Special Molecular Distillation Prototype To Characterization Petroleum Residue

Due to the importance and to need in studies with heavy and extra heavy petroleum and its residues, it was designed and built up by the oil research group of LOPCA/LDPS/FEQ/UNICAMP, in partnership with the Laboratory of Valuation Processes of CENPES/PETROBRAS a pilot plant falling film molecular distillation (national prototype), where some specific operational facilities were introduced. This project resulted in a suitable system for distillation of products of high molecular weight and thermally sensitive, without degradation of them. For the assay of the properties of petroleum and petroleum products, the use of the true boiling point (TBP) distillation analysis is accepted as a common practice; however, for heavy petroleum fractions, some difficulties appear for determination of TBP of these petroleum fractions. The determination of TBP is well established for petroleum fractions that reach the TBP up to 565°C through ASTM. Even so, for higher temperatures, there is not yet a standard methodology. In this way, methodologies were established for the determination of the true boiling point for heavy fractions of petroleum above 565 °C, where it was possible to reach values up to 700 °C, representing a considerable progress in the analyses of heavy petroleum fractions. Using national falling film molecular distillation equipment, experiments were performed with atmospheric residue ETA 400 °C+, where operating temperatures were increased systematically. With results found, it was possible to extend the curve TBP until temperatures close to 700 °C. Copyright © 2009, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.1716031608American Society of Testing and Materials, 1999a, ASTM D 2892: Distillation of Crude Petroleum (15-Theoretical Plate Column). Annual Handbook of ASTM Standards 05.01American Society of Testing and Materials, 1999b, ASTM D 5236: Distillation of Heavy Hydrocarbon Mixtures (Vacuum Potstill Method). Annual Handbook of ASTM Standards 05.01Batistella, C.B., Sbaite, P., Wolf Maciel, M.R., Maciel Filho, R., Winter, A., Gomes, A., Medina, L., Kunert, R., Heavy petroleum Fractions Characterization: A New Approach Through Molecular Distillation (2005) 2nd Mercosul Congress on Chemical Engineering & 4th Mercosul Congress on Process Systems Engineering, , Costa Verde, RJ, BrazilBatistella, C.B., Wolf Maciel, M.R., Maciel Filho, R., Rigorous Modeling and Simulation of Molecular Distillations: Development of a Simulator under Conditions Non Ideality of the Vapour Phase (2000) Computers & Chemical Engineering, 24, pp. 1309-1315Maciel Filho R., Wolf Maciel M.R. and Batistella C. B, 2001, FRAMOL Project, UNICAMP/CENPES/PETROBRAS/FINEP, 2001Roussis, S.G., Fitzgerald, W.P., Gas Chromatographic Simulated Distillation-Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of the Boiling Point Distributions of Crude Oils (2000) Anal. Chem, 72, pp. 1400-1409Sbaite, P., Batistella, C.B., Winter, A., Vasconselos, C.J.G., Wolf Maciel, M.R., Maciel Filho, R., Gomes, A., Kunert, R., Evaluation of Atmospheric and Vacuum Residues Using Molecular Distillation and Optimization (2006) Petroleum Science and Technology, 24 (3-4), pp. 275-283Yang, G., Wang, R.A., The Supercritical Fluid Extractive Fractionation and the Characterization of Heavy Oils and Petroleum Residua (1999) Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 22, pp. 47-5

Influence of a probiotic on broiler performance

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of a probiotic product (composition: Lactobacillus acidophillus (3.5 × 10(11) CFU), Streptcoccus faecium (3.5 × 10(11) CFU) and Bifidobacterium bifidum (3.5 × 10(11) CFU)) on broiler performance. A total of 1200 one-day-old broilers were reared until 42 days of age, and distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with 3 treatments (antibiotic, probiotic and control) with 10 replicates of 40 birds each. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality were evaluated. Concerning weight gain, in the periods of 0-7 and 0-14 days of age, the group fed the antibiotic product presented higher values as compared with the other treatments. However, in the periods of 0-21, 0-28 and 0-35 days of age, birds fed the antibiotic presented higher weight gain only in relation to the control group. Feed intake differences were detected only in the initial period of 0-7 days of age, with the group fed the antibiotic product presenting higher feed intake as compared with that fed the probiotic product, although these groups were not different from the control group. No statistical difference was detected in feed conversion ratio among treatments in any of the evaluated age intervals. Mortality was different only in the period of 0-14 days of age, which was higher in the control group as compared with that of the birds fed the probiotic product, but it was not different from the group receiving the antibiotic. Treatment with probiotic product containing Lactobacillus acidophillus, Streptococcus faecium and Bifidobacterium bifidum does not affect broiler performance