Desempenho físico-químico de metais e estruturas de concreto de redes de distribuição de energia: estudo de caso na região de Manaus

The influence of natural aging furthered by atmospheric corrosion of parts of electric transformers and materials, as well as of concrete poles and cross arms containing corrosion inhibitors was evaluated in Manaus. Results for painted materials, it could showed that loss of specular gloss was more intensive in aliphatic polyurethane points than in acrylic polyurethane ones. No corrosion was observed for metal and concrete samples until 400 days of natural aging. Corrosion in steel reinforcement was noticed in some poles, arising from manufacturing faults, such as low cement content, water/cement ratio, thin concrete cover thickness, etc. The performance of corrosion inhibitors was assessed by many techniques after natural and accelerated aging in a 3.5% saline aqueous solution. The results show the need for better chemical component selection and its concentration in the concrete mixture.

O emprego da termogravimetria para determinar a energia de ativação do processo de combustão de óleos combustíveis

Activation energy (Ea) is a parameter that can be applied to make predictions about the quality of oils to be used in an ICO engine. In this study, Ea was determined by thermogravimetry following two different procedures: ASTM E 1641 and Model-free kinetics. The energies were calculated in the low temperature oxidation (LTO) region for three Brazilian fuel oils (denominated A, B and C) and the results were equal using both methods: 43 kJ mol-1 (alpha=0.1 to 0.9) for oil A, 48 kJ mol-1 (alpha=0.1 to 0.5) and 65 kJ mol-1 (alpha=0.5 to 0.9) for oil B, and 58 kJ mol-1 (alpha=0.1 to 0.5) and 65 kJ mol-1 (alpha=0.5 to 0.9) for oil C. It was concluded that, among the oils studied, sample A was potentially the best option concerning the behavior in the LTO region.

Instints, energia i canvi climàtic

Avui fa una setmana es va cloure la cimera del clima, sense progressos significatius. Quan es discuteix sobre canvi climàtic es posa molt èmfasi en les emissions de gasos d'efecte hivernacle, i es parla de desenvolupament, industrialització i sostenibilitat, però no es té en compte la causa primera de tot això, la nostra idiosincràsia biològica [...].

Distribuição de mercúrio em diferentes solos da Bacia do médio Rio Negro-AM: influência da matéria orgânica no ciclo biogeoquímico do mercúrio

Soils play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of mercury as a sink for and source of this metallic species to atmospheric and hydrological compartments. In the study reported here, various types of soil were evaluated to ascertain the influence of parameters such as pH, organic matter content, Fe, Al, sand, silt, clay, C/H, C/N, C/O atomic ratios, and cation exchange capacity on the distribution of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin. The data obtained were interpreted by multivariate exploratory analyses (hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis), which indicated that organic matter plays an important role in mercury uptake in the various soils studied. The soils in floodable areas were found to contain 1.5 to 2.8-fold higher Hg concentrations than those in non-floodable areas. Since these soils are flooded almost year-round, they are less available to participate in redox processes at the soil/atmosphere interface. Hence, floodable areas, which comprise humic-rich soils, accumulate more mercury than non-floodable soils, thus playing an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin.

Sobre a primeira lei da termodinâmica: as diferenciais do calor e do trabalho

We treat some subtleties concerning the First Law of Thermodynamics and discuss the inherent difficulties, namely the interpretation of the heat and the work differentials. By proposing a new differential equation for the First Law, which is written using both system and neighborhood variables, we overcome the mentioned difficulties and establish a criterion for the definition of heat and work.

Análise arqueométrica de cerâmica Tupiguarani da região central do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, usando fluorescência de raios X por dispersão de energia (EDXRF)

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence methodology (EDXRF) was used to determine Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Rb, S, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Zn in pottery sherds from seven archaeological sites in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The potteries' chemical fingerprints from Ijuí River, Ibicuí Mirim River, Vacacaí Mirim River and Jacuí River were identified. Interactions between sites from the Jacuí River, Vacacaí Mirim River and Ibicui Mirim River could have occurred because some samples from these sites are overlapping in a principal component analysis (PCA) graphic. The pottery provenance could be the same.

Dessorção iônica e degradação de filmes de polipirrol dopado com dodecilsulfato induzidas por elétrons de alta energia

Electron stimulated ion desorption (ESID) and degradation studies of polypyrrole doped with dodecylsulfate (PPy/DS) deposited on FTO were performed using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) for ion analysis. The results suggest a strong contribution from fragments of the dodecylsulfate hydrocarbon chain to the mass spectra. In the 650-1500 eV energy range the ion yield curves show maxima at about 600, 1200 and 1400 eV, which can be related to carbon, nitrogen and oxygen-containing fragments, respectively, and interpreted in terms of the Auger Stimulated Ion Desorption (ASID) mechanism. Degradation studies indicate rapid loss of heavier hydrocarbons and an increase of bulk and substrate fragments. Some degradation profiles suggest formation of new species.

Aplicação de Zr/Ti-PILC no processo de adsorção de Cu(II), Co(II) e Ni(II) utilizando modelos físico-químicos de adsorção e termodinâmica do processo

The aim of this investigation is to study how Zr/Ti-PILC adsorbs metals. The physico-chemical proprieties of Zr/Ti-PILC have been optimized with pillarization processes and Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) adsorption from aqueous solution has been carried out, with maximum adsorption values of 8.85, 8.30 and 7.78 x10-1 mmol g-1, respectively. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherm models have been applied to fit the experimental data with a linear regression process. The energetic effect caused by metal interaction was determined through calorimetric titration at the solid-liquid interface and gave a net thermal effect that enabled the calculation of the exothermic values and the equilibrium constant.

Produção de matéria seca e de grãos por plantas de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivadas em solos tratados com metais pesados

This work aimed at evaluating the contents of extractable Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu with a solution of DTPA (diethyleneaminopentacetic acid) and to relate them with the production of dry material and grain production of bean plants under two conditions of experimentally contaminated soil materials with Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn: (i) samples of distrofic red latosol and (ii) humic yellow-red latosol. A decrease in the yield of dry matter was observed for all treatments, if compared with the zero-dose control sample; the grain yield was affected for the soil samples treated with Cd and Cu but only slightly for those treated with Pb and Zn.

Nanocompósitos cerâmicos a partir do processo de moagem mecânica de alta energia

Pb/Ti, Sn and Mg-based nanocomposite materials were prepared by the high-energy mechanical milling of commercial powders. The surface of these ceramic compounds was strongly influenced by the doping, diameter of the milling spheres and time of the mechanical milling (amorphization process). Such milling leads to the formation of nanocrystalline materials. The mechanical processing parameters of these compounds were investigated through Brunauer, Emmett and Teller isotherms, wide angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and CO2 adsorption.

Determinação da matéria-prima utilizada na produção do biodiesel adicionado ao diesel mineral através de monitoramento seletivo de íons

The selective ion monitoring acquisition mode in mass spectrometry was applied to identify, in the diesel complex matrix, the raw materials (vegetable oil and alcohol) that originate biodiesel. Biodiesel samples obtained from babassu, castor, palm and soybean vegetable oils and pure fatty acid methyl and ethyl esters were used to develop this method, using specific fragments in mass spectrometry and the "window system" in gas chromatography. The commercial Brazilian B2 samples were found to be produced with soybean oil, transesterified with methanol.

Desenvolvimento e validação de método por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência para determinação simultânea das impurezas timina e timidina na matéria-prima estavudina

A HPLC method was developed to quantify thymine and thymidine impurities in stavudine bulk drug. The separation was carried out in isocratic mode using methanol/water (20:80) as mobile phase, a C18 column and UV detection at 266 nm. The method provided selectivity based on peak purities and resolution among peaks. It was linear over the range of 0.5-5.0 µg/mL. The quantitation limits were 0.021 µg/mL for thymine and 0.134 µg/mL for thymidine. The average accuracies of three concentrations ranged from 97.06 to 102.61% and precision was close to 1%. The method showed robustness, remaining unaffected by deliberate variations in relevant parameters.

Indicadores químicos de qualidade da matéria orgânica de solo da sub-bacia do Rio das Mortes sob manejos diferenciais de cafeeiro

This work evaluated the chemical quality of organic matter (OM) of a Brazilian Oxisol cultivated with coffee plants, under organic and conventional managements. Total organic C (TOC), light fraction C (LF-C) and C in humic (HA-C) and fulvic (FA-C) acids fractions was measured. Amongst the evaluated indexes, TOC and LF-C discriminated better OM attributes as a function of management. The stratification ratio (TOC5-10cm/TOC10-20cm) did not show differences between the systems studied. The organic system can contribute to the sustainability of coffee plantations in Brazil, because it maintains the chemical attributes of OM closer to the indexes verified under forest conditions.

Determinação da humificação da matéria orgânica de um latossolo e de suas frações organo-minerais

Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the humification degree of the organic matter of a whole soil, that is, soil without any physical or chemical treatment. Particle size was determined in physically separated fractions. The humification of organic matter, the depth of the soil and the planting system can be correlated. On the surface of the soil, no tillage provided the smallest humification in comparison with the conventional tillage and reduced tillage. The fractions of the superficial layer of the soil (0-20 cm) indicated larger humification in the fraction from 20 to 53 µm and the smallest in the fraction of <2 µm.

A primeira lei da termodinâmica dos processos homogêneos

Thermodynamics of homogeneous processes, which corresponds to the very special situation in thermodynamics of continuous media, is used to discuss the first law. An important part of this work is the exposition of some typical mathematical errors, frequently found in the traditional presentation of thermodynamics. The concepts of state and process functions are discussed, as well as reverse and reversible processes, temporality and its implications on thermodynamics, energy reservoirs and symmetry. Our proposal is to present the first law by using a time dependent viewpoint coherent with mechanics and the foundations of that viewpoint.