Silage Characteristics of Sugarcane (\u3cem\u3eSacchrum officinarum\u3c/em\u3e) Tops in Sri Lanka

Sugarcane tops (SCTs) is generally known to be a major byproduct of sugarcane industry which is currently not utilized in a profitable manner and it is widely available at low cost particularly during the dry period in Sri Lanka when the forage are scarce for feeding of ruminants. Usually, the residue after sugarcane harvesting contains dry leaves, fresh leaves and growing point of the stalk. It increases drying of leaves in the field within 2 to 3 days after harvesting due to dry weather conditions prevailing in the harvesting period and much of the tops are burned and wasted in the field. Therefore, it is difficult to use tops as feed unless they are preserved. Silage making is a good preservation technique which can be used under this condition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the ensiling characteristics and nutritive value of SCTs or Guinea (Panicum maximum) ‘A’ grass with different additives

Processo de organofilização de vermiculia brasileira com cloreto de cetiltrimetilamônio Organophilization process of Brazilian vermiculite with cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride

A vermiculita, argila da família dos aluminossilicatos 2:1 proveniente do estado de Goiás, Brasil, foi utilizada para a produção de uma argila organofílica. A vermiculita foi primeiramente submetida ao tratamento com cloreto de sódio para a obtenção de uma argila homoiônica sódica. A argila organofílica foi, então, obtida a partir da síntese com o sal de amônio quaternário, cloreto de cetiltrimetil amônio. As argilas, tratada com o sal orgânico e a não tratada, foram caracterizadas por espectrometria de fluorescência de raios X, espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho, difração de raios X e análise termogravimétrica. Os resultados de fluorescência de raios X evidenciaram a mudança na composição química da vermiculita após as reações de troca com NaCl e sal orgânico. Os resultados obtidos por espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho mostraram a presença dos grupos característicos do sal na argila e os de difração de raios X confirmaram sua intercalação entre as camadas da argila. Os resultados de análise termogravimétrica mostraram que a argila organofílica apresentou outras faixas de decomposição, além daquelas apresentadas pela vermiculita natural, correspondentes à decomposição do sal de amônio quaternário.<br>The vermiculite (VMT), 2:1 aluminosilicate family clay from the state of Goiás, Brazil, was used for the production of an organophilic clay. First, the VMT was treated with sodium chloride to obtain the homo-ionic sodium clay. The organophilic clay was, then, obtained from the reaction with the quaternary ammonium salt, cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride. The clay treated with organic salt and the untreated one were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of XRF evidenced the change in the chemical composition of the VMT after the exchange reactions with NaCl and the organic salt. The FTIR results showed the presence of the characteristic groups of the salt in the clay and the XRD confirmed the intercalation among the layers of the clay. The TGA results demonstrated that the organophlic clay presented other bands of decomposition, besides those presented by natural VMT, corresponding to the decomposition of the quaternary ammonium salt