Invention Disclosure最新文献

{"title":"A novel process for recovery and exploitation of polyesters and polyamides from waste polymeric artifacts","authors":"Massimo Barbieri ,&nbsp;Edoardo Terreni ,&nbsp;Flavio Tollini ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Storti ,&nbsp;Davide Moscatelli","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inv.2024.100026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plastic waste is one of the world's biggest sources of pollution. Despite the growing trend towards recycling, there are currently no effective technologies to offset the continuous increase in plastic production. Polyesters and polyamides are among the most widely produced single-use plastics, mainly used in the manufacture of textiles and soft drink bottles. Currently, only a small proportion of these polymers can be effectively recycled. The two primary methods employed for this purpose are mechanical and chemical recycling. Presently, mechanical recycling remains the more widely adopted process within the industrial sector. However, the treatment process is limited to a narrow range of waste materials as it is impossible to remove dyes and the mechanical properties deteriorate due to incompatibility between different plastic materials. Another critical limit of this recycling technology is the limited number of recycling loops that can be done due to the thermal degradation that occurs during the extrusion process. The alternative option is chemical recycling, which allows the depolymerization of the original product to recover the monomers directly. The main drawbacks are the long reaction times and the many solvents needed to achieve high-purity products. As a results, chemical recycling is only economically feasible for large companies that can produce the virgin polymer <em>in situ</em>. In this work, a new technology has been patented. This process consists of three main steps. The first one is the distillation-assisted cyclodepolymerization (DA-CDP), introduced as a modification of the CDP process. In this unit, cyclic oligomers together with high molecular weight compounds are produced. Then, after polymer purification, it is possible to achieve the same molecular weight as the initial polymer in less than 30 min, exploiting the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the next step.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100026"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444124000077/pdfft?md5=6f1761dd4e4424d4ed83c84cf75d7880&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444124000077-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141541120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electric polarization catheter for systemic cardiac output","authors":"Ignazio Condello,&nbsp;Giuseppe Speziale,&nbsp;Giuseppe Nasso","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The electrical activity plays a vital role in the physiological functions of live organisms, electrical stimulation has been identified as a promising nonpharmacological technique that can modulate the behavior of cellular network, restore and monitoring critical functions and accelerate tissue healing <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo.</em> The red blood cell (RBC) membrane contains proteins and glycoproteins embedded in a fluid lipid bilayer that confers viscoelastic behavior. Sialylated glycoproteins of the RBC membrane are responsible for a negatively charged surface which creates a repulsive electric zeta potential (ζ)between cells. These charges help prevent the interaction between RBCs and the other cells and especially between each other. The zeta potential is a physical property which is exhibited by all particles in suspension. In this context we present for the first time the invention concerns the field of measurement of physiological parameters for determining cardiac output (CO), plus specifically refers to a new apparatus for determination of cardiac output based on determination of the electrical charges induced on the membrane of the RBC (electrical polarization of red blood cells).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100029"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444124000107/pdfft?md5=6caecfbf28f95c8e5749669e8b19a034&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444124000107-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141843715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated apparatus for supporting and cooling a photovoltaic panel","authors":"Matteo Greppi ,&nbsp;Giampietro Fabbri","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2023.100019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2023.100019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The patented integrated Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) cooling system efficiently and space-savingly removes heat from solar cells during periods of high solar radiation. Unlike existing products that utilise the Peltier and Seebeck effect, in the patented system the Seebeck effect occurs internally in the heat sink itself, which acts entirely as a carrier for the cells, and only a small part of the removed heat is used to provide the required temperature difference. The invention results in a clear simplification of solar cell cooling and thermoelectric conversion technology. This also leads to cascading economic advantages in terms of overall system costs. We have started extensive research into new innovative and efficient materials to further improve the efficiency of the system and provide an increasingly competitive product for the market..We are looking for collaborators, joint-venturers and investors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100019"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444123000101/pdfft?md5=86fdc08f0b9456986fa8a9f1f74b25fb&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444123000101-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138613680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The grey-based Taguchi method was used to enhance the TIG-MIG hybrid welding process parameters for mild steel","authors":"Fasil Kebede Tesfaye,&nbsp;Ayitenew Mogninet Getaneh","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2023.100016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2023.100016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Metal Industry and Machine Technology Development Enterprise is Ethiopia's leading manufacturing industry, producing a diverse range of industrial machinery and products. The main welding process used to join the products is MIG welding, which has several flaws, including low weld-metal toughness, spatter formation, undercut formation, and finally poor tensile strength and toughness. The company also uses TIG welding, which uses an inert gas to produce less smoke and fumes. While this technology produces precise welds, it is a time-consuming operation with a lower production rate. As a result, a special type of welding process is required that incorporates the properties of both types of welding processes. As a result, the hybrid TIG-MIG welding configuration was proposed. The optimization of process parameters of EN24 mild steel material for TIGMIG hybrid welding is presented in this paper. The test was carried out on a 6 mm EN24 mild steel plate. The butt joint configuration was used. MIG welding current, TIG welding current, MIG welding voltage, TIG welding voltage, and welding gun travel speed were used as process parameters. A single-level L27 orthogonal array is used to optimize process parameters. Tensile and hardness tests are used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the weld joint. The optimum level setting of the test, according to the mean effect plot of GRG, is MIG welding current of 200 A, MIG welding voltage of 15 V, TIG welding current of 200 A, TIG welding voltage of 18 V, and welding gun travel speed of 5 mm/s. The significant process parameters were investigated using ANOVA. MIG welding current and MIG welding voltage were significant factors in the ANOVA, with percentage contributions of 44.19 % and 49.20 %, respectively. Five confirmation tests were performed, and the results show that the mean grey relational grade of the conformation test was 0.7594, which falls within the 90 % confidence interval, indicating that the experiment is reliable. Finally, MIG welding, TIG welding, and TIG-MIG hybrid welding processes were compared, with the results indicating that TIG-MIG hybrid welding has the highest hardness and tensile strength of all. Based on the findings, it is possible to conclude that the company should use the hybrid welding method to improve the weld joint's hardness and tensile strength.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100016"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444123000071/pdfft?md5=3aeb31e9879780b0c9330ac4a844665c&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444123000071-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136094976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hip joint replacement based on linear cylindrical articulations for reduced wear: A radical change in design","authors":"Leonardo Fanton ,&nbsp;Pierre Schembri Wismayer ,&nbsp;Donald Dalli ,&nbsp;Pierluigi Mollicone ,&nbsp;Bertram Mallia ,&nbsp;Maria Kristina Bartolo ,&nbsp;Joseph Buhagiar","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hip replacement surgery is a common procedure for patients suffering from hip joint degeneration. However, wear of the implant components, particularly Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), remains a significant concern, often leading to complications such as osteolysis and implant loosening. This invention disclosure introduces a novel tri-axial hip replacement design aimed at addressing these issues. The design incorporates three orthogonal cylindrical articulations, each providing one rotational degree of freedom to replicate the natural movements of the hip joint. The prosthesis comprises two components made from UHMWPE (cup and rotator) and two components made from high-N stainless steel (flexor and abductor). Each articulation consists of metal-on-polyethylene bearing couples. Unlike traditional ball-and-socket implants, the novel design limits motion within each articulation to a single direction, taking advantage of friction-induced UHMWPE strain hardening. Moreover, cylindrical joints offer a larger contact surface area than their spherical counterparts, thereby reducing contact stresses. Mid-sized high-fidelity prototypes underwent wear resistance testing, demonstrating significantly superior performance compared to a commercial ball-and-socket implant of similar size tested in the same conditions. Moreover, a cadaveric implantation performed by experienced orthopaedic surgeons showed the implant has good stability even for postures requiring a wide range of motion. This innovative design represents a promising advancement in hip replacement technology, offering improved wear resistance and longevity, thus potentially reducing the need for revision surgeries and enhancing patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100030"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A steel joint for driven precast concrete geothermal energy pile foundations","authors":"Habibollah Sadeghi,&nbsp;Rao Martand Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This invention describes a steel joint used for connecting two precast concrete driven energy pile (DEP) segments which is known as DEP joint. Precast concrete DEPs are cast in segments with a maximum length of 12 m at a concrete factory. DEPs are typically driven into the ground until bedrock; hence, in places where the bedrock is deeper than 12 m, two or more segments must be connected using a joint to produce longer energy piles. DEPs have not been frequently used because no suitable joint existed that could maintain structural integrity and provide leak-proof coupling between the pipes at the joint interface. The present invention addresses this problem by designing a steel joint that can meet the structural and hydraulic requirements of a suitable steel joint for DEPs. Each quadratic concrete energy pile segment is prefabricated in a concrete factory, where the heat transfer pipes are embedded inside the steel cage of each segment. The steel DEP joint is installed at one or both ends of each concrete segment, and has two or four sidewall channels, depending upon its size. Heat transfer pipes are coupled between every two segments, inside the sidewall channels, while the energy piles are installed at a construction site. The sidewall channels are protected using steel shielding plates that are riveted to the joint so that the pipes and the coupling inside the sidewall channels are protected against harsh frictions during the installation of the DEPs in the ground. The steel joint facilitates the installation of longer precast concrete energy piles up to the bedrock depth, especially in sites where the bedrock is deeper than a single segment length. The main advantages of precast concrete energy piles compared to cast-in-place piles are that they enable better quality control and quality assurance, as well as being easier, faster, and cheaper to install. The invented DEP joint has passed structural integrity tests as required according to the BS EN 12794 standard, and also passed hydraulic pressure tests according to the ASTM F2164 – 21; hence, it is certified to be used in construction projects. We are now looking for potential licensees to start manufacturing the joints and using them in the energy pile industry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100028"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444124000090/pdfft?md5=42485897c1eee43fb65646ba81ee5fb2&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444124000090-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141852853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fluorination of lithium metal used as anode in lithium metal batteries","authors":"Eugenio Gibertini ,&nbsp;Piergiorgio Marziani ,&nbsp;Massimo Barbieri ,&nbsp;Luca Magagnin ,&nbsp;Maurizio Sansotera","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inv.2024.100023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This invention refers to an innovative treatment capable of forming a coating on metallic lithium. This coating is able to solve the problem of dendritic growth, which represents a safety risk for batteries in terms of overheating or even catching fire. It is a process for the surface fluorination of metallic lithium using elemental fluorine. In this way, a uniform and impurity-free surface layer of lithium fluoride is formed on the whole surface of metallic lithium. This highly reproducible treatment can also be carried out on a large scale; it allows the creation of a material that can be advantageously used as anode in lithium batteries, since it guarantees significantly higher performances than those obtained by using bare metallic lithium anodes, and also those with lithium metal anodes equipped with a lithium fluoride layer, in which the creation of a lithium fluoride layer is achieved in situ by organic or other inorganic fluorinating agents.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100023"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444124000041/pdfft?md5=f23498f9aa301c3c7f4a7165365f501d&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444124000041-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140533339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Capacitive carbon dot electronic nose for bacterial detection","authors":"Vinoth Selvaraj ,&nbsp;Nitzan Shauloff ,&nbsp;Raz Jelinek","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A capacitive carbon dots (C-dots)-based electronic nose (e-nose) has been developed. The sensing scheme relies on the adsorption of bacterially secreted volatile molecules onto electrodes, each coated with C-dots exhibiting different polarities. The varying affinities of volatile molecules having different polarities to the electrode-deposited C-dots gave rise to distinct capacitance changes. Capacitance transformations recorded from three C-dot-coated electrodes gave rise to “capacitive fingerprints” for different bacteria, providing the means for distinguishing among microbial species. The capacitive C-dot e-nose was constructed from inexpensive and environmentally benign building blocks, is recyclable and easy to use, and constitutes a powerful platform for gas sensing in general, and bacterial detection in particular.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100031"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142422219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geogrid-type geotextile made from Typha domingensis fibers with high tensile strength for erosion control","authors":"Luiz Diego Vidal Santos ,&nbsp;Francisco Sandro Rodrigues Holanda ,&nbsp;Alceu Pedrotti ,&nbsp;Janisson Bispo Lino ,&nbsp;Cátia dos Santos Fontes ,&nbsp;Jeangela Carla Rodrigues de Melo ,&nbsp;Regina Helena Marino ,&nbsp;Gizelio Menzes Boge","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2024.100025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inv.2024.100025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The present invention relates to a geotextile of the geogrid type manufactured with fibers from the <em>Typha domingensis</em> plant, known as cumbungi, recognized for its remarkable tensile strength. This geotextile is developed to mitigate erosive processes and is produced from natural fibers arranged in a mat configuration. This product fit in with the technical fields of civil engineering and textile materials. The central innovation of this geotextile lies in the provision of a natural alternative featuring biodegradable fibers and high tensile strength. Its applications in environmental engineering include erosion prevention, slope stabilization, and reinforcement of road structures, with the fundamental goal of preserving the soil against degradation and erosion. This high-strength geotextile is composed of <em>Typha domingensis</em> fibers skillfully interwoven and connected to form a grid structure, with each unit covering approximately 0.25 m²s. Furthermore, a double layer of waterproofing material is incorporated to provide greater cohesion, environmental durability, and tensile strength. In practical applications, this geotextile demonstrates a remarkable ability to withstand mass movements even before local vegetation develops. This makes it a technological alternative that synergistically combines technological and ecological processes, incorporating the principles of soil bioengineering while offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic geotextiles. The use of this geotextile in the field is preferably combined with living components such as seeds, plant stakes, wood, or rocks for slope or embankment stabilization, with a primary focus on effective erosion control and the promotion of environmental sustainability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100025"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772444124000065/pdfft?md5=66348846e886bc0898b548df3fe09e91&pid=1-s2.0-S2772444124000065-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141541121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparing self-cleaning and antibacterial polysulfone nano-fibers using TiO2, ZnO, and SiO2 nanoparticles with electrospinning method","authors":"Aida Babakhani ,&nbsp;Sonya AzamiGheimasi","doi":"10.1016/j.inv.2023.100015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inv.2023.100015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This experiment used the electrospinning method to synthesize polysulfone nanofibers composited with TiO2, ZnO, and SiO2 nanoparticles. The goal was to prepare a nanofiber with super hydrophobic, self-cleaning, and antibacterial properties. Polysulfones are widely applied industrial polymers due to their low costs and high resistance; hence, various nanoparticles can be used to add unique features to this type of polymer. TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles are each characterized by specific photocatalytic properties. In the presence of light and moisture, these nanoparticles degrade contamination and organic compounds and prevent surfaces from getting dirty. In addition, ZnO is antibacterial and the SiO2 nanoparticle is a hydrophilic substance, which can be made highly hydrophobic if its surface is modified with organic chains. A combination of these three nanoparticles in a good medium can create self-cleaning, anti-bacterial, and super-hydrophobic properties. In this research, a DMF solvent and the said nanoparticles were used to synthesize a SiO2/ZnO/TiO2-PS nanofiber with an average diameter.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100728,"journal":{"name":"Invention Disclosure","volume":"3 ","pages":"Article 100015"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49747084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}