P. Alcantara

Characterization of Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) oil by absorption and emission spectroscopies

Amostras de oleo obtido do fruto do Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) foram caracterizadas por espectroscopia de absorcao e emissao. O espectro de absorcao foi obtido no intervalo de 300 a 2000 nm, enquanto o espectro de emissao foi analisado entre 400 e 800 nm, onde observamos varias bandas. Para melhor entender a complexidade destes espectros, tambem obtivemos os espectros de absorcao e emissao dos componentes majoritarios do oleo de Buriti. Correlacionando estes dados, apresentamos uma discussao sobre a origem das bandas observadas.

Low-temperature phase transformation studies in the stearic acid: C form.

This paper reports the temperature-dependent measurements in the C form of stearic acid. Raman scattering, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were performed at low temperatures. The polarized Raman spectra were measured for temperatures ranging from 8 to 300 K over the spectral range of 30-3000 cm(-1). The spectral changes observed in both the lattice vibrational modes and the internal vibrational modes regions of the Raman spectrum, allowed to identify a phase transition undergone by the stearic acid crystal occurring between 210 and 170 K and a change in the structure continues to be observed down to 8 K. The anharmonicity of some vibrational modes and the possible space groups presented by the crystal at low temperatures were also discussed. Low-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements were performed from 290 to 80 K and the results showed slight changes in the lattice parameters at ∼200 K. Furthermore, the evidence of the phase transformation was provided by the differential scanning calorimetry measurements, which identified an enthalpic anomaly at about 160 K.

Thermal lens spectrometry: Optimizing amplitude and shortening the transient time

Based on a model introduced by Shen et al. for cw laser induced mode-mismatched dual-beam thermal lens spectrometry (TLS), we explore the parameters related with the geometry of the laser beams and the experimental apparatus that influence the amplitude and time evolution of the transient thermal lens (TL) signal. By keeping the sample cell at the minimum waist of the excitation beam, our results show that high amplitude TL signals, very close to the optimized value, combined with short transient times may be obtained by reducing the curvature radius of the probe beam and the distance between the sample cell and the detector. We also derive an expression for the thermal diffusivity which is independent of the excitation laser beam waist, considerably improving the accuracy of the measurements. The sample used in the experiments was oleic acid, which is present in most of the vegetable oils and is very transparent in the visible spectral range.

Thermal Diffusivity of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Dispersed in Oleic Acid

Suspensions of oleic acid with carbon nanotubes were prepared. Using a thermal lens experimental setup, the thermal diffusivity of oleic acid in presence of multi-walled carbon nanoparticles with different concentrations was measured. The results show that, the thermal diffusivity increases with the increase of nanotubes concentration, enhancing the thermal diffusivity in the solution. Modification in the thermal diffusivity as function of quantity of carbon nanotubes was investigated, for a constant volume of oleic acid 10 mL. The diffusivities were obtained by using the thermal lens spectrometry technique. The characteristic time constant of the transient thermal lens was obtained by fitting the theoretical expression to the experimental data.

New approach for piezoelectric resonances and phase transitions in KDP and ADP crystals

In this work we introduce a new experimental setup, called here the three-electrode system (TES), which is very useful for analyzing and comparing piezoelectric crystals, as well as for studying their phase transitions and measuring their piezoelectric coefficients. ADP and KDP, which are very well-known crystals, were used in this work as good examples of piezo-crystals. The principal characteristic of TES is the application of an electric field to a small region of the crystal and the observation of the electric field at another region, usually located at the extremes of the crystal. In this way we can see several interesting effects, like piezoelectric resonances, phase transitions and harmonic generation, which are dependent on voltage and frequency conditions. We consider the piezoelectric concept in developing a mathematical model for the generated elastic wave, starting at the excitation electrode and traveling to the second electrode, where the signal depends on the piezoelectric coefficient. Our results have shown that this technique is very efficient for the determination of phase transitions.

EFFECT OF IMPURITIES ON THE DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF OLEIC ACID

Temperature dependence of the dielectric constant of oleic acid with different degrees of purity was measured in the 233–313 K range. It was observed that the presence of impurities (palmitic and linolenic acids) strongly influences the dielectric constant, melting point and dipole moment of the oleic acid. The values of apparent dipole moment and the Kirkwood correlation parameters were evaluated using the Kirkwoods model and were estimated to be about 1.20, 1.61 and 2.27 D, respectively for 60, 90 and 97 wt% oleic acid.