β-Cyclodextrin Substituted Polyoxyethylene in the Synthesize of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers

In this study, the starch-based material β-cyclodextrin was used as the original material to substitute petrochemical product-polyoxyethylene (HPEG) to synthesize concrete admixture polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE). During the synthesis, β-cyclodextrin was first grafted on the PEO chain to prepare β-CD-HPEG by click reaction. Then β-CD-HPEG was used to substitute the macromonomer HPEG to synthesize β-CD-PCE. When the substitution amount HPEG was 3%, the synthesized β-CD-PCE showed better dispersion ability.

Oil and Gas Chemistry in Russia: State, Problems, Development Prospects

The article considers the level of development of the petrochemical industry in Russia, the range of products, and the volume of its production. Petrochemical product range manufactured by various oil, gas and petrochemical companies in Russia is described. The analysis of problems in the Russian petrochemical industry, a comparison of its range and production volumes with indicators of developed countries is carried out. The prospects for the development of petrochemical chemistry in Russia were discussed.

LOGICAL AND INFORMATION MODEL OF MANAGEMENT OF PROCESSES OF «SMART» PRODUCTION

The article presents a study of the specifics of «smart» production, the positive effect of which is certainly recognized by industrial enterprises. This means increasing production efficiency, ensuring the reliability, stability and safety of technological systems, and reducing the burden on the environment. In the context of the digital transformation of the industry, new opportunities are opening up to achieve this effect. In this regard, it is important to model the processes of «smart» production, the decomposition of the control system of mechanisms and tools. The purpose of the study is to build a logical and information model that reflects the specifics of managing the processes of «smart» production. The research methods used are comparative analysis (in the context of industries and territories); formalization, which clearly presents information about the management of «smart» production processes in the form of schemes and models; mathematical and statistical methods that underlie cluster analysis. As a result of the study, the following results were obtained: the general scheme of «smart» production was formalized, taking into account the processes of obtaining a petrochemical product, control actions, mechanisms and necessary resources, taking into account the guidelines for sustainable development; the typology of Russian regions, depending on the level of intellectualization of production, was identified according to the signs of the activity of organizations in terms of the use of information and communication technologies for the automation of processes and design: regions with low, medium and high activity of intellectualization of production; A logical and information model of managing the processes of «smart» production is proposed, covering the stages of integration and operation of digital technologies, production assets of industrial enterprises and personnel support, which differs in the object of modeling and systematically describes the functioning of intelligent production. The practical significance of the results is due to the possibility of competent process management in the context of the implementation of digital solutions and the sustainable development of industry.

Lignin-based resins for kraft paper applications

We investigated miscanthus (MS) and willow (W) lignin-furfural based resins as potential reinforcement agents on softwood and hardwood kraft paper. These resins might be sustainable alternatives to the commercial phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins. Phenol is a petrochemical product and formaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The lignin used in this study was derived from hot water extraction (160ºC, 2 h) of MS and W biomass, and may be considered sulfur-free. These biorefinery lignins were characterized for their chemical composition and inherent properties via wet chemistry and instrumental techniques. The resin blends (MS-resin and W-resin) were characterized for their molecular weight, thermal behavior, and mechanical properties. Mechanical properties were measured by the resin’s ability to reinforce softwood and hardwood kraft papers. The effect of adding hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), a curing agent, to the resin was also examined. Mixtures of PF and lignin-based resins were investigated to further explore ways to reduce use of nonrenewables, phenol, and carcinogenic formaldehyde. The results show that lignin-based resins have the potential to replace PF resins in kraft paper applications. For softwood paper, the highest strength was achieved using W-resin, without HMTA (2.5 times greater than PF with HMTA). For hardwood paper, MS-resin with HMTA gave the highest strength (2.3 times higher than PF with HMTA). The lignin-based resins, without HMTA, also yielded mechanical properties comparable to PF with HMTA.