Growth of Paecilomyces variotii in B0 (diesel), B100 (biodiesel) and B7 (blend), degradation and molecular detection

AbstractThe introduction of biodiesel to diesel may allow the fuel to be more susceptible to microorganism growth, especially during incorrect storage. To evaluate the effect of adding biodiesel in pure diesel on the growth of Paecilomyces variotii, microcosms containing pure diesel (B0), blend diesel/biodiesel (B7) and pure biodiesel (B100) were used. In microcosm with minimal mineral medium and B0, B7 or B100, after 60 days, the biomass (dry weight) formed at interface oil-water in B7 and B100 was significantly higher when compared to that of B0. Infrared analysis showed reduction of the carbonile fraction in B7 and B100 suggesting formation of intermediate compounds in B7. To monitor possible contamination of fuel storage tank by P. variotii samples were collected and analysed by specific-PCR assay for detection of P. variotii spores in the aqueous phase. This method was able to detect a minimum of 103 spores ml–1, corresponding to 0.0144 ng µl–1 of DNA. Specificity was tested against Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudallescheria boydii

Preparation and characterization of polyurethanes from spinifex resin based bio-polymer

In this paper we explore the preparation of polyurethanes from spinifex resin biopolymer. Polyurethanes were prepared by both one-shot and pre-polymer (two step) processes. Attenuated total reflection—Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed urethane bond formation in both processes, and the peak intensity for N–H stretching was more sharp when the network was prepared by the pre-polymer method. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that the molecular weight of synthesized polyurethane increased with respect to the resin starting material, and the molecular weight was further increased when polyurethane was synthesized by the pre-polymer method. The glass transition temperature was also increased for the polyurethanes as compared with the starting resin. Thermo-gravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal stability of the PU-spinifex resin was reduced at intermediate temperatures due to the urethane bond formation. However, thermal degradation properties were superior at higher temperatures due to the cyclization degradation reaction of spinifex-polyurethane