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Orientador: Luiz Francisco Malmonge / Resumo: A contaminação do meio ambiente por metais potencialmente tóxicos constitui-se de um sério problema que altera ecossistemas e tem impacto direto na saúde da população. Desta forma, o desenvolvimento de novos materiais capazes de remover estes metais é sem dúvida essencial e muito importante. Neste trabalho, foram obtidas esferas de PVDF/argila pelo método de gotejamento. Imagens de MEV indicam haver uma fina camada pouco porosa e hidrofóbica envolvendo as esferas. Internamente há a presença de estrutura porosa. Os ensaios de adsorção foram realizados em água e em mistura água/etanol (95/5), contendo 5 mg/L de cobre. O teste para a determinação do ponto de carga zero (pHPCZ), que indica o pH ideal da solução onde a adsorção do metal pelo material é mais efetiva, foi determinado como sendo de 6,4 e 5,9, para os meios aquoso e etanólico, respectivamente. Ensaios de adsorção por batelada indicaram a concentração de 30% de argila em relação à massa de PVDF como sendo a mais efetiva entre as testadas com remoção de 32,4% e 46,8% do total de cobre presente para os meios aquoso e etanólico, respectivamente. Ensaios de isotermas de adsorção apontam que os dados se ajustam melhor ao modelo BET. Foram encontradas capacidades máximas de adsorção de 0,361 e 0,734 mg Cu/g para os meios aquoso e etanólico, respectivamente. Capacidades de adsorção relativamente baixas podem estar relacionadas à camada externa pouco porosa do material e à hidrofobicidade do PVDF. A adsorção de cobre de cachaç... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Contamination of the environment by heavy metals is a serious problem that alters ecosystems and has a direct impact on the health of the population. In this way, the development of new materials capable of removing these metals is undoubtedly essential and very important. In this work, PVDF / clay beads were obtained by the drip method. SEM images indicated porous internal structure, but surrounded by a layer with few pores. The adsorption tests were performed in water and in water/ethanol (95/5) containing 5 mg/L of copper. The test for determination of the point of zero charge (PZC), which indicates the solution pH where the adsorption of the metal by the material is more effective, was determined to be 6.4 and 5.9 for the aqueous and ethanoic media, respectively. Batch adsorption assays indicated the concentration of 30% clay in relation to the PVDF mass as the most effective among those tested with removal of 32.4% and 46.8% of the total copper present for the aqueous and ethanoic media, respectively. Adsorption isotherms tests indicate the BET model as the one that best describes the data. Maximum adsorption capacities of 0.361 and 0.734 mg Cu / g were found for the aqueous and ethanoic media, respectively. Relative low adsorption capacities may be related to the slightly porous outer layer of the material and the hydrophobicity of PVDF. The adsorption of copper from cachaça in columns containing cut spheres resulted in adsorption indices above 50% for samples of variou... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

This thesis describes the development of new adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetric methods for reliable determination of some trace metals in biological and environmental materials on a glassy carbon mercury film electrode. In particular, the development of these methods involved selection of a suitable complexing agent for the respective metal ion studied, characterization of the electrode processes, investigation of factors affecting the voltammetric response such as concentration and pH of supporting electrolyte, concentration of complexing agent, accumulation potential, accumulation time and electrode rotation rate. Also, organic and inorganic interferences, linear concentration range, and detection limits were carefully considered. Furthermore, the analytical application of the method was demonstrated for each metal in biological and/or environmental materials, after optimization of the sample decomposition procedure. Some conclusions : the results obtained by the AdCSV method for the determination of tin in juices agreed reasonably with those obtained by atomic absorption method; the use of the adsorptive voltammetric technique after dry-ashing and UV treatment of the samples was successfully demonstrated for the determination of vanadium in standard reference materials such as urban particulate matter, peach leaves, apple leaves and bovine liver; and, the use of the adsorptive stripping voltammetric technique, after decomposition of samples by dry-ashing and UV treatment, was successfully demonstrated for the determination of molybdenum in peach leaves, apple leaves and bovine liver samples. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Detection of chromium and vanadium is of interest for biomedical and environmental applications. The two metals have narrow limits between being essential and toxic for humans. Ultra-sensitive techniques have been studied to measure Cr and V at low concentrations found in human blood and environmental samples. Bismuth film and mercury-alloy electrodes have been developed as alternatives to traditional Hg-based electrodes for Cr and V detection. While catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry (CAdSV) has been used to detect Cr and V, little is known about the process. The mechanisms of CAdSV have been probed to provide a better understanding of its exceptional sensitivity and selectivity. Near-real time monitoring of plume gas constituents is desired as a diagnostic tool for combustion efficiency, ensuring safe testing conditions and observing releases of green house gasses. Ground testing rockets is a crucial preliminary step that ensures their performance during critical space missions. Optical sol-gel sensors for carbon dioxide have been developed for remote sensing applications. They are inexpensive and are compatible with the harsh environments encountered during rocket plume tests. The sensors are a viable approach to compliment current infrared (IR) measurements for real-time carbon dioxide detection. Additional work on kerosene and isopropyl alcohol sensing has been explored for incorporation into a multi-analyte sensing platform.

Development and studies of new electrochemical methods for the detection of various biologically and environmentally relevant substances are the focus of this dissertation. A dual amperometric sensor, capable of the simultaneous, real-time determination of NO and O,2, has been developed and optimized. Many tests were performed in order to reduce cross-talking between the two sensors, and an electro-deposited polymer, poly-5-amino-1-naphthol, was shown to reduce the cross-talking to insignificant levels. The use of bismuth-based electrodes in the detection of various metals has been explored. A bismuth bulk electrode has been developed, optimized, and used for the individual and simultaneous determination of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II). The fundamental electrochemistry of several bismuth-based electrodes in the system used for Cr(VI) analysis has also been explored, and many interactions among the electrode material, ligand, and analyte were observed, particularly the formation of a soluble bismuth-ligand complex. Electrochemical analysis of Cr(VI) was attempted at all of the bismuth-based electrodes, with success at the thin bismuth film electrode. A series of surface modifications were made to the glassy carbon substrate, in an attempt to remove any co-adsorbed contaminants and to understand the sensitivity of the chromium detection process. Inevitably, it was found that the contaminating source was contaminants in the nitrogen gas used for solution deaeration. Upon switching to argon, detection became highly reproducible and showed strong linearity with the Cr(VI) concentration.

Iron oxide-bearing minerals have long been recognized as an effective reactive media for arsenic-contaminated groundwater remediation. This research aimed to develop a technique that could facilitate in situ oxidative precipitation of Fe3+ in a soil (sand) media for generating a subsurface iron oxide-based reactive barrier that could immobilize arsenic (As) and other dissolved metals in groundwater. A simple in situ arsenic treatment process was successfully developed for treating contaminated rural groundwater using iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS). Using imbibition flow, the system facilitated the dispersive transport of ferrous iron (Fe2+) and oxidant solutions in porous sand to generate an overlaying blanket where the Fe2+ was oxidized and precipitated onto the surface as ferric oxide. The iron oxide (FeOx) emplacement process was significantly affected by (1) the initial surface area and surface-bound iron content of the sand, (2) the pH and solubility of the coating reagents, (3) the stability of the oxidant solution, and (4) the chemical injection schedule. In contrast to conventional excavate-and-fill treatment technologies, this technique could be used to in situ replace a fresh iron oxide blanket on the sand and rejuvenate its treatment capacity for additional arsenic removal. Several bench-scale experiments revealed that the resultant IOCS could treat arsenic-laden groundwater for extended periods of time before approaching its effective life cycle. The adsorption capacity for As(III) and As(V) was influenced by (1) the amount of iron oxide accumulated on the sand surface, (2) the system pH, and (3) competition for adsorption sites from other groundwater constituents such as silicon (Si) and total dissolved solids (TDS). Although the IOCS could be replenished several times before exhaustion, the life cycle of the FeOx reactive barrier may be limited by the gradual loss of hydraulic conductivity induced by the imminent reduction of pore space over time.

This study investigated the adsorptive capacity and isotherm of HgCl2 onto spherical activated carbons (SAC) via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Activated carbon injection (ACI) is thought as the best available control technology (BACT) for mercury removal from flue gas. There are two major forms of vapor-phase mercury, Hgo and Hg2+, of which HgCl2 accounts for 60-95% of total mercury. Mercury emitted from the incineration of municipal solid wastes (MSW) could cause severely adverse effects on human health and ecosystem since it exists mainly in vapor phase due to high vapor pressure. Although the adsorptive capacity of HgCl2 onto activated carbon has been studied in previous adsorption column tests, only a few studies have thoroughly investigated the adsorption isotherms of HgCl2 onto SAC. Equilibrium and kinetic studies are important towards obtaining a better understanding of mercury adsorption. Many investigations have addressed the relationship between sorption kinetics and equilibrium for different adsorbent/adsorbate combinations. For the removal of vapor-phase mercury, several bench-pilot, and full-scale tests have be proceeded to examine the influence of carbon types, carbon structures, carbon surface characteristics, injection methods (dry or wet), amount of carbon injected, and flue gas temperature on mercury removal. In addition, the dynamics of spherical activated carbons (SAC) adsorbers for the uptake of gas-phase mercury was evaluated as a function of temperature, influent concentration of mercury, and empty-bed residence time. However, only a few studies investigated the adsorption isotherms of HgCl2 onto activated carbons. In this study, TGA was applied to obtain the adsorptive capacity of HgCl2 onto SAC with adsorption temperature (30~150oC) and influent HgCl2 concentration (50~1,000£gg/m3). Experimental results indicated that the adsorptive capacity of HgCl2 onto SAC was 0.67and 0.20 mg/gC at 30¡B70 and 150oC, respectively. This study investigated the adsorptive capacity of HgCl2 vapor onto SAC via TGA analysis. Experimental results indicated that the adsorptive capacity of SAC decreased with the increase of the adsorption temperature. Furthermore, the results suggested that that the adsorption of SAC on HgCl2 vapor was favorable equilibrium at 30 and 70¢J and unfavorable equilibrium at 150¢J. In comparison of the experimental data with isotherm equations, Freundlich isotherm fitted the experimental results better than Langmuir isotherm. The model simulations were found to fit very well to the high concentration experimental kinetic data for both adsorption and desorptionusing two adjust parameter, effective diffusivity, and the Freundlich isothermexponent.¡@The extracted model parameter, effective diffusivity and n, were then used to predict the experimental kinetic data for the same combination at other concentrations.

This study investigated the adsorptive and desorption capacity of HgCl2 onto powdered activated carbon derived from carbon black of pyrolyzed waste tires (CPBAC) via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Due to incomplete classification and recycling of municipal solid wastes (MSW), they still mix with a lot of hazardous materials, which unfortunately can not be removed by incinerators and air pollution control devices(APCDs). Among them, mercury and its pollutants attract more attention by people. Mercury and its pollutants emitted from the incineration of municipal solid wastes could cause severely adverse effects on human health and ecosystem since they exist mainly in vapor phase due to high vapor pressure. If they can not be remove by the air pollution control devices, they will be emitted to the atmosphere and cause serious effects on environmental ecology via various routes. Activated carbon has been widely applied to the treatment of organic compounds and heavy metals in wastewater and waste gas stream. However, the adsorptive capacity of activated carbon decreases with adsorption temperature. The low adsorptive capacity of activated carbon at high temperature (>150 oC) can be overcome by impregnated activated carbons. Previous study reported that sulfur impregnated powdered activated carbons could effectively remove the vapor-phase elemental mercury (Hgo) emitted from MSW incinerators and utility power plants. However, the impregnated typically used is sulfur (S) which is solely applied for the adsorption of elemental mercury (Hgo). Besides, these studies seldom investigate the distribution of impregnated sulfur in the inner pores of activated carbon and its effects on the specific surface area and pore size distribution. Thus, this study was to investigate the fundamental mechanisms for the adsorption/desorption of HgCl2 by/from sulfur impregnated PAC. Experimental results indicated that the sulfur content of sulfur impregnated CBPAC decreased with increasing impregnation temperatures form 400 to 650 oC; while the surface area of sulfur impregnated CBPAC increased with impregnation temperatures. In this study, TGA was applied to obtain the adsorptive capacity of HgCl2 onto CBPAC with adsorption temperature (150oC) and influent HgCl2 concentration (100~500 £gg/m3). Experimental results indicated that the adsorptive capacity of CBPAC increased with the increase of influent HgCl2 concentration and surface area of the activated carbon. This study revealed that the impregnation of sulfur on CBPAC could increase its adsorption capacity at high temperatures. Desorption experimental parameters included desorption temperature (400, 500, and 600 oC), heating rate (10, 15, and 20 oC /min) and regeneration cycle (1~7 cycles). In probing into the regeneration efficiency of CBPAC, experiments were conducted at the desorption times of 60 and 30 min. The results suggested the regeneration efficiency of carbon under 30 min was generally highter than that under 60 min. Because the desorption time was more longer and the sulfur content was lesser. Therefore, the regeneration times was reduce. Experimental results indicated that the mechanism of HgCl2 desorption from the spent CPBAC was strongly affected by desorption temperature. Both the desorption efficiency and the desorption rate of HgCl2 increased dramatically with desorption temperature. The desorption heat of HgCl2 (823 KJ/mole) was much higher than the vaporization heat of HgCl2 (59.2 KJ/mole), indicating that the adsorption of HgCl2 on sulfur impregnated CBPAC was chemical adsorption. Consequently, raising desorption temperature could enhance the desorption of HgCl2 and shorten the duration for HgCl2 desorption. Moreover, the formation of HgS during the desorption of HgCl2 from activated carbons can be proved by the surface characteristics of sulfur impregnated activated carbons. Results obtained from the regeneration of sulfur impregnated activated carbons indicated that the regeneration cycles decreased as the desorption duration increased. It was attributed to the potential desorption of sulfur from actived carbons, which thus decreased the adsorptive capacity and the regeneration cycles.

Fuel cell is one of the most promising clean energy and alternative energy technologies due to its advantages of low emissions and high efficiency. One application of the fuel cell technology is onboard auxiliary power units (APUs) for power generation in aircrafts, ships, and automobiles. In order to supply hydrogen or syngas for the fuel cell APUs, onboard fuel processing technology was proposed to convert hydrocarbon fuels into syngas through reforming reactions. Two major tasks need to be completed in onboard fuel processing technology. Firstly sulfur compounds have to be removed from hydrocarbon fuels because sulfur can cause reforming catalyst deactivation and fuel cell electrodes poisoning problems. Secondly hydrogen and carbon monoxide shall be produced by reforming of hydrocarbon fuels at a high energy conversion efficiency. This dissertation focused on onboard fuel processing of Jet-A fuel to produce hydrogen and syngas for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) APUs. Jet-A fuel was studied because it is the logistic fuel commonly used for civilian airplanes and military heavy duty trucks. Ultra-deep adsorptive desulfurization of Jet-A fuel from over 1,000 ppmw to below 50 ppmw, and autothermal reforming of n-dodecane as a Jet-A fuel surrogate as well as the real desulfurized Jet-A fuel to produce syngas have been systematically investigated in the present study. For the adsorptive desulfurization of Jet-A fuel, a novel NiO-CeO₂/A1₂O₃-SiO₂ adsorbent was proposed and prepared in-house for experimental tests. The sulfur adsorption kinetic characteristic and isotherm at equilibrium were studied in batch tests, and the dynamic desulfurization performance of the adsorbent was investigated in fixed bed tests. Fixed bed tests operation conditions including liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV), adsorbent particle size, and fixed bed dimensions were optimized to achieve the highest adsorbent sulfur adsorption capacity. For the reforming of Jet-A fuel, autothermal reforming (ATR) method was employed and a bimetallic NiO-Rh catalyst was synthesized for the ATR reactions. A lab-scale 2.5 kWt autothermal reforming system including the reformer and balance-of-plant was designed, fabricated, integrated and tested. The reforming system performances at various operation conditions were compared. Reformer operation temperature, steam to carbon ratio and oxygen to carbon ratio, as well as pre-heating temperatures for fuel, air and steam were optimized based on system energy conversion efficiency, H₂ selectivity and COₓ selectivity.

A duloxetina (DLX) é um duplo inibidor seletivo balanceado da recaptação de serotonina e norepinefrina empregado para o tratamento do transtorno depressivo maior e para o manejo da dor neuropática diabética periférica. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver e validar métodos analíticos para determinação de DLX em cápsulas e realizar estudos da estabilidade do fármaco. A substância usada como padrão de referência nas análises foi caracterizada por espectroscopia no infravermelho, ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN), calorimetria diferencial de varredura e espectrometria de massas. As análises qualitativas foram realizadas por cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD), espectrofotometria na região do ultravioleta (UV) e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) permitindo a identificação do fármaco no produto farmacêutico. A espectrofotometria UV, CLAE e voltametria de redissolução catódica (CSV) foram validadas para determinação quantitativa de DLX em cápsulas. Estes métodos propostos foram específicos, robustos, lineares, precisos e exatos para determinação de DLX em microgrânulos de revestimento entérico. Estudos preliminares da estabilidade da DLX durante o desenvolvimento do método indicativo de estabilidade por CLAE demonstraram que o fármaco foi rapidamente degradado em meio ácido, na presença de peróxido de hidrogênio e de radiação a luz UVC, enquanto que este foi mais estável em meio alcalino. A cinética de degradação descreveu as mudanças na concentração da DLX em condição ácida e sob fotodegradação. A degradação ácida da DLX, em solução de HCl 0,1 M, mostrou cinética aparente de zero ordem e a fotodegradação demonstrou uma cinética aparente de primeira ordem. O produto de degradação principal observado na hidrólise ácida (PDA-14) foi analisado e isolado por CCD preparativa. Espectros de RMN-1H, RMN-13C e COSY foram avaliados e a estrutura do PDA-14 foi confirmada como 1-naftol. Esta substância produz efeitos citotóxicos e consequentemente o produto farmacêutico é uma cápsula de gelatina contendo microgrânulos com revestimento entérico para evitar a degradação ácida da DLX no estômago. / The duloxetine (DLX) is a double balanced selective serotonin and norepinephrinereuptake inhibitor employed for the treatment of major depressive disorder and for the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. The aim of this study was to develop and validate analytical methods to the determination of DLX in capsules and accomplish studies of this drug stability. The substance used as reference standard in the analysis was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, and mass spectrometry. The qualitative analyses were performed by thin layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowing the identification of the drug in pharmaceutical dosage form. The UV spectrophotometry, HPLC, and cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) were validated for quantitative determination of the DLX in capsules. These proposed methods were specific, robust, linear, precise, and accurate to the determination of DLX in entericcoated pellets. Preliminary studies of DLX stability during the development of stability-indicating HPLC method demonstrated that the drug was rapidly degraded in acid medium, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and light UVC radiation, while it was more stable in alkali medium. The kinetics of degradation described the concentration changes of DLX in acid condition and on photodegradation. The acid degradation of DLX in 0.1M HCl solution showed apparent zero-order kinetics and the photodegradation demonstrated apparent first-order kinetics. The main degradation product observed in acid hydrolysis (DP-14) was analyzed and isolated by TLC preparative. 1H NMR, 13C NMR and COSY spectra were evaluated and the structure of DP-14 was confirmed as 1-naphthol. This substance produces cytotoxic effects and consequently the finished pharmaceutical dosage form is a gelatin capsule containing enteric-coated pellets to avoid the acid degradation of DLX in the stomach.