Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Kinetics Study For Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Over Cobalt Catalyst By Kinetic Monte-Carlo Simulation, Nuttawut Pugingna

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation was utilized to study the kinetic behaviors of C₁ and C₂ formation in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over the cobalt surface by varying reaction conditions. Two reaction models: the carbide mechanism and the CO insertion mechanism were applied to this simulation. The production rates and fractional coverages of each adsorbed species could be calculated under the steady state. Moreover, the combination between carbide and CO insertion mechanism was also studied to suggest the possibility of each reaction mechanism, and compared the results with the reported experimental results under the same conditions. It was ob-served that the C–C bond …

Hydraulic Fracture Design Optimization For Nubian Sandstone Formation In Libya, Housameddin Mohamed Sherif

Masters Theses

There is growing interest in developing unconventional oil and gas reserves in Libya, such as the tight portions of the Nubian sandstone.

Well-X7 is a development well drilled to a TD of 13,005' penetrating the Upper Nubain Sandstone (UNSS) at 12,122'-12,207' and the Lower Nubain Sandstone (LNSS) at 12,524'-12,880' KB. Based on open hole logs, the UNSS has 71 ft of net pay and the LNSS was found to have 295 ft of net pay. Openhole logs also showed low permeabilities of 2.5 and 3 md for the UNSS and LNSS, respectively. The well was initially perforated in both zones …

The Effect Of Mcm-41 Addition To Pva/Pan/Pvp Polymer Electrolyte For Zinc-Air Batteries, Sirinuch Nanthapong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

A membrane separator is one of the main components in zinc-air batteries playing an important role in controlling the mass transfer for the electrochemical reaction in the battery which determines the battery performance. This work aimed to develop a new membrane separator for the zinc-air battery. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and their blends were used for the fabrication of separator in this work. In addition, an inorganic nanoparticle with high hydroxide content such as MCM-41 was also applied as the filler for the polymers. The results revealed that the addition of PAN in PVA enhanced the electrolyte …

Rheology, Morphology And Electronic Properties Of Hybrid Copper Organic Decompose Conductive Ink, Chaiwat Klaewwigkij

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Hybrid Metal-Organic Decomposition (HMOD) inks containing alkanol amines copper complex solution with fine copper particles show high potential for flexible printed electronics application. Conductive patterns are fabricated from HMOD inks by screen printing onto a polyimide substrate. This work studies the effects of co-solvent, copper particles loading, and viscosity of the inks on properties of the conductive patterns obtained. Firstly, the effects of co-solvent related to the stability of the HMOD inks and the impact of preparation time related to the crack of the conductive pattern are examined. The HMOD inks are prepared from copper formate (CuF), and alkanol amines …

Stabilization Of Silicon And Germanium Based High Capacity Anodes For Lithium Ion Batteries, Kuber Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been the driver of the widespread application of portable electronics. As the electronic devices have been more powerful and versatile, the pressing demand for higher energy density batteries have led the extensive explorations of novel materials for high capacity electrodes. Despite several breakthroughs in literature, the current state of art LIBs still uses the battery chemistry developed in early 1990s.The keys challenges for switching to other high capacity electrodes have been high cost, non-linear scalability and poorer electrochemical performance. This dissertation focusses on development of high capacity electrodes in order to increase the energy density of …

Fundamental Aspects Of A Novel Technology For Abatement Of Indoor Allergens, Odell Lendor Glenn Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this research was to develop a novel approach to reduce the potency of certain asthma triggers, namely, proteins produced by pests or pets in indoor environments. The broad hypothesis of the research was that naturally occurring essential oils will demonstrate enhanced denaturing ability. In any indoor environment, allergens are bound to dry dust particles. In this work, the effectiveness of using dry ice and CO2 with potential for essential oils on dry allergenic proteins through CFD modeling and ELISA methods were evaluated.

There are three objectives central to this work. The first objective was to apply …

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Monometallic And Bimetallic Catalysts, Sonia Eskandari

Theses and Dissertations

Supported catalysts are used extensively in a variety of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions for industrial processes. Techniques for preparing supported noble metal catalysts are typically chosen to achieve high metal dispersions in order to obtain high activity for a given metal loading. Enhancing the catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts can be done by increasing active site count as well as modification of the physico-chemical characteristics of the catalyst material. For supported metal nanoparticles this can be achieved by decreasing particle size, thus increasing dispersion or metal utilization on the surface of the particles, while modification of metal properties can be attained …

Role Of Bed Design Characteristics On The Effective Thermal Conductivity Of A Structured Adsorbent, Pravin Bosco Charles Antony Amalraj

Theses and Dissertations

This work evaluates the role of different design variables on the effective thermal conduction of a structured adsorbent bed for its possible application in a temperature swing adsorption (TSA) process. The structured adsorbent bed is represented by eight parallel layers of intercalated smooth and corrugated foils of a metal support coated with 13X zeolite resulting in the formation of parallel triangular channels. The variables investigated include the thickness of the adsorbent coating, thickness of the metal, nature of contacts between smooth and corrugated foils, type of metal, presence and magnitude of an air gap between the foils, difference in alignment …

Combinatorial Study Of Oxidation Catalysts: Uncovering Synthesis-Structure-Activity Relationships, Kathleen B. Mingle

Theses and Dissertations

High throughput experimentation (HTE) in catalysis has proven useful in expediting materials discovery via parallelized synthesis, characterization, and testing of candidate materials. However, even in a high-throughput manner, the combinatorial explosion of relevant parameters far exceeds our ability to study. To further complicate the problem, a large time investment and great deal of characterization is often required to build an in-depth understanding of catalytic materials. It follows that the field of heterogeneous catalysis is rich with examples of catalytic systems that have been developed using trial and error efforts for which a lot is known but context is lacking. Techniques …

Effects Of Co-Product Uses On Environmental And Economic Sustainability Of Hydrocarbon Biofuel From One- And Two-Step Pyrolysis Of Poplar, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigated the environmental and economic sustainability of liquid hydrocarbon biofuel production via fast pyrolysis of poplar biomass through two pathways: a one-step pathway that converted poplar via fast pyrolysis only, and a twostep pathway that includes a torrefaction step prior to fast pyrolysis. Optimization of these fast pyrolysis-based biofuel processes were investigated through heat integration and alternative uses of the co-product biochar, which can be sold as an energy source to displace coal, soil amendment or processed into activated carbon. The impacts of optimization on the cost of hydrocarbon biofuel production as well as the environmental impacts were …

Reverse Insulator Dielectrophoresis: Utilizing Droplet Microenvironments For Discerning Molecular Expressions On Cell Surfaces, Jeana Collins

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technologies enable the development of portable analysis devices that use small sample and reagent volumes, allow for multiple unit operations, and couple with detectors to achieve high resolution and sensitivity, while having small footprints, low cost, short analysis times, and portability. Droplet microfluidics is a subset of LOCs with the unique benefit of enabling parallel analysis since each droplet can be utilized as an isolated microenvironment. This work explored adaptation of droplet microfluidics into a unique, previously unexplored application where the water/oil interface was harnessed to bend electric field lines within individual droplets for insulator dielectrophoretic (iDEP) characterizations. …

Molecular Biogeochemistry Of A Poor Fen, Zhimin Song

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Variations in climate may rapidly change the carbon balance of peatlands and increase greenhouse gas emissions through accelerated decomposition of peat and dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, porewater samples were collected monthly from May to October in 2017 to study the effects of plant functional groups (PFGs) on DOM, dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen through the season in a poor fen with replicate plots dominated by different PFGs in Nestoria, Michigan, USA (46.34˚N 88.16˚W). The composition of the peat porewater showed strong statistical significance with plot type and season.The observed PFG and season impact on the composition of …

Using Agricultural Wastes To Treat Lead-Contaminated Water In Western Australia, Hanie Hashtroudi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aqueous solutions are becoming increasingly contaminated in all parts of the world (2015). Heavy metals are toxic contaminants that are mainly distributed in urban stormwater run-off and industrial wastewaters as a result of some mining operations, electronic assembly planting, battery manufacturing, and etching operations (Kadirvelu et al. 2001). Pb (II) is a heavy metal that causes significant damage in the human body. Drinking lead-contaminated water even at low concentrations may cause lifethreatening conditions such as cancer, kidney damage, brain damage, and liver problems (El-Said 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to remove lead from aqueous solutions.

Several conventional physical, chemical, and …

Partial Oxidation Of Ethane To Acetic Acid Using A Metallic Pd Promoted Movnb Catalyst Supported On Titania, Sulaiman Al-Mayman, Abdulrhman S. Al-Awadi, Yousef S. Al-Zeghayer, Moustafa A. Soliman

Chemical Engineering

The partial oxidation of ethane to acetic acid on a multi-component Mo16V6.37Nb2.05Pdx oxide catalyst supported on Degussa P25 titania has been investigated. The catalyst was characterized using BET surface area, X ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The reaction was carried out in a differential reactor in a temperature range of 200-275°C and at a total pressure of 200 psi. The addition of trace amounts of nano-palladium, either as palladium oxides or metallic palladium, enhanced ethane oxidation towards the formation of acetic acid with near-complete depletion of the ethylene intermediate from the reactor effluent. The introduction of nano-Pd …

Assembling Of Niox/Mwcnts-Gc Anodic Nanocatalyst For Water Electrolysis Applications, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr., Yaser M. Asal Mr, Saher D. Khamis Eng

Chemical Engineering

Glassy carbon (GC) electrode is intended to be modified with nickel oxide (NiOx) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the anodic reaction of water electrolysis. NiOx deposition time is optimized and a 5 min was enough to attain the maximum activity. A further modification of the catalyst with MWCNTs could greatly enhance its stability during continuous electrolysis. As an outcome, an energy amount of 21.7 kWh/KgO2 is minimized. Several electrochemical and materials characterization setups will be utilized to test the catalyst activity and to know its geometry and structure.

Fabrication Of Cuox-Pd Nanocatalyst Supported On A Glassy Carbon Electrode For Enhanced Formic Acid Electro-Oxidation, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr., Ahmad M. Mohammad Prof, Mohamed S. El-Deab Prof, Bahgat E. El-Anadouli Prof

Chemical Engineering

Formic acid (FA) electro-oxidation (FAO) was investigated at a binary catalyst composed of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) and copper oxide nanowires (CuOxNWs) and assembled onto a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. /e deposition sequence of PdNPs and CuOxNWs was properly adjusted in such a way that could improve the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the electrode toward FAO. Several techniques including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were all combined to report the catalyst’s activity and to evaluate its morphology, composition, and structure. /e highest catalytic activity and stability were obtained at the CuOx/Pd/GC …

Performance Of Nanoporous Carbon Membrane For Hydrogen Recovery, Abdulrahman A. Al-Rabiah, Abdelhamid M. Ajbar, Moustafa A. Soliman, Omar Y. Abdelaziz

Chemical Engineering

The aim of this work is to study the performance of nanoporous carbon membrane for hydrogen recovery from off-gas streams. The study is based on a rigorous mathematical model which can predict the performance of nanoporous selective surface flow (SSF) carbon membrane. Basically, the developed model is based on two transport mechanisms: the dusty gas flow through porous media and the surface adsorption-diffusion. The model was employed to simulate the hydrogen recovery from off-gas stream using SSF carbon membrane at different operating conditions. The separation performance of hydrogen-hydrocarbon mixture by nanoporous carbon membrane was evaluated and described. A comparison between …

Fabrication Of Mnox/Mwcnts-Gc Nanocatalyst For Oxygen Evolution Reaction, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr., Yaser M. Asal Mr, Amr M. Arafa Eng.

Chemical Engineering

Manganese oxide (MnOx) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are intended to modify the GC electrode for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Optimization of MnOx loading is carried out and the deposition of 55 cycles was sufficient to obtain the highest activity toward OER. The stability of the catalyst is enhanced by the addition of MWCNTs. As a result, an amount of 22 kWh/Kg of O2 of energy is saved. Several techniques including cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy will be combined to track the catalyst activity and to determine its morphology …

Reaction Kinetics Of Ethane Partial Oxidation To Acetic Acid, Sulaiman Al-Mayman, Moustafa A. Soliman, Abdulrhman S. Al-Awadi, Yousef S. Al-Zeghayer

Chemical Engineering

The partial oxidation of ethane to ethylene and acetic acid on supported MoVNbPd/TiO2 (P25 of Degussa) has been investigated. Pd was added in a nano-metallic form. The catalyst composition was also different from similar studied catalysts. This results in a better selectivity towards acetic acid formation. The reaction was carried out in a tubular reactor at temperature range 225–275 °C, total pressure range 0–200 psig and oxygen percentage in the feed gas of 10–40%. The feed gas contains ethane and oxygen. In this work, we develop a kinetic model for the reaction for the developed catalyst. In this model, we …

A Novel Graphical Approach For Mass Exchange Networks Using Composition Driving Force, Nessren Farrag, Dina Kamel, Ayat Ossama, Mamdouh Gadalla, Mai Fouad

Chemical Engineering

Raw materials are considered as a corner stone for both chemical and process industries. Raw materials efficient utilization and usage within the process saves a lot. Mass integration is the most competent path to minimize the economic and environmental losses, by minimizing both the amounts of external mass separating agents and waste disposal. Mass exchange networks or MENs is the tool used to apply this integration. This article presents a new graphical approach, based on the composition driving force, to analyse the mass integration and exchange networks. The new approach is illustrated graphically, and can be applied on existing and …