Environmental productivity index

Recognizing that various environmental factors can simultaneously affect the photosynthetic rates of leaves leads to an Environmental Productivity Index (EPI) ... 

Based on the effects of water status, temperature, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) on net CO2 uptake measured over 24-h periods in the laboratory, net CO2 uptake and productivity have recently been predicted month-by-month in the field for agaves and cacti using an environmental productivity index (EPI). EPI is the product of a Water Index, a Temperature Index, and a PAR Index, each of which can have a maximum value of unity when field values of that environmental factor do not limit net CO2 uptake. A Nutrient Index, similarly ranging from 0.00 to 1.00, has recently been proposed to handle edaphic limitations on net CO2 uptake. In distinction to other productivity indices that customarily focus on only one environmental factor, EPI thus incorporates simultaneous effects of water, temperature, PAR, and even nutrients. Using EPI, the productivity of agaves, cacti, and potentially other species can be predicted over wide geographical regions and under any environmental conditions. 

MFCA objective function can be considered as an environmental impact index. While environmental negative impact reduces, green productivity increases. Designing of a measurement system that represents the relationships between green productivity and MFCA initiatives could be new area for researching. 

Aromaticity is the most important property of a carbon black feedstock. It is generally measured by the Bureau of Mines Correlation Index (BMCI) and is an indication of the carbon-to-hydrogen ratio. The sulfur content is limited to reduce corrosion, loss of yield, and sulfur in the product. It may be limited in certain locations for environmental reasons. The boiling range must be low enough so that it will be completely volatilized under furnace time—temperature conditions. Alkane insolubles or asphaltenes must be kept below critical levels in order to maintain product quaUty. Excessive asphaltene content results in a loss of reinforcement and poor treadwear in tire appHcations. 

The biocatalytic reduction step B in synthetic route B demands more raw materials (mass index S , see equation (5.1)) and generates more waste (environmental factor , see equation (5.2)) as compared to reduction step C (Figure 5.1). Solvents used to perform the extraction of the product from the aqueous phase in reduction step B are denoted as auxiliaries in Figure 5.1. These solvents and the aqueous phase dominate the mass balances as well as the environmental scores in Figure 5.2 (M4, M8). 

Inputs and outputs assessed in mass balancing are shown in Figure 5.3. The software EATOS was used to calculate all mass balances of processes. Outputs of EATOS are the mass index (equation (5.1), mass of raw material per mass of product output), and the environmental factor (equation (5.2), mass of waste output per mass of product output). EATOS also allows the calculation of cost indices (e.g., reference [15]) (equation (5.3), cost of raw material per mass of product output). 

A major difference in the evaluation of the two approaches concerns catalyst synthesis. Whereas catalyst production is integrated in the biocatalytic procedure (Scheme 5.4) and thus also contained in the cost index and the environmental factor, it is not considered in the chemical catalytic approach. A more realistic approach is to include the synthesis of the Jacobsen catalyst (Scheme 5.5) in the mass balance. In Figure 5.8, resources used for catalyst production are separately indicated ( Further Syntheses ). For the biocatalytic procedure, water dominates the environmental factor. The environmental factor increases for the chemical procedure, whereas the cost index, when representing only the raw material costs, declines if the (salen)Mn-catalyst is assumed to be synthesized and not bought. 

In contrast to the quantity of solvent 1 used during the reaction, the quantity of extraction solvent 2 (work up) increases during scale up (Laboratory 100% Operation 103%), especially when it is related to substrate 2 (Laboratory 100% Operation 169%). Compared to the yield obtained from the literature protocol in which an extraction procedure is missing, an efficient extraction seems to be important in order to achieve sufficient product accumulation. However, as the mass index and the environmental factor demonstrate with respect to the possibility for reducing the volume of water used (see above), solvent 2 demand should be able to be reduced as well, since less water use means less solvent is required for extraction. StiU, at least the recycle rate of solvent 2 is as high as 72.8% (from 169% to 46%, Table 5.1), regarding the current data of the technical operation scale. 

The EPS system was initially developed to be used within the product development process as a tool to help assess the environmental performance of products. The system is based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology and uses inventory data (kg of substance A), characterization factors (impact/kg of substance X) and weighting factors (cost/impacts) to calculate the external costs or values of a product. By multiplying the characterization factor with the weighting factor, an impact index is obtained (cost/kg of substance X) which describe the cost/values related to the emission per use of a kg of a certain substance. 

Doi R, Sakurai K (2004) Principal components derived from soil physicochemical data explained a land degradation gradient, and suggested the applicability of new indexes for estimation of soil productivity in the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, Thailand. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol... 

These are the only ranges of precursor products in the Colour Index that are still commercially significant. Azoic dyes have a close formal relationship to those monoazo pigments derived from BON acid or from acetoacetanilides (section 2.3.1) and some are chemically identical with them, although they are used in a totally different way. Azoic components are applied to produce insoluble azo dyes within the textile substrate, which is almost always cotton. Corresponding azoic components for the dyeing of cellulose acetate, triacetate and polyester fibres were once commercially important, but are now obsolete because of environmental hazards and the time-consuming application procedure. 

Oilfields in the North Sea provide some of the harshest environments for polymers, coupled with a requirement for reliability. Many environmental tests have therefore been performed to demonstrate the fitness-for-purpose of the materials and the products before they are put into service. Of recent examples [33-35], a complete test rig has been set up to test 250-300 mm diameter pipes, made of steel with a polypropylene jacket for thermal insulation and corrosion protection, with a design temperature of 140 °C, internal pressures of up to 50 MPa (500 bar) and a water depth of 350 m (external pressure 3.5 MPa or 35 bar). In the test rig the oil filled pipes are maintained at 140 °C in constantly renewed sea water at a pressure of 30 bar. Tests last for 3 years and after 2 years there have been no significant changes in melt flow index or mechanical properties. A separate programme was established for the selection of materials for the internal sheath of pipelines, whose purpose is to contain the oil and protect the main steel armour windings. Environmental ageing was performed first (immersion in oil, sea water and acid) and followed by mechanical tests as well as specialised tests (rapid gas decompression, methane permeability) related to the application. Creep was measured separately. 

The ideal response value is represented by r, represents the mean response at a particular value of the product design factor (represented by the index x) calculated over the region of interest of the environmental factors (R ), so... 

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