Evaluación de la degradación de una membrana de polipropileno modificada con monómeros naturales

Las membranas poliméricas tienen una gran variedad de aplicaciones principalmente en el tratamiento de aguas residuales, sin embargo debido a las características propias de algunos de los polímeros, las aplicaciones de este tipo de membranas se ven limitadas, además de que en cuanto termina su tiempo de vida útil como membrana favorece la generación de residuos plásticos los cuales debido a su estabilidad tienen un largo tiempo de degradación. Es por ello que, es de suma importancia el brindarle a los polímeros que componen las membranas características que les permitan tener no solo aplicaciones como filtros, sino como soportes de nanopartículas, o filtros los cuales permitan la selectividad del contaminante a retener. Así mismo, debido a las tendencias hacia la sustentabilidad, se hace necesario la disminución de residuos sintéticos, sustituyéndolos por materiales amigables con el ambiente o modificándolos con materiales biodegradables. Por lo tanto el presente trabajo de investigación muestra la modificación de una membrana polimérica de polipropileno utilizando monómeros naturales como celulosa, almidón, quitosano y aceite de soya; las cuales fueron caracterizadas con técnicas analíticas como BET, MEB-EDS, análisis elemental por combustión, ángulo de contacto y FTIR-ATR. Además se evaluaron las propiedades mecánicas como elasticidad y dureza, con el fin de verificar si existen mejoras estructurales en las membranas modificadas. Por último se aplicaron técnicas de degradación físicas, químicas y biológicas a cada una de las membranas modificadas con el fin de determinar el tipo de degradación adecuado para estos materiales. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la modificación del polipropileno es posible mediante la reacción de fotopolimerización por injerto, dando diferentes propiedades dependiendo de polímero injertado, favoreciendo además sus propiedades mecánicas y su hidrofilicidad. En cuanto a la degradación, se encontró que el mejor método para llevar a cabo la degradación del polipropileno el método que arrojó los mejores resultados fue la degradación combinada por método físico y biológico ya que, al combinar los dos métodos de degradación se observaron tasas más altas de oxidación en el polipropileno; en comparación con los métodos únicos como el ultrasónico o el biológico.SIYEA, UAEMEX

Darwin's Geological Research in Argentina

On the occasion of the 200th. anniversary of Charles Darwin´s birth, the Asociación Geológica Argentina decided to prepare a special issue devoted to the geological research undertaken by Darwin in Argentina. As it is well known, during his journeys on board HMS Beagle under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy, he had the opportunity to survey overland different areas of South America. Darwin spent nearly three years - between August 1832 and April 1835 - visiting and studying different regions of our country. The aim of this special issue is to analyze his important geological observations and to emphasize the validity of many of his ideas under a 21st Century perspective. In order to accomplish this aim, several key localities that Darwin examined from a geological point of view during his voyage were selected. Such an analysis was carried out by several geologists and paleontologists well acquainted with the diverse problems that Darwin faced along his journeys in Argentina.Fil: Ramos, Victor Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentin

Radiocarbon reservoir ages and hardwater effect for the northeastern coastal waters of Argentina.

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates were obtained for 18 mollusk shells collected alive along the Buenos Aires province coast, Argentina, over the period AD 1914–1935. Reservoir ages were estimated for all samples on the basis of the tree-ring calibration curve for the Southern Hemisphere (SHCal04, McCormac et al. 2004) and the marine ΔR values calculated as the difference between the conventional 14C age and the age deduced from the marine, mixedlayer model calculation (Marine04, Hughen et al. 2004). For most coastal locations, a great ΔR scatter was observed, ranging from 191 to 2482 yr, which is explained by the input of varying content of dissolved carbonate by rivers and groundwater (“hardwater effect”) and indicates a serious limitation for shell-based 14C chronologies. Within the interior of Bahía Blanca estuary, ΔR values ranged from –40 to 50 ± 46 as a consequence of the local geological particularities of the environment. This suggests that, with some restrictions, the marine calibration curve with standard parameters (ΔR = 0) could be used at this location.Fil: Gomez, Eduardo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Borel, Claudia Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, Marina Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Daniel Emilio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Critical exponents of the yielding transition of amorphous solids

We investigate numerically the yielding transition of a two-dimensional model amorphous solid under external shear. We use a scalar model in terms of values of the total local strain, derived from the full (tensorial) description of the elastic interactions in the system, in which plastic deformations are accounted for by introducing a stochastic "plastic disorder" potential. This scalar model is seen to be equivalent to a collection of Prandtl-Tomlinson particles, which are coupled through an Eshelby quadrupolar kernel. Numerical simulations of this scalar model reveal that the strain rate versus stress curve, close to the critical stress, is of the form γ∼(σ-σc)β. Remarkably, we find that the value of β depends on details of the microscopic plastic potential used, confirming and giving additional support to results previously obtained with the full tensorial model. To rationalize this result, we argue that the Eshelby interaction in the scalar model can be treated to a good approximation in a sort of "dynamical" mean field, which corresponds to a Prandtl-Tomlinson particle that is driven by the applied strain rate in the presence of a stochastic noise generated by all other particles. The dynamics of this Prandtl-Tomlinson particle displays different values of the β exponent depending on the analytical properties of the microscopic potential, thus giving support to the results of the numerical simulations. Moreover, we find that other critical exponents that depend on details of the dynamics show also a dependence with the form of the disorder, while static exponents are independent of the details of the disorder. Finally, we show how our scalar model relates to other elastoplastic models and to the widely used mean-field version known as the Hébraud-Lequeux model.Fil: Fernández Aguirre, I.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Jagla, Eduardo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentin

Logistics for aggregates (gravel and sand) in large urban centers

Uma das necessidades básicas do ser humano é a habitação. O elemento básico é o concreto, a pedra artificial, que demanda grandes quantidades de agregados como areia e brita. Tanto a areia como as rochas que originam a brita são abundantes na natureza e, por isso, têm baixo valor agregado. Em virtude dessa condição, o custo logístico de transporte do porto de areia e da pedreira até chegar ao local de sua utilização onera, significativamente, o seu preço final. Medidas restritivas adotadas, nos grandes centros urbanos, como a proibição de circulação dos veículos de carga em determinadas áreas, horários preestabelecidos, rodízio municipal e especificação de tipos e tamanhos dos veículos, provocam a necessidade de uma frota maior e mais diversificada, além de maior quantidade pessoal.One of the human being's basic needs is housing. In Brazil, the basic element for this is concrete, artificial stone, which demands a great amount of aggregates, such as sand and gravel. The sand and rocks are abundant in nature and gravel can be produced at low cost. However, transportation to the area of product utilization can be an incremental factor in the final cost logistics. Both sand and gravel have expressive price variations, which are not necessarily related to mining activities, but to logistic activities, mainly their distribution. Restrictive measures adopted in large urban centers, such as prohibition of hauling trucks in certain areas or during certain hours, alternate license plate end number system (even number plate ending can circulate on even-numbered days and visa versa), and axle-control, generate a need for a larger and more diversified fleet, not to mention more employees