaa Khamal El-Gabry and Marwa Atif Ali
This study aims to use hexanediol, pentaerythritol and keratin as crosslinking agents on the acrylic fabric used as garments.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use hexanediol, pentaerythritol and keratin as crosslinking agents on the acrylic fabric used as garments.
Design/methodology/approach
Plain 1/1 acrylic fabric was produced with 14 and 11 weft yarn/cm using yarn count 28/2 Ne, then it was modified with different agents, and the effect of crosslinking on some of the inherent properties was determined. The color strength as well as washing fastness was evaluated. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy determined the changes that acted in the structure of the treated acrylic fabrics. Several physical and functional utility characteristics were studied such as stiffness, crease recovery, tensile strength and elongation, pilling, air permeability, absorbency and static electricity.
Findings
Polyacrylonitrile is one of the man-made materials used in the textile field; despite novel characteristics, it has some negative properties, especially in absorbency and pilling, which are improved after treatment.
Originality/value
The results presented that the different conditions that were used with cross-linkers enhanced the acrylic fabrics properties. Where analysis of variance test at P-value 0.05 and radar chart area offered that the treated acrylic fabric with 5% (w/v) keratin accomplished the highest preferable properties for end use.
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Guillermo Monrós, Mario Llusar and José Antonio Badenes
The purpose of this study is the synthesis and characterization of a CMYK palette (cyan of Cr-BiVO4, magenta of Pr-CeO2, yellow of Bi-(Ce,Zr)O2 composite and black of YMnO3) as an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is the synthesis and characterization of a CMYK palette (cyan of Cr-BiVO4, magenta of Pr-CeO2, yellow of Bi-(Ce,Zr)O2 composite and black of YMnO3) as an eco-friendly polyfunctional palette that combines (a) high near-infrared reflectance (cool pigments) that allows moderate temperatures in indoor environments and the urban heat island effect; (b) photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic contaminants of emerging concern of substrates in solution (such as Orange II or methylene blue) and gaseous (NOx and volatile organic compounds such as acetaldehyde or toluene); (c) X-ray radiation attenuators associated with bismuth ions; and (d) biocidal effect combined with co-doping with bactericidal agents.
Design/methodology/approach
Pigments were prepared by a solid-state reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photocatalytic activity over Orange II and scanning electron microscopy.
Findings
The behaviour of the proposed palette was compared to that of a commercial inkjet palette, and an improvement in all functionalities was observed.
Social implications
The functionalities of pigments allow the building envelope and indoor walls to exhibit temperature-moderating effects (with the additional effects of moderating global warming and increasing air conditioning efficiency), purification and disinfection of both indoor and outdoor air, and radiation attenuation.
Originality/value
The proposed palette and its polyfunctional characterization are novel.
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Fushu Luan, Yang Chen, Ming He and Donghyun Park
The main purpose of this paper is to explore whether the nature of innovation is accumulative or radical and to what extent past year accumulation of technology stock can predict…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to explore whether the nature of innovation is accumulative or radical and to what extent past year accumulation of technology stock can predict future innovation. More importantly, the authors are concerned with whether a change of policy regime or a variance in the quality of technology will moderate the nature of innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examined a dataset of 3.6 million Chinese patents during 1985–2015 and constructed more than 5 million citation pairs across 8 sections and 128 classes to track knowledge spillover across technology fields. The authors used this citation dataset to calculate the technology innovation network. The authors constructed a measure of upstream invention, interacting the pre-existing technology innovation network with historical patent growth in each technology field, and estimated measure's impact on future innovation since 2005. The authors also constructed three sets of metrics – technology dependence, centrality and scientific value – to identify innovation quality and a policy dummy to consider the impact of policy on innovation.
Findings
Innovation growth is built upon past year accumulation and technology spillover. Innovation grows faster for technologies that are more central and grows more slowly for more valuable technologies. A pro-innovation and pro-intellectual property right (IPR) policy plays a positive and significant role in driving technical progress. The authors also found that for technologies that have faster access to new information or larger power to control knowledge flow, the upstream and downstream innovation linkage is stronger. However, this linkage is weaker for technologies that are more novel or general. On most occasions, the nature of innovation was less responsive to policy shock.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the debate on the nature of innovation by determining whether upstream innovation has strong predictive power on future innovation. The authors develop the assumption used in the technology spillover literature by considering a time-variant, directional and asymmetric matrix to model technology diffusion. For the first time, the authors answer how the nature of innovation will vary depending on the technology network configurations and policy environment. In addition to contributing to the academic debate, the authors' study has important implications for economic growth and industrial or innovation management policies.
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Deena El-Mahdy, Hisham S. Gabr and Sherif Abdelmohsen
Despite the dramatic increase in construction toward additive manufacturing, several challenges are faced using natural materials such as Earth and salt compared to the most…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the dramatic increase in construction toward additive manufacturing, several challenges are faced using natural materials such as Earth and salt compared to the most market-useable materials in 3D printing as concrete which consumes high carbon emission.
Design/methodology/approach
Characterization and mechanical tests were conducted on 19 samples for three natural binders in dry and wet tests to mimic the additive manufacturing process in order to reach an efficient extrudable and printable mixture that fits the 3D printer.
Findings
Upon testing compressive strength against grain size, compaction, cohesion, shape, heat and water content, X-Salt was shown to record high compressive strength of 9.5 MPa. This is equivalent to old Karshif and fire bricks and surpasses both rammed Earth and new Karshif. Material flow analysis for X-Salt assessing energy usage showed that only 10% recycled waste was produced by the end of the life cycle compared to salt.
Research limitations/implications
Findings are expected to upscale the use of 3D salt printing in on-site and off-site architectural applications.
Practical implications
Findings contribute to attempts to resolve challenges related to vernacular architecture using 3D salt printing with sufficient stability.
Social implications
Benefits include recyclability and minimum environmental impact. Social aspects related to technology integration remain however for further research.
Originality/value
This paper expands the use of Karshif, a salt-based traditional building material in Egypt's desert by using X-Salt, a salt-base and natural adhesive, and investigating its printability by testing its mechanical properties to reach a cleaner and low-cost sustainable 3D printed mixture.
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Sudhir Rama Murthy, Thayla Tavares Sousa-Zomer, Tim Minshall, Chander Velu, Nikolai Kazantsev and Duncan McFarlane
Advancements in responsive manufacturing have been supporting companies over the last few decades. However, manufacturers now operate in a context of continuous uncertainty. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Advancements in responsive manufacturing have been supporting companies over the last few decades. However, manufacturers now operate in a context of continuous uncertainty. This research paper explores a mechanism where companies can “elastically” provision and deprovision their production capacity, to enable them in coping with repeated disruptions. Such a mechanism is facilitated by the imitability and substitutability of production resources.
Design/methodology/approach
An inductive study was conducted using Gioia methodology for this theory generation research. Respondents from 20 UK manufacturing companies across multiple industrial sectors reflected on their experience during COVID-19. Resource-based view and resource dependence theory were employed to analyse the manufacturers' use of internal and external production resources.
Findings
The study identifies elastic responses at four operational levels: production-line, factory, company and supply chain. Elastic responses that imposed variable-costs were particularly well-suited for coping with unforeseen disruptions. Further, the imitability and substitutability of manufacturers helped others produce alternate goods during the crisis.
Originality/value
While uniqueness of production capability helps manufacturers sustain competitive advantage against competitors during stable operations, imitability and substitutability are beneficial during a crisis. Successful manufacturing companies need to combine these two approaches to respond effectively to repeated disruptions in a context of ongoing uncertainties. The theoretical contribution is in characterising responsive manufacturing in terms of resource heterogeneity and resource homogeneity, with elastic resourcing as the underlying mechanism.
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Hung Ngoc Phan, Huong Mai Bui and Nguyen Khanh Vu
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an ideal alternative filtering material. However, current functionalization approaches for BC have not been fully discovered industrially as well as…
Abstract
Purpose
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an ideal alternative filtering material. However, current functionalization approaches for BC have not been fully discovered industrially as well as academically applying textile processing. This study aims to create a sustainable fabric-like membrane made of BC/activated carbon (AC) for applications in filtration using textile padding method, to protect people from respiratory pandemics.
Design/methodology/approach
Fabric-like BC is first mechanically dehydrated then AC is loaded via a textile padding step. The finishing efficacy, properties of fabric-like BC/AC and NaOH pretreatment are analyzed and characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), CIELab color space, color strength (K/S), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm including Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) pore size and volume.
Findings
This research results in a fabric-like BC/AC with pore diameters of 3.407 ± 0.310 nm, specific surface area of 115.28 m2/g and an efficient scalable padding process, which uses 8 times less amount of chemical and nearly 30 times shorter treating duration than conventional methods.
Practical implications
Our globe is now consuming an alarming amount of non-degradable disposable masks resulting in massive trash buildup as a future environmental problem. Besides, current disposable masks requiring a significant upfront technological investment have posed challenges in human protection from respiratory diseases, especially for countries with limited conditions. By combining a sustainable material (BC) with popular padding method of textile industry, the fabric-like BC/AC will offer sustainable and practical values for both humankind and nature.
Originality/value
This research has offered an effective padding process to functionalize BC, and a unique fabric-like BC/AC membrane for filtration applications.
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