Isolation and characterization of proteolytic enzymes from the latex of Synadenium grantii Hook, 'f'

Two fractions showing proteolytic enzymes have been obtained from the latex of Synadenium grantii Hook, 'f', using gel-filtration and anion-exchange chromatographic techniques. Both these proteases have the same molecular mass of 76+/-2 kDa each. They exhibit maximal activity at pH 7.0 and at a temperature of 60 degreesC. They display stability over a pH range from 5-10 and are also highly thermostable. Irreversible inhibition by PMSF indicates that they are serine proteases. In addition, histidine residues also appear to play an important role in catalysis as evidenced by inhibition with DEPC. They also exhibit similarity with respect to pH and temperature optima, kinetic properties and thermal stability. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural insights into N-terminal to C-terminal interactions and implications for thermostability of a (beta/alpha)(8)-triosephosphate isomerase barrel enzyme

Although several factors have been suggested to contribute to thermostability, the stabilization strategies used by proteins are still enigmatic. Studies on a recombinant xylanase from Bacilllus sp. NG-27 (RBSX), which has the ubiquitous (beta/alpha)(8)-triosephosphate isomerase barrel fold, showed that just a single mutation, V1L, although not located in any secondary structural element, markedly enhanced the stability from 70 degrees C to 75 degrees C without loss of catalytic activity. Conversely, the V1A mutation at the same position decreased the stability of the enzyme from 70 degrees C to 68 degrees C. To gain structural insights into how a single extreme N-terminus mutation can markedly influence the thermostability of the enzyme, we determined the crystal structure of RBSX and the two mutants. On the basis of computational analysis of their crystal structures, including residue interaction networks, we established a link between N-terminal to C-terminal contacts and RBSX thermostability. Our study reveals that augmenting N-terminal to C-terminal noncovalent interactions is associated with enhancement of the stability of the enzyme. In addition, we discuss several lines of evidence supporting a connection between N-terminal to C-terminal noncovalent interactions and protein stability in different proteins. We propose that the strategy of mutations at the termini could be exploited with a view to modulate stability without compromising enzymatic activity, or in general, protein function in diverse folds where N and C termini are in close proximity. Database The coordinates of RBSX, V1A and V1L have been deposited in the PDB database under the accession numbers 4QCE, 4QCF, and 4QDM, respectively

Engineering enzyme systems by recombination

Homologous recombination is a source of diversity in both natural and directed evolution. Standing genetic variation that has passed the test of natural selection is combined in new ways, generating functional and sometimes unexpected changes. In this work we evaluate the utility of homologous recombination as a protein engineering tool, both in comparison with and combined with other protein engineering techniques, and apply it to an industrially important enzyme: Hypocrea jecorina Cel5a.

Chapter 1 reviews work over the last five years on protein engineering by recombination. Chapter 2 describes the recombination of Hypocrea jecorina Cel5a endoglucanase with homologous enzymes in order to improve its activity at high temperatures. A chimeric Cel5a that is 10.1 °C more stable than wild-type and hydrolyzes 25% more cellulose at elevated temperatures is reported. Chapter 3 describes an investigation into the synergy of thermostable cellulases that have been engineered by recombination and other methods. An engineered endoglucanase and two engineered cellobiohydrolases synergistically hydrolyzed cellulose at high temperatures, releasing over 200% more reducing sugars over 60 h at their optimal mixture relative to the best mixture of wild-type enzymes. These results provide a framework for engineering cellulolytic enzyme mixtures for the industrial conditions of high temperatures and long incubation times.

In addition to this work on recombination, we explored three other problems in protein engineering. Chapter 4 describes an investigation into replacing enzymes with complex cofactors with simple cofactors, using an E. coli enolase as a model system. Chapter 5 describes engineering broad-spectrum aldehyde resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by evolving an alcohol dehydrogenase simultaneously for activity and promiscuity. Chapter 6 describes an attempt to engineer gene-targeted hypermutagenesis into E. coli to facilitate continuous in vivo selection systems.

Isolation and characteristics of a bacteriophage for bacillus stearothermophilus

A bacteriophage (TØ3) which infects the thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 8005 was isolated and characterized. Infection of the bacterium by the bacteriophage was carried out at 60°C, the optimum growth temperature of the host. At 60°C the phage has a latent period of 18 minutes and a burst size of about 200. The phage is comparatively thermostable in broth. The half life of the phage is 400 minutes at 60°C, 120 minutes at 65°C, 40 minutes at 70°C and 12 minutes at 75°C. The activation energy for the heat inactivation of TØ3 is 56,000 cal. The buoyant density of TØ3 in a cesium chloride density gradient is 1.526.

Electron micrographs of TØ3 indicate that the phage has a regular hexagonal shaped head 57 mμ long. The morphology of the head is compatible with icosahedral symmetry. Each edge of the head is 29 mμ long, and there are 6 or 7 subunits along each edge. The tail of TØ3 is 125 mμ long and 10 mμ wide. There are about 30 cross striations that are spaced at 3.9 mμ intervals along the tail.

The DNA of phage TØ3 has a melting temperature of 88.5°C. Heat denatured TØ3 DNA can be extensively annealed in a high ionic strength environment. The buoyant density of TØ3 DNA in a cesium chloride density gradient is 1.695. TØ3 DNA contains: 42.7% guanine plus cytosine, as determined from the melting temperature; 43% guanine plus cytosine, as determined from the buoyant density; and 40.2% guanine plus cytosine, as determined by chromatographic separation and spectrophotometric estimation of the bases. The molecular weight of TØ3 DNA is 16.7 X 10⁶ as determined from the band width of the TØ3 DNA concentration distribution in a cesium chloride density gradient. Electron microscopy of TØ3 DNA revealed a single linear molecule that is 11.7 μ long. This corresponds to a molecular weight of 22.5 X 10⁶.

Heat denatured TØ3 DNA forms two bands in a cesium chloride density gradient, one at a density of 1.707 and the other at a density of 1.715. After the separated bands are mixed and annealed in the centrifuge cell, the renatured TØ3 DNA forms a single band at a density of 1.699. These results indicate that the two complementary strands of TØ3 DNA have different buoyant densities in cesium chloride, presumably because they have different base compositions.

The characteristics of TØ3 are compared with those of other phages. A hypothesis is presented for a relationship between the base composition of one strand of TØ3 DNA and the amino acid composition of the proteins of TØ3.

Effect of replacement of fish meal with soybean meal plus supplementary enzymes on growth performance, survival rate and apparent digestibility of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was carried out to measure the effects of a supplementary multi enzyme on growth performance , survival rate and apparent protein digestibility of rainbow trout fed some diets containing different amounts of soy bean meal. Five exprimental diets with replacement of 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent of fish meal protein by soy bean meal protein were made and 0, 500 and 1000 ppm dosages of supplementary multi enzyme had used in each of them. By the means a diet with fish meal as the only source of protein has used as the control. So this study had 13 treatments. The trouts in 89.40±4.01 gr mean weight were stocked in 39 experimental fiberglass tanks in abundance of 30 fish per any tank. These specimens fed experimental diets for 8 weeks and ten of them in each tank fed same diets which added Cr2O3 to them for one more week to measure the apparent protein digestibility in them. The results shown that supplementary multi enzyme (Avizyme) which contains Protease , Amylase and Xylanase , caused increases in growth performance , survival rate and apparent protein digestibility in trouts which fed soybean meal. Also this study shown that using 1000 ppm of Avizyme in diets which containing soybean meal had the best results and the diet which contained 39 % soybean meal with this amount of enzymes, had no significant differences by the control in any of the studied factors.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE ENERGY-LEVELS OF SI-RH

Two thermostable levels E(0.31) and E(0.58) related to Rh in Si were observed using deep level transient spectroscopy and double correlation deep level transient spectroscopy techniques. By means of thermal annealing and electron irradiation, the microscopic natures of these levels were identified for the first time. The levels E(0.31) and E(0.58) arise from by the same impurity center but have different charge states. Their microstructures are not related to a pure substitutional Rh atom, but correspond to a complex. This result is compared to our self-consistent theoretical calculation.

两株耐碱性木聚糖酶产生菌的筛选及产酶条件研究

本文主要研究了从造纸厂碱性土壤中筛选得到的，能够产生耐碱木聚糖酶的两株放线菌X24-14和X15-17。通过16 S rRNA基因序列分析并结合菌株的形态特征以及生理生化特性，初步认为菌株X15-17为拟诺卡氏菌属（Nocardiopsis）的一个潜在新种；菌株X24-14为纤维化纤维菌（Cellulosimicrobium cellulans）。 在此基础上探索了菌株X24-14和菌株X15-17所产木聚糖酶的基本酶学性质。研究发现，两株菌所产的木聚糖酶的耐碱性均较强： 1）菌株X24-14所产的木聚糖酶，在pH 4.2～9.4的范围内能维持较高的活力，pH 9.4条件下，仍能保持80％的酶活力；2）菌株X15-17所产的木聚糖酶在pH 4.0～9.0的范围内能维持较高的活力，pH 9.0条件下，仍能保持80％的酶活力；3）两株菌所产的木聚糖酶均具有较好的pH稳定性，在pH 2.0～11.0范围内稳定，pH 11.0、4 ℃条件下处理24 h仍具有75％的活力。 本文还重点研究了菌株X24-14在不同培养基成分及不同培养条件下的产酶情况，确定了其适宜的产酶条件。结果显示，菌株X24-14的最适碳源为麸皮；最适氮源为蛋白胨；最适产酶pH为pH 8.5。菌株X24-14适宜的产酶条件为：麸皮60 g/L，蛋白胨10 g/L，K2HPO4 7.0 g/L，pH 8.5，接种量为5％，37 ℃，200 r/min发酵培养108 h。 Two strains of actinomycetes, X24-14 and X15-17, which produced alkali-tolerant xylanase were screened from the soil samples collected from a pulp mill in china. Based on the morphological, physiochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence, X24-14 was priminarily identified as cellulosimicrobium cellulans ; X15-17 was priminarily identified as a new species of Nocardiopsis. The investigation examined the enzyme activities which produced by X24-14 and X15-17 under different pH and different temperatures. The results showed that : 1）The xylanase from X24-14 had characteristic of alkali-tolerance: It remains 80% relative activity at pH ranges between pH 4.2 and pH 9.4 under 50℃. 2)The xylanase from X15-17 also showed characteristic of alkali-tolerance, it remains 80% relative activity at pH ranges between pH 4.0and pH 9.0 under 50℃. 3）The xylanase from the two strains showed alkali-stable characteristics. They were stable at pH ranges between pH 2.0 and pH 11.0, showing 75% of its maximal activity remaining under 24 hours of treatment at 4℃. We also studied the effect of different growth conditions: carbon source, nitrogen sources, inoculum size, and initial pH on the production of xylanase of strain X24-14. The results showed that :The optimal carbon source was wheat bran; The optima nitrogen source was peptone; The maximum xylanase activity was achieved in the medium containing 60 g/L wheat bran, 10 g/L peptone, 7 g/L K2HPO4, inoculum size 5% and pH 8.5, under 37℃ in 108 h.

一株丝状真菌对半纤维素利用的初步研究

本文筛选出一株能利用木糖产乙醇的丝状真菌Z7，对其利用木糖和半纤维素水解产物产乙醇的发酵条件进行了研究，并对Z7 利用玉米芯产木聚糖酶的条件进行了优化。全文分为三部分： 第一部分：目标微生物筛选、纯化及系统发育分析。以木糖为唯一碳源，采用梯度稀释和平板化线法从高温、中温酒曲中分离到16 株能利用木糖良好生长的丝状真菌；通过发酵试验复筛，获得一株能产乙醇的丝状真菌Z7；综合形态学和ITS 序列分析，初步鉴定为Aspergillus flavus。 第二部分：Z7 的乙醇发酵条件研究。以木糖为碳源，通过单因素试验确定最佳氮源和发酵温度；通过正交试验及SPSS 软件分析得到了不同N、P、K 成分对乙醇、残糖和菌体干重的影响。获得最佳的发酵条件为：（g/L）木糖50，尿素1, NH4NO3 1, K2HPO4 2 , KCl 0.5 , MgSO4.7H2O 0.5 , NaNO3 1 , pH 自然，培养温度33 ℃。以玉米芯半纤维素稀酸水解液为底物进行乙醇发酵，根据稀酸水解的单糖释放量和乙醇产量，确定115 ℃，1 h 为最佳玉米芯预处理条件；结合最佳发酵条件，添加1 g/L 的吐温20 能获得最大的乙醇浓度8.31 g/L。因此，Aspergillus flavus Z7 能利用半纤维素水解产物产乙醇，其中木糖的利用率80%以上。 第三部分：Z7 利用玉米芯产木聚糖酶条件优化。Aspergillus flavus Z7 在具有产乙醇能力的同时还具有产木聚糖酶的能力。本文通过单因素和正交试验得到最佳产酶培养基组分为：(g/L)玉米芯20，尿素2, 酵母膏2.5, K2HPO4 5，NaNO31, MgSO4.7H2O 1。单因素试验表明，用纱布代替塑料布密封摇瓶封口能显著提高产酶量；Z7 在碱性条件下具有更强的产酶性能。在最优条件下发酵，能产生最大木聚糖酶活122.23IU/mL。通过薄层分析，验证了Z7 产生的木聚糖酶具有水解木聚糖生成木糖及木寡糖的能力。 A strain of filamentous fungus which can produce ethanol by using the xylose was isolated in this research. The ethanol fermention conditions from xylose and dilute-acid hydrolyzate of the corn core were studied. The conditions of xylanase production by Z7 were also optimized. The paper involved three parts. Part1: Isolation, purification and phylogenetic analysis of the microbe. By using xylose as the single carbon source and the pla te streaking method, several filamentous fungi were isolated from the wine starter; through the fermentation test, a filamentous fungus Z7 which can produce ethanol was further recognized; furthermore, according to the morphologic observation and ITS seque nces analysis, Z7 was identified as Aspergillus flavus at the first step. Part2: Research on the condition of ethanol fermentation by Z7. By single factor experiment, the optional nitrogen resource and temperature of the fermentation were fixed; meanwhile, through the orthogonal array tests and the analysis of statistic software SPSS, the optional component of the culture medium and the fermentation condition were organized as follows: (g/L) xylose 50, urea 1, NH4NO3 1, K2HPO4 2, KCl 0.5 , MgSO4.7H2O 0.5, NaNO31, pH nature, temperature 33℃. Based on these optimal parameters, the fermentation of dilute-acid hydrolyzate of the corn core was carried on by Z7. According to the quantities of released sugar monomers and content of the ethanol, 115℃ in 1h is the best pretreatment condition; the maximal ethanol content can be obtained when 1g/L Tween 20 was added to. Therefore, the filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus can use the hydrolysate of hemicellulose to produce ethanol, and the rate of xylose utilization was over 80%. Part3: Optimization of Z7’s xylanase producing condition from corn core. Aspergillus flavus Z7, which can utilize xylose or the hydrolysate of hemicellulose to produce ethanol, also had the ability of xylanase production. The optional component of the culture medium were fixed by the single factor experiment and the orthogonal array tests, and they were organized as follows: (g/L) corn core 20, Urea 2, Yeast extract 2.5, K2HPO4 5, NaNO31, MgSO4.7H2O 1; it was testified by the single factor experiment that sealing the shaking flasks with pledget other than plastic paper can obviously increase the xylanase activity; moreover, Z7 showed better xylanase production ability when in the alkali environment. Under the optional fermentation condition, the maximal xylanase activity 122.23IU/mL was proved. Through the analysis of thin- layer chromatography (TLC), the ability of xylanase from Z7, which can hydrolyze xylan to xylose monomer and oligomer, was vividly displayed.

Hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on direct electrochemistry of soybean Peroxidase immobilized on single-walled carbon nanohorn modified electrode

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) were used as a novel and biocompatible matrix for fabricating biosensing devices. The direct immobilization of acid-stable and thermostable soybean peroxidase (SBP) on SWCNH modified electrode surface can realize the direct electrochemistry of enzyme. Cyclic voltammogram of the adsorbed SBP displays a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of -0.24V in pH 5 phosphate buffer solution.

Identification of archaeon-producing hyperthermophilic alpha-amylase and characterization of the alpha-amylase

The extremely thermophilic anaerobic archaeon strain, HJ21, was isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, could produce hyperthermophilic alpha-amylase, and later was identified as Thermococcus from morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics and the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. The extracellular thermostable alpha-amylase produced by strain HJ21 exhibited maximal activity at pH 5.0. The enzyme was stable in a broad pH range from pH 5.0 to 9.0. The optimal temperature of alpha-amylase was observed at 95 degrees C. The half-life of the enzyme was 5 h at 90 degrees C. Over 40% and 30% of the enzyme activity remained after incubation at 100 degrees C for 2 and 3 h, respectively. The enzyme did not require Ca2+ for thermostability. This alpha-amylase gene was cloned, and its nucleotide sequence displayed an open reading frame of 1,374 bp, which encodes a protein of 457 amino acids. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that four homologous regions common in amylases were conserved in the HJ21 alpha-amylase. The molecular weight of the mature enzyme was calculated to be 51.4 kDa, which correlated well with the size of the purified enzyme as shown by the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Investigations of the characteristics and mode of action of an algalytic bacterium isolated from Tai Lake

An algalytic bacterium provisionally designated as TL1 was isolated from Tai Lake, a large freshwater lake in the Yangtze Delta plain on the border of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and close to Wuxi city in the People's Republic of China. Strain TL1 was identified as Achromobacter sp. based on its biophysical and biochemical properties and the analysis of its 16S rRNA sequence. Microcystis aeruginosa, which is the most common toxic cyanobacterium in eutrophic freshwater, could be decomposed by strain TL1. The results showed that after inoculation with the algalytic bacterium, the content of chlorophyll-a, maximum PSII quantum yield, and maximum electron transport rates of the alga decreased sharply. At first, the algal cells enhanced the activities of some antioxidative enzymes, but subsequently, the activities of antioxidative enzymes fell sharply once damage of the algal cells was achieved. The filtrate from strain TL1 culture suspension, after autoclaving and treatments with proteinase K, strongly inhibited algal growth, indicating that the lytic metabolites were extracellular and thermostable, not a protein.

Extracção supercrítica de óleo de grainha de uva combinada com pré-tratamentos enzimáticos

Neste trabalho estudou-se a extracção supercrítica do óleo de grainha de uva, usando dióxido de carbono, e combinou-se este processo com um prétratamento enzimático da semente para aumentar o rendimento global da extracção. A qualidade dos extractos obtidos foi avaliada pelo seu conteúdo em triacilglicerídeos, perfil de ácidos gordos e capacidade antioxidante. Realizaram-se também alguns estudos exploratórios sobre a aplicação de um pré-tratamento de alta pressão (HPP) à grainha da uva. Adicionalmente, efectuou-se o estudo da extracção, fraccionamento e caracterização estrutural das procianidinas da grainha da uva, bem como a avaliação da sua capacidade antioxidante. A extracção de procianidinas da grainha da uva foi efectuada sequencialmente com metanol e acetona/água, tendo sido posteriormente fraccionadas por adição sucessiva de misturas metanol/clorofórmio progressivamente mais concentradas em clorofórmio. A caracterização das procianidinas foi feita por HPLC-UV e LC–MS, antes e depois de sujeitar as amostras a uma tiólise, e também por ESI-MS e ESI-MS/MS. Este estudo permitiu reportar, pela primeira vez, a ocorrência de procianidinas do tipo-A galoiladas na grainha da uva. Os resultados de HPLC-UV permitiram determinar o grau médio de polimerização das procianidinas e a sua composição monomérica em (+)- catequina, (-)-epicatequina e (-)-epicatequina-O-galato. Mostrou-se que a (+)- catequina é o flavan-3-ol terminal mais abundante e a (-)-epicatequina predomina largamente como unidade de extensão. No caso de procianidinas do tipo A, a ligação interflavânica C2-C7 encontra-se essencialmente nas unidades terminais. O grau médio de polimerização das diversas fracções varia entre 1.0 e 10.8. A sua capacidade antioxidante, medida pelo método espectrofotométrico de DPPH•, mostrou-se ser equivalente à de uma amostra comercial de (+)-catequina usada como referência. A partir dos graus médios de polimerização experimentais e das análises de FTIR das fracções correspondentes foi possível obter um modelo preditivo O-PLS com apenas uma variável latente. O pré-tratamento enzimático justificou-se pelo conhecimento existente acerca do uso de enzimas específicas que destroem parcialmente as paredes celulares. Atendendo à composição das paredes celulares da grainha da uva preparou-se uma suspensão contendo protease, xilanase, pectinase e celulase. Para determinar as condições experimentais do pré-tratamento que maximizam o rendimento da extracção, estudou-se o efeito do tempo de reacção, temperatura, pH, diâmetro médio das partículas de grainha moída e a concentração das enzimas. Os incrementos do rendimento da extracção de óleo observados atingiram 163.2%. O estudo da extracção supercrítica (SFE) do óleo da grainha de uva tratada e não-tratada permitiu obter as curvas de extracção correspondentes, bem com analisar a influência das condições operatórias sobre o seu andamento. Montou-se uma instalação laboratorial onde se realizaram experiências com dióxido de carbono a 160, 180, 200 e 220 bar e temperaturas de 313.15 e 323.15 K. Os rendimentos obtidos por SFE foram semelhantes aos de Soxhlet com n-hexano. As curvas de extracção medidas compreendem um primeiro período de extracção, onde se remove cerca de 92-97% do óleo disponível, e um segundo período, essencialmente difusional, com pouco impacto no rendimento final. Os vários extractos recolhidos e o óleo global obtido foram caracterizados para avaliar a sua qualidade e relacioná-la com as condições operatórias de SFE. Determinaram-se o conteúdo total em triacilglicerídeos, o seu perfil de ácidos gordos e a capacidade antioxidante (AOC). Os resultados mostraram que a AOC aumenta com a elevação da pressão e, acentuadamente, com o acréscimo da temperatura. Ao longo da curva de extracção, a AOC é mais pronunciada nos extractos iniciais, nomeadamente nos primeiros 30 a 40% da extracção. A modelação efectuada considerou que o óleo extractável se reparte entre células rompidas, predominantes na periferia da semente, e células intactas, mais interiores. Admitiu-se que o transporte de massa ocorre em série, i.e. das células intactas para as rompidas e destas para o solvente; mostrou-se que a dispersão axial era desprezável. Os balanços materiais à fase fluida e aos volumes de células rompidas e intactas, combinados com os fluxos interno, externo e a relação de equilíbrio foram resolvidos numericamente pelo método das linhas combinado com diferenças finitas atrasadas. O modelo reproduziu bem as curvas experimentais e permitiu simular curvas de eluição e os três perfis de concentração no leito.

Improved extraction of arabinoxylans from rye bran and production of health beneficial oligosaccharides

Dissertação de mest., Engenharia Biológica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Univ. do Algarve, 2011

Optimization process of polyester polymer mortars modified with recycled GFRP waste aggregates – application of factorial experiment design-

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP), nowadays commonly used in the construction, transportation and automobile sectors, have been considered inherently difficult to recycle due to both: cross-linked nature of thermoset resins, which cannot be remolded, and complex composition of the composite itself, which includes glass fibres, matrix and different types of inorganic fillers. Presently, most of the GFRP waste is landfilled leading to negative environmental impacts and supplementary added costs. With an increasing awareness of environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources, recycling would convert an expensive waste disposal into a profitable reusable material. There are several methods to recycle GFR thermostable materials: (a) incineration, with partial energy recovery due to the heat generated during organic part combustion; (b) thermal and/or chemical recycling, such as solvolysis, pyrolisis and similar thermal decomposition processes, with glass fibre recovering; and (c) mechanical recycling or size reduction, in which the material is subjected to a milling process in order to obtain a specific grain size that makes the material suitable as reinforcement in new formulations. This last method has important advantages over the previous ones: there is no atmospheric pollution by gas emission, a much simpler equipment is required as compared with ovens necessary for thermal recycling processes, and does not require the use of chemical solvents with subsequent environmental impacts. In this study the effect of incorporation of recycled GFRP waste materials, obtained by means of milling processes, on mechanical behavior of polyester polymer mortars was assessed. For this purpose, different contents of recycled GFRP waste materials, with distinct size gradings, were incorporated into polyester polymer mortars as sand aggregates and filler replacements. The effect of GFRP waste treatment with silane coupling agent was also assessed. Design of experiments and data treatment were accomplish by means of factorial design and analysis of variance ANOVA. The use of factorial experiment design, instead of the one factor at-a-time method is efficient at allowing the evaluation of the effects and possible interactions of the different material factors involved. Experimental results were promising toward the recyclability of GFRP waste materials as polymer mortar aggregates, without significant loss of mechanical properties with regard to non-modified polymer mortars.

New end-use application for GFRP recyclates as reinforcement for concrete-polymer materials’

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP), nowadays commonly used in the construction, transportation and automobile sectors, have been considered inherently difficult to recycle due to both: cross-linked nature of thermoset resins, which cannot be remolded, and complex composition of the composite itself, which includes glass fibres, matrix and different types of inorganic fillers. Presently, most of the GFRP waste is landfilled leading to negative environmental impacts and supplementary added costs. With an increasing awareness of environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources, recycling would convert an expensive waste disposal into a profitable reusable material. There are several methods to recycle GFR thermostable materials: (a) incineration, with partial energy recovery due to the heat generated during organic part combustion; (b) thermal and/or chemical recycling, such as solvolysis, pyrolisis and similar thermal decomposition processes, with glass fibre recovering; and (c) mechanical recycling or size reduction, in which the material is subjected to a milling process in order to obtain a specific grain size that makes the material suitable as reinforcement in new formulations. This last method has important advantages over the previous ones: there is no atmospheric pollution by gas emission, a much simpler equipment is required as compared with ovens necessary for thermal recycling processes, and does not require the use of chemical solvents with subsequent environmental impacts. In this study the effect of incorporation of recycled GFRP waste materials, obtained by means of milling processes, on mechanical behavior of polyester polymer mortars was assessed. For this purpose, different contents of recycled GFRP waste materials, with distinct size gradings, were incorporated into polyester polymer mortars as sand aggregates and filler replacements. The effect of GFRP waste treatment with silane coupling agent was also assessed. Design of experiments and data treatment were accomplish by means of factorial design and analysis of variance ANOVA. The use of factorial experiment design, instead of the one-factor-at-a-time method is efficient at allowing the evaluation of the effects and possible interactions of the different material factors involved. Experimental results were promising toward the recyclability of GFRP waste materials as aggregates and filler replacements for polymer mortar, with significant gain of mechanical properties with regard to non-modified polymer mortars.