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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Predictive Model Development For Adsorption Of Organic Contaminants By Carbon Nanotubes, Onur Apul Aug 2014

Predictive Model Development For Adsorption Of Organic Contaminants By Carbon Nanotubes, Onur Apul

All Dissertations

The main objective of the study was to investigate mechanisms and statistical modeling of synthetic organic contaminant (SOC) adsorption by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). First, predictive models were developed for adsorption of low molecular weight aromatic compounds by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using experimental data for 59 compounds. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) approaches were employed and developed models were externally validated using an independent dataset obtained from the literature. Up to date, no QSAR model has been reported for predicting adsorption of organics by CNTs. No LSER model is available which comprehensively investigates the adsorption …


Adsorption Of Halogenated Aliphatic Contaminants By Graphene Nanomaterials: Comparison With Carbon Nanotubes And Granular Activated Carbons, Yang Zhou Aug 2014

Adsorption Of Halogenated Aliphatic Contaminants By Graphene Nanomaterials: Comparison With Carbon Nanotubes And Granular Activated Carbons, Yang Zhou

All Theses

Graphene nanomaterials are two-dimensional single layer sp2 hybridized carbon atoms densely packed in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice and can be visualized as basic building blocks for fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphite. In addition, they are hydrophobic nanomaterials and possess a large specific surface area (SSA), thus they have been evaluated as promising adsorbents to remove synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) from water. As with granular activated carbons (GACs) and CNTs, adsorption behavior of SOCs on graphene depends on the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents (e.g., specific surface area, pore size distribution and surface chemistry), SOCs (e.g., hydrophobicity, molecular size and …


Removal Of N-Nitrosodimethylamine And Trihalomethane Precursors With Powdered Activated Carbon, Wilson Beita Sandi Aug 2013

Removal Of N-Nitrosodimethylamine And Trihalomethane Precursors With Powdered Activated Carbon, Wilson Beita Sandi

All Theses

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) has been used commercially in several applications, including the production of liquid rocket fuel, and a variety of foods, but gained more relevance when it was discovered as a drinking water disinfection by-product (DBP) in 1989. NDMA is a probable human carcinogen with 10-6 lifetime cancer risk associated with a drinking water concentration of 0.7 ng/L, and is listed as a priority pollutant in the Code of Federal Regulations; no federal maximum contaminant level has been established for drinking water yet. However, the United States Environmental Protection Agency is planning to make a preliminary regulatory determination in 2013 …


The Production And Characterization Of A Multi-Functional Fiber-Based Composite For Use In Protective Clothing, Jessica Green May 2013

The Production And Characterization Of A Multi-Functional Fiber-Based Composite For Use In Protective Clothing, Jessica Green

All Dissertations

A fiber-based composite comprised of two functional components which work concurrently to adsorb toxic organic compounds was developed and characterized for use in chemical threat protective clothing. The first functional component, the sorptive layer, consists of a carded nonwoven loaded with adsorptive particles. In this layer, Capillary-Channeled PolymerTM (C-CPTM) fibers were used instead of traditional round fibers since the grooved nature of the C-CPTM fibers enables increased adsorptive particle loading. The species of adsorptive particles investigated, zeolite and modified PS, are considered as a replacement for more commonly used activated carbon spheres. The second functional component, the flow restrictive layer, …


Methods Development And Force Field Evaluation For Molecular Simulations Of Interactions Between Structured Peptides And Functionalized Material Surfaces, Galen Collier May 2011

Methods Development And Force Field Evaluation For Molecular Simulations Of Interactions Between Structured Peptides And Functionalized Material Surfaces, Galen Collier

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The process of protein adsorption to material surfaces is highly complex and it is one of the most fundamental concepts upon which progress in the field of bioengineering is based. The strategic design of material surfaces for optimal utility in specific biological environments is absolutely dependent upon a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying protein adsorption, yet there is still a very limited understanding of these mechanisms. The primary reason for this lack of understanding is that protein adsorption is a dynamic process which occurs at the atomic and macromolecular scale, where experimental analyses provide a view that is static …


The Effects Of Physical Factors On The Adsorption Of Synthetic Organic Compounds By Activated Carbons And Activated Carbon Fibers, Hatice Kose Aug 2010

The Effects Of Physical Factors On The Adsorption Of Synthetic Organic Compounds By Activated Carbons And Activated Carbon Fibers, Hatice Kose

All Theses

Activated carbons (ACs) and activated carbon fibers (ACFs) have been extensively used for the removal of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) that have been found to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic. Adsorption of these compounds on ACs and ACFs are controlled by both physical factors and chemical interactions, which depend on the characteristics of the adsorbent (surface area, pore size distribution (PSD), and surface chemistry), the nature of the adsorbate (molecular weight and size, functional groups, polarity, solubility), and the condition of the background solution (pH, temperature, presence of competitive solutes, ionic strength). Since there are several mechanisms that can …


Modeling Phosphate Adsorption For South Carolina Soils, Jesse Cannon May 2010

Modeling Phosphate Adsorption For South Carolina Soils, Jesse Cannon

All Theses

Eroded sediment and the pollutants it transports are problems in water bodies in South Carolina (SC) and the United States as a whole. Current regulations and engineering practice attempt to remedy this problem by trapping sediment according to settling velocity, and thus, particle size. However, relatively little is known about most eroded soils. In most cases, little experimental data are available to describe a soil's ability to adsorb a pollutant of interest. More-effective design tools are necessary if design engineers and regulators are to be successful in reducing the amount of sediment and sediment-bound pollutants in water bodies. This study …