Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing Energy Efficiency In Solar Thermal Systems: The Role Of Hybrid Nanofluids In Sustainable Energy Harvesting And Storage, Seyedehzahra Haeri

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Global energy demand continues to grow, making the reliance on fossil fuels increasingly unsustainable due to dwindling reserves and environmental impacts. Among these, solar thermal systems have emerged as a practical and environmentally friendly solution, with applications ranging from industrial heating and solar water heating to concentrated solar power (CSP) plants and solar desalination units. Solar-based thermal systems offer a promising alternative, with nanofluids (NFs) emerging as a transformative solution. Engineered by dispersing nanoparticles into base fluids, NFs enhance thermal conductivity, heat absorption, and efficiency. Notably, nanoparticles such as titanium nitride also act as nano-catalysts, improving chemical reactions and reducing …

A Critical Review On Parameters Affecting The Feasibility Of Underground Hydrogen Storage, Chiradip Bagchi, Samarth D. Patwardhan, Stefan Iglauer, Hisham Ben Mahmud, Muhammad Fazil Jaffar Ali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The need and demand for energy are ever increasing with the rapid urbanization of the global population. Near-future economic development and consequent expected industrialization are the strongest indicators of the rising energy requirement. Though fossil fuel and coal are catering toward a major chunk of energy demand, their negative or adverse impact in terms of emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is causing global warming and imbalance in environmental conditions, leading to a search for commercially viable alternate energy types. As renewable energies like solar and wind are weather-dependent, the search for an alternate energy supply needs …

Excellent Strength-Ductility Synergy Property Of Wire-Arc Additively Manufactured Mg-Gd-Y-Zr Alloy Investigated By Heat Treatment, Jiamin Li, Meng Huang, Juan Hou, Xingbin Wang, Gaopeng Xu, Yi Yang, Ning Mo, Yun Shi, Laichang Zhang, Weineng Tang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this work, the GW63K (Mg-6.54Gd-3.93Y-0.41Zr, wt.%) alloy wire was utilized as the feedstock material and the thin-walled component was fabricated using wire-arc additive manufacturing technology (WAAM). The microstructural evolution during deposition and subsequent heat treatment was explained through multi-scale microstructural characterization techniques, and the impact of heat treatment on the strength-ductility synergy of the deposited alloy was systematically compared. The results showed that the microstructure of the deposited sample was mainly composed of fine equiaxed α-Mg grains and Mg24(Gd,Y)5 phase. The optimized solution heat treatment (450 °C × 2 h) had little effect on the grain size, but can …

Challenges And Perspectives On Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors For Volatile Organic Compounds Degradation And Nitrogen Oxides Treatment, Muhammad Hassnain, Muhammad Rizwan Azhar, Asad Ali, Muhammad Mubashir, Abdulrahman Abutaleb

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Air pollution is a pressing environmental and public health issue, with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) being among the most hazardous airborne pollutants. Photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) have emerged as a promising technology for air purification due to their ability to integrate photocatalytic degradation and membrane separation in a single system. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the advancements, challenges, and future prospects of PMR technology for VOC degradation and NOx treatment. Various photocatalytic membranes and their fabrication techniques, including material selection, structural modifications, and catalyst immobilization strategies, are critically analyzed. The study further explores different …

Synthesis And Assessment Of Biobased Acrylated Epoxidized Soybean Oil Resins For Stereolithography 3d Printing Of Microfluidic Devices, Natalie S. Romero Figueroa

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on the development and characterization of a biobased photocurable resin synthesized from soybean oil for use in stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing of microfluidic devices. The study explores a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based resins by performing an acrylation reaction on epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) to produce acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), which was then formulated into a photocurable resin with the addition of a photo initiator. The fabrication process involved designing microfluidic molds in SolidWorks and printing them using an Elegoo Mars 4 SLA printer under various exposure and layer thickness parameters. The printed samples consisted of microchannels …

Enhancing The Mechanical Properties Of Sla 3d-Printed Bio-Resin From Linseed Oil Using Cellulose And Lignin Biopolymers, Chukwunonso A. Ikedionu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

This research explores the development of bio resin from linseed oil by the process of epoxidation and acrylation to produce acrylated epoxidized linseed oil (AELO). Lignin and cellulose biopolymers were added as reinforcement at varying weight fractions of 1 wt.%, 2.5 wt.%, and 5 wt.%, and their mechanical performance was compared against pure AELO. The formulations were printed using an Elegoo SLA 3D printer to create standardized test specimens like tensile bars, compression cylinders, and hardness blocks, which were all prepared according to the ASTM testing standard.

The results indicate that reinforcement effects depend on both filler type and …

Hybrid Rans-Les Analysis Of Turbulent Flame Under Near Blow-Off Condition In A Multi-Stage Swirl Combustor, Brandon O'Brien

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Advances in computational resources are making computational fluid dynamics (CFD) increasingly accessible for a variety of engineering applications. However, certain complex problems, such as simulating detailed flame kinetics, remain computationally prohibitive for many users. Developing cost-effective methods to simulate these challenges would greatly benefit applications involving flame dynamics, such as turbine engines or industrial burners. This study investigates the effect of main stage swirler intensity on near lean blow-off characteristics in a multi-staged swirl combustor using Ansys Fluent. The hybrid RANS-LES turbulence model, Stress Blended Eddy Simulation (SBES) coupled with Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) combustion model was selected to model …

Extraction And Separation Of Metal Cations From Synthetic Acidic Solutions Using Emulsion Liquid Membrane, Nouhaila Filali

Masters Theses

The work is organized into two main papers supported by experimental and comparative studies using Emulsion Liquid Membrane (ELM) systems. The first paper explores the individual extraction of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Ni) from synthetic phosphoric acid using Alamine 336 and D2EHPA as carriers. Alamine 336 achieved the highest extraction efficiency (>90%) and stability, offering a promising route to reduce toxic impurities in fertilizer-grade acid. The second paper examines the selective separation of Ni2+ and Co2+ from various acidic solutions using the ELM configuration. Systematic variation of carriers, stripping agent and feed acidity, clarified transport mechanisms and stability, …

Supercapacitors With Cotton Shell-Derived Activated Carbons And Porous Polymer Electrolyte Films, Saurabh Singh, Yulin Zhang, S. A. Hashmi, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Some of the well-known challenges in the field of supercapacitors (SCs), or more specifically, electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), such as low energy density and high cost, have proven to be major barriers to their widespread market success despite having some excellent electrochemical merits such as high-power density and good cyclic stability. In this work, efforts have been made to overcome these gaps and eventually enhance the performance of EDLCs via a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach. To fabricate these EDLCs, a bio-waste, namely, cotton-shell-derived activated carbons (ZnACs) (activated with ZnCl2), was used in a mass ratio of 1 : 2 for …

Improvement Of Cellular Pattern Organization And Clarity Through Centrifugal Force, Lauren E. Mehanna, James D. Boyd, Shelley Remus-Williams, Nicole M. Racca, Dawson P. Spraggins, Martha E. Grady, Brad J. Berron

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Rapid and strategic cell placement is necessary for high throughput tissue fabrication. Current adhesive cell patterning systems rely on fluidic shear flow to remove cells outside of the patterned regions, but limitations in washing complexity and uniformity prevent adhesive patterns from being widely applied. Centrifugation is commonly used to study the adhesive strength of cells to various substrates; however, the approach has not been applied to selective cell adhesion systems to create highly organized cell patterns. This study shows centrifugation as a promising method to wash cellular patterns after selective binding of cells to the surface has taken place. After …

Integrating Protein Language Model And Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Discover Antibiofouling Peptides, Ibrahim A. Imam, Shea Bailey, Duolin Wang, Shuai Zeng, Dong Xu, Qing Shao

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Antibiofouling peptide materials prevent the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on devices, enabling them to perform their designed functions as desired in complex biological environments. Due to their importance, research on antibiofouling peptide materials has been one of the central subjects of interfacial engineering. However, only a few antibiofouling peptide sequences have been developed. This narrow scope of antibiofouling peptide materials limits their capacity to adapt to the broad spectrum of application scenarios. To address this issue, we searched for antibiofouling peptides in the vast sequence pool of the microbiome library using a combination of deep learning-based high-throughput search and molecular …

Clarifying The Role Of Η-Phase With Varying Chemistry On Localised Corrosion Of A Cu-Containing 7xxx Al-Alloy By Quasi-In-Situ Tem, S. K. Kairy, Y. Wu, S. Turk, A. Shekhter, Rudolph Buchheit, N. Birbilis

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Quasi-in-situ transmission electron microscopy was employed to study dissolution associated with η-phase (Mg(Zn,Al,Cu)₂) precipitates in a Cu-containing 7xxx Al-alloy. Two distinct η-phase chemistries, with Cu to (Zn+Mg+Al) ratios ∼0.12 and ∼0.2, were studied in 0.01 M NaCl at pH 6 and 2. In near-neutral NaCl, both η-phase precipitates exhibited ‘duplex’ behaviour, i.e., they were primarily more noble with respect to the surrounding Al-matrix, causing matrix dissolution, and simultaneously established nanoscopic active sites within the noble precipitate itself by generating nanoscale pits. Conversely, η-phase precipitates rapidly dealloyed in acidic NaCl, forming nocrystalline Cu remnants containing twins, which subsequently caused …

Enhancing Intrinsic Ductility In Vnbmotaw High Entropy Alloy: A Combinatorial Investigation With Experimental Evaluation Of Theoretical Predictions, Taohid Bin Nur Tuhser, Ian Stewart Winter, Daryl Chrzan, Thomas John Balk

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) as engineering materials has been hindered by their poor inherent ductility. In this study, a novel approach combining thin film combinatorial screening with fragmentation testing was employed to identify intrinsically ductile alloy compositions. Inspired by the physics-based intrinsic ductility parameter, the ‘χ-parameter,’ we investigated the replacement of group VI elements (W/Mo) with group V elements (V, Nb, Ta) in the VNbMoTaW system. Conventional combinatorial analyses, including composition, phase, and hardness assessments, were conducted across a wide range of non-equiatomic configurations. The results revealed a broad compositional space favoring a single-phase body-centered cubic …

Modeling Ion-Specific Effects In Polyelectrolyte Brushes: A Modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck Model, William J. Ceely, Marina Chugunova, Ali Nadim, James D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polyelectrolyte brushes consist of a set of charged linear macromolecules, each tethered at one end to a surface. An example is the glycocalyx which refers to hair-like negatively charged sugar molecules that coat the outside membrane of all cells. We consider the transport and equilibrium distribution of ions and the resulting electrical potential when such a brush is immersed in a salt buffer containing monovalent cations (sodium and/or potassium). The Gouy-Chapman model for ion screening at a charged surface captures the effects of the Coulombic force that drives ion electrophoresis and diffusion but neglects non-Coulombic forces and ion pairing. By …

The Antibiofilm Efficacy Of Copper And Zinc-Enhanced Borate Bioactive Glasses On Polymicrobial Biofilms, Sarah Fakher, David J. Westenberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) are a significant global challenge driven by biofilm-forming pathogens. Polymicrobial biofilms, involving interactions between multiple microbial species, exacerbate treatment difficulties due to their enhanced resistance to antimicrobial therapies. Borate bioactive glasses (BBGs) are an emerging class of biomaterials that have attracted significant interest in infection control. The incorporation of copper and zinc into the BBG matrix can effectively disrupt biofilm formation and bacterial colonization. This study investigates the antibiofilm efficacy of copper and zinc-doped BBGs against polymicrobial biofilms formed by S. epidermidis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Using static and dynamic biofilm models, BBGs were applied through …

Nanotube Spectral Fingerprinting And Machine Learning For Optimized Bioimaging/Sensing And Disease Detection Applications In Als, Rodrigo Monroy Lopez

Open Access Master's Theses

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess unique physicochemical and optical properties that make them ideal candidates for biomedical imaging, biosensing, and disease diagnostics. This thesis explores the potential of SWCNT-based spectral fingerprinting combined with ML (Machine Learning) algorithms to optimize bioimaging, disease detection and prediction, with a specific focus on differentiating between healthy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lymphoblastic patient samples. By functionalizing SWCNTs with single-stranded DNA, we enhance their stability and target specificity, enabling their application in serum patient samples.

A comprehensive spectral analysis of DNA-SWCNTs was conducted using near-infrared fluorescence spectroscopy and other characterization techniques, including UV-Vis-absorption spectroscopy. The …

Ground Testing Of A Magnetic-Electrostatic Separation System For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation, Peter Bachle, Charles Wood, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The separation of lunar regolith by mineral composition and size category is useful forin-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The research presented herein discusses the designing and development of equipment that has the potential to separate lunar regolith into aluminum, iron-titanium, and magnesium-iron ores. Along with the metal ore separation, this equipment shows the potential to separate regolith by size categories. The combined effect of these separation methods generates output that is valuable to subsequent use in metal and oxygen extraction, additive manufacturing, and regolith sintering processes. The designed equipment uses a dual-strength magnet system with N42 and N52 neodymium magnets for …

Investigation Of Dynamic Adsorption And Desorption Of Polymer Nanogel In Porous Media Through Microfluidics, Junchen Liu, Fuqiao Bai, Abdulaziz A. Almakimi, Mingzhen Wei, Xiaoming He, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding the transport and retention of elastic nanogel and microgel particles in porous media has been a significant research subject for decades, essential to the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, a lack of dynamic adsorption and desorption studies, in which the kinetics in porous media are seldom investigated, hinders the design and application of polymer nanogel in underground porous media. In this work, we visualized and quantified the transport and dynamic adsorption of polymer nanogel in 3D glass micromodels that were manufactured by packing glass beads in capillaries. Calibrating the linearity of fluorescence intensity to concentration, we calculated …

Effects Of Chain Length, Saturation, And Bases On Saponification, Sarah Fenik

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will analyze the effects of chain length and saturation of fatty acids on saponification processes, as well as the effects of the base used in the reaction. Stearic acid, lauric acid, and oleic acid will be used for the fatty acid comparisons, and sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide will be used for the base comparisons. Stearic acid is considered a long chain fatty acid, while lauric acid is considered a short chain fatty acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid. Five soap products are be made: sodium stearate, sodium laurate, sodium oleate, potassium stearate, and potassium oleate. …

Anti-Icing Properties Of 3d-Printed Superhydrophobic Surfaces, Nathan Kling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to investigate how textured microscopic surfaces can reduce ice adhesion, utilizing 3D-printed resin materials. By varying the size and shape of these surface imperfections, the research seeks to identify configurations that minimize ice formation and facilitate easier ice removal. The trapped air between the imperfections is expected to hinder water droplet adhesion, promoting detachment through gravity or motion. The study’s applications could extend to preventing icing on power lines, roads, and aircraft. Methodologically, the project will build on prior research, applying water to textured surfaces under controlled temperature conditions to assess ice formation and removal efficiency. Key …