CERENA at Técnico Open Day- Science Fair

CERENA was present at Técnico Open Day  last Saturday, May, 20.

From 10am-5pm Técnico-Lisboa opened its doors open to all those curious to discover what Técnico is made of: From physics to math, to civil and aerospace engineering, also chemistry and natural resources, and of course boats, cars and computer games.

At the Science Fair, more than 40 research and innovation projects were in exhibition with experiences driven by researchers and students.

CERENA could not miss this initiative, and as for the second year in a row, we made ourselfs present in 6 areas, showcasing four industry- applied research projects and two activities for the youngest:

 

Project "Better Plastics"

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Description: The BETTERPLASTICS project aims to be the Mobilizing Project for the Plastics Sector in Portugal and leverage the transition of this sector to a circular economy, mobilizing the private sector with National Authorities, Universities and Citizens for the objectives of the European Circular Economy.
CERENA coordinates the sub-project on Circularity for Alternative Raw Materials, working on the development of biodegradable materials based on the recovery of food waste and biomass. Some prototypes obtained during the project will be presented.


 
Learn to make a slime

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Description: The activity consists of mixing a solution of “white glue” or polyvinyl alcohol with an aqueous solution of Borax. Solutions may be stained. By varying the proportions, slimes with different consistencies will be obtained. This activity can be hands-on. It will emphasize in a simple and clear way the interactions that can occur in polymeric structures.

 

Project "Cleansmoke"

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Description: The CLEANSMOKE project aims to minimize the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, internationally known by the acronym PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), some of which are considered carcinogenic, transmitted by smoke in the process of smoking food products. The project aimed at producing foams capable of removing PAHs, allowing healthier and safer smoked foods to be obtained. Prototypes of active foams developed within the scope of the project will be presented.

 

Project "IPaintS"

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Description: Concrete structures are affected by expansive chemical reactions. The damage caused by these reactions originates microcracks resulting from the internal tensions caused by the expansion of the reaction, which may culminate in the degradation of the structures in question. The IPaintS project aims to develop an intelligent coating system, capable of inhibiting these expansive chemical reactions, as well as detecting them early, by changing the color of the surface depending on the pH change. Prototypes developed during the project will be presented.

 

Circular economy of tires (Tirerubberfoam)

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Description: The prototype presented was developed within the scope of the TIERUBBERFOAM project, promoted by Valorpneu, in collaboration with DESMA, a company specialized in injection equipment. It is intended to demonstrate the usefulness of composite polyurethane foams with recycled tire rubber granules in filling in several applications, with special emphasis on tire filling. In this way, end-of-life tires are given a new use by promoting the circular economy.

 

Experimenting with colors

Description: Colors are a way to capture attention quickly and expediently. Many chemical reactions are characterized by changing the color of the reaction medium. Some have a combination of colors that allow you to identify the various stages of the chemical reaction. In this activity, various oxidation-reduction reactions will be explored, in which the color variation allows visual identification of what occurs at the molecular scale.