Partner and Multi-User Laboratories
MULTI-USER AND/OR PARTNER LABORATORIES LINKED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS
The Program has access to partner laboratories and multi-user equipment hosted in other UFV departments and even other partner institutions. This infrastructure provides the Department of Civil Engineering, through UFV’s institutional infrastructure and Multi-User laboratory policy, with a wide range of analysis possibilities, considered fundamental for advanced analytical research carried out by PPGEC, which allows the Program to monitor global scientific research, and facilitate the growing number of relevant scientific publications in international journals at the highest levels. It is important to highlight that this infrastructure has been increasingly used, making PPGEC a program integrated with multidisciplinary research, and establishing strategic partnerships with other departments of the institution more focused on analytical research, in cutting-edge applied research work, such as those involving nanotechnology and nanomaterials applied to high-performance and piezoresistive composites and those involving microscopic and chemical characterization of mineralogical and chemical components of soils and rocks. Below, the main support laboratories within UFV are listed.
Pulp and Paper Laboratory (LCP – DEF)
The LCP Laboratory has facilities to develop tests and analyzes of the quality of water and industrial wastewater. It has equipment and pilot plants that simulate different water treatment processes. The main areas of research supported are: i) characterization of industrial effluents ii) effluent treatment through filtration with polymeric membranes, membrane bioreactors, activated sludge bioreactors, advanced oxidation processes, flotation, coagulation and flocculation processes. It has anaerobic reactor bench plans with membrane coupling; semi-automatic machines for secondary treatment of ultrafiltration effluents with polymeric membranes and activated sludge pilot plants; of submerged polymeric membranes and tubular membranes.
Wood Properties Laboratory (LPM – DEF)
Belonging to the Department of Forestry Engineering, the Wood Properties Laboratory offers support for the development of research related to the characterization of wood and the study of the behavior of wooden structures linked to long-standing DEC research, with emphasis on work conducted by today retired DEC professor, Márcio Sampaio Sarmet Moreira. It includes a wide range of equipment for carrying out tests to characterize the physical and mechanical properties of wood and tests on wooden structures, including various machines and tools for processing wood and producing constructive and structural wooden components, track assembly of structural components, horizontal reaction frame for testing structural components, load application system with hydraulic pump, hoses, valves and power cylinders, digital and analog dial indicators, data acquisition system, universal servo testing machines controlled with a capacity of 400 kN and 100 kN, a universal electromechanical testing machine with a capacity of 100 kN driven by a computer and various devices for fixing and supporting specimens for carrying out mechanical tests.
LPM’s structure is closely related to the area of Construction Engineering, supporting development research and mechanical evaluation of wood-based components and systems, but it also has an interface with the Sanitary and Environmental area, with regard to the validation of eco-efficient materials and components based on environmentally friendly technologies.
Forestry Industry Waste Laboratory (DEF)
The Forestry Industry Waste Laboratory of the Department of Forestry Engineering has infrastructure for classification analysis and characterization of solid waste and industrial effluents. It has a sample preparation and analysis laboratory and a warehouse where some prototypes and equipment are installed: a semi-industrial briquetting machine and a semi-industrial solvent distiller.
The Laboratory is an important infrastructure within the typical scope of the Sanitary and Environmental area, with a great interface with the Construction Engineering area, with regard to the valorization of waste material originating from industry (especially the forestry-based industry) as construction applicable in cementitious and ceramic matrices, with emphasis on recent work involving waste from the cellulose and paper industry. The interface with the geotechnics area is also verifiable in similar aspects, focused on the application of these materials and solutions in paving and soil reinforcement, in addition to having an interface with the Environmental Geotechnics area.
Soils Department Laboratories (DPS – UFV)
The Laboratories of the Soil Department of the Federal University of Viçosa have historically contributed effectively to PPGEC research, with emphasis on chemical and mineralogical analyses. In this sense, the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Laboratory has a Plasma Emission Spectrometer, Perkin Elmer Model Optima 8300 DV, Varian Spectra AA Atomic Absorption, Model 220FS coupled with a Gravite Furnace Model GTA 110 and VGA 77 Hydride Generator; Atomic Absorption Agilent Technologies 200 Series AA Model 240 FS; CHNS/O Elemental Analyzer, Perkin Elmer Model 2400; in addition to equipment for chemical soil analysis, molecular and atomic spectrometry and mineralogy. In addition to this, the Mineralogy Laboratory has Rigaku X-ray Diffractometer equipment.
This infrastructure is suitable for supporting analyzes related to research carried out by the areas of Sanitary and Environmental, Geotechnics and Construction Engineering. Among the applications, the chemical and mineralogical characterization of samples of soil, rocks, residues, crops, supplementary cementing materials, mineral binders and aggregates, morphometric and microstructure analyzes of soil particles and minerals in rock, in addition to monitoring the formation or consumption of mineralogical phases throughout the cementation processes of composites based on mineral binders.
Microscopy and Microanalysis Center (NMM)
The Microscopy and Microanalysis Center (NMM) was inaugurated on August 27, 2004, the result of a project to develop technological aggregation strategies aimed at the shared use of sophisticated equipment, to allow better management and implementation of projects of an interdisciplinary nature. Currently, the NMM has 01 (one) Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Leo, model 1430VP, 02 (two) Zeiss Transmission Electron Microscopes, 01 (one) EM 109 model and 01 (one) Libra 120 model, with its accessories, 01 (one) Zeiss LSM 510 META Confocal Microscope, 01 (one) Agilent 6000ILM Atomic Force Microscope coupled to a Zeiss AxioObsever D1 Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, 01 (one) BD FACSVerse Flow Cytometer and 01 (one ) SKYSCKAN 1174v2 microtomography.
The NMM was created to be a multi-user laboratory, and PPGEC has used its infrastructure for advanced analyzes related to a range of research, with special emphasis on interfaces with the Health and Environmental, Geotechnical and Construction Engineering Areas. In a way, a large part of the images used in analytical research in these areas, within the PPGEC, are provided by the NMM, with a significant participation in the Program’s scientific production. Among the applications, the observation of microstructures of both organic and inorganic agents stands out in studies involving crops, residues, soils, cementing materials and aggregates, in addition to observations of microstructures of organic and inorganic synthetic materials, such as cementitious, ceramic and geopolymeric matrices, among others.
Chemistry Department Laboratories (DPQ – UFV)
The laboratories of the UFV Chemistry Department, with their infrastructure and expertise, have contributed to the research carried out at PPGEC, with great potential for expanding partnerships in the development of applied research. The Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (LAQUA) and the Multivariate Chemical Data Analysis Laboratory (MCDALab) stand out here with their expertise in analytical chemistry, analytical instrumentation, and development and characterization of new materials. Among the equipment already used in PPGEC research, we can mention the Shimadzu spectrophotometers, model UVmini – 1240 and Varian 660-IR infrared.
This is an infrastructure of great interest for research carried out, mainly in the areas of Sanitary and Environmental, Geotechnics and Construction Engineering, with emphasis on environmental characterization of interest to all three areas, chemical characterization for different purposes, in addition to development and characterization of new materials and components applicable to civil construction.
Physics Department Laboratories (DPF – UFV)
In a similar way, the laboratories of the Department of Physics have increasingly participated in research carried out at PPGEC, and with great potential for expanding partnerships in applied research, with emphasis on research into materials development and application of nanotechnology. The X-ray laboratories stand out, with their Bruker Discovery diffractometer, Model D8; and Raman Spectroscopy, with its inVia spectrometer Renishaw.
Currently, the laboratories have contributed significantly to the area of Construction Engineering and Geotechnics, with emphasis on the characterization and evaluation of the microstructure of materials and composites, in addition to partnerships in the development of piezoresistive composites for monitoring structural integrity, using nanomaterials.
Food Technology Department Laboratories (DTA – UFV)
The laboratories of the Department of Food Technology have also contributed to the research carried out at PPGEC, supporting mainly analytical research and characterization, highlighting the Food Packaging Laboratory of the Department of Food Technology, which has an electronic microscope HITACHI, model 300.
The interfaces with research carried out by the areas of Sanitary and Environmental and Construction Engineering stand out, with great potential for expanding partnerships on subjects such as new materials, with emphasis on biopolymers.
Laboratories of the Department of Production and Mechanical Engineering (DEP – UFV)
The laboratories of the Mechanical Engineering Department, located in the Engineering Laboratories complex (LABENGE), today represent an important infrastructure to support PPGEC activities, contributing in particular to the research activities of the Construction Engineering Area, with whom it shares space and equipment. Support activities include the machining of parts and components for the production of test specimens and for carrying out medium and large mechanical tests.