Browsing by Author "Casis, Natalia"

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    Morphology modulation of silica mesoporous nano- and microparticles for atrazine - controlled release
    (2022-06-09) Fookes, Federico A.; Busatto, Carlos Alberto; Taverna, María E.; Casis, Natalia; Lescano, Maia Raquel; Estenoz, Diana
    Atrazine is a moderately toxic triazine, used as a selective pre- and post-emergence herbicide. After application, it remains in the environment due to its low biodegradability causing severe environmental effects. Several controlled release systems have been proposed in order to minimize the negative impact of the herbicide on the environment. In particular, mesoporous silica nanoparticles have shown great potential in the agricultural area due to their controlled size and porosity, high surface area and non-toxicity. In this work, silica nano- and microparticles were synthesized and evaluated as atrazine delivery systems. The morphology and size distribution of the particles were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The release profiles were studied by in vitro assays in water. In addition, phytotoxicity tests were performed using Lactuca sativa seeds. The mesoporous nano- and microparticles exhibited sustained release for at least 24 h and reduced phytotoxicity compared to free atrazine.
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    On the use of espina corona gum as a polymeric additive in water-based drilling fluid
    (2022-06-26) Villada, Yurany A.; Taverna, María E.; Maffi, Juan M.; Gilleta, Sebastián; Casis, Natalia; Estenoz, Diana
    The aim of this work is to evaluate the espina corona gum (ECG) as a sustainable viscosifier or filtration reducer additive in water-based drilling fluids (WBMs) as a potential replacement of guar gum (GG). ECG is a galactomannan isolated from leguminous seeds of Gleditsia amorphoides, trees that grow in South America with viscosifier properties and applications in the food area. ECG was characterized by FTIR, Z potential, intrinsic viscometry, TGA, and steady and oscillatory shear rheological analysis. Moreover, its effect on the main functional properties of WBMs was studied. Fluids containing bentonite (BT), polyanionic cellulose (PAC), GG or ECG were prepared, and rheological, filtration, thermal and structural properties were determined. In order to study the theoretical rheological behavior, several models such as power law, Sisko and Herschel-Bulkley were evaluated. The rheological studies revealed that WBMs containing ECG exhibit higher viscosities in comparison with those with GG. Herschel-Bulkley parameters indicated that the WBMs with high ECG concentration showed higher yield stress. In addition, the presence of ECG improves the thermal stability and filtration properties. The results indicate that ECG can be considered as an innovative, renewable and non-toxic alternative to partially or totally replace GG in WBMs.