Obtenção e Caracterização Físico-Química do Sistema Compósito PEG-TiO2

Hybrid systems formed from polymers and transition metals have now their physical and chemical properties extensively investigated for use in electronic devices. In this work, Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) from the precursor of titanium tetrabutoxide and the composite system Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Titanium Dioxide (TiO2-PEG) were synthesized by sol-gel method. The PEG as acquired and TiO2 and composites powders were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Spectroscopy in the Infrared region with Fourier transform (IRFT), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). In the XRD analysis were observed in the TiO2 crystal faces of one of its polymorphs - anatase phase, crystal planes in Poly (Ethylene Glycol) with considerable intensity and in the composite systems the mixture of crystal faces of their precursors isolated and reduction of crystallinity. The TG / DTG suggested increasing the thermal instability of PEG in the composite powders as TiO2 is incorporated into the system. Spectral analysis presented in the infrared overlapping bands for the polymer and metal oxide, reducing the intensity of symmetric stretching of ligand groups in the main chain polymer and angular deformations; were observed using SEM micrographs of the morphological changes suffered by composite systems with the variation of the oxide concentration. Analyses by impedance spectroscopy indicated that the increased conductivity in composite occurs in line with the addition of the metal oxide concentration in the composite system

Extração e análise da fração lipídica da microalga monoraphidium sp., síntese e caracterização do seu biodiesel

The cultivation of microalgae biomass in order to produce biodiesel arises as an extremely promising aspect, in that the microalgae culture includes short cycle of reproduction, smaller areas for planting and residual biomass rich in protein content. The present dissertation evaluates the performance and features, through spectrometry in the region of infrared with transformed Fourier (FTIR) and spectrometry in the region of UVvisible (UV-Vis), of the extracted lipid material (LM) using different techniques of cell wall disruption (mechanical agitation at low and at high spin and agitation associated with cavitation). The technique of gas chromatography (GC) brought to light the success of alkaline transesterification in the conversion of oil into methyl monoesters (MME), which was also analyzed by spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, proton magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and carbon (13C NMR). Through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were analyzed the lipid material (LM), biodiesel and the microalgae biomass. The method which provided the best results concerning the efficiency in extraction of the LP of Monoraphidium sp. (12,51%) was by mechanical agitation at high spin (14 000 rpm), for 2 hours being the ideal time, as shown by the t test. The spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, 13C NMR and FTIR) confirmed that the structure of methyl monoesters and the chromatographic data (CG) revealed a high content of saturated fatty acid esters (about 70%) being the major constituent eicosanoic acid (33,7%), which justifies the high thermal stability of microalgae biodiesel. The TGA also ratified the conversion rate (96%) of LM into MME, pointing out the quantitative results compatible with the values obtained through GC (about 98%) and confirmed the efficiency of the extraction methods used, showing that may be a good technique to confirm the extraction of these materials. The content of LM microalgae obtained (12,51%) indicates good potential for using such material as a raw material for biodiesel production, when compared to oil content which can be obtained from traditional oil for this use, since the productivity of microalgae per hectare is much larger and requires an extremely reduced period to renew its cultivation

Secagem de misturas de polpa de frutas tropicais em leito de jorro

Drying of fruit pulps in spouted beds of inert particles has been indicated as a viable technique to produce fruit powders. Most of the processes employed to produce dried fruit pulps and juices, such as Foam Mat, encapsulation by co-crystallization and spray drying utilize adjuvant and additives (such as thickeners, coating materials, emulsifiers, acidulants, flavors and dyes), which is not always desirable. The fruit pulp composition exerts an important effect on the fruit powder production using a spouted bed. In the study by Medeiros (2001) it was concluded that lipids, starch and pectin contents play an important role on the process performance, enhancing the powder production; however, the drying of fruit pulps containing high content of reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) is practically unviable. This work has the objective of expanding the studies on drying of fruit pulps in spouted bed with aid of adjuvant (lipids, starch and pectin) aiming to enhance the dryer performance without jeopardizing the sensorial quality of the product. The optimum composition obtained by Medeiros (2001) was the basis for preparing the mixtures of pulps. The mixture formulations included pulps of mango (Mangifera indica), umbu (Spondias tuberosa) and red mombin (Spondia purpurea) with addition of cornstarch, pectin and lipids. Different products were used as lipids source: olive and Brazil nut oils, coconut milk, heavy milk, powder of palm fat and palm olein. First of all, experiments were conducted to define the best formulation of the fruit pulps mixture. This definition was based on the drying performance obtained for each mixture and on the sensorial characteristics of the dry powder. The mixture formulations were submitted to drying at fixed operating conditions of drying and atomizing air flow rate, load of inert particles, temperature and flow rate of the mixture. The best results were obtained with the compositions having powder of palm fat and palm olein in terms of the drying performance and sensorial analysis. Physical and physicochemical characteristics were determined for the dry powders obtained from the mixtures formulations. Solubility and reconstitution time as well as the properties of the product after reconstitution were also evaluated. According to these analyses, the powder from the mixtures formulations presented similar characteristics and compatible quality to those produced in other types of dryers. Considering that the palm olein is produced in Brazil and that it has been used in the food industry substituting the palm fat powder, further studies on drying performance were conducted with the composition that included the palm olein. A complete factorial design of experiments 23, with three repetitions at the central point was conducted to evaluate the effects of the air temperature, feeding flow rate and intermittence time on the responses related to the process performance (powder collection efficiency, material retained in the bed and angle of repose of the inert particles after the process) and to the product quality (mean moisture content, loss of vitamin C and solubility). Powder production was uniform for the majority of the experiments and the higher efficiency with lower retention in the bed (59.2% and 1.8g, respectively) were obtained for the air temperature of 80°C, mixture feed rate of 5ml/min in intervals of 10 min. The statistical analysis of the results showed that the process variables had individual or combined significant influences on the powder collection efficiency, material retention in the bed, powder moisture content and loss of vitamin C. At the experimental ranges of this work, the angle of repose and solubility were not influenced by the operating variables. From the results of the experimental design, statistical models were obtained for the powder moisture content and loss of vitamin C

Estudo do óleo das sementes de Carthamus tinctorius L. Para produção de biodiesel

Most of the energy consumed worldwide comes from oil, coal and natural gas. These sources are limited and estimated to be exhausted in the future, therefore, the search for alternative sources of energy is paramount. Currently, there is considerable interest in making trade sustainable biodiesel, a fuel alternative to fossil fuels, due to its renewable nature and environmental benefits of its use in large scale. This trend has led the Brazilian government to establish a program (Probiodiesel) with the aim of introducing biodiesel into the national energy matrix, by addition of 5% biodiesel to conventional diesel in 2010 to foster not only the increase of renewable energy, but reduce imports of crude oil. This work evaluates different methods of extraction of oil Carthamus tinctorius L., their characterization by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, HPLC and TG and their use in the production of methyl ester (molar ratio of oil / alcohol 1:6, and NaOH catalyst). The physico-chemical parameters (acid value, density, viscosity, saponification index and surface tension) of oil and biodiesel were also described. The produced biodiesel had a yield of 93.65%, was characterized in relation to their physicochemical properties showing satisfactory results (density=875 kg/m3, viscosity = 6.22 mm2/s, AI = 0.01 mg (NaOH) /g) compared with the values established by the the National Agency Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels

Remoção de frações de óleo leve e pesado de rocha calcária através de sistemas microemulsionados

In this research the removal of light and heavy oil from disintegrated limestone was investigated with use of microemulsions. These chemical systems were composed by surfactant, cosurfactant, oil phase and aqueous phase. In the studied systems, three points in the water -rich microemulsion region of the phase diagrams were used in oil removal experiments. These microemulsion systems were characterized to evaluate the influence of particle size, surface tension, density and viscosity in micellar stability and to understand how the physical properties can influence the oil recovery process. The limestone rock sample was characterized by thermogravimetry, BET area, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence. After preparation, the rock was placed in contact with light and heavy oil solutions to allow oil adsorption. The removal tests were performed to evaluate the influence of contact time (1 minute, 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 120 minutes), the concentration of active matter (20, 30 and 40 %), different cosurfactants and different oil phases. For the heavy oil, the best result was on SME 1, with 20 % of active matter, 1 minute of contact time, with efficiency of 93,33 %. For the light oil, also the SME 1, with 20 % of active matter, 120 minutes of contact time, with 62,38 % of efficiency. From the obtained results, it was possible to conclude that microemulsions can be considered as efficient chemical systems for oil removal from limestone formations

Obtenção e caracterização físico-química de blendas poliméricas, baseadas em POE e PMMA, dopadas com dióxido de titânio

The study of polymer blends has been an alternative method in the search field of new materials for obtaining materials with improved properties. In this work blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) doped with titanium dioxide (TiO2) were studied. The PEO is a polymer semicrystalline structure varying between, 70 and 84% crystallinity, while the PMMA exhibits behavior amorphous in their structure. The use of TiO2 is related to corrosion-resistant of titanium as well as good heat transfer and other characteristics. The study of these polymer blends doped TiO2 gives the properties junction organic (polymer) and inorganic (oxide) which leads to modification of the properties of the resultant material. The blends were doped TiO2 (POE/PMMA/TiO2) in different proportions of the PMMA with the PEO and TiO2 fixed. The ratios were: 90/10/0,1; 85/15/0, 1; 80/20/0,1, 75/25/0,1 and 70/30/0,1. The resulting material was obtained in powder form and being characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The infrared spectra (IR) for the blends in different ratios showed a band at 1744 cm-1, characteristic of the C=O stretching, which increases in intensity with increasing PMMA composition, while in the spectrum of pure PEO this band is absent. This may suggest that the interaction is occurring between the polymers. In the micrographs of the blends also observed change in their surfaces with variation of the composition of PMMA, contributing to the change of the electrical properties of the material. The EIS data showed that the material exhibited conductivity of the order of 10-6 S.cm-1. The blend in the ratio B2(85/15/0, 1) showed better conductivity, σ = 1.56 x 10-6 S.cm-1. It was observed that the diffusion coefficient for the blends, B5(70/30/0, 1) was the largest, 1.07 x 10-6 m2.s-1. The XRD data showing that, with the variation in the composition of the PMMA blend crystallinity of the material is decreased reaching a minimum B3(80/20/0,1), and then increases again. Thermal analysis suggests that blends made from the material obtained can be applied at room temperature

Análises físico-químicas de polpas de frutas e avaliação dos seus padrões de identidade e qualidade

The pulps are products that add economic value enjoy the fruits of the surplus productions of the same. Have good market acceptance because of its practicality and diversity of flavors available year round. In order to assess the quality of the fruit pulp through the physical and chemical parameters and the characteristics of manufacturing industry, we analyzed 36 samples of frozen fruit pulp of three brands marketed in RIO Grande do Norte, 14 brand A, 12 of 10 brand B and brand C, which corresponded to 14 different flavors, of which 10 have identity Standards and Quality (ISQ S) established by the Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA), totaling 27 samples with ISQ s. We conducted the following physicalchemical analyzes on samples of fruit pulp: Total solids, total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, total sugars and the determination of ascorbic acid. The percentage of failure for each parameter evaluated was 37, 04% in total soluble solids, 22,22% for total solids and titratable acidity, 7,40% in relation to pH. The total sugars were within the requirements demanded by the MAPA and ascorbic acid content, determined only in the pulp of acerola and cashew, presented a non compliance in the pulp of brand B. The percentage of failures of the pulps with ISQ S was 59% with brand A, B and C accounted for 3,70%, 33,33% and 22,22% respectively. The pulps which have no established atandards such as pineapple pulp, showed similar values between brands and literature data unlike the pulp of plum, jackfruit and tamarind which diverged greatly in parameters such as total solids and total soluble solids. The study demonstrates the need for greater quality control by the producers with respect to raw materials, processing, packing, stored and the importance of ISQ S to establish the flavors have not yet covered by existing legislation, but already highly commercialized

Confecção e caracterização físico-química de filmes compósitos autossustentáveis NaAlg-TiO2-WO3

A new self-sustainable film was prepared through the sol-gel modified method, previously employed in our research group; sodium alginate was used as the polymer matrix, along with plasticizer glycerol, doped with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and tungsten trioxide (WO3). By varying WO3 concentration (0,8, 1,6, 2,4 and 3,2 μmol) and keeping TiO2 concentration constant (059 mmol), it was possible to study the contribution of these oxides on the obtained films morphological and electrical properties. Self-sustainable films have analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XDR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). By the IR specters, it was possible identify the TiO2, and posteriorly WO3, addition has provided dislocation of alginate characteristics bands to smaller vibrations frequencies indicating an electrostatic interaction between the oxides and the polymer matrix. Diffractograms show predominance of the amorphous phase in the films. SEM, along with EDX, analysis revealed self-sustainable films showed surface with no cracks and relative dispersion of the oxides throughout the polymer matrix. From Impedance analysis, it was observe increasing WO3 concentration to 2,4 μmol provided a reduction of films resistive properties and consequent improvement of conductive properties

Estudo da imobilização de proteases para a síntese de oligolisinas

Enzymatic synthesis of peptides using proteases has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. One key challenge in peptide synthesis is to find supports for protease immobilization capable of working in aqueous medium at high performance, producing watersoluble oligopeptides. At present, few reports have been described using this strategy. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to immobilize proteases applying different methods (Immobilization by covalent bound, entrapment onto polymeric gels of PVA and immobilization on glycidil metacrylate magnetic nanoparticles) in order to produce water-soluble oligopeptides derived from lysine. Three different proteases were used: trypsin, α-chymotrypsin and bromelain. According to immobilization strategies associated to the type of protease employed, trypsin-resin systems showed the best performance in terms of hydrolytic activity and oligopeptides synthesis. Hydrolytic activities of the free and immobilized enzymes were determined spectrophotometrically based on the absorbance change at 660 nm at 25 °C (Casein method). Calculations of oligolysine yield and average degree of polymerization (DPavg) were monitored by 1H-NMR analysis. Trypsin was covalently immobilized onto four different resins (Amberzyme, Eupergit C, Eupergit CM and Grace 192). Maximum yield of bound protein was 92 mg/g, 82 mg/g and 60 mg/g support for each resin respectively. The effectiveness of these systems (Trypsin-resins) was evaluated by hydrolysis of casein and synthesis of water-soluble oligolysine. Most systems were capable of catalyzing oligopeptide synthesis in aqueous medium, albeit at different efficiencies, namely: 40, 37 and 35% for Amberzyme, Eupergit C and Eupergit CM, respectively, in comparison with free enzyme. These systems produced oligomers in only 1 hour with DPavg higher than free enzyme. Among these systems, the Eupergit C-Trypsin system showed greater efficiency than others in terms of hydrolytic activity and thermal stability. However, this did not occur for oligolysine synthesis. Trypsin-Amberzyme proved to be more successful in oligopeptide synthesis, and exhibited excellent reusability, since it retained 90% of its initial hydrolytic and synthetic activity after 7 reuses. Trypsin hydrophobic interactions with Amberzyme support are responsible for protecting against strong enzyme conformational changes in the medium. In addition, the high concentration of oxirane groups on the surface promoted multi-covalent linking and, consequently, prevented the immobilized enzyme from leaching. The aforementioned results suggest that immobilized Trypsin on the supports evaluated can be efficiently used for oligopeptides synthesis in aqueous media

Estudo da influência do biodiesel de mamona como aditivo antioxidante para o biodiesel de girassol e soja

Biodiesel is a fuel made up by mono-alkyl-esters of long chain fatty acids, derived from vegetable oils or animal fat. This fuel can be used in compression ignition engines for automotive propulsion or energy generation, as a partial or total substitute of fossil diesel fuel. Biodiesel can be processed from different mechanisms. Transesterification is the most common process for obtaining biodiesel, in which an ester compound reacts with an alcohol to form a new ester and a new alcohol. These reactions are normally catalyzed by the addition of an acid or a base. Initially sunflower, castor and soybean oil physicochemical properties are determined according to standard test methods, to evaluate if they had favorable conditions for use as raw material in the transesterification reaction. Sunflower, castor and soybean biodiesel were obtained by the methylic transesterification route in the presence of KOH and presented a yield above 93% m/m. The sunflower/castor and soybean/castor blends were studied with the aim of evaluating the thermal and oxidative stability of the biofuels. The biodiesel and blends were characterized by acid value, iodine value, density, flash point, sulfur content, and content of methanol and esters by gas chromatography (GC). Also studies of thermal and oxidative stability by Thermogravimetry (TG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry High Pressure (P-DSC) and dynamic method exothermic and Rancimat were carried out. Biodiesel sunflower and soybean are presented according to the specifications established by the Resolution ANP no 7/2008. Biodiesel from castor oil, as expected, showed a high density and kinematic viscosity. For the blends studied, the concentration of castor biodiesel to increased the density, kinematic viscosity and flash point. The addition of castor biodiesel as antioxidant in sunflower and soybean biodiesels is promising, for a significant improvement in resistance to autoxidation and therefore on its oxidative stability. The blends showed that compliance with the requirements of the ANP have been included in the range of 20-40%. This form may be used as a partial substitute of fossil diesel

Degradação térmica e catalítica do resíduo atmosférico de petróleo (RAT), utilizando materiais nanoestruturados do tipo SBA-15

In this work were synthesized and characterized the materials mesoporous SBA-15 and Al- SBA-15, Si / Al = 25, 50 and 75, discovered by researchers at the University of California- Santa Barbara, USA, with pore diameters ranging from 2 to 30 nm and wall thickness from 3.1 to 6.4 nm, making these promising materials in the field of catalysis, particularly for petroleum refining (catalytic cracking), as their mesopores facilitate access of the molecules constituting the oil to active sites, thereby increasing the production of hydrocarbons in the range of light and medium. To verify that the materials used as catalysts were successfully synthesized, they were characterized using techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), absorption spectroscopy in the infrared Fourier transform (FT-IR) and adsorption nitrogen (BET). Aiming to check the catalytic activity thereof, a sample of atmospheric residue oil (ATR) from the pole Guamaré-RN was performed the process by means of thermogravimetry and thermal degradation of catalytic residue. Upon the curves, it was observed a reduction in the onset temperature of the decomposition process of catalytic ATR. For the kinetic model proposed by Flynn-Wall yielded some parameters to determine the apparent activation energy of decomposition, being shown the efficiency of mesoporous materials, since there was a decrease in the activation energy for the reactions using catalysts. The ATR was also subjected to pyrolysis process using a pyrolyzer with gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Through the chromatograms obtained, there was an increase in the yield of the compounds in the range of gasoline and diesel from the catalytic pyrolysis, with emphasis on Al-SBA-15 (Si / Al = 25), which showed a percentage higher than the other catalysts. These results are due to the fact that the synthesized materials exhibit specific properties for application in the process of pyrolysis of complex molecules and high molecular weight as constituents of the ATR

Obtenção de polímeros graftizados de quitosana e estudo das propriedades físico-químicas para aplicação na indústria do petróleo

Chitosan is a biopolymer derived from the shells of crustaceans, biodegradable, inexpensive and renewable with important physical and chemical properties. Moreover, the different modifications possible in its chemical structure generate new properties, making it an attractive polysaccharide owing to its range of potential applications. Polymers have been used in oil production operations. However, growing concern over environmental constraints has prompted oil industry to search for environmentally sustainable materials. As such, this study sought to obtain chitosan derivatives grafted with hydrophilic (poly(ethylene glycol), mPEG) and/or hydrophobic groups (n-dodecyl) via a simple (one-pot) method and evaluate their physicochemical properties as a function of varying pH using rheology, small-angle Xray scattering (SAXS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential. The chitosan derivatives were prepared using reductive alkylation under mild reaction conditions and the chemical structure of the polymers was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and CHN elemental analysis. Considering a constant mPEG/Chitosan molar ratio on modification of chitosan, the solubility of the polymer across a wide pH range (acidic, neutral and basic) could only be improved when some of the amino groups were submitted to reacetylation using the one-pot method. Under these conditions, solubility is maintained even with the simultaneous insertion of n-dodecyl. On the other hand, the solubility of derivatives obtained only through mPEG incorporation using the traditional methodology, or with the ndodecyl group, was similar to that of its precursor. The hydrophilic group promoted decreased viscosity of the polymer solutions at 10 g/L in acid medium. However, at basic pH, both viscosity and thermal stability increased, as well as exhibited a pronounced pseudoplastic behavior, suggesting strong intermolecular associations in the alkaline medium. The SAXS results showed a polyelectrolyte behavior with the decrease in pH for the polymer systems. DLS analyses revealed that although the dilute polymer solutions at 1 g/L and pH 3 exhibited a high density of protonated amino groups along the polymer chain, the high degree of charge contributed significantly to aggregation, promoting increased particle size with the decrease in pH. Furthermore, the hydrophobic group also contributed to increasing the size of aggregates in solution at pH 3, whereas the hydrophilic group helped reduce their size across the entire pH range. Nevertheless, the nature of aggregation was dependent on the pH of the medium. Zeta potential results indicated that its values do not depend solely on the surface charge of the particle, but are also dependent on the net charge of the medium. In this study, water soluble associative polymers exhibit properties that can be of great interest in the petroleum industry

Avaliação das propriedades físico-químicas de sistemas a base de carboximetilcelulose e poli (N-isopropilacrilamida) em soluções aquosas para aplicação na indústria do petróleo

Sustainable development is a major challenge in the oil industry and has aroused growing interest in research to obtain materials from renewable sources. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is a polysaccharide derived from cellulose and becomes attractive because it is water-soluble, renewable, biodegradable and inexpensive, as well as may be chemically modified to gain new properties. Among the derivatives of carboxymethylcellulose, systems have been developed to induce stimuli-responsive properties and extend the applicability of multiple-responsive materials. Although these new materials have been the subject of study, understanding of their physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, solubility and particle size as a function of pH and temperature, is still very limited. This study describes systems of physical blends and copolymers based on carboxymethylcellulose and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), with different feed percentage compositions of the reaction (25CMC, 50CMC e 75CMC), in aqueous solution. The chemical structure of the polymers was investigated by infrared and CHN elementary analysis. The physical blends were analyzed by rheology and the copolymers by UV-visible spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential. CMC and copolymer were assessed as scale inhibitors of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) using dynamic tube blocking tests and chemical compatibility tests, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermothickening behavior was observed for the 50 % CMC_50 % PNIPAM and 25 % CMC_75 % PNIPAM physical blends in aqueous solution at concentrations of 6 and 2 g/L, respectively, depending on polymer concentration and composition. For the copolymers, the increase in temperature and amount of PNIPAM favored polymer-polymer interactions through hydrophobic groups, resulting in increased turbidity of polymer solutions. Particle size decreased with the rise in copolymer PNIPAM content as a function of pH (3-12), at 25 °C. Larger amounts of CMC result in a stronger effect of pH on particle size, indicating pH-responsive behavior. Thus, 25CMC was not affected by the change in pH, exhibiting similar behavior to PNIPAM. In addition, the presence of acidic or basic additives influenced particle size, which was smaller in the presence of the additives than in distilled water. The results of zeta potential also showed greater variation for polymers in distilled water than in the presence of acids and bases. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM determined by DLS corroborated the value obtained by UV-visible spectroscopy. SAXS data for PNIPAM and 50CMC indicated phase transition when the temperature increased from 32 to 34 °C. A reduction in or absence of electrostatic properties was observed as a function of increased PNIPAM in copolymer composition. Assessment of samples as scale inhibitors showed that CMC performed better than the copolymers. This was attributed to the higher charge density present in CMC. The SEM micrographs confirmed morphological changes in the CaCO3 crystals, demonstrating the scale inhibiting potential of these polymers

Cultivo de algas marinhas como desenvolvimento de comunidades costeiras

In northeastern Brazil, the extraction of agar has increased considerably in recent decades mainly using macroalgae of the genus Gracilaria. The pressure of the harvest of seaweed of this genus has compromised the sustainability of this natural resource. Given the current framework of decline in production of algae in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, it is necessary the deployment of crops that will assist in the development of coastal areas. This research aimed to develop studies on growth, productivity, efficiency and quality of agar of G. birdiae so as to provide subsidies for crops on commercial scale. The study was carried out in dry and rainy periods using rafts of cultivation. Algal biomass and the physical and chemical parameters of water were measured every fifteen days. In laboratory, the resistance and quality of agar were analyzed. The relative growth rate (TCR) was determined by the formula: RGR = ln (final weight / weight initial). 100 / interval time of sampling. During the study, environmental factors as salinity and temperature remained relatively constant (around 35 PSU and 28°C, respectively). The mean values of biomass ranged around 1952.67 ± 576g in the rainy period and 1925.67 ± 450g in the dry period, and they presented no significant variations. The maximum value of growth (TCR) was recorded in the dry season (7.45%.day-1), with an average over the study of 4.35%.day-1. The yield of agar ranged from 22% to 15%, and its resistance ranged from 850 to 650g. cm². The average obtained for the two periods was approximately 750 g cm². These results demonstrate the great potential of Gracilaria birdiae for mariculture can be used as an sustainable activity for coastal communities

Parâmetros físico-químicos de estrelas com planetas na missão CoRoT

In the present study we compute the atmospheric parameters (Teff , log g and vmic, [Fe/H]) and chemical abundance of 16 ions (Fe I, Fe II, O I, Si I, Na I, Mg I, Al I, Ca I, Ti I, Co I, Ni I, Rb I, Zr I, Ba II, La II and Cr I) for 16 solar-like stars with masses between 0:8 and 1:2 Mfi aproximatedly, including 10 planet-host stars detected by the CoRoT Space Mission. For this study, we use data from the ESO public archive: (i) high resolution spectra (R 47000) from the UVES spectrograph on the VLT/UT2-ESO (for 7 stars, covering the wavelength range 3450-4515 Å and 5500-9400 Å) and (ii) high resolution spectra from HARPS spectrograph on the La Silla-ESO 3.60 m telescope (for 9 stars, covering the wavelength range 4200-6865 Å). Our spectral analysis is based on MARCS models of atmosphere and Turbospectrum spectroscopic tools. On the base of the computed parameters, the referred abundances appears to follow the same behavior of the solar curve abundances. Further, one observes a signifficant correlation between the abundance ratio [m/Fe] and condensation temperature (Tc) of refractory elements (Tc > 900 K). The behavior of the projected rotational velocity (v sin i) versus the computed abundances [m/Fe] is also analyzed, presenting no clear trends. This study oers additional constraints to trace the evolutive history of solar-like stars with planets, including the search for chemical dierences between stars with and without transit planets and anomalies in the studied abundances