Análisis de la superficie de cultivo para la producción de bioplásticos

El presente trabajo establece el potencial de mercado de los Bioplásticos (BPL), en tres escenarios: Escenario CB (crecimiento bajo), Escenario CM (crecimiento medio) y Escenario CR (crecimiento rápido). El objetivo final es Obtener las superficies de cultivo necesarias para satisfacer la demanda de las empresas productoras de BPL, según los tres escenarios. Las regiones geográficas estudiadas son: La Unión Europea (UE-27), Estados Unidos (EE.UU) y la región de Asia-Pacífico, entendiéndose, que esta última región comprende la parte del Centro, Este y Sur de Asia, además de Australia y Nueva Zelanda. Son las principales zonas donde se encuentran las empresas productoras de los BPL estudiados. Más del 95% de los BPL son elaborados en estas regiones. Se han realizado tres proyecciones para los años 2010, 2015 y 2020

Mechanical characterization and validation of biocomposites in small ship hull construction. Life Cycle Assessment

Actualmente, la mayoría de las embarcaciones de pequeña eslora se fabrican mediante laminación manual de resina poliéster reforzada con fibra de vidrio. Los principales inconvenientes de la utilización de estos materiales compuestos son: la dependencia de los hidrocarburos para la síntesis de las resinas, el elevado coste energético para la obtención de la fibra de vidrio y la emisión de compuestos volátiles nocivos en el proceso de fabricación. En el presente trabajo, se analizan las ventajas de utilizar laminados de resina de origen renovable reforzada con fibra natural de lino. Para ello, se preparan probetas normalizadas y se someten a ensayos mecánicos de tracción y flexión. A partir de las propiedades obtenidas, se diseña una embarcación de eslora menor de 24 metros siguiendo las indicaciones de la norma internacional ISO 12215-5. Los resultados indican que pese a necesitar mayores espesores de laminado, el peso final de la embarcación se reduce un 12% utilizando biocomposites. El análisis por Elementos Finitos (FEM) subraya la posibilidad de optimizar estructuralmente el diseño de la embarcación. Finalmente, el Análisis del Ciclo de Vida (ACV) pone de manifiesto una mejora medioambiental de la embarcación fabricada con biocomposite frente a la fibra de vidrio. Sin embargo, dicha mejora está limitada por la transformación de suelos y la elevada huella hídrica de la fibra de lino en su proceso productivo.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Identification of Degraded Land in the Canary Islands; Tests and Reviews

Degraded Land is an area that either by natural causes (fires, floods, storms or volcanic eruptions) or more by direct or indirect causes of human action, has been altered or modified from its natural state. Restoration is an activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem. It can be defined as the set of actions taken in order to reverse or reduce the damage caused in the territory. In the case of the Canary Islands there is a high possibility for the territory to suffer processes that degrade the environment, given that the islands are very fragile ecosystems. Added to this they are territories isolated from the continent, which complicates the process of restoring them. In this paper, the different types of common degraded areas in the Canary Islands are identified, as well as the proposed solutions for remediation, such as afforestation of agricultural land or landfill closure and restoration

TEACHING STRATEGIES IN THE MSc PROGRAME IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESTORATION ON DEGRADED LAND

UPM is a leader on landslide assessment and environmental restoration, as well as in waste management. The study of climate change and degraded land requires innovative techniques in teaching that will be analyzed and discussed in the following paper

Analysis and Potential of Use of Biomass Energy in Canary Islands, Spain

Biomass has always been associated with the development of the population in the Canary Islands as the first source of elemental energy that was in the archipelago and the main cause of deforestation of forests, which over the years has been replaced by forest fossil fuels. The Canary Islands store a large amount of energy in the form of biomass. This may be important on a small scale for the design of small power plants with similar fuels from agricultural activities, and these plants could supply rural areas that could have self-sufficiency energy. The problem with the Canary Islands for a boost in this achievement is to ensure the supply to the consumer centers or power plants for greater efficiency that must operate continuously, allowing them to have a resource with regularity, quality and at an acceptable cost. In the Canary Islands converge also a unique topography with a very rugged terrain that makes it greater difficult to use and significantly more expensive. In this work all these aspects are studied, giving conclusions, action paths and theoretical potentials

PREPARATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE MSc PROGRAME IN ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

Authors proposed an MSc Program related to Environmental Security and Management. This program endeavors to prepare students for the regional and global postgraduate job market

Tutoring and mentoring project for foreign students of forest engineering degrees

We present an innovative educational project dedicated to improve the academic performance of foreign students by enhancing the integration of international students during their academic attendance in the programs offered at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid?s School of Forest Engineering (Spain)

Biomass and essential oil yields of cornmint (Mentha arvensis L.) grown in the irrigation area of Río Dulce, Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

The aim of this study is to determine the yield and composition of the essential oil of cornmint (Mentha arvensis L.) grown in the irrigation area of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Field tests were carried out under irrigation conditions, harvesting when 70% flowering was reached (in the summer and at the end of the winter seasons). Essential oil yields were 2% in the first cut and 1.6% in the second cut, respectively, the major constituents of the essential oil being menthol, menthone, isomenthone and menthofuran. In both cases, a high concentration of menthol was obtained, although during the winter the content decreased, increasing the concentration of menthofuran. It is concluded that during the summer a higher yield and better quality of essential oil are produced

CARACTERIZACIÓN A IMPACTO BIAXIAL DE BAJA ENERGÍA DE BIOCOMPOSITES. INFLUENCIA DE LA INMERSIÓN EN AGUA DE MAR

En el presente trabajo se ha realizado un estudio del daño progresivo a impacto de dos biocomposites fabricados mediante el proceso de infusión de resina de origen renovable (SuperSap®) reforzada con dos fibras naturales bidireccionales: lino y yute, ambas con un gramaje de 300 g/m2. El estudio se realizó en dos etapas sucesivas: en la primera se sometió a ambos materiales a impacto controlado y en la segunda, tras inmersión en agua de mar, se realizó un segundo test de impacto. Los resultados han puesto de manifiesto una mayor capacidad de disipación de energía en el biocomposite reforzado con lino que se atribuye a un proceso de plastificación por efecto de la inmersión de agua de mar. Por el contrario, el biocomposite de yute presenta menor tolerancia al daño en condiciones de absorción de humedad

Influence of seawater immersion in low energy impact behavior of a novel colombian fique fiber reinforced bio-resin laminate

This experimental work is aimed at the influence of seawater immersion in low impact energy behavior of a novel Colombian fique fiber reinforced bio-resin laminate. Such material was manufactured by vacuum infusion. The specimens were immersed in seawater during a bioactivity period of six months. Low energy impact tests were performed in order to obtain the penetration and perforation threshold according to energy profiles. The damage extent was characterized by means of Ultrasonics. Tensile stress tests were also performed and the breaking surfaces were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results revealed that the new biocomposite, after seawater immersion, has higher penetration and perforation thresholds than the biocomposite without immersion. Tensile test results show stiffness lost and increase of elongation at break. This behavior of the immersed biocomposite is due to a plasticization process of the material