Browsing by Type "poster"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Access status: Open Access ,
Harmonic resonances and subquantization in the hydrogen emission spectrum
Suder, Marek
An alternative method for analyzing the hydrogen spectrum is presented, based on recording orbital energies as precise fractions, which allows the identification of harmonic relationships between lines not visible in standard rounded data. Among other things, an exact 3:1 relationship between the H(5→4) and H(20→10) lines is demonstrated. The fundamental unit of photon energy ε₀ and the corresponding subquantum unit [sQ] were introduced. All analyzed lines of the Lyman , Balmer , Paschen , and Brackett series (n ≤ 7, m ≤ 4) form a discrete resonant lattice with a modulus of ~18.64 GHz , suggesting the existence of a deeper harmonic organization of the spectrum. The method provides an analytical tool allowing for more precise organization of spectroscopic data and may find applications in high-resolution spectroscopy, astrophysics, and the analysis of fundamental physical constants.
Access status: Open Access ,
Identifying the origin of water appearances in salt mines using isotope-aided methodologies: new insights through combined analyses of water leakages and atmospheric water vapor
Pierchala, Anna; Duliński, Marek ; Gorczyca, Zbigniew; Różański, Kazimierz; Staszczak, Waclaw
Wydział Fizyki i Informatyki Stosowanej
Uncontrolled water appearances in salt mines pose the largest hazard to their safe operation. Two major categories of water appearances in Polish salt mines were identified: (i) syngenetic brines associated with formation of salt deposits, and (ii) meteoric waters of infiltration origin [1]. Whereas the first category of waters is generally considered safe because they are fully saturated brines and usually occur in limited quantities, meteoric waters of infiltration origin pose serious danger to mines’ operation and need to be controlled. Isotope analyses of water appearances in Polish salt mines started in the early 1970s [1]. Although it soon became clear that ²H and ¹⁸O isotope contents in mine waters constitute a powerful tool for identification of their origin, there are still some problems with unambiguous classification of those waters, resulting mainly from their unknown interaction with mines’ atmosphere. We report here the results of a dedicated study focused on quantification of spatio-temporal variability of δ²H and δ¹⁸O in atmospheric moisture present in the Klodawa Salt Mine, the largest salt mine in Poland (production of ca. 6x10⁵ tons of salts annually). Autonomous units allowing collection of monthly composite samples of mines’ atmosphere have been installed at 7 representative localities inside the mine and operated for the period of 14 months. The units were also measuring temperature and relative humidity. The ²H and ¹⁸O isotope composition of water vapour in the collected air samples was measured in the laboratory using Picarro 2140-i CRDS analyzer. References: [1] Dulinski, M., Rozanski, K., Brudnik, K., Kolonko, P., Tadych, J., 2013. Isotope monitoring of water appearances in salt mines: The Polish experience. In. Natural Analogues for Safety Cases of Repositories in Rock Salt. Nuclear Energy Agency Report, NEA/RWM/R(2013)10, OECD, 123-131.
Access status: Open Access ,
Marine plastic waste management according to circular economy concept through the interdisciplinary and international cooperation
Magdziarz, Aneta; Wang, Jiawei; Wu, Chunfei; Sullivan, James; Mlonka-Mędrala, Agata
Wydział Inżynierii Metali i Informatyki Przemysłowej
Global plastic production is currently at a rate of 200,000 tonnes per year, and it is projected to increase to 33 billion tonnes per year by 2050. Approximately 10% of the plastic produced ends up in the seas and oceans. Plastic pollution in marine and coastal environments is a growing concern worldwide. Sources of this waste include shipping transportation, coastal tourism, marine aquaculture, and fishing. It is estimated that at least 14 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans and seas annually. Furthermore, beach litter, which often consists of plastic packaging, lids, bottles, and cigarette butts, poses significant challenges. The G20 countries signed an Action Plan on Marine Litter in Germany in 2017, recognizing the urgent need to prevent and reduce marine litter to preserve human health as well as marine and coastal ecosystems. This highlights the need to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the sea, ocean, and coasts and find solutions to manage the existing waste. Proper management of marine waste can help stop the flow of waste in line with a closed-loop economy. Reducing and stopping plastic waste from reaching the oceans is crucial for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The CUPOLA project is the international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral research and innovation project aiming to find solutions to this global problem. The main goal of the CUPOLA project is to establish long-term research cooperation between institutions with complementary expertise to design and develop carbon-neutral, scalable, and socially acceptable methods to sort and convert plastic waste into valuable chemicals and materials. The originality of CUPOLA lies in the collaborative network among experimentalists, theoreticians, and industrialists. Key technologies in the project include waste sorting and pre-treatment methods. Novel pneumatic systems are developed for the separation of waste plastics, effectively separating the plastic waste into PET-rich, PO-rich, and PA-rich streams. The successful separation of plastic waste is crucial for the subsequent mechanical and chemical recycling processes. Thermochemical processes such as catalytic pyrolysis, catalytic gasification, aminolysis, and hydrothermal carbonization are applied to convert feedstocks into valuable chemicals and materials. For instance, the PET-rich stream will be transformed into bitumen additives through aminolysis, while the polyolefin-rich stream will be converted to benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) via catalytic pyrolysis, and to H2 and carbon nanotubes through catalytic gasification. The project will involve process modeling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment to provide essential information about the economic viability and environmental impact of these processes. Additionally, renewable energy sources and carbon capture technologies will be integrated into the final design of the CUPOLA processes to ensure carbon neutrality. This project has the potential to bring together a wide range of research and industry groups in chemistry, chemical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental science, and computer science to collaborate on the recycling of marine plastic waste. The success of the project will contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 12, and 14 by reducing plastic pollution in the oceans and converting waste into value-added products.
Access status: Open Access ,
Non-Thermal Plasma for Microplastic Degradation
Molloy, Daniel; Cellarius, Róisín; Naughton, Eva; Wu, Chunfei; Sullivan, James A.
This study investigates the potential of non-thermal plasma (NTP) for degrading marine microplastics, specifically polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Experiments were conducted with and without Fe?O? as a Fenton catalyst to enhance degradation. Spectroscopic analyses showed no significant chemical changes to the microplastics after plasma exposure, regardless of catalyst presence. The results suggest that limitations such as short lifetimes of reactive species and insufficient contact with microplastic particles hinder effective degradation under the tested conditions.