Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Distillation Optimization In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Daniel Vanzweden

Honors Theses

Distillations are commonly used throughout industry to perform separations by phase change, producing a liquid phase and vapor distillate. However, the process of distilling can be slow and energy intensive, providing a limitation in the production process. Possible improvements to current distillation systems were considered on the basis of thermal efficiency, material throughput (cycle time), and material tolerance. Consideration was given to ensure maintenance is straightforward and relatively quick, as fouling, contamination and tank utilization were concerns. Economic viability of the improvements was completed to determine the project benefit. The optimized design offers increased efficiency for production lines.

Distillation Optimization In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Clayton Carter

Honors Theses

Distillations are commonly used throughout industry to perform separations by phase change. producing a liquid phase and vapor distillate. However. the process of distilling can be slow and energy intensive, providing a limitation in the production process. Possible improvements to current distillation systems were considered on the basis of thermal efficiency, material throughput (cycle time), and material tolerance. Consideration was given to ensure maintenance is straightforward and relatively quick, as fouling, contamination and tank utilization were concerns. Economic viability of the improvements was completed to determine the project benefit. The optimized design offers increased efficiency for production lines.

Natural Polymer Barrier Coatings For Oil And Grease Resistance, Andrew Kathan

Honors Theses

Many barrier coating formulations currently used for oil and grease resistance development in the paper industry have issues with sustainability, biodegradation, or have health concerns associated with them. This thesis tests two starches as barrier coatings to develop oil and grease resistance for food grade packaging sheets. Starch is compatible with almost all papermaking chemicals, is biodegradable, and is easily treated in wastewater systems making it a great candidate to create a more sustainable barrier coating. Cooked hydrophobic starch esters have a unique shear-thinning rheology that allow for high solid starch coatings to be applied with a reduced risk of …

Optimizing Frosted Mini-Wheats' Finished Food Cooling Process, Jessica Graves

Honors Theses

Analyzing energy intensive processes in industry is crucial for improving sustainability, lowering costs, and increasing profit margins on products. Material and energy balances were performed to identify process losses in the cooling of Frosted Mini-Wheats. Existing cooling technology was compared to alternate technology available on the market, and a cost analysis was performed to compare all options explored. Recommendations were made to the system to potentially reduce the line's energy usage and downtime, with the objective of creating a more sustainable and efficient process.

Optimization Of Toaster Pastry Icing Preparation And Application, Rebecca Martus

Honors Theses

The Kellogg Company is interested in optimizing the way the icing for a baked good is prepared and applied during production. The current method has not been significantly changed since the item was first introduced over 50 years ago. A new process was developed to make a more efficient preparation and application of the icing operation. New equipment was identified based on established methods in the food industry. The new equipment and process was verified after the mass and energy balances were calculated. A capital and operating cost analysis was performed to determine if the introduction of the new process …

Spectro-Electrochemical Platforms For Dynamic Analyses Of Catalytic Cascade Systems, Nalin I. Andersen

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

The development of spectro-electrochemical platforms that facilitate the dynamic analyses of complex catalytic cascade systems was explored in this research. These systems facilitated multiple modalities of catalysts and were used as platforms for monitoring catalytic transformations quasi-in situ. The analytical platforms allowed for the characterization of intermediates and products using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The design and fabrication of these devices proved to be reproducible, made of materials that can be manipulated for multiple applications, and incorporate fluid mechanics, electrochemistry, and multimodal catalysis. Microfluidic technology offers capabilities for understanding catalytic cascade systems by providing precise dynamic control of …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of The Second Pyrolysis On The Chemistry, Morphology, And Performance Of Iron-Nicarbazin Catalysts, Elizabeth B. Weiler

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable alternative to petroleum-based power sources to the transportation sector. However, slow electrochemical reactions at the cathode of these fuel cell prevent the technology from being competitive. Iron-nitrogen-carbon based catalysts have emerged as a viable answer to this problem, yet further progress is needed to improve their performance beyond that of current state-of-the-art platinum-based catalysts, which are economically and geopolitically impractical to be a final solution. Currently, a two-step high temperature pyrolysis method has proven a promising way to synthesize iron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts for optimized performance, but there is a …

The Catalytic Activity Of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Towards Carbon Monoxide Oxidation Catalysis: Microwave – Assisted Synthesis Approach, Hany A. Elazab Dr

Chemical Engineering

In this research, we report a simple, versatile, and reproducible method for the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles via microwave assisted synthesis approach. The important advantage of this catalyst is due to its important role not only in the low temperature oxidation of CO but also in potential applications in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis. The results reveal that the copper oxide catalyst has particularly a remarkable high activity for CO oxidation catalysis as it was found that copper oxide (CuO) catalyst has 100% conversion of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide at 175 oC. This also could be attributed to …

Review Of Challenges And Advances In Modification Of Food Package Headspace Gases, Ziynet Boz, Bruce A. Welt, Jeffrey K. Brecht, William Pelletier, Eric Mclamore, Gregory A. Kiker, Jason E. Butler

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) has been widely used as an effective way to preserve foods. Fresh produce, meat and meat products, seafood, and dairy products can benefit from modified gaseous atmospheres, which are usually achieved by reducing oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, within limits, defined by product tolerances. MAP of fresh produce is particularly challenging because products are living and respiring. Respiration rates depend on several factors including temperature, oxygen, and carbon dioxide concentrations. Balancing package permeation with respiration is challenging, often due to limited selection of practical packaging materials. Failing to remain within tolerance limits of products leads …

Waste Management By Waste: Removal Of Acid Dyes From Wastewaters Of Textile Coloration Using Fish Scales, S M Fijul Kabir

LSU Master's Theses

Removal of hazardous acid dyes by economical process using low-cost bio-sorbents from wool industry wastewaters is of a pressing need, since it causes skin and respiratory diseases and disrupts other environmental components. Fish scales (FS), a by-product of fish industry, a type of solid waste, are usually discarded carelessly resulting in pungent odor and environmental burden. In this research, the FS of black drum (Pogonias cromis) were used for the removal of acid dyes (acid red 1 (AR1), acid blue 45 (AB45) and acid yellow 127 (AY126)) from wool industry wastewaters by absorption process with a view to …

Lyophilized Escherichia Coli-Based Cell-Free Systems For Robust, High-Density, Long-Term Storage, Mark Thomas Smith, Scott D. Berkheimer, Christopher J. Werner, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a versatile tool for rapid recombinant protein production and engineering. One drawback of cell-free technology is the necessity to store the major components—cell extracts and energy systems—below freezing in bulky aqueous solutions. Here we describe simple methods for lyophilizing extracts and preparing powdered energy systems for CFPS. These techniques allow for high-density storage of cell-free systems that are more robust against temperature and bacterial degradation. Our methods have the potential to decrease storage expenses, allow for longer shelf-life of cell extracts at room temperature, and enable durable portable protein production technologies.

Streamlined Extract Preparation For Escherichia Coli-Based Cell-Free Protein Synthesis By Sonication Or Bead Vortex Mixing, Prashanta Shrestha, Troy Michael Holland, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Escherichia coli-based cell extract is a vital component of inexpensive and high-yielding cell-free protein synthesis reactions. However, effective preparation of E. coli cell extract is limited to high-pressure (French press-style or impinge-style) or bead mill homogenizers, which all require a significant capital investment. Here we report the viability of E. coli cell extract prepared using equipment that is both common to biotechnology laboratories and able to process small volume samples. Specifically, we assessed the low-capital-cost lysis techniques of: (i) sonication, (ii) bead vortex mixing, (iii) freeze-thaw cycling, and (iv) lysozyme …

Thermogenic Gas Hydrate Formation In Gulf Of Mexico Offshore Environment- Results From Numerical Simulation, Sulav Dhakal

LSU Master's Theses

Development of civilization and the resulting quest for energy have led us to previously uncharted territory in exploration and production of fuel. As the demand continues to grow and conventional oil reserves become depleted, we are looking into unconventional resources such as gas hydrates. However, due to the volatile nature of the energy market and production technology yet to perfected, we are not able to fully utilize the potential of gas hydrates yet.

Reservoir characterization of hydrates have so far been limited to seismic mapping, well log interpretation and laboratory scale studies. This research uses numerical simulation to understand the …

Mobility Of Nano-Particles In Rock Based Micro-Models, Jagannath Upadhyay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A confocal micro-particle image velocimetry (C-μPIV) technique along with associated post-processing algorithms is detailed for obtaining three dimensional distributions of nano-particle velocity and concentrations at select locations of the 2.5D (pseudo 3D) Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and ceramic micro-model. The designed and fabricated 2.5D micro-model incorporates microchannel networks with 3D wall structures with one at observation wall which resembles fourteen morphological and flow parameters to those of fully 3D actual reservoir rock (Boise Sandstone) at resolutions of 5 and 10 μm in depth and 5 and 25 μm on plane. In addition, an in-situ, non-destructive method for measuring the geometry of …

Combustion Of Nanocomposite Thermite Powders, Ian Monk

Dissertations

This work investigates combustion of nanocomposite thermite powders prepared by arrested reactive milling (ARM). The focus is on how ARM as a top-down approach to nano-thermite building generating fully-dense nanocomposite particles with dimensions of 1-100 µm affects the rates and mechanism of their combustion. A variety of thermites are milled using both aluminum and zirconium as fuels combined with several oxidizers (WoO₃, MoO₃, CuO, Fe₂O₃, and Bi₂O₃). The powders are ignited using both an electrostatic discharge (ESD) and a CO₂ laser beam.

A range of parameters vary …

Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy Of Simulated Protein Secondary Structures., Andrew J. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is an experimental technique for differentiating between various conformations and orientations of interfacial proteins. Combining a theoretical framework for SFG with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provides a powerful tool for studying systems containing interfacial proteins with applications in cell transport, biofilms, and fermentation processes. Roeters’ method was used to calculate theoretical SFG responses for a variety of individual α-helix and β-sheet peptide secondary structures simulated using MD. Results show how the shape and locations of SFG amide I responses change with differences in hydrogen bonding patterns, peptide orientations, and SFG polarization combinations. The data presented …

Small-Signal-Stability Enhancement Using A Power-System Stabilizer Based On The Cuckoo-Search Algorithm Against Contingency N-1 In The Sulselrabar 150-Kv System, Muhammad Ruswandi Djalal, Muhammad Yusuf Yunus, Herlambang Setiadi, Awan Uji Krismanto

Makara Journal of Technology

Small-signal stability is one of the main factors limiting power transmission in conventional power systems. This concern is primarily handled by adding damper windings of a synchronous generator and power-system stabilizer (PSS). However, due to the impact of the N-1 contingency, damper windings and a conventional PSS are insufficient to overcome this problem. Proper placement and design of the PSS are crucial for improving stability. One approach to optimizing the placement and tuning of the PSS is to use an artificial-intelligence method. Here, the cuckoo-search algorithm (CSA) is proposed to optimize the PSS tuning and placement. Based on simulation, it …

Isolation And Molecular Weight Characterization Of Tetragonula Laeviceps Honey Protein, Muhamad Sahlan, Nurul Azizah, Kazuaki Hakamada, Keiichi Noguchi, Masafumi Yohda

Makara Journal of Technology

The concentration of protein in honey is lower than polysaccharide. However, recently the honey’s protein is intensively studied and it showed that protein also have several biological activities such as antibacterial activity. The purpose of this research is to isolate and characterize Tetragonula laeviceps honey protein by determining the molecular weight. Honey protein of Trigona laeviceps was isolated using ultra-filtration with the membrane’s size of 30 kDa, then concentrated using tube membrane size 10 kDa. Molecular weight was analyzed by SDS PAGE. From the analysis, there was major protein band in honey produced by Tetragona laeviceps identified. The produced molecular …

Prerequisites For Public Acceptance Of Waste-To-Energy Plants: Evidence From Germany And Indonesia, Uwe Lahl, Barbara Zeschmar-Lahl

Makara Journal of Technology

Construction of waste incinerators often encounters resistance from the public. The minimum requirements for the ac- ceptance of these installations include modern air pollution control (APC) technology and safe disposal of residues. Confidence in the statements of government and government agencies as well as on those who support is an important point of acceptance. Independent scientific bodies such as universities can help to make this happen. In the case of the installation of waste into energy (WtE), such scientific support can be the measurement of emissions and their evalua- tion. Many products that enter the waste stream contain heavy metals, …

Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface: A Novel Method On The Integration Of Eeg And Semg Signal For Active Prosthetic Control, Reza Darmakusuma, Ary Setijadi Prihatmanto, Adi Indrayanto, Tati Latifah Mengko

Makara Journal of Technology

This paper describes a novel method for controlling active prosthetics by integrating surface electromyography (sEMG) and electroencephalograph signals to improve its intuitiveness. This paper also compares the new method (RTA-2) with other existing methods (AND and OR) for controlling active prosthetics. Based on analysis, RTA-2 features higher true positive rate (TPR) and balanced accuracy (BA) than AND method. On the other hand, the new method (RTA-2) yields lower false detection rate (FPR) than OR method. Analysis also shows that RTA-2 possesses equal TPR, FPR, and BA with the detection of movement intention using sEMG-based system. Although the RTA-2 method shows …