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A Study Of The Thermal Properties Of Peti-5/Im7, Yan Tang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

PETI-5 (Phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide) is a substance that shows a great deal of potential in the high-speed aircraft and the aerospace industry. PETI-5 has been used for the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), a supersonic passenger aircraft in development at NASA. In this project, four staging samples, one fresh sample, one fully cured sample and one partially cured sample were analyzed and compared using thermal analytical techniques. The sample staged at 450°F with full vacuum showed the highest thermal properties among four staging samples. The results indicated that vacuum is helpful in improving the thermal stability of PETI-5. The mechanism of …

Enantioseparation Of Alkylaryl Sulfoxides Using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis, Chad Snyder

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alkylaryl sulfoxides possess a chiral sulfur atom easily identifiable by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Separation of chiral alkylaryl sulfoxides has already been accomplished by modified method of CZE known as micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). However, no articles have been published on the enantioseparation of alkylaryl sulfoxides using capillary zone electrophoresis.

A series of sulfoxides were synthesized, purified and identified via NMR. Enantioseparation was performed using CZE employing a 10 mmol. Phosphate buffer (pH 4.0, 25% acetonitrile, 2% sulfated-β-cyclodextrin). Synthesis of these sulfoxides will be presented along with the results of the procedure’s optimization. Separation of the sulfoxide enanitomers relies on …

Dynamics And Asymptotic Behavior Of The Solutions Of A Nonlinear Differential Equation, Robert Palmer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Initial value problems of the form dx/dt= t xP, x(a) = β are examined, first when p = 2. Applying Euler's method, a numerical approximation technique, when p = 2 for certain initial conditions produces a numerical solution which resembles a bifurcation diagram very similar to that produced by the logistic map. Comparisons of such numerical solutions to the logistic map are made, and a partial explanation of such numerical solutions is given. Then, the exact solution of the initial value problem with p = 2, for which the software package Mathematica 3.0 determines an explicit formula, is analyzed to …

A Stochastic Analog To The Richardson's Arms Race Model, John Fricks

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, a stochastic version of the Richardson's arms race model is developed through the method of birth-death processes. The expected value of the model is explored and shown to be analogous to the original deterministic arms race model. The numerical method of randomization is then expanded and applied to the stochastic model. A comparison is then made between outcomes of the deterministic and stochastic models.

Analysis Of Galvanized Steel Plates Using Glow Discharge-Atomic Emission Spectrometry, Liang Wang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Combining an intense emission source and a high-speed sputtering source in one, glow discharge atomic emission spectrometer (GD-AES) provides an efficient technique for analyzing surfaces, coatings and bulk solids. The purpose of our work is to explore the optimum lamp operation parameters of SA-2000 for analysis of galvanized steel plate and to investigate the method for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing the zinc coating. Under the optimum experimental conditions found in our study, which are current of 19-21 mA; voltage of 900-1200 V; pressure 2.0-2.5 torr, the calibration curve is constructed, so that specific zinc concentration can be assign to the …

Comparison Of An Advanced Mercury Analyzer With The Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Technique For The Determination Of Mercury In Coal, Dong Li

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

For over 30 years the industry standard method for mercury analysis has been the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometric technique (CVAAS). Recent developments in improving this technique have focused on procedures for concentrating mercury in the analyte or materials to improve detection. The LECO Corporation produces an Advanced Mercury Analyzer, the AMA-254, for analysis of the solid and liquid samples. The system allows for the thermal heating of the sample to decompose the sample and release mercury, which is concentrated in a gold amalgam. Thermal desorption of the mercury from the amalgam is detected by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A comparison …

The Effects Of Phosphorus Enrichment On The Dominant Phytoplankton Communities Of Chaney Lake, Kathy Tehrani

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Chaney Lake is a temporary karst wetland located in southern Warren County, Kentucky. Because of an impermeable chert layer between the surface and the porous limestone, Chaney Lake fills with water over the winter and spring and then gradually drains over the summer. Three experiments were conducted over the course of the 1998 flooding season to assess the effects of phosphorus addition on the phytoplankton community in Chaney Lake. Ten plastic-sided mesocosms were constructed and placed in the marsh area of the wetland at three different periods: early spring, early summer, and late summer. Phosphorus in the form of K2HPO4 …

An Immobolized Surfactant Extraction Technique Compatible With High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet Visible Detection, Ming Zhu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Surfactant mediated extractions are analogous to liquid-liquid extractions (LLE) except surfactants are used as extractants instead of organic solvents. The benefit for using surfactants for extractions includes lower toxicity, lower associated costs and direct compatibility with high performance liquid chromatography techniques. In this study, a novel immobilized surfactant extraction method was developed. In this method, the cationic alklytrimethylamrnonium surfactants are immobilized onto a strong cationic exchange resin through ion exchange. This surfactant-resin material is placed in a column and aqueous solutions containing analytes are passed through. The analytes are retained by the long carbon chain of the surfactant molecules and …

An On-Line Test For Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Flue Gas From Coal Combustion In An Fbc System, Wenjun Han

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants that have received considerable attention because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Due to the extensive amount of data suggesting the hazards of these compounds, 16 PAHs are on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Priority Pollutant List. These compounds are often emitted into the atmosphere by way of combustion processes. Thus, analysis of these compounds during coal combustion is an important task. Three 1000-hour coal combustion burns were performed using the 0.1 MW (0.3 m) bench-scale Fluidized Bed Combustor (FBC) in the Combustion Laboratory at Western Kentucky University. The data for this thesis …

Analysis Of Fats And Fat-Soluble Components In Foods Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction And Chromatographic Techniques, Sneha Patel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop experimental procedures for the extraction of fats from common foods using SFE and to determine by chromatographic techniques the fat-soluble components that are extracted with the fats. In this study various food samples were examined including french fries from Wendy's, McDonald's and Burger King, as well as potato chips, peanut butter and donuts. Soxtec extraction was used as the standard method for comparison of results (percentage of fat) obtained from SFE. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry were used for the determination of fat-soluble components (fatty acids), after extraction of fat from …