Engineering Commons^™

Novel Investigation Of Catalytic Hydrogenation And Oxidation Of 1,3-Butadiene, Ali M. Alabedkhalil

Theses

The hydrogenation of 1,3 Butadiene (BD) is an important industrial process that is generally used to generate butene, which is a key feedstock to produce a variety of chemicals such as polymers, plastic, and synthetic rubber. This process involves reacting BD with hydrogen using different metallic Ni-based catalysts. In this study, Ni/Al₂O₃ and Ni/Nb₂O5 catalysts were used and investigated to perform the hydrogenation reaction because of their commercial availability, effective hydrogenation activity, and affordability compared to Platinum Group Metal (PGM) catalysts.

The catalytic reactions were conducted using a quartz tube reactor between a temperature range …

The Characterization Of The Oxygen Transfer Capabilities Of Fermentors, Joseph Stephen Adamca

Theses

A method of characterizing the oxygen mass transfer capabilities of fermentors was developed where volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficients are obtained using a modified sulfite oxidation method in conjunction with on line digital data processing. Carboxymethylcellulose is used in the reaction media to simulate the viscosity of typical non-Newtonian fermentation broths. Using this method, instantaneous values of volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficients can be obtained for various combinations of agitation and airflow rates in different fermentor configurations. This data is useful in the scale up or scale down of fermentors.

Data obtained using this method have revealed that for a …

An Oxidation Of Para-Nitrotoluene, Albert Edward Meisinger

Theses

The original purpose of this paper was to investigate the reaction kinetics of the air oxidation of para-nitro-toluene (PNT) to para-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA). The reaction was to be carried out at atmospheric pressure and at temperatures between 100 and 175° C, and in the presence of an oxidation catalyst. However the main problem became one of trying to find a catalyst that would work at these conditions. The catalysts used were nickel acetate, cobaltous acetate, manganous acetate and manganese naphthenate. Hydrogen peroxide was tried as an accelerator for the reaction. None of these worked since no yield greater than 0.01% …