Suchergebnisse

AbstractWaste rocks (WRs) from a lignite-producing coalfield and fly ash (FA) produced from the same lignite have been investigated in this study with a primary objective to determine the potential for co-disposal of WRs and FA to reduce the environmental contamination. Mixing WRs with FA and covering WRs with FA have been investigated. Particle size effect caused ≤2 mm particles to produce low pH (~2) and metal-laden leachates, indicating higher sulphide minerals' reactivity compared to larger particles (≤10 mm, pH ~ 4). Co-disposal of FA as mixture showed an instantaneous effect, resulting in higher pH (~3–6) and better leachate quality. However, acidity produced by secondary mineralisation caused stabilisation of pH at around 4.5–5. In contrast, the pH of the leachates from the cover method gradually increased from strongly acidic (pH ~ 2) to mildly acidic (pH ~ 4–5) and circumneutral (pH ~ 7) along with a decrease in EC and elemental leaching. Gradually increasing pH can be attributed to the cover effect, which reduces the oxygen diffusion, thus sulphide oxidation. FA cover achieved the pH necessary for secondary mineralisation during the leaching experiment. The co-disposal of FA as cover and/or mixture possesses the potential for neutralisation and/or slowing down AMD and improving leachate quality.

A model for the educational development of university teachers (a type of teaching community) has been tested. University staff from different faculties worked and reflected together over the teaching and learning practice in a couple of courses. The community was supervised by an educational developer with a doctoral degree in psychology, and they worked in close collaboration with both undergraduate students and PhD students. The teaching staff that participated improved their teaching skills, extended their repertoire of learning tools, and experienced increased self-reliance. Their motivation and enthusiasm for teaching increased, and today they act as "missionaries" for good teaching and learning practices at the University. It was not obvious, however, that this educational development promoted their academic careers. New project ideas emerged from the teaching community. ; Godkänd; 2006; 20071210 (ysko)

According to recent literature in the field of sustainability, the circular economy (CE) appears to be a thriving opportunity for creating new businesses, although less attention has been paid to the form in which its principles fit into a comprehensive framework that enables companies to design it in a practical way. This paper presents the methodology that has been adopted to pave the way to a coherent reference framework for circular business model innovation and its outstanding design and implementation, taking into consideration the entire value and supply chain. A unique analysis of recent innovations in circular economy models is provided herein, together with an exhaustive analysis of those elements that enable or hinder their implementation. The main interactions among all those critical elements influencing how organisations innovate and operate cooperatively within a CE ecosystem are also evaluated. In addition, a study of five industrial cases in the pulp and paper industry allowed searching for industrial insights and empirical evidence of the relevance of those elements, including observation, document analysis, and interviews. Lastly, the main outcomes of this research are illustrated using the CE reference framework designed when applied to the aforementioned industrial cases, and relevant insights into future improvements are also provided. ; This research was funded by European Union, grant number 730305, a collaborative research project entitled "New market niches for the pulp and paper industry waste based on circular economy approaches (paperChain)" from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.