This thesis is missing page 89, no other copy of the thesis has this page. -Digitization Centre / The vanadium mediated electrolysis of hydrogen sulphide has been demonstrated in a bench top pilot plant. The first step in the process is the absorption of hydrogen sulphide from a sour gas stream into an carbonate buffered liquor, pH 9. In the presence of citrate ion, the vanadium (V) in the liquor is reduced to vanadium (IV) by (hydro) sulphide ion, which is oxidized to yellow elemental sulphur. The vanadium (IV) rich solution is then pumped to an electrolysis cell where the vanadium (IV) is reoxidized to vanadium (V) and protons are reduced to elemental hydrogen. The reoxidized liquor is then returned to the absorber. The oxidation of vanadium (IV) to vanadium (V) in the liquor was found to be electrochemically irreversible. The current efficiency for vanadium (IV) oxidation exceeded 90 percent. The voltametric half-wave potential at platinum, was 0.34 v (vs Ag/AgCl, sat. KC1). With the slippage of sulphide or polysulphide ion into the electrolysis cells, the electrodes became passivated with electrodeposited sulphur. This resulted in an increased anode potential demand which may promote the electrosynthesis of oxygen and sulphate ion. The oxidation of vanadium (IV) at the anode releases 4 protons and acidifies the solution adjacent the electrode surface. This may induce carbon dioxide evolution and inhibit the discharge of vanadium (IV). The inhibition appears as a suppressed current and an anodic shift in the voltametric half-wave potential. This inhibition can be minimized at high pH levels in the liquor, buffer capacity., and citrate concentration. The irreversibility of the vanadium (IV/V) couple allows electrolysis cells to be constructed without a cell membrane. This is a significant advantage which will offset the cost of large electrolysis cells. Large cells will enable high energy efficiencies to hydrogen production to be realized. Energy efficiencies greater than 0.28 m3 /kwhr may be indicated. This study features a critical review of sulphide electro-oxidation, a factorial designed voltametric experiment, and a newly identified catalytic response in the polarographic analysis of sulphide ion. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Esta tese enfocou a validação de um sistema de recirculação para estudos de digestibilidade de camarões marinhos e a determinação dos coeficientes de digestibilidade de ingredientes protéicos em diferentes níveis de inclusão para a elaboração de dietas para camarões marinhos. O sistema de recirculação compreendeu o projeto de um tanque para estudos de digestibilidade com camarões e entre os diferentes sistemas avaliados, o Guelph-L foi o mais eficiente porque combinou uma alta eficiência de remoção de sólidos com um melhor perfil de velocidade da água e menor distância percorrida pelas partículas de fezes ou alimento não consumido. Os ensaios de digestibilidade com os seis ingredientes protéicos: farinha de peixe (FPX), concentrado protéico de soja (CPS), farinha de vísceras de frango (FVI), glúten de milho (GLM), farinha de carne e ossos (FCO) e farinha de penas hidrolisadas (PEN) incluídos na dieta referência nos níveis de 10, 20 e 30% mostraram que a digestibilidade aparente dos ingredientes foi significativamente influenciada pelo seu nível de inclusão nas dietas teste e esta influência foi mais intensa nos ingredientes glúten de milho e farinha de vísceras de frango, que apresentaram maiores desbalanços de aminoácidos. Os ingredientes que apresentaram os maiores coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente para a matéria-seca, proteína bruta, energia bruta e disponibilidade de aminoácidos foram a FPX e o CPS, enquanto que os menores custos para a proteína e energia digestível foram a FCO, CPS e PEN. O crescimento, sobrevivência e conversão dos camarões alimentar foram significativamente influenciados pelo tipo de ingrediente teste nas dietas, mas não pelo nível de inclusão e apresentaram a seguinte ordem de crescimento em g semana-1: FPX > CPS > PEN > FVI > FCO > GLM. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente das dietas descreveram melhor o crescimento semanal do que os coeficientes de digestibilidade dos ingredientes, apesar da fraca correlação. / This thesis focused on the validation of an aquaculture recirculation system (RAS) for shrimp digestibility studies and the determination of the digestibility coefficients of protein sources at different inclusion levels for shrimp feeds. The recirculation system for digestibility studies proved to be adequate for its purpose and shrimp growth rates was equal to or higher than those experienced in the farms. The recirculated system comprised the Project of a tank for shrimp digestibility studies with marine shrimp which permitted the output of high quality faecal samples in quantity, reliability in the shorter time as possible. Among the systems evaluated the Guelph-L was the most efficient as it combined a high solids removal efficiency with an reasonable water velocity profile and the shortest distance for the feces and feed particles from the tank bottom to the collection tube. The digestibility trials were conducted with six protein sources: fish meal (FPX), soy protein concentrate (CPS), poultry by product meal (FVI), corn gluten meal (GLM), meat and bone meal (FCO) and hydrolyzed feather meal (PEN) at the inclusion rates of 10, 20 and 30% showed that the apparent digestibility of the protein sources was significantly affected by their inclusion levels in the test diets and this effect was more intense for the protein sources corn gluten meal and poultry by product meal, that displayed the greatest amino acids imbalance. The ingredients that presented the highest coefficients for the apparent dry matter, protein and energy digestibility and amino acids availability was fish meal and soy protein concentrate and the lowest cost for the digestible protein and energy was meat and bone meal, soy protein concentrate and hydrolyzed feather meal. The growth rates, survival and economical feed conversion ratio was significantly affected by the ingredient type, contrary to the inclusion level, and presented the following growth rate in g week-1 order: FPX > CPS > PEN > FVI > FCO > GLM. The diet apparent digestibility coefficients described weekly growth rate better than ingredient apparent digestibility coefficients, despite the weak correlation.

Esta tese enfocou a validação de um sistema de recirculação para estudos de digestibilidade de camarões marinhos e a determinação dos coeficientes de digestibilidade de ingredientes protéicos em diferentes níveis de inclusão para a elaboração de dietas para camarões marinhos. O sistema de recirculação compreendeu o projeto de um tanque para estudos de digestibilidade com camarões e entre os diferentes sistemas avaliados, o Guelph-L foi o mais eficiente porque combinou uma alta eficiência de remoção de sólidos com um melhor perfil de velocidade da água e menor distância percorrida pelas partículas de fezes ou alimento não consumido. Os ensaios de digestibilidade com os seis ingredientes protéicos: farinha de peixe (FPX), concentrado protéico de soja (CPS), farinha de vísceras de frango (FVI), glúten de milho (GLM), farinha de carne e ossos (FCO) e farinha de penas hidrolisadas (PEN) incluídos na dieta referência nos níveis de 10, 20 e 30% mostraram que a digestibilidade aparente dos ingredientes foi significativamente influenciada pelo seu nível de inclusão nas dietas teste e esta influência foi mais intensa nos ingredientes glúten de milho e farinha de vísceras de frango, que apresentaram maiores desbalanços de aminoácidos. Os ingredientes que apresentaram os maiores coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente para a matéria-seca, proteína bruta, energia bruta e disponibilidade de aminoácidos foram a FPX e o CPS, enquanto que os menores custos para a proteína e energia digestível foram a FCO, CPS e PEN. O crescimento, sobrevivência e conversão dos camarões alimentar foram significativamente influenciados pelo tipo de ingrediente teste nas dietas, mas não pelo nível de inclusão e apresentaram a seguinte ordem de crescimento em g semana-1: FPX > CPS > PEN > FVI > FCO > GLM. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente das dietas descreveram melhor o crescimento semanal do que os coeficientes de digestibilidade dos ingredientes, apesar da fraca correlação. / This thesis focused on the validation of an aquaculture recirculation system (RAS) for shrimp digestibility studies and the determination of the digestibility coefficients of protein sources at different inclusion levels for shrimp feeds. The recirculation system for digestibility studies proved to be adequate for its purpose and shrimp growth rates was equal to or higher than those experienced in the farms. The recirculated system comprised the Project of a tank for shrimp digestibility studies with marine shrimp which permitted the output of high quality faecal samples in quantity, reliability in the shorter time as possible. Among the systems evaluated the Guelph-L was the most efficient as it combined a high solids removal efficiency with an reasonable water velocity profile and the shortest distance for the feces and feed particles from the tank bottom to the collection tube. The digestibility trials were conducted with six protein sources: fish meal (FPX), soy protein concentrate (CPS), poultry by product meal (FVI), corn gluten meal (GLM), meat and bone meal (FCO) and hydrolyzed feather meal (PEN) at the inclusion rates of 10, 20 and 30% showed that the apparent digestibility of the protein sources was significantly affected by their inclusion levels in the test diets and this effect was more intense for the protein sources corn gluten meal and poultry by product meal, that displayed the greatest amino acids imbalance. The ingredients that presented the highest coefficients for the apparent dry matter, protein and energy digestibility and amino acids availability was fish meal and soy protein concentrate and the lowest cost for the digestible protein and energy was meat and bone meal, soy protein concentrate and hydrolyzed feather meal. The growth rates, survival and economical feed conversion ratio was significantly affected by the ingredient type, contrary to the inclusion level, and presented the following growth rate in g week-1 order: FPX > CPS > PEN > FVI > FCO > GLM. The diet apparent digestibility coefficients described weekly growth rate better than ingredient apparent digestibility coefficients, despite the weak correlation.