ABSTRACT This work aimed at the development and characterization of gas sensing devices using thin films of polyaniline (PAni) as active layer, deposited by in situ polymerization. The polyaniline, an intrinsically conductive polymer, was used due to its high sensitivity to gases, low response time and stability, ease of synthesis and low cost. The sensor was built on a glass fiber reinforced substrate with interdigitated gold electrodes coated with a PAni film layer whose thickness variation was fixed as a function of deposition time. The PAni characterization by Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the exposure to ethanol does not change the chemical structure of PAni. The thickness (3.5 ?m) and morphology of PAni films through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were compatible to those found in the literature. The electrical resistance of the sensors was evaluated as function of ethanol concentration and varied between 60 kohms for lower ethanol concentrations and 140 kohms for higher concentrations. Nevertheless, a statistical analysis of the measurements in five sensors with different ethanol concentrations demonstrated that the sensors have not been able to differentiate ethanol concentrations to the level of significance of 5%.

RESUMO A reação álcali-agregado (RAA) é uma das possíveis causas de redução da durabilidade e deterioração das estruturas de concreto, sendo motivo de preocupação à integridade e segurança das construções em âmbito internacional. Casos confirmados no Brasil, nos últimos anos, afetaram estruturas como fundações de edificações residenciais, pontes, barragens, entre outras. O processo da RAA se desenvolve a partir da combinação de agentes como os álcalis presentes no cimento Portland e agregados reativos, com a presença constante de umidade, e como resultado forma-se um gel higroscópico no entorno do agregado, causando expansão, fissuração do concreto, com possível exsudação do gel, sendo estes danos irreversíveis. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar uma caracterização petrográfica de quatro rochas utilizadas na construção civil no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, bem como verificar a reatividade potencial das rochas pelo método acelerado das barras. Dois agregados foram identificados como rochas vulcânicas e os outros dois foram identificados como de origem ígnea subvulcânica e ígnea plutônica, respectivamente. Enquanto as rochas vulcânicas mostraram um efeito deletério na reatividade potencial, as outras duas mostraram comportamento inócuo, com potencial de utilização como agregados em obras civis, sem a necessidade de adição de materiais mitigatórios, visto o nível de expansão estar de acordo com critérios estabelecidos nas normas brasileiras.

ABSTRACT The alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) is one of the possible causes for reduction of the durability and deterioration of concrete structures, being a matter of integrity and safety concern in concrete structures worldwide. In recent years cases confirmed in Brazil have affected structures such as foundations of residential buildings, bridges, dams, among others. The AAR process develops from the combination of agents such as alkalis present in Portland cement and reactive aggregates, with the constant presence of moisture, and as a result a hygroscopic gel is developed around the aggregate, resulting in expansion and cracking of the concrete, with possible bleeding of the gel, turning into irreversible damages. The present study aims to present a petrographical characterization of four types of rocks used in civil construction in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as to verify the potential reactivity of these rocks by the accelerated bar method. Two aggregates were identified as volcanic rocks and the other two were identified as being subvolcanic igneous and plutonic igneous origin, respectively. While volcanic rocks showed a deleterious effect in alkali-aggregate reactivity, the other two rocks showed innocuous behavior, with potential to be used as aggregates in civil works, without being necessary any addition of mitigating materials, since their expansion levels are in compliance with the criteria established in the Brazilian standards.

RESUMO Neste trabalho, realizaram-se modificações nos sistemas produtivo e de tratamento de efluentes em um complexo industrial automotivo a fim de possibilitar a utilização do efluente tratado no sistema de torres de resfriamento. Inicialmente, realizou-se um balanço hídrico nos processos industriais para determinar o consumo de água e analisou-se a qualidade do efluente tratado quanto aos parâmetros físico-químicos em dois pontos do sistema de tratamento de efluentes: no decantador secundário (P1) do tratamento físico-químico e na saída da lagoa de polimento (P2). Essas análises mostraram que o efluente tratado no decantador secundário não tem capacidade de atender às especificações da água de circulação das torres de resfriamento sem a realização de muitas alterações em seu tratamento, optando-se pela utilização do efluente tratado na saída da lagoa de polimento após modificações, como: alteração na concentração de ácido fosfórico e de ácido nítrico da solução de limpeza dos tanques de fosfatização, elevação em 50% da capacidade de aeração da lagoa aerada e troca do coagulante sulfato de alumínio pelo cloreto férrico no tratamento físico-químico. Assim, os parâmetros do efluente tratado na lagoa de polimento aproximaram-se aos parâmetros especificados para água de torres de resfriamento. A introdução desse efluente na proporção de 40% do volume da água de circulação na torre de resfriamento resultou em elevação do ciclo de dureza e redução no ciclo de sílica. A utilização de um filtro abrandador na saída da lagoa de polimento proporcionou a redução dos parâmetros de qualidade da água para valores similares aos da água de recirculação nas torres de resfriamento.

ABSTRACT In this work, some changes in the productive system and in the effluent treatment plant of an automotive industrial complex have been performed in order to enable the treated effluent use in the cooling towers of the industry. Initially, a hydric balance in the industrial processes was performed, allowing the determination of water consumption. After, the effluent quality was analysed through its physico-chemical parameters at two sites of the effluent treatment plant: in the secondary settling tank (P1) of the physico-chemical treatment and in the exit of the polishing pond (P2). These analyses showed that the effluent from the settle tank does not have the ability to contemplate the specifications for water used in the cooling towers without much change in effluent treatment so that the effluent from polishing pond was used for testing in the cooling towers after some changes. These changes have included: phosphoric acid and nitric acid concentration changes in the cleaning solution of phosphating tanks, 50% increase in the aeration capacity of the aerated lagoon and replacement of aluminum sulfate coagulant by ferric chloride in physico-chemical treatment. With these modifications, the effluent from polishing pond approached the parameters specified for water cooling towers. The use of this treated effluent as 40% of water volume of the cooling tower resulted in hardness cycle increase and reduction in silica cycle. The use of a softener filter after the polishing pond decreased the effluent quality parameters to similar values to those for water cooling towers.

A carepa de aço é um resíduo sólido gerado na etapa de laminação da fabricação do aço, normalmente depositado ao ar livre no pátio de siderúrgicas. O presente trabalho visa a avaliar a possibilidade de incorporação da carepa de aço em concretos de cimento Portland, como substituição à areia natural quartzosa. Foram produzidos concretos com traços 1:3,5; 1:5,0 e 1:6,5, com diferentes teores do resíduo (0%, 10%, 25% e 40%) e abatimento de 110±10mm, para determinação da resistência à compressão e absorção de água. Os concretos com carepa de aço exigiram maior quantidade de água para manutenção da trabalhabilidade fixada. A análise dos resultados indicou, para concretos com relações água/cimento 0,55 e 0,65, redução da resistência à compressão e maior absorção de água à medida que o teor de carepa de aço aumenta.

Mill scale is a solid waste formed on the steel’s surface during the lamination step of steel manufacture, usually deposited outdoors at steelmaking industries. This work aims to evaluate the use of mill scale in Portland cement concrete, as a replacement for natural fine aggregate. Concretes with mix proportioning 1:3,5, 1:5,0 and 1:6,5 were produced varying the mill scale content from 0% to 40%, with a given slump 110±10mm, for determination of compressive strength and water absorption. Concrete with mill scale has demanded greater water content to maintain the workability. The results indicated that concretes with water/cement ratios of 0.55 and 0.65 have a compressive strength reduction and greater water absorption as the mill scale content increases.

The worldwide trend toward using cheap, atoxic and durable materials from renewable resources contributes to sustainable development. Thus, the investigation of the potential use of vegetal fibers as reinforcing agent in polymeric composites has gained new significance. Sisal fiber has emerged as a reinforcing material for polymers used in automobile, footwear and civil industries. In this work, properties such as hardness, tensile strength and tear strength of polymer composites composed by block copolymer styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and 5, 10 and 20% by weight of sisal fiber were evaluated. The influence of conventional polymer processing techniques such as single-screw and double-screw extrusion, as well as the addition of coupling agent on the composite mechanical performance was investigated. Also, the morphology and thermal stability of the composites were analyzed. The addition of 2 wt. (%) maleic anhydride as coupling agent between sisal fiber and SBS has improved the composite mechanical performance and the processing in a double-screw extruder has favored the sisal fiber distribution in the SBS matrix.

Polyaniline (PAni), an electronic conductive polymer, has poor mechanical properties, such as low tensile, compressive and flexural strength that render PAni a non-ideal material to be processed for practical applications. Desired properties of polyaniline can be enhanced by mixing it with a polymer that has good mechanical properties. In this work, PAni was synthesised using functionalized sulfonic acids like camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) and dodecilbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) in order to promote PAni doping and improve its solubility, making possible conductive blends manufacture. The different forms of PAni were characterized by infra-red spectroscopy, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and conductivity measurements. A conductive blend composed of PAni/DBSA and lower density polyethylene (LDPE) was obtained via solubilization method and its thermal, morphological and electrical properties were investigated. Concentrations as low as 5 wt. (%) of PAni was able to lead to electrical conductivities of PAni/LDPE blends in the range of 10-3 S.cm-1, showing great potential to be used in antistatic packing, electromagnetic shielding, anti-corrosion shielding or as a semiconductor.