Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Conversion Of Biomass To Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels Via Anaerobic Digestion: A Feasibility Study, Ahmad Naqi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of biomass as a potential feedstock for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels has been under investigation in the last few decades. This paper discusses a preliminary design and a feasibility study of producing liquid hydrocarbon fuels from biomass through a combined biochemical and thermochemical route. The process involves anaerobic digestion (AD) of the biodegradable portion of the biomass to produce methane rich gas. The methane rich biogas stream is purified by removing contaminants and upgraded to liquid hydrocarbon fuel in a gas to liquid facility (GTL) via thermochemical conversion route. The biogas conversion involves two major steps: …

Adsorption Of Dyes On New Synthesised Layered Double Hydroxide Materials, Intissar Harizi

Western Research Forum

No abstract provided.

Application Of Cross-Linked Polyborosiloxanes And Organically Modified Boron Silicate Binders In Silicon-Containing Anodes For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Darius A. Shariaty, Dali Qian, Yang-Tse Cheng, Susan A. Odom

Chemistry Faculty Publications

To determine the effect of cross-linking in polymer binders on gravimetric capacity and retention in charge/discharge cycling of lithium-ion batteries containing silicon anodes, polymers with a varied chemiophysical characters have been studied as electrode binders. Here we report the utilization of cross-linked polyborosiloxanes and a boron-modified organosilicate as binders for nanoparticulate silicon-containing anodes for lithium-ion batteries. We show that highly cross-linked binders enable a large degree of capacity to be accessed and that capacity retention is greater when the electrodes are cycled in half cells. More extensive analysis of the boron-modified organosilicate is further explored.

Supported Perovskite-Type Oxides: Establishing A Foundation For Co2 Conversion Through Reverse Water-Gas Shift Chemical Looping, Bryan J. Hare

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Perovskite-type oxides show irrefutable potential for feasible thermochemical solar-driven CO₂ conversion. These materials exhibit the exact characteristics required by the low temperature reverse water-gas shift chemical looping process. These properties include structural endurance and high oxygen redox capacity, which results in the formation of numerous oxygen vacancies, or active sites for CO₂ conversion. A major drawback is the decrease in oxygen self-diffusion with increasing perovskite particle size. In this study, the La_0.75Sr_0.25FeO₃ (LSF) perovskite oxide was combined with various supports including popular redox materials CeO₂ and ZrO₂ along with more abundant …

Effect Of Pipe Rotation On Casing Pressure Within Mpd Applications, Zahrah Ahmed Al Marhoon

LSU Master's Theses

Well control is one of the most crucial sectors in drilling engineering. Human lives and safety depend on the correct execution of the engineering design. Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a new technology that has recently emerged in the oil and gas industry. It has special well control abilities supported by the RCD to continue drilling or carry operations that involve pipe rotation, while circulating out a gas kick. This thesis examines the effect of pipe rotation on casing pressure profiles within MPD kick circulation application. The analysis was carried on real scale kick experiments. These experiments were carried in …

Orthogonal Photo-Switching Of Supramolecular Patterned Surfaces, Dongsheng Wang, Frank Schellenberger, Jonathan T. Pham, Hans-Jürgen Butt, Si Wu

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

We used Azo/α-CD and ipAzo/γ-CD host–guest complexes to demonstrate that four independent stable states can be orthogonally photo-switched by UV (365 nm), blue (470 nm), green (530 nm) and red light (625 nm). A supramolecular patterned surface was fabricated and orthogonally photo-switched by light with different wavelengths.

New Flow Assurance System With High Speed Subsea Fiber Optic Monitoring Of Pressure And Temperature, John Hedengren, David Brower, J. Conrad Wilson, Geoff High, Karl Witherow

Faculty Publications

Subsea production control systems are instrumented to constantly monitor flowline pressure and temperature at key locations to prevent plugging and introduce mitigating control strategies. New fiber optic sensors with ruggedized construction and non-electrical components are subjected to accelerated aging tests and deployed in several installations with long service life. An overview of current progress with fiber optic technology is provided for fatigue monitoring, temperature, pressure, and strain sensing. Recent developments include improved service life, novel bonding methods, pipeline sensor station improvements, sensor calibration, and long-term fatigue analysis.

The latest advancements are validated on multiple installations on a subsea tieback in …

Special Issue: Combined Scheduling And Control, John Hedengren, Logan Beal

Faculty Publications

This Special Issue (SI) of Processes, “Combined Scheduling and Control,” includes approaches to formulating combined objective functions, multi-scale approaches to integration, mixed discrete and continuous formulations, estimation of uncertain control and scheduling states, mixed integer and nonlinear programming advances, benchmark development, comparison of centralized and decentralized methods, and software that facilitates the creation of new applications and long-term sustainment of benefits. Contributions acknowledge strengths, weaknesses, and potential further advancements, along with a demonstration of improvement over current industrial best-practice.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Palladium Nanoparticles Supported On Copper Oxide In Aqueous Medium As An Efficient Catalyst For Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reaction, Hany A. Elazab, M. A. Sadek, Tamer T. El-Idreesy

Chemical Engineering

We report here a reliable green method for the synthesis of palladium nanoparticles supported on copper oxide as a highly active and efficient catalyst for Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The experimental synthetic approach is based on microwave-assisted chemical reduction of an aqueous mixture of palladium and copper salt simultaneously using hydrazine hydrate as reducing agent. The catalyst was fully characterized using various techniques showing well-dispersed palladium nanoparticles. The catalytic activity and recyclability of the prepared catalyst were experimentally explored in the ligand-free Suzuki cross-coupling reaction with a diverse series of functionalized substrates. The synthesized Pd/CuO catalyst shows many advantages beside its …

System, Devices And Methods For Molecular Separation, Sankar Nair, Christopher W. Jones, Fereshteh Rashidi, Ali A. Rownaghi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Systems, devices and methods for molecular separation including a molecular separation device comprising at least a polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) and a nanocrystalline, zeolite MFI, wherein the MOF forms a polycrystalline membrane with zeolite MFI nanoparticles dispersed therein, and the MOF membrane matrix contacting and surrounding the zeolite MFI nanoparticles form a permselective nanoporous structure.

Occurrence Of Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds (Vocs) In A Sanitary Sewer System: Implications For Assessing Vapor Intrusion Alternative Pathways, Mohammadyousef Roghani, Olivia P. Jacobs, Anthony Miller, Evan James Willett, James A. Jacobs, C. Ricardo Viteri, Elham Shirazi, Kelly G. Pennell

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Sewer systems have been recently recognized as potentially important exposure pathways to consider during vapor intrusion assessments; however, this pathway has not been well-characterized and there is need for additional information about the occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sewer systems. This paper reports the results of sewer gas sampling conducted in a sanitary sewer over the years of 2014–2017. Sewer gas samples were collected and analyzed using several different techniques, including TO-15 (grab), TO-17 (passive), Radiello® (passive) and a novel continuous monitoring technique, the Autonomous Rugged Optical Multigas Analyzer (AROMA). The applicability of each of the different approaches …

A Continuum Model Of Mucosa With Glycan-Ion Pairing, James D. Sterling, Shenda M. Baker

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advances in the study of glycosoaminoglycan biohydrogels, label-free electrokinetic analysis of soft-diffuse layers in contact with saline solutions, and elucidation of ion-specific behavior in many biochemical systems offer the opportunity to marry these principal features in a new mathematical model of the mucosal glycocalyx. The model is based on the electroquasistatic subset of Maxwell's equations in the form of the steady-state continuum Poisson–Boltzmann equation for electrostatics with explicit incorporation of pairwise binding of ions to fixed charged-groups in the hydrogel. The pairwise association is modeled using reversible bimolecular reactions via stoichiometric dissociation constants that represent the rule of matching water …

The Effect Of Mg²⁺ Incorporation Into The Glass Phase Of Zinc-Based Glass Polyalkenoate Cements, Basel A. Khader, Omar Rodriguez, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The suitability of glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) as injectable adhesives in orthopedics have been compromised by the presence of aluminum (Al), a component in the glass phase of all commercial GPCs. There has been considerable work on the development of Al-free GPCs which can be formulated based on calcium (Ca) zinc (Zn) silicate (Si) glasses. These materials, in terms of biocompatibility and mechanical properties, have potential for orthopedics. However, many of these experimental Al-free GPCs have setting times shorter than 60 s, restricting clinical applications. Here, the authors incorporate Magnesium (Mg) into the glass phase of Al-free GPCs in an …

The Effect Of Weak Confinement On The Orientation Of Nanorods Under Shear Flows, Saman Monjezi, James D. Jones, Alyssa K. Nelson, Joontaek Park

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We performed a numerical analysis to study the orientation distribution of a dilute suspension of thin, rigid, rod-like nanoparticles under shearing flow near a solid boundary of weak confinement. Brownian dynamics simulation of a rod was performed under various ratios of shear rate and rod diffusivity (Peclet number), as well as the center-of-mass position (wall confinement). We discuss the effects of Peclet number and wall confinement on the angle distributions, Jeffery orbit distribution and average orientation moments. The average orientation moments, obtained as a function of Peclet number and wall confinement, can be used to improve a previous shear-induced migration …

Injectable Glass Polyalkenoate Cements: Evaluation Of Their Rheological And Mechanical Properties With And Without The Incorporation Of Lidocaine Hydrochloride, P. Niranjan, A. Alhalawani, S. Phull, I. Beniluz, B. Krishnan, P. Zalzal, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Lidocaine hydrochloride is used as an anesthetic in many clinical applications. This short communication investigates the effect of complete substitution of lidocaine hydrochloride for deionized (DI) water on the physico-chemical properties of two novel glass polyalkenoate cements. Substituting DI water with lidocaine hydrochloride resulted in cements with shorter working times but comparable setting times and mechanical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the setting reaction in cements containing DI water and lidocaine hydrochloride was completed within 24 h, post cement preparation and maturation. Further, it was explained that lidocaine hydrochloride binds to poly(acrylic) acid (PAA) due to electrostatic forces …

Optimization Of A New Array Noise Tool; Analysis & Interpretation Of Case Studies Of Down- Hole Leak Detection, Moustafa Mahmoud Hassan Ismail

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the optimization and analysis of new array noise tools. Various lab and field case studies are analyzed to test the capabilities and determine the optimum operating conditions of the new tool for leak detection purposes. The purpose of this study is to optimize the logging procedure of real-time array noise tool, selecting adequate gain parameters and frequency band in the processing phase, and to analyze the data acquired through multiple labs and field tests. The study methodology involved the following steps:

1. Performing lab and field tests for the tool in a range of different …

Synthesis And Electrochemical Properties Of Nickel-Rich Cathode Material Lini0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 With High Initial Coulombic Efficiency, Xiao-Yun Guan, Chao-Yu Hong, Jian-Ping Zhu, Wei-Li Wang, Yi-Xiao Li, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nickel-rich cathode materials LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂(NCM622)were synthesized by a co-precipitation-solid state sintering method at different temperatures. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared materials were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) /Rietveld refinement, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical experiments. It is found that NCM622 calcined at 800 ℃ showed the lowest degree of cation disorder (~1.97%) with a high initial Coulombic effiency of 92.2% and the capacity retention of 81.4% after 100 cycles.

Preparation And Electrocatalytic Activity Of Nitrogen-Doping Tungsten Carbide Catalyst, Pian-Pian Yang, Li-Zhen Huang, Ying-Ying Li, Mei-Qin Shi, Chun-An Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

Tungsten carbide (WC) is a promising electrocatalyst, however, its electrocatalytic activity is far inferior to Pt and Pt-group metal. In this work, nitrogen-doping tungsten carbide (WN|WC) catalysts with a nanoplate morphology were prepared via the tungsten nitride (WN) as the precursor and sodium tungstate as the tungsten source. The SEM and TEM results indicated that carbon atoms entered into the WN lattice to form the hexagonal close packed WC phase. In this way, an atomic scale heterostructure involving the closely linked interfaces between WN and WC was created . The XRD data confirmed that the cubic crystal structure of WN …

Mechanical Properties And Flame Retardancy Of Surface Modified Magnesium Oxysulfate (5mg(Oh)2·Mgso4·3h2o) Whisker For Polypropylene Composites, Eui-Su Kim, Ye Chan Kim, Jungwoo Park, Youngjun Kim, Sung-Hoon Kim, Kwang Jin Kim, Jonghwan Suhr, Youngkwan Lee, Seong Hoon Lee, Dae-Sik Kim, Soo-Hyun Kim, Ju-Ho Yun, In-Kyung Park, Jae-Do Nam

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) whisker is considered as a promising inorganic material recently attracting a great attention for being used as a reinforcing filler for polymer composites due to high aspect ratio and extremely-low bulk density. In this study, the MOS was treated with 3-methacryloyloxypropyl-trimethoxy silane (MPS) via sol-gel condensation reactions, which successfully allowed melt mixing with polypropylene (PP) up to 30 wt% of MOS. The tensile strength at yield and modulus of the MOS/PP composites were substantially increased by 50.8% and 362%, respectively, when compared with the pristine PP. As a novel finding, the flame retardancy of MOS was proved …

In Situ Uv-Visible Assessment Of Iron-Based High-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Catalysts Promoted With Lanthana: An Extent Of Reduction Study, Basseem B. Hallac, Jared C. Brown, Eli Stavitski, Roger G. Harrison, Morris D. Argyle

Faculty Publications

The extent of reduction of unsupported iron-based high-temperature water-gas shift catalysts with small (< 5 wt %) lanthana contents was studied using UV-visible spectroscopy. Temperature- programmed reduction measurements showed that lanthana content higher than 0.5 wt % increased the extent of reduction to metallic Fe, while 0.5 wt % of lanthana facilitated the reduction to Fe₃O₄. In situ measurements on the iron oxide catalysts using mass and UV-visible spectroscopies permitted the quantification of the extent of reduction under temperature-programmed reduction and high-temperature water-gas shift conditions. The oxidation states were successfully calibrated against normalized absorbance spectra of visible light using the Kubelka-Munk theory. The normalized absorbance relative to the fully oxidized Fe₂O₃ increased as the extent of reduction increased. XANES suggested that the average bulk iron oxidation state during the water-gas shift reaction was Fe^{+2.57 …}