Author Archives: Amir

Researchers at RMIT University have recently found a way to replace common aggregates used in concrete, such as sand and crushed stone, with disposable tires. This work promises to be part of the circular economy with the aim of minimizing waste and using more resources. They say the new concrete will be greener and lighter, significantly reducing manufacturing and transportation costs. Previously, researchers were able to use a small amount of rubber particles in concrete. But efforts to replace all aggregates with rubber had resulted in the production of weak concretes that could not meet the required standards. The article presented in this regard shows the process of producing lightweight concrete with a structure in which the traditional coarse aggregates of this mixture are completely replaced with used car tires.  The use of recycled rubber has found its place in our everyday lives.  With the help of this article, you…

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Hydrotreated kerosene is a typical feedstock for high-purity linear paraffins (N-paraffins), which are subsequently converted to linear olefins by dehydrogenation.  CnH2n+2 → CnH2n + H2 Alternatively, ethylene can be oligomerized (partially polymerized) to produce linear alkenes. The resulting linear monoolefins react with benzene in the presence of a catalyst to produce linear alkylbenzene (labsa) . Hydrogen fluoride (HF) and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) are the two main catalysts for the alkylation of benzene with linear monoolefins. The production process using hydrogen fluoride is economically more affordable and is usually used more often. However, the risk of hydrogen fluoride being released as a toxic substance into the environment has become a concern, especially after the amendment of the Clean Air Act. In 1995, a solid catalyst system (DETAL process) became available. This method eliminates the process of catalyst neutralization and HF disposal. As a result, most linear alkylbenzene plants built since then use…

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Farming rubber sustainably is complex and expensive, and requires an overhaul of traditional farming practices. Deforestation has historically been driven by high rubber prices, which is why it is critical that farmers increase yield to ensure that, when prices rise again, increased rubber production does not come at a cost for forests. Unsustainably-managed rubber plantations can create severe air pollution if, to clear land quickly and cheaply, it is slashed and burned, which has a major impact on forest flora and fauna. Due to the heavy use of herbicides to clear the land to manage the risk of snake bites, animal species that depend on the destroyed plants quickly succumb too. Furthermore, rain erodes the exposed earth, deteriorating the soil quality and exacerbating crop growth problems. Rubber trees are susceptible to blight. Scientists have cautioned that a single spore of South American leaf blight reaching Southeast Asia could wipe out…

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