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Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell technology is one of the most promising PV technologies because of its high power conversion efficiencies, simple fabrication process and low manufacturing cost. The current world record efficiency of SHJ solar cell reaches up to 26.81%. SHJ solar cell produces the highest VOC over 750 mV among the c-Si...

Increased backing softness of planar smooth dry adhesives enhances contact area and frictional load capacity on a cylindrical substrate: With bio-inspired backings: Solid, Sponge & Inflatable

Dry adhesives can reattach to surfaces due to the reversible bond made by Van der Waals forces. These adhesives can therefore be used as gripping surface that has a high frictional load capacity, independent of the grasping force. In many grippers, the adhesive surface is often pressed into contact with another surface (’substrate’) in an open...

The effects of formate ion concentration on the complexation of Cr(III) in aqueous Cr(III) electrolytes from Cr_2(SO_4)_3 salts

Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) is one of the most promising non-toxic replacements for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) coatings in the steel packaging industry. The application of a chromium layer to packaging steel is essential for providing a protective layer on the steel packaging’s external surface area, which prevents corrosion during its use....

Performance evaluation of the crumb rubber modified bitumen containing warm-mix additives

The crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB) has been utilized in pavement industries to mainly reduce the environmental impacts of the wasted tires by turning unwanted scrap tires into new bituminous materials. However, the relatively high viscosity compared to the conventional asphalt is the major drawback of the CRMB. The higher mixing and...

Effect of Mineral Fillers on Ageing of Bituminous Mixtures

Ageing of bitumen has been long-recognized as one of the major reasons responsible for the gradual deterioration of asphalt pavements. Age-hardening of the binder leads to the embrittlement of the overall asphalt mixture, which entails its increased susceptibility to traffic and environmental induced damage. As a result, high maintenance efforts...

Linking the Characterisation of Cobalt-Bearing Copper Ore to Comminution Properties: Using a Geometallurgical Approach

The metal cobalt is essential in creating a sustainable society, as it is an important component in lithium- ion batteries and wind energy turbines. About half of the Earth’s land-based cobalt reserves can be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study focusses on characterising cobalt-bearing copper ore from a DRC based mining...

Corrosion inhibitor screening for galvannealed steel and high-strength steel

Corrosion on the car underbody can affect critical parts, which poses safety risks. The current corrosion protection methods such as wax, sealers and coatings are not effective enough and an advance form of corrosion protection is desired. Implementation of smart coatings might be an effective solution. These coatings contain a self-healing...