Engineering activities aim to satisfy the demands of society. Not only should the economic and technological aspects be considered, but also the socio-environmental impact. In this sense, the development of composites with the incorporation of waste has been highlighted, aiming not only for better and/or cheaper materials, but also optimizing the use of natural resources. To obtain better results using industrial agro waste, we need to treat this waste to incorporate engineered composites and obtain the optimal results for each application desired. The objective of this work is to compare the effect of processing coconut husk particulates on the mechanical and thermal behavior of epoxy matrix composites, since we will need a smooth composite in the near future to be applied by brushes and sprayers with a high quality surface finish. This processing was carried out in a ball mill for 24 h. The matrix was a Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA)/triethylenetetramine (TETA) epoxy system. The tests that were performed were resistance to impact and compression, as well as the linear expansion test. Through this work, it can be observed that the processing of coconut husk powder was beneficial, allowing not only positive improvements to the properties of the composite, but also a better workability and wettability of the particulates, which was attributed to the change in the average size and shape of particulates. That means that the composites with processed coconut husk powders have improved impact strength (46 up to 51%) and compressive strength (88 up to 334%), in comparison with unprocessed particles.

Statistical analysis plays a crucial role in several areas, including engineering, where it helps in making impartial decisions to optimize production processes. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is often used to compare sample groups, allowing the simultaneous evaluation of several means, although it does not identify which groups differ from each other. Post-hoc tests, such as Tukey's test, solve this problem, but their reliability decreases with larger amounts of groups. In this work, a new function was developed for Microsoft (MS) Excel, taking advantage of integration with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), to simplify direct comparisons between sample groups. This function makes it possible to perform an ANOVA for two sample groups based on the provided size, mean, and standard deviation, generating the P value as a result, which can be directly compared to the significance level adopted by each user. The developed function proved to be effective and resulted in significant productivity gains due to its integration with native MS Excel functions.

O projeto de tubulação desempenha um papel crucial na construção de qualquer indústria, especialmente no contexto de energia, onde é um recurso indispensável para a sociedade moderna. No entanto, acidentes relacionados a equipamentos e tubulações industriais são comuns, muitas vezes devido a dimensionamentos inadequados no projeto de tubulação. Este artigo tem como objetivo desenvolver um projeto de tubulação para transportar vapor de uma caldeira para uma turbina térmica, aderindo às normas da indústria. A metodologia segue as diretrizes da norma ASME B31.1 (American Standard Code for pressure piping) e inclui a seleção de tubos e conexões adequados, cálculos e consideração das tensões aplicadas. O seu desenvolvimento incorpora a seleção de tubos e conexões economicamente viáveis, garantindo a análise de todos os fatores de tensão relevantes. Distâncias ideais para a instalação de suportes são determinadas para minimizar os custos de construção, flexibilidade da tubulação é analisada para evitar falhas catastróficas. A espessura adequada de isolamento térmico para o material de hidrossilicato de cálcio também é determinada. Ao buscar formas de aprimorar o projeto, foi possível identificar possibilidades de redução das perdas de carga por meio da utilização de acessórios como cotovelos longos, além da alternativa de se aumentar o diâmetro da tubulação.