Do competitivo mercado de produção de açúcar demanda-se um produto detentor de maior qualidade e menor custo. A qualidade do açúcar relaciona-se com o estudo das propriedades físico-químicas da sacarose durante o processo de clarificação. Na produção de açúcar branco utiliza-se o dióxido de enxofre em operação unitária de clarificação. No entanto, o uso desse reagente encontra restrições na indústria alimentícia e nos sistemas agroindustriais, em consequência de suas emissões na atmosfera, assim como, de reações alergênicas possivelmente relacionadas à exposição de resíduos de dióxido de enxofre em alimentos, em indivíduos sensíveis. Tecnologias alternativas, como o uso de peróxido de hidrogênio e de ozônio têm sido propostas. Do uso do peróxido de hidrogênio, de acordo com a literatura consultada, tem-se a diminuição de viscosidade, em conjunto com o aumento de pureza do xarope, pela remoção de compostos não açúcares. Dessa forma, o peróxido de hidrogênio é um eficiente agente oxidante de moléculas produtoras de cor, levando-as a parcial ou total degradação, com destruição permanente de substâncias corantes. A aplicação de peróxido de hidrogênio, no tratamento do caldo de cana-de-açúcar, foi considerada, no presente estudo, em três cenários distintos - com peróxido de hidrogênio na proporção 0,6 gH2O2/kgcaldo, na proporção de 1 gH2O2/kgcaldo e na proporção de 5 gH2O2/kgcaldo em substituição ao dióxido de enxofre - utilizado em método corrente, nas usinas. O escopo deste estudo, pois, constitui a análise de viabilidade econômico-financeira do peróxido de hidrogênio como agente de redução de cor de caldo, em operação unitária de clarificação, em substituição total ao uso de dióxido de enxofre. De fato, foram considerados os valores de investimento da proposta com uso de peróxido de hidrogênio em relação à estrutura padrão, com os insumos relativos a cada situação, pois a adequação da etapa de clarificação pode ser utilizada em lugar da implantação de uma nova unidade produtiva. Os valores encontrados para a clarificação de açúcar, com uso de peróxido de hidrogênio em substituição à sulfitação, considerando a descrição operacional com ganhos técnicos e insumos necessários, foram maiores, pois o investimento imobilizado em equipamentos foi maior, assim como o preço dos insumos. Das situações consideradas, houve aumento de R$ 0,16/saca50kg açúcar, em relação ao peróxido de hidrogênio utilizado em proporção 0,6 gH2O2/kgcaldo; de R$ 0,30 /saca50kg açúcar, em relação ao peroxido de hidrogênio na proporção de 1 gH2O2/kgcaldo e R$ 1,66 / saca50kg açúcar, em relação ao peroxido de hidrogênio na proporção de 5 gH2O2/kgcaldo. Percebe-se, dessa forma, a possibilidade de substituição do reagente majoritariamente utilizado, pelo proposto; considerando, ainda, a parceria entre setores privado e público, em consequência de demanda da sociedade por produtos alimentícios isentos de resíduos de enxofre, e do repasse de custos não demasiadamente oneroso para as usinas açucareiras. Todavia, fatores outros, concernentes à qualidade do produto final, como a tendência de degradação de sacarose, as questões ambientais e de saúde pública, assim como os ganhos energéticos devem ser analisados. / The competitive market of sugar production demands a better product with higher quality and lower cost. Sugar quality involves the physical-chemical properties of sucrose during the clarifying process. In white sugar production, sulfur dioxide is used in the clarifying process. However, this reagent has restrictions in food industry and agribusiness systems due to, sulfur dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, as well as its potentially allergenic reactions, concerning exposure to sulfur dioxide residues in foods, in sensitive individuals. Alternative technologies, using hydrogen peroxide and ozone have been proposed. The use of hydrogen peroxide, according to literature, promotes viscosity reduction and syrup purity increase, through the removal of non-sugar compounds. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent that causes partial or total color molecules degradation, causing permanent destruction. The application of hydrogen peroxide, in sugarcane juice, considered in this study has three distinct situations: 0.6 gH2O2/kgsugarcane juice proportion, 1 gH2O2/kgsugarcane juice proportion and 5 gH2O2/kgsugarcane juice proportion, replacing sulfur dioxide - used in the current method. This study scope is the economic viability of hydrogen peroxide, replacing sulfur dioxide in clarifying operation. The investment values using hydrogen peroxide in relation to standard structure were considered rather than the implementation of a new production unit. The hydrogen peroxide values, in clarifying process were higher, considering operational description by technical profits and necessary inputs, because the investment in equipment and input prices were higher. There was an increase of R$ 0.16 bag 50kg sugar using 0.6 gH2O2/kgsyrup; R$ 0.30 /bag 50kg sugar when the proportion was 1 gH2O2/kgsyrup and R$ 1.66/ bag 50kg sugar when the proportion was 5 gH2O2/kgsyrup. Therefore, there is a great possibility of replacing the main reagent used as alternative, including the partnership between private and public sectors the society demands for food products free of sulfur residue presenting production costs less expensive for the sugar industry. However, other factors, related to final product quality, such as sucrose degradation tendency, environmental and public health issues, as well as the energy gains should be analized.

Neste trabalho determina-se, através da termogravimetria, o efeito da temperatura e atmosfera sobre a conversão, a cinética e a efetividade da absorção de 'SO IND.2' por calcário. Aplica-se temperaturas e tamanho de particulado típicos do processo de combustão de carvão em leito fluidizado. Foram realizados ensaios isotérmicos em diferentes temperaturas (entre 650 e 950 graus Celsius), na pressão atmosférica local (~ 697 mmHg), em atmosferas dinâmicas de ar e de nitrogênio. Os resultados de sulfatação foram avaliados empregando-se a cinética de Arrhenius. A ordem de grandeza dos valores de energia de ativação obtidos (4,446 kJ/mol em ar e 3,748 kJ/mol em nitrogênio) sugere que o processo reativo seja controlado por difusão de Knudsen. A temperatura ótima de conversão resultou entre 800 e 850 graus Celsius em ar, e muito próxima de 900 graus Celsius em nitrogênio. Definiu-se efetividade como a relação entre o coeficiente de taxa de reação instantâneo e o seu valor máximo, indicando o decaimento temporal da reatividade da amostra com o progresso da sulfatação. Determinou-se a efetividade média para todas as temperaturas no intervalo de tempo em que a sulfatação se desenvolveu, sempre em torno de 200 s nos vários ensaios. Os maiores valores de efetividade média foram a 800 graus Celsius em atmosfera de ar (0,2854), e a 900 graus Celsius em atmosfera de nitrogênio (0,3142) / In this work thermogravimetry is applied to determine the effect of temperature and atmosphere on conversion, kinetics and effectiveness of 'SO IND.2' absorption by limestone. Ranges of temperature and particle size were applied that are typical of the fluidized bed coal combustion process. Isothermal experiments were performed for different temperatures (between 650 and 950 Celius degrees), at local atmospheric pressure (~ 697 mmHg), in dynamic atmospheres of air and nitrogen. The results of sulfation were evaluated using Arrhenius' kinetics. The order of magnitude of the resulting activation energies (4.446 kJ/mol in air and 3.748 kJ/mol in nitrogen) suggest the reaction to be controlled by Knudsen diffusion. Optimum conversion resulted between 800 and 850 Celsius degrees in ar, and around 900 Celsius degrees in nitrogen. Effectiveness was defined as the ratio between the instantaneous reaction rate coefficient and its maximum value, indicating the time decay of reactivity as sulfation advances. The average effectiveness was determined for all the temperatures considering the whole sulfation time interval, which was always around 200 seconds. The highest values of average effectiveness were found at 800 Celsius degrees in air atmosphere (0,2854), and 900 Celsius degrees in nitrogen atmosphere (0,3142)

Neste trabalho determina-se, através da termogravimetria, o efeito da temperatura e atmosfera sobre a conversão, a cinética e a efetividade da absorção de 'SO IND.2' por calcário. Aplica-se temperaturas e tamanho de particulado típicos do processo de combustão de carvão em leito fluidizado. Foram realizados ensaios isotérmicos em diferentes temperaturas (entre 650 e 950 graus Celsius), na pressão atmosférica local (~ 697 mmHg), em atmosferas dinâmicas de ar e de nitrogênio. Os resultados de sulfatação foram avaliados empregando-se a cinética de Arrhenius. A ordem de grandeza dos valores de energia de ativação obtidos (4,446 kJ/mol em ar e 3,748 kJ/mol em nitrogênio) sugere que o processo reativo seja controlado por difusão de Knudsen. A temperatura ótima de conversão resultou entre 800 e 850 graus Celsius em ar, e muito próxima de 900 graus Celsius em nitrogênio. Definiu-se efetividade como a relação entre o coeficiente de taxa de reação instantâneo e o seu valor máximo, indicando o decaimento temporal da reatividade da amostra com o progresso da sulfatação. Determinou-se a efetividade média para todas as temperaturas no intervalo de tempo em que a sulfatação se desenvolveu, sempre em torno de 200 s nos vários ensaios. Os maiores valores de efetividade média foram a 800 graus Celsius em atmosfera de ar (0,2854), e a 900 graus Celsius em atmosfera de nitrogênio (0,3142) / In this work thermogravimetry is applied to determine the effect of temperature and atmosphere on conversion, kinetics and effectiveness of 'SO IND.2' absorption by limestone. Ranges of temperature and particle size were applied that are typical of the fluidized bed coal combustion process. Isothermal experiments were performed for different temperatures (between 650 and 950 Celius degrees), at local atmospheric pressure (~ 697 mmHg), in dynamic atmospheres of air and nitrogen. The results of sulfation were evaluated using Arrhenius' kinetics. The order of magnitude of the resulting activation energies (4.446 kJ/mol in air and 3.748 kJ/mol in nitrogen) suggest the reaction to be controlled by Knudsen diffusion. Optimum conversion resulted between 800 and 850 Celsius degrees in ar, and around 900 Celsius degrees in nitrogen. Effectiveness was defined as the ratio between the instantaneous reaction rate coefficient and its maximum value, indicating the time decay of reactivity as sulfation advances. The average effectiveness was determined for all the temperatures considering the whole sulfation time interval, which was always around 200 seconds. The highest values of average effectiveness were found at 800 Celsius degrees in air atmosphere (0,2854), and 900 Celsius degrees in nitrogen atmosphere (0,3142)

Particulate matter in the atmosphere emitted from various natural and anthropogenic sources is important due to their effects on the chemical balance of the atmosphere, the Earth's climate, human health and biogeochemical cycles. Although there have been many studies performed to understand the above effects, there still remains substantial uncertainty associated with processes involved and thus it is difficult for current atmospheric chemistry and climate models to reconcile model results with field measurements. Therefore, it is important to have better agreement between models and observations as the accuracy of future atmospheric chemistry and climate predictions depends on it. In this research, a greater understanding of the role of mineral dust chemistry was pursued through focused laboratory studies in order to better understand fundamental processes involved. In particular, studies to further understand the photochemistry of adsorbed nitrate, an important inorganic ion associated with particulate matter exposed to gas-phase nitrogen oxides, were conducted using Al2O3, TiO2 and NaY zeolite to represent non-photoactive components, photoactive components and aluminosilicate respectively, present in mineral dust. These studies reveal that photochemistry of nitrate adsorbed on mineral dust is governed by wavelength of light, physicochemical properties of dust particles and adsorption mode of nitrate. Gas phase NO2, NO and N2O are the photolysis products of nitrate on oxide particles under dry conditions. In contrast, nitrate adsorbed on zeolite is converted mainly to adsorbed nitrite upon irradiation. This nitrite yield is decreased with increasing relative humidity. Gas phase N2O is the main photolysis product of nitrate adsorbed in zeolite in the presence of co-adsorbed ammonia. Water adsorbed on semiconducting TiO2 can be photochemically converted to hydroxyl radicals. These hydroxyl radicals can be involved in surface mediated as well as gas phase oxidation reactions in the presence of cyclohexane. Another focus of this dissertation was to investigate the oxidation of sulfur dioxide oxidation in the presence of mineral aerosol, particularly, coal fly ash (FA), γ-Fe2O3 and Arizona test dust (AZTD), a model for mineral dust aerosol. Depending on the temporal evolution of Fe(II), we proposed that S(IV) oxidation in the presence of FA and γ-Fe2O3 initially occurs through a heterogeneous pathway and a homogeneous pathway is also possible over later time scales. S(IV) oxidation in the presence of AZTD appears to be mostly heterogeneous and does not lead to iron dissolution. Overall, these studies suggest that the rate, extent and products of atmospheric S(IV) oxidation can be highly variable and heavily dependent upon the nature of aerosol sources, thereby precluding simple generalizations about this reaction when modeling atmospheric processes involving diverse mineral dust aerosols. With the recent development in nanotechnology, nanoparticles are becoming a major fraction of atmospheric particulate matter. These particles can undergo aging under ambient conditions at any stage of their life cycle. This impacts the fundamental properties of these materials and therefore the behavior in the environment and interactions with biomolecules and biological systems. ZnO and CuO nanoparticles form adsorbed carbonate phases upon exposure to CO2 and water vapor. These carbonates become more solvated as the relative humidity is increased. Presence of carbonate phases on ZnO particles increases their water solubility. Thus, overall the work reported in this dissertation provides insights into heterogeneous and multiphase atmospheric chemical reactions in the presence of mineral aerosol and atmospheric aging of nanoparticles.

This research investigated the effects of Pediococcus spp. on Oregon Pinot noir wines. Pediococcus (P. parvulus (7), P. damnosus (1), P. inopinatus (1)) isolated from Oregon and Washington state wines demonstrated differences in their susceptibility to SO��� with some isolates growing well in model media at 0.4 mg/L molecular SO���. All isolates were all able to degrade p-coumaric acid to 4-vinyl phenol. The conversion of p-coumaric acid to 4-VP by pediococci resulted in accelerated production of 4-EP by B. bruxellensis in a model system. Growth of the pediococci isolates in Pinot noir wine resulted in a number of chemical and sensory changes occurring compared to the control. Very low concentrations of biogenic amines were measured in the wines with only wine inoculated with P. inopinatus OW-8 having greater than 5 mg/L. D-lactic acid production varied between isolates with OW-7 producing the highest concentration (264 mg/L). Diacetyl content of the wines also varied greatly. Some wines contained very low levels of diacetyl (< 0.5 mg/L) while others contained very high concentrations (> 15 mg/L) that were well above sensory threshold. Despite suggestions to the contrary in the literature, glycerol was not degraded by any of the isolates in this study. Color and polymeric pigment content of the wines also varied with wine inoculated with OW-7 containing 30% less polymeric pigment than the control. This may be related to acetaldehyde as a number of Pediococcus isolates, including OW-7, reduced the acetaldehyde content of the wine. Sensory analysis revealed differences in the aroma and mouthfeel of the wines compared to each other and to the control. In particular growth of some isolates produced wines with higher intensities of butter, plastic, and vegetal aromas while other also had lower perceived astringency. / Graduation date: 2013

Silylated amines, also known as reversible ionic liquids (RevILs), have been designed and structurally modified by our group for potential use as solvents for CO₂ capture from flue gas. An ideal CO₂ capture ionic liquid should be able to selectively and reversibly capture CO₂ and have tolerance for other components in flue gas, including SO₂, NO₂, and O₂. In this project, we study the reactivity, selectivity, uptake capacity, and reversibility of RevILs in the presence of pure SO₂ and mixed gas streams tosimulate flue gas compositions. Tripropylsilylamine (TPSA), a candidate CO₂ capture RevIL, reacts with pure SO₂ to form an ionic liquid consisting of an ammonium group and a salfamate group, supported by IR and NMR results. The resulting IL with pure SO₂ partially reverses when heated to temperatures of upto 500 C in the TGA. TGA analysis of the ionic liquid formed from a 4 vol% SO₂ in CO₂ mixture indicates a possible reversal temperature in the 86-163 C range.

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This study presents airborne measurements of HO2NO2, HCl and SO2 using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX) field campaign, an intensive study to characterize the chemical composition of the troposphere in the eastern United States, Mexico City, and the North Pacific which is the outflow region of Asia. The first direct in situ measurements of HO2NO2 were made in the free troposphere over the eastern U.S. during summer 2004. The highest mean mixing ratio of 76 pptv (median = 77 pptv, = 39 pptv) was observed in the altitude range of 8-9 km. Highly constrained steady state calculations of HO2NO2 using measured HOx levels are poorly correlated with observed HO2NO2 in the upper troposphere (8 km < z < 12 km; the median ratio of [HO2NO2]SS-MEA/[HO2NO2]MEA = 2.9). However, steady state HO2NO2 using model-derived HOx shows reasonable agreement with measurements in the free troposphere ([HO2NO2]SS-MEA/[HO2NO2]MEA = 1.3). The vertical distribution of HCl was measured over the north Pacific during May 2006 from the marine boundary layer (MBL) up to lower stratosphere. Recent stratospheric influence in the upper troposphere (8 km < z < 12 km) was efficiently identified from enhanced HCl (up to ~100 pptv) relative to very low background levels (< 2pptv). In the remote MBL, the acidification of seasalt aerosols by HNO3 appeared to be the major source of HCl, with level consistently over 20 pptv (up to 400 pptv). The distribution of SO2 was measured in the outflow region of the eastern U.S. and Asia; two major anthropogenic SO2 source regions. This study presents vertical and horizontal distributions of SO2 and relevant gas phase and aerosol parameters to characterize SO2 transport in the troposphere. SO2 in the boundary layer was efficiently transported to the upper troposphere by deep convection and frontal uplift processes. High SO2 in convective plume in the upper troposphere were strongly correlated with ultrafine aerosols.Conversely, SO2 from frontal uplift shows a strong correlation with non-volatile aerosols. Comparisons of SO2 products from global 3-D chemical transportation models (GEOS-CHEM and MOZART) with observations suggest that sulfur sources are relatively well described but that the oxidation mechanism needs refinement.

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Air quality modeling is a recent development in atmospheric science dedicated to simulating the characteristics of surface emissions within the context of a variety of meteorological conditions. In western Kentucky, there are several concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that emit a variety of gases, including sulfur dioxide (SO2). The hypothesis was that the concentration and spread of SO2 emissions from these sources would differ between wet and dry periods over the CAFO locations. In this thesis, point emissions from locations representing CAFOs in western Kentucky and the transit of SO2throughout the southeastern U.S. were simulated in multiple sensitivity experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRFChem). Simulations were performed for the convective precipitation events that occurred over western Kentucky between July 7 and July 13, 2012. The spatial coverage of SO2 emissions originating from the locations was reduced during precipitation events and expanded during dry periods. The average concentration of SO2 over the study area was also higher during the breaks between precipitation events than during times when precipitation was occurring. The highest concentrations of SO2 exceeding 1,000 pptv remained within close range of the emission locations for the majority of the simulations, except for when local surface winds were blowing at higher speeds. Most emissions from the locations remained limited to the surface and 850 mb levels.