The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of using glass waste from worn out lighting materials as an aggregate for a polymer concrete. Glass waste was obtained from the company utilizing glass lighting elements, which was then subjected to crushing. The aggregate obtained was subjected to the tests of basic features, which were compared with aggregates that are traditionally applied to concretes. The next stage of the research program was the production of a polymer concrete that contained glass aggregate. Several types of mixtures were prepared in which glass waste was combined in various proportions with traditional sand–gravel aggregate. As a part of the research, the basic physical and mechanical characteristics of polymer concretes were determined. The microstructure of composites was also analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The results of the research have shown that the aggregate obtained from glass waste can be successfully used for the production of a polymer concrete. The most beneficial physico-mechanical properties were obtained for a composite in which glass waste was used as a 50% substitute for traditional aggregate.

This paper presents the results of research aimed at finding the possible ways of disposing of ceramic waste material, focusing mainly on the possibility of using it as aggregates in concretes exposed to an aggressive chemical environment (municipal sewage). The research part presents the preparation method and investigation of waste ceramic aggregates (red, glazed and sanitary ceramic aggregates). A suitable ratio of coarse to fine aggregates was selected, and their density, absorptivity and crushing strength were examined. All examined aggregates were also subjected to SEM analysis. Red ceramic aggregate is characterized by a greater degree of crushing compared to glazed and sanitary ceramic aggregate, by 205.7% and 439.4%, respectively. Another part of the research was to compare the properties of concrete with traditional aggregate (gravel, basalt) and with ceramic waste aggregate. The tested parameters included consistency, apparent density, absorptivity, flexural and compressive strengths of concretes. The study proved that the absorptivity of recycled composites is higher than that of traditional composites by 20.8–24.7%. The concrete based on sanitary ceramic waste has the highest strength parameters. Its compressive strength is higher by 10.5% and flexural strength by 5.9% compared with the basalt aggregate concrete. The compressive strength of sanitary ceramics concrete is higher by 42% and by 59% compared with concrete based on glazed ceramic and red ceramic aggregate, respectively. The last part of the research was to examine the resistance of concrete to aggressive environment. The scope of the work included the preparation of the research environment in the form of solutions with an increased concentration of aggressive agents (hydronium, sulfate, magnesium, ammonium ions). Among the concretes with ceramic aggregate, the highest decrease in the compressive strength was demonstrated by the concrete based on red ceramics (128.2%), while the smallest was demonstrated by the concrete based on sanitary ceramics (aggregate from sanitary ceramics (15.4%). The mass loss at different time intervals and compressive strength loss of samples stored in solutions were tested. The smallest weight loss caused by aggressive environment attack was recorded in the concrete based on ceramic sanitary and glazed aggregate (20.2% and 34.5%, respectively, after 120 days of aggressive environment).

The aim of the study was to analyse the fatty acid profile of selected tissues of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.), in relation to where they were obtained and their sex, with regard to the human diet. The study was carried out on material obtained from mallard ducks from two study areas: the Siedlce hunting district and the Leszno hunting district. The research material was the breast and leg muscles of 28 mallards. The samples were frozen and stored at −20 °C. The fatty acid profiles in the biological samples were determined by selected ion recording (SIR). The results showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower average levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and significantly higher (p < 0.05) average levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n-6 PUFAs, and n-3 PUFAs in the breast muscles of the mallards obtained in the Siedlce hunting district. This in conjunction with the higher (p < 0.05) hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic index (h/H) in the leg muscles and lower (p < 0.05) atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (AI and TI) in the leg and breast muscles of mallards in the Siedlce hunting district indicate the higher health-promoting value of the meat of ducks from this region. The average n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the breast muscles was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in mallards obtained in the Leszno hunting district. Males of the species had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher average n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the breast muscles than females. The PUFA/SFA ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the leg muscles of the female mallards than in the males.

(One) Background: Using textile waste materials in composites is a well-known problem and is frequently addressed by various scientific teams. Most of this work concerns textile waste introduced into composites as yarn strands. The present work focuses on adding textile wastes prepared in the form of single filaments of yarn spun to fluff, which was produced from waste felt materials from the automotive industry. (Two) Methods: The material was extracted from the bulkheads of worn-out vehicles, serving as thermal and acoustic insulation. The waste was shredded to form single yarn fibres with a fibre diameter of 0.08–0.3 mm and a 2–8 cm length. The shredded waste was used as a filler and modifier for composites. Four test batches were produced with different recyclate contents. A traditional cementitious composite without additives was used as a comparison material. (Three) Results: Composites filled with 3% felt waste have 23.31% lower density (1.71 g/cm³), 71.03% higher absorbability (21.58%), 49.58% lower tensile strength (19.86 MPa), and 53.55% lower compressive strength (3.64 MPa) than traditional composites. Partitions made of these composites had much higher thermal insulation than traditional composites. Composite made of 1% waste was resistant to the phenomena of thermal spalling. Moreover, the spot flame loading did not damage the composite, and there were no scratches or defects. (Four) Conclusions: The tests proved that the waste felt materials could potentially be used as fillers and modifiers in lightweight composites with higher thermal insulation. The addition of felt fibres improves the resistance of the composite to local spalling.

In the study the authors used data from the Characteristics of the Polish National List of Potato Varieties concerning the economic value and the quality traits of starch potato varieties from the group of very early and early varieties and that of medium late and late varieties. For each of 13...

The advancement of agricultural mesh technology has contributed to its improved properties. As a result, agricultural nets are widely adopted in large-scale farming applications, for example, in cereal crop farming. However, a consequence of this increased use of agricultural nets is the accumulation of large amounts of waste. The current paper focuses on the recycling of agricultural nets used in wrapping straw bales to develop additives and fillers in cement composites. The research details an analysis of the use of waste agricultural meshes as an ingredient in cement composites. Six test series of different mixtures were conducted. In the first four series, agricultural waste was utilised as an additive in a composite comprising aggregate and cement slurry (the amounts of wasted nets were 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg/m³). In the last test series, the recyclate utilised comprised a mixture of cement slurry and waste only. The composites were subjected to standard tests and thermal resistance tests. The results showcased that that the addition of a net worsened the workability of the concrete mixture, and with increasing amounts of addition, the consistency of the mixture could change from liquid to dense plastic. The flexural strength of the composite decreased with increasing amounts of recyclate. In subsequent test series, the flexural strength value was lower than that of the control (3.93 MPa), from 7.38% (3.64 MPa) for the composite with 20 kg/m³ of recyclate to 37.66% (2.45 MPa) for the composite with of 80 kg/m³ recyclate. The flexural strength value of the net-filled composite without aggregate was very high (10.44 MPa), where the value obtained for the control composite was 62.36% lower. The results of the compressive strength test showed a decrease in this parameter with increasing amounts of additive. The value assessed for the control composite was 27.99 MPa. As expected, the composite that had no aggregate and consisted of only recycled filler had the lowest compressive strength. The value of this parameter was 13.07 MPa, and it was 53.31% lower than that of the control composite. The results of the tests of resistance to temperatures were similar to those recorded for the composites with polypropylene fibres. All composites demonstrated a significant decrease in their compressive and flexural strength after annealing. SEM imaging showed that the net fibres were closely bonded to the cement stone. Finally, it was concluded that recyclates performed best as fillers in lightweight composites with a low density, low absorption, high flexural strength, and satisfactory compressive strength.