Browse Articles

This work presents an experiment aimed at determining the concentration of heavy metals found in the water resources of natural receivers. Heavy metals are very dangerous both for the aquatic life environment, influencing the health of the respective living beings and for the human health especially if there is an open contact between the human and the respective water source. Due to the different technological processes of the treatment plants, the wastewater, however, contains a high concentration of heavy metals, which means that those technological processes do not fully comply with the legal requirements. A good, viable solution that is being researched more and more at present is the use of types of polymeric membranes, suitably adapted in ultrafiltration processes of wastewater. Many of today`s advanced researches focus on investigating the retention of heavy metals by membranes. The purpose of this work is to determine the concentration of the main heavy metals such as Fe2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, etc. and other elements such as: Fluorides, Nitrites NO2-N, Phosphates PO4-P, Ammonium NH4-N etc, both before using an organic membrane of PAN from hollow fibers and after cessation of the ultrafiltration experiment to determine the % of the respective metals. can be removed after the ultrafiltration process. The results of the analyzes carried out during the experiment showed that some of the above mentioned chemical elements can be retained by more than 85 % so that a membrane of PAN can reduce the degree of pollution of the waste water, especially where the waste water is directly discharged into natural source of water. At the same time, 14 chemical elements present in the waste water were analyzed and after determining the concentration of the heavy metals after the completion of the experiment it can be confirmed that the use of polymeric membranes is and will be a viable solution for the purpose of protecting the environment and health.

A mathematical model regarding water filtration with a nanofiltration (NF) titanium dioxide ceramic membrane is presented. The experiments aimed to use the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy method to highlight the existence of humic acid (HA) in water, before and after the NF process. Following the established operating conditions, experiments were performed for each quantity of AH separately, leaving the installation to work at the appropriate parameters for 15 minutes. for each quantity of AH. The analyzes for EEM fluorescence were performed using the FP-8300 spectrofluorimeter. The collected samples were analyzed with Spectra Manager II software on fluorescence intensity (au - arbitrary units), with an emission wavelength (nm) between 460 and 640 nm and with an excitation wavelength (nm) between 350 and 600 nm. Following the experiments carried out, mathematical correlations were established between the parameters that influence the filtering process and the studied parameters. It is worth mentioning that as a result of the experiments carried out, a number of 20,450 values were obtained, which were used for the elaboration of mathematical models. These models, for sets of values of the order of tens of thousands, verified both from the point of view of the real values and from the point of view of the regression coefficients (coefficients close to the value 1), demonstrate the quantity and the very good quality of the experimental data, respectively of the measured and calculated sizes. In order to validate the generated equations, they were subjected to checks, the difference being obtained between the value obtained by experimental means and the value obtained within the mathematical model. And the value of the resulting relative error, gives information on the accuracy (truth) of the mathematical model, so that it can be extended to other experiences. It turns out that this method cannot quantitatively determine the value of a parameter, but it can highlight the presence and differences between two samples.

The clinical success of any indirect prosthodontic restoration is strongly related, among other numerous factors, to the fixing procedure. The technological deficiencies into the inlay cementation lead to defects, either in depth or on surface, which often cause failures. The longevity of inlays depends, to a large extent, on the quality of the dental-prosthetic joint. This marginal adaptation is influenced by the thickness and the type of the luting cement. The aim of this study is a comparative analysis on the behavior of the luting cement for composite resin and ceramic inlays in two different solutions: ANFOR-type artificial saliva and a 20% citric acid solution. Fixing composites are the material of choice for works with high aesthetic potential, our study revealing that their depreciation and alteration is reduced, even in aggressive environments. Cementation seems to be the most critical step, and its long-term success relies on adherence to the clinical protocols.

Iron-based amorphous alloys are characterized by so-called soft magnetic properties. Unfortunately, the geometry of iron-based amorphous materials significantly limits the applicability of these materials. One way to expand the use of these materials is to make composites based on them. As part of this work, rapid-cooled alloys were produced using the injection casting method. On their basis, magnetic composites with the addition of a non-magnetic binder were produced. The results of the structure (XRD) and magnetic properties (VSM) tests of the produced materials are presented. The research results have shown that the decisive impact on the magnetic properties of composites is the fact of the separation of magnetic particles with a non-magnetic binder. In this case, the influence of exchange interactions is dominated by dipole interactions.

This paper is part of a larger study that aims to evaluate the biomechanical behaviour of mandibular bone and periodontal splinting systems subjected to different occlusal forces by means of electric resistive tensometry (ERT). The research was based on the following premise: the degree of bone resorption and periodontal type of splint influence the deformation of the mandibular bone. The study was conducted in two stages: first, the validation of the mandibular dental arch model, which is the subject of the present article, and second, the evaluation of mandibular bone strain in case of different types of bone loss and periodontal splints, which is the subject of a second article.

Polyurethane foam wastes is one of the environmental problems for which are not still the efficient solutions of valorization. This paper presents the possibility of recovering polyurethane foam waste by obtaining some new materials with sound absorption properties. The polyurethane foam wastes were ground and mixed, in proportion of 0, 3, 5, 7 and 12 wt%, with bicomponent polyurethane foam as a binder, resulting 5 new materials. The sound-absorbing properties of the new materials have been determined and it can be observed that the sound-absorbing properties of rigid polyurethane foam with closed pores can be improved by adding polyurethane foam waste to its structure. In addition, the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of the new materials were studied.

The fragility fracture fixation confronts with the major problem of implant loosening due to the altered bone structure. Techniques used to fragility fracture stabilization includes metals devices, cements or adhesives. Different types of cements and adhesive can be obtained by chemical manipulation in order to provide a more efficient transition between the metal surface and the real bone. Thus, by selecting the appropriate chemical composition and ration between the components, synthetic cement and adhesive can provide a proper interface that ensure a perfect cohesion between the implant material and the natural bone. Most of the studies point the benefit of these synthetic materials in improving screw fixation strength. That is why, currently, the synthetic materials used in prosthesis are improved by associating with natural components of the bone, such as hydroxyapatite. For osteoporosis, which is characterized by demineralization, the association of the implanted material with hydroxyapatite is expected to be a suited solution for bone matrix regeneration after implantation. The aim of the current study was to assess the mechanical properties of orthopedic screws coated with a new polyurethane acrylate polymer containing hydroxyapatite in order to improve the stability of the screw for the subsequent fixation of the fragility fracture. To test the efficiency of the new hydroxyapatite containing polymer, the mechanical behavior of the coated screws was evaluated. Our data show that the augmented screw can be obtained by incorporating lower hydroxyapatite concentrations.

In order to evaluate the possibility of reuse of some mixed waste from plastic and paper, composite samples of both HDPE and PP basis were made with different filler contents of crushed postage envelope waste. From the morphostructural characterization (SEM images) of the samples obtained it was observed that the HDPE and PP samples had had a homogeneous single-phase structure in contrast to the composite samples with filler from mixed plastic and paper waste. The latter, have a biphasic heterogeneous structure in which the cellulose particles are uniformly distributed. Determinations performed through the dielectric spectroscopy technique indicated that the cellulose content of the composite samples leads to a systematic increase of the dielectric losses (up to about 40% for the HDPE samples, respectively about 30% for the samples with PP), the increases being in direct correlation with the cellulose content of the composite.Mechanical determinations have shown that the average values of tensile strength recorded on the achieved samples, systematically decrease at the increase in the chips content of the samples - decreases up to 10% at an addition up to 15% chips from the waste are explained by the substantially lower mechanical strength of waste paper than that of the HDPE, respective PP.

The present paper describe the production and characterization of novel collagen films containing propolis encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles, for biomedical applications such as cutaneous wound healing. Structural and morphological details were investigated by ATR FTIR spectroscopy, SEM and nanoindentation measurements, revealing the collagen fibers aligned in a quasi-parallel distribution, which might be favorable for biomedical applications. Moreover, the vibrational marker bands of propolis were well preserved in the final polymeric mixture, indicating the stability of bioactive compounds upon the encapsulation procedure. The antibacterial effect depends on the nanoparticles concentration in collagen film, the effect being more evident with respect to E. coli than S. aureus. The antioxidant capacity monitored by CUPRAC assay, indicated a synergic effect of chitosan nanoparticles matrix and propolis extract, incorporated in collagen films.

Soil pollution with plastics represents a great threat to plants, animals, but especially to humans, as a very small quantity of the plastic which is discarded daily is recycled or incinerated in waste facilities, much of it reaching landfills where their decomposition lasts up to 1000 years and during this time the toxic substances penetrate the soil and the water. If, initially, the pollution with plastics has been identified and recognized in the aquatic environment, recent studies show that plastics residues exist in huge quantities in the soil. The present study focuses on the analysis of factors that pollute soil, so the various studies that have been carried out claim that soil pollution with plastic is much higher and increases in an aggressive manner, being estimated to be 4 to 23 times higher than water pollution with plastics, and the accumulation of microplastics in the soil has a negative impact on soil biota. Thus, once the plastic material accumulates in the soil, it is assimilated to organic matter and the mineral substitutes of the soil and persists for several hundred years.