Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Epoxy-Functional Thermoplastic Copolymers And Their Incorporation Into Thermosetting Resins, Kayla Rose Sweet

Theses and Dissertations

While polymers have secured a place in the consumer, industrial, and military markets over the last seventy years, the next generation of polymers must become more renewable, more adaptive, and higher performing to bridge industrial needs and environmental gaps. To this end, unique network configurations of copolymers and interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) have been employed to combine features of two or more polymers into a single material that surpasses the sum of its parts. The customization of polymer networks can be made possible via dual-functional monomers, molecules characterized by two different reactive substituents that allow for versatile methods of polymerization. …

Bio-Oils From Vacuum Ablative Pyrolysis Of Torrefied Tobacco Residues, Nattawut Khuenkaeo, Blake Macqueen, Thossaporn Onsree, Sangu Daiya, Nakorn Tippayawong, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Fast pyrolysis, in combination with torrefaction pretreatment, was used to convert tobacco residues to value-added bio-fuels and chemicals. Tobacco plant residues were torrefied at 220, 260, and 300 °C, before being pyrolyzed at 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C in a rotating blade ablative reactor under vacuum conditions to test the effects on product yields. With torrefaction, tobacco residues thermally decomposed 20-25% w/w at low temperatures. Torrefaction and pyrolysis temperatures were found to markedly affect pyrolytic product yields of bio-chars and bio-oils, while having no effect on gas-phase products. Bio-oil yields exhibited a direct relation with pyrolysis temperature and an …

Preparation Characterization And Tribological Behavior Of Lube Oil With Nanoparticles Additives, Waleed Alghani

Student Works (2020-2029)

There are many companies worldwide that would like to improve and upgrade the lube oil and enhance its performance. There is a big concern for the enhancement of lube oil by using nanotechnology and more precisely with using nanomaterial additives. Much work has made to explore and develop new sorts of lubricating oil nano-additives to diminish wear and friction in tribological configurations and to enhance surface morphology. It has noted that the use of dual nano-additives should examine the lubricating capacity and durability of lubricant. (TiO2 Anatase + Graphene) and (ZnO + Graphene) nanoparticles have selected to formulate nano-additives that …

Isotherm And Kinetics Study For The Adsorption Of Nitrate From An Aqueous Solution Using A Modified Rice Straw, Dalia A. Ali Eng, Mohamed A. Sadek Prof., Nagwa Mahmoud Al-Mansi Prof, Ahmad Wafiq Aboelnasr Dr.

Chemical Engineering

In this research, modified rice straw (MRS) is proposed. The proposed production process of the modified rice straw (MRS) adsorbent is carried out by precipitation of iron nano particles on the surface of acid activated rice straw. The nitrate adsorption is carried out through batch experiments. The optimum nitrate removal 94.8 % was achieved at pH = 7, adsorbent dose 3 = g/L, 150 rpm, initial nitrate concentration = 23 mg/L and contact time 180 = min. The new adsorbent synthesis, kinetics and isotherm models were studied. The nitrate adsorption was well described by pseudo second order kinetic model (R2 …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Thermosetting Epoxy Resins From Lignin-Inspired Phenolics, Kelli Marie Hambleton

Theses and Dissertations

The need for renewable polymers able to replace their petrochemical counterparts continues to grow as sustainability concerns constantly rise. Bisguaiacol, a bio-based alternative to bisphenol-A, has been synthesized using vanillyl alcohol and guaiacol via an electrophilic aromatic condensation. Purification provides both bisguaiacol and an oligomeric coproduct with a consistent number average molecular weight and dispersity of about 650 Da and 1.00, respectively, across multiple reaction volume scales. This coproduct has been well characterized as a low molecular weight novolac averaging 5 hydroxyls per molecule and was transformed into an epoxy resin suitable for use in thermosetting resin development. By utilizing …

Epoxidation Of Cardanol's Terminal Double Bond., Emre Kinaci, Erde Can, John J La Scala, Giuseppe R Palmese

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

In this investigation, the terminal double bonds of the side chain epoxidized cardanol glycidyl ether (SCECGE) molecule were further epoxidized in the presence of Oxone® (potassium peroxomonosulfate) and fluorinated acetone. Regular methods for the double bond epoxidation are not effective on the terminal double bonds because of their reduced electronegativity with respect to internal double bonds. The terminal double bond functionality of the SCECGE was epoxidized to nearly 70%, increasing the epoxy functionality of SCECGE from 2.45 to 2.65 epoxies/molecule as measured using proton magnetic nuclear resonance (1H-NMR). This modified material—side chain epoxidized cardanol glycidyl ether with terminal epoxies (TE-SCECGE)—was …

Formulation Of A Model Resin System For Benchmarking Processing-Property Relationships In High-Performance Photo 3d Printing Applications., Jianwei Tu, Kamran Makarian, Nicolas J Alvarez, Giuseppe R Palmese

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

A well-defined resin system is needed to serve as a benchmark for 3D printing of high-performance composites. This work describes the design and characterization of such a system that takes into account processability and performance considerations. The Grunberg–Nissan model for resin viscosity and the Fox equation for polymer Tg were used to determine proper monomer ratios. The target viscosity of the resin was below 500 cP, and the target final Tg of the cured polymer was 150 °C based on tan-δ peak from dynamic mechanical analysis. A tri-component model resin system, termed DA-2 resin, was determined and fully characterized. The …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Water-Soluble Polyaniline For Hydrazine Detection / Hazira Hussin, Hazira Hussin

Student Works (2020-2029)

In this study, polyaniline (PAni) was synthesized through the chemical oxidation method using aniline (Ani) as a monomer, hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a dopant, and ammonium persulphate (APS) as an initiator. PAni was rendered water soluble through treating with cellulose derivatives. Cellulose derivatives such as methylcellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) were used as a stabilizer to improve the solubility of PAni in an aqueous medium. The water-soluble PAni-cellulose derivative was applied as a chemical sensor for hydrazine detection. The chemical structures and electrical conducting behaviours of PAni-cellulose derivatives were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and …

Nanoparticle Catalyzed Hydrodesulfurization Of Diesel Fuel In A Trickle Bed Reactor: Experimental And Optimization Study, Saba A. Gheni, Saad A. Awad, Safaa M. R. Ahmed, Ghassan Abdullah, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work focuses on the preparation, simulation, and optimization of the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) using a nanocatalyst. A homemade nanocatalyst (3 percent Co, 10 percent Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles) was used in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). The HDS kinetic model was estimated based on experimental observations over ranges of operating conditions to evaluate kinetic parameters of the HDS process and apply the key parameters. Based on these parameters, the performance of the TBR catalyzed by the nanocatalyst was evaluated and scaled up to a commercial scale. Also, the selectivity of HDS reactions was also modeled to …

Mathematical Modeling And Pointwise Validation Of A Spouted Bed Using An Enhanced Bed Elasticity Approach, Sebastián Uribe, Binbin Qi, Omar Farid, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With a Euler-Euler (E2P) approach, a mathematical model for predicting the pointwise hydrodynamic behavior of a spouted bed was implemented though computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. The model considered a bed elasticity approach in order to reduce the number of required sub-models to provide closure for the solids stress strain-tensor. However, no modulus of elasticity sub-model for a bed elasticity approach has been developed for spouted beds, and thus, large deviations in the predictions are obtained with common sub-models reported in literature. To overcome such a limitation, a new modulus of elasticity based on a sensitivity analysis was developed and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Nanoparticles In Lamellar Lyotropic Liquid Crystal, Siti Mariah Mohd Yasin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Lamellar lyotropic liquid crystal-silver nanoparticles (LLLC-AgNPs) are synthesized using the in-situ method. The polarizer microscope showed a mosaic-like pattern with fan shape textures. The high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) confirmed that the AgNPs are spherical in shape with 4 – 12 nm size. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) determined the LLLC-AgNPs transition anisotropic phase to the highly ordered isotropic phase at 300 °C, and crystallinity was completed at 350 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) verified that the LLLC-AgNPs were completely decomposed at 700 °C. Ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) found the absorption peaks at around 400 nm and proved that the AgNPs …

Optimizing Membrane Distillation With Solar Thermal Collectors, Andrew Mason, Ben Shulders, Siamak Nejati

UCARE: Research Products

With rising human populations, the demand for freshwater is an ever-growing problem. One emerging technology to combat this problem is membrane distillation (MD). MD has several advantages for water desalination including 100% rejection of solute (salt, heavy metals, etc.) and mergeability with other affordable energy sources (solar heat, electric resistance, etc.) However, at the moment the specific energy consumption (SEC) of MD is very high due to low water production rates and large energy inputs to heat water. In a solar‐assisted design for MD, the high cost of solar collectors (~$200/m2) inhibits the low cost of water production in comparison …

A Scoring Model To Evaluate Offshore Oil Projects: Case Of Eni And Mellitah Oil & Gas, Abdulhakim Giadedi

Dissertations and Theses

Offshore oil projects have many different and unique characteristics, such as larger project size, higher number of scopes, and higher complexity. In fact, offshore oil projects described as mega projects are ones that require significant assessment and acquisition methods in order to reduce risks and failures. Traditionally, cash flow analysis and return on investment are the most known factors to evaluate offshore oil projects. However, there are several other internal and external factors that affect the overall performance of offshore oil projects. A comprehensive approach and advanced tools are required to evaluate these factors that can have a significant impact …

Challenges To Levulinic Acid And Humins Valuation In The Sugarcane Bagasse Biorefinery Concept, Emília Savioli Lopes, Jean Felipe Leal Silva, Elmer Ccopa Rivera, Alana Petrina Gomes, Melina Savioli Lopes, Rubens Maciel Filho, Laura Plazas Tovar

Faculty Publications

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Levulinic acid (LA) is currently one of the most promising chemicals derived from biomass. However, its large-scale production is hampered by the challenges in biomass hydrolysis and the poor selectivity due to the formation of humins (HUs). This study addresses these challenges using the biorefinery concept of biomass fractionation. A three-step process (pretreatment, delignification, and acid-catalyzed conversion) was optimized to produce LA from SCB considering the yield (YLA), efficiency (ELA), and concentration of LA (CLA) as functions of temperature, reaction time, acid concentration, and solids loading. By means of a …

Drug-Loaded Chitosan Film Prepared Via Facile Solution Casting And Air-Drying Of Plain Water-Based Chitosan Solution For Ocular Drug Delivery, Boxuan Li, Juan Wang, Qin Gui, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chitosan is a nature-based polymer with low toxicity, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the intractable solubility of chitosan in water and most conventional solvents hampers its biomedical applications. Following the dissolution method for dissolving chitosan in plain water developed by us, chitosan was dissolved in ionic liquid followed by overnight freezing at −20 °C and subsequent solvent exchange with plain water at room temperature. In this study, we fabricated a drug-carrying chitosan film via solution casting and air-drying by using the plain water-based chitosan solution. Specifically, brimonidine tartrate (BT), an antiglaucoma drug, was dissolved in the plain-water based solution and …

Process Improvement And Microbial Characterisation Of Biological Nitrogen Removal For Tropical Wastewater With Low Chemical Oxygen Demand/Nitrogen Ratio, How Seow Wah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Malaysia has one of the most established biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) among the developing Southeast Asian countries. The current WWTPs’ design and operating guidelines in Malaysia are mainly derived from other developed countries with more experiences in operating biological nitrogen removal. These design guidelines are good practices for WWTPs in the temperate climate region, but may not be optimal for the local wastewater characteristics and tropical climate in Malaysia. The local wastewater industry is keen to improve the design and operation of WWTPs to reduce the energy consumption and operating cost, which helps to foster a …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Extracted Lignin From Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Using Synthesized Deep Eutectic Solvents, Tan Yee Tong

Student Works (2020-2029)

Deep eutectic solvent (DES), a new generation green solvent has been introduced as an alternative pretreatment solvent due to its ability for lignocellulosic biomass fractionation and lignin extraction. Numerous types of compounds can be adopted as DES constituents, which has resulted in abundant variation of DES with varying properties. Selection of the suitable chemical compound category is therefore essential for optimum DES performance. However, investigation on the performance comparison between the different DES categories is lacking. In addition, despite its widely acknowledged effectiveness in biomass fractionation, the properties of DES-fractionated biopolymers, especially lignin are not well understood. Hence, this project …

Preparation And Characterisation Of Heat Treated Oil Palm-Empty Fruit Bunch/High Density Polyethylene Composites, Nordin Nur Afifah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Natural fibre composites (NFCs) are composite materials, in which the reinforcing fibres are derived from renewable and carbon dioxide neutral resources such as wood or plants. NFC can be made by replacing synthetic fibres with various types of natural fibres. Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibre and oil palm mesocarp fibre are two important types of fibrous materials left in the palm-oil industry. In this study, EFB will be used as a reinforcement to the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). EFB was heat-treated at 180°C using vacuum oven for one hour, extrusion compounded with HDPE at 10%, 20% and 30% weight …

Theoretical Foundation Of Solution Dehydration In Porous Media: Effect Of Microstructure And Solute Interactions, Fernanda Sulantay Vargas

Honors Scholar Theses

Retention and evaporation of water have important implications in many natural and industrial settings. Here we focus on the effect of solute components (salts) as well as system geometry on evaporation rate of water. The study of multicomponent solutions with phase changes is challenging topic because of the complex and inter-connected physical phenomena that govern its dynamics. In the present work we review the theory of water evaporation and simulate evaporation of water as a function of composition and geometry for both droplets and bulk-scale (slit-like) systems. For droplets, we studied levitated droplets and droplets over hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. …

Membrane-Based Removal Of Ammonia From A Waste Stream And Its Recovery, Philip A. Aligwe

Dissertations

At neutral pH levels, ammonia in aqueous streams exists in two forms: ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) and dissolved ammonia gas molecules (NH₃). Membrane separation serves as a viable option for treatment of ammonia containing effluents. This can be achieved via by stripping NH₃ from an ammonia feed solution at feed solution pH > 11 via hollow fiber supported gas membrane (SGM) or removing NH₄⁺ from an ammonia feed solution at feed solution pH < 7 via liquid or polymeric membranes.

The first study reported here examines the influence of feed volumetric flow rates on outlet NH₃ concentrations in parallel flow …