Engineering Commons^™

Preparation And Hydrogen Absorption/Desorption Of Nanoporous Palladium Thin Films, Wen-Chung Li, Thomas John Balk

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Nanoporous Pd (np-Pd) was prepared by co-sputtering Pd-Ni alloy films onto Si substrates, followed by chemical dealloying with sulfuric acid. X-ray diffractometry and chemical analysis were used to track the extent of dealloying. The np-Pd structure was changed from particle-like to sponge-like by diluting the sulfuric acid etchant. Using suitable precursor alloy composition and dealloying conditions, np-Pd films were prepared with uniform and open sponge-like structures, with interconnected ligaments and no cracks, yielding a large amount of surface area for reactions with hydrogen. Np-Pd films exhibited shorter response time for hydrogen absorption/desorption than dense Pd films, showing promise for hydrogen …

Computational Modeling Of Biochemical Systems Using Cellular Automata, Advait Apte

Theses and Dissertations

Biological systems exhibit complex behaviors through coordinated responses of individual biological components. With the advent of genome-scale techniques, one focus has been to develop methods to model interactions between components to accurately describe intact system function. Mathematical modeling techniques such as constraint-based modeling, agent-based modeling, cellular automata (CA) modeling and differential equation modeling are employed as computational tools to study biological phenomenon. We have shown that cellular automata simulations can be used as a computational tool for 12 predicting the dynamics of biological systems with stochastic behavior. The basic premise for the research was the observations made during a study …

Should Tortuosity Still Be Used In Upscaling?, Francisco J. Valdes-Parada, Mark L. Porter, Brian D. Wood

Francisco J. Valdes-Parada

The concept of tortuosity is an integral part of models that describe trans- port in multiscale systems. Traditionally, tortuosity is de#12;ned as the ratio of an e#11;ective path length to the shortest path length in a representative sample of the porous medium microstructure. While the latter can be unambiguously speci#12;ed, the same is not true for the e#11;ective path length, since it changes from one type of transport to another. Consequently, it is possible to have di#11;erent tortuosity values for di#11;erent transport processes taking place in the same system. In order to avoid running into unclear interpretations, we pro- pose …

Investigation Of The Mechanical Properties Of Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate By Nanoindentation Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Zouheir Drira

Theses and Dissertations

Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel based polymers are among the most widely used synthetic materials for biomedical applications. Because of their biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication, hydrogels are highly suitable for use as constructs to engineer tissues as well as for cell transplantation. A critical parameter of importance for PEG hydrogels is their mechanical properties which are highly dependent on the environmental conditions. Properties of PEG-based hydrogels can be engineered to resemble scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix molecules, which provide structural support, adhesive sites and mechanical as well as biomechanical signals to most cells. The mechanical properties of these synthetic …

Prediction Of Fluid Viscosity Through Transient Molecular Dynamic Simulations, Jason Christopher Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

A novel method of calculating viscosity from molecular dynamics simulations is developed, benchmarked, and tested. The technique is a transient method which has the potential to reduce CPU requirements for many conditions. An initial sinusoidal velocity profile is overlaid upon the peculiar velocities of the individual molecules in an equilibrated simulation. The transient relaxation of this initial velocity profile is then compared to the corresponding analytical solution of the momentum equation by adjusting the viscosity-related parameters in the constitutive equation that relate the shear rate to the stress tensor. The newly developed Transient Molecular Dynamics (TMD) method was tested for …

A Study Of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes And Associated Interfacial Systems Via Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Junwu Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of novel polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) materials which operate at high temperature (i.e. > 100˚C) and low humidity conditions and efficiently transport protons has been a major focus for PEM fuel cell technology. The motivation behind a high temperature PEM fuel cell is based on the fact that, at high temperature, the catalysts used in the fuel cell are more active and less susceptible to poisoning due to impurities in the feed stream. The challenge lies in the fact that as the temperature is increased, the membrane loses water and its ability to transport protons. The successful design and …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Exploring Stress Overshoot Phenomenon Upon Startup Deformation Of Entangled Linear Polymeric Liquids, Yangyang Wang, Shi-Qing Wang

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

This work explores the picture associated with stress overshoot during sudden continual (i.e., startup) external deformation of entangled polymeric liquids and proposes a specific scaling form to depict the intermolecular interactions responsible for chain deformation. Following a previously proposed idea that the stress overshoot in startup deformation is a signature of yielding, we search for ingredients that should go into the description of the force imbalance at the yield point and show that the expression for the intermolecular locking force f(iml), derived from the characteristics associated with the yield point, can be tested against experiment. New rate-switching experiments support the …

Nature Of Steady Flow In Entangled Fluids Revealed By Superimposed Small Amplitude Oscillatory Shear, Pouyan E. Boukany, Shi-Qing Wang

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

We carry out a systematic investigation into steady-state shear behavior of six entangled solutions based on a superposition of continuous shear and small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS). During steady shear in the shear thinning regime, the superimposed SAOS frequency sweep measurements reveal characteristics of viscous liquids, e. g., terminal dynamics, on the experimental time scale of the reciprocal shear rate. The residual entanglement network retains the same level of elastic stiffness as the equilibrium system does. Consistent with the convective constraint release idea, chains in the network are forced to pass around each other as they must do so to …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mikhail Khenner

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Simulation, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Hydrogels And Nanocomposite Gels., Kamleshkumar J. Suthar

Dissertations

Stimuli-responsive gels are three-dimensional, cross-linked polymeric materials that undergo large physical change in response to the environmental stimuli, like temperature, pH, electrical potential, and irradiation. Ferrogels are colloidaldispersion of magnetic nanoparticles in the hydrogel network. The magnetic nanoparticles are attached to the polymeric network by different adhesive forces; as a result, it becomes sensitive to the applied magnetic field.

The main objective of this research is the simulation, synthesis, and characterization of the hydrogel and ferrogel. Simulation of the hydrogel response was performed for various environmental stimuli using a multiphysics finite element analysis software, COMSOL. The pH and electrical response …

The Rheology, Degradation, Processing, And Characterization Of Renewable Resource Polymers, Jason Conrad

All Dissertations

Renewable resource polymers have become an increasingly popular alternative to conventional fossil fuel based polymers over the past couple decades. The push by the government as well as both industrial and consumer markets to go 'green' has provided the drive for companies to research and develop new materials that are more environmentally friendly and which are derived from renewable materials. Two polymers that are currently being produced commercially are poly-lactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers, both of which can be derived from renewable feedstocks and have shown to exhibit similar properties to conventional materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, …

Biological Conversion Of Hemicellulose Extract Into Value-Added Fuels And Chemicals, Sara Lynn Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this thesis describes the fermentation of hemicellulose extracts to produce ethanol and lactic acid. Hardwood hemicellulose extracts made at a variety of conditions using the green liquor and hot water extraction processes were characterized and then fermented by Escherichia coli K011 and Bacillus coagulans MXL-9. Hemicellulose extracts were found to contain a dilute amount of xylo-oligosaccharides and acetic acid as the major components, and many minor components including other organic acids, lignin-derived phenolics, and sugar degradation products. In order to generate ethanol economically, the fermentation must produce at least a 4% ethanol solution, which requires a …

Energy Efficiency Of Hydrogen Sulfide Decomposition In A Pulsed Corona Discharge Reactor, Morris D. Argyle, Sanil John, Jerry C. Hamann, Suresh S. Muknahallipatna, Stanislaw Legowski, John F. Ackerman

Faculty Publications

A novel pulsed corona wire-in-tube reactor with quartz view-ports allowed visual observation of the effect of charge voltage and gas composition on the corona distribution. The H2S conversion and energy efficiency of H2S decomposition in this pulsed corona discharge reactor varied at constant power due to the selected values of the electrical parameters of pulse forming capacitance, charge voltage, and pulse frequency. Low pulse forming capacitance, low charge voltage, and high pulse frequency operation produce the highest energy efficiency of H2S conversion at constant power. H2S conversion is more efficient in Ar-N2 gas mixtures than in Ar or N2. these …

Studies Of Coal Nitrogen Release Chemistry For Oxyfuel Combustion And Chemical Additives, John M. Sowa

Theses and Dissertations

Pollution is one of the greatest concerns with pulverized coal combustion. With tightening standards on pollution emissions, more information is needed to create better design models. Burner modifications are the most efficient changes that can be made to assure sufficient carbon burnout and low NOx emissions. Experiments were performed in the BYU Flat Flame Burner (FFB) lab, operating under fuel rich conditions for pyrolysis experiments and fuel lean conditions for char oxidation experiments. Effects of temperature, coal rank, residence time, and post flame oxygen content on mass release, nitrogen release, and reactivity were examined. Elemental and Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) …

Electrocatalytic Performance Of Carbon Supported Ir Catalysts With Different Ir Loadings For Ammonia Oxidation, Yu-Zhi Jiang, Qing-Mei Kong, Tian-Hong Lu, Yi-Ming Zhou, Ya-Wen Tang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrocatalytic performance of the Ir/C catalyst as the anodic catalyst in the amperometric and electrochemical NH3 sensor was investigated.The experimental results illustrated that in the NaClO4 neutral electrolyte,the electrocatalytic performance of the Ir/C catalyst for the NH3 oxidation is related to the Ir loading in the Ir/C catalyst.Among the Ir/C catalysts with different Ir loading,the best electrocatalytic activity,stability and sensitivity were achieved by the Ir/C catalyst with 10% Ir loadings.In addition,the current densities of the NH3 oxidation at the Ir/C catalysts with the different Ir loadings were linearly proportional to the NH3 concentration.The Ir/C catalyst has a potential application …

Cyclic Voltammetric And In-Situ Ftir Spectroscopic Studies Of Adsorption And Reduction Of No On Electrode Of Pt Nanoparticles, Qian Cheng, Yan-Xia Jiang, Dong-Mei Zeng, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Adsorption and reduction of NO on electrode of Pt nanoparticles in acid solutions were studied by means of cyclic voltammetry(CV) and in-situ FTIR spectroscopy.The results indicated that the reduction of NO is a complicated process including the adsorption of NO on electrode surface.Two types of surface-bonded NO were determined on Pt nanoparticles.The weakly adsorbed NO was reduced between 0.6 V and-0.05 V,which yielded nitrous oxide(N2O) and ammonium(NH+4) as products;while the strongly bonded NO was reduced at more negative potentials between-0.05V and-0.15V,producing only NH4+ species.

Highly Durable Pt/Ruo_2/C Catalyst For The Cathode Of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells, Chun-Yu Du, Tao Dong, Ge-Ping Yin, Peng-Fei Shi

Journal of Electrochemistry

Instability of the carbon-supported Pt(Pt/C) catalyst at the cathode is one of the key technical challenges for the development of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells(DMFCs).In this paper,an efficient approach to enhancing the stability of the cathode catalyst was explored by designing and synthesizing a novel nanocomposite support,RuO2 coated carbon black(RuO2/C).Firstly,a wet chemical method was employed to synthesize the RuO2/C nanocomposite,from which Pt/RuO2/C catalyst was further prepared by a microwave method.The morphology and crystalline structure of the RuO2/C support and Pt/RuO2/C catalyst were then characterized by TEM and XRD.Finally,the electrochemical performance of the RuO2/C support and Pt/RuO2/C catalyst was analyzed by cyclic …

Platinum Modified With Hydrogen Molybdenum/Tungsten Bronze As Electrocatalysts For Direct Small Organic Molecule Fuel Cell, Wei-Shan Li, Li-Peng Tian, Jun-Hua Du, Hong-Liang Huang, Wei Li, Li-Xia Zhang, Hong-Yan Yang, Pan-Pan Guo, Zhi-Hui Zhou, Xing-De Xiang, Zhao Fu

Journal of Electrochemistry

There are several problems that limit the application of direct small organic fuel cell,including the use of precious platinum and the activity loss of platinum due to the intermediates poisons from the oxidation of small organic molecules.These problems have attracted wide interest and many solutions have been proposed.We have developed a new method to reduce the platinum usage and improve its activity,based on the modification of platinum with hydrogen molybdenum/tungsten bronze(HxMo(W)O3,0

Synthesis Of Α-Mno_2 Microspheres For The Application In Supercapacitor, Liang Wang, Gui-Chang Liu, Zhi-Cong Shi

Journal of Electrochemistry

The MnO2 microspheres were prepared through the oxidation of KMnO4 and MnCO3 microspheres precursor.The microstructure and supercapacitor properties of MnO2 were characterized by XRD,SEM and CV.The results show that MnO2 was in a poorly crystalline state with α-crystallographic form,the size of microspheres typically ranged from 0.5 to 2 μm.Loading 5 mg·cm-2 MnO2 microspheres had excellent capacitance behaviors in 2 mol·L-1(NH4)2SO4 solution.The specific capacitance was 135.6 F·g-1 with the scan rate at 2 mV·s-1,and 118.8 F·g-1 with the large scan rate at 100 mV/s.Coulumbic efficiency was still above 87.8% in the 500 cycles,and the specific capacitance of the 500th cycle was …

Enhanced [Ru(Bpy)_3]~(2+)-Mediated Oxidation Of Guanine Prompted By Dhp, Bao-Lian Zhang, Wei Hong, Bao-Yi Lu, Hong Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The effects of dihexadecyl phosphate(DHP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWNTs) on the oxidation of guanine mediated by[Ru(bpy)3]2+ on the ITO electrode have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry.The results showed that [Ru(bpy)3]2+ can mediate the oxidation.In the range from 0.01 to 0.15 mmol·L-1,peak currents for guanine oxidation mediated by [Ru(bpy)3]2+ increased with the rise of DHP concentrations.On the contrary,cationic surfactant HTAC has the ability to weaken the mediated oxidation of guanine.In addition,the oxidative mechanism of guanine mediated by [Ru(bpy)3]2+ with the participation of DHP is discussed.

Synthesis And Electrocatalytic Properties Of Ni-Pd/C Catalysts With Pd-Enriched Surface, Yu-Mei Chen, Zhi-Xiu Liang, Sheng-Li Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Ni-Pd alloy catalysts with Pd-enriched surface were synthesized through a modified polyol process.The synthesized materials were investigated by XRD and electrochemical methods,and tested as electrocatalysts for CH3OH-tolerant oxygen reduction.The results indicated that the synthesized Ni-Pd nanoparticles possess multiple phases containing Pd-Ni alloy and pure Ni.Comparing with Pd/C,the prepared Ni-Pd/C nanoparticles exhibited better resolved voltammetric peaks between the hydrogen absorption and adsorption,and positively shifted current peaks for the reduction of Pd oxide.The prepared Ni-Pd alloys with Pd-enriched surface have significantly enhanced ORR activity and improved CH3OH tolerance as comparing with Pd/C catalysts.

Preparation Of Pt Nanoflower/Zno Composites Arrays And Their Electrocatalysis For Methanol Oxidation, Li Gao, Yi-Feng E, Lou-Zhen Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Pt nanoflower/ZnO(PtNF/ZnO) nanorod composites arrays were electrochemically prepared by controlling the hydrophobicity and the hydrophilicity of ZnO nanorods arrays.The Pt nanoflowers grew on the tip of ZnO nanorods,which maintain the vertical array of Zno nanorods with a high degree of size uniformity and high surface area.Compared with Pt nanoparticle covered ZnO nanorod arrays,which were prepared by controlling the hydrophilicities of ZnO nanorods and Pt nanoparticles,the PtNF/ZnO displayed highest electrocatalytic activities for the oxidation of methanol.

Electrooxidation Of Formic Acid On Pd-Ni Alloy Film Electrode-The Effect Of Dealloying, Chao Wang, Fei-Fei Shi, Jin-Yi Wang, Han-Xuan Zhang, Wen-Bin Cai

Journal of Electrochemistry

A Pd-Ni alloy film was electrodeposited on Au disc electrode at a constant potential from a weakly basic bath containing PdCl2,NiSO4 and ethylenediamine.The as-deposited film was then subjected to potential cycling in a perchloric acid solution for surface dealloying treatment.The dealloyed Pd-Ni film electrode was examined for the electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid,and compared with the as-deposited one as well as a Pd film electrode.The FE-SEM and electrochemical measurements on the Pd-Ni films revealed that the dealloying treatment caused a surface roughening and an increase in specific surface reaction area.The ICP-AES and XPS analyses demonstrated that the preferential dissolution of …

Electrocatalytic Activities Of Au-Mmni_(3.2)Al_(0.2)Mn_(0.6)Co_(1.00) For Borohydride Oxidation, Gui-Ling Wang, Jin-Cheng Liu, Ke-Ning Sun, Dian-Xue Cao

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work,the electrocatalytic activities of MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0,NaOH treated MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0 and Au-MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0 obtained after NaOH treatment(Mm: misch metal) for NaBH4 oxidation were reported.The electrodes were prepared by electrodeposition,their morphologies were analysized by SEM,their electrocatalytic properties were studied by the linear sweeping test.It was found that the oxidation current density of the Au-MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0 was 60 mA·cm-2,it was 3.5 times higher than that at the MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0 electrode.In addition,the oxidation current density at the Au-MmNi3.2Al0.2Mn0.6Co1.0 electrode immersed in the electrolyte solution for 10 hours was 184 mA·cm-2.

Progresses In Electrocatalysis Of Nanomaterials—Tuning The Surface Structure And Property Of Electrocatalysts, Yan-Xia Jiang, Na Tian, Zhi-You Zhou, Sheng-Pei Chen, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The property of an electrocatalyst depends strongly on its surface structure.The study of surface structure-catalytic functionality is the base of design and preparation of electrocatalysts of high activity,high stability and high selectivity at microstructure level.In this paper,based mainly on our results concering hydrogen and oxygen adsorption-desorption,ethylene glycol oxidation and CO2 reduction,the research progresses in tuning the surface structure and property of electrocatalysts are summarized.This paper overviews firstly the cyclic voltammetric characteristics,electrocatalytic properties of platinum single crystal planes lying on different crystallographic zones of the unit stereographic triangle of face-centered cubic(fcc) metals.Next,the innovation of electrochemical methods to control the surface structure …

Complex Reduction Preparation Of Carbon Supported Pd Nanoparticle Catalyst And Its Electrocatalysis For Formic Acid Oxidation, Wei He, Yong-Yin Kang, Chong Du, Zhi-Qing Zou, Xiao-Gang Zhang, Hui Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

A simple procedure involved the complexing of PdCl2 with sodium citrate followed by ethylene glycol reduction has been employed for the preparation of carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles(Pd/C).The XRD and TEM characterizations indicate that Pd nanoparticles with a small particle size were well-dispersed on carbon support.The mean particle sizes of the Pd/C catalysts were found to be increased from 2.7 to 5.8 nm with heat-treatments at different temperature.The mass activity of the Pd/C catalyst for formic acid electrooxidation increased with the decrease in Pd particle size.However,the specific activity increased with Pd particle size.Furthermore,the Pd/C catalyst with a particle size of ca.3.6 nm …

Research Progress Of Synergistic Effect Of Metal Oxides On Pt-Based Catalysts, Hui-Ping Yuan, Xun Guo, Xin-Ping Qiu, Wen-Tao Zhu, Li-Quan Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper,the work of Pt-based catalysts modified by metal oxides as the anode catalysts of direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC) is reviewed.The relationship between the structure and the composition of the catalysts and the reaction mechanism,exiting problems and developing direction are discussed.