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This paper aims to compare the aging behavior of water-based coatings and solvent-based coatings in sulfuric acid environments and to discuss the related mechanism.

A sulfuric acid solution with a concentration of 5 Wt.% was selected for immersion test at 23°C. The failure behavior of the coating was studied by combining the transformation rules of the macroscopic morphology and basic properties with the results of electrochemical impedance spectrum analysis.

The results showed that the surface smoothness of the water-based coating was lower than that of the solvent-based coating. The glossiness, thickness and hardness of the water-based coating exhibited more significant changes. The electrochemical test also indicated that the water-based coating was infiltrated by a large number of corrosive media, which may have induced corrosion under the coating. In contrast, the solvent-based coating showed good shielding properties, but the adhesion was seriously affected by the corrosive medium.

This work clarified the difference of failure behavior and mechanism between water-based coatings and solvent-based coatings in acidic environment and provided a theoretical basis for the selection and mechanism research of anticorrosive coatings.

Polyurethane (PUR) foam parts are traditionally manufactured using metallic molds, an unsuitable approach for prototyping purposes. Thus, rapid tooling of disposable molds using fused filament fabrication (FFF) with polylactic acid (PLA) and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) is proposed as an economical, simpler and faster solution compared to traditional metallic molds or three-dimensional (3D) printing with other difficult-to-print thermoplastics, which are prone to shrinkage and delamination (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polypropilene-PP) or high-cost due to both material and printing equipment expenses (PEEK, polyamides or polycarbonate-PC). The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the ease of release of PUR foam on these materials in combination with release agents to facilitate the mulding/demoulding process.

PETG, PLA and hardenable polylactic acid (PLA 3D870) have been evaluated as mold materials in combination with aqueous and solvent-based release agents within a full design of experiments by three consecutive molding/demolding cycles.

PLA 3D870 has shown the best demoldability. A mold expressly designed to manufacture a foam cushion has been printed and the prototyping has been successfully achieved. The demolding of the part has been easier using a solvent-based release agent, meanwhile the quality has been better when using a water-based one.

The combination of PLA 3D870 and FFF, along with solvent-free water-based release agents, presents a compelling low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to traditional metallic molds and other 3D printing thermoplastics. This innovative approach serves as a viable option for rapid tooling in PUR foam molding.

This paper aims to study the direct synthesis of imino methyl ether amino resin using commercially available formaldehyde, melamine and methanol through one-step two-stage catalysis.

Initially, melamine undergoes a reaction with formaldehyde to form hydroxylmethylation melamine in a basic setting. Subsequently, hydrochloric acid is incorporated to facilitate the etherification process. The study delves into the impact of various factors during the etherification phase, including the quantity of methanol, the temperature at which etherification occurs, the number of etherification cycles and the amount of catalyst used, on the synthesis of imino methyl-etherified amino resins. Ultimately, the most favorable conditions for etherification are identified through comparative analysis to evaluate the resulting synthesized products.

The methyl-etherified amino resin, characterized by a stable structure and consistent performance, was efficiently synthesized through a one-step, two-stage catalytic process. Optimal conditions for the etherification stage were determined to be a reaction temperature of 35°C, a melamine to methanol ratio of 1:24 and an addition of hydrochloric acid ranging from 2.2 mL to 2.5 mL. Remarkably, the resulting resin notably enhanced the water resistance, salt resistance and gloss of the canned iron printing varnish coatings.

Amino resins, known for their broad applications across numerous industries, face sustainability and operational efficiency hurdles when produced through traditional methods, which predominantly involve the use of a 37% formaldehyde solution. To tackle these issues, our research introduces an innovative method that add 37% formaldehyde to facilitate industrial production. The use of 37% liquid formaldehyde in this paper has two benefits: first, it is convenient for industrial application and production; Second, it is convenient to provide mild reaction conditions at lower concentrations because the amino group is relatively active, which is convenient for the preservation of the amino group and integrates it with a one-step, two-stage catalytic process. The primary objective of our study is threefold: to reduce the environmental footprint of amino resin synthesis, to optimize the use of resources and to improve the economic viability for its large-scale production. By employing this new strategy, we try to provide a more sustainable and efficient manufacturing process for amino resins.

After completion of this case study, students will be able to understand about characteristics of urban poor in the city of Mumbai which will aid in understanding about other emerging markets as well, to apply Health Belief Model to help students analyse behaviour change model, to apply social marketing strategies to popularize a social marketing cause, to learn about non-traditional intermediaries and apply to promote a social marketing cause, to apply Ansoff matrix and evaluate various strategies for growth and to analyse various challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enable learners to arrive at solutions (applicable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives).

This case study looked at a Mumbai-based organization, Medow Brite Enterprises, which sold sanitary napkins under the brand FeelOn to women particularly from urban poor background. The protagonist Mrs Ameeta Neel Ramesh was at the helm of the organization and was stuck with a dilemma – whether to enter rural markets or focus on selling incinerators and aid in disposing used sanitary napkins which was adding to the volume of non-biodegradable waste in the city. In 2019, Neel Ramesh made her first investment in Medow Brite. The organization had seen turbulent times during COVID-19 outbreak. However, Neel Ramesh with her astute strategy, helped the company get back on its feet. Medow Brite instead of manufacturing started procuring quality sanitary napkins from specific vendors. In contrast to many other sanitary napkins available in the market, FeelOn had cotton sanitary napkin variant without presence of plastic in the pads. Neel Ramesh had taken a different route for sale of her sanitary napkin, she conducted awareness sessions with the help of non-governmental organizations in various locations of Mumbai as well as Maharashtra. Post these sessions she sold her sanitary napkins among the attendees of the awareness sessions.

The case study can be included in marketing management course, consumer behaviour as well as social marketing courses in both undergraduate level and postgraduate level. In addition, the case study is also suitable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives to discuss about non-traditional sales and marketing approaches, identifying unique segments and understanding behaviour change theories.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

This research paper aims to examine the influence of greater female participation on the board of directors on the environmental transparency of companies.

To achieve the purpose of this study, the authors analyzed the environmental transparency of 412 companies in the energy sector, headquartered in 19 countries, during a four-year period (2016 to 2019).

The data reveal that gender diversity has a positive effect on the environmental transparency of companies in developed countries and on the total model. Furthermore, after removing the US companies, the results remained the same, indicating that companies with more women on the board tend to have greater environmental transparency. Regarding corporate governance variables, the results show that companies that have a corporate social responsibility committee tend to have greater environmental transparency, both in emerging countries and in developed countries.

The findings indicate that if companies aim to have greater environmental transparency, they must encourage female participation on boards, giving them equal opportunities for professional growth. Organizations must deconstruct the ideology that women are fewer valuable members of their boards, which limits their contribution to organizational success. Additionally, regulators can encourage greater female participation on boards through the implementation of quota laws.

The authors’ evidence indicates that the presence of women on board is an antecedent of greater quality in the dissemination of environmental information. Thus, managers of companies in the energy sector must understand that diversity on the board affects communication with its stakeholders through environmental transparency.

Sustainability performances (SPs) are the most crucial performances for an organisation in today's world, and they can be measured by economic, social, and environmental metrics. Previous research has not been clear on the role of total productive maintenance (TPM) in the context of sustainability, which motivates the authors to investigate the relationship between TPM and various SPs of the manufacturing firm. Therefore, current research investigates the relationship between TPM and the overall sustainability of the manufacturing firm from the perspective of resource-based view (RBV) theory.

The current study proposed, tested and validated a conceptual framework using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). A total of 326 responses were received to validate the conceptual framework in smartsPLS 3.0 software.

The research outcomes indicate that TPM considerably impacts a manufacturing firm's economic, environmental and social performance.

This research demonstrates that outstanding shop floor behaviour, such as TPM, can become an important asset to offer competitive advantages in a manufacturing firm. Similarly, TPM might serve as a roadmap for leveraging overall sustainability for manufacturing companies. The study indicates the establishment of a sustainability-oriented training protocol while practising TPM.

No past investigation indicates that a shop floor activity like TPM could be used as an input to offer sustainability in a single index for a manufacturing firm from the perception of RBV theory.

The purpose of this article is to assess the extent to which environmental economic practices are recognized and implemented in developing countries, with a specific emphasis on the Nigerian construction sector.

To examine the extent of awareness and usage, a quantitative research approach was adopted with close-ended questionnaires disseminated to construction professionals in Nigeria. The collected data were subjected to analysis using various statistical techniques such as percentages, frequencies and mean scores. Furthermore, to investigate any significant differences in the respondents' opinions, the Kruskal–Wallis H-test was applied.

The study's findings indicate that the level of awareness and implementation of environmental economic practices among construction professionals in Nigeria is limited. Based on the findings of this study, a roadmap of recommendations has been proposed to promote the adoption of environmental economic practices in the Nigerian construction industry. The implementation of these recommendations can help reduce the negative impact of construction activities on the environment and public health and contribute to the development of sustainable cities, communities and societies.

The outcomes from this study can inform policy and decision-making by providing insights into the level of knowledge and awareness of environmental economic practices among construction professionals in Nigeria.

The findings from this study provide a baseline for assessing the level of knowledge and awareness of sustainable practices among construction professionals in Nigeria, which can inform future studies on the effectiveness of training and awareness programs.

This study aimed to evaluate the compositional changes and bioaccessibility of phenolics and antioxidants in propolis during in vitro digestion as well as the cytotoxic effects of digested propolis on various cancer cell lines.

Six propolis samples were obtained and subjected to in vitro oral, gastric and intestinal digestion. Both digested and undigested samples were analyzed for their total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activities. Additionally, changes in phenolic composition in the in vitro digestion system were revealed by the HPLC-DAD system. The cytotoxic effects of the digested samples were assessed on lung (A549, H1299), skin (A431), liver (Hep-G2) and colon (Caco-2) cancer cells as well as on fibroblast (Bj) cells.

The mean bioaccessibility values of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were found to be less than 35 and 24%, respectively, while the TEAC and CUPRAC antioxidant results ranged between 225.08–649.04 and 398.68–1552.28 µmol TE/g, respectively. The release of p-coumaric, ferulic, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acids, naringenin, pinocembrin and chrysin increased progressively from the oral to the intestinal stage. The cytotoxic effects of samples on cell lines were ranked, based on IC50 results, as A431 > Hep-G2 > Caco-2 > A549 > H1299 > Bj.

Propolis has been recognized for centuries as a natural remedy, and numerous studies have explored its bioactive components. However, no studies have previously examined the changes in the phenolic compositions of propolis samples during digestion or their cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. Therefore, this study provides novel insights and an approach to the existing literature on this topic.

A review of sustainability challenges of flame retardants (FRs) for textiles has been conducted. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to identify and recommend solutions to sustainability challenges emanating from the raw material, processing technology and performance of the FRs used for textiles.

The approach used in preparing this paper was based on the review of various scholarly databases about the subject matter. The review approach is designed to inform the readers about the sustainability challenges of FRs for textiles. The science of burning and FRs for synthetic and cellulosic fibres were reviewed. Both synthetic and natural biodegradable FRs for textiles has been identified. The obtained literature was then synthesised to get information about sustainable challenges of non-halogenated FRs both synthetic and natural biodegradable. Finally, possible approaches for mitigating the identified challenges have been recommended.

The sustainability challenges of the FRs in terms of raw material, processing, affordability and performance have been identified. Synthetic FRs suffer from sustainability challenges in terms of raw materials, processing and non-renewability. Despite the environmental friendliness and sustainability in terms of being renewability, processability and biodegradability, natural biodegradable FRs have poor performance compared to synthetic ones. Moreover, natural biodegradable FRs depend on geographical condition and lack economic variability data. Potentially, the challenges of FRs can be mitigated through eco-friendly synthesis, chemical modification and sustainable methods of applications. Because of its renewability and environmental friendliness, biodegradable FRs have a potential to becoming sustainable if researched more.

In this review, a collection of literature about sustainability challenges of FRs and the approaches to overcome the challenges has been provided. The collected information was analysed and synthesised to bring understanding of the science of burning, types and application of FRs for textiles and biodegradable FRs. Sustainability challenges have been identified, and mitigation approaches are provided.

Sustainable development is inseparable from rational and responsible use of resources and promotion of green entrepreneurship. The contemporary green development agenda encompasses climate, economic, technical, social, cultural, and political dimensions. International efforts to greening the global development are conducted by the major economies, including China as the world’s largest consumer of energy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China is aware of its environmental problems, as well as of its part of the overall responsibility for the accomplishment of the sustainable development goals. By means of the decarbonization efforts, the latter are integrated both into the national development agenda (the concept of ecological civilization) and China’s international initiatives (the greening narrative within the Belt and Road Initiative). Over the past decade, China has made a breakthrough on the way to promoting green entrepreneurship and greening of its development (better quality of air and water, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and organic farming). On the other hand, emissions remain high, agricultural land loses productivity, and freshwater resources degrade due to climate change. In conventional industries (oil, coal mining, and electric and thermal energy), decarbonization faces an array of impediments. In this chapter, the authors summarize fundamental provisions of China’s approach to building an ecological civilization and measures to reduce emissions and achieve the carbon neutrality status within the nearest decades. The analysis of obstacles to the decarbonization of the economy and possible prospects for the development of green entrepreneurship summarizes China’s practices for possible use in other countries.