Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Structure And Dynamics Of Lignin In Condensed Phase For Biomass Conversion, Nusrat Jahan

Theses and Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass represents the largest potential volume and lowest cost for biofuel and biochemical production. Harnessing the full potential of the lignocellulosic biomass for low-carbon energy requires the knowledge of efficient breakdown and fractionation of its carbohydrates and lignin. Organic solvent pretreatment is recognized as an emerging way ahead because of its inherent advantages, such as the ability to fractionate lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose components with high purity, as well as easy solvent recovery and solvent reuse. Through all-atom MD simulation, we analyze the conformational transition of diverse lignin molecules in varying concentration of Methanol/water , DMSO/water …

Towards High-Rate Thermoplastic Composites, Chris Croshaw

Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to identify and address the problems associated with high-rate thermoplastic composites. Herein, three primary research thrusts were investigated; the first two chapters focus on the melt-state degradation mechanism of PEKK copolymers and its role on downstream crystallization and thermomechanical properties, the third chapter examines the role of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) on the crystallization and melting behavior of PEKK 70/30, and the final chapter focused on radio frequency and induction heating of PEKK nanocomposites.

The melt-state degradation mechanism was identified using a combination of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), molecular dynamics (MD), and quantum mechanics (QM) simulations. Melt-state degradation …

Controlling Differentiation Of Adult Stem Cells Via Cell-Derived Nanoparticles: Implications In Bone Repair, Shruthi Polla Ravi, Yasmeen Shamiya, Aishik Chakraborty, Ali Coyle, Alap A. Zahid, Jin Wang, Michael Boutilier, Emmanuel Ho, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Prophylaxis And Remediation For Future Pandemic Pathogens-(Lessons From A Post-Covid World), Mark E. Obrenovich, Moncef B. Tayahi, Caryn L. Heidt, Steven N. Emancipator

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Since influenza and coronaviruses are currently deadly and emerging threats worldwide, better treatment, remediation and prevention options are needed. In that regard, a basic understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2/COVID-19 () and other viral pathogen mechanisms of transmission are expected. Unfortunately, unprecedented, and growing distrust of vaccines and even masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States and elsewhere presents itself as an added challenge. We postulate that development of improved and highly effective prophylactic measures, together with new life-saving therapies that do inhibit or otherwise treat infection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza and other viral pathogens, could be …

Programming The Properties Of Branched Polymers Through Precision Architectures, Michael R. Dearman

LSU Master's Theses

The glass transition of branched polymers is determined by multiple structural parameters that dictate their inter- and intramolecular interactions, and ultimately, their molecular packing in the amorphous phase. Here we examined the impact of side chain length, backbone length, molecular weight composition, and topology on the glass transition behavior of bottlebrush polymers. Through examining precision bottlebrush polymer libraries (PBP, ĐSC = 1.0), we find the infinite molecular weight Tg is reached at a specific brush length after which the effect of the side-chain length dominates. Being a factor more dominant than the backbone, side-chain length affects the Tg of bottlebrush …

Effect Of Hydrogen Sulfide Content On The Combustion Characteristics Of Biogas Fuel In Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition Engines, Mohammad Alrbai, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Sameer Al-Dahidi, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Hassan S. Hayajneh, Nelson Akafuah

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

The use of biogas fuel in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines has been promoted recently due to the environmental advantages. However, hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) forms a non-environment friendly content and biogas impurity that its removal is associated with high costs. In this study, the effect of using biogas fuel in the HCCI engines under different operating conditions is investigated to shed light on the best scenarios of biogas combustion, even with the presence of H2S contents. A modified reaction mechanism is introduced by considering the re- actions of H2 S with other species in the air-fuel mixture. The …

Lipids Affect The Diffusion Of Estradiol In Osteonal Bone, Nicholas Anthony Cimino

ETD Archive

In healthy osteonal bone, embedded osteocytes form an intercellular communication network through overlapping cell membrane extensions, possibly defining an overlooked and clinically relevant lipid-mediated transport pathway for nonpolar molecules. Previous techniques evaluating solute transport in cortical bone limit tissue analysis to microscale areas (less than 1 mm2) using tracers and assumptions that diminish clinical relevance, presenting the need for an improved method to evaluate solute diffusion in macroscale areas (greater than 1 mm2) of osteonal bone. A new diffusion system - constructed of glass and polytetrafluoroethylene - was designed and validated for this purpose, exhibiting minimal adsorption of solutes and …

Anion Alloying Of Iii-V Semiconductors For Water Splitting., Sonia Calero-Barney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The challenge of solar energy conversion and storage translates into the discovery and development of semiconductor materials that can transform sunlight energy into electricity and/or high-energy-density fuels in a cost-effective way. From the solar energy conversion perspective, cation-alloyed III-V solar cells hold record-breaking energy conversion efficiencies, while anion-alloyed III-V’s are particularly interesting for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation. The major challenge for the adoption of III-V-based technologies lies in the high manufacturing costs of established synthesis techniques and the difficulty to control the composition of ternary alloys. One of the materials investigated in this work is GaSb_zP_1-z. Thermodynamic …

Post-Translational Modifications And Age-Related Hearing Loss, Parveen Bazard, Jennifer Pineros, Alejandro A. Acosta, Mark Thivierge, Lauren R. Paganella, Samuel Zucker, Freyda L. Mannering, Shrikar Modukuri, Xiaoxia Zhu, Robert D. Frisina, Bo Ding

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) affect nearly all systems of the human body due to their role in protein synthesis and functionality. These reversible and irreversible modifications control the structure, localization, activity, and properties of proteins. For this reason, PTMs are essential in regulating cellular processes and maintaining homeostasis. Diseases such as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and many others have been linked to dysfunctions of PTMs. Recent research has also shown that irregularities in PTMs can be linked to hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss (ARHL) – the number one communication disorder and one of the top neurodegenerative diseases in our …

Enhancing Human Schwann Cells Reparative Behavior Using Heparin/Collagen Layer-By-Layer Coatings, Luis Carlos Pinzon-Herrera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) occurs, the gold standard for tissue regeneration is the use of autografts. However, due to the secondary effects produced by multiple surgeries involved in the removal and implantation of autografts for very small lesions, it is possible to replace them with the use of Nerve Guide Conduits (NGCs). However, NGCs are limited to short lesions (less than 1 cm). This limitation is caused by the absence of compounds in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that autografts can provide. Since much of the regenerative process takes place on the NGC surface, our work aims to modify …

Using Copper Oxide And Zwitterions To Prevent Membrane Fouling And Optimizing Ultrafiltration Membrane Fabrication With Green Solvents, Cannon Hackett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Membrane fouling and sustainable production of membranes are two of the most important challenges in membrane science. Chapter 1 of this dissertation introduces these challenges and covers previous research that has been done in those areas. Additionally, the objectives of this dissertation are stated. In chapter 2, a study was done in which polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes were functionalized with copper oxide nanoparticles and zwitterions for the purpose of reducing fouling on the membrane surface. Characterization confirmed the attachment of each component to the membranes. Dead-end filtration was performed with water and bovine serum albumin solution and showed that the functionalization …

Generation Of Phase Transitions Boundaries Via Convolutional Neural Networks, Christopher Alexis Ibarra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Accurate mapping of phase transitions boundaries is crucial in accurately modeling the equation of state of materials. The phase transitions can be structural (solid-solid) driven by temperature or pressure or a phase change like melting which defines the solid-liquid melt line. There exist many computational methods for evaluating the phase diagram at a particular point in temperature (T) and pressure (P). Most of these methods involve evaluation of a single (P,T) point at a time. The present work partially automates the search for phase boundaries lines utilizing a machine learning method based on convolutional neural networks and an efficient search …

Investigations Of Prokaryotic Defense Systems, Hannah Domgaard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bacteria are constantly threatened with infection by mobile genetic elements (MGE) such as bacteriophage and plasmids. Bacteriophage and plasmids require the bacteria's cellular infrastructure to replicate their genomes. Rampant replication can lead to cell death which is one reason why bacteria have developed a diverse array of immune systems to prevent or limit infection. This thesis studies three types of bacterial immune systems, type IV-A CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat –CRISPR associated), type V-A2 CRISPR-Cas systems, and Wadjet systems.

The type IV-A system lies adjacent to a dinG-like helicase gene. Research has shown that this system can target …

Artificial Neural Network For Predicting Heat Transfer Rates In Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, Vinusha Dasarla Giri Babu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid in a closed Brayton cycle is proving to be more efficient than a conventional steam-based Rankine engine. Understanding the heat transfer properties of supercritical fluids is important for the design of a working engine cycle. The thermophysical properties of supercritical fluids tend to vary non-linearly near the pseudo-critical region. Traditionally, empirical correlations are used to calculate the heat transfer coefficient. It has been shown in the literature and within our own studies that these correlations provide inaccurate predictions near the pseudo-critical line, where heat transfer may be deteriorated or enhanced, resulting from strong …

Study Of Sustainable Development In Paper, Printing And Packaging Material Applications To Support Circular Economy, Prashant Ramesh Kotkar

Dissertations

To support circular economy and sustainability, the use of suitable material in paper, printing, and packaging industries, for several types of industrial printing material and printed product applications, plays a significant role for end user applications. Several types of packaging printing materials, specifically those finished with different printing technologies and exposed to different environmental conditions are targeted.

The purpose of this research study is to improve design and evaluation for paper, printing, and packaging material sustainability in end-user applications, to deal with the addressed sustainability issues brought by the paper, printing and packaging products end user groups. As the impacts …

Live Imaging Of Micro And Macro Wettability Variations Of Carbonate Oil Reservoirs For Enhanced Oil Recovery And Co/ Trapping/Storage, Anastasia Ivanova, A. Orekhov, S. Markovic, Stefan Iglauer, P. Grishin, A. Cheremisin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs are considered as potential candidates for chemically enhanced oil recovery and for CO² geological storage. However, investigation of one main controlling parameter—wettability—is usually performed by conventional integral methods at the core-scale. Moreover, literature reports show that wettability distribution may vary at the micro-scale due to the chemical heterogeneity of the reservoir and residing fluids. These differences may profoundly affect the derivation of other reservoir parameters such as relative permeability and capillary pressure, thus rendering subsequent simulations inaccurate. Here we developed an innovative approach by comparing the wettability distribution on carbonates at micro and macro-scale by combining live-imaging …

Materials Discovery Of Ion-Selective Membranes Using Artificial Intelligence, Reza Maleki, Seyed Mohammadreza Shams, Yasin Mehdizadeh Chellehbari, Sima Rezvantalab, Ahmad Miri Jahromi, Mohsen Asadnia, Rouzbeh Abbassi, Tejraj Aminabhavi, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Significant attempts have been made to improve the production of ion-selective membranes (ISMs) with higher efficiency and lower prices, while the traditional methods have drawbacks of limitations, high cost of experiments, and time-consuming computations. One of the best approaches to remove the experimental limitations is artificial intelligence (AI). This review discusses the role of AI in materials discovery and ISMs engineering. The AI can minimize the need for experimental tests by data analysis to accelerate computational methods based on models using the results of ISMs simulations. The coupling with computational chemistry makes it possible for the AI to consider atomic …

Hydrothermal Preprocessing Of Waste Corn Stover Into Advanced Biorefinery Feedstock, Md Tahmid Islam

Theses and Dissertations

Waste corn stover is one of the most abundant agronomic resources in U.S., however, those are either incinerated or unprocessed in the field to avoid high logistical cost, economic forfeiture, and environmental complications. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising thermochemical process that transforms wet biomass like waste corn stover into a solid fuel called hydrochar, process liquid, and process gas. The recycle of process liquid is warranted as the HTC process liquid contains organic acid that would increase the mass yield and fuel quality of the hydrochar by catalyzing the HTC reactions. HTC also promotes the fuel quality by densifying …

Water-Soluble Saponins Accumulate In Drought-Stressed Switchgrass And May Inhibit Yeast Growth During Bioethanol Production, Sarvada Hemant Chipkar, Katherine Smith, Elizabeth M. Whelan, Derek J. Debrauske, Annie Jen, Katherine A. Overmyer, Andrea Senyk, Larkin Hooker-Moericke, Marissa Gallmeyer, Joshua J. Coon, A. Daniel Jones, Trey K. Sato, Rebecca G. Ong

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Background: Developing economically viable pathways to produce renewable energy has become an important research theme in recent years. Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock that can be converted into second-generation biofuels and bioproducts. Global warming has adversely affected climate change causing many environmental changes that have impacted earth surface temperature and rainfall patterns. Recent research has shown that environmental growth conditions altered the composition of drought-stressed switchgrass and directly influenced the extent of biomass conversion to fuels by completely inhibiting yeast growth during fermentation. Our goal in this project was to find a way to overcome the microbial inhibition and …

Metabolic Engineering Of Yarrowia Lipolytica For Enhanced Peroxisomal Production Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates, Michael Spagnuolo

All Dissertations

Traditional chemical processes are made inefficient by the generation of side products and reactions that fail to reach completion. Bioprocesses, on the other hand, lose product potential due to the necessity of growing the organism required to produce the desired compounds. The field of metabolic engineering often seeks to alter this balance between product formation and cell growth to generate more product from the same quantity of feed (reagent). In addition to balance, such organisms may also be engineered to produce the desired products from nontraditional substrates, such as waste compounds. In resource-poor environments, the ability to produce a wanted …