Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a central pillar of the global energy transition due to its high gravimetric energy density and its clean combustion by-product, the water. However, one of the main challenges associated with hydrogen is its safe and efficient storage under high pressure, particularly in mobile applications. Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) are currently the most adva...
[Excerpt] Type IV hydrogen storage vessel is a compact and light weight structure used to store hydrogen gas under very high pressure, commonly at 700 bar, making it suitable for transport applications like fuel cell electric vehicles. It is typically constituted of a polymeric liner, which acts as a gas barrier, surrounded by a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composite overwrap that provides mechanical strengt...
High electrical conductivity, along with high piezoresistive sensitivity and stretchability, are crucial for designing and developing nanocomposite strain sensors for damage sensing and on-line structural health monitoring of smart carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. In this study, the influence of the geometric features and loadings of carbon-based nanomaterials, including reduced graphene oxide...
The use of different residues for the production of new composite materials has gained strength in recent years, as it enables reuse of materials and creates value for the residue which would usually be insignificant. This work presents the results of the development of mixed plastic composites using plastic waste and used foundry sands from different origins as fillers. The materials were characterized by diff...
Plastic packaging, in the form of films, brought several advantages to the commercialization of products given its lightness and durability. It provided better ergonomics, ease of transport, increased shelf life, and easy handling and use. Despite that, plastic packaging is facing enormous sustainability concerns associated with the traditional practice of linear economy, combined with commonplace irresponsible...
[Excerpt] The pressure imposed by legislations and treaties to adopt more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative materials is rising. Therefore, the use of cork-polymer composites (CPC) in the automotive industry could bridge the difficulties they have complying with the environmental laws and the need of giving a second life to the cork industrial wastes. From the cork processing, residues are generated, als...
The increasing amount of plastics in new vehicles, and the consequent growth of plastics in the automotive shredder residue, makes it imperative and urgent to improve reuse and/or recovery of plastics at the vehicle’s end-of-life. Circularity micro-indicators can identify improvement guidelines and monitor the transition to a more circular economic model; however, the complexity, variety of scope and approach, ...
With the transition from a linear to a more circular economic model, tools are required to monitor the effect of adopted changes, and to assist in further decision-making along time. Within this context, circularity micro- indicators have been proposed by many authors as a fairly simple tool to measure progress towards a more circular economy, at the product or company level. However, these circularity micro-in...
[Excerto] Os plásticos são considerados um dos principais geradores de resíduos da atualidade, pois são projetados, em grande parte, para seguirem uma estratégia de economia linear (produção, uso e descarte). A dificuldade em gerir o seu fim de vida leva a que uma percentagem considerável seja depositada em aterro, causando um enorme impacto ambiental, o consumo de recursos e a perda do seu valor económico.