Polymer Science Commons^™

Solubility Characterization Of Organic Molecules For Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries, Anthony W. Ferrell, Harkeerith K. Vij, Seamus D. Jones

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The major obstacle to renewable energy sources is a lack of long-term energy storage capabilities. Energy produced during the day dissipates, leaving insufficient electricity for at night. The goal of the project is to design an Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (AORFB) to act as long-term energy storage. Work has been done using machine learning to identify suitable compounds for the batteries. In this work there was no indication as to the aqueous solubility of the molecules; this controls the device’s energy storage capabilities. We used a machine learning model to determine the aqueous solubility of slightly more than 3000 …

Polyvinyl Alcohol–Red Cabbage Nanofibers As Ph-Responsive Freshness Sensors For Advanced Food Packaging Technology, Foliatini Foliatini, Singgih Wibowo, Henny Rochaeni, Suhartini Suhartini, Fachrurrazie Fachrurrazie, Arzzaq Imanda Prianditya, Pradnadia Putri Hadriansyah, Naura Athira Putri Siregar, Novi Nurpadilah, Putri Alfiani, Maudi Rahim, Endah Sriwahyuni

Makara Journal of Science

The development of innovative food packaging technologies, particularly those capable of monitoring freshness, has become increasingly important in the food industry. This research explores the development of a pH-responsive freshness sensor using polyvinyl alcohol–red cabbage (PVA/RC) nanofibers. The nanofibers are fabricated through the electrospinning technique and meticulously analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results underscore the fine structure of the nanofiber matrix, with an average diameter of ~68 nm. FTIR analysis substantiates the presence of anthocyanin compounds from RC within the PVA/RC nanofibers, which confirms the integration of beneficial components into …

Voltammetric Determination Of Hydrogen Peroxide At Decorated Palladium Nanoparticles/Poly 1,5- Diaminonaphthalene Modified Carbon-Paste Electrode, Ziad Khalifa, Mohamed Fathi Abo Oura, Magdi Abdelazzem, Ablah Hathoot

Chemical Engineering

In this work, palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs)/p1,5-DAN/ carbon paste electrode (CPE) and p1,5-DAN/CPE sensors have been developed for determination of hydrogen peroxide. Both sensors showed a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical behaviour, which were derived from a large specific area of poly 1,5 DAN and super excellent electroconductibility of PdNPs. PdNPs/p1,5-DAN/CPE exhibited excellent performance over p1,5-DAN/CPE. Thus, it was used for detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with linear ranges of 0.1 to 250 μM and 0.2 to 300 μM as well as detection limits (S/N= 3) of 1.0 and 5.0 nM for square wave voltammetry (SWV) and cyclic voltammetry (C.V) techniques, respectively. …

Synthesis Of Uv-Blocking Titanium Oxide Films Via Remote-Type Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Cvd, Hayate Endo, Akira Shirakura, Shinya Kudo, Tetsuya Suzuki

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

This study aims to enhance UV resistance in plastics, focusing on polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene (PP) commonly used in reuseable packaging. Traditional organic UV absorbers face safety and cost challenges, prompting our investigation into alternative methods. We utilized chemical vapor deposition (CVD), specifically Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Enhanced CVD (AP-PE-CVD), to apply titanium oxide (TiO₂) thin films. This innovative approach, using a remote-type AP-PE-CVD technique, enables coating on complex surfaces and 3D objects. The produced TiO2 films, containing over 20% titanium, showed a UV transmittance of 14.5% at 310 nm and effective UV blocking starting at 372 nm. The …

Fundamental Study Of Nonlinear Electrophoresis, Joseph Armakan Bentor

All Dissertations

Classical electrophoretic theory describes the linear response of particles suspended in Newtonian fluids under weak electric fields. When the electric field exceeds this weak limit, a nonlinear response arises due to non-uniform surface conduction over the curved particles. This nonlinear behavior introduces dependencies on fluid and particle properties not considered in the classical theory, offering potential advantages for microfluidic particle manipulation. While this phenomenon has been extensively studied theoretically and numerically in Newtonian fluids, experimental investigations have been relatively limited.

Fluid rheology can significantly alter particle dynamics under applied electric fields. Rheological properties like shear-thinning and elasticity which are not …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Lignin–Pva Hydrogels With Tunable Network Structures, Keturah Bethel

All Dissertations

The ability to directly tune the crosslinked network structure of hydrogels is crucial for their functional applications in various fields, such as water filtration, protein separation, and tissue engineering. By controlling the crosslink density of the hydrogel, one can directly alter the mesh size – i.e., the end-to-end distance between crosslink junctions – and, subsequently, directly alter the hydrogel performance. This work discusses the fabrication and characterization of soft composites containing the biopolymer, lignin, are discussed. Precisely, physically-crosslinked composite lignin–Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were fabricated via the freeze-thaw (F/T) pathway, whereby solutions containing specified amounts of PVA and lignin were …

Extraction Of Neutron-Gamma Irradiated Diffusion Pump Oils, Cooper L. Tillman

All Theses

This work successfully demonstrates solvent extraction methods for separation of oil from the by-products when two commercially available vacuum pump oils were exposed to an intense neutron and gamma-ray radiation environment. Nuclear fusion power at a commercial scale has accelerated the need for radiation resistant vacuum technology, such as oil-based diffusion pumps. Polyphenyl ether and aromatic silicone oils were irradiated at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC) up to MGy absorbed doses with neutron and gamma-ray radiation. Solvent extractions were performed using hexane and isopropanol to characterize the oil extraction as a function of total absorbed dose. The by-products …

Carbon-Based Nanocomposite Membranes For Membrane Distillation: Progress, Problems And Future Prospects, Chhabilal Regmi, Yuwaraj K. Kshetri, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The development of an ideal membrane for membrane distillation (MD) is of the utmost importance. Enhancing the efficiency of MD by adding nanoparticles to or onto a membrane’s surface has drawn considerable attention from the scientific community. It is crucial to thoroughly examine state-of-the-art nanomaterials-enabled MD membranes with desirable properties, as they greatly enhance the efficiency and reliability of the MD process. This, in turn, opens up opportunities for achieving a sustainable water–energy–environment nexus. By introducing carbon-based nanomaterials into the membrane’s structure, the membrane gains excellent separation abilities, resistance to various feed waters, and a longer lifespan. Additionally, the use …

Optimizing The Expression Of Polyethylene Terephtalate Hydrolase-Encoding Synthetic Gene In Escherichia Coli Arctic Express (De3), Jocelyn Nataniel, Maria Ulfah, Dini Achnafani, Niknik Nurhayati, Gabriela Christy Sabbathini, Sri Rezeki Wulandari, Abinawanto Abinawanto, Is Helianti

Makara Journal of Science

The waste of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste in Indonesia is a pressing concern due to its slow degradation and potential environmental damage. One promising solution is to utilize polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase from Ideonella sakaiensis (IsPETase), an enzyme that specifically degrades PET. However, inducing the expression of IsPETase synthetic gene in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) has been challenging because much of it remains insoluble. This study aimed to express IsPETase in E. coli Arctic Express (DE3) and optimize the conditions to enhance its production. First, pET22b(+)pelB-IsPETase was inserted into E. coli Arctic Express (DE3). The …

Microplastic Abundance And Removal In Stormwater Using Green Infrastructure, Meghana Parameswarappa Jayalakshmamma

Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as a pervasive environmental contaminant, conveying other contaminants, accumulating in aquatic organisms, and posing ecological risks. The existing research has primarily focused on MPs in wastewater treatment plant effluents in surface waters. However, the role of stormwater systems in MP transport has been less explored. Given the rise in MPs from urban sources, stormwater runoff from urban areas may serve as a critical conduit for transporting land-based MPs into aquatic environments. Green infrastructures (GIs) have been recognized for mitigating flooding and improving water quality from minor storms by trapping stormwater pollutants. Yet, the capability of …

Targeted Drug Delivery: Investigating Protein Corona Behavior, Atharva Markale

Theses

Due to high specificity and less toxicity, nanoparticles have become promising for targeted drug delivery against cancer, although they face challenges when they enter the bloodstream, making their behavior unpredictable. The deposition of proteins on nanoparticles, the protein corona, changes their biosignature, affecting their circulation, drug release potency, targeting ability, and immunogenicity. The continuous exchange of protein layers on a nanoscale is complex to analyze.

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is a method to characterize nanoparticles in blood plasma by combining principles of light scattering microscopy and Brownian motion. In this work, time-dependent experiments with plasma were conducted to analyze the …

Insight Into The Application Of Engineered Phenol Polymer Nanocomposites For Geothermal Well Applications To Modify Fracture Permeability, Fatemeh Hamidi

Civil Engineering ETDs

In enhanced geothermal systems, the efficient transfer of heat from the formation to the fluid circulating through the fracture network can be compromised when thermal short-circuiting occurs due to preferential flow through highly conductive fractures. This study introduces a pioneering approach using newly developed phenol polymer nanocomposites as an engineering solution to address the challenges associated with preferential flow in geothermal wells, which can lead to thermal short-circuiting. Multiple phenol polymer nanocomposites were formulated, incorporating aluminum oxide, COOH-functionalized graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and graphene nanoparticles, each with a 0.5 wt.% polymer dosage. This research successfully modified the crosslinking process …

Enabling High-Rate Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing Through Structure-Processing-Property Relationships Of Polyphenylene Sulfide, Lina Ghanbari

Dissertations

In this dissertation, relationships between polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) chain structure and melt processing parameters are linked to thermoplastic composite (TPC) properties and mechanical performance. Deviations from linear PPS structure and the formation of branching/crosslinked moieties upon exposure to TPC manufacturing steps presents an opportunity to systematically uncover the interdependencies of melt-state thermal history on polymer rheology, crystallization, crystal structure, and translate these properties to the continuum level. This work first explores unreinforced PPS and how the formation of non-linear chain architectures yield altered rheological states when held at melt processing temperatures. These hindered chains exhibit unconventional crystallization behavior and non-uniform …

Elucidating The Impact Of Casting Solvent On Vanadium Ion Transport In Solution-Cast Ionomer Biocomposites Containing Lignin, Zhongyu Wang

All Theses

This paper attempts to investigate the influence of solvent choice to the Nafion-lignin proton exchange membranes that used in the vanadium redox flow batteries. The influence of two different solvents: DMF and DMSO were investigated in this paper. Results show that when using DMSO as solvent, Nafion-lignin membranes' vanadium ion cross over can be greatly reduced in comparing with membranes prepared from DMF. Also, membranes prepared from DMSO also show higher water uptake ability and lower ion exchange capacity than the membranes prepared from DMF. This paper has also investigated the influence of lignin type to the membranes. Results show …

Characterization Of Tunable And Responsive Functionalized Cellulose Nanofiber (Cnf) Gels With Applications As A 3d Bioprinting Ink, Charles Joseph Jouaneh

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Biomass Derived Lignin Polymer Modification For Sustainable Chemical Engineering Applications, Samantha Glidewell, Keisha Walters

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lignin is an abundant naturally occurring plant-based polymer that is branched, highly unsaturated, and rich in aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl groups. Lignin is a significant byproduct of the wood pulp and paper industries; however, it has yet to be widely utilized in commercial applications due to its non-linear structure, broad range of molecular weights, hydrophobicity, high rigidity, and brittleness. Recent investigations into modifying lignin to broaden its potential uses have shown promising results. This thesis explores different modification techniques of the naturally occurring hardwood lignin polymer for specific applications in areas of water treatment and polyurethane (PU) production. The first …

Sulfonated Ionomer Composite Membranes For Use In Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries, Xueting Wang

All Dissertations

While vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have garnered significant attention as a promising scalable energy storage technology, the current membrane material used in this technology, Nafion™, suffers from high cross mixing of vanadium ions in the liquid electrolytes, directly impacting battery performance properties such as the voltage and coulombic efficiencies, as well as resulting in a reduction in the overall battery lifetime. The use of ionomer nancomposites has proven to be one promising route of directly addressing the issue of high ion crossover, though the mechanism by which the nanoparticles act to reduce crossover remains in open question. Herein, the …

Green Chemistry Design Of Epoxies From Biomass For Circular Economy, Kavya Ganesan

All Dissertations

The commercial epoxies market in automobiles has been growing mainly in terms of usage as automotive coatings and lightweight composite structures manufacturing. Most of these commercial epoxies are bisphenol-based. Bisphenol-based epoxies are a class of high-performance polymer materials that, when cured, yield thermosets with high mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance properties. Roughly, North America produces around 123 billion pounds of these epoxies which are used in various industrial applications like coatings, composites, structural parts, automotive, electronics, construction etc. These epoxies are mainly manufactured from bisphenol-A (BPA) and epichlorohydrin (EPH). These raw materials are sourced from fossil fuel resources and are …

Mechanical Property Simulations Of Ploybenzimidazole Membranes., Blake Alexander Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work explores mechanical properties of membranes made of polybenzimidazole utilizing molecular simulations. These simulations researchers to narrow down polybenzimidazole membrane compositions to viable candidates. These simulations are quicker than current purely experimental methods. The increase in throughput would be achieved by eliminating compositions that have unfavorable mechanical properties through preliminary simulation work before moving onto experimental methods. Determining polybenzimidazole membranes’ mechanical properties experimentally would, therefore, allow for researchers to speed up research in areas such as fuel cells and electrolyzers that make use of polybenzimidazole membranes. This study uses Materials Studio and the COMPASS III forcefield to perform these …

Study Of Reactive Distillation Equipment For Eterification Process, Abbos Elmanov, Abdulaziz Bakhtiyorov, Adham Norkobilov, Olimjon Maksudov, Zarif Oripov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The purpose of this work is to study the chemical technological processes for eterification processes, and the reactive distillation unit, which carries out the reaction and separation process in one device, was chosen as the object of research. А reаctive distillаtion system is exаmined to produce for the production of Ethyl Acetate (EtAc) viа eterificаtion of acetic acid (HAc) with ethаnol. Optimizаtion methods using sensitivity analysis аre аlso conducted. Cаlculаtion of vаpor liquid equilibrium of the mixture system is done using UNIFАC model. Heat integration from the distillate stream of the column to the acid feed stream and from bottom …