Drying is a single operation employed to prolong the life of a large quantity of vegetables. Carrot (Daucus carota) drying has been the subject of many studies. This plant has been highlighted in the human diet for having high nutritional value, mainly due to the high content of β-carotene. In this work, carrot drying behavior was studied in a regular microwave dryer and a vacuum microwave dryer. A vacuum of 450 mmHg was applied for drying of carrot in different geometrical shapes (cubes, discs and sticks). The samples were dried at power ratings of 1.0 W/g, 1.5 W/g and 2.0 W/g for both methods of drying. The evolution of physical properties such as density, volume and porosity was monitored and related to the moisture content of the sample and to the method of drying and power rating used. The geometric shape of the sample influenced the drying kinetics and it was verified that the cubic form was responsible for a slower drying. The application of vacuum showed no major changes in the drying kinetics in microwave but influenced the physical properties of the material. The influence of power ratings on the content of β-carotene was also evaluated and discussed. The main difference observed was the lower shrinkage of the samples dried in the vacuum microwave compared to those dried only in microwave.

In operations using spouted beds, it is of major importance, from an energy consumption point of view, to operate the process as close as possible to the minimum spout flow. At this point, the speed of the gas (for example, warm air in drying operations) is greater than the amount of heat and mass transfer involved, although it only transfers the minimum amount of momentum to maintain the spout. Therefore, by staying close to this minimum flow condition, it is possible to perform a stable operation and to obtain energy savings not only in the heating of the gas but also in its displacement by blowers. In order to improve the operation of such processes, a study is carried out by implementing a simple optimizing control structure on a spouted bed experimental set-up. The air flow is regulated by a frequency inverter, at the speed of blower rotation. A PI controller was used and the set-point for the air flow rate is calculated on-line by a simple and well-known minimization method called Golden Section Search. This set-point is constantly updated with values very close to the actual minimum spout flow rate. To accomplish the calculations and data acquisitions, a microcomputer with an interface and an analog signal conditioner is used .

Sinopse Na Amazônia se encontram algumas espécies de Galyptranthes (Myrtaceae). A comparação do óleo essencial de suas folhas varia de espécie para espécie. Assim é que o óleo destilado de C. spruceana Berg (rendimento de 1,7%) contém os terpenos α - pineno (5,8%), β - pineno (8,1%), limoneno (54,6%), um álcool monoterpênico (1,2%), neral (2,0%), geranial (3,2%) e perilaldeido (25,0%); enquanto o óleo destilado de uma espécie de Calyptranthes não identificada (rendimento 2,2%), contém metilchavicol de alilbenzeno (98,7%).

Summary Several arboreous Calyptranthes (Myrtaceae) species occur in Amazonia. The composition of the essential oil of their leaves varies widely from species to species. Thus, the oil distilled from C. spruceana Berg (Yield 1,7%) contains the terpenes α pinene (5,8%), β- pinene (8,1%), limonene (54,6%), a monoterpenic alcohol (1,2%), neral (2,0%), geranial (3,2%) and perillaldehyde (25,0%); while the oil distilled from an unidentified Calyptranthes species (yield 2,2%) contains the allylbenzene methylchavicol (98,7%)

Sinopse Como parte de um estudo químico de plantas brasileiras, comunica-se a presença de óleos essenciais na madeira de Dicypellium caryophyllatum Nees (Lauraceae), de composição: eugenol 95,5% O-metileugenol 1,6%; as fôlhas de Myrcia polyantha D.C., var. coriácea Bg. (Myrtaceae), com um rendimento de 2%, de composição: limoneno 4,5%, nera 128,0%, geranial 40,2%, sesquiterpenos 14,6%; a casca de Parkia oppositifolia Spr. ex Benth. (Leguminose-mimoeoidaeae), de composição: salicilato de metila 98,2%; a madeira do tronco de Dalbergia decipuiaris Rizz. et Mattos (Leguminosae-Papilionatae), de composição: nerolidol 97,2%; a madeira do tronco de Poecilanthe parviflora Benth. (Leguminosae-Papilionatae): nerolidol 26,0%; as fôlhas de Piper cavalcantei Yuncker (Piperaceae), rendimento 1,9% de composição: safrol 69,0%, metileugenol 8,0%, terpenos 23,0%.

Summary As part of a chemical survey of brazilian plants, we report the presence of essential oils in the wood of Dicypellium caryophyllatum Nees (Lauraceae), composition: eugenol 95,5%, O-methyleugenol 1,6%; the leaves of Myrcia polyantha D.C., var. coriacea Bg. (Myrtaceae), yield: 2%, composition: limonene 4,5%, neral 28,0%, geranial 50,2%, sesquiterpenes 14,6%; the bark of Parkia oppositifolia Spr. ex Benth. (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae). composition: methyl salicylate 98,2%; the trunk wood of Dalbergia decipularis Rizz. et Mattos (Leguminosae-Papilionatae), composition: nerolidol 97,2%; the trunk wood of Poecilanthe parviflora Benth. (Leguminosae-Papilionatae), composition: nerolidol 26,0%; the leaves of Piper cavalcautei Yuncker (Piperaceae), yield: 1.9%, composition: safrol 69,0% methyleugenol 8,0% terpenes 23,0%.