Os materiais de uso único (MUU) são utilizados há décadas na assistência à saúde. Inicialmente produzidos com a finalidade de prontamente disponibilizar os materiais para uso na assistência a saúde e ao mesmo tempo diminuir a sobrecarga com o trabalho inerente ao reprocessamento dos materiais. Com o passar do tempo, principalmente por questões financeiras, estes passaram a ser reutilizados. A partir de então diversos questionamentos têm sido suscitados a respeito do risco de transmissão de infecção pelo reuso destes artigos em decorrência da dificuldade para de limpeza, desinfecção e esterilização seguras destes. Os materiais utilizados para as cirurgias vídeo-laparoscópicas encontram-se entre os MUU de preço considerável e complexidade importante em relação às dificuldades para limpeza, devido à sua conformação com espaços internos inacessíveis e impossibilidade de desmonte. Isto posto, as pinças grasper, dissector, tesoura, agulha de Veress, sistema de sonda de eletrocirurgia (ou aspirador e irrigador) e sua respectiva haste, instrumentais básicos nos procedimentos de vídeo-cirurgia-laparoscópica, foram o objeto desta investigação com o propósito de avaliar a eficácia da esterilidade destes acessórios de uso único após contaminação artificial desafio e comparar os resultados dos testes de esterilidade dos MUU com os dos materiais equivalentes reprocessáveis – denominados neste estudo como grupo controle. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa experimental, laboratorial e comparativa. O inóculo utilizado para a contaminação artificial dos instrumentais de uso único constituiu-se de suspensão de esporos bacterianos do Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger e de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado esterilizado. Para o grupo controle o microrganismo eleito foi o Geobacillus stearothermophilus acrescido também de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado. Antes de proceder aos experimentos validou-se a metodologia analítica em duas fases: fase 1 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial antecedendo a limpeza; fase 2 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial e procedimento de limpeza. Desta forma, assegurada a recuperação dos contaminantes em todas as amostras da primeira fase e a diminuição do bioburden inicial após a limpeza dos instrumentais na 2ª fase, deu-se prosseguimento aos experimentos. Os materiais laparoscópicos foram intencionalmente contaminados com o inóculo desafio e submetidos após ao protocolo teste para validação que consistiu da seguinte seqüência: limpeza automatizada em lavadora ultra-sônica com retrofluxo com auxílio do detergente enzimático, limpeza manual complementar com serpilhos e irrigação dos lumens dos instrumentais com água sob pressão. Por fim, foi realizado o enxágüe com água destilada esterilizada, secagem com ar comprimido medicinal, acondicionamento em embalagem de papel grau cirúrgico e filme e submetidos a esterilização em Óxido de Etileno 12/88 (materiais de uso único) e em autoclave (materiais de aço inoxidável). Os materiais esterilizados foram inoculados diretamente nos meios de cultura de caseína soja e incubados por 20 dias quando foi feita a leitura final dos resultados das culturas. Os resultados encontrados foram 100% negativos para a recuperação dos microrganismos contaminantes nos 2 grupos - experimental e controle. Estes achados permitiram concluir que o reprocessamento dos materiais de uso único foi validado em relação à esterilidade permitindo chegar a um protocolo de reprocessamento / Single use devices (SUD) have been used in healthcare for decades. They were initially produced for making them readily available for use in healthcare and at the same time lower the inherent workload for device reprocessing. After time, mainly for financial reasons, they became reused. Since then, several questioning has been raised regarding to the risk of infection transmission by reusing these devices due to their difficulty of safe cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. Devices used for videosurgeries are among the SUD of considerable price and important complexity due to cleaning difficulties, because of their adjustments in inaccessible inner spaces and impossibility of taking them out into pieces. Thus, grasper calipers, dissecting forceps, scissors, Veress insuflation needle, electrosurgery probe system (or suction and irrigation tubes) and its respective dissector cannula, basic devices in videosurgery laparoscopic procedures were all the subject of investigation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sterility of these single use products after challenged artificial contamination and comparing the results of sterility tests of SUD to their equivalent reprocessed devices – named in this study as control group. It’s a comparative, laboratory experimental research. The inoculum used for artificial contamination of single use devices was the suspension of Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger bacteria spores and sterilized defibrinated sheep blood. For the control group, the elected strain was Geobacillus stearothermophilus adding also the defibrinated sheep blood. Before carrying out the experiments, the analytical methodology was validated in two phases: phase 1 – counting the colony formation units in three units of each one of the devices from the experimental and control groups after the artificial contamination and cleaning procedures. This way, assured the contaminant recovery in all samples of the 1st phase and the reduction of initial bioburden after device cleaning in the 2nd phase, it was carried on the experiments. The laparoscopic devices were intentionally contaminated with challenged inoculum and submitted after the trial test to validation that was consisted of the following sequence: cleaning in automated narrow-lumen cleaner with enzymatic detergent, complementary manual cleaning with brush and lumen washing of devices with water under pressure. At last, it was made rinsing with sterile distillated water, drying with medical compressed air, packing in surgical paper and film wrapping and submitted to sterilization in ethylene oxide 12/88 (single use devices) and in autoclave (stainless steel devices). The sterilized devices were contaminated directly in the casein soy media and incubated for 20 days when it was made the final reading of media results. The outcomes found were 100% negative for recovering of contamination strains in the 2 groups – the experimental and the control. These findings permitted us to conclude that single use device reprocessing was validated regarding to sterility allowing us to get a reprocessing guideline

[pt] Os termoplásticos representam a grande maioria dos polímeros empregados hoje em dia e a grande vantagem de sua aplicação é que podem ser reaquecidos e moldados repetidamente. Com a crise do petróleo em 1973, os custos para transformar o petróleo em materiais plásticos se tornaram mais atrativos do que transformá-lo em materiais mais tradicionais. Com isso, os investimentos nas indústrias de transformação cresceram, ao mesmo tempo que a preocupação com o meio ambiente. Devido a facilidade de reprocessar esses materiais a temperaturas moderadas, muitas empresas passaram a reutilizar seus resíduos dentro de seus próprios processos. Neste escopo, esse trabalho tem como objetivo estudar o comportamento mecânico do polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) e de uma mistura física formada por polietileno de baixa densidade (PEAD) e polietileno de alta densidade, com uma proporção de 80/20, ao serem submetidos a diversos ciclos de processamento. Os materiais estudados foram preparados e doados pela Companhia de Canetas Compactor. Para este estudo, o material sofreu dez etapas de injeção/extrusão. A partir de ensaios de tração foram determinadas as tensões e cargas máximas suportadas, calculando-se em seguida o módulo de elasticidade, alongamento e tenacidade de cada material. A adição do PEAD é responsável por aumentar a resistência e a dureza do material. Do ponto de vista prático, o material reprocessado não apresentou mudanças significativas de performance. Análises por infravermelho mostraram que não há degradação por oxidação ao longo do processo de reciclagem. / [en] Thermoplastics are the most used polymers nowadays on account of being easily reprocessable with high temperatures. During the oil crisis in 1973 the costs of transforming oil into plastic materials became more attractive than turning them into more traditional materials. Furthermore, the investments in transformation industries grew alongside the concern for the environment. Due to the ease of reprocessing these materials a lot of companies started recycling them within their process. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the mechanical behavior of a low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) blend and pure LDPE after 10 cycles of reprocessing. The polymers were donated by Companhia de Canetas Compactor. The materials suffered up to 10 cycles of injection moulding/extrusion. Tensile tests were made to determine the maximum yield stress and maximum load allowed. Afterwards, calculations were made to determine elongation, Young modulus and toughness. The HDPE addition was responsible to raise the materials yield stress and hardness. From a practical point of view the reprocessing didn t affect significantly the materials performance. FTIR analyses didn t detect oxidation through the process.

Os materiais de uso único (MUU) são utilizados há décadas na assistência à saúde. Inicialmente produzidos com a finalidade de prontamente disponibilizar os materiais para uso na assistência a saúde e ao mesmo tempo diminuir a sobrecarga com o trabalho inerente ao reprocessamento dos materiais. Com o passar do tempo, principalmente por questões financeiras, estes passaram a ser reutilizados. A partir de então diversos questionamentos têm sido suscitados a respeito do risco de transmissão de infecção pelo reuso destes artigos em decorrência da dificuldade para de limpeza, desinfecção e esterilização seguras destes. Os materiais utilizados para as cirurgias vídeo-laparoscópicas encontram-se entre os MUU de preço considerável e complexidade importante em relação às dificuldades para limpeza, devido à sua conformação com espaços internos inacessíveis e impossibilidade de desmonte. Isto posto, as pinças grasper, dissector, tesoura, agulha de Veress, sistema de sonda de eletrocirurgia (ou aspirador e irrigador) e sua respectiva haste, instrumentais básicos nos procedimentos de vídeo-cirurgia-laparoscópica, foram o objeto desta investigação com o propósito de avaliar a eficácia da esterilidade destes acessórios de uso único após contaminação artificial desafio e comparar os resultados dos testes de esterilidade dos MUU com os dos materiais equivalentes reprocessáveis – denominados neste estudo como grupo controle. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa experimental, laboratorial e comparativa. O inóculo utilizado para a contaminação artificial dos instrumentais de uso único constituiu-se de suspensão de esporos bacterianos do Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger e de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado esterilizado. Para o grupo controle o microrganismo eleito foi o Geobacillus stearothermophilus acrescido também de sangue de carneiro desfibrinado. Antes de proceder aos experimentos validou-se a metodologia analítica em duas fases: fase 1 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial antecedendo a limpeza; fase 2 - realizada a contagem de U.F.C. em três unidades de cada um dos materiais dos grupos experimental e controle após a contaminação artificial e procedimento de limpeza. Desta forma, assegurada a recuperação dos contaminantes em todas as amostras da primeira fase e a diminuição do bioburden inicial após a limpeza dos instrumentais na 2ª fase, deu-se prosseguimento aos experimentos. Os materiais laparoscópicos foram intencionalmente contaminados com o inóculo desafio e submetidos após ao protocolo teste para validação que consistiu da seguinte seqüência: limpeza automatizada em lavadora ultra-sônica com retrofluxo com auxílio do detergente enzimático, limpeza manual complementar com serpilhos e irrigação dos lumens dos instrumentais com água sob pressão. Por fim, foi realizado o enxágüe com água destilada esterilizada, secagem com ar comprimido medicinal, acondicionamento em embalagem de papel grau cirúrgico e filme e submetidos a esterilização em Óxido de Etileno 12/88 (materiais de uso único) e em autoclave (materiais de aço inoxidável). Os materiais esterilizados foram inoculados diretamente nos meios de cultura de caseína soja e incubados por 20 dias quando foi feita a leitura final dos resultados das culturas. Os resultados encontrados foram 100% negativos para a recuperação dos microrganismos contaminantes nos 2 grupos - experimental e controle. Estes achados permitiram concluir que o reprocessamento dos materiais de uso único foi validado em relação à esterilidade permitindo chegar a um protocolo de reprocessamento / Single use devices (SUD) have been used in healthcare for decades. They were initially produced for making them readily available for use in healthcare and at the same time lower the inherent workload for device reprocessing. After time, mainly for financial reasons, they became reused. Since then, several questioning has been raised regarding to the risk of infection transmission by reusing these devices due to their difficulty of safe cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. Devices used for videosurgeries are among the SUD of considerable price and important complexity due to cleaning difficulties, because of their adjustments in inaccessible inner spaces and impossibility of taking them out into pieces. Thus, grasper calipers, dissecting forceps, scissors, Veress insuflation needle, electrosurgery probe system (or suction and irrigation tubes) and its respective dissector cannula, basic devices in videosurgery laparoscopic procedures were all the subject of investigation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sterility of these single use products after challenged artificial contamination and comparing the results of sterility tests of SUD to their equivalent reprocessed devices – named in this study as control group. It’s a comparative, laboratory experimental research. The inoculum used for artificial contamination of single use devices was the suspension of Bacillus atrophaeus var. niger bacteria spores and sterilized defibrinated sheep blood. For the control group, the elected strain was Geobacillus stearothermophilus adding also the defibrinated sheep blood. Before carrying out the experiments, the analytical methodology was validated in two phases: phase 1 – counting the colony formation units in three units of each one of the devices from the experimental and control groups after the artificial contamination and cleaning procedures. This way, assured the contaminant recovery in all samples of the 1st phase and the reduction of initial bioburden after device cleaning in the 2nd phase, it was carried on the experiments. The laparoscopic devices were intentionally contaminated with challenged inoculum and submitted after the trial test to validation that was consisted of the following sequence: cleaning in automated narrow-lumen cleaner with enzymatic detergent, complementary manual cleaning with brush and lumen washing of devices with water under pressure. At last, it was made rinsing with sterile distillated water, drying with medical compressed air, packing in surgical paper and film wrapping and submitted to sterilization in ethylene oxide 12/88 (single use devices) and in autoclave (stainless steel devices). The sterilized devices were contaminated directly in the casein soy media and incubated for 20 days when it was made the final reading of media results. The outcomes found were 100% negative for recovering of contamination strains in the 2 groups – the experimental and the control. These findings permitted us to conclude that single use device reprocessing was validated regarding to sterility allowing us to get a reprocessing guideline

Le procédé de traitement du combustible du réacteur à sels fondus (réacteur de génération IV) est un procédé multi-étape dans lequell’extraction des actinides et des lanthanides utilise la technique d’extraction réductrice. Le développement d’un modèle analytique a montré que la mise en contact du sel combustible LiF-ThF4 avec une phase métallique constituée d'un mélange Bi-Li permet l’extraction sélective et quantitative des actinides dans un premier temps, puis l’extraction quantitative des lanthanides dans un second temps. La maitrise de ce procédé nécessite la connaissance des caractéristiques des phases salines impliquées dans le procédé. Les études des propriétés physico-chimiques des sels fluorures fondus ont permis de développer une technique de mesure de la fluoroacidité dans ces milieux via une mesure potentiométrique. Cette technique a permis d’établir un classement de différents mélanges de fluorures fondus en fonction de leur acidité relative. Par ailleurs, une méthode de détermination de la solvatation de solutés dans ces milieux a également été développée par électrochimie afin d’approfondir la connaissance du sel combustible (en particulier solvatation de ThF4 par les ions F-).L'extraction réductrice met également en jeu une phase métallique liquide. Une technique de préparation de cette phase a été développée par électro-réduction de lithium sur une électrode liquide de bismuth en milieu LiCl-LiF. Cette technique permet un bon contrôle de la fraction molaire de lithium introduite dans le bismuth, paramètre essentiel à l’efficacité de l’extraction.Enfin, afin d'optimiser le procédé général de traitement multi-étapes, des méthodes électrochimiques ont été proposées afin de régénérer les différentes phases liquides (salines et métalliques) mise en jeu lors de l’extraction. / The fuel reprocessing of the molten salt reactor (Gen IV concept) is a multi-steps process in which actinides and lanthanides extraction is performed by a reductive extraction technique. The development of an analytic model has showed that the contact between the liquid fuel LiF-ThF4 and a metallic phase constituted of Bi-Li provide firstly a selective and quantitative extraction of actinides and secondly a quantitative extraction of lanthanides. The control of this process implies the knowledge of saline phase properties. Studies of the physico-chemical properties of fluoride salts lead to develop a technique based on potentiometric measurements to evaluate the fluoroacidity of the salts. An acidity scale was established in order to classify the different fluoride salts considered.Another electrochemical method was also developed in order to determine the solvation properties of solutes in fluoride F- environment (and particularly ThF4 by F-)In reductive extraction technique, a metallic phase is also involved. A method to prepare this phase was developed by electro-reduction of lithium on a bismuth liquid cathode in LiCl-LiF melt. This technique allows to accurately control the molar fraction of lithium introduced into the liquid bismuth, which is a main parameter to obtain an efficient extraction.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / The increase in the demand and market price of gold has led to reprocessing of gold tailings in many parts of the world. Mines are recently closing down due to depletion of resources and increasing mining costs leading to the reprocessing of old tailings dams. The cost of rehabilitation is high, and therefore a more convenient way of rehabilitation is required. The most convenient strategy identified here was to reprocess tailings for gold and use waste rocks as construction materials. The tailings residues (waste remaining after reprocessing) will be relocated to a more convenient place to avoid pollution. Gold reprocessing from tailings dams has gained momentum in South Africa especially in the Witwatersrand Basin where there are large volumes of tailings. Gold is being reprocessed from tailings in this area using hydraulic monitors. This study focused on the evaluation of gold and heavy metals within the tailings at Consolidated Murchison Mine tailings in Gravelotte, Limpopo province. Augering was conducted over the tailings up to a depth of 8 m along four sampling Profiles. The first profile had two sampling points, the second profile with three sampling points, the third and fourth profiles consisted of four and five sampling points respectively. Samples were collected at 1 m interval, therefore a total of 112 samples were collected and analysed for heavy metals using X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry and 84 samples were analysed for gold using fire assaying. Tailings sampling was accompanied with tailings logging, taking note of colour, texture and moisture content. Based on this, the oxidation status of the tailings dam was determined. Oxidation zone of this tailings dam was mainly from top down to a depth of 3 m. The transitional zone was not identified, hence after the oxidation zone, the rest was unoxidized zone. This study established that gold was erratically distributed within the tailings dam with the lowest and highest values of 200 mg/kg and 1880 mg/kg respectively and the average was 670 mg/kg. The tonnage of tailings within the dam was found to be 13 280 310 tons with a total gold amount of 8 897. 81 kg. At the current world market, this interprets to US$ 306 932 396.00 (R 4 281 706 924.20). It was concluded that this tailings dam is economically viable for reprocessing, although previous studies have indicated that it is not possible to extract gold from tailings dams completely. The heavy metal content of Pb, Ni and Cr were found to be high with average values of (ppm); 5631.5, 2062.6 and 1345 v respectively. The metals with the lowest values were Cd, Co and Cu, averaging (ppm); 0.01 ppm, 19.8 ppm and 42.1 ppm respectively. Heavy metal content in soil around the tailings dam was gradually decreasing with distance from the tailings dam. Waste rocks have been used in some parts of the world as sub-base material for engineering construction, hence in this study, a total of 6 waste rock samples were collected using grab sampling method for geostatistical investigation. Such samples were subjected to various geotechnical tests which included particle size distribution analysis (sieve analysis), Atterberg limit tests and laboratory compaction test to determine their suitability for construction. The waste rock material was found to be suitable for road construction as it was classified under Group A-1-a using the AASHTO classification system. The material consisted mainly of rock fragments, gravel and sand material with minor silt/clay. In general, Consolidated Murchison mine waste was found to be suitable for road construction. / NRF

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

No description available.

With the world economy becoming unpredictable, it has become a necessity for businesses to relook at the way they do business. The world has become competitive and companies that aim to become profitable have seen the need to find ways to improve efficiencies and increase productivity to stay relevant. There has been an adoption of strategies that are aimed at improving the efficiencies in companies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The strategy is aimed at improving equipment efficiencies and increase productivity through the transfer of certain skills from maintenance personnel to operators. The aim is that the operators perform some of the activities that the maintenance people used to do and they do the more complex tasks. By transferring these skills to operators there is constant cleaning, inspections and lubricating of equipment. This frees up time for maintenance people to do planning and other jobs that require time and higher skills levels. The implementation of these activities allows companies to tap into unused capacity that was always hidden by breakdowns and unplanned stops. The process however requires commitment from management and all stakeholders involved in the organisation. There are prescribed implementation processes that can be followed or companies can follow their own processes but the fundamentals of involving people from the onset must be followed. The involvement of stakeholders creates commitment at all levels and in order to sustain this initiative people must be committed to it. The inclusion of the activities transferred from maintenance people to operators, will reinforce the knowledge and habits required from operators and perhaps sustain the initiative. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

With the world economy becoming unpredictable, it has become a necessity for businesses to relook at the way they do business. The world has become competitive and companies that aim to become profitable have seen the need to find ways to improve efficiencies and increase productivity to stay relevant. There has been an adoption of strategies that are aimed at improving the efficiencies in companies such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). The strategy is aimed at improving equipment efficiencies and increase productivity through the transfer of certain skills from maintenance personnel to operators. The aim is that the operators perform some of the activities that the maintenance people used to do and they do the more complex tasks. By transferring these skills to operators there is constant cleaning, inspections and lubricating of equipment. This frees up time for maintenance people to do planning and other jobs that require time and higher skills levels. The implementation of these activities allows companies to tap into unused capacity that was always hidden by breakdowns and unplanned stops. The process however requires commitment from management and all stakeholders involved in the organisation. There are prescribed implementation processes that can be followed or companies can follow their own processes but the fundamentals of involving people from the onset must be followed. The involvement of stakeholders creates commitment at all levels and in order to sustain this initiative people must be committed to it. The inclusion of the activities transferred from maintenance people to operators, will reinforce the knowledge and habits required from operators and perhaps sustain the initiative. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

As nuclear energy grows in the United States and around the world, the expansion of the nuclear fuel cycle is inevitable. All currently deployed commercial reprocessing plants are based on the Plutonium - Uranium Extraction (PUREX) process. However, this process is not implemented in the U.S. for a variety of reasons, one being that it is considered by some as a proliferation risk. The 2001 Nuclear Energy Policy report recommended that the U.S. "develop reprocessing and treatment technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, less waste-intensive, and more proliferation-resistant." The Uranium Extraction (UREX+) reprocessing technique has been developed to reach these goals. However, in order for UREX+ to be considered for commercial implementation, a safeguards approach is needed to show that a commercially sized UREX+ facility can be safeguarded to current international standards. A detailed safeguards approach for a UREX+1a reprocessing facility has been developed. The approach includes the use of nuclear material accountancy (MA), containment and surveillance (C/S) and solution monitoring (SM). Facility information was developed for a hypothesized UREX+1a plant with a throughput of 1000 Metric Tons Heavy Metal (MTHM) per year. Safeguard goals and safeguard measures to be implemented were established. Diversion and acquisition pathways were considered; however, the analysis focuses mainly on diversion paths. The detection systems used in the design have the ability to provide near real-time measurement of special fissionable material in feed, process and product streams. Advanced front-end techniques for the quantification of fissile material in spent nuclear fuel were also considered. The economic and operator costs of these systems were not considered. The analysis shows that the implementation of these techniques result in significant improvements in the ability of the safeguards system to achieve the objective of timely detection of the diversion of a significant quantity of nuclear material from the UREX+1a reprocessing facility and to provide deterrence against such diversion by early detection.