Due to the high price of virgin vegetable oils and the drawbacks of the homogeneous catalytic transesterification, in this work an economically profitable alternative process was proposed for biodiesel synthesis in which transesterification of the low-cost waste cooking oil (WCO) with methanol in a heterogeneous system was done. Alumina impregnated with sodium hydroxide was utilized as a solid ...

The relationship between heat release rate and other fire reaction properties of fibre reinforced polymer composite materials is investigated. The heat release rate and fire reaction properties of thermoset matrix composites reinforced with combustible fibres (aramid, extended-chain polyethylene) or non-combustible fibres (glass, carbon) were determined over a range of heat flux levels using th...

Integrating bio-resources in materials allows to reduce the environmental impact of building industry. This study deals with fire-retardant treatments, alternative boric acid and ammonium salts solutions, applied hemp fibers for thermal insulation application. The aim is limit energy, sanitary impacts treatment, while optimizing technical performances. A laboratory protocol evaluates flame-reta...

One of the major challenges in mega cities is the degree of the preparedness of organizations, institutions and people in facing with critical conditions and their immediate reaction according to pre-defined instructions. Identification of priorities and acting accordingly is an undeniable factor in urban crisis management. The purpose of this research was to identify the priorities of prepared...

An investigation into well water quality was carried out in a rural area subject to irrigation with acidic mine water from the Guangdong Dabaoshan Mine, southern China. The results of water pH measurements from 112 wells in two different seasons suggest that the well water has been contaminated to varying degrees in the investigated Shangba floodplain (approximately 11km south of the Guangdong ...

The concept of probabilistic modelling under uncertainty within the context of fire and rescue through the application of the Bayesian network (BN) technique is presented in this paper. BNs are capable of dealing with uncertainty in data, a common issue within fire incidents, and can be adapted to represent various fire scenarios. A BN model has been built to study fire development within gener...

Fire is a real threat for people and property. However, if the risks can be identified before the accident, the consequences can be remarkably limited. The requirement of fire safety is particularly important in places with large number of people and limited evacuation possibilities (e.g., ships and airplanes) and for places where the consequences of fire may spread wide outside of the fire loc...