Determination of ecological efficiency in internal combustion engines: The use of biodiesel

This paper evaluates and quantifies the environmental impact from the use of some renewable fuels and fossils fuels in internal combustion engines. The following fuels are evaluated: gasoline blended with anhydrous ethyl alcohol (anhydrous ethanol), conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel in pure form and blended with diesel fuel, and natural gas. For the case of biodiesel, its complete life cycle and the closed carbon cycle (photosynthesis) were considered. The ecological efficiency concept depends on the environmental impact caused by CO(2), SO(2), NO(x) and particulate material (PM) emissions. The exhaust gases from internal combustion engines, in the case of the gasoline (blended with alcohol), biodiesel and biodiesel blended with conventional diesel, are the less polluting; on the other hand, the most polluting are those related to conventional diesel. They can cause serious problems to the environment because of their dangerous components for the human, animal and vegetable life. The resultant pollution of each one of the mentioned fuels are analyzed, considering separately CO(2), SO(2), NO(x) and particulate material (PM) emissions. As conclusion, it is possible to calculate an environmental factor that represents, qualitatively and quantitative, the emissions in internal combustion engines that are mostly used in urban transport. Biodiesel in pure form (B100) and blended with conventional diesel as fuel for engines pollute less than conventional diesel fuel. The ecological efficiency for pure biodiesel (B100) is 86.75%: for biodiesel blended with conventional diesel fuel (B20, 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel), it is 78.79%. Finally, the ecological efficiency for conventional diesel, when used in engines, is 77.34%; for gasoline, it is 82.52%, and for natural gas, it is 91.95%. All these figures considered a thermal efficiency of 30% for the internal combustion engine. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodiesel CO2 emissions: A comparison with the main fuels in the Brazilian market

The use of biodiesel is increasing as an attractive fuel due to the depleting fossil fuel resources and environmental degradation. This paper presents results of an investigation on the potentials of biodiesel as an alternative fuel and main substitute of diesel oil, comparing the CO2 emissions of the main fuels in the Brazilian market with those of biodiesel, in pure form or blended in different proportions with diesel oil (2%, 5%, and 20%, called B2, B5, and B20, respectively). The results of the study are shown in ton CO2 per m(3) and ton CO2 per year of fuel. The fuels were analyzed considering their chemical composition, stoichiometric combustion parameters and mean consumption for a single vehicle. The fuels studied were: gasoline, diesel oil, anhydrous ethyl alcohol (anhydrous ethanol), and biodiesel from used frying oil and from soybean oil. For the case of biodiesel, its complete life cycle and the closed carbon cycle (photosynthesis) were considered. With data provided by the Brazilian Association of Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA) for the number of vehicles produced in Brazil, the emissions of CO2 for the national fleet in 2007 were obtained per type of fuel. With data provided by the Brazilian Department of Transit (DENATRAN) concerning the number of diesel vehicles in the last five years in Brazil, the total CO2 emissions and the percentage that they would decrease in the case of use of pure biodiesel, B100, or several mixtures, B2, B5 and B20, were calculated. Estimates of CO2 emissions for a future scenario considering the mixtures B5 and B20 are also included in this article. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Síntese e caracterização de látices acrílicos reticulados com (1,6-diacrilato propoxilato hexanodiol) via polimerização em emulsão

Latices based on acrylic acid and ethyl methacrylate, crosslinked with 1,6‐propoxylate‐hexanodiol diacrylate were synthesized via emulsion polymerization with different monomeric compositions. The resultant latices were thickened with different NaOH/(acrylic acid) molar ratios and were characterized by titrimetry, zeta potential measurements, turbidimetry, and capillary viscometry. Intrinsic viscosity was determined for an uncrosslinked copolymer, using toluene as solvent. All the latices were coagulated with NaCl and washed with water at 60°C analyzed by FTIR spectrophotometry, in order to characterize functional groups from the copolymer and crosslinking agent.

Caracterização de látices acrílicos em função da neutralização de seus grupos carboxilas

Latexes based on acrylic acid, acrylamide, ethyl methacrylate, and ethyl acrylate were synthesized via emulsion polymerization with different monomer compositions. The resultant latices were thickened with different molar ratios of NaOH to acrylic acid and were analyzed in terms of acid‐basis titrimetry, turbidimetry, rheology, and tensiometry. Titrimetry, turbidimetry, and rheometry were used to analyze factors such as carboxyl group availability and particle solubilization, tensiometry monitoring the influence of carboxyl neutralization on polymer‐surfactant interactions. For the acrylic acid content used in this work (20 wt%), the results indicated that as carboxyl groups distribution became more homogeneous, the process of latex thickening became more effective

Obtenção e aplicação de sistemas microemulsionados na recuperação avançada de petróleo

Due to the need of increasing production in reservoirs that are going through production decline, methods of advanced recovery have frequently been used in the last years, as the use of conventional methods has not been successful in solving the problem of oil drifting. In this work, the efficiency of different microemulsionated systems in the flow of oil from cores from Assu and Botucatu formations. Regarding drifting tests, cores were calcinated at a temperature of 1000°C, for 18 hours, with the aim of eliminating any organic compound present in it, increasing the resultant permeability. Following, the cores were isolated with resin, resulting in test specimens with the following dimensions: 3.8 cm of diameter and 8.7 cm of length. Cores were saturated with brine, composed of aqueous 2 wt % KCl, and oil from Guamaré treatment station (Petrobras/RN). A pressure of 20 psi was used in all tests. After core saturation, brine was injected again, followed by oil at constant flow rate. The system S3 - surfactant (anionic surfactant of short chain), isoamillic alcohol, pine oil, and water - presented the best drift efficiency, 81.18%, while the system S1E commercial surfactant, ethyl alcohol, pine oil, and distilled water presented low drift efficiency, 44,68%

Desenvolvimento de componentes nanométricos para aplicação em células a combustível à base de sólidos estruturados e filmes finos

The present work aims the preparation of filmes of strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (perovskita) yttria-stabilized zirconia (LSM-SDC) films deposited on substrate of YSZ by means of spin coating technique having as principal objective their application to solid oxide fuel cells of intermediate temperature. La0,8Sr0,2MnO3 and Ce0,8Sm0,2O1,9 were obtained by modified Pechini method by use of gelatin which act as polymerization agent. The powders obtained were characterized by Xray fluorescence, X ray diffraction, electronic scanning microscopy and the superficial area by BET method. The results obtained by X-ray fluorescence showed that the route adopted for obtention of powders was effective in the obtention of the compositions with close values to the stoichiometrics. Ethyl cellulose was used as pore-forming agent and mixed with the LSM-SDC powders in weight proportions of 1:24, 2:23 and 1:9. The films were sintered at 1150 °C for 4 h and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy technique (SEM) and atomic force. The phases quantification of the precursory powders and of the obtained films was carried through Rietveld method. According with the analysis of SEM, as the content of ethyl cellulose was increased, the pore distribution in films become more uniform and the pore size reduced. The methodology used for the obtention of the films was very efficient, considering a material was obtained with characteristics that were proper to the application as electrolyte/cathode system to solid oxide fuel cells

Eficiência do processo de obtenção do biodiesel de girassol usando o catalisador KNO3/Al2O3

It is known that the head office world energetics is leaning in the fossil fuels. However, the world panorama is changing quickly, for linked reasons to three of the humanity's great concerns in that century beginning: environment, global economy and energy. The biodiesel production is based on the transesterificação of vegetable oils or animal fats, using catalysts homogeneous or heterogeneous. The process of heterogeneous transesterificação presents lower conversions in comparison with the homogeneous, however, it doesn't present corrosion problems and it reduces to the occurrence of parallel reactions as saponification. In this sense, this work has for purpose the synthesis of a heterogeneous catalyst, KNO3/Al2O3, that soon afterwards was used in the reaction of transesterificação of the oil of the Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower). The solid materials (it supports and catalyst) they were analyzed by diffraction of ray-X (XRD) and electronic microscope of sweeping (MEV). After the analysis of Al2O3, a structure monophase amorphous tetragonal was verified, with characteristic patterns of that material, what could not be visualized in the difratograma of the catalyst. The biodiesel obtained with 4% wt. of KNO3/Al2O3 it was what obtained a better cinematic viscosity 8,3 mm2/s, comparing with the norms of ANP, and it also presented the best conversion tax in ethyl ésteres, in accordance with the quantitative measure starting from TG, that was of 60%. While the biodiesel with 6% wt. and with 8% wt. of KNO3/Al2O3 it was it that no transesterificou, because it was observed in the analysis termogravimétrica of those two materials, a single thermal event, that it corresponds the decomposition or volatilization of the triglycerides

Avaliação oxidativa do biodiesel de pinhão manso em diferentes processos de purificação

The objective of this study was to analyze the oxidative stability of biodiesel from jatropha obtained from different purification processes, three wet processes with different drying (in a vacuum oven, conventional oven and in anhydrous sodium sulfate) and dry (purification with magnesium silicate adsorbent). Raw materials of different qualities (jatropha crop ancient and recent crop) were used. The Jatropha oil was extracted by mechanical extraction and refined. The Jatropha biodiesel was obtained by the transesterification reaction in ethyl route using alkaline catalysis. The biodiesel samples were characterized by analysis of water content, carbon residue, Absorption Spectroscopy in the Infrared Region and Thermogravimetry. Thermogravimetric curves of purified PUsv* PUsq* and had higher initial decomposition temperatures, indicating that the most stable, followed by samples PU* and PUSC*. Besides the sample SP* is a smaller initial temperature, confirming the sample without purification to be less thermally stable. The percentage mass loss of the purified samples showed conversion of about 98.5%. The results of analyzes carbon residue and infrared suggested that contamination by impurities is the main factor for decreased oxidative stability of biodiesel. The oxidative stability was assessed from periodic monitoring, using the techniques of Rancimat, peroxide index, acid value and Pressurized Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Samples of biodiesel from jatropha which showed better oxidative stability were of the best quality raw material and wet scrubbing: PUsq* with dry chemical, using anhydrous sodium sulfate and PUsv* with vacuum drying, which had oxidative stability 6 hours in Rancimat time 0 days, within the limits established by the Technical Regulation No. 4/2012 of the ANP, without the addition of antioxidant, suggesting that these procedures the least influence on the oxidative stability of biodiesel

Uso de etil-trinexapac em cultivares de arroz de terras altas

O acamamento de plantas em cultivares de arroz, no momento da colheita, acarreta perdas significativas à produtividade. O uso de reguladores vegetais é uma das alternativas para reduzir o acamamento, entretanto, as informações sobre este assunto ainda são escassas. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar o uso de doses de etil-trinexapac (0 g ha-1, 50 g ha-1, 100 g ha-1, 150 g ha-1 e 200 g ha-1 do i.a.), aplicadas por ocasião da diferenciação floral, em cultivares de arroz com diferentes tipos de plantas (Caiapó - tradicional; BRS Primavera e BRS Soberana - intermediário; e IAC 202 - moderno), avaliando o desenvolvimento e a produtividade de grãos. O experimento foi desenvolvido no município de Selvíria (MS), durante o ano agrícola de 2007/2008. Concluiu-se que a aplicação de 50 g ha-1, 100 g ha-1 e 150 g ha-1 de etil-trinexapac, por ocasião da diferenciação do primórdio da panícula das cultivares Caiapó, BRS Soberana e BRS Primavera, respectivamente, reduziu a altura de plantas e proporcionou ausência de acamamento; a cultivar IAC 202 dispensou o uso de regulador de crescimento, considerando-se que a mesma praticamente não apresentou acamamento; a aplicação de 50 g ha-1 e 150 g ha-1 de etil-trinexapac, por ocasião da diferenciação do primórdio da panícula, melhorou a produtividade da cultivar Caiapó e BRS Primavera, respectivamente, e a dose de 100 g ha-1 interferiu pouco na cultivar BRS Soberana.

Uso de antibióticos para o controle de bactérias endógenas visando à micropropagação da figueira

A descontaminação dos explantes é um dos princípios básicos para o sucesso da cultura de tecidos. Um dos problemas diagnosticados na propagação in vitro da figueira, através de gemas apicais, é a contaminação endógena dos explantes por bactérias. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de alguns antibióticos em meio de cultura para o controle de bactérias endógenas em gemas apicais de figueira. Foram avaliados os seguintes tratamentos: T1(sem adição de antibiótico); T2 (30 mg L-1 de cloranfenicol); T3 (250 mg L-1 de ampicilina sódica); T4 (500 mg L-1 de ácido nalidícico); T5 (150 mg L-1 de cefalotina sódica); T6 (500 mg L-1 de tetraciclina), e T7 (400 mg L-1 de norfloxacina). Após coletados em campo, os segmentos de ramos contendo as gemas foram colocados em recipiente com água corrente. Posteriormente, as gemas apicais foram imersas em álcool etílico a 70% e hipoclorito de sódio a 2,5%. Todo procedimento de desinfestação externa dos explantes foi realizado em câmara de fluxo laminar. Os explantes foram inoculados em tubos de ensaio contendo 15 mL de meio básico MS suplementado, após a autoclavagem, com as doses de antibióticos de acordo com os tratamentos estabelecidos. Após a inoculação, os explantes foram mantidos em sala de crescimento por quatro dias no escuro e, em seguida, sob fotoperíodo de 16 horas de luz branca fria e irradiância de 25 µmol m s-1, na temperatura de 22 ± 3ºC. A assepsia realizada externamente nos explantes foi suficiente para o controle de contaminação fúngica, e a adição de antibióticos ao meio, após autoclavagem, foi eficiente para o controle de bactérias endógenas, cujo antibiótico ampicilina sódica proporcionou mais de 90% de explantes sobreviventes.

Letinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler (Shiitake) modulates genotoxic and mutagenic effects induced by alkylating agents in vivo

We evaluated the antimutagenic effect of Letinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler (Shiitake) on the frequency of micronuclei in mice treated with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) or cyclophosphamide (Cl?). Mice were orally (gavage) pretreated for 15 consecutive days with solutions of Shiitake (0.6 ml per day, gavage) prepared at three different temperatures: 4, 21 (RT), and 60 degreesC. Then, the animals were intraperitoneally injected on day 15 with CP (25 or 50 mg/kg) or ENU (50 mg/kg) and killed 24 or 48 h after treatment for evaluation of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs) in bone marrow and micronucleated reticulocytes (MNRETs). A mixture of L. edodes lineages (LE 95/016, 96/14, 96/17, 96/22, 96/23, 97/27, and 97/28) significantly decreased the frequencies of MNPCEs and MNRETs induced by CP (25 and 50 mg/kg). When a single lineage from the mixture (LE 96/17) was tested we also found a significant reduction in the frequencies of MNPCEs and MNRETs induced by both CP or ENU (50 mg/kg). The comet assay was also performed 3 h after ENU treatment using mice pretreated with the single lineage (LE 96/17) of L. edodes. The results showed a high degree of variability with some indications of an antigenotoxic effect. Taken together, our data show that solutions from Shiitake inhibit in vivo mutagenicity of CP and ENU. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening for In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activities of the Mushroom Agaricus Blazei

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

STORAGE RESULTS IN LOSS of THE ANTIGENOTOXIC PROPERTIES of LENTINULA EDODES (SHIITAKE MUSHROOM) and DEVELOPMENT of IN VIVO GENOTOXICITY

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

Long-term effect of carbodiimide on dentin matrix and resin-dentin bonds

Objectives: To characterize the interaction of 1-Ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide Hydrochloride (EDC) with dentin matrix and its effect on the resin-dentin bond. Methods: Changes to the stiffness of demineralized dentin fragments treated with EDC/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in different solutions were evaluated at different time points. The resistance against enzymatic degradation was indirectly evaluated by ultimate tensile strength (UTS) test of demineralized dentin treated or not with EDC/NHS and subjected to collagenase digestion. Short- and long-term evaluations of the strength of resin-dentin interfaces treated with EDC/NHS for 1 h were performed using microtensile bond strength (mu TBS) test. All data (MPa) were individually analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (alpha = 0.05). Results: The different exposure times significantly increased the stiffness of dentin (p < 0.0001, control-5.15 and EDC/NHS-29.50), while no differences were observed among the different solutions of EDC/NHS (p = 0.063). Collagenase challenge did not affect the UTS values of EDC/NHS group (6.08) (p > 0.05), while complete degradation was observed for the control group (p = 0.0008, control-20.84 and EDC/NHS-43.15). EDC/NHS treatment did not significantly increase resin-dentin mu TBS, but the values remained stable after 12 months water storage (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Biomimetic use of EDC/NHS to induce exogenous collagen cross-links resulted in increased mechanical properties and stability of dentin matrix and dentin-resin interfaces. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 94B: 250-255, 2010.

Histomorphometric analysis of the repair process of autogenous bone grafts fixed at rat calvaria with cyanoacrylate

Objective: The purpose of this study was to perform histological and histometric analyses of the repair process of autogenous bone grafts fixed at rat calvaria with ethyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive. Material and Methods: Thirty-two rats were divided into two groups (n=16), Group I - Control and Group II - Adhesive. Osteotomies were made at the right parietal bone for graft obtainment using a 4-mm-diameter trephine drill. Then, the bone segments were fixed with the adhesive in the parietal region of the opposite side to the donor site. After 10 and 30 days, 8 animals of each group were euthanized and the calvarias were laboratorially processed for obtaining hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides for histological and histometric analyses. Results: An intense inflammatory reaction was observed at the 10-day period. At 30 days, this reaction was less intense, despite the presence of adhesive at the recipient-site/graft interface. Graft incorporation to the recipient site was observed only at the control group, which maintained the highest graft size at 10 and 30 days. Conclusions: Although the fragment was stable, the presence of adhesive in Group II did not allow graft incorporation to the recipient site, determining a localized, discrete and persistent inflammatory reaction.