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Textile companies are facing a grand challenge towards achieving circularity in their business models. With a growing demand by customers for more sustainable textile products and the increased worldwide attention on how much the textile industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollutions, this challenge needs to be addressed.    Therefor the purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the state-of-art regarding recycling options and possibilities for textile industry. Recycling options both refers to how recycling is performed of textiles and how recycled materials are used. Following the aim is also to investigate if the industry’s demands on recycling options and recycled materials are aligned with what can be found from scientifically sources. Further, the study aims to explore re-cycled textile materials, and how (or if) these materials are competitive on the market.   The research questions where: [1] What criteria is important for companies when considering using recycled textile materials?   [2] What technologies are used for re-cycling of textiles today? a.     Are the textile materials that are used today supported by these recycling technologies? This thesis has used a qualitative approach through data collection. Data was collected through interviews and literature review. The interviews were conducted online, with representatives from different textile companies. The structure of the interviews was semi-structed. The literature review was performed based on the research question.   The main requirement companies had on recycled materials were related to quality and cost. The materials were expected to have the same standard as virgin materials. Two recycling technologies was identified, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling.    Limitations in this master thesis is towards recycling technologies and requirements/criteria on recycled materials set by companies. The study takes a comprehensive approach and conclusions that needs to be further investigated. / CircuTex

Circularity is a trending topic in research and in marketing documents from companies, as this notion is essential to move towards sustainability. However, there is no tool assessing the circularity of a manufactured product at a meso-level, i.e. on the product’s perspective, even though the same kind of tools exists for environmental impact. Such a tool could be very relevant to use at different stages of product development or even to harmonize the circularity indicators used by stakeholders at different levels, who are currently communicating using different metrics. To fill this research gap, a framework is proposed to measure circularity of Swedish automotive products, as road transportation is one of the sectors with the highest environmental impacts in Europe. Three indicators have been proposed to monitor circularity around industrial waste, energy use and electronic materials waste, building the foundations for a circularity monitoring framework. These three indicators are combining measurements and strategies from scientific literature as well as good practices from Swedish automotive industries. The indicators have been tested using representative data from online sources and assumed datapoints, the results of these simulations have been assessed by experts from the industry. They confirmed that such a tool would be relevant as it shows areas of improvement to increase the circularity of a product. Using only data available online and the framework developed, the industrial waste indicator of a representative product from the Swedish automotive industry has been calculated to be 38% with an accuracy of 66%, showing the ease of use of the tool developed. Energy and electronic waste indicators have been calculated to be 7.7% and 24% respectively for the case studied. Results shows that value of indicators tend to decrease with the accuracy increasing, which highlights the importance of an accuracy measurement associated with it. More aspects could be added to the existing framework to have a complete picture of the circularity of a product, as the tool is flexible and adaptable, but results shows that it is already possible to use it in its current state of development and could help companies when making decisions about circularity. / Cirkularitet är ett trendigt ämne i forskning och i företagens marknadsföringsdokument, eftersom begreppet är viktigt för omställningen mot hållbarhet. Det finns dock inget verktyg för att bedöma en tillverkad produkts cirkularitet på mesonivå, dvs. ur produktperspektivet, även om det finns samma typ av verktyg för miljöpåverkan. Ett sådant verktyg skulle kunna vara mycket relevant att använda i olika skeden av produktutvecklingen eller till och med för att harmonisera de cirkuläritetsindikatorer som används av intressenter på olika nivåer, som för närvarande kommuniceras med hjälp av olika mått. För att fylla denna forskningslucka föreslås ett ramverk för att mäta cirkulariteten hos svenska bilprodukter, eftersom vägtransporter är en av de sektorer som har störst miljöpåverkan i Europa. Tre indikatorer har föreslagits för att mäta cirkulariteten för industriavfall, energianvändning och elektroniskt materialavfall, vilket utgör grunden för ett ramverk för mätning av cirkularitet. Dessa tre indikatorer kombinerar mätningar och strategier från vetenskaplig litteratur samt god praxis från svensk bilindustri. Indikatorerna har testats med hjälp av representativa data från onlinekällor och antagna datapunkter, resultaten av dessa simuleringar har bedömts av experter från industrin. De bekräftade att ett sådant verktyg skulle vara relevant eftersom det visar förbättringsområden för att öka en produkts cirkularitet. Genom att endast använda data som finns tillgängliga online har indikatorn för industriavfall för en representativ produkt från den svenska bilindustrin beräknats till 38 % med en noggrannhet på 66 %, vilket visar att det utvecklade verktyget är lätt att använda. Indikatorerna för energi- och elektronikavfall har beräknats till 7,7 % respektive 24 % för det studerade fallet. Resultaten visar att indikatorernas värde tenderar att sjunka med ökande noggrannhet, vilket understryker vikten av en noggrannhetsmätning i samband med detta. Fler aspekter skulle kunna läggas till i det befintliga ramverket för att få en fullständig bild av en produkts cirkularitet, eftersom verktyget är flexibelt och anpassningsbart, men resultaten visar att det redan är möjligt att använda det i dess nuvarande utvecklingsstadium och att det skulle kunna hjälpa företag när de fattar beslut om cirkularitet.

Yes / We examine corporate inertia towards circularity transition using organisational case studies, observations, and qualitative interviews with business executives. The study explores how the values and beliefs of business leaders and managers promote or inhibit internal and external stakeholder engagement to enable transition to circular business models. We focus on four large UK food companies, conducting interviews with 11 senior managers. Rather than a lack of awareness of the circular economy (CE), the results demonstrate that business leaders are not persuaded by the short-to medium-term business case for a CE. There is misalignment between values and beliefs of business executives and the circularity values and goals of their organisations. The misaligned values and beliefs inhibit relevant stakeholder engagement for transitions to a CE with responsibility shifted to civil society and public institutions. Management commitment to circularity transitions are at best a sophisticated form of circularity greenwashing. The study further suggests a general lack of collective disposition to foster collaborations with sectoral and supply chain partners to engender circularity transitions due to the absence of any standard systems for CE performance indicators. Circularity education and training play a positive mediatory role in changing negative assumptions, including the promotion of managers' engagement with other relevant stakeholders to build synergies and strategies for CE systems. The findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of corporate inertia regarding transitions to CE and highlight the relevance of aligning the personal values and beliefs of top management with organisational, sectoral, and supply chain partners’ values and goals.

This thesis aims at developing a (dis/re)assembly oriented methodology towards product end-of-life. Particular focus in this thesis is on the circularity of furniture via design for (dis/re)assembly. The main motivation behind this study was the need for a method to evaluate the (dis/re)assembly options of furniture designs to be able to facilitate repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, or recycling. The study draws upon relevant theories and prior research on Circular product Design, Design for EoL, Design for Environment, and Design for (Dis)assembly of vehicles, electrical and elocronic equipments, whitegoods, as well as office furniture, though relatively limited. The proposed methodology determines major aspects of design for (dis/re)assembly to be taken in to consideration in the early stages of product development. It further provides a set of parameters that are relevant to cabinet type and upholstery furniture group. The study involves a variety of qualitative research methods that are embedded in an interactive research conduct with the engagement of different stakeholders that are charged with the task of product development at Ikea of Sweden (IoS), the collaborator of this study.  The proposed methodology is implemented on three selected furniture designs in a pilot study. The results of the study, above all, suggest that (dis/re)assemblability of a product is a strategic choice that needs to be made at early phases of product development, namely the design phase. Two particular features of the furniture groups, upon which this study focuses, emerges as factors having negative impact on the disassemblability of products: first, wooden frame sofas with respect to their complex structure and connectivity of componants and, second, permanent joints with respect to their destructive impact on the product. The study concludes that it is feasible to develop and implement a potentially comprehensible method to evaluate the ease of disassembly of furniture products and to design for disassembly. The proposed methodology in this study is a contribution to support product design for disassembly towards product circularity.

Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à l'étude des courbes discrètes et ses applications en analyse d'images. Nous avons proposé une amélioration de l'estimation de courbure reposant sur le cercle circonscrit. Celle-ci repose sur la notion de segment flou maximal d'épaisseur [nu] et sur la décomposition d'une courbe discrète en sa séquence de segments flous maximaux. Par la suite, nousavons appliqué cette idée en 3D afin d'estimer la courbure et la torsion discrète en chaque point d'une courbe 3D. Au niveau de l'application, nous avons développé une méthode rapide et fiable pour détecter les points dominants dans une courbe 2D. Un point dominant est un point dont la courbure est localement maximale. Les points dominants jouent un rôle très important dans la reconnaissance de formes. Notre méthode utilise un paramètre qui est l'épaisseur des segments flous maximaux. Reposant sur cette nouvelle méthode de détection des points dominants, nous avons développé des méthodes sans paramètres de détection des points dominants. Celles-ci se basent sur une approche multi-épaisseur. D'autre part, nous nous intéressons particulièrement au cercles et arcs discrets. Une méthode linéaire a été développé pour reconnaître des cercles et arcs discrets. Puisnous avons fait évoluer cette méthode afin de travailler avec des courbes bruitées en utilisant une méthode de détection du bruit. Nous proposons aussi une mesure de circularité. Une méthode linéaire qui utilise cette mesure a été aussi développée pour mesurer la circularité des courbes fermées. Par ailleurs, nous avons proposé une méthode rapide pour décomposer des courbes discrètes en arcs et en segments de droite. / In this thesis, we are interested in the study of discrete curves and its applications in image analysis. We have proposed an amelioration of curvature estimation based on circumcircle. This method is based on the notion of blurred segment of width [nu] and on the decomposition of a curve into the sequence of maximal blurred segment of width [nu]. Afterwards, we have applied this idea in 3D to estimate the discrete curvature and torsion at each point of a 3D curve. Concerning the applications, we have developed a rapid et reliable method to detect dominant points of a 2D curve. A dominant point is a point whose the curvature value is locally maximum. The dominant points play an important role in pattern recognition. Our method uses a parameter: the width of maximal blurred segments. Based on this novel method of dominant point detection, we proposed free-parameter methods for polygonal representation. They are based on a multi-width approach. Otherwise, we are interested in discrete arcs and circles. A linear method has been proposed for the recognition of arcs and circles. We then develop a new method for segmentation of noisy curves into arcs based on a method of noise detection. We also proposed a linear method to measure the circularity of closed curves. In addition, we have proposed a robust method to decompose a curve into arcs and line segments

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) are widely used in aerospace, automobile and other structural applications due to their superior mechanical and physical properties. CFRP outperform conventional metals in high strength-to-weight ratio. Usually, CFRP parts are manufactured near to net-shape;however,machining is unavoidable when it comes to assembly. Drilling the holes are essential to facilitate riveting and bolting of the components. However, conventional drilling (CD) induces different types of damages such as cracking, fibre pull-out, sprintling and delamination due to the abrasive nature, inhomogeneity and anisotropy of CFRP. A novel technique, ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD) is hybrid machining technique in which highfrequency (typically above 20 kHz) vibration are superimposed on a standard twist drill bit in axial direction using ultrasonic transducer. UAD has shown several advantages such as thrust force reduction, improving surface quality and lower bur-formation in drilling of conventional metals. UAD has also effectively been used for drilling brittle materials.

Cette thèse se situe à l'interface entre l'analyse d'images, dont l'objectif est la description automatique du contenu visuel, et la géométrie discrète, qui est l'un des domaines dédiés au traitement des images numériques. Pour être stocké et manipulé sur un ordinateur, un signal observé est régulièrement échantillonné. L'image numérique, qui est le résultat de ce processus d'acquisition, est donc constituée d'un ensemble fini d'éléments distincts. La géométrie discrète se propose d'étudier les propriétés géométriques d'un tel espace dépourvu de continuité. Dans ce cadre, nous avons considéré les régions homogènes et porteuses de sens d'une image, avec l'objectif de représenter leur contour au moyen de modèles géométriques ou de les décrire à l'aide de mesures. L'étendue des applications de ce travail en analyse d'images est vaste, que ce soit au cours du processus de segmentation, ou en vue de la reconnaissance d'un objet. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur trois modèles géométriques discrets définis par la discrétisation de Gauss : la partie convexe ou concave, l'arc de cercle discret et le segment de droite discrète. Nous avons élaboré des algorithmes dynamiques (mise à jour à la volée de la décision et du paramétrage), exacts (calculs en nombres entiers sans erreur d'approximation) et rapides (calculs simplifiés par l'exploitation de propriétés arithmétiques et complexité en temps linéaire) qui détectent ces modèles sur un contour. L'exécution de ces algorithmes le long d'un contour aboutit à des décompositions ou à des polygonalisations réversibles. De plus, nous avons défini des mesures de convexité, linéarité et circularité, qui vérifient un ensemble de propriétés fondamentales : elles sont robustes aux transformations rigides, elles s'appliquent à des parties de contour et leur valeur maximale est atteinte pour le modèle de forme qui sert de comparaison et uniquement sur celui-ci. Ces mesures servent à l'introduction de nouveaux modèles dotés d'un paramètre variant entre 0 et 1. Le paramètre est fixé à 1 quand on est sûr de la position du contour, mais fixé à une valeur inférieure quand le contour est susceptible d'avoir été déplacé par un bruit d'acquisition. Cette approche pragmatique permet de décomposer de manière robuste un contour en segments de droite ou en parties convexes et concaves. / The work presented in this thesis concerns the fields of image analysis and discrete geometry. Image analysis aims at automatically describing the visual content of a digital image and discrete geometry provides tools devoted to digital image processing. A two-dimensional analog signal is regularly sampled in order to be handled on computers. This acquisition process results in a digital image, which is made up of a finite set of discrete elements. The topic of discrete geometry is to study the geometric properties of such kind of discrete spaces. In this work, we consider homogeneous regions of an image having a meaning for a user. The objective is to represent their digital contour by means of geometric patterns and compute measures. The scope of applications is wide in image analysis. For instance, our results would be of great interest for segmentation or object recognition. We focus on three discrete geometric patterns defined by Gauss digitization: the convex or concave part, the digital straight segment and the digital circular arc. We present several algorithms that detect or recognize these patterns on a digital contour. These algorithms are on-line, exact (integer-only computations without any approximation error) and fast (simplified computations thanks to arithmetic properties and linear-time complexity). They provide a way for segmenting a digital contour or for representing a digital contour by a reversible polygon. Moreover, we define a measure of convexity, a measure of straightness and a measure of circularity. These measures fulfil the following important properties: they are robust to rigid transformations, they may be applied on any part of a digital contour, they reach their maximal value for the template with which the data are compared to. From these measures, we introduce new patterns having a parameter that ranges from 0 to 1. The parameter is set to 1 when the localisation of the digital contour is reliable, but is set to a lower value when the digital contour is expected to have been shifted because of some acquisition noise. This measure-based approach provides a way for robustly decomposing a digital contour into convex, concave or straight parts.

This work aims to identify how the processes of exchange in the public rituals of candomblé, more precisely in the xirês (festivities of worship to orixá), interfere in the maintenance of sociability and the circulation of axé. Analyzing the xirê from the theoretical reference interactionist, whose thinking is centered on non-utilitarian exchange, the research concludes that, in candomblé, there is an intricate system of exchanges that favors the interaction between practitioners and this system is maintained by factors such as: the need for socialization; the attribution of meaning that the festive calendar gives the members of candomblé and the circularity of the gift. The proposal was to do a study of xirê, ritual whose core is in the interaction between humans and gods, between humans and humans and still between gods and gods. In the xirê, the exchange is seen as a central and perennial element during the rite. In this perspective, the ethnographic data produced in the field revealed disagreements between the individualist western way of life and the community way of life of candomblé’s houses. From the methodological point of view, this is an investigation of ethnographic approach, of Olubajé's study. Although there are academic papers on the subject of candomblé, this research proposes a look from the Sciences of Religion, with the production of knowledge, allowing to clarify a subject not sufficiently investigated within the scope of the religious phenomenon in Brazil. In addition to its relevance and breadth, the present study intends to be an innovative contribution in the line of research that involves the Brazilian religious field, making possible to understand subjects that permeate the decisive role of religions of African matrix in the constitution of the socio-cultural identities of the country and in human relations and social. This research can contribute still bringing new concepts and new forms of understanding of the reality in the theme of religions of African matrix. / Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar de que forma os processos de troca nos rituais públicos do candomblé, mais precisamente nos xirês (festividades de culto a orixá), interferem na manutenção da sociabilidade e na circulação de axé. Analisando o xirê a partir do referencial teórico interacionista, cujo pensamento está centrado na troca não-utilitária, a pesquisa conclui que, no candomblé, existe um intrincado sistema de trocas que favorece a interação entre os praticantes e esse sistema mantém-se por fatores como: a necessidade de socialização; a atribuição de sentido que o calendário festivo dá aos membros do candomblé e a circularidade do dom. A proposta foi fazer um estudo do xirê, ritual cujo cerne está no interacionismo entre humanos e deuses, entre humanos e humanos e ainda entre deuses e deuses. No xirê, a troca é vista como elemento central e perene no decorrer do rito. Nessa perspectiva, os dados etnográficos produzidos em campo revelaram desencontros entre o modo de vida ocidental individualista e o modo de vida em comunidade dos terreiros de candomblé. Do ponto de vista metodológico, esta é uma investigação de abordagem etnográfica, de estudo do Olubajé. Por mais que existam trabalhos acadêmicos sobre a temática do candomblé, esta pesquisa propõe um olhar a partir das Ciências da Religião, com a produção de conhecimento, permitindo esclarecer um assunto não suficientemente investigado no âmbito do fenômeno religioso no Brasil. Além de sua relevância e amplitude, o presente estudo pretende ser uma contribuição inovadora na linha de pesquisa que envolve o campo religioso brasileiro, possibilitando compreender assuntos que permeiam o papel decisivo das religiões de matriz africana na constituição das identidades socioculturais do país e nas relações humanas e sociais. Esta pesquisa pode contribuir ainda trazendo novos conceitos e novas formas de entendimento da realidade na temática das religiões de matriz africana. / São Cristóvão, SE

The societal shift towards the circular economy is gaining momentum due to the push from the legislation side and the increasing social awareness towards the ecological imbalance caused by the linear model of resource extraction and consumption. The topic of design for the circular economy is gaining increasing interest in both academia and industry. The circular economy requires products to be designed based on a lifecycle approach and extended lifetime.This thesis aimed to investigate the potential application of modular design strategy as a supportive approach to aid Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in their bid to adapt their product features to fit within a circular economic model. Furthermore, the study has investigated the potential challenges encountered during the adoption of such a design strategy and concludes with recommendations to overcome the identified challenges.To address this aim, a case study was carried out within a global OEM, based on their interest in exploring the circular economy's design domain. A literature review and interviews have been conducted to assess how product circularity factors can be addressed using a modular design strategy and identifying the potential challenges that can hinder its realization.The study initially identified seven design factors that need to be addressed along the different phases of a product lifecycle to ensure a fit within a circular economic model. The seven circularity factors are design: based on a lifecycle approach, for durability, for adaptability, for upgradability, for ease of maintenance and repair, for ease of disassembly and reassembly, and standardization and compatibility.The study also revealed that a standardized and simplified interface between different modules within the product plays a vital role in enhancing its ability to address the different circularity factors. The standardized interface in the modular product qualifies the product to become useable for multiple usage cycles. Furthermore, such a modular product can be considered an open-source product since it can continuously be updated with the latest available technology. Such continuous updates allow the open-source product to adapt to the changes in the working environment effectively.Despite the capability of a modular design strategy to address the different circularity factors, several challenges can hinder its implementation in the industry. The primary challenge industries face when adopting such a strategy is identifying the main objectives of such an approach. Further, this strategy might negatively impact product profitability, which is a significant challenge for the industries. Moreover, the prospect of adopting modular strategies also faces design challenges, such as the potential of losing customer interest in a modular product.The thesis concludes with a few recommendations to overcome these challenges associated with adopting a modular design strategy for a circular economy. To overcome such challenges, industries need clear identification of the circular economy and the planned outcome of such a manufacturing shift based on clear systems thinking and transparency in product development. In the end, the study proposes a design framework, which may provide industries with a transparent methodology for designing a modular product for a circular economy.