Conversion of waste produced by the deodorization of palm oil as feedstock for the production of biodiesel using a catalyst prepared from waste material.

The distillate produced by deodorization of palm oil (DDPO) is a waste that corresponds to 4% of the product formed in this process. DDPO is 83% free of fatty acids (FFA), making it a good material for biodiesel production. In this paper, a catalyst prepared from a waste material, Amazon flint kaolin, was used for the esterification of DDPO with methanol. Leached metakaolin treated at 950°C and activated with 4M sulfuric acid (labeled as MF9S4) offered maximum esterification activity (92.8%) at 160°C with a DDPO:methanol molar ratio of 1:60 and a 4-h reaction time. The influences of reaction parameters, such as the molar ratio of the reactants, alcohol chain length, temperature, time and the presence of glycerides and unsaponifiable matter, have also been investigated. Based on the catalytic results, esterification of DDPO using MF9S4 can be a cheaper alternative for production of sustainable fuels.

Sistema de multimidia para comunicacao surdo-surdo e surdo-ouvinte em linguas brasileira e americana de sinais via redes de computador / Multimedia Communications System for the Deaf on Brazilian and American Sign Language through Computer Networks

Um sistema de multimidia para comunicacao via redes de computador e descrito. Permite comunicacao entre surdos, e entre surdos e ouvintes. Contem milhares de sinais da Lingua Brasileira de Sinais emparelhados aos sinais da Lingua Americana de Sinais, bem como suas palavras correspondentes em portugues e ingles nas formas escrita e falada. Os sinais sao distribuidos em categorias semanticas, e podem ser selecionados para compor frases por meio de aparelhos de imput alternativo, tais como telas-sensiveis-ao-toque, detectores de sopro, movimento, direcao do olhar, ou gemidos. Alem de comunicacao, o sistema permite redigir relatorios, proferir discursos, e aprender lingua de sinais