In this work, the chemical modification of pristine polypropylene was carried out through sulfonation reactions with concentrated sulfuric acid (PPS1) and fuming sulfuric acid (PPS2), for production of heterogeneous catalysts used in esterification reactions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, degree of substitution and ion exchange capacity showed that both sulfonation agents were effective to promote the functionalization of polypropylene, with the fuming sulfuric acid capable of promoting a greater chemical modification. The materials catalytic activity in esterification reaction of oleic acid with methanol was evaluated at 100 ºC, methanol: oleic acid molar ratio of 78:1 and with 5 wt% of catalyst (referred to oleic acid weight). It was observed that reaction catalyzed by PPS1 converted 68.02% of oleic acid to methyl oleate in 3 hours of reaction, while PPS2 reached 86.47% conversion in five hours, showing even greater catalytic efficiency than the commercial ion exchange resin, Amberlyst 15. Therefore, the conditions employed for the sulfonation of polypropylene were satisfactory to produce materials with acid characteristics necessary to catalyze the esterification reaction of oleic acid with methanol.

Biodiesel purification by water washing has been proved to be an unattractive process from an economic and environmental point of view. In this work, we propose the use of regenerated cellulose membranes from peanut shell as an alternative in the biodiesel purification. The preparation of the membranes was optimized from a central composite design, resulting in dense and non-porous membranes. However, in contact with biodiesel, the membranes undergo expansion due to the retention of methanol, water, and glycerol molecules, allowing the permeation of fatty acid methyl esters. The filtered biodiesel presents quality parameters, such as total ester content of 98.3 ± 1.4% and free glycerol content < 0.02%, in agreement with the main regulatory agencies. The regenerated cellulose membranes from peanut shell are easily prepared, with high repeatability (relative standard deviation (RSD) < 1.8%) and are presented as an economical and environmental solution for the biodiesel purification.

Cellulose derivatives still receive special attention in today biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, ability to form resistant membranes and compatibility with various bioactive agents. In this work, cellulose acetate (CA) was used to prepare membranes with different morphologies aiming to evaluate the release profile of the drug ibuprofen (IBF). The IBF incorporation was performed by the addition of 10% of the drug in an 8% (w/w) CA/acetone solution. The morphology of the membranes was modified by the addition of water, used as porogenic agent. Drug release assays showed the effect of morphology on the cumulative drug release curves. The symmetric membrane exhibited retention of significant amounts of the drug and a slow release process that lasted for more than 50 hours. The asymmetric porous membranes presented different behavior with greater amount of drug released in less time of release. The kinetic parameters calculated from the Higuchi and Korsmeyer/Peppas models indicated release profiles controlled by diffusion/solution process in the polymer matrix. The results revealed that the interactions established between IBF, CA and the matrix morphology are significant factors for the kinetic control of the drug release process and enable to choose different applications of the membranes loaded with IBF.

In this work, methylcellulose (MC) was produced from bacterial cellulose (BC), using dimethyl sulfate in a 3 h (MC3h) or 5 h (MC5h) reaction under heterogeneous conditions, with reagent substitution at each hour. MC3h showed a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.26 ± 0.13 and MC5h showed a DS of 2.33 ± 0.05. The two samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), 13C nuclear magnetic ressonance (NMR) and 1H NMR techniques. The FTIR spectra of the BC and MC samples present significant differences in the regions from 3750 to 2750 cm−1 and from 1500 to 750 cm−1, which evidence the methylation of the samples. Solid state NMR spectroscopy of the MC samples was used to identify the 13C NMR signals of substitution at sites C-2, C-3 or C-6 in the glucopyranose units. The modification of bacterial cellulose produced a material with a high DS, determined by three different techniques (chemically and using the liquid 1H and solid 13C NMR spectra). These samples also demonstrate high crystallinity and thermal stability. With the MC samples synthesized in this work, transparent and resistant films were prepared and also a highly porous sponge like material.

Methylcellulose was produced from the fibers of Mangifera indica L. Ubá mango seeds. MCD and MCI methylcellulose samples were made by heterogeneous methylation, using dimethyl sulfate and iodomethane as alkylating agents, respectively. The materials produced were characterized for their thermal properties (DSC and TGA), crystallinity (XRD) and Degree of Substitution (DS) in the chemical route. The cellulose derivatives were employed as mortar additive in order to improve mortar workability and adhesion to the substrate. These properties were evaluated by means of the consistency index (CI) and bond tensile strength (TS) tests. The methylcellulose (MCD and MCI) samples had CI increased by 27.75 and 71.54% and TS increased by 23.33 and 29.78%, respectively, in comparison to the reference sample. Therefore, the polymers can be used to produce adhesive mortars.

In the present paper, the use of poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), produced from discarded polystyrene materials through heterogeneous and homogeneous processes, was investigated. The use of PSS for water treatment, using a kaolin suspension as wastewater model, reduced water turbidity for all the employed materials when compared to the blank analysis, without PSS. The most efficient polyelectrolyte was PSS cups obtained by homogeneous route. The same behavior was observed for real system. The homogeneous PSS cups showed a balance between a moderate molecular weight and high anionic character that improved flocks formation and water removal turbidity.

Neste trabalho foi investigado o uso do Poliestireno sulfonado (PSSNa), produzido a partir de copos plásticos descartáveis de Poliestireno (PS), como aditivo em argamassas e concretos de cimento Portland CPV32. A avaliação do PSSNa como aditivo foi baseada em ensaios de fluidez e resistência mecânica à compressão de corpos de prova. Foi observado, em argamassas com relação água/cimento (a/c) de 0,48, um aumento na fluidez com o aumento das porcentagens de PSSNa (0,25 a 1,00%). A adsorção do PSSNa sobre as partículas de cimento melhora a dispersão dos componentes da argamassa, aumentando a resistência mecânica à compressão dos corpos de prova após a cura. A aplicação do PSSNa em concreto apresentou o mesmo efeito. O abatimento do concreto sem PSSNa foi de 50 mm, atingindo cerca de 200 mm com o uso do polieletrólito. Devido à elevada plasticização observada é possível empregar o PSSNa como aditivo redutor de água. Foi produzido um concreto com o mesmo abatimento da referência sem aditivo reduzindo-se a quantidade de água em 20,8%. O ganho de resistência mecânica à compressão obtido foi de 21,5 e 26,3 %, respectivamente aos 7 e 28 dias de cura. Estes resultados mostraram que soluções de PSSNa podem atuar eficientemente como aditivo superplastificante ou redutor de água em argamassas e concretos.

In this work an investigation was made of the effects from adding PSSNa, obtained from disposable polystyrene (PS) cups, as admixture agent in mortars and concrete with varying ratios from 0.25 to 1.00%. The evaluation of PSSNa as additive was based on results of fluidity and mechanical strength to compression. In mortars with water/cement ratio of 0.48, an increase in flow was observed when the dosage of PSSNa varied from 0.25 to 1.00%. The dispersion of mortar components was improved due to the adsorption of PSSNa on cement particles, which increased the mechanical strength of mortars. Similar results were obtained with the application of PSSNa to concrete. The slump of the concrete taken as reference was 50 mm, while for the concrete with PSSNa it reached about 200 mm. Because of its plasticization of concrete, PSSNa can be used as additive to reduce the amount of water required. For instance, a concrete with the same slump of the reference concrete was produced using PSSNa and a reduction of 20.8% in the volume of water. The increase in mechanical strength was 21.5 and 26.3%, respectively, at 7 and 28 days of curing. These results showed that PSSNa solutions can act as superplasticizer or as admixture to reduce the amount water in mortars and concretes.