Estudo das diferentes formas de fósforo nas águas da plataforma continental do Amazonas

Hydrological samples were collected on the continental shelf of the Amazon river to determine particulate organic and inorganic matter, dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), phosphate, total particulate phosphorus (TPP), chlorophyll a, temperature, salinity, pH, water transparency, dissolved oxygen (DO) and saturation rate. The objective was to study the forms of DOP, phosphate and TPP. In the euphotic layer, the fluvial discharge from the Amazon river favored the distribution of phosphate, TPP and DOP. In the aphotic layer, the phosphate concentration increased due to the decomposition of DOP and TPP. This increase is due to the absence of photosynthetic processes.

Distribuição de Hg total e suas associações com diferentes suportes geoquímicos em sedimentos marinhos da margem continental brasileira: Bacia de Campos - Rio de Janeiro

Mercury distribution and geochemical support on the Continental Margin was evaluated at the Campos Basin, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The average concentrations for all analyzed elements were, respectively, 20 ± 5 ng g-1 (Hg); 30 ± 14 mg g-1 (Al); 16 ± 6 mg g-1 (Fe), and 254 ± 83 µg g-1 (Mn). Silt and clay content, total carbonate and Hg, and organic carbon increased with depth. Finally, the relationship between Hg and silt clay showed significant positive correlation. Total Hg concentrations are the background level described primarily (~40 ng g-1).

Arc fusion of self-fluxed nickel alloys

Self-fluxed nickel alloys are usually flame fused after thermal spraying. However, due to the practical aspects of high temperatures reached during flame fusing, large structures such as the hydraulic turbines for power generation, can not be efficiently coated. An alternative is to fuse the sprayed coating with a gas tungsten electric arc. In this case, heating is much more intensive and substrate temperature during and after the fusing operation is much lower, thus reducing the possibility that any problem will occur. In this work, coatings of self-fluxed nickel alloy fused by flame and gas tungsten arc were evaluated as protection of hydraulic turbines against cavitational damage. Several tests were performed, including the ASTM ultrasonically vibration-induced cavitation, optical and scanning electronic microscopic metallography, and hardness tests. The results showed that the arc-fused coating presented better cavitation damage resistance, probably due to its finer microstructure. A field application of this new technique is also described. A self-fluxed Ni alloy was flame sprayed in critical regions of Francis-type hydraulic turbine blades and fused by a gas tungsten arc after spraying. The blades will be inspected during the next two years.

Welding current effect on diffusible hydrogen content in flux cored arc weld metal

The application of flux cored arc welding (FCAW) has increased in manufacturing and fabrication. Even though FCAW is well known for its good capability in producing quality welds, few reports have been published on the cause of the relatively high diffusible hydrogen content in the weld metal and its relation with the ingredients used in the wire production and with the welding parameters (mainly welding current). This paper describes experiments where data obtained from weld metal diffusible hydrogen analysis, metal droplet collection, and high-speed recording of metal droplet transfer were used to evaluate the effect of welding current on diffusible hydrogen content in the weld metal. The results from gas chromatography analysis showed that weld metal hydrogen content indeed increased with welding current. A polynomial regressional analysis concluded that hydrogen increase with current was better described by a linear function with proportional constant of approximately 0.7 or 70%. Different from the GMA welding transfer behavior, statistical analysis showed only a small increase in metal droplet size with increasing current. The metal transfer mode remained in the globular range for currents between 100 and 150 A. The most surprising findings were with the high-speed cinematography recording. Observing the high speed movies, it was possible to see that at low current, "unmelted" flux sporadically touched the weld pool but at higher current, the flux remained touching the weld pool during the whole time of droplet formation and transfer. It is believed that since the flux has ingredients that contain hydrogen, hydrogen passes through the arc undisturbed, going to the weld bead intact and increasing the hydrogen content in the weld metal. Another important observation is regarding to droplet size. Droplet size increased with increasing current because forces from decomposed gases from the flux could sustain the droplets, retarding their transfer and allowing them to grow.

Improved biological performance of magnesium by micro-arc oxidation

Magnesium and its alloys have recently been used in the development of lightweight, biodegradable implant materials. However, the corrosion properties of magnesium limit its clinical application. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the degradation behavior and biomechanical properties of magnesium materials treated with micro-arc oxidation (MAO), which is a new promising surface treatment for developing corrosion resistance in magnesium, and to provide a theoretical basis for its further optimization and clinical application. The degradation behavior of MAO-treated magnesium was studied systematically by immersion and electrochemical tests, and its biomechanical performance when exposed to simulated body fluids was evaluated by tensile tests. In addition, the cell toxicity of MAO-treated magnesium samples during the corrosion process was evaluated, and its biocompatibility was investigated under in vivo conditions. The results of this study showed that the oxide coating layers could elevate the corrosion potential of magnesium and reduce its degradation rate. In addition, the MAO-coated sample showed no cytotoxicity and more new bone was formed around it during in vivo degradation. MAO treatment could effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of the magnesium specimen and help to keep its original mechanical properties. The MAO-coated magnesium material had good cytocompatibility and biocompatibility. This technique has an advantage for developing novel implant materials and may potentially be used for future clinical applications.