Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Hazardous Waste Reduction Continuation, J. Brian Morrell, Alex Alvarez, Adnan Qasem

Capstone Design Expo Posters

A silicone manufacturing process yields two-phase wastewater, of which the aqueous phase flashes at 2°C primarily due to hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). To be classified as non-hazardous and immediately disposable, it must flash above 60°C. Project objectives entailed identifying a method and then designing a prototype for on-site aqueous phase treatment, removing enough HMDSO for non-hazardous disposal. The previous team’s proposal was gravity separation, NaCl extraction, and feeding through an activated carbon packed bed. Extraction proved ineffective, packed bed outlet samples flashed at 52°C, and HMDSO quantification methodology was incorrect. From titration, wastewater was determined to be 3.3 ± 0.2 wt.% aqueous …

Rapid, Diagnostic Test For Cardiac Ischemia, Jose Gonzales, Abdelmagid Nasreldeen, Emerson Physioc, Julio Contreras, Evan Thoresen

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Current methods to detect cardiac ischemia rely on biomarkers such as troponin. Elevated levels of troponin are observed hours after the cardiac event. There is an unmet need for rapid diagnostic tests for cardiac ischemia, which utilizes recently discovered biomarkers. A VCU patented assay for cardiac ischemia employs the use of chemiluminescence to detect metabolic byproducts of xanthine oxidase activity. These byproducts are detectable minutes after the cardiac event. Early diagnosis of and response to cardiac events is beneficial for clinical decision-making; therefore, a point-of-care device within the emergency health setting is sought. The CLSE 203 project team designed and …

Development Of A Tabletop Soft Gel Encapsulation Machine, Brigitte Ha, Emily Miller, Haya Rizvi

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Currently, to test new formulations of gel capsules at Pfizer, they must use the large-scale machine that requires a minimum of 25 kg of gel melt and produce hundreds of capsules per run. Production at a smaller scale to enable rapid changeover for research and development is desired. The team’s goal was to achieve continuous production of sealed capsules with 80% fill capacity. Capsule sealing was the prime consideration. Preliminary trials using the existing system and heat transfer analysis indicated localized heating was necessary to promote capsule sealing. To provide localized heating, a brass wedge was designed based on the …

Fabricating Non-Close Packed Colloidal Monolayers For Ion Irradiation Templates, Nandini Padaraju

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Due to their unique properties, anisotropic nanoparticles are desirable components for future applications yet there are few processes capable of fabricating nanoparticle impregnated coatings for the manufacturing environment. Our work seeks to develop new masking techniques for the production of the templated substrates that will induce ordered nanoparticle films. Specifically, we are fabricating non-close packed colloidal monolayers onto silicon substrates, which then serve as the template for ion irradiation. The first steps to creating this monolayer are obtaining a spin-coated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) thin film of ~200 nm and a close-packed colloidal monolayer using a peltier heater. We achieved a …

Influence Of Cross-Section Change During Directional Solidification On Dendrite Morphology, Macrosegregation And Defect Formation In Pb-6 Wt Sb Alloy, Claudine Lacdao

ETD Archive

The purpose of this research is to examine the dendrite array morphology, macrosegregation, and defect formation caused by the fluid flow at the abrupt cross-section changes during directional solidification of Pb-6% Sb alloy. Four 24-cm long cylindrical alloy samples were directionally solidified in graphite crucibles: two having a constant diameter (9-mm) grown at 10.4 and 63.1 μm s-1 , one having an abrupt cross-section decrease (from 12.7 to 6.35 mm) and one having an abrupt increase (from 6.35 to 12.7 mm) by pulling down the alloy containing cylindrical graphite crucibles from the upper hot-zone of a stationary vertical furnace into …

Sensor Technology Using Fluorescent Dyes, Rebecca Jarrell, Rashed Rashed, Joshua Petteway

Capstone Design Expo Posters

This project is concerned with the application of fluorescent dye technology for leak detection in pulp and paper recovery boiler systems in order to avoid a smelt / water explosion. The dyes’ property to absorb light of short wavelength and emit light of a longer wavelength (fluoresce) is what makes them a quintessential candidate for the desired sensor technology. The projected benefits of this technology pertain to cost-effectiveness and safety of recovery boiler operations.

For all purposes, the inert dye pyrenetetrasulfonic acid (PTSA) was used as a tracer agent. Multiple methods of experimental design were attempted to determine the reaction …

Method And Apparatus For Removal Of Phosphate From Wastewater Streams, Steven Skeels, Arjun Subedi, Fred Williams

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Church and Dwight uses a phosphate-containing soap in their latex condom manufacturing process in Chesterfield County, VA. The wastewater streams from this process contain a concentration of phosphate that is over the county limit, costing $100,000/yr for non-optimized disposal. C&D has a need for an in-house method of phosphate removal which does not interfere with current manufacturing or wastewater treatment processes. The focus of the project was precipitation methodology as it is the most economically feasible option for these high concentrations of phosphate; more advanced technologies were considered for a potential final polishing step to remove any residual phosphate. The …

Evaluation Of Mass Transfer Rate In Column Of Small Lilsx Particles, Mihikumar S. Patel

ETD Archive

Air separation using zeolite based adsorption processes is a widely-studied topic. Proper process modeling is a key requirement to simulate the process. Conventional process modeling for air separation is designed for large scale adsorption processes using a long cycle time. However, advanced technology now permits to use of a short cycle time using small particles, which significantly reduces the size of the process.
Traditional process models were mostly developed for large particles (dp > 1.5 mm). Typically, it is safely assumed that intra particle diffusion controls the rate of the process while axial dispersion has a much smaller effect. This is …

Compressible Media For Water Treatment, Christine Forkins, Steven Kammermeier, Antonio Musso

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Tertiary water treatment is used to remove total suspended solids (TSS) from wastewater. Suez uses compressible media for their tertiary water treatment. There have been supplier issues in the past such as unreliability, long lead-times, unknown manufacturing process, and chances of resale. The chance of resale is an important issue because the specifications may change from one supplier to another.

The group was tasked to characterize different types of compressible media for water treatment, design a lab scale filtration unit, and design and manufacture a new media to be tested. In order to gain an operational expenditure advantage, Suez accomplishes …

Going Green: Experimental Adaptation Of Scenedesmus Dimorphus To Marine Conditions, Mohammed Khalil

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Algae has gained some interest as the need for alternative fuels becomes more pressing. Reliance on fossil fuels is causing our environment and economy harm, and is not sustainable moving forward. Lipid rich algae strains can be used in the production of biofuels, and provide an alternative fuel source. One challenge facing the prospect of algae as a fuel source is that lipid rich algae grows exclusively in freshwater. Considering the scarcity and cost to use freshwater for algae growth, interest has grown in the possibility of adapting lipid rich, freshwater algae to a seawater environment. Seawater can have up …

Evaluation Of Cetane Values Of Glycerolipids Extracted From Algae Scenedesmus Dimorphus Grown In Various Salinity Concentrations Using Gas Chromatography And Mass Spectrometry (Gc-Ms), Paul Lin, Chandana Mannem

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Algae's ability to store lipids, renewability, and potentially safer for the environment has made it a promising alternative fuel source. An industry rating for a biofuel's potential is the cetane value, which is a measure of a fuel's quality related to various glycerolipid concentrations. Growing conditions will affect lipid profile in algae, thereby affecting the cetane value. This project will attempt to identify changes in the centane value of the algae Scenedesmus dimorphus grown in various salinity concentrations. Scenedesmus dimorphus is the algae chosen for this experiment because of its ability to rapidly grow under harsh conditions. In this experiment …

P1: Salt Concentration And Ph Affect The Size Of Elastin-Like Polypeptide Nanoparticles, Bryce Noe, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terano, Richard Schmitt

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

The transport of therapeutic drugs to specific tissues in the body can be accomplished using nanoparticles that encapsulate the drugs. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) is a class of materials that can reversibly form such nanoparticles in response to environmental cues. FLPs transition from soluble compounds to a phase separated system under particular solution conditions and have been used to produce temperature responsive surfactants. When these ELP surfactants are above their transition temperature, they spontaneously form energetically stable spherical micelles. When the temperature drops below the transition temperature, the micelles break apart and the ELP goes into solution. The size of these …

P2: Light Scattering Study Of The Size And Shape Of Mixed Elastin-Like Polypeptide Micelles, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terrano, Bryce Noe

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Elastin-Like Polypeptides (ELP) can be used to form thermoreversible vehicles for drug delivery systems. The ELP nanoparticles are composed of three-armed star polypeptides. Each of the three arms extending from the negatively charged foldon domain include 20 repeats of the (GVGVP) amino acid sequence. In addition, linear constructs composed of 40 repeats of the same (GVGVP) sequence are introduced into the system. The mixed ELP polymer system is soluble at room temperature and becomes insoluble at the transition temperature (~ 50°C) forming micelles with the foldons on the exterior and linear constructs at the core. Above the transition, the size …

P2: Dispersion Stability Of Dna-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes In Biological Media, Fjorela Xhyliu

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are among the most widely studied artificial nanomaterials. Their dispersion stability in biological media is a prerequisite for applications development in biomedical imaging and sensing. This project investigates the dispersion stability of DNA-wrapped SWCNTs in RPMI cell culture media with and without fetal bovine serum (FBS). The synthetic SWCNT mixtures were purified into semiconducting enriched fractions and various single species including (11,1), (9,4), and (7,3) using recognition DNA sequences by a polymer aqueous two-phase (ATP) separation method. The near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence, vis-NIR absorption, and pH of DNA-SWCNT dispersions in different biological media were monitored over time. …

Spurious Grain Formation Due To Convection At Cross-Section-Changes During Directional Solidification, Noah Weber, Masoud Ghods

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Turbine blades are a critical component in high powered gas turbine engines. These components are directionally solidified to have a single grain orientation, which allows them to operate under high temperature and stress conditions. Spurious grain formation is a major concern when forming these turbine blades. The purpose of this study was to study the effect convection has on forming these defects within turbine blades. Two alloys, Pb-5.8%Sb (solutally unstable) and Al-19%Cu (solutally stable) were directionally solidified upward in a positive thermal gradient (thermally stable) in a graphite crucible having abrupt cross-sectional area change from 3.2 mm diameter to 9 …

P1: Assessment Of Metabolism-Induced Hepatotoxicity On A 384-Pillar Plate, Yana Sickar, Soo-Yeon Kang, Pranav Joshi, Kyeong-Nam Yu

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Microarray bioprinting technology has been explored to create miniaturized 3D cell cultures on a 384-pillar plate, which were combined with drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and test compounds in a 384-well plate for metabolism-induced toxicity assays. Our goal in this study was to demonstrate rapid assessment of metabolism- induced toxicity on the 384-pillar plate and obtain reliable and highly predictive information on compound's hepatotoxicity in vivo. Briefly, human cells including Hep3B human hepatoma cell line as well as human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cell were encapsulated in alginate-Matrigel on the 384-pillar plate. Test compounds and six different DMEs including cytochromes …

Development And Verification Of A Mechanical Loading Device For Microfluidics, Stefan Habean, Erin Tesny

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Establishing the role that mechanics play in nerve cell (e.g. neurons) function requires experimental testing. Microfluidic based experiments are commonly used to study neuron growth and function, and studies have found mechanics to play an important role in neuron health. External loads can be applied to a microfluidic device using a motor, which presumably influences the mechanical environment of the cells. While a motor can easily apply known displacements, a “load cell” is necessary to measure corresponding forces. In an existing prototype microfluidic loading device, a load cell was integrated and verified. The manufacturer's calibration of the load cell was …

Evaluation Of A Microfluidic Mixer Utilizing Staggered Herringbone Channels: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach, Brian Hama

ETD Archive

Microfluidic platforms offer a variety of advantages including improved heat transfer, low working volumes, ease of scale-up, and strong user control on parameters. However, flow within microfluidic channels occurs at low Reynolds numbers, which makes mixing difficult to accomplish. Adding V-shaped ridges to channel walls, a pattern called the staggered herringbone design (SHB), might alleviate this problem by introducing transverse flow patterns that enable enhanced mixing. However, certain factors affecting the SHB mixer’s performance remain largely unexplored.

In this work, a microfluidic mixer utilizing the SHB geometry was developed and characterized using computational fluid dynamics based simulations and complimentary experiments. …

Effect Of Convection Associated With Cross-Section Change During Directional Solidification Of Binary Alloys On Dendritic Array Morphology And Macrosegregation, Masoud Ghods

ETD Archive

This dissertation explores the role of different types of convection on macrosegregation and on dendritic array morphology of two aluminum alloys directionally solidified through cylindrical graphite molds having both cross-section decrease and increase. Al- 19 wt. % Cu and Al-7 wt. % Si alloys were directionally solidified at two growth speed of 10 and 29.1 µm s-1 and examined for longitudinal and radial macrosegregation, and for primary dendrite spacing and dendrite trunk diameter.

Directional solidification of these alloys through constant cross-section showed clustering of primary dendrites and parabolic-shaped radial macrosegregation profile, indicative of “steepling convection” in the mushy-zone. The degree …

Pure And Binary Adsorption Equilibrium Of Nitrogen And Oxygen In Lilsx Zeolite, Himabindu Gandra

ETD Archive

Chemical products are made by combination of processes that includes synthesis, separation and purification. Separation processes comprises a large portion in these industries and are considered to be critical as most of the applications in chemical industries involves mixtures. Traditional separation methods such as distillation, evaporation, drying etc., requires high energy. For example, air separation to produce nitrogen and oxygen was previously practiced by cryogenic distillation that involves high pressure units and large energy requirement. On other hand, adsorption processes utilize less energy resources and is unique among separation methods. The phase separation is achieved by the existence of a …