The introduction of biodiesel to commercial diesel is being increased every year. The need to check this addition to the engine and lubricant is important for automakers and internal combustion engine manufacturers. The oil analysis technique is a type of predictive maintenance, done by collecting oil from equipment and analyzing it later in the laboratory, or by analyzing it directly and continuously in on-line systems. In internal combustion engines, all parts have a pre-established service life, longer or shorter, according to the specific function assigned to it. By analyzing the oil, the condition of these parts can be monitored. The oils analysis reveals the first signs of wear of a component. The identification is made based on the study of the number of particles, size, shape and composition thereof, present in the lubricant samples, which provide accurate information about the conditions of the moving surfaces without the need to disassemble the assembly to which these parts belongs. In this work a lubricant contamination by biodiesels were made to simulate possible scenarios within an internal combustion engine.The lubricant recommended by an engine manufacturer was “contaminated” with commercial diesel and with different percentages and types of biodiesel. After this “contamination” they were placed in a pin on disk device under certain conditions.Through the analyzes of the lubricants extracted from the Pin on disk Equipment after the tests, some analysis were carried out in order to study the effects of using biodiesel in the internal combustion engine.These analyzes consisted of Flash point, analytical ferrography, monitoring of ferrous particles generated, viscosity, viscosity index, basicity index and X-ray spectrometry.Among the results obtained it is observed that for a 5% contamination of animal biodiesel there was an increase in the viscosity index. Conversely, the contamination of 5% of animal + vegetable biodiesel decreased the viscosity index in relation to Diesel B5. We also found that these biodiesel additions were not detrimental to the engine and lubricant at the mix ratios and test conditions used.

ABSTRACT Pervious concrete pavements are interesting from an environmental and social viewpoint. However, this type of pavement has as the main disadvantage of losing permeability over time by the clogging process. The aim of this work is to evaluate the periodic cleaning efficiency of using a blower, mainly during the first four months after paving. A pervious concrete sidewalk was constructed and cleaning was carried out, monthly in one half and weekly in the other half. Infiltration rate tests, following ASTM C1701, were performed weekly at eight spots arranged symmetrically on each half of the pavement. The results showed that using a blower for periodic cleaning was efficient. Both halves, with monthly and weekly cleaning, did not present significant statistical difference in their infiltration rates. In this sense, monthly maintenance is the most suitable due to less time and fuel are spent for cleaning, collaborating as an environmental-friendly alternative. This work showed that the performance of periodic maintenance can be useful, in order to maintain the efficiency of the pervious pavement over time.

RESUMO O estudo apresenta uma experiência do uso de cinzas de casca de arroz (C.C.A) para a produção de argamassas auto adensáveis. Para tanto, utilizou-se cimento CPZ II 32, areia natural, cinza de casca de arroz industrializada, superplastificante de atuação estérica e eletrostática, e água. Foram produzidos dois tipos de argamassas, sendo uma série a ser adensada com o auxílio de vibração, e uma outra série com a incorporação de C.C.A no teor de 35% com relação ao valor da massa do cimento, e de superplastificante, a ser adensada pela ação do seu peso próprio. Os valores da relação água/cimento adotados foram 0,40, 0,50 e 0,60 para os casos de argamassas vibradas e 0,68, 0,63 e 0,55 para os casos de argamassas auto adensáveis. Para os casos de argamassas vibradas foram realizados no estado fresco os ensaios de consistência com auxílio da mesa de golpes, ensaios de abatimento, e da avaliação da massa específica aparente; e para as argamassas auto adensáveis foram realizados no estado fresco os ensaios de espalhamento “slump-flow” e o ensaio de escoamento confinado com auxílio do funil; além da avaliação da massa específica aparente. No estado endurecido foram realizados os ensaios de resistência à compressão simples e diametral, e de absorção d’água aos 7, 28, 60 e 90 dias de cura. Observou-se que as argamassas com a adição de C.C.A e as vibradas apresentaram condições de mobilidade compatíveis com relação à cada caso e ausência de segregação; as argamassas com C.C.A apresentaram valores de resistência mecânica ligeiramente superiores aos apresentados pelas argamassas vibradas, assim como apresentaram valores de absorção inferiores, não obstante os valores mais elevados para a relação “água/cimento” em comparação aos casos das argamassas vibradas.

ABSTRACT The study presents an experiment on the use of rice husk ash (R.H.A) for the production of self-compacting mortars. For this purpose, CPZ II 32 cement, natural sand, industrialized rice hull ash, electrostatic and steric performance superplasticizer, and water were used. Two types of mortars were produced, one series to be densified with the aid of vibration, and another series with the incorporation of R.H.A in the 35% content in relation to the mass value of the cement, and of superplasticizer, to be made strong by the action of its own weight. The values of water/cement ratio were 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 for cases of vibrated mortars and 0.68, 0.63 and 0.55 for cases of self-compacting mortars. For the vibrated mortars were performed in the fresh state the consistency tests with aid of the table of blows, slump tests, and the evaluation of the apparent specific mass. For the self-compacting mortars, the slump flow tests were carried out in the fresh state and the flow test confined with the aid of the funnel; besides the evaluation of the apparent specific mass. In the hardened state the tests of compressive strength and diametrical compressive strength, and of water absorption were realized at 7, 28, 60 and 90 days of cure. It was observed that the mortars with the addition of R.H.A and the vibrated ones presented mobility conditions compatible with respect to each case and absence of segregation; The mortars with R.H.A presented mechanical strength values slightly higher than those presented by vibrated mortars, as well as lower absorption values, despite the higher values for the "water / cement" ratio compared to the cases of vibrated mortar.

Double-torsion tests were carried out to ascertain whether a thin test specimen would affect the results of this test. The tests involved two test specimen sizes, one with a thickness five-fold greater than the particle size of the material and the other with a three-fold greater thickness. The width of both test specimens was ten times that of their thickness and their length was double their width. The material utilized was an alumina-based refractory castable without cement. It is important to ascertain the influence of the thickness of double-torsion test specimens when materials with a coarse microstructure are involved. Otherwise, test specimens would have to be very large, rendering the experimental procedure difficult, as in the case of the size of sintering furnaces and the size of accessories for the test. This study shows that test specimens with lower thicknesses are representative when one analyzes the calibration curve of the compliance, the length of the crack at which the break occurred (critical crack length), and the shapes of the R-curve and of the load (P) vs. displacement curves. However, the analysis of the mean values of R (R), obtained by the arithmetic average of the R values in the section of stable crack propagation and the total fracture energy (γwof), showed that these values are dependent on the size of the test specimens, indicating that this subject deserves further investigation.

Double-torsion tests were carried out on a commercial ceramic floor tile to verify whether this test is suitable for determining the R-curve of ceramics. The instantaneous crack length was obtained by means of compliance calibration, and it was found that the experimental compliance underestimates the real crack length. The load vs. displacement curves were also found to drop after maximum loading, causing the stress intensity factor to decline. The R-curves were calculated by two methods: linear elastic fracture mechanics and the energetic method. It was obtained that the average values of crack resistance, R, and the double of the work of fracture, 2 <FONT FACE=Symbol>× g</FONT>wof, did not depend on notch length, a0, which is a highly relevant finding, indicating that these parameters were less dependent on the test specimen's geometry. The proposal was to use small notches, which produce long stable crack propagation paths that in turn are particularly important in the case of coarse microstructures.