Obtenção de emulsões asfálticas modificadas utilizando resíduos industriais

The main objective of this research was the development and characterization of conventional and modified cationic asphalt emulsions. The asphalt emulsions were developed by using the Petroleum Asphalt Cement (CAP 50-70) from Fazenda Belém (Petrobras -Aracati-Ce). The first step in this research was the development of the oil phase (asphalt + solvent) and the aqueous phase (water + emulsifying agent + acid + additives), separately. During the experiments for the obtaining of the conventional asphalt emulsion, the concentration of each constituent was evaluated. For the obtaining of the oil phase, kerosene was used as solvent at 15 and 20 wt.%. For the development of the aqueous phase, the emulsifying agent was used at 0.3 and 3.0 wt.%, whereas the acid and the additive were set at 0.3 wt.%. The percentage of asphalt in the asphalt emulsion was varied in 50, 55, and 60 wt.% and the heating temperature was set at 120 °C. The aqueous phase in the asphalt emulsion was varied from 16.4 to 34.1 wt.% and the heating temperature was set at 60 °C. After the obtaining of the oil and the aqueous phases, they were added at a colloidal mill, remaining under constant stirring and heating during 15 minutes. Each asphalt emulsion was evaluated considering: sieve analysis, Saybolt Furol viscosity, pH determination, settlement and storage stability, residue by evaporation, and penetration of residue. After the characterization of conventional emulsions, it was chosen the one that presented all properties in accordance with Brazilian specifications (DNER-EM 369/97). This emulsion was used for the development of all modified asphalt emulsions. Three polymeric industrial residues were used as modifier agents: one from a clothing button industry (cutouts of clothing buttons) and two from a footwear industry (cutouts of sandals and tennis shoes soles), all industries located at Rio Grande do Norte State (Brazil).The polymeric residues were added into the asphalt emulsion (1 to 6 wt.%) and the same characterization rehearsals were accomplished. After characterization, it were developed the cold-mix asphalts. It was used the Marshall mix design. For cold-mix asphalt using the conventional emulsion, it was used 5, 6 and 7 wt.% asphalt emulsion. The conventional mixtures presented stability values according Brazilian specification (DNER-369/97). For mixtures containing asphalt modified emulsions, it was observed that the best results were obtained with emulsions modified by button residue

Use of scrap tire rubber in place of SBS in modified asphalt as an environmentally correct alternative for Brazil

Reusing scrap tires has become a worldwide challenge, especially due to the great difficulty in finding ecologically and economically feasible ways to dispose of them. This has led to the creation of specific programs and legislation for reusing scrap tires. Research has shown that a certain percentage of scrap tire rubber can be added to asphalt compositions, and this has become a worldwide practice. This paper describes the properties of four asphalt compositions modified with scrap tire rubber (STR) prepared in the laboratory. These properties are then compared with those of asphalt modified with styrene butadiene styrene (SBS), a synthetic polymer and one of the most common modifiers, to verify the feasibility of using scrap tire rubber as a substitute for SBS. The scope of this study does not include an analysis of how STR affects end-of-life asphalt. The main findings indicate that STR is a potential substitute of SBS in paving material, and although it does not meet some of the standard specifications when compared with SBS, these issues can be overcome by proper care during storage and transportation. The substitution of SBS by STR also showed the potential for about 10% in expenditure savings. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formulation of nanotized curcumin and demonstration of its antimalarial efficacy

Aim: The present study was conducted to overcome the disadvantages associated with the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin by synthesizing nanotized curcumin and demonstrating its efficacy in treating malaria. Materials and methods: Nanotized curcumin was prepared by a modified emulsion-diffusion-evaporation method and was characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Zetasizer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential thermal analysis. The novelty of the prepared nanoformulation lies in the fact that it was devoid of any polymeric matrices used in conventional carriers. The antimalarial efficacy of the prepared nanotized curcumin was then checked both in vitro and in vivo. Results: The nanopreparation was found to be non-toxic and had a particle size distribution of 20-50 nm along with improved aqueous dispersibility and an entrapment efficiency of 45%. Nanotized curcumin (half maximal inhibitory concentration IC50]: 0.5 mu M) was also found to be ten-fold more effective for growth inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro as compared to its native counterpart (IC50: 5 mu M). Oral bioavailability of nanotized curcumin was found to be superior to that of its native counterpart. Moreover, when Plasmodium berghei-infected mice were orally treated with nanotized curcumin, it prolonged their survival by more than 2 months with complete clearance of parasites in comparison to the untreated animals, which survived for 8 days only. Conclusion: Nanotized curcumin holds a considerable promise in therapeutics as demonstrated here for treating malaria as a test system.

Study of the effect of four warm mix asphalt additives on bitumen modified with 15% crumb rubber

Due to a growing concern over global warming, the bituminous mixture industry is making a constant effort to diminish its emissions by reducing manufacturing and installation temperatures without compromising the mechanical properties of the bituminous mixtures. The use of mixtures with tyre rubber has demonstrated that these mixtures can be economical and ecological and that they improve the behaviour of the pavements. However, bituminous mixtures with a high rubber content present one major drawback: they require higher mixing and installation temperatures due to the elevated viscosity caused by the high rubber content and thus they produce larger amounts of greenhouse gas emissions than conventional bituminous mixtures. This article presents a study of the effect of four viscosity-reducing additives (Sasobit®, Asphaltan A®, Asphaltan B® and Licomont BS 100®) on a bitumen modified with 15% rubber. The results of this study indicate that these additives successfully reduce viscosity, increase the softening temperature and reduce penetration. However, they do not have a clear effect on the test for elastic recovery and ductility at 25 °C.

Short-term guidelines to improve crumb rubber modified asphalt concrete pavements. Final report.

Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

Evaluation of the use of rubber modified asphalt concrete pavement in the State of Illinois /

"ILENR/RR-93/02."

Mannans as film formers and emulsion stabilizers

Mannans are abundant plant polysaccharides found in the endosperm of certain leguminous seeds (guar gum galactomannan, GG; locust bean gum galactomannan, LBG), in the tuber of the konjac plant (konjac glucomannan, KGM), and in softwoods (galactoglucomannan, GGM). This study focused on the effects of the chemical structure of mannans on their film-forming and emulsion-stabilizing properties. Special focus was on spruce GGM, which is an interesting new product from forest biorefineries. A plasticizer was needed for the formation of films from mannans other than KGM and the optimal proportion was 40% (w/w of polymers) glycerol or sorbitol. Galactomannans with lower galactose content (LBG, modified GG) produced films with higher elongation at break and tensile strength. The mechanical properties of GG-based films were improved by decreasing the degree of polymerization of the polysaccharide with moderate mannanase treatments. The improvement of mechanical properties of GGM-based films was sought by blending GGM with each of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), corn arabinoxylan (cAX), and KGM. Adding other polymers increased the elongation at break of GGM blend films. The tensile strength of films increased with increasing amounts of PVOH and KGM, but the effect of cAX was the opposite. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed two separate loss modulus peaks for blends of GGM and PVOH, but a single peak for all other films. Optical and scanning electron microscopy confirmed good miscibility of GGM with cAX and KGM. In contrast, films blended from GGM and PVOH showed phase separation. GGM and KGM were mixed with cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) to form composite films. Addition of CNW to KGM-based films induced the formation of fiberlike structures with lengths of several millimeters. In GGM-based films, rodlike structures with lengths of tens of micrometers were formed. Interestingly, the notable differences in the film structure did not appear to be related to the mechanical and thermal properties of the films. Permeability properties of GGM-based films were compared to those of films from commercial mannans KGM, GG, and LBG. GGM-based films had the lowest water vapor permeability when compared to films from other mannans. The oxygen permeability of GGM films was of the same magnitude as that of commercial polyethylene / ethylene vinyl alcohol / polyethylene laminate film. The aroma permeability of GGM films was low. All films were transparent in the visible region, but GGM films blocked the light transmission in the ultraviolet region of the spectra. The stabilizing effect of GGM on a model beverage emulsion system was studied and compared to that of GG, LBG, KGM, and cAX. In addition, GG was enzymatically modified in order to examine the effect of the degree of polymerization and the degree of substitution of galactomannans on emulsion stability. Use of GGM increased the turbidity of emulsions both immediately after preparation and after storage of up to 14 days at room temperature. GGM emulsions had higher turbidity than the emulsions containing other mannans. Increasing the storage temperature to +45 ºC led to rapid emulsion breakdown, but a decrease in storage temperature increased emulsion stability after 14 days. A low degree of polymerization and a high degree of substitution of the modified galactomannans were associated with a decrease in emulsion turbidity.

Highly Active Neutral Nickel(II) Catalysts for Ethylene Polymerization Bearing Modified,beta-Ketoiminato Ligands

A series of novel neutral nickel complexes 4a-e bearing modified beta-ketoiminato ligands [(2,6-(Pr2C6H3)-Pr-i)N=C(R-1)CHC(2 '-R2C6H4)O]Ni(Ph)(PPh3) (4a, R-1 R-2 = H; 4b, R-1 = H, R-2 = Ph; 4c, R-1 = H, R-2 = Naphth; 4d, R-1 = CH3, R-2 = Ph; 4e, R-1 = CF3, R-2 Ph) have been synthesized and characterized. Molecular structures of 4b and 4e were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Activated with B(C6F5)(3), all the complexes are active for the polymerization of ethylene to branched polyethylenes. Ligand structure, i.e., substituents R-1 and R-2, greatly influences not only catalytic activity but also the molecular weight and branch content of the polyethylene produced. The phenyl-substituted complex 4b exhibits the highest activity of lip to 145 kg PE/mol(Ni)center dot h center dot atm under optimized conditions, which is about 10 times more than unsubstituted complex 4a (14.0 kg PE/mol(Ni center dot)h center dot atm). Highly branched polyethylene with 103 branches per 1000 carbon atoms has been prepared using catalyst 4e.

Independence of the brittle-ductile transition from the rubber particle size for impact-modified poly(vinyl chloride)

A series of acrylic impact modifiers (AIMS) with different particle sizes ranging from 55.2 to 927.0 nm were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization, and the effect of the particle size on the brittle-ductile transition of impact-modified poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was investigated. For each AIM, a series of PVC/AIM blends with compositions of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15 phr AIM in 100 phr PVC were prepared, and the Izod impact strengths of these blends were tested at 23 degrees C. For AIMs with particle sizes of 55.2, 59.8, 125.2, 243.2, and 341.1 nm, the blends fractured in the brittle mode when the concentration of AIM was lower than 10 phr, whereas the blends showed ductile fracture when the AIM concentration reached 10 phr. It was concluded that the brittle-ductile transition of the PVC/AIM blends was independent of the particle size in the range of 55.2-341.1 nm. When the particle size was greater than 341.1 nm, however, the brittle-ductile transition shifted to a higher AIM concentration with an increase in the particle size. Furthermore, the critical interparticle distance was found not to be the criterion of the brittle-ductile transition for the PVC/AIM blends.

Obtenção de emulsões asfálticas convencionais e modificadas com argilas e nanoargilas

The increasing demand for asphalt leads to the development of techniques that can improve the quality of products and increase the useful working life of pavements. Consequently, there is a growing application of asphalt emulsions, which are produced from a mixture of petroleum asphalt cement (CAP) with an aqueous phase. The main advantage of asphalt emulsions is its cold application, reducing energy costs. Conventional emulsions are obtained using asphalt, water, solvent, and additives. The modified asphalt emulsion is developed by adding a modifying agent to conventional emulsions. These modifiers can be natural fibers, waste polymers, nanomaterials. In this work modified asphalt emulsion were obtained using organoclays. First, it was prepared a conventional asphalt emulsion with the following mass proportion: 50% of 50/70 penetration grade CAP, 0.6% of additives and 3% of emulsifier, 20% of solvent and 26.4% of water. It was used bentonite and vermiculite (1% and 4%) to obtain the modified asphalt emulsion. Bentonite and vermiculite were added in its raw state and as an organoclay form and as an organoclay-acid form, resulting in 26 experimental runs. The methodology described by Qian et al. (2011), with modifications, was used to obtain the organoclay and the organoclay-acid form. infrared spectroscopy (IR)) were used to characterize the clays and nanoclays. The emulsions were prepared in a colloidal mill, using 30 minutes and 1 hour as mixing time. After, the emulsions were characterized. The following tests were performed, in accordance with the Brazilian specifications (DNER- 369/97): sieve analysis, Saybolt Furol viscosity, pH determination, density, settlement and storage stability, residue by evaporation, and penetration of residue. Finally, it can be concluded that the use of nanoclays as asphalt modifiers represent a viable alternative to the road paving industry

Adhesion strength characterization of PVDF/HA coating on cp Ti surface modified by laser beam irradiation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Hydroxyapatite deposition study through polymeric process on commercially pure Ti surfaces modified by laser beam irradiation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)