Development and validation of a prototype for the on-line simultaneous analysis of quality caprolactam synthesized on an industrial scale.

Caprolactam is a highly useful monomer obtained through the Beckmann arrangement, which generates large profits worldwide and is widely used in different industries. During the synthesis process, various components can be generated that weaken the quality of the final product, to have control of the monomer, monitoring is carried out during the synthesis and characterization of the final product. These characterizations generally take time due to the different techniques that must be performed to obtain the data. In this work, a method is designed that associates different techniques to reduce the number of steps carried out in the tests to determine the quality of the material, optimize the times and generate a quality and efficient process in a shorter time, in addition, it is due to a semi-automated system for the simultaneous characterization of caprolactam, which, according to the statistical data obtained for sodium, iron, volatile bases, and moisture analysis were reproducible. The developed prototype had 21 on-line valves that allowed taking the representative volumes of samples and reagents necessary for each measurement. There is excellent linearity where the correlation coefficient has values between 0,9992 and 1. The values obtained for the relative error are between 0.18 and 2.24% for laboratory tests using the traditional method and between 0.21 and 3.83% for tests carried out using the prototype. The P value of the evaluation of the means was 0.997, indicating that the means are not statistically different.•Caprolactam analysis•Process optimization•Determination of impurities.

Detection of Bisphenol A and Four Analogues in Atmospheric Emissions in Petrochemical Complexes Producing Polypropylene in South America.

Because of its toxicity and impacts on the environment and human health, bisphenol A (BPA) has been controlled in numerous industrialized nations, increasing demand for bisphenol analogues (BP) for its replacement. However, the consequences of these chemicals on the environment and the health of persons exposed to their emissions are still being researched. The emissions from polypropylene manufacturing facilities in Colombia and Brazil were evaluated in this study, and the presence of bisphenol A and four BPs was detected among the gaseous compounds released, with total concentrations of BPs (∑BP) between 92 and 1565 ng g-1. As the melt flow index (MFI) of the polymer rises, so does the quantity of volatiles in its matrix that are eliminated during deodorization, indicating that the MFI and the amount of bisphenol released have a directly proportional connection.

Effect of Addition of Polyurea as an Aggregate in Mortars: Analysis of Microstructure and Strength.

The addition of polymers in construction is a new tendency and an important step toward the production of structures with better functional properties. This work investigates the addition of polyurea (PU) as a polymeric material in mortars. Polymer mortars were manufactured with the addition of polyurea retained in different sieves (T50 and T100) and different concentrations (2% and 5%). The characterization of the, polyurea (PU)control mortar (PU0%) and manufactured polyurea mortars (PU2%T50, PU5%T50, PU2%T100, and PU5%T100) was conducted by means of morphological analysis, SEM, XRF, TGA, and a compressive strength test of hydraulic mortars. The results show that mortars with polyurea retained in sieve 100 with a particle size of 150 µm exhibit better thermal behavior and a greater resistance to compression with a concentration of 5% polyurea with respect to the other samples. The present work reveals that polyurea retained in sieve 100 can be considered as a polymeric additive for mortars, indicating that it could be a candidate for applications such as construction.