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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 13099

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Dr. Snežana Nenadović

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: geopolymers; green materials; building materials; recycling; soil remediation; raw materials; polymers; alkali-activated materials
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Dr. Ljiljana Kljajević

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: composite materials; geopolymers; green materials; recycling; hybrid inorganic/organic; alkali-activated materials; thermal stability
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Dr. Miloš Nenadović

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Guest Editor

Department of Atomics Physics, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: geopolymers; green materials; building materials; recycling; soil remediation; raw materials; polymers; alkali-activated materials; protective coatings; surface science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecological composite materials, which are applicable in almost all spheres of life, represent a promising direction of research. The high percentages of CO₂ emissions that still occur in the production of conventional materials can be drastically reduced with better utilization of raw materials, industrial symbiosis, and the application of a circular economy. Additionally, a very important aspect of this group of materials is their recycling. After the service life and the exploitation process, the given materials must be recycled and re-introduced into the production process. It should be emphasized that testing the natural radioactivity of materials used for commercial purposes is very important. Thus, all-natural materials and those obtained by recycling that already exist must be analyzed for radioactivity in order to meet the standards defined by law. Green materials can be used in different places, such as environmental areas, the chemical industry, as well as building materials, i.e., as special cement, in the ceramic industry, in the aluminum industries, as an additive for construction materials. The immobilization effect is one of the important aspects of green material, monitoring the sorption of heavy metal ions and their removal from aqueous and other effluents. It should be noted that the immobilization of radioactive effluents is extremely effective in ecological geopolymer materials.

Mechanochemical activation of alkaline-activated materials further enhances the absorption effect, while doping of rare earth ions improves resistance and durability. Photocatalytic materials, such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, cadmium sulfide, and others incorporated into the matrix of the geopolymer material or in the form of a top layer coating, give these composites special properties.

Contributions related to the following topics are welcome:

Development of low energy-efficient green materials;
Advanced ecological composites;
Long-term development of sustainable green materials;
Eco-improved protective coatings for various applications;
Recycled materials ( in the broadest possible sense);
Circular economy and its impact on green materials;
Innovative composites;
Inorganic/Organic Hybrid materials;
Natural radioactivity of building materials;
Thermal stability of geopolymer materials.

Research articles, case studies, review papers, and short communications are welcome. We hope that these contributions will give an overview of the best available praxis and, consequently, promote their application.

Therefore, we invite you to submit your contributions to this Special Issue and to share this call for papers with your colleagues.

Dr. Snežana Nenadović
Dr. Ljiljana Kljajević
Dr. Miloš Nenadović
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

composites
environmental friendly
energy-efficient building materials
alkali-activated materials
circular economy
building materials
natural radioactivity of composite materials

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Green Composite Metarials—2nd Edition in Sustainability

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Research

12 pages, 1378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Durability Evaluation of New Composite Materials for the Construction of Beehives

by Andrés Felipe Rubiano-Navarrete, Camilo Lesmes Fabian, Yolanda Torres-Pérez and Edwin Yesid Gómez-Pachón

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214683 - 08 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1240

Abstract

Given the current situation we face regarding climate change, one of the greatest and most critical concerns is related to the reduction in the bee population. This population largely depends on beekeeping production units around the world. However, these production units also face great challenges in the construction of beehives, as pine word generally deteriorates within a period of five years or less. This relatively rapid deterioration has both economic and environmental repercussions, which may affect the economic sustainability of the beekeeping system. The objective of this research was the production and subsequent evaluation of the durability of alternative composite materials that can be used in beehive construction. The materials are based on high-density polyethylene and agro-industrial residues (fique fiber, banana fiber, and goose feathers) from the Boyacá region of Colombia. The composite materials studied in the present study were exposed to xylophagous fungi for 90 days, at constant humidity and under controlled temperature conditions that are conducive to fungi proliferation. The results showed that composite materials that include fique fibers are the most promising substitute for wood in the construction of beehives. Indeed, these materials were shown to be 80% more resistant to pathogen attack and durable weight loss than pine wood. These durability results may be of great importance for future implementation in beekeeping production units. They have the potential to impact not only the sustainable development of rural communities, but also to make a great ecological contribution by reducing the need to cut down trees while maintaining the health of beehives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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22 pages, 4294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption of Metformin on Activated Carbon Produced from the Water Hyacinth Biowaste Using H₃PO₄ as a Chemical Activator

by Ahmad Hakky Mohammad, Ivona Radovic, Marija Ivanović and Mirjana Kijevčanin

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11144; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811144 - 06 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1616

Abstract

Water hyacinth biomass was used for the synthesis of activated carbons in the process of chemical activation with H₃PO₄, followed by controlled carbonization. The study investigates the effect of various impregnation weight ratios of H₃PO₄ and dry hyacinth (0.5–3.0), as well as different carbonization temperatures (T = 400–800 °C), on the surface characteristics of the produced activated carbons (AC). The activated carbon obtained with an impregnation ratio of 1.5 and a carbonization temperature of 600 °C (1.5 AC/600) showed the highest values of specific surface area of 1421 m² g⁻¹, representing a selected adsorbent for metformin removal. The chosen sample was characterized by elemental analysis, adsorption–desorption isotherms of nitrogen at −196 °C, via FTIR spectroscopy and the SEM method. The modeling of the experimental adsorption data showed that metformin adsorption: (i) can be best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, with the value of q_max = 122.47 mg g⁻¹; (ii) led the pseudo-second order kinetic model; and (iii) is a spontaneous (ΔG° = −3.44 kJ mol⁻¹) and endothermic (ΔH° = 8.77 kJ mol⁻¹) process. A desorption study has shown that 92% of metformin was successfully desorbed in the presence of a 0.1 MHCl/ethanol mixture (volume ratio 2:1). The recovery of the adsorbent of 84%, after five successive cycles, indicated that the 1.5 AC/600 has potential to be applied in the real systems for water treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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23 pages, 6559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Achieving a Superhydrophobic, Moisture, Oil and Gas Barrier Film Using a Regenerated Cellulose–Calcium Carbonate Composite Derived from Paper Components or Waste

by Monireh Imani, Katarina Dimic-Misic, Mirjana Kostic, Nemanja Barac, Djordje Janackovic, Petar Uskokovic, Aleksandra Ivanovska, Johanna Lahti, Ernest Barcelo and Patrick Gane

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10425; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610425 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2444

Abstract

It has been a persistent challenge to develop eco-friendly packaging cellulose film providing the required multiple barrier properties whilst simultaneously contributing to a circular economy. Typically, a cellulosic film made from nanocellulose materials presents severe limitations, such as poor water/moisture resistance and lacking water vapour barrier properties, related primarily to the hydrophilic and hygroscopic nature of cellulose. In this work, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) and starch, both eco-friendly, non-toxic, cost-effective materials, were used to achieve barrier properties of novel cellulose–calcium carbonate composite films regenerated from paper components, including paper waste, using ionic liquid as solvent. AKD and starch were applied first into the ionic cellulose solution dope mix, and secondly, AKD alone was coated from hot aqueous suspension onto the film surface using a substrate surface precooling technique. The interactions between the AKD and cellulose film were characterised by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) showing the formation of a ketone ester structure between AKD and the hydroxyl groups of cellulose. The presence of calcium carbonate particles in the composite was seen to enhance the cellulose crystallinity. The initial high-water vapour and oxygen transmission rates of the untreated base films could be decreased significantly from 2.00 to 0.14 g m⁻² d⁻¹, and 3.85 × 10² to 0.45 × 10² cm³ m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. In addition, by applying subsequent heat treatment to the AKD coating, the water contact angle was markedly increased to reach levels of superhydrophobicity (>150°, and roll-off angle < 5°). The resistance to water absorption, grease-permeation, and tensile strength properties were ultimately improved by 41.52%, 95.33%, and 127.33%, respectively, compared with those of an untreated pure cellulose film. The resulting regenerated cellulose–calcium carbonate composite-based film and coating formulation can be considered to provide a future bio-based circular economy barrier film, for example, for the packaging, construction and agriculture industries, to complement or replace oil-based plastics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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15 pages, 3149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Core-Shell Amino-Functionalized Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based on Glycidyl Methacrylate for Dispersive Solid-Phase Microextraction of Aniline

by Tamara Tadić, Bojana Marković, Jelena Radulović, Jelena Lukić, Ljiljana Suručić, Aleksandra Nastasović and Antonije Onjia

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9222; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159222 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1595

Abstract

A core-shell amino-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by the suspension polymerization/surface imprinting method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry, nitrogen gas adsorption–desorption, and elemental analysis. This MIP was used as the sorbent in dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME) of aniline from textile wastewater prior to high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) measurements. Since aniline is toxic and a probable human carcinogen, its determination in water is of great significance. This is a challenging task because aniline is usually present at trace levels. The effects of different DSPME variables on the preconcentration efficiency have been studied by using the Plackett–Burman screening design of experiments (DoE) followed by response surface methodology optimization using the Box-Behnken design. Thus, DoE enabled the investigation of several variables simultaneously. Under optimized conditions, aniline was effectively and selectively separated by a small amount of the DSPME sorbent and detected in real textile wastewater samples. The method detection limit of 1 ng mL⁻¹ was attained, with good method linearity and acceptable recovery and precision. The results showed that the studied MIP could be a reliable DSPME sorbent for efficiently analyzing trace aniline in real wastewater samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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16 pages, 3420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Valorisation of Selected Quarry and Mine Waste for Sustainable Cement Production within the Concept of Circular Economy

by Emilija Fidanchevski, Katarina Šter, Maruša Mrak, Ljiljana Kljajević, Gorazd Žibret, Klemen Teran, Bojan Poletanovic, Monika Fidanchevska, Sabina Dolenec and Ildiko Merta

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6833; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116833 - 02 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1900

Abstract

The cement industry could potentially consume large amounts of solid industrial waste in order to improve its sustainability. The suitability of selected quarry and mine waste as secondary raw materials (SRM) was examined for the sustainable production of cement following the concept of a circular economy. The chemical, mineralogical, and radiological characterization of SRM was conducted in this study. Its potential use in low-carbon and low-energy belite-sulfoaluminate cement was investigated by incorporating the examined SRM into cement clinker. Various characterization methods were used to characterize the cement, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA/TG), and isothermal calorimetry. Depending on the chemical composition of the waste, lower or higher amounts were allowed to be incorporated into the raw clinker mixture for a targeted clinker phase composition. Among the samples, differences were observed in the phase composition of synthesized clinkers, which slightly influenced the reactivity of the cement but did not significantly change the compressive strength of the final product. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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13 pages, 4724 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural, Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Low Content Carbon Geopolymer

by Snežana Nenadović, Jelena Gulicovski, Miljana Mirković, Ljiljana Kljajević, Ivana Bošković, Mira Vukčević and Miloš Nenadović

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4885; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094885 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1484

Abstract

In recent years geopolymers have shown increased interest as binders with low CO₂ emission compared to Portland cement. The main goal of this research is focused on connecting green and sustainable characteristics with the mechanical and chemical properties of fly ash-based geopolymer. The samples of different ratios of fly ash (FA) and metakaolin (MK) were prepared. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) showed that in the geopolymer synthesis reaction a new amorphous phase was formed. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) confirmed characteristic bands of the Si-O and O-Si-O groups at 1045 cm⁻¹. Compressive strength analysis revealed that the optimal ratio of FA and MK is 50:50 and exhibits the highest value. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed the total reduction of carbon content in the alkali-activated geopolymer with the optimal stoichiometry of 50:50. This indicates the possibility of obtaining a geopolymer material with an almost complete absence of carbon, which implies further application as a material with a very high environmental potential and of zero carbon emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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16 pages, 2582 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Brushite-Metakaolin Composite Geopolymer Material as an Effective Adsorbent for Lead Removal from Aqueous Solutions

by Dunja Djukić, Aleksandar Krstić, Ksenija Jakovljević, Svetlana Butulija, Ljubica Andjelković, Vladimir Pavlović and Miljana Mirković

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4003; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074003 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1588

Abstract

Newly designed mesoporous brushite-metakaolin-based geopolymer materials were examined with an idea for using this material as a potential adsorbent for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. As a starting component for geopolymer synthesis, a natural raw kaolinite clay with the addition of 2 wt.%, 4 wt.%, 6 wt.%, 8 wt.%, and 10 wt.% of pure brushite was used. Phase, structural, morphological, and adsorption properties of newly synthesized mesoporous brushite-metakaolin geopolymer materials were examined in detail by the means of XRPD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, BET/BJH, and ICP-OES methods. The ICP-OES results showed that the synthesized material samples with 2 wt.%, 4 wt.%, and 6 wt.% of brushite possess significant adsorption properties and the mechanisms of the adsorption process can be attributed to chemisorption. The most notable result is that brushite-metakaolin-geopolymer with 2 wt.% of brushite have the best efficiency removal, more than 85% of Pb(II). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Composite Metarials)

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