RESUMO Neste trabalho o objetivo foi caracterizar e estudar o comportamento tecnológico de dois tipos de argilas oriundas da região de São Miguel do Guamá-Pará (norte do Brasil) a partir de formulação argilosa. Foram testadas formulações compostas pela mistura e sem mistura de Argila Forte e Fraca. As matérias-primas foram submetidas a ensaios de DRX, FRX e MEV e peneiramento e sedimentação. Elaborou-se corpos de prova dos quais foram prensados uniaxialmente em matriz retangular metálica. As propriedades físicas e tecnológicas determinadas foram: Absorção de água, porosidade aparente, massa específica aparente, retração linear de queima e resistência à flexão em três pontos. A microestrutura das cerâmicas foi avaliada por MEV e DRX. Os resultados indicaram que as argilas possuem características favoráveis para produção de blocos de vedação, mostrando que a melhor composição ficou com a mistura de 70% de argila fraca mais 30% de argila forte (M4).

ABSTRACT This work was developed to study the behavior of two types of clays from São Miguel do Guamá-Pará region (northern Brazil) from a series of clay. Mixed and unmixed formulations of Strong and Weak Clay were tested. The raw materials were subjected to XRD, XFR, SEM and screening and sedimentation tests. It was elaborated the test components were pressed uniaxially in rectangular metal matrix. Physical and systematic properties were: Water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent mass production, linear firing shrinkage and flexural strength at three points. The microstructure of the ceramics was evaluated by SEM and XRD. The values presented as clays have favorable characteristics for the production of sealing blocks, showing that the best combination was a 30% strong clay (M4) mixture.

The reduction of zeolite particle is one of the main features currently searched; it is due to the catalytic gains that these materials come in some reactions. In this work two faujasite zeolites of type X were evaluated, a micrometer and nanometric. Zeolites in sodium form were exchanged ionically with methylammonium cations. These materials were evaluated as catalysts in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Steric impediments restricted the ion exchange in the micrometer zeolite and have become more predominant due to the increase in the volume of cations. In nanometric sample such impediments were less evident due to the reduction of the particles provide greater accessibility to exchangers cations to inaccessible sodium in micrometer zeolite. The best catalytic performances were achieved with zeolites containing the monomethylammonium cation. The increased of the accessibility and diffusion of the reactants and products through the pores of the nanometric zeolite provided the best butyraldehyde conversions independent the exchanger cation

This work presents the synthesis of silicas containing cetyltrialkylammoniun surfactants in their mesopores. Initially, the aqueous dispersions of these surfactants were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The hybrid silicas obtained from these dispersions were evaluated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and nitrogen physisorption. The XRD showed that, increasing the head size, there is a shift of the peak corresponding to the (100) diffraction plane to smaller 2θ angles, which indicates an increase in the silicas porous diameter. The increasing of the silicas porous diameter was confirmed by nitrogen physisorption. The base catalytic properties of these hybrid silicas were evaluated in the transesterification reaction showing that those containing the cations C16Et3+ and C16Pr3+ showed better performance.

The synthesis of new type of silicas, with structures akin to that of MCM-41, containing polyacrylate-encapsulated micelles in their mesopores is reported. Initially, the monomers were inserted in the aqueous micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium cations. MCM-41 was then prepared in this microemulsion. Finally, the polymerization of the acrylates was initiated by UVC radiation. The presence of monomers and polymers in the interior of micelles in aqueous media were characterized by IR spectroscopy and small-angle Xray scattering. The presence of this polymer increased the stability of these new materials in catalytic transesterification.

Catalysis by solid acids has received much attention due to its importance in petroleum refining and petrochemical processes. Relatively few studies have focused on catalysis by bases and even les on using basic molecular sieves. This paper deals with the potential application of micro and mesoporous molecular sieves in base catalysis reactions. The paper is divided in two parts, the first one dedicated to the design of the catalysts and the second to some relevant examples of catalytic reactions, which find a huge field of applications essentially in the synthesis of fine chemicals. Here, recent developments in catalysis by basic molecular sieves and the perspectives of applications in correlated catalytic processes are described.

Products resulting from the ethoxylation of hydroxylated compounds, especially water and ethanol, are of great commercial importance. This work presents several aspects concerning the catalytic reactions of ethylene oxide, a chemical substance used in the production of a wide variety of products. Mechanisms of ethoxylation, distribution of products, formation of undesired by-products and perspectives for new processes using heterogeneous catalysis are also reviewed and discussed.

Aluminophosphate sieves with AFI structure substituted by Ti (denominated TAPO-5) have been synthesized hydrothermally. These materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical analysis (ICP), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS-UV) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD results showed the materials have good TAPO-5 crystallinity, although DRS-UV spectra indicated anatase phase as contamination. TGA analysis showed mass loss in the range of high temperatures, which can be attributed to protonated template decomposition. This indicates the existence of structural charge as a consequence of Ti incorporation into AFI structure

Bifunctional catalysts formed by metals (nickel, platinum as well as an association of both metals) supported in an ultrastabilized Y molecular sieve (USY) were prepared. The samples were obtained using a competitive ion exchange method, followed by calcination and reduction of the transition metal under hydrogen atmosphere. The solids were characterized by ICP for their chemical composition, XRD, TEM and the catalytic properties evaluated in the isomerization of the n-hexane. It was observed that the NH4USY zeolite support presented better ion exchange efficiency in comparison to that of the zeolite HUSY, due to the decrease of the pH of the reaction medium in the last case. The TEM images of the catalysts, obtained in both bright and dark field, showed that the metal particles are dispersed almost inside the molecular sieve micro and mesopores. TEM images of the catalysts obtained in bright field showed that the average particle diameter were 64 and 108 Å for platinum and nickel respectively and about 70 Å when both metals are present. In the mentioned reaction, platinum catalysts were more active and stable than the nickel ones and the catalysts formed by both metals (0,2%Pt + 0,8% Ni/HUSY) presented the highest activity.