Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Commons^™

Economic Feasibility Of A Methanol To Dimethyl Ether Production Process To Avoid Contract Failure Shortfalls From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacob Noll, Robert Wasson, Harrison Mckinnis

Honors Theses

Our team entered the 2021 AVEVA Academic Competition, where teams of undergraduate senior chemical engineering students competed across the country. The competition was composed of two parts: the base case design and the optimization of a chemical process. As part of the competition, our team is acting as the Engineering team for a fictional company that has given us this project. Due to COVID-19, our methanol producing company has lost a contract with a customer, leaving 23,000 tonnes/yr of unclaimed methanol. We have two choices with this methanol: either sell the methanol on the market at the spot price for …

Engineering Dopant Position In Structure-Controlled Ceo2-Zro2 Catalysts, Behnam Safavinia

LSU Master's Theses

CeO₂-ZrO₂ (CZO) nanoparticles (NPs) have application in many catalytic reactions, such as methane reformation, due to their oxygen cycling ability. Ni doping has been shown to improve the catalytic activity and acts as an active site for the decomposition of methane. In this work, Ni:CZO NPs were synthesized via a two-step co-precipitation/molten salt synthesis to compare Ni distribution, oxygen vacancy concentration, and catalytic activity relative to a reference state-of-the-art catalyst. To better understand the effects of Ni position and dispersion, and oxygen vacancy formation in these materials, the Ni concentration, reaction time, and deposition methods were varied. …

A Proposed Process And Economic Analysis For A Manufacturing Facility For Nylon 6,6, Perry Doles

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global nylon market is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has been thriving in recent years due to advances in the process technology and its flexibility as a material. Nylon 6,6 is a versatile material with uses in many industries because of its ability manipulated into many forms. It is commonly used in applications that require heat resistance, chemical resistance, and high mechanical strength. It is commonly used in luggage, car parts, carpets, and many other plastic products that require the properties that nylon 6,6 exhibits. The versatility and demand for nylon 6,6 make it an attractive process for many potential …

Effects Of Nano Additives On Hydrogen Storage Behavior Of The Multinary Complex Hydride Libh4/Linh2/Mgh2., Sesha Srinivasan, Michael Niemann, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Kimberly Mcgrath, Prakash Sharma, D. Goswami, Elias Stefanakos

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

No abstract provided.

Development Of A High-Throughput Methodology For Screening Coking Resistance Of Modified Thin-Film Catalysts, Kaijian Yang, John Bedenbaugh, Hang Li, Michael Peralta, Johnathan Bunn, Jochen Lauterbach, Jason Hattrick-Simpers

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

No abstract provided.

The Materials Super Highway: Integrating High-Throughput Experimentation Into Mapping The Catalysis Materials Genome, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Cun Wen, Jochen Lauterbach

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

No abstract provided.

Observation Of Phase Transitions In Hydrogenated Yttrium Films Via Normalized Infrared Emissivity, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Ke Wang, Lei Cao, Chun Chiu, Edwin Heilweil, Robert Downing, Leonid Bendersky

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

No abstract provided.

Self-Healing Catalysts: Co3O4 Nanorods For Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Cun Wen, Darrius Dunbar, Xin Zhang, Jochen Lauterbach, Jason Hattrick-Simpers

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

We combine kinetic and spectroscopic data to demonstrate the concept of a self-healing catalyst, which effectively eliminates the need for catalyst regeneration. The observed self-healing is triggered by controlling the crystallographic orientation at the catalyst surface.

Effects Of Neutron And Gamma Radiation On Lithium-Ion Batteries, Jie Qiu, Dandan He, Mingzhai Sun, Shimeng Li, Cun Wen, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Yuan Zheng, Lei Cao

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

No abstract provided.

One-Step Production Of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons From Waste-Biomass-Derived Chemicals Using Bi-Functional Heterogeneous Catalysts, Cun Wen, Elizabeth Barrow, Jason Hattrick-Simpers, Jochen Lauterbach

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

n this study, we demonstrate the production of long-chain hydrocarbons (C8+) from 2-methylfuran (2MF) and butanal in a single step reactive process by utilizing a bi-functional catalyst with both acid and metallic sites. Our approach utilizes a solid acid for the hydroalkylation function and as a support as well as a transition metal as hydrodeoxygenation catalyst. A series of solid acids was screened, among which MCM-41 demonstrated the best combination of activity and stability. Platinum nanoparticles were then incorporated into the MCM-41. The Pt/MCM-41 catalyst showed 96% yield for C8+ hydrocarbons and the catalytic performance was stable over four reaction …

Phenol Deoxygenation Over Hydrotreating Catalysts, Madelyn R B Ball

Honors Theses and Capstones

Phenol deoxygenation has been investigated as a model reaction for the deoxygenation of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel. Hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel is a drop-in fuel for petroleum diesel, and is a premium diesel with a high cetane number. As the first step in this research, two molybdenum catalysts were prepared, characterized and tested in a small-scale reactor. These catalysts were found to produce small amounts of benzene and cyclohexanol in the product stream, and confirmed the activity of the catalyst. A commercial cobalt molybdenum catalyst (Harshaw HT-400) was also tested and benzene, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexane were identified as products. Future …

Selective Phenol Methylation To 2,6-Dimethylphenol In A Fluidized Bed Of Iron-Chromium Mixed Oxide Catalyst With O–Cresol Circulation, Witold Zukowski, Gabriela Berkowicz, Jerzy Baron, Stanisław Kandefer, Dariusz Jamanek, Stefan Szarlik, Zbigniew Wielgosz, Maria Zielecka

Witold Zukowski

Background 2,6-dimethylphenol (2,6-DMP) is a product of phenol methylation, especially important for the plastics industry. The process of phenol methylation in the gas phase is strongly exothermic. In order to ensure good temperature equalization in the catalyst bed, the process was carried out using a catalyst in the form of a fluidized bed - in particular, the commercial iron-chromium catalyst TZC-3/1. Results Synthesis of 2,6-dimethylphenol from phenol and methanol in fluidized bed of iron-chromium catalyst was carried out and the fluidization of the catalyst was examined. Stable state of fluidized bed of iron-chromium catalyst was achieved. The measured velocities allowed …

Conversion Of Nitrogen Compounds Into Nitrogen Oxides During Combustion In A Fluidised Bed Reactor, Witold Zukowski, Beata Kowarska

Witold Zukowski

Combustion processes of alternative fuels with high nitrogen content can cause nitrogen oxides emission which is unacceptable from an environmental and legal point of view. Reactions of nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia or heterocyclic compounds, are complex and there is a lack of specialized complete knowledge about them. This paper reports processes of propane combustion in a fluidized bed reactor without and with ammonia or pyridine addition into the reaction zone, especially nitrogen compound conversion into NxOy. Ammonia is converted into NxOy up to 78%, and pyridine up to 93%. The main product of their reactions is NO (average 97%). Residual …

Comparison Of Biomass To Bio-Oils Reactor Systems: Direct Conversion Vs. Companion Coal Gasification, Alexandra Eicher

Honors Theses and Capstones

It is well known that the United States’ dependence on crude-oil negatively affects its economy, safety, and environment. To alleviate these negative consequences, a more economical and environmentally-friendly source of fuel, such as biomass, should be explored. The conversion of biomass to bio-oils involves the pyrolysis of biomass at about 500°C, thus requiring a great deal of heat. This heat source could be the excess waste heat from a coal gasifier.

As such, this report specifies the design of an industrial plant that produces bio-oils from biomass by using the waste heat from a coal gasifier. It is designed to …

Application Of Electrospinning Technique In The Fabrication Of A Composite Electrode For Pemfc, Joshua Sightler, Eli Mcpherson, William A. Rigdon, Xinyu Huang

Faculty Publications

The Pt/C catalysts were mixed with carbon nanotube (CNT), Nafion™ dispersion and a fiber former, polymer poly-acrylic acid (PAA), to form an ink. The ink was deposited onto aluminum foil attached to a rotating collector via an electrospinning process. The ink composition, mixing procedure, and the E-spin parameters were studied for producing a uniform nanofiber mat on the aluminum substrate. The fiber-mat containing active catalyst ingredients was heat treated and decal transferred onto a Nafion membrane to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA).

Investigation Of Carbon Corrosion Resistance Of Cnt Containing Electrode, Diana Larrabee, William A. Rigdon, Eli Mcpherson, Joshua Sightler, Xinyu Huang

Faculty Publications

Carbon support corrosion is one of the major degradation mechanisms of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Carbon oxidation occurs in PEM electrode and is accelerated at high potential created by adverse operating conditions and improper distribution of reactants and products [1, 2, 3]. Carbon corrosion can lead to the thinning of the electrode layer and severe performance degradation. The detailed mechanisms of carbon support corrosion induced performance loss are still not fully understood; it is believed that the following events contribute to the decay: (1) structural collapse of the porous electrode due to the loss of carbon; (2) carbon …