RESUMO
The purpose of this research is to develop new polymeric composite materials from the flamboyant pod (Delonix Regia), an agricultural waste, with polyester as a matrix and to investigate their properties and application areas. The flamboyant pod particles of 75 µm were incorporated into the polyester resin with different loadings of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt%. The influence of the pod particles on mechanical and morphological properties was determined and investigated. The results showed that 10 wt.% gave the best results for tensile, impact, and flexural properties with values of 40.6 MPa, 4.6 kJ/mm2, and 86.82 MPa respectively, the values are however lower than the unfilled. The hardness properties increased with increasing filler loadings with values from 23.8 HV - 32.7 HV for 10 wt% - 50 wt% respectively. The micrographs of the fractured impact samples confirmed the 10 wt% filler loading having the best properties with homogenous dispersion of the flamboyant pod particles (FPP) within the polyester resin. It can be concluded that lightweight composites with reasonable properties have been developed at 10 wt % loading which is suitable for non-load bearing and indoor applications in the automotive and building industries as partition tops, walls, and boards owing to their saturation in water after 30 days of immersion. The flamboyant pod material can be further explored for added values with tougher polymer matrices.
RESUMO
Wilms' tumour originates predominantly in the renal tissue; in rare cases it can also arise from extra-renal sites accounting for 0.5-1% of cases of Wilms' tumours seen. A diagnosis of extra-renal Wilms' cannot be easily established with clinical and radiological features except when the histological facts are provided. Wilms' tumours arising from extra-renal sites may not be different in clinical features, protocol of treatment and outcome from a typical intra renal Wilms' tumour. A 2-year-old boy presented with an asymptomatic abdominal swelling for 3 months. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scans revealed an extra-renal mass. Intravenous urogram (IVU) showed prompt excretion bilaterally. Post excision histology of the tumour confirmed a Wilms' tumour.
