Abstract After two centuries of the discovery, we now know that there are several types of bauxites, in which mineralogy points to the most appropriate application. In the non-metallurgical industry, bauxites with refractory grades have been applied as raw materials in the production of high-alumina refractories for both shaped and unshaped. The increase in the cost of other sources of high-alumina raw materials has encouraged the refractory producers to find a more cost-effective substitute, such as refractory-grade calcined bauxites (RGB). Nowadays, concerns rise regarding the availability of RGB due to the continuous restrictions taking place in China, which has a 95% market share. This work presents a new RGB of high-alumina content (~85%) from a Brazilian source in which process enabled a technology with high refractoriness.

Resumo Este trabalho teve por objetivo a síntese e caracterização do material hidrotalcita-hidroxiapatita (HTHAp) dopado com três diferentes proporções (1, 5 e 15% p/p) de nanotubos de carbono (NTC) a fim de avaliar seu potencial como catalisador heterogêneo na reação de metanólise do óleo de soja. A síntese do material HTHAp foi realizada pelo método de coprecipitação (10≤pH≤11) com homogeneização ultrassônica e tratamento hidrotérmico a 80 °C. DRX, MEV/EDS, FT-IR, Raman, fisissorção de N2 e TG/DTA foram as técnicas de caracterização utilizadas. A amostra HTHAp1NTC, dopada a 1% p/p, foi testada como catalisador em duas condições de temperatura (180 e 240 °C), 4 h de tempo de reação, carga de 2,5% de catalisador e razão álcool:óleo de 12:1. A dopagem contribuiu para melhorar propriedades estruturais, morfológicas e a estabilidade térmica do material. Os resultados de rendimento obtidos de 35,2% (180 °C) e 40,5% (240 °C) qualificam o material HTHAp dopado com NTC como catalisador em potencial na reação de transesterificação.

Abstract The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize hydrotalcite-hydroxyapatite (HTHAp) material doped with three different proportions (1, 5 and 15% w/w) of carbon nanotubes (NTC) in order to evaluate its potential as a heterogeneous catalyst in the soybean oil methanolysis reaction. The synthesis of the HTHAp material was performed by the co-precipitation method (10≤pH≤ 11) with ultrasonic homogenization and hydrothermal treatment at 80 °C. XRD, SEM/EDS, FT-IR, Raman, N2 physisorption and TG/DTA were the characterization techniques performed. The sample HTHAp1NTC, doped at 1% w/w, was tested as a catalyst under two temperature conditions (180 and 240 °C), 4 h reaction time, 2.5% catalyst loading and alcohol:oil ratio of 12:1. Doping contributed to improve structural, morphological and thermal stability properties of HTHAp material. The yield results achieved 35.2% (180 °C) and 40.5% (240 °C) qualifying the HTHAp material doped with CNT as a potential catalyst in the transesterification reaction.