Search results for "Maqui"
showing 10 items of 114 documents
Thermal kinetics for the energy valorisation of polylactide/sisal biocomposites
2018
[EN] The thermal stability and decomposition kinetics of PLA/sisal biocomposites was discussed to evaluate the suitability of their use in energy recovery processes such as pyrolysis and combustion. The influence of the addition of sisal up to 30%wt, the presence of coupling agent, and the atmosphere of operation, i.e. inert or oxidative was discussed by means of multi-rate linear non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments. All biocomposites showed a mean high heating value of 15 MJ/kg indicating their suitability for energy recovery processes. The thermal requirements of PLA/sisal decomposition were assessed in terms of onset decomposition temperature and apparent activation energy. A mi…
Biostable Scaffolds of Polyacrylate Polymers Implanted in the Articular Cartilage Induce Hyaline-Like Cartilage Regeneration in Rabbits
2017
[EN] Purpose: To study the influence of scaffold properties on the organization of ¿in vivo¿ cartilage regeneration. Our hypothesis is that stress transmission to the cells seeded inside the scaffold pores or surrounding it, which is highly dependent on the scaffold properties, determine differentiation of both mesenchymal cells and dedifferentiated autologous chondrocytes. Methods: Four series of porous scaffolds made of different polyacrylate polymers, previously seeded with cultured rabbit chondrocytes or without cells preseeded, were implanted in cartilage defects in rabbits. Subchondral bone was always injured during the surgery in order to allow blood to reach the implantation site an…
Dielectric Spectroscopy of Recycled Polylactide
2014
The effects of multiple mechanical recycling on amorphous polylactide (PLA) were simulated by means of five successive injection-grinding cycles. The influence of the induced thermo-mechanical degradation on the dielectric properties of PLA was analysed. The relaxation spectra were studied in terms of the complex dielectric permittivity (ε0 and ε00) and the dielectric loss tangent, tg(d) in the frequency range from 102 to 107 Hz over the temperature interval from 0 C to 140 C. It was possible to distinguish two relaxations zones, one at low temperatures and high frequencies (b relaxation) and another at higher temperatures and lower frequencies (a relaxation). The individual relaxations wer…
THE IMPACT OF FIRE ON REDISTRIBUTION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER ON A MEDITERRANEAN HILLSLOPE UNDER MAQUIA VEGETATION TYPE
2010
Soil organic matter (SOM) changes affect the CO2 atmospheric levels and is a key factor on soil fertility and soil erodibility. Fire affects ecosystems and the soil properties due to heating and post-fire soil erosion and degradation processes. In order to understand fire effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) balance research was undertaken on a fire-prone ecosystem: the Mediterranean maquia. The spatial distribution of SOC was measured in a Burnt site 6 months after a wildfire and in a Control site. Samples were collected at two different depths (0–3 and 3–10 cm) and SOC was determined. The results show that 41·8 per cent of the SOC stock was lost. This is due to the removal of the burnt ma…
Renewable polyol obtained by microwave-assisted alcoholysis of epoxidized soybean oil: Preparation, thermal properties and relaxation process
2019
[EN] The soybean oil polyol (SOP) use as feedstock in the polyurethane industry has been recently emphasized due to its excellent resistance to hydrolysis, which is also applicable in coatings and thermal insulation. In this article, the SOP was obtained by a very fast microwave-assisted alcoholysis of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). The preparation method, thermal properties, and relaxation process were evaluated. High yields as opening and consumption epoxy group and selectivity of 99.8 mol%, 985 mol%, and 71.2 mol% were obtained. Through titrations, nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography were identified parameters as 0.32 mg KOH.g(-1) acid number, 190 mg KOH.g(-1) hyd…
A statistical design of experiments for optimizing the MALDI-TOF-MS sample preparation of polymers. An application in the assessment of the thermo-me…
2011
[EN] The sample preparation procedure for MALDI-TOF MS of polymers is addressed in this study by the application of a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE). Industrial poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was chosen as model polymer. Different experimental settings (levels) for matrixes, analyte/matrix proportions and concentrations of cationization agent were considered. The quality parameters used for the analysis were signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. A closer inspection of the statistical results provided the study not only with the best combination of factors for the MALDI sample preparation, but also with a better understanding of the influence of the different factors, individua…
Microbial Diversity in the Midguts of Field and Lab-Reared Populations of the European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis
2011
Background: Insects are associated with microorganisms that contribute to the digestion and processing of nutrients. The European Corn Borer (ECB) is a moth present world-wide, causing severe economical damage as a pest on corn and other crops. In the present work, we give a detailed view of the complexity of the microorganisms forming the ECB midgut microbiota with the objective of comparing the biodiversity of the midgut-associated microbiota and explore their potential as a source of genes and enzymes with biotechnological applications. Methodological/Principal Findings: A high-throughput sequencing approach has been used to identify bacterial species, genes and metabolic pathways, parti…
Thermal analysis applied to the characterization of degradation in soil of polylactide: II. On the thermal stability and thermal decompositon kinetics
2010
[EN] The disposal stage of polylactide (PLA) was assessed by burying it in active soil following an international standard. Degradation in soil promotes physical and chemical changes in the polylactide properties. The characterization of the extent of degradation underwent by PLA was carried out by using Thermal Analysis techniques. In this paper, studies on the thermal stability and the thermal decomposition kinetics were performed in order to assess the degradation process of a commercial PLA submitted to an accelerated soil burial test by means of multi-linear-non-isothermal thermogravimetric analyses. Results have been correlated to changes in molecular weight, showing the same evolutio…
Monitoring molecular dynamics of bacterial cellulose composites reinforced with graphene oxide by carboxymethyl cellulose addition
2017
[EN] Broadband Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy was performed to study the molecular dynamics of dried Bacterial Cellulose/Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Graphene Oxide (BC/CMC-GO) composites as a function of the concentration of CMC in the culture media. At low temperature the dielectric spectra are dominated by a dipolar process labelled as a beta -relaxation, whereas electrode polarization and the contribution of dc-conductivity dominate the spectra at high temperatures and low frequency. The CMC concentration affects the morphological structure of cellulose and subsequently alters its physical properties. X-ray diffractometry measurements show that increasing the concentration of CMC promote…