In forced-combustion experiments, the addition of humic acid, solely, to ethylene vinyl acetate was found to produce a slight decrease in both peak heat release rate (pkHRR) and total heat release (THR), diminishing them by 16% and 5%, respectively, without influencing the duration of burning. With biochar incorporated, a substantial reduction in pkHRR and THR values was evident, reaching -69% and -29%, respectively, at the highest filler load; unexpectedly, the burning time increased significantly by about 50 seconds for this loading. Lastly, while the presence of humic acid had a negative effect on Young's modulus, biochar demonstrated an impressive increase in stiffness, escalating from 57 MPa (initial value) to 155 MPa (when incorporating 40 wt.% of biochar as filler).

A thermal procedure was implemented to deactivate cement asbestos slates, commonly known as Eternit, which remain prevalent in both private and public buildings. DCAP, the deactivated cement asbestos powder, a mixture of calcium magnesium aluminum silicates and glass, was incorporated with Pavatekno Gold 200 (PT) and Pavafloor H200/E (PF), two epoxy resins (bisphenol A epichlorohydrin), for flooring applications. With increasing DCAP filler content in PF samples, a minor but permissible drop occurs in compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths. The incorporation of DCAP filler into pure epoxy (PT resin) results in a slight reduction in tensile and flexural strengths as the DCAP concentration rises, whereas the compressive strength remains largely unchanged, and the Shore hardness exhibits an increase. Significantly better mechanical properties are observed in the PT samples, in stark contrast to the filler-bearing samples from normal production. The observed results strongly support the viability of DCAP as a substitute or complement to commercial barite in a filling role. The sample incorporating 20 wt% DCAP shows the highest compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths, while the sample with 30 wt% DCAP showcases the greatest Shore hardness, a defining quality for flooring applications.

Liquid crystalline copolymethacrylate copolymer films, incorporating a phenyl benzoate mesogen connected to N-benzylideneaniline (NBA2) and benzoic acid side groups, exhibit a photo-induced realignment of their molecular orientation. A noticeable dichroism (D) exceeding 0.7 in all copolymer films is the result of significant thermal stimulation causing molecular reorientation, with a corresponding birefringence ranging from 0.113 to 0.181. The in situ thermal hydrolysis of oriented NBA2 groups produces a reduction in birefringence, limiting it to the range from 0.111 to 0.128. Though the NBA2 side groups exhibit photo-reactivity, the film's oriented structure remains unchanged, thereby demonstrating its photo-durability. Despite no change in optical properties, hydrolyzed oriented films display improved photo-durability.

Recent years have witnessed a notable upswing in the consideration of bio-based, degradable plastics as an alternative to synthetic plastics. As part of their metabolic function, bacteria generate the macromolecule polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Under conditions of stress during bacterial growth, these substances are amassed as reserve materials. The fast degradation of PHBs in natural settings suggests their suitability as alternatives to biodegradable plastics. This study focused on isolating PHB-producing bacteria from soil samples at a municipal solid waste landfill site in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia, to assess PHB production using agro-residues as a carbon source, and to evaluate the bacterial growth associated with PHB production. An initial dye-based procedure was adopted to screen the isolates and identify those capable of producing PHB. The 16S rRNA analysis of the isolates showed that Bacillus flexus (B.) was present. Compared to other isolates, the flexus strain accumulated the highest levels of PHB. Spectral analysis via UV-Vis and FT-IR spectrophotometry confirmed the extracted polymer's structure as PHB. Key to this confirmation were characteristic absorption bands, such as a strong peak at 172193 cm-1 (C=O ester stretch), 127323 cm-1 (-CH stretch), multiple bands between 1000 and 1300 cm-1 (C-O stretch), 293953 cm-1 (-CH3 stretch), 288039 cm-1 (-CH2 stretch), and 351002 cm-1 (terminal -OH stretch). At pH 7.0, a temperature of 35°C, and using glucose (41 g/L) and peptone (34 g/L) as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, the bacterium B. flexus achieved the highest PHB yield (39 g/L) after 48 hours of incubation. The PHB production also reached a significant level of 37 g/L at the same pH and temperature. Consequently, utilizing diverse inexpensive agricultural byproducts, including rice bran, barley bran, wheat bran, orange peels, and banana peels, as carbon sources, the strain demonstrated the capacity to synthesize PHB. Using response surface methodology (RSM) in conjunction with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) showed a notable impact on boosting the polymer yield during PHB synthesis. The RSM-derived optimal conditions permit an approximate thirteen-fold increase in PHB content when juxtaposed with an unoptimized medium, producing a substantial diminution of production expenses. Accordingly, *Bacillus flexus* represents a highly promising contender for producing industrial quantities of PHB from agricultural waste materials, effectively addressing the environmental concerns of synthetic plastics in industrial production. Furthermore, the cultivation of microorganisms for bioplastic production offers a promising path for creating biodegradable, renewable plastics on a large scale, applicable to sectors such as packaging, agriculture, and medicine.

Intumescent flame retardants (IFR) effectively mitigate the risk of polymer ignition. The incorporation of flame retardants, while necessary, sadly leads to a decrease in the polymers' mechanical properties. This context describes the modification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using tannic acid (TA), followed by their wrapping around the surface of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), creating a unique intumescent flame retardant structure, CTAPP. Detailed explanations of the positive attributes of the three constituent parts are given, zeroing in on CNTs' significant contribution to flame retardancy due to their high thermal conductivity. The peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), and total smoke production (TSP) of the composites, incorporating specific structural flame retardants, decreased by 684%, 643%, and 493%, respectively, compared to pure natural rubber (NR). Simultaneously, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) saw a notable increase to 286%. Application of TA-modified CNTs, wrapped around the APP surface, effectively lessens the mechanical harm to the polymer caused by the flame retardant. In summary, the flame-retardant architecture of TA-modified carbon nanotubes encasing APP significantly boosts the flame-retardant characteristics of the NR matrix, while minimizing the detrimental mechanical effects introduced by the inclusion of APP flame retardant.

Various forms of Sargassum exist. The Caribbean's shores are impacted; thus, its removal or appreciation is of utmost importance. This study focused on the synthesis of a low-cost, magnetically recoverable Hg+2 adsorbent, functionalized with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), derived from Sargassum. Through the co-precipitation method, solubilized Sargassum was used to form a magnetic composite. In order to maximize Hg+2 adsorption, a central composite design was scrutinized. The solids exhibited magnetic attraction, leading to a mass increase, and the saturation magnetizations of the functionalized composite were 601 172%, 759 66%, and 14 emu g-1. The functionalized magnetic composite demonstrated a chemisorption capacity of 298,075 mg Hg²⁺ per gram after 12 hours at 25°C and a pH of 5, resulting in 75% Hg²⁺ adsorption efficiency following four reuse cycles. The use of Fe3O4 and EDTA, employed through crosslinking and functionalization, influenced the surface roughness and thermal events observed in the composites. Fe3O4, Sargassum, and EDTA formed a composite biosorbent, which exhibited magnetic recoverability and effectively adsorbed Hg2+ ions.

The objective of this work is the development of thermosetting resins, using epoxidized hemp oil (EHO) as a bio-based epoxy matrix and a mixture of methyl nadic anhydride (MNA) and maleinized hemp oil (MHO) in varying ratios as hardeners. As per the results, the mixture hardened by MNA alone is distinguished by a high degree of stiffness and brittleness. The material also displays a considerable curing duration, estimated at around 170 minutes. DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid Regardless, elevated MHO content in the resin results in diminished mechanical strength and amplified ductility. Accordingly, the mixtures gain flexibility owing to the presence of MHO material. The present case study determined that the thermosetting resin, featuring balanced attributes and a substantial amount of bio-based material, encompassed 25% MHO and 75% MNA. This mixture's impact energy absorption capacity was 180% higher, and its Young's modulus was 195% lower, compared to the sample constituted entirely of MNA. It has been noted that this blend exhibits substantially reduced processing times compared to the 100% MNA blend (approximately 78 minutes), a critical concern for industrial applications. Consequently, adjustments in the proportions of MHO and MNA allow for the creation of thermosetting resins exhibiting diverse mechanical and thermal characteristics.

Given the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) enhanced environmental mandates for the shipbuilding industry, the demand for fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has exploded. DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid Consequently, the need for liquefied gas carriers to transport LNG and LPG rises accordingly. DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid A significant increase in CCS carrier traffic has been observed recently, concurrently with damage to the lower CCS panel components.