A prevalent and pervasive view of designing is that it can be modeled using variables and decisions made about what values should be taken by these variables. The activity of designing is carried out with the expectation that the designed artifact will operate in the natural world and the social world. These worlds impose constraints on the variables and their values; so, design could be described as a goal-oriented, constrained, decision- making activity. However, design distinguish- es itself from other similarly described activities not only by its domain but also by additional necessary features. Designing involves exploration, exploring what variables might be appropriate. The process of explo- ration involves both goal variables and deci- sion variables. In addition, designing involves learning: Part of the exploration activity is learning about emerging features as a design proceeds. Finally, design activity occurs within two contexts: the context within which the designer operates and the context produced by the developing design itself. The designer’s perception of what the context is affects the implication of the context on the design. The context shifts as the designer’s perceptions change. Design activity can be now characterized as a goal-oriented, con- strained, decision-making, exploration, and learning activity that operates within a con- text that depends on the designer’s percep- tion of the context.

Design Prototypes: A Knowledge Representation Schema for Design

Chemical modification of lignins: Towards biobased polymers

Lignin, a major component of lignocellulose, is the largest source of aromatic building blocks on the planet and harbors great potential to serve as starting material for the production of biobased products. Despite the initial challenges associated with the robust and irregular structure of lignin, the valorization of this intriguing aromatic biopolymer has come a long way: recently, many creative strategies emerged that deliver defined products via catalytic or biocatalytic depolymerization in good yields. The purpose of this review is to provide insight into these novel approaches and the potential application of such emerging new structures for the synthesis of biobased polymers or pharmacologically active molecules. Existing strategies for functionalization or defunctionalization of lignin-based compounds are also summarized. Following the whole value chain from raw lignocellulose through depolymerization to application whenever possible, specific lignin-based compounds emerge that could be in the fu...

Bright Side of Lignin Depolymerization: Toward New Platform Chemicals

House of Quality

Fuel ethanol production: process design trends and integration opportunities.

The primary aim of modern biorefineries is the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic materials into valuable products. Sugars and oils can be converted into valuable chemicals, but processing of lignin is still a challenge. A vast amount of lignin is incinerated to produce process steam and energy, and only a very small part is used for the production of value-added products. Technical lignins are isolated as by-streams in lignocellulosic refineries, e.g., as kraft, soda, organosolv, and hydrolysis lignins, as well as lignosulphonates. They have a modified structure and contain impurities that are dependent on the processing method. The structure and the composition of technical lignins restrict their subsequent applications. This paper reviews limiting factors in utilization of technical lignins. Four major classes of problems are identified, and approaches to overcoming these problems are suggested.

https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BioRes_06_3_3547_Vishtal_K_Challeng_Indust_Appl_Techn_Lignins_1744.pdf

Challenges in industrial applications of technical lignins

Creativity enables sustainable development: Supplier engagement as a boundary condition for the positive effect on green innovation

Quantitative indicators for social sustainability assessment of supply chains

A conceptual framework for measuring sustainability performance of supply chains

Conceptual process synthesis (CPS) is a very important issue in chemical process industries. During the last several decades, process synthesis has undergone major changes with respect to research issues as well as to the application domains. However, despite the publication of several excellent papers on process synthesis, such as Nishida et al. [AIChE J. 27 (3) (1981) 321], Westerberg [Comput. Chem. Eng. 13 (4–5) (1989) 365], and Johns [Chem. Eng. Progr. (2001) 59], there is a lack of an up-to-date overview paper devoted to the developments of conceptual process synthesis. This overview covers the main challenges and approaches in CPS that have emerged during the last two decades. This review is composed of five sections. The introduction outlines the history, milestones and development of CPS. It points out that the development of the conceptual design is carried out in the context of the three scales of process synthesis: the micro-, meso-, and macro-scale. The next section presents general design tasks. The methods, mainly knowledge-based, for solving a design problem are presented in the third section. In the fourth section, CPS is reviewed at the different scales through a discussion of the design tasks, achievements and most significant activities. The most interesting design topics are selected and discussed in more detail. Finally, this paper discusses the issues that will, possibly, dominate research into CPS in the near future.

Andrzej Kraslawski

Papers

Challenges in industrial applications of technical lignins

Creativity enables sustainable development: Supplier engagement as a boundary condition for the positive effect on green innovation

Quantitative indicators for social sustainability assessment of supply chains

A conceptual framework for measuring sustainability performance of supply chains

Conceptual process synthesis: past and current trends