The present rate of economic growth is unsustainable without saving of fossil energy like crude oil, natural gas, or coal. There are many alternatives to fossil energy such as biomass, hydropower, and wind energy. Also, suitable waste management strategy is another important aspect. Development and modernization have brought about a huge increase in the production of all kinds of commodities, which indirectly generate waste. Plastics have been one of the materials because of their wide range of applications due to versatility and relatively low cost. The paper presents the current scenario of the plastic consumption. The aim is to provide the reader with an in depth analysis regarding the recycling techniques of plastic solid waste (PSW). Recycling can be divided into four categories: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. As calorific value of the plastics is comparable to that of fuel, so production of fuel would be a better alternative. So the methods of converting plastic into fuel, specially pyrolysis and catalytic degradation, are discussed in detail and a brief idea about the gasification is also included. Thus, we attempt to address the problem of plastic waste disposal and shortage of conventional fuel and thereby help in promotion of sustainable environment.
Corrosion control of metals is technically, economically, environmentally, and aesthetically important. The best option is to use inhibitors for protecting metals and alloys against corrosion. As organic corrosion inhibitors are toxic in nature, so green inhibitors which are biodegradable, without any heavy metals and other toxic compounds, are promoted. Also plant products are inexpensive, renewable, and readily available. Tannins, organic amino acids, alkaloids, and organic dyes of plant origin have good corrosion-inhibiting abilities. Plant extracts contain many organic compounds, having polar atoms such as O, P, S, and N. These are adsorbed on the metal surface by these polar atoms, and protective films are formed, and various adsorption isotherms are obeyed. Various types of green inhibitors and their effect on different metals are mentioned in the paper.
The paper explored the mechanism of working of dye sensitizers for the improvement of efficiency of environmentally benign dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The identified natural dyes namely anthocyanin (A), betalain (B) and chlorophyll (C) were extracted from Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and beetroot (Beta vulgaris) respectively. Light absorption performance of dyes was recorded by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopic analysis followed by direct and indirect band gap calculation. The effect of functional groups present in the dyes studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and binding of the dyes on TiO 2 through surface morphology of sheets was identified employing field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Photovoltage characteristics (I-V) and induced photon to current efficiency (IPCE) measurements were also noted followed by the stability studies. The N3 (synthetic dye chosen for the reference) dye-based cell showed the highest efficiency of 6.19% out of all of 11 cells fabricated using different sensitizers. The DSSC fabricated using the novel mixed dye (ABC) mixture gave the highest efficiency of 3.73%, however it showed similar drop (almost 22%) in efficiency as that with of N3 dye in stability studies. The mechanism for the increase in the overall power conversion efficiency of DSSC was also suggested.
Petroleum resources are limited and stringent environmental concerns are increasing; biodegradable materials made from renewable agricultural resources such as carbohydrates, starch and proteins are attracting much attention for sustainable development and environmental conservation. As per the annual production of wheat in India, it is the second largest producer in the world after China. In this paper, we explore the possibility of wheat protein known as gluten as a promising substitute for petroleum-based plastics and environment-friendly thermosetting composites. Plant proteins from wheat show an advantage for use as films and plastics because of their abundant resources, low cost, good biodegradability and suitable properties like rheological properties, water sensitivity, sound absorption and thermal behavior. The paper aims to explain the extraction of gluten and to review the blending of gluten with different plasticizers such as glycerol, water and some cross-linking agents to enhance the above-mentioned properties. An extensive review of the existing literature reveals that wheat gluten (WG)-based bioplastics are nontoxic and fully biodegradable, whatever the technological process is applied; thus, the paper also discusses the biodegradability of WG-based bioplastics. We conclude the paper by incorporating a critical summary of the various parameters and chemicals used to enhance the properties of gluten-based composites.
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