In this work, different metal oxides containing Ti, Zr and Al were prepared and characterized and their catalytic activities for cracking, transesterification, and hydroesterification reactions of soybean oil were evaluated. It is described the synthesis of the solids by co-precipitation, and their characterization by thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area determination, Fourier-transformed Raman spectroscopy, and the determination of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites by pyridine adsorption and detection through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The hydrocarbons obtained by soybean pyrolysis were analyzed by fractional distillation, acid number, FTIR, density (at 20 °C), viscosity (at 40 °C), and calculation of the cetane number. The results suggest that all of the solids exhibit catalytic activity at the second stage of the cracking reaction (deoxygenation), lowering the final acidity of the products. The solids also exhibited catalytic activity for transesterification and hydroesterification of triacylglycerides, leading to good yields in methyl fatty acid esters.

Density, viscosity and calorific values are important physical properties to affect the utilization of biofuel. In this work, mixtures of farnesane and a “jet fuel”, QAv-1, were used to study the variation of density and kinematic viscosity as a function of the volumetric fraction of farnesane and temperature. Experimental measurements were carried out for nineteen farnesane blends and pure farnesane and QAv-1, at four temperatures in the range of 293 - 323 K. Variation of high heating (HHV) and low heating (LHV) values were also determined for different blends of farnesane/QAv-1. Several empirical correlations were used to predict the density, the kinematic viscosity, HHV and LHV values. By using some of these empirical correlations, the estimated values of those three properties studied are in excellent agreement with the experimental data, with low absolute average prediction error.

A great diversity of fruits is used in the food industry to obtain different products such as juices, sauces and foods. However, the food industry produces high amounts of residues. Passion fruit and guava are worldwide known fruits and very used by the food industry and generate tons of seed as residue. This work aims to study the extraction of oils from passion fruit and guava juice industries residues, their characterization and potential application as raw materials to obtain biodiesel and bio-oil. The passion fruit and guava seed oils content were 25 and 9%, respectively. In both oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids are predominant. Biodiesel obtained by esterification/transesterification of both seed oils match most of the parameters specified for biodiesel in Brazil. Bio-oils obtained by thermal cracking of the seed oils were mainly composed by hydrocarbons similar to those observed in petroleum diesel.

Na área aeroespacial é constante a pesquisa em busca de novos materiais que permitam um melhor desempenho de foguetes, mísseis e explosivos. Entre outros, compostos mais energéticos, de maior estabilidade térmica e/ou química, menos agressivos ao meio ambiente, de menor custo e de mais fácil manuseio. Um destes materiais é o metil azoteto de glicidila (GAP), que pode ser utilizado para produzir propelentes mais energéticos e/ou sem fumaça, bem como composições explosivas de baixa sensibilidade. O GAP foi sintetizado e caracterizado por análises FT-IR, elementar, cromatográfica de permeação de gel e térmica.

To obtain more energetic, safe propellants, with improved performance, better mechanical properties and low cost, new materials have been researched and tested. One of these materials is Methyl Glycidyl Azide Polymer (GAP). It can be used to make energetic and/or smokeless propellants as well as composite explosives with low sensitivity. GAP was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and thermal analysis.

O propósito deste trabalho foi determinar os parâmetros cinéticos de decomposição térmica para uma amostra de propelente base simples e base dupla. Os dados obtidos pela calorimetria exploratória diferencial foram ajustados para o modelo cinético de pseudo-primeira ordem de Flynn, Wall e Ozawa. Os respectivos parâmetros obtidos foram: BS REX 1200 (Ea) (2,3 ± 0,2) 10² kJ mol-1 e (A) 1,34 10(25) min-1; BD-111 (Ea) (1,6 ± 0,1) 10² kJ mol-1 e (A) 3,31 10(17) min-1. O espectro de infravermelho da amostra de propelente base dupla indicou a presença de salicilato, justificando o comportamento de decomposição observado na respectiva curva térmica.

The purpose of this work was to determine the kinetics parameters of the thermal decomposition of a sample single-base (BS) and double-base (BD) propellants. The experimental data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were adjusted to the pseudo-first order kinetic model of Flynn, Wall and Ozawa. The respective parameters obtained are: BS REX 1200 (Ea) (2.3 ± 0.2) 10² kJ mol-1 and (A) 1.34 10(25) min-1; BD-111 (Ea) (1.6 ± 0.1) 10² kJ mol-1 and (A) 3.31 10(17) min-1. IR spectrum has confirmed the presence of salicilate in the double-base (BD) propellant and some correlations corroborate the conclusions about the decomposition mechanism.

Este trabalho tem como propósito avaliar a cinética de consumo do estabilizante 2NDPA presente em uma amostra de propelente tipo base-dupla (BD). Tópicos relativos ao método analítico empregado e, a interferências na cinética de consumo do estabilizante pela nitroglicerina e o salicilato de chumbo presente no propelente, também são abordados. Foram obtidos, ainda, os parâmetros cinéticos de consumo do 2NDPA. Para isto, foi empregada a técnica da Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência (CLAE). Os dados experimentais foram bem ajustados para uma cinética de pseudoprimeira ordem. A energia de ativação (Ea) e o fator pré-exponencial (A) determinados foram, respectivamente, (1,22 ± 0,42) 10² kJ mol-1 e (10(16) ±10(6)) dia-1.

The purpose of this work was to study the kinetic depletion of stabilizers 2-NDPA in double-base propellants. Topics relatives at analytic method utilized and interferences in kinetic of depletion of stabilizers by presence of nitroglycerine and lead salicylate are presented. The kinetics parameters of depletion of stabilizers were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The experimental data were adjusted to a pseudo-first kinetic model. The activation energy (Ea) and the pre-exponential factor (A) calculated were (1.22 ± 0.42) 10² kJ mol-1 and (10(16) ± 10(6)) day-1, respectively.

Compósitos de carbeto de silício (SiC) reforçado com fibras de carbeto de silício (SiCf) são materiais candidatos em potencial para utilização em sistemas de proteção térmica em altas temperaturas devido principalmente à boa condutividade térmica na direção da fibra e muito baixa condutividade térmica na direção transversal à fibra, alta dureza, estabilidade térmica e à corrosão por oxidação. O compósito SiCf/SiC possui uma matriz de SiC reforçada com fibras contínuas policristalinas de SiC e é obtido por reações de conversão em altas temperaturas e atmosfera controlada, utilizando o compósito carbono/carbono como precursor. O processo de Reação Química em Vapor (CVR) foi utilizado para a fabricação de compósitos SiCf/SiC com alta pureza na fase de SiC-beta. O compósito precursor de carbono/carbono foi fabricado com fibra de carbono não estabilizada e matriz carbonosa derivada da resina fenólica na forma de carbono isotrópico. O compósito convertido exibiu uma densidade de 1,75 g/cm³, com 40% de porosidade aberta e resistência à flexão de 80 MPa medida por ensaio flexão em 4 pontos. A área especifica medida pela técnica de BET é dependente da temperatura de conversão e das condições inicias do precursor de carbono, podendo chegar a 18 m²/g.

Composites based on silicon carbide are potential candidate materials for thermal protection systems mainly due to its good thermal conductivity in fiber direction and very low transversal thermal conductivity, high hardness, corrosion and thermal resistance. SiCf/SiC composite presents a SiC matrix reinforced with SiC polycrystalline continuous fibers. The composite was obtained by conversion reactions at high temperature and controlled atmosphere from a carbon/carbon composite precursor. The CVR process was used to fabricate SiC /SiC composite with crystalline high-purity beta-SiC from a carbon-carbon precursor fabricated with non-stabilized carbon fiber and f carbon matrix derived from phenolic resin. The converted composite exhibited a bulk density of 1.75 g/cm³, 40% open porosity and flexural strength of 80 MPa measured by four-point bending testing. The total specific area of 18 m²/g was evaluated by BET technique.

Boron-doped polycrystaline diamond films grown by hot-filament-assisted chemical vapor deposition were studied with ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and current voltage measurements. The UPS measurement shows that the work function (phi) without electric field is about 3.9 eV . The field-emission current-voltage measurements indicate a threshold voltage ranging from 8.97x106 to 9.64x106 V=m and a work function (phi) about 0.3 eV . These results show that boron doped diamond films exhibit a negative electron affinity in high electric field.

Semiconductor boron-doped CVD diamond films were prepared on Si substrates by the hot filament technique. The surface morphology analysis by SEM presented continuous and well faceted films. The samples were grown with different boron concentrations by controlling the B/C ratio in the feeding gas. Raman results showed a drastic change of diamond films for different doping levels. The characteristic line at 1332 cm-1decreases and shifts to lower energy as a function of the film resistivity. It was also observed a broad peak around 1220 cm-1 caused by the incorporation of boron in the diamond lattice. Photocurrent-voltage behaviour of undoped and boron-doped diamond electrodes was investigated in dark and UV visible irradiation. The voltammograms showed that doped electrodes illuminated with a xenon lamp exhibited currents significatively higher because of the increased conductivity. For undoped electrodes it was observed a small photocurrent for anodic and cathodic polarization in the order ofmuA for the potential range of +1.0 V and -1.0 V (Ag/AgCl), for 1.0 M KCl. Mott-Schottky plots studied the interfacial processes at diamond-electrolyte junction. The flatband potential Uf b was found between 0.6 and 0.8 V (Ag/AgCl) which varies with the presence of sp² -type carbon as an impurity. From the curve slope the acceptor concentrations were found in the range of 10(18) and 10(21) cm-3 .These values agree with the estimated concentration obtained by Raman measurements.