Chemical Engineering Commons^™

The Contribution Of Non-Thermal And Advanced Oxidation Technologies Towards Dissipation Of Pesticide Residues, N. Misra

Articles

Background

The use of pesticides has stabilised the food production to a great extent and their usage cannot be avoided anymore. Nevertheless, common food processing operations always allowed dissipating pesticide residues in foods to some extent. Within the food science community and the food processing sector, non-thermal food technologies are being researched and commercialised at a great pace over the past three decades.

Scope and Approach

In this review we provide a critical analysis of the literature pertinent to the fate of pesticide residues during non-thermal processing of solid and liquid foods. We also identify the opportunities for further development …

Effect Of Resin Thickness, And Curing Time On The Micro-Hardness Of Bulk-Fill Resin Composites, Shaymaa M. Nagi, Lamiaa M. Moharam, Mohamed H. Zaazou

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Bulk-fill resin composite has been introduced, their manufacturers claimed that they can be applied in bulks of 4mm, without necessitating a prolonged curing time, or a light curing unit with increased irradiance. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of resin thickness and curing time on the micro-hardness of two bulk -fill resin composites: Tetric Evo-Ceram [TE], and X-trafil [XF]. Material and Methods: 120 cylindrical specimens were prepared and divided into 24 groups (n=5/group), representing the two bulk-fill resin composites, three different material thicknesses (2, 3 and 4 mm) and the four curing times used in the …

Formulation Of Benzoxaborole Drugs In Plla: From Materials Preparation To In Vitro Release Kinetics And Cellular Assays, Saad Sene, Joshua Mclane, Nicholas Schaub, Sylvie Bégu, P. Hubert Mutin, Lee Ligon, Ryan J. Gilbert, Danielle Laurencin

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Benzoxaboroles are a family of organoboron molecules, which have been finding over the past few years an increasing number of biological applications, notably for the design of new drugs. Given that these molecules are still relatively new in the biomedical context, very few investigations regarding their formulation have been reported to date. Here, a complete study on the formulation of benzoxaboroles in a biopolymer, poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA), is reported. The incorporation of two small benzoxaboroles, namely the simplest benzoxaborole molecule (BBzx) and the antifungal drug tavaborole (AN2690), inside PLLA films was investigated. Different variations in the film composition and texture …

Astrocytes Increase Atp Exocytosis Mediated Calcium Signaling In Response To Microgroove Structures, Ajay V. Singh, Michael Raymond, Fabiano Pace, Anthony Certo, Jonathan M. Zuidema, Christopher A. Mckay, Ryan J. Gilbert, X. Lucas Lu, Leo Q. Wan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Following central nervous system (CNS) injury, activated astrocytes form glial scars, which inhibit axonal regeneration, leading to long-term functional deficits. Engineered nanoscale scaffolds guide cell growth and enhance regeneration within models of spinal cord injury. However, the effects of micro-/nano size scaffolds on astrocyte function are not well characterized. In this study, a high throughput (HTP) microscale platform was developed to study astrocyte cell behavior on micropatterned surfaces containing 11/4m spacing grooves with a depth of 250 or 500â €...nm. Significant changes in cell and nuclear elongation and alignment on patterned surfaces were observed, compared to on flat surfaces. The …

Effects Of Disorder State And Interfacial Layer On Thermal Transport In Copper/Diamond System, Vikas Sinha, Jaime J. Gengler, Christopher Muratore, Jonathan E. Spowart

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The characterization of Cu/diamond interface thermal conductance (h_c) along with an improved understanding of factors affecting it are becoming increasingly important, as Cu-diamond composites are being considered for electronic packaging applications. In this study, ∼90 nm thick Cu layers weredeposited on synthetic and natural single crystal diamond substrates. In several specimens, a Ti-interface layer of thickness ≤3.5 nm was sputtered between the diamond substrate and the Cu top layer. The h_c across Cu/diamond interfaces for specimens with and without a Ti-interface layer was determined usingtime-domain thermoreflectance. The h_c is ∼2× higher for similar interfacial layers on …

Chemical Process Analysis And Modeling Case Studies: Liquid Diffusion And Thermodynamic Considerations, Connor Redwine

Honors Theses

Two case studies completed under the direction of Jacobs Engineering are presented and discussed. In the first case study, the economics of the installation of an oil cooler are examined. A vapor recovery unit (VRU) for an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) facility in Grieve, WY, will be installed to capture the vapors from an oil tank. With the installation of the VRU, a question arose: would an oil cooler proposed to be installed before the oil tank be necessary? A simulation and economic analysis of the process suggests that oil cooler installation is still economically favorable. When the low pressure …

Economic Optimization Of An Ethylbenzene Process, Erin L. Dyer

Honors Theses

This report describes the process of optimizing an existing design for a chemical plant that produces the chemical intermediate ethylbenzene. For an engineer, economic optimization involves manipulating the design variables of a chemical process in order to improve the economic outcome of the project. In this case, the objective of the optimization was to maximize the net present value of the ethylbenzene plant. After analyzing the net present value of the existing design, the team conducted subsequent analyses on the operation of the process, adjusting variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate in order to minimize the costs of …

Secondary Metabolites Isolated From Perovskia Atriplicifolia And Their In Vitro Binding Affinity For Human Opioid And Cannabinoid Receptors, Ashli Fitzpatrick

Honors Theses

Plants and their natural products have been utilized for thousands of years in the treatment of many human diseases. Because of their structural diversity, natural products are ideal lead compounds for drug development. In this thesis, the natural products of the plant Perovskia atriplicifolia were investigated, specifically their in vitro binding affinity to receptors in opioid and cannabinoid classes. Extracts that demonstrated good selective opioid and cannabinoid receptor binding were subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation. Four active compounds were identified from the crude extract in Perovskia atriplicifolia: 1) 5-hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxy flavone, 2) 5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',6,-trimethoxy flavone, 3) 5-hydroxy-4',6,7-trimethoxy flavone, and 4) 5,7-dihydroxy-4',6,-dimethoxy flavone. Each …

A Guide To Process Optimization, Shannon Leeann Kynerd

Honors Theses

Optimization is improving upon an existing process. Generally, the motivation behind optimization is economical. Companies are always looking for ways to improve their process in order to maximize their profit. There are several key steps and strategies that need to be followed in order to guarantee an optimized process and ultimately the maximum profit. An analysis of the base case is essential to optimization. If the starting point is not fully known, then the amount of progress is not known. The top-down and bottom-up strategies determine the overall procedure for optimization. Top-down begins with the big picture while bottom-up starts …

Carbon Dioxide Capture By Functionalized Graphene Oxide Adsorbent, Sulihat Oreoluwa Aloba

Honors Theses

The accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere is a major environmental hazard. As a result various methods for capturing CO2 was suggested. One of such methods included the development of carbon-based adsorbents due to their large surface area and low heat capacity for CO2 capture which was studied in this report. Graphene oxide (GO) was selected as the adsorbent for its potential benefit in CO2 capture. A modified hummers method was used for the synthesis of GO which showed the existence of the hydroxyl (3440 cm-1), epoxyl (1036 cm-1) and carboxyl (1720 cm-1) functional groups in its FTIR spectra. The …

Chemical Process Optimization For Dummies, Troy Mannino

Honors Theses

Chemical process optimization is a daunting task. The purpose of this work is to summarize and organize successful approaches which may be employed by the chemical process engineer when confronted with optimization problems. In general, optimization is making any process better; common goals are to increase the efficiency or maximize the economic potential of a process. The improvements made to a process during optimization are generally measured in terms of an objective function. Since the purpose of any industrial chemical process is to be profitable, objective functions most often have units of dollars. The objective function is dependent upon changes …

Exploration Of Cannabinoid And Opioid Agents From Plants Used In Traditional Medicine, John Fitzpatrick

Honors Theses

Ten plants, with known medicinal uses, were gathered to study for their possible production of secondary metabolites that act as opioid and cannabinoid agents. All plants were subjected to in vitro bioassays testing for their affinity for the opioid and cannabinoid receptors. Banisteriopsis caapi extracts displayed the greatest affinity for both opioid and cannabinoid receptors. B. caapi extracts underwent column fractionation yielding fractions that were subjected to further in vitro studies. We discovered that the ethanolic extract of this plant (foliage) binds to all three opioid receptors (µ, κ and δ) and cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) with values ranging …

A Look Into Process Optimization, Joshua Hunter Lambert

Honors Theses

The goal for this paper is to inform the reader on the optimization process in chemical engineering design. The reader will gain knowledge about the step-by-step process as well as terminology of the optimization journey. Optimization takes a great amount of work, and it can be a daunting task if one gets caught up in the minute details. However, I will show that looking at the big picture will drastically ease the process and make optimizing much simpler. A base case will first be presented. The base case should be modeled using a process simulator, and then an economic analysis …

Targeting G-Quadruplexes Within The Adam-15 Promoter: A Novel Therapeutic Approach For Breast Cancer, Rachel L. Jenkins

Honors Theses

ADAM-15 is a protein that is up-regulated in many diseases, particularly breast cancer; its over-expression is correlated with more aggressive and invasive phenotypes. The critical core promoter region of ADAM-15 is capable of forming a secondary DNA structure known as a G-quadruplex. The stabilization of this G-quadruplex has the potential to decrease the transcription of the over-expressed ADAM-15 protein. Six hundred forty compounds were screened for their ability to cause a shift in the melting temperature of an ADAM-15 oligonucleotide using FRET melt. Two compounds, NSC 146771 and NSC 260594, produced a significant shift in the melting temperature; further experimentation, …

Metallic Encapsulation For High Temperature (>500 °C) Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Abhinav Bhardwaj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deployment of high temperature (>500 °C) thermal energy storage in solar power plants will make solar power more cost competitive and pave the way towards a sustainable future. In this research, a unique metallic encapsulation has been presented for thermal energy storage at high temperatures, capable of operation in aerobic conditions. This goal was achieved by employing low cost materials like carbon steel. The research work presents the unique encapsulation procedure adopted, as well as various coatings evaluated and optimized for corrosion protection. Experimental testing favored the use of 150 μm of nickel on carbon steel for corrosion protection …

The Dispersion And Selective Flocculation Of Hematite Ore, Howard James Haselhuhn Iii

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Iron ore is one of the most important ores in the world. Over the past century, most mining of iron ore has been focused on magnetite (Fe3O4). As the name suggests, magnetite is magnetic in nature and is easily separated from gangue (unwanted) minerals through magnetic separation processes. Unfortunately, the magnetite ore bodies are diminishing. Because of this, there has been a recent drive to pursue technology that can economically separate hematite (Fe2O3) from its gangue minerals as hematite is a much more abundant source of iron. Most hematite ore has a very small liberation size that is frequently less …

Mechanical Properties Of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy Composites, Danielle René Klimek-Mcdonald

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Due to their high specific stiffness, carbon-filled polymer composites are commonly used in the construction of structural components of subsonic fixed-wing aircrafts, such as the fuselage and control surfaces. In this work, neat epoxy (EPON 862 with EPIKURE Curing Agent W) was fabricated along with 1- 6 wt% of three types of GNP available from XG Sciences Inc. and 1-4 wt% of another type of GNP available from Asbury Carbons added to epoxy. The curing cycle for this epoxy was 121 °C for 2 hours followed by 177 °C for two hours.

GNP are short stacks of individual layers of …

Modeling Of Biomass Torrefaction And Pyrolysis And Its Applications, Jordan L. Klinger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Utilizing biomass provides a possible near-term alternative solution for fossil energy dependence in both electricity generation and transportation. Though thermochemical conversion can produce solid/liquid fuels that are compatible in existing infrastructure, detailed scientific chemical and mechanistic understanding are still being developed. In contribution to these efforts, this work is focused on development of a semiempirical, lumped parameter, chemical kinetic model to describe the degradation of woody biomass.

The initial kinetic model was developed in the torrefaction region to describe the gas-phase evolution of products (water, organic acids, permanent gases, and furfural) through a three consecutive reaction model. In this model, …

Synthesis, Characterization And Anti-Proliferative Activity Of An Imidazolium Salt And Its Silver Carbene Complex: Utilization Of Picolyl And Quinolylmethyl Substituents, Cari E. Molnar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The imidazolium salt (IS) and silver carbene complex (SCC) studied in this report are 3-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1-(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)imidazolium chloride (1) and 3-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1-(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)imidazole – silver acetate complex (2). It was anticipated that the anti-proliferative activity of 1 and 2 would be similar to other characterized ISs while having increased solubility. The SCC (2) was synthesized in order to simulate the ligand-metal coordination similar to that of cisplatin.

The success of the synthetic processes of 1 and 2 were determined by ¹H NMR (300 MHz) spectroscopy. In addition, 1 was also characterized by ¹H NMR (500 MHz) …

Predicting Key Residues Relevant To Hiapp Fibril Stability Using Permuted Residue Minimal Distance Pairs Of Riapp And Hiapp Dimers, Zak Kohler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In order to discover the most significant residues involved in hIAPP fibril formation, Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics (REMD) trajectories of both fibril forming hIAPP dimers and non-fibril-forming rIAPP dimers were analyzed. An import heuristic for this is the minimum distance between the peptides. To gain a greater resolution than the standard center of mass distance or 1-1, 2-2, etc.\ residue distances, every permutation of residue distance between molecules of the dimer was measured ranked. It was found that while the rIAPP had a single favored contact, (26 10), hIAPP appeared to have a network of at least three significant contacts: …