Global Conference on Research in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) is a polymer with many important chemical and physical properties. Besides, it offers a wide range of important biological properties. Presently, research on this polymer is ongoing only in several centers around the world, including Lodz University of Technology in Poland. The first difficulty is connected with the polymerization process. The free radical polymerization can be realized according to different procedures, but, there are difficulties in obtaining a product with repeatable properties. This work collects together most of the currently known and used polymerization methods of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate. Different factors are taken into account: the type of methodology, the solvent used, the initiator, as well as the process temperature and the average molecular weight of the product obtained. In next step the most important properties of the poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), are described and discussed. Selected properties such as solubility, bioactivity, hydrophilicity, cytotoxicity, conductivity, thermal and hydrodynamic parameters, are discussed on the basis of the available scientific literature and own experience. Among other things, the aim of this work is to increase the possibility of using this relatively new polymer as a material in advanced practical applications. Therefore, various ways of using the polymer have also been described. Copolymers of the monomer are now very large collection, and the most interesting examples were cited in this work.

This study investigates the barriers towards non-usage of green cosmetics among consumers. A survey of 400 respondents was conducted in Elante Mall, Chandigarh, India, to identify the reasons for non-usage of green cosmetics. The demographic variables of the respondents, namely gender, age, monthly income, education qualification, and spending on green cosmetics, were also collected. The study found that the most common reasons for non-usage of green cosmetics are lack of awareness, high price, and lack of variety. Male respondents were more likely than female respondents to agree with all the reasons for non-usage, except for "labels are not fully informative." The age of the respondents had a significant impact on the reasons for the non-use of green cosmetics. Younger respondents were more likely to cite price and availability as reasons for non-usage, while older respondents were more likely to cite a lack of awareness. Consumers with lower incomes were more likely to say that green products are too expensive and that they lack confidence in their performance. The study concludes that green cosmetic brands should address the issues of lack of awareness, high price, and lack of variety to make their products more attractive to a wider range of consumers. Green cosmetic brands should also make their products more affordable and accessible to consumers with lower incomes.

The properties of metal nanoparticles and metal oxides such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) are well known as effective antimicrobial agents. A comparative analysis of the antibacterial properties of cotton fabric modified with gelatin hydrogel cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and containing ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles, respectively, was made in this research. For the first time, titanium nanoparticles obtained by reduction of TiO2 with oxalic acid were used to modify cotton fabrics. Three in situ synthesis methods of ZnO and TiO2 were investigated by varying the components and processing conditions. The composite materials were examined by means of SEM, spectrophotometric, antibacterial activity analysis. Microscopic studies showed that TiO2-NPs were impregnated into the hydrogel structure of the cotton fabric and were distributed into small film-forming structures. Spherical particles of ZnO nanoparticles changed into a flower-like shape with needle-like ends, indicating that the nucleation of ZnO crystal structures had started on the textile surface.The antimicrobial activity of the investigated cotton samples was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative used as model strains. The TiO2-NPs modified samples showed better activity against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria used compared to the ZnO-NPs modified samples. Biocomposites cotton-gelatin-ZnO NPs or respectively with TiO2 nanoparticles can be very effectively used in the form of wound dressings.

Green peppers are perishable without cold storage, and studies have focused on measuring the shelf-life of crops during cold storage. However, our study was interested in extending the shelf life of green peppers by at least 7 days using evaporative cooling. The evaporative cooling system was compared with a non-cooling method, which is widely used in local market. The objectives of this study were temperature, relative humidity (RH), weight loss (WLP), shelf-life days (SLD), and Brix. The wooden box was designed to have a width of 46 cm and a length of 95 cm. Holes were made at the top and bottom of each cabinet to allow air to circulate from the top to the button and to move across the green peppers. A duct was used to connect the box and air color. Sensors were used to measure the temperature and relative humidity inside and outside the box. The results showed that the average shelf-life day using the evaporative cooler was higher than the average of the sustainability methods for all three speeds. The evaporative cooler achieved this goal by extending the shelf-life of green peppers to an average of 12 days and enhancing their quality. The weight loss was lower when evaporative cooling was used and higher when zero energy was used. There was a strong correlation between weight loss and Brix values. Future studies should consider the use of solar panels as power sources to operate evaporative cooling systems or to depend on natural ventilation.

Тwo composite textile materials were obtained and their adsorption properties against petroleum products from water surface were investigated. The textile was modified by the addition of glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan, and zinc oxide particles were synthesized to one of the samples by in-situ method. Changes in the surface of the material were determined by SEM analysis. The chitosan film formation on the surface binds the individual fibers of the yarn together and fills the gaps between them. The zinc particles' inclusion in the applied layer results in a denser surface coverage, where the characteristic relief of the cotton fabric is almost lost. At the surface between the fibers, it is seen that the zinc particles form numerous islands surrounded by the chitosan layer but retain their characteristic well-developed surface. The study of the sorption properties of textile composite materials shows that the Zn oxide particles' addition to their surface improves their sorption capacity concerning petroleum, oil SN 150 and diesel fuel. The materials display the highest sorption capacity of petroleum and the lowest for diesel fuel. The textile composite materials regeneration ability was investigated. It has been established that they can be successfully regenerated and reused without a significant change in their sorption capacity. This makes the obtained materials extremely efficient. They can be used repeatedly and allow the separation and utilization of the absorbed petroleum products.

The main purpose of this research is to conduct a comprehensive study of the g3 (C3F7CN - CO2 - O2) mixture decomposition byproducts, produced under electric arc stress in the gas insulated circuit breaker (GIS) process. The insulated g3 gas mixture is an alternative to SF6 in high-voltage circuit breakers, which was identified as one of the six global warming potentials (GWP) in the Kyoto protocol of 1999. At extremely high temperatures (T = 40,000 K) and pressure conditions (P = 70 bar), arcing phenomena occur, leading to the conversion of the g3 mixture into its respective decomposition by-products. Thermal Conductivity Detector - Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (TCD-GC-MS) analytical measurement reveals the main byproducts in g3 polluted gas include C4F7N, CO2, CO, COF2, CF4, C2F6, C3F8, CF3CN, C2F5CN, and (CN)2 in addition to the trace amount of CH3-SiF3, SO2, CF3-N+SF2, SiF(CH3)2, C2F4, and amide. Theoretical studies are imperative to realize the degradation mechanism. Density Functional Theory (DFT) modelling provides theoretical insights to understand the possible reaction pathway of g3 (C3F7CN - CO2 - O2) insulating gas mixture. In this research, a total of 32 possible chemical pathways were proposed, including eight recombination reactions. Among the primarily dissociation reactions of the C4F7NO molecule, two of them, C4F7NO  C3F3NO + CF4 and C4F7NO  C2F5CN + CF2O, are identified as the most favorable thermodynamically routes. The energy barriers for these two reactions are 91.7 kcal mol-1 and 90.8 kcal mol-1, respectively. Orbital energy gap (Ea) values reveal the highest value of CF4 among all byproducts, and which refers to its contribution to the insulation strength along with the g3 mixture. The variation in rate constant for the proposed reactions emphasizes the significance of reaction kinetics between 298.15 K and 3000 K.

The stability of liquid cell culture media (CCM) is impacted by many different factors, including storage conditions and the formulation. Some components in liquid CCM may be subject to chemical reactions and degradation, which can lead to undesired precipitation. Due to the complexity of over 50 different components in CCM, identifying the critical ones causing the precipitation remains challenging. Therefore, this study aims to develop an analytical workflow to investigate the formation of precipitate in CCM using a combination of complementary analytical techniques adapted to the problem. First, ICP-MS was utilized to determine the concentrations of elements, since certain concentrations of metals are prone to form precipitates in CCM. The analysis pointed out that the precipitate is formed of Element A-related components. In addition, XRD confirms that the precipitate is composed of Element A and an oxalate. However, oxalate is not part of the composition of the CCM. This suggests the degradation of certain components in the CCM formulation which leads to oxalate formation. Compound A is well-known for being unstable in solution and prone to degradation into different biproducts including oxalate. A LC-MS method for the analysis of Compound A was already implemented and was utilized for the analysis of its degradation products. To gain better insights into the general stability of Compound A, the stability of a stock solution of Compound A was analyzed over a certain period. It resulted in full degradation after 4 weeks and the formation of Compound B starting after 3 weeks. By shifting the pH of the CCM, the stability of the liquid CCM could be restored. By using LC-MS, ICP-MS and XRD, Element A components and Compound A are therefore confirmed to be critical components in CCM leading to precipitation.

The amount of carbon emissions in the air is increasing dramatically year by year. Therefore, the change in concentrations causes warming and is affecting various aspects of climate, including surface air, ocean temperatures, and sea levels. Hence, the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2016, and industries, including the oil sector, should act and achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases by 2050. CCUS is one of the potential technologies to reduce the CO2 emissions of fossil energy carriers. Refineries have several units that emit CO2, such as steam methane reformers, produce hydrogen, and catalytic crackers. Thus, the refining sector is responsible for 15% of total energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Moreover, CCUS has many advantages, such as the ability to directly capture CO2 from the source, other pollutants (NOx or sulfur dioxide gases) can be removed at the same time, and the social cost of carbon can be reduced. This research provides the main information related to CCUS and the challenges of implementation of CCUS in the refining sector. Also, solutions and prospects of carbon dioxide capture and utilization technology are discussed. The development of CCUS can allow refineries to reduce the amount of CO2 and meet the Paris Climate Agreements.

Polyurethanes (PUs) are industrially important polymeric materials that have various applications in different sectors. However, their chemical recycling is a challenging task due to the stability of their urethane linkages, which resist hydrolysis and other degradation reactions. In this study, we propose to use hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) as a novel method to recycle PUs in mild conditions using ethanol and water as solvents. We investigated the effect of ethanol percentage (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% w/w) and reaction temperature (200-300°C) on the decomposition and oil recovery of three different types of PUs: foam, quinoline-based, and highresistance. We conduct the HTL experiments in a batch microreactor with a PU to solvent ratio of 1:10 and a reaction time of 10 min. We separate and analyze the liquid and solid products by filtration, washing, evaporation, and GC-MS. The results show that ethanol significantly enhances the degradation rate of all PUs, especially at low temperatures, but reduces the oil yield. The main product in the oil and water phases is 4,4-methylenedianiline (MDA), which accounts for 50% of the relative peak area in the GC-MS analysis. The optimum ethanol concentration for oil production and decomposition rate is 10% and 30% w/w, respectively. HTL is an effective and environmentally friendly method to recycle PUs in mild conditions and produce valuable chemicals.