Knowledge of the pollution activity at the mining and smelting sites and assessment of contamination levels at different sites is not always sufficient for reliable conclusions regarding lead (Pb) provenance and contributions from sources. Pb isotopes have long been used as ‘fingerprints’ of the source of Pb recorded in environmental …
This doctoral dissertation present research aimed into enhancing polymer-bonded Nd–Fe–B magnets through innovative surface treatments and additive manufacturing techniques, focusing on improving their mechanical strength, magnetic characteristics, and environmental stability. This research is critical for broadening the applicability of these magnets in sectors like green technologies and motion control systems. …
In the scope of this thesis, I focused on SrTiO3 (ST)-based dielectric ceramic composites as a lead-free perovskite material, which holds great potential for use in various electronic components. Such materials are large-scale and fabricated under high energy requirements, indicating an increasing need for a more environmentally friendly processing method. …
Despite the large volume of recently published papers in the field of constrained multiobjective optimization, the understanding and characterization of constrained multiobjective optimization problems (CMOPs) for benchmarking multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) and the related constraint handling techniques (CHTs) remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, selecting appropriate CMOPs for benchmarking is challenging and lacks …
Cement production is one of the main contributors to mercury emissions in to the atmosphere. Many national and international legal i nstruments aim to control and reduce Hg emissions. Hg enters the cement production process as an impurity in fuels and raw materials, with the latter being the main source …
Fusion technology has a great potential to safely provide an inexhaustible quantity of electricity without producing greenhouse gases and minimal hazardous waste compared to conventional energy sources, such as nuclear power plants. For materials intended for fusion plasma-facing applications, the essential properties are structural stability at elevated temperature, adequate thermal …
Thermal insulation materials have a strong impact on energy efficiency of buildings which are one of the main energy consumers in the EU. Thermal insulation materials are widely used and improving their properties or improving their production can therefore have a rapid impact on the efficient use of energy in …
The miniaturization of electronic devices requires the fabrication of functional components in the form of μm-sized thick films. Some of the most promising functional materials are relaxor-ferroelectric (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–xPbTiO3 (PMN–100xPT), as they exhibit versatile dielectric, piezoelectric and relaxor-ferroelectric properties. However, the integration of functional ceramic thick films with non-conventional substrates such …
Highly porous ceramic γ‒Al2O3 monoliths are important in many applications, e.g., catalysis, thermal insulation and adsorption, yet they still have a lot of unrecognized potential. There is a lot of incentive to employ simple and green fabrication processes for the preparation of such porous ceramic materials; however, many challenges, especially …
Recycling and reuse of waste by-products from steel industry is a common practice worldwide, which is in the last decade becoming more and more established also in Slovenia. Wastes from steel-making industry can be reused as alternative materials to successfully replace natural raw materials in asphalt mixes and in numerous …