I denna studie undersöks isotiazolinoner i avloppsvatten eftersom det finns i alla kommersiella färger. För att avgöra om reningsverken är tillräcklig bra används gaskromatografi-masspektrometri (GC-MS) för att analysera förekomsten av BIT i processvatten som släpps ut i mjövattnet. Enligt ”Stockholms vatten och avfall” ska giftiga ämnen inte släppas ut i avloppsvattnet av någon med anknytning till det kommunala reningsverket. Ett företags processvatten undersöktes före och efter reningsprocessen, som baserades på flockning. En metod utvecklades för denna studie, för bestämning av BIT i vattenprover, som har visat positiva resultat för BIT-analys i färgvatten. BIT detekterades inte i företagets processvatten, som visade en koncentration på 0,1 ppm och lägre. Eftersom inga isotiazolinoner kunde detekteras före och efter rengöringsprocessen, kan resultaten inte bekräfta att rengöringsprocessen är effektiv för att eliminera isotiazolinoner. Eftersom BIT är den vanligaste isotiazolinon i färg kommer sannolikt inte ämnen som MI, MCI, OIT och DCOIT att överstiga 0,1 ppm i företagets processvatten. Det förväntas att BIT kommer att brytas ned biologiskt och inte skada vattenlevande organismer på grund av dess låga koncentration i processvattnet. Processvattnet från företaget skickades till eurofins för analys. Som framgår av Eurofins resultat har processvattnet från företaget en låg nivå av nitrifikation inhibering. ’’Stockholms vatten och avfall’’ reningsprocesser ska enkelt kunna ta bort BIT baserat på flera studier. Man kan dra slutsatsen från denna avhandling att BIT vid koncentrationer under 0,1 ppm inte skadar avloppsreningsverk. / In this study, isothiazolinone in wastewater is investigated since it is present in all commercial paints. To determine whether the treatment plants are sufficient,Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is used to analyze the occurrence of BIT in process water released into environmental water. According to ”Stockholm's water and waste”, toxic substances should not be released into the wastewater by anyone connected with the municipal waste water treatment plant. A company’s process water was investigated before and after the cleaning process, which was based on flocculation. A method was developed for this study, determining BIT in water samples, which has shown positive results for BIT analysis in paint water. BIT was not detected in the company's process water, which displayed a concentration of 0.1 ppm and below. Since no isothiazolinones could be detected before and after the cleaning process, the results can not confirm that the cleaning process is effective at eliminating isothiazolinones. Because BIT is the most common isothiazolone in paint MI, MCI, OIT, and DCOIT are unlikely to exceed 0.1 ppm in the company's process water. It is expected that BIT will biodegrade and not harm aquatic organisms because of its low concentration in the process water. The process water from the company was sent to eurofins for analysis. As shown in Eurofins' results, processed water from the industry has a low level of nitrification inhibition. ‘’Stockholm's water and waste’’ treatment processes should be able to easily remove BIT based on multiple studies. It can be concluded from this thesis that BIT at concentrations below 0.1 ppm does not harm WWTPs.

Denna studie undersöker effektiviteten hos Calamos nyligen utvecklade elektrolyt. Det är av stor betydelse att förstå hur denna nya elektrolyt, som är fosforfri och baserad på organiska syror, fungerar för att minska beroendet av ändliga resurser och därigenom främja en mer hållbar produktion. Projektets mål var att utveckla en enkel kvantitativ analysmetod för myrsyra, mjölksyra, glykolsyra och oxalsyra i den nya elektrolyten. Tekniken som användes för detektion och kvantifiering var gaskromatografi (GC) kopplad till en flamjoniseringsdetektor (FID). GC är begränsad till analyter som kan överföras till gasfasen utan att brytas ned termiskt. Ett sätt för att öka en förenings flyktighet, termiska stabilitet och kromatografiska beteende är genom en derivatiseringsreaktion. För bättre kromatografisk beteende derivatiserades karboxylsyror före GC-analys med N,O-bis-(trimetylsilyl)trifluoracetamid (BSTFA) som silyleringsreagens och dimetylformamid (DMF) som derivatiseringsmedium. Efter optimering validerades metoden och dess linjäriteten. Metoden har tillämpats för kvantitativ bestämning av karboxylsyror i elektrolyten, följt av lösningsmedelsextraktion med dietyleter. I detta arbete undersöktes även extraktionen av en karboxylsyra genom derivatisering med hjälp av dimetylkarbonat och natriummetoxid, vilket resulterade i bildandet av metylestrar som är relativt opolära och underlättar överföringen av karboxylsyror till den organiska fasen. Resultaten visade att båda teknikerna totalt sett inte verkar lämpliga för analys av karboxylsyror i elektrolyten. Dessutom utsaltningsextraktion av de karboxylsyrorna studerades också med användning av ett system bestående av butanon och ammoniumhydroxid. Resultaten indikerade att denna extraktionsmetod inte var effektiv för karboxylsyrorna. / This study examines the effectiveness of Calamo's newly developed electrolyte. It is of great importance to understand how this new electrolyte, which is phosphorus-free and based on organic acids, works to reduce dependence on finite resources and thereby promote more sustainable production. The project's goal was to develop a simple quantitative analysis method for formic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid and oxalic acid in the new electrolyte. The technique used for detection and quantification was gas chromatography (GC) coupled to a flame ionization detector (FID). GC is limited to analytes that can be transferred to the gas phase without thermal degradation. One way to increase a compound's volatility, thermal stability and chromatographic behaviour is through a derivatization reaction. For better chromatographic behaviour, carboxylic acids were derivatized prior to GC analysis with N,O-bis-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) as the silylation reagent and dimethylformamide (DMF) as the derivatization medium. After optimization, the method and its linearity were validated. The method was applied for quantitative determination of carboxylic acids in the electrolyte, followed by solvent extraction with diethyl ether. In this work, the extraction of a carboxylic acid by derivatization with dimethyl carbonate and sodium methoxide was also investigated, which resulted in the formation of methyl esters that are relatively non-polar and facilitate the transfer of carboxylic acids to the organic phase. The results showed that both techniques overall did not seem suitable for the analysis of carboxylic acids in the electrolyte. In addition, salting-out extraction of the carboxylic acids was also studied using a system consisting of butanone and ammonium hydroxide. The results indicated that this extraction method was not effective for the carboxylic acids.

The aim of the project was to develop a method to measure and studythe degree of activation of the negative electrode (MH) in a NiMH battery.This was done by characterization of the gases produced during charge of a battery – O2 and H2 – using a Gas Chromatograph. The current applied in the very first charge of the battery was varied in order to examine how this affects the gas evolution. In the developed method, batteries were charged to 8Ah with 9A, after which a gas sample was taken and analyzed with Gas Chromatography. An additional goal was to use the method to examine the difference in activation between virgin and recycled negative electrode material. A module charged stepwise with 0.07C followed by 0.2C had the lowest share of H2 after two cycles, indicated best activation. However, a higher amount of H2 in the beginning of the activation process could possibly enhance the degree of activation during the following cycles. The method indicated that the module with recycled MH was better activated than the virgin MH. To improve the technique, repeated measurements to get better statistics should be done. Gas samples should be taken at dV/dt=0 in order to take samples at same SoC. The charge current should be adjusted so that the same C rate is always used. This would make the results easier to interpret.

Today there is growing interest within the construction sector to increase the proportion of biobased building materials made from renewable resources. By-products or residuals from wood processing could in this case be valuable resources for manufacturing new types of biocomposites. An important research question related to wood-based biocomposites is how to characterise molecular interactions between the different components in the composite. The hygroscopic character of wood and its water sorption properties are also crucial. Thermal modification (or heat treatment) of wood results in a number of enhanced properties such as reduced hygroscopicity and improved dimensional stability as well as increased resistance to microbiological decay. In this thesis, surface characteristics of thermally modified wood components (often called wood fibres or particles) and influencing effects from moisture sorption have been analysed using a number of material characterisation techniques. The aim is to increase the understanding in how to design efficient material combinations for the use of such wood components in biocomposites. The specific objective was to study surface energy characteristics of thermally modified spruce (Picea abies Karst.) under influences of water vapour sorption. An effort was also made to establish a link between surface energy and surface chemical composition. The surface energy of both thermally modified and unmodified wood components were studied at different surface coverages using inverse gas chromatography (IGC), providing information about the heterogeneity of the surface energy. The water vapour sorption behaviour of the wood components was studied using the dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) method, and their surface chemical composition was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Additionally, the morphology of the wood components was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The IGC analysis indicated a more heterogeneous surface energy character of the thermally modified wood compared with the unmodified wood. An increase of the dispersive surface energy due to exposure to an increased relative humidity (RH) from 0% to 75% RH at 30 ˚C was also indicated for the modified samples. The DVS analysis indicated an increase in equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in adsorption due to the exposure to 75% RH. Furthermore, the XPS results indicated a decrease of extractable and a relative increase of non-extractable compounds due to the exposure, valid for both the modified and the unmodified wood. The property changes due to the increased RH condition and also due to the thermal modification are suggested to be related to alterations in the amount of accessible hydroxyl groups in the wood surface. Recommendations for future work and implications of the results could be related to knowledge-based tailoring of new compatible and durable material combinations, for example when using thermally modified wood components in new types of biocomposites for outdoor applications. / <p>Forskningsfinansiärer och strategiska forskningsprojekt:</p><p>Nils och Dorthi Troëdssons forskningsfond (Projektnr 793/12 Hydro-termo-mekanisk modifiering av trä).</p><p> KTH Royal Institute of Technology.</p><p> COST Action FP0904.</p><p> KK-Stiftelsen.</p><p>Stiftelsen för strategiskt forskning (SSF). QC 20150908</p>