Bio-Based Cellulose Acetate Films Reinforced with Lignin and Glycerol.

Two sets of four cellulose acetate (degree of substitution = 2.2) were incorporated with lignin extracted from the macaúba endocarp, before and after being chemically modified to sodium carboxymethyl-lignin and aluminum carboxymethyl-lignin, respectively. The eight membranes were prepared by the casting method after dissolution in acetone and embedded with lignins (0.1% w/w), one without modification (CAc-Lig) and two chemically modified (CAc-CMLNa) and (CAc-CMLAl), compared to membranes of pure acetate (CAc). In group II, in the four membranes prepared, glycerol was added (10% w/w) as a plasticizer. The membranes were characterized by a number of techniques: thermal (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)), morphological (scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM)), structural (X-ray powder diffraction (XRD)), hydrophobic (contact angle and water vapor permeability), and thermomechanical (dynamic thermal mechanical analysis and tensile tests). The results show that despite some incompatibility with the cellulose acetate, the incorporation of the lignin in a concentration of 0.1% w/w acts as a reinforcement in the membrane, greatly increasing the tension rupture of the material. The presence of glycerol in a concentration of 10% w/w also acts as a reinforcement in all membranes, in addition to increasing the tension rupture. In this study, glycerol and acetate both increased the compatibility of the membranes.

Influence of Hemostatic Solution on Bond Strength and Physicochemical Properties of Resin Cement.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion, color stability, chemical composition, and bond strength of a light-cured resin cement contaminated with three different hemostatic solutions. Specimens were prepared for the control (uncontaminated resin cement) and experimental groups (resin cement contaminated with one of the hemostatic solutions) according to the tests. For degree of conversion, DC (n = 5) and color analyses (n = 10), specimens (3 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and CIELAB spectrophotometry (L*, a*, b*), respectively. For elemental chemical analysis (n = 1), specimens (2 mm thick and 6 mm in diameter) were evaluated by x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The bond strengths of the groups were assessed by the microshear test (n = 20) in a leucite-reinforced glass ceramic substrate, followed by failure mode analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mean values, except for the elemental chemical evaluation and failure mode, were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test. The color stability was influenced by storage time (p<0.001) and interaction between contamination and storage time (p<0.001). Hemostop and Viscostat Clear contamination did not affect the DC, however Viscostat increased the DC. Bond strength of the resin cement to ceramic was negatively affected by the contaminants (p<0.001). Contamination by hemostatic agents affected the bond strength, degree of conversion, and color stability of the light-cured resin cement tested.

Adsorption of Procion Blue MX-R dye from aqueous solutions by lignin chemically modified with aluminium and manganese.

A macromolecule, CML, was obtained by purifying and carboxy-methylating the lignin generated from acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse during bioethanol production from biomass. The CMLs complexed with Al(3+) (CML-Al) and Mn(2+) (CML-Mn) were utilised for the removal of a textile dye, Procion Blue MX-R (PB), from aqueous solutions. CML-Al and CML-Mn were characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning differential calorimetry (SDC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pHPZC. The established optimum pH and contact time were 2.0 and 5h, respectively. The kinetic and equilibrium data fit into the general order kinetic model and Liu isotherm model, respectively. The CML-Al and CML-Mn have respective values of maximum adsorption capacities of 73.52 and 55.16mgg(-1) at 298K. Four cycles of adsorption/desorption experiments were performed attaining regenerations of up to 98.33% (CML-Al) and 98.08% (CML-Mn) from dye-loaded adsorbents, using 50% acetone+50% of 0.05molL(-1) NaOH. The CML-Al removed ca. 93.97% while CML-Mn removed ca. 75.91% of simulated dye house effluents.

Influence of Hemostatic Solution on Bond Strength and Physicochemical Properties of Resin Cement

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion, color stability, chemical composition, and bond strength of a light-cured resin cement contaminated with three different hemostatic solutions. Specimens were prepared for the control (uncontaminated resin cement) and experimental groups (resin cement contaminated with one of the hemostatic solutions) according to the tests. For degree of conversion, DC (n = 5) and color analyses (n = 10), specimens (3 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and CIELAB spectrophotometry (L*, a*, b*), respectively. For elemental chemical analysis (n = 1), specimens (2 mm thick and 6 mm in diameter) were evaluated by x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The bond strengths of the groups were assessed by the microshear test (n = 20) in a leucite-reinforced glass ceramic substrate, followed by failure mode analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mean values, except for the elemental chemical evaluation and failure mode, were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test. The color stability was influenced by storage time (p<0.001) and interaction between contamination and storage time (p<0.001). Hemostop and Viscostat Clear contamination did not affect the DC, however Viscostat increased the DC. Bond strength of the resin cement to ceramic was negatively affected by the contaminants (p<0.001). Contamination by hemostatic agents affected the bond strength, degree of conversion, and color stability of the light-cured resin cement tested.

Resumo O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o grau de conversão, estabilidade de cor, composição química e resistência de união de um cimento resinoso fotoativado contaminado com três soluções hemostáticas diferentes. Foram preparadas amostras para o grupo controle (cimento não contaminado) e grupos experimentais (cimento contaminado com uma das soluções hemostáticas) de acordo com os testes. Para o grau de conversão e análise de cor (n=10), as amostras (3 mm de diâmetro e 2 mm de espessura) foram avaliadas por espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformação de Fourier (FTIR) e espectrofotometria CIELAB (L*, A*, B*), respectivamente. Para a análise química elementar (n=1), os espécimes (2 mm de espessura e 6 mm de diâmetro) foram avaliados por espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de raios-x (EDS). As resistências de união dos grupos foram avaliadas pelo ensaio de microcisalhamento (n=20) em um substrato cerâmico de vidro reforçado com leucita, seguida da análise de modo de falha por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os valores médios, com exceção da avaliação química e do modo de falha, foram avaliados por ANOVA e pelo teste de Tukey. A estabilidade de cor foi influenciada pelo tempo de armazenagem (p<0,001) e interação entre a contaminação e o tempo (p<0,001). A contaminação pelo Hemostop e Viscostat Clear não influenciaram no GC, porém a contaminação com Viscostat aumentou o GC. A resistência de união do cimento a cerâmica foi negativamente afetada pelos contaminantes (p<0,001). A contaminação por agentes hemostáticos afetou a resistência de união, o grau de conversão e a estabilidade de cor do cimento resinoso fotoativado testado.

Direct amperometric determination of tert-butylhydroquinone in biodiesel.

The direct amperometric determination of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in biodiesel at an unmodified glassy carbon electrode is reported. A biodiesel aliquot was added into an electrochemical cell containing a 75% (v/v) ethanol-water solution under stirring (with final concentration of 50 mmol L(-1) HClO(4)). The amperometric method involved the continuous application of three sequential potential pulses to the working electrode (700 mV for 300 ms, 0 mV for 100 ms and -50 mV for 1s). TBHQ was continuously monitored at the first (direct oxidation) and optionally at the second (reduction) potential pulse while the third potential pulse was applied for cleaning of the electrode surface. For comparison, the samples were also analyzed by high-performance liquid-chromatography and a good agreement between the results was verified. Recovery values for spiked samples were between 90% and 95% and the reproducibility of the proposed method was around 5% (n=5). The proposed method can be easily adapted for on-site analysis.

Theoretical and experimental studies on the adsorption of aromatic compounds onto cellulose.

The adsorption of several aromatic compounds over microcrystalline cellulose was studied by molecular modeling and experimentally using gas chromatography. Experimental adsorption enthalpies were obtained from an equation based on Clausius-Clapeyron formalism and the temperature dependence of retention volume at infinite dilution. Four different cellulose surfaces (three crystalline (110, 100, and 010) and one amorphous) were modeled. Overall strong agreement was observed between the experimental and theoretical work with 84% of the adsorbate-cellulose systems having differences between measured and predicted values of less than 20%. Based on both calculated and experimental data, a morphology for the microcrystalline cellulose as a weighted combination of the four surfaces was proposed: 39% (110), 28% (100), 10% (010), and 23% amorphous. By adopting this distribution, differences between experimental and weighted average predicted adsorption energies were 10% or less for 14 out of 17 compounds; a maximum of 15% was observed for guaiacol. Experimental results for monosubstituted aromatic compounds revealed that adsorption enthalpies are related to the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of the substituent groups: 3.5 kJ mol(-1) for a methyl group, 15.7 kJ mol(-1) for a double bond, 21.0 kJ mol(-1) for a methoxyl group, 22.8 kJ mol(-1) for a carbonyl group, and 27.6 kJ mol(-1) for a hydroxyl group. These tendencies were confirmed by modeling, except for the aldehyde carbonyl group, where an overestimation of 10.8 kJ mol(-1) was observed. Analysis of experimental and predicted adsorption enthalpies of multisubstituted aromatic compounds suggests that the efficiency of their interaction with cellulose depends on a compromise between the roughness of the cellulose surface and their conformational adaptability.