Phenol-furfural resins to elaborate composites, reinforced with sisal fibers - Molecular analysis of resin and properties of composites

Resol type resins were prepared in alkaline conditions (potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate) using furfural obtained by acid hydrolysis of abundant renewable resources from agricultural and forestry waste residues. The structures of the resins were fully determined by H-1, C-13, and 2D NMR spectrometries with the help of four models compounds synthesized specially for this study. MALDI-Tof mass spectrometry experiments indicated that a majority of linear oligomers and a minority of cyclic ones constituted them. Composites were prepared with furfural-phenol resins and sisal fibers. These fibers were chosen mainly because they came from natural lignocellulosic material and they presented excellent mechanical microscopy images indicated that the composites displayed excellent adhesion between resin and fibers. Impact strength measurement showed that mild conditions were more suitable to prepare thermosets. Nevertheless, mild conditions induced a high-diffusion coefficient for water absorption by composites. Composites with good properties could be prepared using high proportion of materials obtained from biomass without formaldehyde. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ionized-air-treated curaua fibers as reinforcement for phenolic matrices

Curaua fibers were treated with ionized air to improve the fiber/phenolic matrix adhesion.The treatment with ionized air did not change the thermal stability of the fibers. The impact strength increased with increase in the fiber treatment time. SEM micrographs of the fibers showed that the ionized air treatment led to separation of the fiber bundles. Treatment for 12 h also caused a partial degradation of the fibers, which prompted the matrix to transfer the load to a poorer reinforcing agent during impact, thereby decreasing the impact strength of the related composite. The composites reinforced with fibers treated with ionized air absorbed less water than those reinforced with untreated fibers.

Surface esterification of cellulose fibres: Processing and characterisation of low-density polyethylene/cellulose fibres composites

Low-density polyethylene was filled with cellulose fibres from sugar cane bagasse obtained from organosolv/supercritical carbon dioxide pulping process. The fibres were also used after chemical modification with octadecanoyl and dodecanoyl chloride acids. The morphology, thermal properties, mechanical properties in both the linear and nonlinear range, and the water absorption behaviour of ensuing composites were tested. The evidence of occurrence of the chemical modification was checked by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The degree of polymerisation of the fibres and their intrinsic properties (zero tensile strength) were determined. It clearly appeared that the surface chemical modification of cellulose fibres resulted in improved interfacial adhesion with the matrix and higher dispersion level. However, composites did not show improved mechanical performances when compared to unmodified fibres. This surprising result was ascribed to the strong lowering of the degree of polymerisation of cellulose fibres (as confirmed by the drastic decrease of their zero tensile strength) after chemical treatment despite the mild conditions used. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biobased composites from tannin-phenolic polymers reinforced with coir fibers

Tannin-phenolic polymers prepared using tannin, a macromolecule obtained from natural sources, were used in the preparation of composites reinforced with coir fibers. The composites based on tannin-phenolic polymers (50% (w/w) of tannin as substitute of the phenol) were prepared using the coir fibers as reinforcement (30-70% (w/w), 3.0-6.0 cm, randomly distributed). The Izod impact strength of the composites showed an improvement in this property due to the incorporation of coir fibers in the tannin-phenolic matrices. The SEM images showed excellent adhesion at the fiber/matrix interface. The coir fiber had bundles regularly spaced, which enhanced the diffusion of the resin into the fiber. In addition, the high lignin content of this fiber results in a high concentration of aromatic rings, which increased the compatibility with the matrix. The values of the diffusion coefficient of water, determined using Fick`s laws, show that there was no correlation between the fiber percentage and the water diffusion. The DMTA curves showed that the storage moduli of the composites reinforced with coir fibers were considerably higher than that of the thermoset, and the increase in the proportion of fibers led to a proportional increase in the storage moduli of these materials. The biobased composites obtained have potential for non-structural applications, such as in the internal parts of automotives vehicles. To our knowledge, this is the first study on this kind of biobased composites. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An exploratory study on how to improve the economy of American Samoa

Deep in the South Pacific region about 2,300 miles southwest of the Hawaiian islands1 lies a United States territory that many Americans have never heard of nor known anything about. However, some famous Americans such as Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, semi retired professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard have genealogical roots there. More importantly, many of the Territory’s sons and daughters have served and lost their lives for the United States flag and the cause of freedom around the world. This place is called American Samoa, a collection of seven islands that if glued together would have a total landmass of approximately 76 square miles, just a tad bigger than the capital city of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, there were 55,519 residents of American Samoa in 2010.1 The majority of them are ethnic Samoans, a Polynesian sect that traces its history back to early migrants from Southeast Asia who settled the islands around 1500 B.C.2 3 The climate is warm all year long and the forests along the mountains are ripe with vegetation. The main island is Tutuila with its beautiful and coveted landlocked harbor that was used as a coaling station by the United States naval ships during World War II. In fact, it was the Pago Pago Harbor that diminished the impact of the 2009 Tsunami that devastated the Samoan islands by channeling the waters of the Pacific Ocean towards the end of the harbor instead of flooding many other villages surrounding the Pago Pago Bay area. Lives and property were destroyed near the end of the Harbor but it could have been worse for the entire Bay area. Locally grown foods include coconut, taro, banana, guava, sugar cane, papaya, yam, pineapple, and breadfruit. It is completely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean from which the locals obtain a variety of seafood. There is a popular saying in Samoa that goes, “In Samoa, it is impossible to starve 1 American Samoa Department of Commerce, 2012 Statistical Yearbook, http://www.doc.as/wpcontent/uploads/2011/06/2012-Statistical-Yearbook-1.pdf 2 U.S. Census Bureau News, U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2010 Census Population Counts for American Samoa, http://www.census.gov/2010census/news/releases/operations/cb11-cn177.html (Aug. 24, 2011). 3 3 J. Robert Shaffer, American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag (Honolulu, Hawaii: Island Heritage Publishing, 2000), 34. 4 because people live off of the land’s and the ocean’s abundant resources.” To the west of American Samoa lies a larger group of four islands that make up the Sovereign State of Samoa, which became independent from New Zealand in 1962. Samoa and American Samoa share the same language, culture, and religion but are divided by government and political systems. The focus of this study will be on American Samoa, which became a United States territory in 1900 when the principal chiefs of Tutuila (the largest island in American Samoa) ceded the islands to the United States.

Amino acid composition of processed fish silage using different raw materials

The objective was to evaluate amino acid composition of silages produced from three raw materials. Commercial marine fish waste, commercial freshwater fish waste, and tilapia filleting residue were used to produce fish silage by acid digestion (20 ml/kg formic acid and 20 ml/kg sulfuric acid) and anaerobic fermentation (50 g/kg Lactobacillus plantarum, 150 g/kg sugar cane molasses). Protein content and amino acid composition were determined for raw materials and silage. Marine fish waste had higher crude protein content (776.7 g/kg) compared to freshwater fish waste (496.2 g/kg) and tilapia filleting residue (429.9 g/kg). All silages lacked up to three amino acids for each product according to FAO standards for essential amino acids. However, considering as the limiting factor only the amino acids below the 30% minimum requirement for fish in general, all products were satisfactory with respect to essential amino acids. Therefore, the results suggest that all products investigated are appropriate for use in balanced fish diets. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Sewage sludge as nitrogen and phosphorus source for cane-plant and first ratoon crops

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

Digestibilidade e ganhos em peso de ovinos alimentados com diferentes fontes de volumosos e recebendo somatotropina recombinante bovina (rBST)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de 20 mg de somatotropina recombinante bovina (rBST) de liberação lenta, em períodos de 14 e 28 dias, sobre a ingestão de matéria seca, os coeficientes de digestibilidade de matéria seca (MS), fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), proteína bruta (PB) e energia bruta (EB), o balanço de nitrogênio e o ganho de peso diário, em rações à base de silagem de milho, cana-de-açúcar ou bagaço hidrolisado e concentrado. Foi usado um total de 24 borregos mestiços, não-castrados, com média de 4 a 5 meses de idade e 22 ± 2 kg de PV. Não houve efeito da rBST na ingestão de matéria seca, nas digestibilidades de PB e FDA, no balanço de nitrogênio e no ganho de peso diário dos borregos. A digestibilidade da energia bruta foi influenciada pela aplicação de rBST, quando os diferentes volumosos ou períodos pós-aplicação hormonal foram considerados, porém, somente foi observado efeito da ação hormonal sobre a digestibilidade de MS nas dietas à base de silagem de milho.

Natural Host Relationships and Genetic Diversity of Rodent-Associated Hantaviruses in Southeastern Brazil

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

Small relief shape variations influence spatial variability of soil chemical attributes

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

Soil, water and nutrient losses by interrill erosion from green cane cultivation

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

Influência do florescimento e grau de isoporização na qualidade de variedades de cana-de-açúcar aptas á industrialização no meio de safra

Among the sugar cane potential uses include those related to the extraction of products and byproducts from the stalk. The sugarcane flowering causes morphological and physiological changes in plant and in the presence of pith, promotes changes in the stalk, reducing the raw matter quality. Most of the areas planted with sugarcane in the South-Central region of Brazil are subject to flowering, however, this feature varies depending on the variety used. There are different pith diameters related to the flowered or induced stalks, and damage to the raw matter quality are still controversial. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the response of cane sugar varieties in relation to the flowering, pith and chemical and technological parameters, and their relationship with the pith degree. The experimental design was a completely randomized with sis treatments (varieties: IAC91-1099-4004IAC94, IAC95-5000, SP81-3250, CTC and RB855536 15) and three replications. Were evaluated the flowering, based on morphological changes in the apical bud, the pith intensity by the percentage determination of internodes occupied by whitish and spongy tissues and and pith diameter, by measuring the diameters of the changes in the internodes, expressed in percentage, in addition to chemical (juice total acidity) and technological (fiber, reducing sugars and sugar cane Pol) parameters. The flowering occurrences were accompanied by higher pith intensity. The flowering induction contributed to the lower raw matter quality, although the pith volume was lower. The pith and flowering did not affected the sugarcane sucrose content. Increases in levels of fiber, sugars and acidity were observed only in cases where the diameter of the area spongeous exceeded 50% of stalk diameter. The variety that had the best and worse response was RB855536 and CTC 15, respectively.

Avaliação da determinação da fibra em detergente neutro e da fibra em detergente ácido pelo sistema ANKOM

O objetivo do trabalho foi comparar os valores de fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) e os de fibra em detergente ácido (FDA) obtidos com o equipamento ANKOM e pelo método convencional (Van Soest). No primeiro ensaio foram analisados cinco materiais diferentes (cana-de-açúcar, capim-braquiária, silagem de milho, polpa cítrica e fezes bovina) e testados quatro tipos de saquinhos para filtragem de amostra. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em um fatorial 5x4 (cinco materiais diferentes e quatro tipos de saquinhos de filtragem), com três repetições. As médias obtidas foram comparadas àquelas obtidas com método convencional. No segundo ensaio procurou-se avaliar o efeito da quantidade de amostra por saquinho (0,5; 0,8 e 1,0 g) sobre os teores de FDN e FDA em três tipos de alimentos, utilizando o ANKOM. Neste ensaio, o delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 3x3 (três alimentos x três quantidades), com três repetições. Os tipos de saquinhos de filtragem utilizados não influenciaram os teores de FDN nos diferentes alimentos, com exceção das fezes, cujos saquinhos de náilon resultaram em concentrações de FDN inferiores. Não houve diferença entre os valores de FDN e FDA, obtidos pelo equipamento ANKOM ou pelo convencional, para os alimentos estudados, com exceção da polpa cítrica, cujo valor médio de FDA pelo ANKOM foi inferior àquele obtido pelo método convencional. A quantidade não exerceu efeito sobre a concentração de FDN dos alimentos analisados no equipamento ANKOM.

Fermentação e Degradabilidade Ruminal em Bovinos Alimentados com Resíduos de Mandioca e Cana-de-Açúcar ensilados com Polpa Cítrica Peletizada

O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a degradabilidade ruminal da matéria seca (MS), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) e amido, além de pH, amônia e ácidos graxos voláteis ruminais, em bovinos alimentados com silagens de milho (SMi), de raspa de mandioca com polpa cítrica (SRp), de casca de mandioca com polpa cítrica (SCc) e de cana-de-açúcar com polpa cítrica (SCn). Foram utilizados quatro novilhos, mestiços, castrados, canulados no rúmen e duodeno, em quatro períodos experimentais, com 11 dias de adaptação à dieta e oito dias de coleta. O delineamento experimental foi o quadrado latino 4x4. Foram adotados oito horários para a incubação das silagens: 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 e 120 horas. A SRp apresentou maior degradação efetiva (Kp 5%) da MS e da FDN (48,44 e 45,78%, respectivamente), quando comparada com a SMi (45,50 e 23,75%), a SCc (43,87 e 24,20%) e a SCn (40,76 e 25,78%). Para todos os tratamentos, o pH e a concentração de N-NH3 ruminal foram adequados para o crescimento dos microrganismos ruminais. Os valores de AGV para os tratamentos de SMi, SRp e SCc foram semelhantes entre si e superiores aos do tratamento com SCn.

Degradabilidade da Matéria Seca e Fibra em Detergente Neutro da Cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp) com Diferentes Fontes de Proteína

Foram utilizados cinco bovinos fistulados no rúmen para se determinar a degradação da cana-de-açúcar em dietas com diferentes fontes de proteína degradável, por meio do método de incubação de sacos de náilon. Os tratamentos estudados foram: cana e uréia; cana e farelo de soja; cana, farelo de soja e uréia; cana e glúten de milho; cana, glúten de milho e uréia. Após um período de adaptação de 14 dias, iniciou-se a incubação dos sacos de náilon, nos tempos de 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 e 120 horas. Após o período de incubação, foram determinados o pH e a concentração de amônia no fluido ruminal, em amostras retiradas 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 e 21 horas após a alimentação. O delineamento estatístico utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com tratamentos como parcelas e tempos como subparcelas. A concentração de amônia foi mais elevada nos tratamentos com maior quantidade de proteína degradável, porém não houve efeito significativo para os tratamentos. Para os valores de pH, houve significância, apresentando valores mais elevados para os tratamentos com maior quantidade de proteína degradável. Não se observou efeito significativo das diferentes fontes de nitrogênio sobre a degradação da matéria seca e da fibra em detergente neutro da cana-de-açúcar, sendo que a degradabilidade dessas duas frações variou apenas com o tempo de incubação. Os resultados do experimento não comprovaram o princípio de que a maior quantidade de proteína degradável no rúmen possa induzir maior degradação da FDN da dieta.