This paper deals with the inhibition effect of oxalic acid on the corrosion of copper in concentrated propionic and dilute citric acid solutions. The copper samples (in acid…
Abstract
This paper deals with the inhibition effect of oxalic acid on the corrosion of copper in concentrated propionic and dilute citric acid solutions. The copper samples (in acid solutions) were left in a water bath for a period of six days and were examined on a daily basis. The solutions were continuously fed with oxygen (air) and the temperature of the solutions was always maintained at 30°C. The oxalic acid in all three cases behaved like an inhibitor under the experimental conditions. The mass of the copper samples increased due to the formation of oxide layers on the surfaces of the samples.
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C. Giacomelli, F.C. Giacomelli, J.A.A. Baptista and A. Spinelli
The effect of oxalic acid (OA) on corrosion resistance of carbon steel in sulphuric acid pH=2.5‐6.0 solutions containing 10−7‐10−3M OA was investigated by means of potentiodynamic…
Abstract
The effect of oxalic acid (OA) on corrosion resistance of carbon steel in sulphuric acid pH=2.5‐6.0 solutions containing 10−7‐10−3M OA was investigated by means of potentiodynamic polarisation measurements and immersion tests. The results suggest that OA is a good corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel, exhibiting inhibition efficiencies (IE) ranging from 50 to 85 per cent in dilute 10−7‐10−5M OA solutions of pH>3.0, whereas for pH≤3.0 solutions, an increase in corrosion rate was found. Non‐accelerated experiments (weight loss tests) carried out by immersing carbon steel specimens into OA‐containing solutions during at least 6 h revealed only positive IE values, regardless of both solution pH and OA content. The results were explained considering the solution composition as function of pH.
Anita Rijal, Charles Baah, Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah, Ebenezer Afum and Innocent Senyo Kwasi Acquah
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies are encouraged to form supply chain collaborations (SCC) for better circular economy (CE) performance. Yet, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies are encouraged to form supply chain collaborations (SCC) for better circular economy (CE) performance. Yet, the literature remains silent on SMEs’ susceptibility to opportunistic behaviors of supply chain (SC) partners. This study draws on the transaction cost theory (TCT) and the resource-based view (RBV) to investigate the impact of shirking on SCC and CE performance while exploring how circular economy entrepreneurship (CEE) can curb the impacts of shirking on SCC as well as drive technical capability (TC) to moderate the relationship between SCC and CE performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The TCT and RBV are used as a theoretical lens to investigate the direct, mediation and moderation effects tested via partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using survey data from 152 managers of SMEs in Nepal.
Findings
Contrary to past findings, the study results show that shirking, directly and indirectly, has a positive and significant impact on SCC and CE performance, respectively. The results also show that as CEE, which positively and significantly drives TC, moves from low to high levels, the effect of shirking on SCC dampens, and as TC moves from low to high levels, the effect of SCC on CE performance intensifies.
Originality/value
This study’s contribution lies in extending the shirking debate to the CE domain and also in identifying CEE and TC as potent means for SMEs in emerging economies to mitigate shirking impacts and induce SC partner commitments in CE-driven SCC. This study provides relevant theoretical and practical insights.
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F.V. Adams, P.A. Olubambi, J.H. Potgieter and J. Van Der Merwe
The purpose of this paper is to supplement the scant previous investigations on the corrosion behaviour of 2205 and 2507 duplex stainless steels in selected organic acids…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to supplement the scant previous investigations on the corrosion behaviour of 2205 and 2507 duplex stainless steels in selected organic acids containing chloride additions.
Design/methodology/approach
Microstructural examination of the alloys was first carried out, after which the corrosion behaviour of the alloys in citric, oxalic, formic and acetic acids containing chloride additions at varying temperatures was studied using electrochemical techniques.
Findings
The alloy 2507 material had a larger grain size than did the alloy 2205 sample. The corrosion resistances of the alloys generally are highest in acetic acids and lowest in citric acid. The addition of chloride had a pronounced effect on their corrosion resistance. Alloy 2507 generally exhibited higher corrosion resistance in all of the acids than alloy 2205, with the exception of acetic acid at room temperature. The 50:50 ratio of ferrite to austenite composition, as revealed by phase compositional analysis, indicated no significant possibility for galvanic corrosion between the phases. This suggests that the corrosion behaviour of the alloys is controlled by their grain sizes and chemical compositions.
Originality/value
Although the corrosion behaviour of duplex stainless steels in some organic acid media has been reported, this investigation covers the major organic acids not previously reported. Since in real industrial systems a mixture of both organic and minerals acids/salts may typically exist, investigations of the combined effect of chloride ions with the organic acids reported in this paper typify real industrial operations. The paper thus provides a basis for material selection for the application of 2205 and 2507 in industrial systems where organic acids are mostly used.
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Sandra C. Buttigieg, Dorothy Gauci, Frank Bezzina and Prasanta K. Dey
Length of stay (LOS) in hospital after surgery varies for each patient depending on surgeon’s decision that considers criticality of the surgery, patient’s conditions before and…
Abstract
Purpose
Length of stay (LOS) in hospital after surgery varies for each patient depending on surgeon’s decision that considers criticality of the surgery, patient’s conditions before and after surgery, expected time to recovery and experience of the surgeon involved. Decision on patients’ LOS at hospital post-surgery affects overall healthcare performance as it affects both cost and quality of care. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for deriving the most appropriate LOS after surgical interventions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts an action research involving multiple stakeholders (surgeon, patients/patients’ relatives, hospital management and other medics). First, a conceptual model is developed using literature and experts’ opinion. Second, the model is applied in three surgical interventions in a public hospital in Malta to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. Third, the policy alternatives developed are compared to a selection of current international standards for each surgical intervention. The proposed model analyses three LOS threshold policies for three procedures using efficiency and responsiveness criteria. The entire analysis is carried out using 325 randomly selected patient files along with structured interactions with more than 50 stakeholders (surgeon, patients/patients’ relatives, hospital management and other medics). A multiple criteria decision-making method is deployed for model building and data analysis. The method involves combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for verbal subjective judgements on prioritizing the four predictors of surgical LOS—medical, financial, social and risk, with pairwise comparisons of the sub-criteria under each criterion in line with the concerned interventions—the objective data of which are obtained from the patients’ files.
Findings
The proposed model was successfully applied to decide on the best policy alternative for LOS for the three interventions. The best policy alternatives compared well to current international benchmarks.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed method needs to be tested for other interventions across various healthcare settings.
Practical implications
Multi-criteria decision-making tools enable resource optimization and overall improvement of patient care through the application of a scientific management technique that involves all relevant stakeholders while utilizing both subjective judgements as well as objective data.
Originality/value
Traditionally, the duration of post-surgery LOS is mainly based on the surgeons’ clinical but also arbitrary decisions, with, as a result, having insufficiently explicable variations in LOS amongst peers for similar interventions. According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to derive post-surgery LOS using the AHP, a multiple criteria decision-making method.
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Manabhanjan Sahu, Kishan Jee, Furquan Uddin, Alamgir Sani and Satish Chandra Tiwari
This study aims to assess the factors influencing the effective implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) practices within the context of sustainable accounting…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the factors influencing the effective implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) practices within the context of sustainable accounting goals and circular economy principles. It seeks to provide insights into the significance of EPR policies for manufacturing industries striving to enhance their environmental, social and governance performance while ensuring sustainable accounting of their business operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology proposed in this article is based on the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. This approach formulates a structural framework for evaluating influential elements among critical recognized factors. By using DEMATEL, the study examines the interconnectedness between assessed factors through a cause-and-effect diagram, facilitating the integration of EPR into sustainable accounting practices.
Findings
The research findings reveal that the most impactful contributors to sustainable accounting practices of EPR within the framework of sustainable development goals and circular economy are producers, consumers, eco-design, public awareness and the support of local authorities. These findings underscore the importance of considering these factors in implementing EPR and advancing sustainable accounting practices.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by proposing a DEMATEL-based model for evaluating the factors affecting the implementation of EPR within the context of sustainable accounting goals and circular economy principles.
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Gildas Dohba Dinga, Dobdinga Cletus Fonchamnyo, Nkoa Bruno Emmanuel Ongo and Festus Victor Bekun
The study examined the impact of financial development, foreign direct investment, market size and trade openness on domestic investment for 119 countries divided into four panels…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examined the impact of financial development, foreign direct investment, market size and trade openness on domestic investment for 119 countries divided into four panels that are low-income countries (LIC), lower middle-income countries (LMIC), upper middle-income countries (UMIC) and high-income countries (HIC) between 1995 and 2019.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study bases its empirical procedure on the bases of the data mix. To this end, based on the presence of cross-sectional dependence, covariate-augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root and Westerlund cointegration second-generation tests were employed to validate the stationarity and cointegration of the variables, respectively. The novel Dynamic Common Correlation Effects estimator was employed to estimate the heterogeneous parameters while the Dumitrescu and Hurlin test was used to test for causality direction of the highlighted variables.
Findings
The empirical results show that market size and trade openness had a positive and statistically significant effect on domestic investment for all the income groups. Results also show that financial development had a positive and statically significant effect on domestic investment only for LMIC and HIC economies, while a positive and statistically insignificant effect was obtained for LIC, UMIC and the global panel. The causality results revealed a bidirectional relationship between domestic investment and the exogenous variables – financial development, foreign direct investment, market size and trade openness.
Research limitations/implications
It is therefore, recommended that LIC and LMIC need to consider harmonising the financial system to lower credit limitations and adopt business-friendly policies. HIC and UMIC should seek more outward FDI policies and harmonise their trade policy, to reap more benefits from FDI and international trade.
Originality/value
On novelty, previous studies have been criticised for the effect on technical innovation of bank financing and institutional quality. This research tackles the deficiency using systematic institutional quality indicators and by taking other variables into account.
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In South Africa, the majority of the population struggles to access care and support for mental health challenges. Drawing on challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees in…
Abstract
Purpose
In South Africa, the majority of the population struggles to access care and support for mental health challenges. Drawing on challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees in the urban margins of Johannesburg, this paper aims to explore the relationship between migration and mental health through a lens of heightened vulnerability, precarious urban spaces and unmet basic needs.
Design/methodology/approach
Remote interviews were conducted with respondents working in the mental health-care sector (public and private) and with migrant communities in Johannesburg. Respondents were identified via purposive sampling and interviews were conducted in English. Key findings were identified using thematic analysis.
Findings
Effective responses to asylum seekers and refugees facing mental health challenges are based on an understanding of context, of crisis and of the need to meet basic needs such as paying rent, finding employment and providing for families. These “daily stressors” not only compound “extreme traumatisation” but are a form of trauma in and of itself.
Originality/value
This paper shows how alternative responses determined by an understanding of context, of crisis and of the need to meet basic needs provide critical and potentially far-reaching interventions. Locating trauma in the unmet needs, precarious urban spaces and marginalisation opens up space to further question the ways that migration and mental health shape and reshape one another.
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Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah, Ebenezer Afum, Innocent Senyo Kwasi Acquah, Essel Dacosta, Charles Baah and Esther Ahenkorah
The priority giving to green practices in today's competitive market has made green logistics management practices (GLMPS) a significant driver of organizational performance. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The priority giving to green practices in today's competitive market has made green logistics management practices (GLMPS) a significant driver of organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of GLMPS, logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability on sustainability performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses structured questionnaires to gather data from 274 managers of manufacturing firms in Ghana. The partial least square structural equation modeling approach is used to analyze the data to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results obtained from the analysis indicate that GLMPS positively influence social sustainability and environmental sustainability. However, GLMPS negatively influence business performance. The results further reveal that logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability augment GLMPS to achieve significant improvement in both business performance and environmental sustainability through the mediation effect approach.
Originality/value
The study proposes a conceptual framework that tests the combined effect of GLMPs, logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability on environmental sustainability, social sustainability and business performance from the Ghanaian perspective.
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Innocent Senyo Kwasi Acquah, Dacosta Essel, Charles Baah, Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah and Ebenezer Afum
The need to engage in manufacturing practices that promote environmental sustainability has shifted from being optional to mandatory. From the perspectives of institutional and…
Abstract
Purpose
The need to engage in manufacturing practices that promote environmental sustainability has shifted from being optional to mandatory. From the perspectives of institutional and stakeholder theories, this paper captures the efficacy of isomorphic pressures on the adoption of green procurement, green product and process innovations and their respective influence on organizational legitimacy and financial performance in the context of an emerging economy and from the perspective of manufacturing small-and medium-sized enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a survey research design, a quantitative approach and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique in making data analysis and interpretations due to its suitability for predictive research models.
Findings
Analysis of the results highlighted the fact that the composite impact of coercive, mimetic and normative isomorphic pressures robustly influenced the adoption of green procurement, green product and process innovations. Simultaneously, green procurement, green product and process innovations significantly influenced organizational legitimacy. Green procurement and green product innovation also significantly influenced financial performance unlike green process innovation that had an insignificant yet positive impact on financial performance. Based on the results, theoretical and practical implications are explained for policy makers, managers, government authorities and owners.
Originality/value
The study is among the first to expose isomorphic pressures on the adoption of green manufacturing practices specifically, green procurement, green product and process innovations and their influence on organizational legitimacy and financial performance in the context of Ghana, an emerging economy and from the perspective of small-and medium-sized enterprises. As such, the study provides guidance to relevant industry authorities and stakeholders in further promoting green manufacturing practices that preserve the environment by producing safer consumer products through efficient green procurement, green product and process innovative practices.