Application of solid sampling device for direct determination of chromium and nickel in lubricating oils by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

One method using a solid sampling device for the direct determination of Cr and Ni in fresh and used lubricating oils by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry are proposed. The high organic content in the samples was minimized using a digestion step at 400 degrees C in combination with an oxidant mixture 1.0% (v v(-1)) HNO3+15% (v v(-1)) H2O2+0.1% (m v(-1)) Triton X-100 for the in situ digestion. The 3-field mode Zeeman-effect allowed the spectrometer calibration up to 5 ng of Cr and Ni. The quantification limits were 0.86 mu g g(-1) for Cr and 0.82 mg g(-1) for Ni, respectively. The analysis of reference materials showed no statistically significant difference between the recommended values and those obtained by the proposed methods.

Antioxidant Capacity and Larvicidal and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oils and Extracts from Piper krukoffii

The leaves and twigs of Piper krukoffii, collected in the Carajas National Forest, north Brazil, yielded essential oils (2.0% and 0.8%), the main constituents of which were myristicin (40.3% and 26.7%), apiole (25.4% and 34.1%) and elemicin (2.8% and 3.0%). The antioxidant activities of the oils, methanol extract and its sub-fractions were evaluated. The DPPH EC(50) values varied from the ethyl acetate sub-fraction (73.4 +/- 3.7 mu g/mL) to the methanol extract (24.9 +/- 0.8 mu g/mL), and the ABTS TEAC values ranged in the same order from 265.7 to 349.2 mu Mol TE/g. These results indicated a significant antioxidant activity for the plant. The lignans (-)-kusunokin, yatein, (-)-hinokin and cubebin were identified in the methanol extract. The hydro-methanolic sub-fraction showed a high value for total phenol content (106.5 +/- 0.7 mg GAE/g), as well as (1)H NMR signals for sugar moieties. Crude extracts and sub-fractions were also able to inhibit beta-carotene bleaching, varying from 22.4 to 47.1%. The oils from the leaves and twigs showed strong larvicidal (21.4 and 3.6 mu g/mL) and fungicide (0.5 and 0.1 mu g/mL) activities.

Effect of polyol excess on the electrical property of vegetable-polyurethane film

Freestanding castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) film was obtained using spin-coating method. The effect of polyol content was analysed by means of thermally stimulated depolarisation current and AC dielectric measurements techniques. Two relaxation peaks were observed in the temperature range of -40 to 60 degrees C for PU with different polyol contents. The presence of polyol excess provides a shift to lower temperature of the a relaxation and the decrease in the activation energy of the transition in this region might be attributed to the plasticising effect of the polyol. The peak at higher temperature is due to the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars relaxation, which also shifts in the low temperature direction as the polyol content is increased.

Soil water evaporation under densities of coverage with vegetable residue

O presente estudo foi realizado no Instituto Agronômico do Paraná (IAPAR), em Londrina, Estado do Paraná (latitude de 23º18'S, longitude de 51º09'W e altitude média de 585 m). O clima local, segundo a classificação do Köppen, é do tipo Cfa, ou seja, subtropical úmido, com chuvas em todas as estações, podendo ocorrer secas no período de inverno. Determinou-se a evaporação (E) da água do solo sob diferentes densidades de cobertura com resíduo da cultura de trigo. Os tratamentos foram instalados em lisímetros de pesagem de 2,66 m² e 1,3 m de profundidade, que permitem determinar E por diferença de massa com precisão equivalente a 0,1 mm em intervalos de uma hora. Os tratamentos consistiram em 0; 2,5; 5 e 10 t ha-1 de resíduos da cultura do trigo, colocadas de forma homogênea em cada lisímetro. No primeiro ciclo (22/09 a 20/10/2008), a redução de E em relação ao solo descoberto foi de 4; 15 e 24%, enquanto no segundo ciclo (01/12 a 30/12/2008), a redução foi de 15; 22 e 25%, respectivamente, para os tratamentos 2,5; 5 e 10 t ha-1.

Effect of oils sources on blood lipid parameters of commercial laying hens

The experiment was carried out to verify if total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triacylglicerol plasma levels are affected when laying hens are fed rations containing different dietary oil sources. One hundred sixty 50 week-old hens, assigned to four treatments with five replicates using 8 hens per replicate were used. The experimental period was of 84 days divided in 3 cycles of 28 days each. In the last day of each cycle, blood samples of 2 hens per replicate were randomly choose and blood samples were collected. on the other hand, blood was also collected at 7 am, 11 am and 3 pm aiming to study the daily changes of these lipids. Blood lipid parameters were not affected by different dietary oil sources (p > 0.05); however, HDL-cholesterol did change during the day, giving evidence that this lipid is indeed involved in the egg yolk formation.

Agronomic characteristics, isoflavone content and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor of vegetable soybean genotypes

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

Caracterização do óleo de carnaúba para uso como biolubrificante

Lubricant is responsible for reducing the wear on the friction protect the metal against oxidation, corrosion and dissipates excess heat, making it essential for the balance of a mechanical system, consequently prolonging the useful life of such a system. The origin of lubricating oils is usually mineral being extracted from the petroleum. But the search for a new source of production of lubricants and fuels it is necessary to meet future demands and reduce the possible environmental damage. For this reason, looking alternative means to produce certain products derived from petroleum, such as biodiesel, for example. Returning to the realm of lubricants, also one realizes this need for new raw materials for their production. Vegetable oil is a renewable resource and biodegradable, and its use entails advantages in environmental, social and economic. The development of this project aims to characterize the carnauba oil as a lubricant plant, or biolubricant. To analyze the oil carnauba tests as checking density, flash point, fire point, viscosity, viscosity, acid number, pH, copper corrosion, thermal conductivity and thermal resistivity were developed. In addition, for conducting the wear on the friction and the gradient of the system temperature, the analysis equipment is designed for wear on the friction. Based on these results, it is observed that the oil carnauba show good correlation to its application as biolubricant

Hydrogen production utilizing glycerol from renewable feedstocks-The case of Brazil

Various reports concerning catalytic reaction of glycerol for hydrogen production is available. However, economic analyses of this activity are not found yet. The objective of this work is to evaluate the process of hydrogen production via steam reforming of glycerol obtained through transesterification process of bio-oils. The thermochemical process of steam reforming process was determined due to high efficiency, feasibility and lower cost of design, development, operation and maintenance. These bio-oils come from feedstocks largely encountered in Brazil such as soybean, palm, castor bean, peanut and cotton seed as also come from residues such as defective coffee, tallow beef, wastewater (scum) and others. Various findings were obtained such as potential of production of glycerol utilizing residues (considering available amounts in the Brazilian states) and some vegetable feedstocks (considering production of harvested feedstock per hectare). Subsequently, production of hydrogen via steam reforming of generated glycerol, and foreseen electricity production via fuel cells were also determined. An additional estimation was paid for production of H-BIO, an innovative fuel developed by PETROBRAS (Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.), where hydrogen and bio-fuel are utilized and generates propane as co-product. About this work, it was concluded that high amounts of hydrogen and electricity could be produced considering an enormous potential from each cited feedstock being an attractive alternative as distributed electricity source and as an additional source for some activities, inclusively those that produce their own feedstocks such as abattoirs (beef tallow), and wastewater treatment plants. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hidróxidos duplos lamelares aplicados à obtenção de biodiesel

In this paper, the Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH s) type hydrotalcite were synthesized, characterized and tested as basic heterogeneous catalysts for the production of biodiesel by transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol. The synthesis of materials Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH s) by co-precipitation method from nitrates of magnesium and aluminum, and sodium carbonate. The materials were submitted to the variation in chemical composition, which is the amount of Mg2+ ions replaced by Al3+. This variation affects the characteristic physico-chemical and reaction the solid. The molar ratio varied in the range of 1:1 and 3:1 magnesium / aluminum, and their values between 0.2 and 0.33. This study aims to evaluate the influence of variation of molar ratio of mixed oxides derived from LDH s and the influence of impregnation of a material with catalytic activity, the KI, the rate of conversion of sunflower oil into methyl esters (biodiesel) through transesterification by heterogeneous catalysis. .The catalysts were calcined at 550 ° C and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy of X-ray (SEM / EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and test basicity. The transesterification reaction was performed for reflux is a mixture of sunflower oil and methanol with a molar ratio of 15:1, a reaction time of 4h and a catalyst concentration of 2% by weight. The physical-chemical characterization of sunflower oil and biodiesel obtained by the route methyl submitted according NBR, EN, ASTM. Subsequently, it was with the chromatographic and thermogravimetric characterizations of oils. The results of chromatographic analysis showed that the catalysts were effective in converting vegetable oil into biodiesel, in particular the type hydrotalcite KI-HDL-R1, with a conversion of 99.2%, indicating the strong influence of the chemical composition of the material, in special due to presence of potassium in the structure of the catalyst

Dielectric relaxation of vegetable-based polyurethane

Vegetable-based polyurethane (PU) was prepared in the thin film form by spin coating. This polymer is synthesised from castor oil, which can be extracted from the seeds of a native plant in Brazil called mamona. This polymer is biocompatible and is being used as material for artificial bone. The PU was characterised by dielectric spectroscopy in a wide range of frequency (10(-5) Hz to 10(5) Hz) and by thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC) measurements. The glass transition temperature (T-g=39degreesC) was determined and using the initial rise method the activation energy was found to be 1.58 eV. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Electromechanical properties of 0-3 vegetable based polyurethane and lead zirconate titanate composite.

Composite made of Lead Zirconate Titranate (PZT) ceramic powder and castor oil based polyurethane (PU) were prepared in the thin film form with 0-3 connectivity by spin coating. The composite films were obtained in the thickness range of 100 mum to 300 mum using 33-vol.% of ceramic. The samples mechanical resistance. The material was characterised by dielectric spectroscopy, thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC), hysteresis measurements and laser-intensity-modulation method (LIMM). The pyroelectric coefficient at 343 K was 7x10(-5) C.m(-2) K-1 for the sample poled with 10 MV/m at 373 K for Ih. The results show that this new composite can be used as suitable piezo and pyroelectric sensors.

Effect of polyol excess on the electrical property of vegetable-polyurethane film

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

Analytical procedure based on slurry sampling for determining selenium in organic vegetable samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

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

Phytotoxic Activities of Mediterranean Essential Oils

Twelve essential oils from Mediterranean aromatic plants were tested for their phytotoxic activity, at different doses, against the germination and the initial radicle growth of seeds of Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa and Lepidium sativum. The essential oils were obtained from Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Majorana hortensis, Melissa officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis and Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae), Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae), Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare and Carum carvi (Apiaceae). The germination and radicle growth of tested seeds were affected in different ways by the oils. Thyme, balm, vervain and caraway essential oils were more active against both germination and radicle elongation.