2023-10-08 05:00:00
Every season more than 20 thousand people visit the thermal system in Neuquén, Argentina, which is located at the foot of the Copahue volcano. They move to the complex to receive various treatments with mud, steam and water that contribute to improving their state of health.
Now, six researchers from Argentina and Spain have published a study they carried out with the in order to propose a new material that can be used throughout the year and anywhere.
The work was published in the specialized magazine Materials, which is published in Switzerland. It was carried out by researchers from the National University of Comahue and the Institute for Research and Development in Process Engineering, Biotechnology and Alternative Energies (PROBIEN) of the Conicet of Argentina, and the Autonomous University of Madrid.
They managed to develop a new product. Is about a mudguard and consists of an integrated mixture of paraffin with peloids ofthe thermal system Copahue. One of the objectives is to bring the resource that is present in the thermal center closer so that it is available to people throughout the year, and not only during the summer as is usually the case.
One of the co-authors is Miria Baschini, who directs the doctoral thesis of Professor Micaela Sánchez, which led to the publication. When talking about “peloid” it refers to thermal mud, that is, that which in Copahue matures naturally at the bottom of the water lagoons with therapeutic properties. They have organic components, they contain sulfur, iron, magnesium and silica, among other minerals, which benefit health.
The name of the parafango is “CoParChe”. Must be to the combination of words “Copahue”, “paraffin” y “That”. This last word in the Mapuche language means “People”.
In the study, the researchers pointed out that the natural mud from the Neuquén thermal center has among one of its outstanding characteristics the “high presence of sulfur in its solid phase, which gives it antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.”
CoParChe is intended as a product for personal use, that can be reused, and that people can access. For now it is not thought that it will be available on a large scale in a short time, but it was indicated that it has great potential. Although it is first necessary to make agreements with the Provincial Entity of Termas del Neuquén (Eproten), among other entities.
The product has a solid structure, but with enough plasticity to be molded. It is light grayish in color.
Micaela Sánchez said that the first tests to develop CoParChe began in 2021. Baschini explained CoParChe is a new product in Argentina, but it already has history in European countries.
“Its advantage is associated with improving its accessibility compared to the difficulty of accessing Copahue resources throughout the year. It could become something that generates additional work in the area. In addition, people who access CoParche can have it for personal use as is the case today with hair removal wax for home use (although it has a different purpose).
“The product would be for the treatment of ailments or issues associated with the skin,” the scientist noted. This would allow users to take CoParChe, a product that contains part of the thermal resource, to their locations.”
The researcher explained that there was experimental part with tests in the Neuquén laboratory and in Copahue, in the Eproten, where the maturation was carried out “by mixing clays with thermal waters”.
One of the potentialities of the product is that it is available throughout the year. This is taking into account that normally from May to November, Copahue is completely covered in snow, making the site inaccessible.
The team of researchers is also made up of Lorena Vela, Betina Gramisci, María Eugenia Roca Jalil, and Manuel Pozo, from the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Copahue, with unique resources in the world
For preparation, paraffin mixtures for therapeutic and cosmetic use were prepared with dry Copahue peloids, in different proportions. Furthermore, the thermal behavior of these materials was analyzed. It was observed that they have great potential. The entire process was done with emphasis on the care of the natural resource.
In the study, they mentioned that paraffin stands out for its high energy storage capacity. They explained that it is used for dermal treatments with the aim of softening the skin, improving appearance, and with a similar use for nails.
“The combinations of dehydrated peloid with paraffin significantly increase the thermal properties of the original peloid,” they highlighted among the conclusions.
«The properties presented by the lagoons and mud of Copahue are unique in the world. “I find it extremely interesting how it can be used for people’s health,” Sánchez, who is also a Conicet scholarship recipient, expressed what motivated her work linked to Copahue, a place that was already the subject of another of her investigations. “There is still a lot more to learn about the place,” she noted.
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