biba – Page 8 – Chemistry department

LUBRICAD project: Successful collaboration with young exchange researcher

During the summer semester of 2020/2021 Chemistry Department had a pleasure to host Mr Khodor NASSER, a doctoral student from University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He came through the Erasmus+ exchange programme with his scholarship funded by EC. His research fees were on the other hand covered by the LubriCAD project as the subject of his doctoral thesis is also lubricants. Mr Nasser is in fact a mechanical engineer studying the potential of the nanomaterials and ionic liquids as additives in lubricants which is an excellent subject match with the LubriCAD project. Significant experimental results were obtained through this fruitful multidisciplinary collaboration and the scientific paper is in preparation. For the Chemistry Department it was once again the pleasure to host excellent international student and introduce him to the developing industry and some of the large industrial complexes in our country. Mr Nasser visited the iron mine of ArcellorMital Prijedor in Omarska, the “Destilacija” company in Teslić, the “Tehnosint” company in Laktaši (partner of the project). He also presented parts of his doctoral thesis results at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering where he was officially enrolled as the exchange PhD students and professors from this Faculty also have overseen his work. At the same time teachers from the Faculty of Mining also hosted him and introduced him in mining industry needs for lubricants as well as about the status of the mining industry in Europe and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since this young researcher is originally from Lebanon, having him in the laboratory was also an opportunity for students and staff at the Chemistry Department to learn more about this country and its cultural heritage.

Chemistry Department wishes Mr Nasser a success in his continuation of his research and future expert work, especially for his upcoming PhD thesis defence.

Links:

https://www.vladars.net/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/mnk/Pages/default.aspx

https://pmf.unibl.org/lubricad/

https://www.tehnosint.com/

https://destilacija.net/

https://prijedor.arcelormittal.com/sr-latn-ba

The red mud united the academic and industrial community from the region

Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics hosted a live seminar within the project RIS RESTORE. Seminar was titled „Primary and secondary raw materials in modern materials engineering“ and was held on October 21, 2021,

Seminar was attended by experts from all over the country, representatives of industry, higher education institutions, institutes, ministries, as well as by senior students of the Faculty of Science. All teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the RIS RESTORE project attended and were also presenters at the seminar: University of Banja Luka (Faculty of Science), University of Tuzla (Faculty of Mining, Geology and Civil Engineering), Federal Institute of Geology and Alumina d.o.o. The presence and presentation of the coordinating team from the Civil Engineering Institute of Slovenia (ZAG) was also important for the project and the professional public.

The seminar was held in the amphitheatre of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and after the seminar, socializing and further discussion on the presented topics continued. Focus was the topic of the project, the issue of red mud, but the participants had the opportunity to gain new knowledge and information from multidisciplinary areas: the use of other natural and secondary raw materials in modern materials engineering. Meeting was closed with a presentation on good practices in environmental protection and new nanotechnologies in Japan, by young experts who have recently returned from the research engagement in that country.

Links:

http://ris-restore.zag.si/

Summer school within the project RM@Schools

As part of the project RM@Schools 4.0, on Saturday, September 11, 2021, the summer school “Raw Materials at Schools – Ljubačke doline 2021” was held in the Ethno Village – Museum Ljubačke doline.

The summer school was organized for elementary school students who had the opportunity to expand their knowledge about raw materials and their great importance, and the role of chemistry in the process of extraction of critical and rare minerals. The students were introduced to the potential, as well as the necessity of developing different industries based on the numerous mineral resources that Bosnia and Herzegovina has. Students had interactive classes and had the opportunity to connect the concepts of mineral resources with products from everyday life that are created by their processing. Within the summer school, a field visit to the nearby Vrbas canyon was organized, which is special for its numerous unexplored geological formations. The place of the summer school, Ljubačevo, is famous for its significant deposits of quality limestone, especially dolomite. At the end of the summer school program, the students were given modest gift packages with the project logo.

The organizer of the event is the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, which is one of the partners in the project. The activities of the summer school were held in the semi-open Seminar Hall of the Ethno Village – Museum Ljubačke doline, in accordance with the recommended epidemiological measures.

Links:

http://rmschools.isof.cnr.it/

https://eitrawmaterials.eu/

Chemistry Department hosted young laureates through the RAISESEE student internship program

This year as well, the students from our secondary and primary schools were at the top of the list of awarded teams in the RAISESEE awards program. Even three teams from our country are the winners of the 1000 euros prize, each for creative projects in the field of materials science, which they realized during June at the Chemistry Department. In particular, these were students from the elementary school “Borisav Stanković” from Banja Luka and students from two high schools, the Catholic School Center “Bl. Ivan Merz” from Banja Luka and the High School Center “Lazar Đukić” from Ribnik.

All three teams based their projects on local primary and secondary raw materials and the possibilities of their exploitation. Ribnik team studied wool as a natural raw material that we have in abundance. However, over a million sheep fleeces, a year remain unused due to the low quality of the fibers, and from the chemical aspect, wool contains the natural protein keratin. If keratin were isolated from wool, it could be widely used in the pharmaceutical and textile industries. A team of high school students from CSC Banja Luka researched brewer’s yeast from Banja Luka Brewery (Banjalučka pivara) and its characteristics, as well as the possibility of obtaining D-mannose, a substance of great importance in pharmacy. Considering that we have a very developed brewing industry, this is a secondary raw material with significant possibilities. The team from the elementary school “Borisav Stanković” focused their creativity and research on the mineral wealth of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, they made a 3D poster to which they attached miniatures of natural minerals collected in cooperation with the University of Tuzla, the Federal Institute of Geology, and the Faculty of Mining UNIBL. This poster is intended for their school and will enable an interactive introduction to the natural resources of our country to new generations of students.

In addition to their projects, the students had the opportunity to attend the performance of various experiments by their awarded colleagues from other teams, as well as the research of students at the Chemistry Department.

Links:

https://eitrawmaterials.eu/

http://raiseseeris.istm.cnr.it/

https://www.banjaluckapivara.com/

http://www.untz.ba/

https://fzzg.gov.ba/

Mineral chemistry heading to our schools

After active trial participation in the program RM@Schools in 2019, the team from Chemistry Department was invited to the consortium for the 4^th edition of this program, which will be realized again through funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The project was recognized by the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society, which supported the project by the budget for gift packages of equipment for classrooms and chemistry cabinets in our schools. Also, the Ministry of Education and Culture, through a letter of support, opened the possibility for the promotion of the project in schools throughout the Republic. The team from Chemistry Department presented the basics of the project and details of previous activities at a presentation at the Ministry of Education and Culture, where the wide possibilities and positive changes that the promotion of the “Raw Materials in Schools” program can bring to chemistry classes were identified.

In the next three years, numerous creative educational activities will be realized, such as summer schools, demonstrations of mineral chemistry in classrooms, conferences and competitions. Perhaps the most important aspect will be part of a program called “Train the trainer”. It is about the transfer of knowledge from colleagues from the European Union to our teachers who will help to, in accordance with the valid curricula, introduce contents from practical classes. These activities will be accompanied by the distribution of appropriate gift packages of equipment, simpler chemicals, and minerals donated from the industry.

In June, the first of the “Train the trainer” workshop was successfully held and it was attended by four young teachers, who graduated at the Chemistry Department and who will be the first beneficiaries of the project together with their students. With pleasure and motivation, they arranged gift packages of equipment that they need for work, and new gatherings with them will continue from the beginning of the new school year.

Links:

https://eitrawmaterials.eu/

https://www.vladars.net/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/mnk/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.vladars.net/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/mpk/Pages/default.aspx

https://rmschools.isof.cnr.it/

RIS RESTORE: Working meeting of teams from Banja Luka and Zagreb

The research team of the RIS RESTORE project from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the University of Banja Luka, visited the Geological Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Zagreb within the RIS RESTORE project.

The meeting was held in the premises of the Geological Department, where information on the work, experiences and ideas of the present members were exchanged. The teams got to know each other’s methodologies and approach to research, as well as the possibility of cooperation, followed by planning project activities in the coming period. The Banja Luka team also delivered a sample of red mud for colleagues from Zagreb from the tailing Klisa near Zvornik, which is managed by the “Alumina” company. This sample will be used to compare the results obtained in different laboratories, as well as to obtain fresh results based on new ideas of research teams and applied experimental techniques.

The meeting was held in accordance with all recommended epidemiological measures. It was concluded that in addition to innovative activities in both groups in the coming period, an opportunity to hold events for the dissemination of ideas for solving the problem of red mud tailings will be considered. The event would include the Balkans context and host project partners from the region.

This was the opportunity for the team from Banja Luka to visit the VirtuLab, a newly established network of 15 laboratories at the University of Zagreb, whose capacities could also be useful to the RIS RESTORE project. Hospitality to the team was shown by Prof. Dr. Sibila Borojević Šoštarić and her colleagues.

Links:

http://ris-restore.zag.si/

https://www.aluminazv.ba/

https://www.pmf.unizg.hr/geol

https://www.rgn.unizg.hr/hr/virtulab

Promotion of the Scientific-Professional Student Conference “Students Encountering Science – StES”

On May 10, 2021, the Student’s organization of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics organized the promotion of the Scientific-Professional Student Conference “Students Encountering Science – StES”, which is traditionally organized by the Student Parliament of the University of Banja Luka and the University of Banja Luka.

The aim of the promotion was to introduce and involve students in this year’s StES, which will be held for the 14th time at the end of November, and to encourage students to understand the role of this conference, the importance of writing a scientific paper, to get acquainted with the world of science and to find out what the benefits of participation are for their future careers.

Bojan Garić, coordinator of the Section of Natural Sciences at StES, informed the interested students about the goals of the conference and the ways in which they can get involved in its work. His presentation included details on how students can write a scientific paper, how to apply, what the path to the presentation of papers looks like and what they can expect as participants in the conference. Students were supported by employed professors and assistants of our faculty, who additionally motivated students and pointed out why it is important for students to get involved in scientific work at the faculty as soon as possible, which areas are currently the most current in natural and mathematical sciences and what needs to be paid attention to in the whole process, from finding a suitable mentor to presenting the work itself.

Last year’s winner of the Natural Sciences Section, Dejan Puhalo, a graduate spatial planner, addressed the present students, sharing his experience and emphasizing how the knowledge and reference he gained helped him get a job shortly after graduation.

Dragica Delić, an assistant at the Department of Geography, addressed the students as a former StES participant and explained all the benefits that students have by writing a scientific paper and participating in the conference. She emphasized that StES is ideal for older students and graduates, while younger students can get involved as volunteers and help in the organization.

Prof. Milica Balaban, Head of the Department of Chemistry, as a long-term reviewer and member of the evaluation committee, explained to the students the process of reviewing and evaluating papers, and emphasized what students should take into account during the defense of the paper.

Biljana Radusin Sopić, assistant at the Departments of Biology and Ecology and Environmental Protection, explained how students can achieve high results in their work and which areas are current in the fields of biology and ecology.

Dr. Marko Đukanović, senior assistant at the Department of Mathematics and Informatics, explained why it is important for students to enter the world of science on time and which areas of mathematics and informatics are currently the most current.

Marko Ivanišević, MA, senior assistant at the Department of Spatial Planning, stated which areas are current in the field of spatial planning and emphasized the interdisciplinary approach and pointed out the possibility of cooperation and joint work of several study programs of our faculty.

After short presentations, representatives of the Student Organization answered the questions of the present students, and teachers and assistants of our faculty once again invited students to join the conference, where they, as their mentors, depending on the nature of work, will help with the drafting experimental or practical part, as well as writing a paper.

State-of-the-art BET analyzer put into operation

To the great satisfaction of the young members of the project team and the students who participated in the trial work, Chemistry Department is able to announce that the modern BET analyzer has been fully launched. The device was procured thanks to the support of the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society, through the “Synergy” fund. It is about the RediNano project (“Rediscovering the potential of the old plant for dry distillation of wood – Exotic nanocarbons”) with the industrial partner “Destilacija” Teslić.

The abbreviation BET refers to the names of scientists (Brunauer – Emmett – Teller) whose classical theory of physical adsorption of gases (especially nitrogen) was used as the basis for this important analytical technique. It is a technique that has been officially recommended by IUPAC in recent years. Students and researchers at Chemistry Department will now be able to measure the specific surface of materials and the pore size distribution in porous materials with high precision. During the RediNano project, the device will be used for measuring these properties on carbon nanomaterials, but in the long run will be important for other research, especially in the field of inorganic and physical chemistry.

Links:

http://www.vladars.net/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/mnk/

https://pmf.unibl.org/redinano-projekat-cir/

http://destilacija.net/index.php/en/intro-page/

http://sol.rutgers.edu/~aneimark/PDFs/IUPAC_Report_PAC_2015.pdf

Preparatory classes for enrollment

Preparatory classes for enrollment at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be organized electronically this year as well. Candidates who are interested in attending preparatory classes should fill in the application form located at this link

https://matinf.pmf.unibl.org/pmf_prijava_za_pripremnu_nastavu/

To enroll in the Study Program CHEMISTRY, you can choose preparatory classes in CHEMISTRY and MATHEMATICS. After you successfully fill out the form, you will receive a confirmation of registration to your email address. If you do not receive the confirmation in the Inbox, just in case, check the Spam folder. Applications for preparatory classes are open until May 30.

At the end of the sign-up period, you will receive access information for the Google Classroom, which will include preparatory classes. It is important to note that you access the google classroom through the access data we send you (it is not possible to use google accounts that you may already have).

Preparatory classes in CHEMISTRY begin in the first week of June, and in mathematics on Monday

May 10. Attendance at preparatory classes is free for all our future students!

For additional information and in case of ambiguity, feel free to write a letter to matinf@pmf.unibl.org. Welcome!

Research activities of the Chemistry Department presented at the International Congress

Since the beginning of the pandemic, direct scientific communication at the international level has been significantly reduced, with the almost negligible number of visits of researchers and students to exchanges and conferences. However, in addition to online conferences, hybrid scientific gatherings are occasionally held to enable exchange of knowledge. Our team does not miss such opportunities to present our results and get acquainted with the work of other colleagues. With a professional organization and in accordance with all the recommendations for protection against the transmission of the virus COVID-19, at March 17-19, 2021, the 7^th International Congress “Engineering, Environment and Materials in the Process Industry” was held at Jahorina,. Congress was attended by about 50 scientists from the region, and a video link enabled the inclusion of plenary lecturers and other participants from several European countries who presented the results of their current research.

Our study program presented the latest results from several projects, which were realized in cooperation with international partners in the conditions of a pandemic. The first authors of our presentations were master’s and doctoral students, some of whom are also our assistants.

Sanja Pržulj, M.Sc, and Dragana Mirošljević, B.Sc, presented the results of the REDI-NANO project (Synergy), with co-authors from the German Electron Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg.

Dragana Gajić, M.Sc, presented the results of the project “Hybrid Metallic/Carbon Nanomaterials Made from Mining Industry Sludge and Their Applications in Adsorption/Catalysis Treatment of Emerging Pharmaceuticals in Water” (UNESCO Green Chemistry for Life) with co-authors from the University of Poitiers.

Sunčica Sukur, B.Sc, together with colleagues from “Alumina” d.o.o. Dragana Smiljanić, B.Sc, and Đurđa Oljača, B.Sc, presented the results of the RIS RESTORE project (EIT RawMaterials) in collaboration with colleagues from the National Technical University of Athens.

Dejana Savić, B.Sc, presented the results of the research of packaging materials, a project that was realized in cooperation with the University of Belgrade.

Marijana Terzić, B.Sc, presented the latest results of cooperation with Ugljevik mine and thermal power plant. Colleagues from the company “Alumina” d.o.o., as well as colleagues from the Foundation for Research and Technology from Heraklion and the University of Tuzla also participated in this research.

One of the sponsors of the congress was the COST Association from Brussels, which was successfully presented by members of our team. Doc. Dr. Suzana Gotovac Atlagić as a presenter and Prof. Dr. Milica Balaban, as a member of the Scientific Committee of the Congress, presented the possibilities for the participation of domestic scientists in the COST actions. Doc. Dr. Gotovac Atlagić is a delegate of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the scientific board of this fund in the third mandate, while Prof. Balaban successfully participated in the COST action. The activities of the Chemistry Department in the COST organization and the actions themselves have greatly contributed to strengthening ties with the European scientific community and the realization of joint research and publications.