Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Sand-Biochar Mixtures As A Potential Roadway Fill Material, Katia J. Lele Lagmago

LSU Master's Theses

Biochar is a sustainable and lightweight carbon-rich material with a high surface area and porosity. Previous studies reported that biochar can reduce soil erosion and cracking, retain contaminants, and enhance soil aggregation. Given these favorable properties, soil-biochar mixtures have the possibility to serve as a multifunctional lightweight fill material for roadway embankment applications. The purpose of this research is to develop sand-biochar mixtures as a sustainable and multifunctional lightweight fill material for roadway embankment applications.

This research investigated the consolidation and hydraulic properties of sand-biochar mixtures by (1) performing 1D consolidation tests, (2) performing permeability tests, and (3) assessing the …

Initial Investigations Into Tools For Phytoremediation Of Lead From Urban And Suburban Landscapes, Michael Taylor Bryant

LSU Master's Theses

Lead is a pervasive and ongoing problem in the landscape, especially in urban and suburban areas where historic use of tetraethyl lead gasoline and leaded paint has increased background amounts to dangerous levels. One method to solve this problem is the use of hyperaccumulator plant species, capable of concentrating over 1000 ppm Pb into their tissues. This is a slow process, even with hyperaccumulators, so the use of amendments to improve Pb solubility has gained popularity, though with mixed results. This study examined Trachelospermum asiaticum, Ardisia japonica, and Ophiopogon japonicus, three common landscape groundcovers used in Louisiana, …

Effects Of Silicon And Beneficial Bacteria On Sheath Blight Of Rice And The Microbial Community Of Rice Rhizosphere, Jhonson Leonard

LSU Master's Theses

Sheath blight (ShB), caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, is an economically important soil-borne disease of rice (Oryza sativa) that can cause up to 50 % yield losses. Application of fungicides is the most effective and commonly used method for managing sheath blight. However, the pathogen can develop new resistant strains upon continuous exposure to a fungicide. Moreover, the use of inorganic fungicides is not eco-friendly. The utilization biological control agents (BCAs) can be a more sustainable and safe means of managing ShB. To develop alternate strategies for ShB management, I am exploring the effect of the silicon (Si) …

Glyphosate In Soils: Retention, Transport, And Effect Of Phosphate, Joshua Padilla

LSU Master's Theses

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine)] (GPS) is currently the most commonly used herbicide worldwide, and is generally considered as immobile in soils. However, numerous reports of the environmental occurrence of the herbicide coupled with recent evidence of human toxicity require further investigation as to the behavior of GPS in the soil environment. The objectives of this study were to quantify GPS sorption and mobility in two Louisiana agricultural soils with varying physiochemical properties; Commerce silt loam and Sharkey clay. Results of batch sorption studies indicated a high affinity of both soils for solvated GPS, with 24-hour Freundlich partitioning coefficients of 158 and …

Effects Of Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers On Agronomic Parameters And Loss Pathways In The Subtropical Mississippi Delta Region, Scott Michael Pensky

LSU Master's Theses

Minimizing nitrogen (N) loss is critical for improving N use efficiency (NUE) in crop production and reducing its effects on the environment. Management practices such as seasonal application timing of N fertilizers and the addition of enhanced efficiency N fertilizers (EENFs) were investigated for the high N requirement of the two most common cereal crops globally, corn (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), in the subtropical climate of Louisiana. Field research was established during the 2016 and 2017 seasons at the LSU Agricultural Center’s Dean Lee and Central research stations to examine the effect of different EENFs and …

Evaluation Of Biochar As A Feed Additive In Commercial Broiler Diets, Brandon Michael Cheron

LSU Master's Theses

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate sugarcane biochar as a feed ingredient in commercial broiler diets. Experiment 1 was conducted for 11 days using 300 male Ross 708 broilers. Broilers were allotted to one of five treatment diets containing 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2%, or 4% biochar. Experiment 2 was conducted for 19 days using 450 male Ross 708 broilers. Chicks were allotted to one of 9 treatment diets containing 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, 1.5%, 1.75% or 2% biochar. Broilers and feed were weighed at day 0 and 10 in experiment 1 and day 0, 10 and 18 in …

Soil Properties' Response To Wheat And Corn Stubble Residue Management In Louisiana, Autumn Danielle Acree

LSU Master's Theses

Crop residue plays an important role in improving soil fertility. Crop residue affects soil biological and chemical properties by increasing soil organic matter, nutrient status and availability, and microbial activity. The degree of the effects of crop residue on soil fertility depends on the crop residue management practice. Samples were collected in 2014 in wheat (Triticum spp.) stubble and corn (Zea mays) stubble residue. A second soil sample collection under wheat stubble residue was taken in 2015 in the prescribed fire and no-till sections. A total of 342 soil samples (0-2.5cm) were collected across conventional tillage, no-till, and prescribed fire …

Biomass Catalytic Upconversion With A Metallic Catalyst Bed Under Radio Frequency Induction Heating, Mohammad Abu-Laban

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigated the thermal performances of platinum particles when coupled on a steel support, under the application of a radio frequency (RF) field. Platinum nanoparticles were reduced on the surfaces of type-316 stainless steel balls, based on published methods of Pt reduction from chloroplatinic acid. Alternatively, 1wt. % Pt/Al2O3 commercial catalyst pellets were mixed with stainless steel balls and investigated for hydro-deoxygenation of pyrolysis oil from pine sawdust biomass. The catalysts were placed inside an electric insulator tube suspended within a looping copper coil connected to the induction heater, and heated at different power levels. An infrared camera was …

A Model Compound Study In Syngas Tar Reforming, Jaren Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Biomass or coal gasification are promising processes for renewable energy. However, a major operating problem in gasification is what to do with syngas byproducts such as H2S and tars (heavy hydrocarbons) that cause catalyst deactivation downstream. Studies have shown that rare earth oxides (REOs) doped with transition metals are promising catalysts for tar reforming in the presence of sulfur.(R. Li, Roy, Bridges, & Dooley, 2014) In Chapter 1, propane is studied as a model compound for tar reforming with transition metal-doped (e.g., Mn, Fe) REOs. These are compared to a typical commercial Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. The results showed that REO/TM catalysts …

Investigation Of Potentially Hazardous Particulate Matter In Homes: Designing A Particle Filtration System, John Scott Young

LSU Master's Theses

This research documents the process of designing a technique, materials, and method to filter particulate matter (PM) deposited on surfaces in homes. PM collected from homes in a known industrial corridor, Baton Rouge, was tested for key pollutants sorbed to their surface in an investigation of household air depositions. This research successfully designed a collection method for bulk samples and a filtration apparatus and method for collecting sized laboratory testable samples using porous membrane filtration technology. This research found relatively high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the presence of some metals. This research also found the presence of …

Novel Separation Strategy For Processing Biopyrolysis Liquids, Chuanlin Zhao

LSU Master's Theses

The separation of pyrolysis bio-oil is important for its role in upgrading oil quality and acquiring commercial byproducts. A selective separation method for biopyrolysis liquids is developed in this work. Two parts in succession are involved as the first one aims at selectively removing some of the heaviest fractions from bio-oil. Chromatographic adsorption results show that Class C Fly ash and pyrolysis Bio-char have potential for this goal at <300 ºC, byproduct like combined adsorbates / adsorbents could also be used directly in asphalt cement processes. Thereafter, the second part focuses on adsorbing light fractions like lighter acids and aldehydes selectively. Basic (modified) activated carbons display relatively low selectivity at ~250ºC, but they have better selectivity compared to unmodified activated carbons. Thus some carbon-coated mesoporous silica and alumina materials are also prepared for the adsorption of these light compounds in the future. The combination of the two parts of adsorptions would leave behind a middle distillate fraction which is the bio-oil fraction most amenable to catalytic upgrading, to either a fuel or chemical feedstock.