Tratamentos de fibras de carnaúba [copernicia prunífera (miller) h. e. moore] para o desenvolvimento de compósito biodegradável com matriz de polihidroxibutirato

The use of raw materials from renewable sources for production of materials has been the subject of several studies and researches, because of its potential to substitute petrochemical-based materials. The addition of natural fibers to polymers represents an alternative in the partial or total replacement of glass fibers in composites. In this work, carnauba leaf fibers were used in the production of biodegradable composites with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) matrix. To improve the interfacial properties fiber / matrix were studied four chemical treatments to the fibers..The effect of the different chemical treatments on the morphological, physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the fibers and composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, tensile and flexural tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetry (TGA) and diferential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results of tensile tests indicated an increase in tensile strength of the composites after the chemical treatment of the fibers, with best results for the hydrogen peroxide treated fibers, even though the tensile strength of fibers was slightly reduced. This suggests a better interaction fiber/matrix which was also observed by SEM fractographs. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was reduced for all composites compared to the pure polymer which can be attributed to the absorption of solvents, moisture and other low molecular weight molecules by the fibers

Adição de resíduo cerâmico em pastas geopoliméricas para cimentação de poços de petróleo

The development of activities the of oil and gas sector have promoted the search for suitable materials for cementing oil wells. In the state of the Rio Grande do Norte, the integrity of the cement sheath tends to be impaired during steam injection, a procedure necessary to increase oil recovery in reservoirs with low-viscosity oil. The geopolymer is a material that can be used as alternative cement, since it has been used in the production of fire-resistant components, building structures, and for the control of toxic or radioactive residues. Geopolymers result from condensation polymer alkali aluminosilicates and silicates resulting three-dimensional polymeric structures. They are produced in a manner different from that of Portland cement, which is made an activating solution that is mixed with geopolymer precursor. Among the few works studied allowed us to conclude that the pastes prepared with metakaolin as precursor showed better performance of its properties. Several studies show the addition of waste clay as a means of reducing cost and improving end of the folder properties. On this basis, the goal is to study the influence of the addition of ceramic waste in geopolymer paste. To develop the study of rheology tests were carried out, filtered, thickening time, compressive strength, free water, specific gravity and permeability, according to the American Pretoleum Institute (API). The results for all formulations studied show that the folders have high mechanical strength to a light paste; low filtrate volume, absence of free water, very low permeability, slurry, consistent with a light paste, and thickening time low that can be corrected with the use of a retardant handle. For morphological characterization, microstructural, physical, chemical and thermal tests were carried out by XRD, MEV, DTA, TG, FTIR. In the trial of XRD, it was found that geopolymer is an amorphous material, with a peak of crystalline kaolinite. In tests of TG / DTA, revealed the presence of a significant event, which represents the mass loss related to water, and also observed the reduction of weight loss by increasing the concentration of ceramic waste. In the trial of MEV, we found a uniform matrix without the presence of other phases. In the trial of FT-IR, we observed the presence of the band related to water. From all results it was determined that the optimum concentration range of use is between 2.5 and 5% of waste ceramic

Estudo de Matérias-Primas do Rio Grande do Norte para Uso em Revestimento Poroso: Influência do teor de dolomita e temperatura de calcinação nas propriedades físico-mecânicas

The state of Rio Grande do Norte presents a great potentiality for the production of ceramic tiles because of having natural raw material in quantity and quality making its economical exploration possible, beyond the great energetic differential of the state, the natural gás. This works aims to study the influence of the dolomite and granulometry concentration and calcinations temperature in the obtaining of formulations for porous coverings which have to be coherent to the project,s specifications. The experiments have involved the physical-chemical and mineralogical characterizations of raw materials and mechanical tests in the dry and burnt proof bodies preceding a mixture experiment planning with the use of the response surface methodology, in order to get the best raw materials combinations to produce a ceramic mass with specific properties. The twelve ceramic masses studied in this work were prepared by the via dry process, characterized, shaped by uniaxial pressing and sinterized in the temperatures of 940ºC, 1000ºC, 1060ºC, 1120ºC and 1180ºC, using a fast burning cycle. The crystalline phases formed during the sintering in the temperatures in study have revealed the presence of anorthite and diopside beyond quartz with a remaining phase. These phases were the main responsible ones by the physical- mechanical properties of the sinterized proof bodies. The proof bodies after the sintering stage have presented water absorption higher than 10% and a good dimensional stability in all studied temperatures. However, the flexural breaking strength results in the temperatures of 940ºC, 1000ºC and 1060ºC, under the temperature zone of the vitrification of ceramic whiteware do not reach the flexural breaking strength specific for the porous wall tile (15 MPa), but in the temperature of 1120ºC next to the vitrification temperature zone, some whiteware ceramic (formulations) has reached the specified value for the porous wall tile. The results of this work have showed that the studied raw materials have great importance for used in the production of porous wall tiles (BIII)

Caracterização ambiental de bancos areno-lamosos nos campos petrolíferos de Macau e Serra (RN), como subsídio às medidas mitigadoras ao processo erosivo

On Rio Grande do Norte northern coast the process of sediment transport are intensely controlled by wind and sea (waves and currents) action, causing erosion and shoreline morphological instability. Due to the importance of such coastal zone it was realized the multi-spectral mapping and physical-chemical characterization of mudflats and mangroves aiming to support the mitigating actions related to the containment of the erosive process on the oil fields of Macau and Serra installed at the study area. The multi-spectral bands of 2000 and 2008 LANDSAT 5 TM images were submitted on the several digital processing steps and RGB color compositions integrating spectral bands and Principal Components. Such processing methodology was important to the mapping of different units on surface, together with field works. It was possible to make an analogy of the spectral characteristics of wetlands with vegetations areas (mangrove), showing the possibility to make a restoration of this area, contributing with the environmental monitoring of that ecosystem. The maps of several units were integrated in GIS environment at 1:60,000 scale, including the classification of features according to the presence or absence of vegetation cover. Thus, the strategy of methodology established that there are 10.13 km2 at least of sandy-muddy and of these approximately 0.89 km2 with the possibility to be used in a reforestation of typical flora of mangrove. The physical-chemical characterization showed areas with potential to introduce local species of mangrove and they had a pH above neutral with a mean of 8.4. The characteristic particle size is sand in the fine fractions, the high levels of carbonate, organic matter and major and trace element in general are concentrated where the sediment had the less particles size, showing the high correlation that those elements have with smaller particles of sediment. The application of that methodological strategy is relevant to the better understanding of features behavior and physical-chemical data of sediment samples collected on field allow the analysis of efficiency/capability of sandy-muddy to reforestation with local mangrove species for mitigation of the erosive action and coastal processes on the areas occupied by the oil industry

Ecologia do fitoplâncton impactado por cultivo de tilápia do Nilo, oreochromis niloticus, em tanques-rede no açude Ministro João Alves, Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte

The dams are limnic ecosystems of great importance for its multiple uses, among them, water supply for the public and to culture of artisanal fish are most relevant. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the physical-chemical characteristics and the phytoplankton community in two chosen sites (Point 1 littoral zone of point source; Point 2 pelagic zone of non-point source) of the Minister João Alves dam, which is also known as Boqueirão de Parelhas/RN. This represents the spatial distribution of the phytoplankton species in order to understand any possible alterations of the water quality and the phytoplankton composition in relation to the water quality originating from the impact of the tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, culture. The study period also encompasses temporal variations exhibited in two seasons of an annual cycle, one during the dry season (Oct, Nov and Dec of 2008 and Jan of 2009), and the other rainy season (Mar, Apr, May and June of 2008) to extend the observation. The physicalchemical parameters, such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, concentration of dissolved oxygen were measured in situ and the values of the inorganic nutrients (nitrate, ammonium and orto-phosfato) and chlorophyll in the laboratory. The quali-quantitative analyses of the phytoplankton had been carried through sedimentation technique and the enumeration of the random of 400 cells, colonies and filaments counted using Sedgwick-Rafter counting chamber. The results of pH varied widely from the acidic to alkaline range with the minimum of 5.8 (± 0.8) and the maximum of 9.2 (± 0.7-0.8), at point 1 and 2. The dissolved oxygen content was higher in the rainy period than that in the dry period. The maximum electrical conductivity was of 1409 μScm-1 in point 1 and 431 minim of μScm-1, in point 2. There was a considerable alteration in the levels of inorganic nutrients such as nitrate-nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen and orthophosphate during the two cycles of study period. Phytoplankton assemblages presented a picture of alternate dominance among species Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae. The trophic state index diagnosed to the category of mesotrophic, which is based on the values of chlorophyll, total phosphorus and Secchi-disc measurements. The wind driven turbulence of the water column and the fresh inflow of water (flushing and dilution) during rainy season acted as constraint and did-not allow an exaggerated growth of the species of cyanobacteria. On the basis of the present we conclude that the culture of tilapias in cage-culture fails to produce pollution load that could compromise the quality of the water of the dam, probably be due to small dimension of the culture in relation to the size, volume of the water and the reservoir capacity support its own environment

Estudo comparativo da variação temporal da comunidade fitoplanctônica do açude Cruzeta inserido no bioma caatinga, Rio Grande do Norte

The Cruzeta impoundment, situated in the city of Cruzeta, hinterland of the state of the Rio Grande do Norte state has significant importance to the municipality as it represents the only source of supplying water to the region. It was hypothesized that the regional consequence of the global warming and the warming of surface water could substantially contribute the significant growth of the aquatic macrophytes in the years 2008-2009. The growth of these vegetation believed to be improved the degree of water transparency and as a consequence of the improved growth of phytoplankton species and chlorophyll biomass. At the same time the aquatic macrophyte could interact and compete potentially for the dissolved inorganic nutrients resources and the phytoplankton community. This study presents a comparison of years 2004-2005 when it did not have the expressive presence of the aquatic macrophyte community or restricted to the littoral region. In contrast, the years 2008-2009 showed a significant growth of the aquatic macrophyte in the Cruzeta/RN impoundments. The present study is an attempt to elucidate the significant presence of the aquatic macrophyte, Eichhornia crassipes, Ceratophyllum submersum, Nymphea sp and Pistia sp, and its interference on the ecology of phytoplankton. The samplings had been carried out from September of 2008 to April of 2009 and consistently between 10:00 h and 12:00 h with the aid of Van Dorn bottle and the plankton net of mesh size 20 Qm. The collections were made in three depths ie., surface, mid-column and bottom. The Physical-Chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen had been analyzed in situ. The samples for analysis of nutrients and chlorophyll were kept under refrigeration for posterior analysis in the laboratory. Phytoplankton samples were preserved in Lugol-iodine and kept for sedimentation for quali-quantitative analysis of phytoplankton. Enumeration of cells, colonies and filaments was done with the aid of Sedgwick-Rafter counting chamber and expressed as numbers/ml. Chlorophyll a was analyzed as a functional component of phytoplankton biomass and extracted with cold 90% acetone. The results indicate that the chlorophyll concentration varied between 5,65-8,08 Qg.L-1 for the dry period and 5,09-6,23 Qg.L-1 for the rainy period and showed considerable reduction when compared to the values to the 2004-2005 study period. The temperature was always presented higher in relation to the 2004-2005 study. Phytoplankton species showed a relative abundance of the Cyanophyceae for both the period of dry and rainy. The predominance species are filamentous Leptolymbya geophila Borzi (Planctolyngbya sp), Anabaena plankctônica Brunnthaler, Oscillatória limosa Ag. and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wolosz). The concentration of the nutrients such as nitrate and orto-phosfato had always presented higher values during the rainy period and the ammoniacal nitrogen retained moderate values in the dry period and a slight increase in rainy season. The main conclusions are the reduction of the concentration of chlorophyll, diversity of phytoplankton, and the increase in temperature and transparency of the water during the period of the study

Estratégia alimentar com ciclos de restrição e realimentação no desempenho produtivo de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo da linhagem GIFT

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a ocorrência de resposta compensatória no desempenho produtivo de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo Oreochromis niloticus, linhagem GIFT, submetidos a diferentes estratégias alimentares. Foram utilizados 135 juvenis de tilápia, distribuídos em nove tanques de polietileno de 100L cada. As estratégias testadas foram: grupo controle (alimentado todo dia), grupo alimentado por cinco dias seguidos de dois dias de restrição de alimento (5A/2R) e grupo alimentado por quatro dias seguidos de três dias de restrição de alimento (4A/3R). Foram avaliados parâmetros físico-químicos da água e de desempenho produtivo. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância, e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste Tukey, a 5% de probabilidade. A qualidade de água, o fator de condição e a conversão alimentar não foram influenciados pela estratégia alimentar. O grupo alimentado com a estratégia 5A/2R apresentou peso final, ganho de peso e taxa de crescimento específico semelhantes ao grupo continuamente alimentado (7,8 e 9,2g; 6,4 e 7,8g e 2,7 e 3,0% dia-1, para peso final, ganho de peso e taxa de crescimento especifico, respectivamente). A estratégia 4A/3R apresentou os piores resultados de desempenho produtivo, e a estratégia 5A/2R pode ser usada na alimentação de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo sem prejuízo ao desempenho produtivo, possibilitando inclusive redução de até 22,5% na quantidade de alimento ofertada.

Características fisico-químicas e sensoriais da carne de bubalinos Murrah abatidos em diferentes períodos de confinamento

Objetivou-se avaliar as características físicas, químicas e sensoriais da carne de búfalos abatidos em diferentes períodos de confinamento. Foram utilizados 20 bubalinos da raça Murrah, castrados, descornados, com idade média inicial de 15 meses, abatidos aos 75, 100, 125 ou 150 dias de confinamento. Após o abate, as carcaças foram identificadas e resfriadas por 24 horas. Durante a desossa, foram colhidas amostras do contrafilé entre a 10ª e 11ª costelas para análise das características sensoriais e das perdas por cocção; entre a 11ª e 12ª costelas para avaliação da composição centesimal, do valor calórico, do pH e do índice de fragmentação miofibrilar (IFM); e entre a 12ª e 13ª costelas para a avaliação do escore de marmorização e da força de cisalhamento. A composição centesimal, o pH, a força de cisalhamento, o valor calórico, as perdas por cocção e o IFM não diferiram estatisticamente entre os períodos de confinamento. O grau de marmorização diferiu entre as idades de abate, uma vez os animais abatidos aos 75 dias de confinamento apresentaram escore de 1,25; os abatidos aos 100 e 125 dias, escore 2; e aqueles abatidos aos 150 dias de confinamento, escore 2,2. em todos os períodos de confinamento, a carne bubalina foi classificada como macia (média 3,94 kgf) e apresentou com características que não diferiram pelo painel sensorial entre os 75 e 150 dias de confinamento. O abate de bubalinos aos 75 e 150 dias de confinamento não influencia as características sensoriais sabor, aroma e cor da carne bubalina.

Physicochemical Stability of Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) Nanocapsules Containing the Local Anesthetic Bupivacaine

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxin in the Billings Reservoir (São Paulo, SP, Brazil)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Integrated sediment quality assessment in Paranagua Estuarine System, Southern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Development of site-specific sediment quality guidelines for North and South Atlantic littoral zones: Comparison against national and international sediment quality benchmarks

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Testes físico-mecânicos e físico-químicos do couro da tilápia vermelha

Realizaram-se testes físico-mecânicos e físico-químicos em couro de tilápia vermelha (Oreochromis spp.) a fim de testar a sua resistência. As amostras foram distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso com dois tratamentos: no T1, procedeu-se à retirada do corpo-de-prova no sentido longitudinal e, no T2, à retirada do corpo-de-prova no sentido transversal. Para os testes de determinação da resistência à tração, alongamento e rasgamento progressivo, foi utilizado o dinamômetro EMIC, com velocidade de afastamento entre as cargas de 100 ± 20mm/min, em ambiente climatizado (± 23ºC e UR do ar de 50%), por 24 horas. A espessura do couro variou de 0,61 a 0,75mm, mas não houve diferença entre os sentidos analisados. O couro apresentou maior resistência à tração no sentido transversal, 25,89N/mm², (P<0,01), comparado ao sentido longitudinal, 14,20 N/mm². O alongamento foi significativamente (P<0,05) maior no sentido longitudinal, 80,8%, em relação ao transversal, 62,6%. Não houve diferença para o rasgamento progressivo entre os tratamentos. O couro apresentou teor de óxido de cromo de 3,8%, graxa de 15,1% e pH e cifra diferencial de 3,5 e 0,5, respectivamente. Os valores nos testes de resistência e físico-químicos apresentados pelo couro indicam que ele pode ser utilizado para a confecção de vestuário e artefatos de couro em geral.

Soil attributes and efficiency of sulfentrazone on control of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.)

Herbicidas aplicados ao solo são submetidos à adsorção, lixiviação e degradação por processos físicos, químicos e biológicos, além da absorção pelas plantas. Todos esses processos são afetados pela classe dos solos onde foram aplicados e das condições climáticas reinantes logo após a aplicação, que afetarão a eficiência dos produtos no controle de plantas daninhas. Investigaram-se as influências dos atributos de solos e condições de cultivo na eficiência do herbicida sulfentrazone no controle da planta daninha tiririca (Cyperus rotundus L.). O Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo Distrófico (LVAd), o Latossolo Vermelho (LVd - Distrófico; LVdf - Distroférrico; LVef - Eutroférrico) e o Nitossolo Vermelho Eutrófico (NVe) foram coletados sob duas condições de cultivo, visando obter solos com teores diferenciados de argila, óxido de ferro e matéria orgânica. As amostras dos solos foram submetidas à caracterização granulométrica, química e mineralógica e, em seguida, utilizadas no bioensaio de avaliação da eficiência do sulfentrazone (1,6 L p.c. ha-1) no controle da tiririca em condições de pré-emergência. O sulfentrazone apresentou comportamento diferenciado entre as classes de solos estudados e a sua eficiência diminuiu com o aumento do teor de óxido de ferro nos solos, na seguinte ordem: LVAd, LVd, NVe, LVef e LVdf, sendo que as variações nos teores de argila (240 a 640 g kg-1) e da matéria orgânica (12 a 78 g kg-1) dos solos não interferiram na eficiência do sulfentrazone.

Multivariate analysis of fresh-cut carambola slices stored under different temperatures

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)