Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Hybrid Hydro-Pyrometallurgical Process For Zn Recovery From Electric Arc Furnace Dust, Rana Adel Bayoumi, Nabil Mahmoud Abdelmenem, Moustafa Aly Soliman, Ibrahim Mohamed Ismail, Ahmed Ahmed Refaat

Chemical Engineering

Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) which is considered hazardous waste, contains significant amounts of Zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and some dangerous elements. Zn exists in the dust as Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Zinc Ferrite (ZnFe2O3) which is difficult to be leached with traditional methods. The main objective of the suggested process is to recover Zn from EAFD by using a hybrid pyro/hydrometallurgical method. This method includes mixing cement dust and EAFD and heating the mixture in a pyrometallurgical treatment step to convert ZnFe2O3 to ZnO. This step is followed by leaching the treated dust with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution using …

Valuable Biodiesel Catalyst From Solvay Wastewater, Mai Hassan Roushdy, Rana Adel Bayoumi

Chemical Engineering

Biodiesel is considered a renewable, green fuel as it is derived from renewable living resources like animal fats or vegetable oils. This research is utilized to investigate the possibility of using Solvay wastewater as a source of biodiesel catalyst, which is CaO. CaCl2 from Solvay wastewater reacts with CO2 to produce CaCO3. CaCO3 is then heated to produce pure CaO. Waste cooking oil, wastewater, and CO2, which are considered dangerous materials to the environment, are used to produce valuable products. This research has environmental and economic benefit benefits of using waste materials as a replacement for raw materials. The selected …

Biodiesel Production From Castor Oil: Mixing Optimization During Transesterification, Yaser M. Asal Mr, Islam M. Al-Akraa, Ahmad M. Mohammad, Hassan E. Hisham

Chemical Engineering

With the growing warning for accrediting the traditional combustion of fossil fuels for energy production, not only for their limited supply but also for their environmental risks (air pollution, climate change, …. etc), it became necessary to realize alternative greener and abundant sources for energy. Instead, the interest to sustain biodiesel for the energy production has recently been renewed as a replacement for petroleum diesel in conventional diesel engines. This was due to its renewable nature, low toxicity, high degradability and unique physical properties (high flash points & lubrication). Castor oil, in particular, appeared promising for biodiesel production with extremely …

Castor Oil Conversion To Biodiesel: A Process Simulation Study, Yaser M. Asal Mr, Islam M. Al-Akraa, Ahmad M. Mohammad, Razan Aymen

Chemical Engineering

The aim of this study is to highlights the importance to shift from the use of traditional fossil fuels to biodiesel as a clean energy source. A simulation study has been conducted using ASPEN HYSIS software for the biodiesel production form castor oil. The simulation was run and the properties of the produced biodiesel were highlighted. The optimum conditions resulted in 88 % conversion.

Calcite Depression In Bastnaesite-Calcite Flotation System Using Organic Acids, Emmy Muhoza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bastnaesite is the primary source of light REEs, namely cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), to name a few. Bastnaesite is typically concentrated using the froth flotation beneficiation method. Flotation of bastnaesite suffers from high reagent consumption due to the similar surface characteristics of bastnaesite and associated gangue minerals, including calcite. Additionally, complex stages of high-temperature conditioning are often required to suppress the detrimental impact of dissolved calcium ions on the flotation of bastnaesite. This research seeks to investigate the capabilities of organic acids in the bastnaesite-calcite flotation systems to selectively depress calcite minerals and effectively chelate calcium …

Reverse Cationic Flotation Of Hematite, Natalia Parra Alvarez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The reverse cationic flotation of hematite is the most common method to process hematite ores. The goal of this research is to understand the impact of fundamental water and surface effects to enable the optimization of the flotation process. At present, reverse cationic flotation is performed using a single chemical as both collector and frother. Excessive amounts of frother or collector should lead to diminished performance. This research investigates this phenomenon by replacing some of the collector with frothers. It was found that flotation recovery can be improved up to 2.5wt% via 10% replacement with methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). Since …

Molecular Modeling Of High-Performance Thermoset Polymer Matrix Composites For Aerospace Applications, Prathamesh P. Deshpande

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The global efforts from major space agencies to transport humans to Mars will require a novel lightweight and ultra-high strength material for the spacecraft structure. Three decades of research with the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have proved that the material can be an ideal candidate for the composite reinforcement if certain shortcomings are overcome. Also, the rapid development of the polymer resin industry has introduced a wide range of high-performance resins that show high compatibility with the graphitic surface of the CNTs. This research explores the computational design of these materials and evaluates their efficacy as the next generation of aerospace …

Towards A Circular Economy: Liquid-Fed Fast Pyrolysis Of Waste Polyolefin Plastics, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Plastic usage has quickly grown in recent years as plastics have become an essential part of everyday life. Unfortunately, recycling rates have not matched the increased growth, with the majority of waste plastic landfilled. The strategy of circular economy has been proposed to reuse the waste plastic to create new polymers, thus avoiding both landfilling and the use of virgin raw materials. Achieving a circular economy for plastics requires the development of new technologies capable of recycling plastic waste under a circular economy perspective. In this dissertation, a novel liquid-fed fast pyrolysis process is introduced towards achieving a circular economy. …

Development Of Advanced Models For Pre-Ignition Prediction In Gas Engines And Analytical Model For Wallfilm Evaporation, Ankith Ullal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Ever-changing regulations aimed at improving efficiency and reducing harmful emissions have resulted in many power-generation device (engine) manufacturers to adopt new strategies. Computer simulation of these new strategies of power generation requires more accurate and higher fidelity modelling tools. In the present study, two such models are developed. The first model deals with pre-ignition phenomena driven by lubricant (lube) oil in natural gas engines and the second model is relevant to prediction of wallfilm evaporation by employing analytical solutions to transport governing equations for boundary layers.

Pre-ignition in engines has been the subject of current research with the advent of …

Recovering And Upgrading Kraft Lignin For Application In Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Peng Quan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lignin is the second abundant natural polymer and has been highlighted as a potential substitute for fossil-based raw materials. However, the inherent molecular heterogeneity and the complex recovery processes result in the challenge of controlling the molecular properties and value-added applications of lignin in large scale. To address those issues, a novel acid-liquefaction process was developed in this study to recover Kraft lignin with improved molecular homogeneity directly from black liquor.

In the first study, the liquefaction parameters were screened based on yield and molecular weight properties of the recovered lignin. Then, the recovered lignin samples were used to replace …

Measuring The Physicochemical Properties Of Viral Vectors To Enhance Gene Therapy Production, Oluwatoyin Areo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Gene therapy is a therapeutic intervention designed to correct single gene disorders. AAV has been identified as a suitable vector for delivering therapeutic genes. However, the use of AAV has been hampered by manufacturing challenges inclusive of low virus recovery, and the presence of AAV without the gene of interest (empty capsids). To solve these problems, we characterized the charge and hydrophobicity of AAV, and surrogate viruses using chemical force microscopy (CFM). CFM uses a modified atomic force microscope (AFM) probe to measure the adhesion force between a virus particle and a functional chemistry.The virus particles to be measured are …

Reinforcement Of Elastomers By Reactive Ionic Surfactant, Nicole Vickerman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Elastomers without cross-linking agents or fillers do not have the necessary properties for practical applications in the rubber industry. Elastomers must be reinforced with fillers and/or cross-linking agents to achieve the needs of physical and mechanical properties for commercial products. Sodium octyl 6-mercaptohexyl phosphate (SOMP) and sodium ethyl (6-mercaptohexyl) phosphate (SEMP) were used to investigate the influence of a reactive ionic surfactant and its influence on the physical properties of peroxide crosslinked styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). SEMP and SOMP were both found to be able to be grafted successfully on to the SBR chains within the rubber using extraction testing …

Simulation Of Photoelectrochemical Co2 Conversion To Useful Chemicals, Aroonroj Chaosukho

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) is one of the possible solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. Among a variety of products derived from CO2 RR, CO, and HCOO- are found to be interesting chemicals. The geometry and arrangement of the main components of PEC cells play important roles in the cell performance of CO2 RR. In this study, a correlation of hydrodynamics and kinetics on the TiO2-photoanode and SnO2-GDE, used as a cathode, was investigated by COMSOL Multiphysics by controlling operating conditions for 2-dimensional different PEC cell configurations. The Microfluidic flow cell (MFC) with a zero-gap anode with a …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Succinic Acid Production From Sugarcane Molasses, Apitsada Rongsawad

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study proposes an alternative approach to address global warming concerns by introducing bio-based succinic acid production derived from molasses and waste CO2 in ethanol production as a substitute for conventional petroleum-based methods. The evaluation focuses on the downstream process; reactive extraction, aiming to assess its feasibility in terms of technical, economic, energy, and CO2 emission performance. The results indicate that the integrated process, Int. ETOH+SA 25:75, exhibits remarkable benefits, including a 66% reduction in CO2 emissions from ethanol production, a 77% decrease in energy consumption compared to petroleum-based methods, and NPV of 2,180 million USD with a 40.81% IRR …

Techno-Economic And Environmental Assessment For Enhancementbiodiesel Production Process Using Rotating Tube Reactor And Dry Washing, Arthit Jarungwongsathien

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The study aims at exploring the potential use of rotating tube reactor (RTR) and performing economic analysis as wells as addressing the challenges associated with the utilization of different feedstocks including of refined palm oil (RPO) and waste cooking oil (WCO) for biodiesel production. The type of feedstock strongly influenced the optimum reaction temperature. For instance, RPO can produce biodiesel in the RTR at room temperature while WCO required the external heat source for biodiesel production at 65°C. In addition, two transesterification steps of WCO were required to achieve 95.16%. Simulation results found that the process intensification using RTR and …

Enzymatic Pretreatment Of Rice Bran Acid Oil Before Γ-Oryzanol Recovery, Asdarina Binti Yahya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aims to apply enzymatic reactions for pretreating the major byproduct of rice bran oil (RBO) industry, rice bran acid oil (RBAO) before γ-oryzanol recovery. RBAO contains free fatty acids (FFAs), glycerides, and is rich in the super-antioxidant, γ-oryzanol. As a primary step to recover γ-oryzanol from RBAO, glycerides must be removed because of having similar polarity with γ-oryzanol. This study is conducted in two parts, hydrolysis and esterification/transesterification. In the first part, enzymatic hydrolysis. The study evaluates the performance of operating conditions using one factor at a time (OFAT) on the reaction time, temperature, lipase loading, water:RBAO ratio, …

Development Of Bioplastic Composite Films With Improved Antimicrobial Properties: A Comparative Study Between Blown Film Extrusion, Doctor Blading And Spray Coating, Atiwit Singhapan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB) is a bioplastic that has gained attention as a potential alternative to petroleum-based plastics in film packaging due to its good barrier properties and thermal stability. However, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) has no outstanding properties. Therefore, the researcher added lignin powder to improve its antimicrobial properties, another essential property of the packaging film. This work successfully prepared a composite bioplastic film between poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) and lignin powder by forming through a blown film extrusion, doctor blading, and spray coating. In order to give the film a high surface energy and enable it to adhere to the lignin solution on the surface, the …

Glycerol Carbonate Production From Glycerol And Diethyl Carbonate: A Comparative Study Between A Separated Reaction/Distillation (Srd) Process And A Reactive Distillation (Rd) Process, Chayanin Sriharuethai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Glycerol carbonate is one of the valuable products that can be converted from glycerol produced in the biodiesel industry. In this work, the continuous process of glycerol carbonate production via transesterification from crude glycerol and diethyl carbonate will be developed using Aspen Plus simulation. There are two processes to be considered. First, the separated reaction/distillation (SRD) process consists of a continuously stirred tank reactor for the reaction section and a distillation column for the purification section. Second, the reactive distillation (RD) process consists of a reactive distillation column that can accommodate both the reaction and purification in a single column, …

Parameters Optimization In Chlor-Alkali Ion-Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Process With Artificial Neural Network, Kittapas Sukantowong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Since ion-exchange membrane electrolysis cell has developed for producing Chlor-Alkali products. New higher efficiency and lower consumption technology are released from licensors yearly, which made the process correlation deviate from the original design. The machine learning is used with “Neural Network Fitting Tool (nftool)” in MATLAB. To find a correlation between 5 inputs consisting of current density (CD, KA/m2), operation day (DOL, day), feed brine flow rate (QFB, m3/h), feed caustic flow rate (QHD, m3/h), cell temperature (T, degC) and one output which is cell voltage (CV, V). Datasets were collected from the plant information management system “exaquantum” historian database. …

Economic Evaluation Of Ethyl Lactate Production Via Reactive Distillation At Different Concentrations Of Lactic Acid, Nattapat Klin-U-Bol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Ethyl lactate is a green solvent made from agricultural crops, making it more environmentally friendly than petrochemical solvents. The product is obtained via esterification of lactic acid with ethanol over Amberlyst-15 acid catalyst in a reactive distillation column. In commercial-scale production of ethyl lactate, this work designs production processes at two concentrations of lactic acid (50 and 85 wt.%) and two ethanol feed temperatures (25 and 85 °C). Highly concentrated lactic acid can result in adverse effects, such as increased oligomers and reduced desired products, making a comprehensive simulation of the production process necessary to evaluate energy consumption, economics, and …