Abstract: Process and equipment for the treatment of loads or residues of non-ferrous metals and their alloys including the steps of loading of scraps or dross to be processed; heating the load (29) and melting the metal; revolving the heated load (29), tapping the molten metal and emptying the cavity (28) of the furnace, being the heating up of the load (29) or residues (23) to a temperature above the melting temperature of the metal or non-ferrous alloy to be recovered carried out by means of a free burning convective arc which is independent from the supply of external gas to the process, and which may dispense with the use of melting salts.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for protection of enzymatic biocatalysts, constituted by a primary support, wrapped by a secondary matrix. More particularly, the invention is embodied as a bioreactor with a configuration that preserves the physical integrity and catalytic activity of the biocatalyst after long runs, and at the same time allows an easy separation of the protected biocatalyst from the solid, precipitated during the reaction course. Still more particularly, the invention refers to the use of the bioreactor herein described for the enzymatic synthesis of ?-lactam antibiotics, including the insoluble enzymatic catalysts, which have a primary matrix for immobilization involved by a secondary matrix, which is able to preserve 100% of the catalyst physical integrity and approximately 100% of its catalytic activity.

Abstract: The invention refers to a process to obtain lignans, especially to obtain cubebin and methylpluviatolide from leaves of Zanthoxylum naranjillo or Piper cubeba. It also refers to a process to obtain semi-synthetic derivatives of cubebin, especially dibenzylbutirloactonic lignans, such as: hinokinin, o-acetyl cubebin, o-methyl cubebin, 6,6?-dinitrohinokinine and o-dimethylethylamine cubebin and other derivatives which may be obtained, as well as to obtain methylpluviatolide derivatives, which are used to manufacture drugs to provide activity at least five times higher than observed for gentian violet and other compounds used heretofore for blood treatment and Chagas' disease prophylaxis.