ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to investigate sugarcane bagasse (SCB) particleboards, using two kinds of particles, from pith and fibers, reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (NCC). The NCCs were dispersed in the adhesive urea formaldehyde (UF) using a sonificator in two proportions (0 and 1%). The NCCs and UF were applied in the SCB particles using a rotary blender. The particleboards were produced in three layers using two kinds of particles: pith and fibers. After dispersion of the adhesive, the mixture was compressed to produce the particleboards, which were characterized by physical, mechanical and thermal properties. The anatomical and chemical features relating to pith and fiber were very similar. The particleboards made with and without NCCs did not differ statistically for most properties: modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), water absorption (WA) thermal conductivity (TC), and the volume heat capacity (VHC). Particleboards made only with fibers and without NCCs showed higher internal bond (IB). In the other hand particleboards made only with fibers in the face and pith in the core (without NCCs) showed lower thickness swelling after 24 hours (TS24h). Probably, the NCCs did not improve the particleboards performance, because less links were available for SCB to interact with the adhesive. For the others properties the particleboards made with pith and fibers did not showed statistical difference (MOE, MOR, TC, WA, TC and VHC), demonstrating that separation of pith and fiber are not significant and does not affect the final properties of particleboards.

RESUMO O mercado de ADRs apresentou uma importância crescente nas últimas décadas, especialmente para companhias sediadas em países emergentes, como os da América Latina. Neste contexto, neste estudo buscou-se detectar e mensurar o fenômeno da interdependência, englobando os transbordamentos de retornos e de volatilidade e suas assimetrias entre os ADRs níveis 2 e 3 dos principais mercados de capitais da América Latina (Brasil, Argentina, Chile e México) e dos países desenvolvidos (Estados Unidos, Japão, Reino Unido e França), no âmbito da última crise financeira internacional. Esse fenômeno foi investigado considerando tanto os retornos diários de seus índices acionários de mercado, como dos índices de ADRs criados neste estudo, no período de junho de 2008 a maio de 2015, por meio de modelos multivariados assimétricos VAR-MGARCH, com representação Diagonal VECH. A principal conclusão foi que os índices de ADRs apresentaram maior interdependência com os países desenvolvidos, comparados aos mercados acionários latino-americanos analisados.

ABSTRACT The ADRs market presented great growing importance in the last decades, specially for companies based on developing countries, such as those of Latin America. In this context, this research sought to detect and measure the interdependence phenomenon, comprising the returns and volatility spillovers and their asymmetries between the levels 2 and 3 ADRs of the main capital markets of Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico) and the developed ones (the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and France), regarding the last financial crisis scope. This phenomenon was investigated considering both the daily returns of their market stock indices, such as those of the ADRs indices created in this study, from June 2008 to May, 2015, via VAR-MGARCH multivaried skewness models, with diagonal VECH representation. The main conclusion was that the ADR indices presented greater interdependence with the developed countries, compared to the analyzed Latin American equity markets.

Composite films were studied as possible candidates for the central or support layer of synthetic paper in a multilayer structure. Recycled post-consumer polypropylene films were reinforced with inorganic fillers at various compositions and under several processing conditions, with the aim of optimizing the physical and mechanical properties of rigidity and low density. Three types of CaCO3, with and without surface treatment of the particles, were used, but only the treated ones were suitable for use in paper films. These samples were then used to analyze possible correlations of properties with composition and processing conditions, varying the CaCO3 particle size distribution and the film processing method, from casting extrusion (flat die) to blown-film extrusion (tubular die). An increase in film stiffness was observed as a function of CaCO3 content and a concentration of 30% CaCO3 was found to be best for the specific application. The flat films were stiffer than the tubular ones. The densities of all the composite films were considered high, compared to a pulp-based paper and a commercial synthetic paper. No significant effect on the physical-mechanical properties analyzed was observed when the CaCO3 particle size distribution was varied. Microcavities were found to form at the surface of flat films submitted to a bi-orientation process performed at laboratory scale; no other sample showed this surface morphology.