Browsing by Author "Dimić-Mišić, Katarina"

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Investigating waste mineral-filled cellulose sourcing in circular economy for regeneration into composite: Matching existing market volumes of oil-based plastics for packaging
(2024-08) Imani, Monireh; Carreras, Isabel María Vidal; Dimić-Mišić, Katarina; Kostić, Mirjana; Barceló, Ernest; García, María Alicia Cardete; Gane, Patrick
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Global consumption of plastics has increased continuously in recent decades, leaving today's society with one of the most pressing environmental problems, plastic pollution. Current research has been focused on the development of bio-sustainable products with the aim of replacing the use of petroleum-based polymers with sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly materials. In this context, bioplastics have emerged, and where possible supporting biodegradability. The most abundant polymer occurring naturally is cellulose and remains one of the most promising renewable materials to replace plastic. This work forms part of a larger research activity studying the novel production of regenerated cellulose using ionic liquid dissolution, with the aim of drawing on filler-containing paper and board waste as a raw material for potential plastic replacement in circular economy. Analysis applied to a literature search is reported comparing the current consumption of plastics in packaging, the generation of packaging waste, the production and consumption of paper and cardboard and finally the recycling rate of these materials in Europe with special focus on material that either fails to enter, or is rejected during, the classical recycling process. Based on these data, commercialisation of cellulose regeneration made solely from the volume of paper and board waste that has failed to enter standard recycling, excluding single use products, e.g., sanitary, would be able to cover the current demand for plastic films used in packaging, and that no additional biomass in principle is needed. This finding not only supports the effort being made to scale-up the cellulose regeneration process commercially but relieves the pressure on agricultural land currently foreseen to be otherwise needed for extensive biomass production, rather allowing it to serve its main purpose in food production, so contributing to the circular economy quest for sustainability obviating environmental impact.
Natural plant dye inks set new challenges: analysing the interaction of anthocyanin-rich dye with modern calcium carbonate containing substrates
(2025-02-14) Dimić-Mišić, Katarina; Imani, Monireh; Gane, Patrick A.C.
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Plant dyes are increasingly finding applications across a broad spectrum of print technologies, leading to replacement of conventional synthetic dyes and pigmented inks for a range of print media. Despite technical advances, industrial application faces some fundamental challenges of achieving the necessary critical print properties demanded when using such dyes. These include maintaining runnability, colour definition and fastness while retaining functional stability, the latter being particularly challenging since many prints are based on digital patterning adopting inkjet or flexographic methods. This study explores the fundamental interactions between an example pure dye ink, derived from Aronia melanocarpa, a member of the family Rosaceae commonly known as chokeberry, and specific substrate filler and coating components. Key interactive factors include ink formulation, the nature of dye chemistry in relation to substrate structure, its optical properties and constituent components. The acidity of the juice-based ink is mainly dependent on the amount of anthocyanin (ANC), a water-soluble phytochemical plant protective flavonoid, occurring together with other phenolic compounds. Novel experiments are reported in which interactive substrate components are isolated and studied directly in contact with the naturally acidic anthocyanin-rich ink. Coloration of the dye is confirmed to be pH-dependent, and, as a result, major challenges arise when acidic ink contacts alkaline substrate, which covers the majority of paper, board and cellulose-based packaging materials today, due to the dominance of calcium carbonate as the filler and coating pigment of choice. In parallel, dye imbibed into substrate pores surrounded by materials of contrasting refractive index lead to effective colour gamut changes as the ratio of transmitted light through dye and scattered light from surrounding materials changes. This effect is exemplified comparing high refractive index titanium dioxide (TiO2) versus lower refractive index calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Finally, a strategy is proposed aimed at controlling the interaction and enhancing the overall printing performance.
Regulatory Paradigm and Challenge for Blockchain Integration of Decentralized Systems: Example—Renewable Energy Grids
(2023-02) Barceló, Ernesto; Dimić-Mišić, Katarina; Imani, Monir; Spasojević Brkić, Vesna; Hummel, Michael; Gane, Patrick
A2 Katsausartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Nowadays, fossil fuels are used in a clearly unsustainable way that can bring potentially catastrophic consequences. Electricity is currently delivered to end users by generation and energy transmission companies. Previous research shows that the development of modern circular economy sets a need for the re-orientation of socio and economic development of decentralized systems, including energy basis. In addition to being ecological, the use of renewable energy sources also has economic significance by contributing to energy independence. Citizens, industries, local and national authorities become interconnected within emerging novel renewable energy sourcing communities, through which they establish trade of energy and, most importantly, models of investing and reshaping the distribution of renewable energy. The modern portfolio management of renewable energy networking is aiming toward decentralized systems of trade, where the consumer becomes a producer (prosumer) within the network, itself managed by users. Excess energy produced in the micro-grid nets within the over-arching national and transnational energy grid should be accounted for and managed with blockchain technology for financial and structural security. The decentralization of the energy market requires the establishment of strict norms that will regulate the market and taxation of profits arising. The extensive literature review on blockchain in the energy sector reflects a very pragmatic and narrow approach to the topic, although it is evident that the distribution of energy within the blockchain would enable economic development through reducing cost and ensuring more secure energy trade. Blockchain technology embeds the related digital codes, in which information will be visible to all, but also secured from hacking and duplicating. However, there are challenges to this paradigm, not least the energy consumption of the extensive nodal mesh required to perform the necessary protocols. This paper aims to provide an overview of the application of blockchain technology and the need for the development of the regulatory system and of potential solutions to the challenges posed. By undertaking an energy consumption analysis of blockchain implementation from first electronic principles, which has not been constructed before in the literature, this paper’s conclusion stresses the future demand for reducing energy consumption and considers the latest findings in the quantum coupling of light signals as a potential for solving the enormous ledger duplication structure problem.