Engineering Commons^™

Integrated Anaerobic-Aerobic System For The Biodegradation Of Highly Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds, Cheng-Ming Kung

Dissertations

A two-step process was developed for the complete mineralization of hazardous chlorinated aromatic compounds. The system consisted of an anaerobic reactor, in which reductive dehalogenation took place, coupled with an aerobic reactor in which the complete mineralization of the products of the anaerobic dehalogenation occurred.

A mixed anaerobic culture from a municipal sewage treatment plant was enriched and then immobilized on silica-based porous beads to treat 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), which is the model target compound in this work. In the anaerobic reactor, TCP was degraded to 2,4-dichlorophenol which was, in turn, reduced to 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). Stoichiometric amounts of 4-CP were recovered …

Biodegradation Of Phenol And 4-Chlorophenol Using A Single Species In A Sequencing Batch Reactor, Kung-Wei Wang

Theses

Biodegradation of phenol and 4-chlorophenol (4CP) using Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 17514) was studied in batch and sequencing batch reactors. Batch experiments were first performed in order to reveal the kinetics of biodegradation for each substrate. 4-Chlorophenol was degradable only in the presence of phenol, or immediately after exposure of the organism to phenol. It was postulated that an enzyme induced by the presence of phenol was necessary to initiate degradation of 4-chlorophenol.

A mathematical model was then developed to describe the dynamic behavior of both substrates in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The model utilized rate parameters obtained from batch …

Crystallization Kinetics And Polyblends Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Recycled From Post-Consumer Beverage Bottles, Peming Peter Hsu

Dissertations

In order to reduce waste generation, and comply with state and federal laws, plastic beverage bottles are usually undergoing recycling. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PET], which is the main component the bottles are made of, cannot be used for manufacturing new food containers, and has to be used for manufacturing other end consumer products. The recycled PET is a cheap material, but its use is problematic due to the low crystallization rates of PET. The present study investigates ways of accelerating PET crystallization by using inorganic carbonate salts as nucleating agents. This study also explores the possibility of forming polymer blends based …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Zero-Order, First-Order And Monod Kinetic Models In Representing Raw Aerobic Biodegradation Data, Andrew I. Bakun

Theses

A total of 148 raw aerobic biodegradation data sets from batch and continuous stirred-tank reactors were extracted from the open literature and previous NJIT MS theses. Kinetic analysis of each of these data sets was performed with respect to the following commonly used empirical models: (1) zero-order, (2) first-order, and (3) Monod. Two constant-biomass versions of each model were evaluated; one in which So (i.e., the boundary condition for substrate concentration at time equal to zero) was assumed to be equal to the measured value of the initial substrate concentration and the other in which So was treated as a …

Mathematical Modeling Of Mass Transfer In Microvascular Wall And Interstitial Space, Daekyung Kim

Dissertations

The dynamics of macromolecular transport across the microvascular wall and into the adjoining interstitial space was studied in the hamster cheek pouch using intravital fluorescence microscopy in combination with digital image processing. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labe led dextrans (FITC-Dx) of 70,000 and 150,000 daltons were used as tracers. In each experiment, the time-dependent extravasation of FITC-Dx from a leakage site in a blood vessel was videotaped for about 2 hours. The macromolecular transport from individual microvessels was quantified by digital video-image processing. Histograms of the light intensity distributions for selected fields at various times were obtained and then converted to the interstitial …

Mathematical Modeling Of Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes And Its Application To Thin Film Technology, Norman W. Loney

Dissertations

A number of workers in the field of Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have presented mathematical models in the literature. Some workers were able to produce analytical expressions for the interwafer concentration profile. These analytical expressions were based entirely on zero or first order chemical reaction rates. Until now, it appears that a chemical reaction rate expression that is not zero or first order directly, must be handled by a numerical scheme.

Presented herein is a mathematical model with an analytical interwafer concentration profile. This concentration profile is neither zero nor first order but shifts from zero to first order as …

Kinetic Studies On Pyrolytic And Oxidative Decomposition Of Chlorocarbons In A Tubular Flow Reactor, Yang Soo Won

Dissertations

Chloroform decay and product distributions were distinctly different in the absence and presence of added O₂ and/or CH₄. Increases in O₂ concentration were observed to speed reagent loss, with a slower decay of chloroform observed for the CHCl₃/CH4/Ar pyrolysis system. In CHCl₃/CH₄/O₂, the major products were C₂Cl4, CH2CCl₂, C₂HCl₃, CO and CO₂ over a wide temperature range. Minor products included CH₂Cl₂, CH₃Cl, and C2H₃Cl. When CH₄ reactant was not present, …

Charcoal Catalyzed Ozone Decomposition Of Organic Pollutants In Water, Kin Ho

Theses

A laboratory study has been performed on the wastewater treatment (destruction of organic species in water) using a novel process called Integrated Adsorption-Oxidation (IAO) where activated carbon is being utilized as a catalyst-adsorbent, and ozone as oxidant. The results of ozonation alone on the pollutants in water are also reported to provide a comparison with the adsorption-oxidation scheme in semi-batch reactions. All experiments were conducted at room temperature in a semi-batch reactor using five (water soluble) representative chemicals as pollutants: Aniline, Acetamide, Pyridine, N,N-dimethyl formamide and O-cresol. We also studied two volatile compounds: Trichloroethylene and Chloroform. Phenol was studied in …

Adiabatic Kinetic Studies Of The Cytidine/Acetic Anhydride Reaction By Utilizing Temperature Versus Time Data, Joseph John Shatynski

Theses

It is possible to predict the kinetics of a reaction by using temperature versus time data under adiabatic conditions. This method was used for the cytidine/acetic anhydride reaction using a RC1 Mettler Reaction Calorimeter.

The authenticity of the experimental adiabatic system was verified by determining the kinetic parameters of a known reaction (hydrolysis of acetic anhydride) and comparing them to literature values.

For example, the average experimental activation energy, heat of reaction, and ln k₀ values for the hydrolysis of acetic anhydride were 11.2 ±.5 kcal/gmole, -14.4 ± .2 kcal/gmole, and 12.74 ± .94 sec^-1, respectfully, while …

Catalytic Oxidation Of Chlorinated Compounds Over Pdo/Al2o3 On A Monolith, Tai-Chiang Yu

Theses

The catalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene(TCE) and dichloromethane (DCM) was investigated over a catalyst containing 4% PdO on Al₂O₃ washcoat and on a cordierite monolith with 400 channels per in². Reactivity and selectivity of the catalyst for the destruction of 200 ppm C₂HCl₃ and 500 ppm CH₂Cl₂ in air was evaluated over the temperature range 250 to 550 °C. This research was conducted in a tubular reactor system at space velocities of 4,000 to 24,000 v/v/hr. It was found that complete oxidation occurs at 500°C for DCM and 550°C for …

A Combined Gel Entrapped And Membrane Attached Microbial Process For Biodegrading Organic Compounds, Fayaz Saifuddin Lakhwala

Dissertations

A comparative study has been performed between two bioreactors treating phenol, one using calcium alginate entrapped microorganisms, and the other using microorganisms attached on the surface of a polymeric membrane. Laboratory experiments conducted in batch recirculation mode, as well as a continuous feed mode, showed that the calcium alginate bio-bead reactor is more efficient in treating high feed concentrations of phenol, while the membrane bioreactor is more effective in the lower concentration regime (less than 150 ppm). In batch recirculation mode, the reaction rates (expressed as mg phenol/hr*gm dry cells) in the membrane reactor are an order of magnitude higher …

Thermodynamics Of Strong Electrolyte Solutions : Prediction Of Osmotic Coefficients By Pair Correlation Function Method, One Kwon Rim

Dissertations

Thermodynamic properties (osmotic coefficients) of strong electrolyte solutions have been studied by the method of statistical mechanics. First the charged soft sphere potential is developed based on the Pauling type model. Next the charged soft sphere potential is converted to the thermodynamically corresponding charged hard sphere potential by way of the perturbation method developed by Verlet and Weis. Simultaneously, the radial distribution function is developed by modification of the Exponential theory through introduction of the Stillinger-Lovett moment condition. The effective hard sphere diameter values calculated by the perturbation method are combined with the modified Exponential theory, and these quantities are …

Solid-Liquid Suspension In Agitated Vessels Provided With Multiple Impellers, Tong Li

Theses

A large number of references can be found in the literature on the effect of mixing parameters on the achievement of the minimum agitation speed to just suspend solid particles. In the vast majority of these studies the agitation system consisted of just one centrally mounted impeller. However, the determination of the minimum agitation speed to achieve the just suspended state when the additional impellers are used have received very little attention. It is the intent of this work to investigate the role of multiple impeller agitation system on the achievement of the complete particle suspension state. The effect of …

A Study Of Biological Dentrification Of Munition Wastes, Sonia R. Venugopal

Theses

Kinetics of denitrification were studied using a consortium from the Lawrence, Kansas municipal treatment plant. Experiments were conducted in the batch mode, under controlled oxygen and pH conditions. It was found that the Monod model can successfully perdict the experimental results of nitrate depletion. It was also found that when the pH is maintained at values between 7.0 and 8.5, nitrate can be treated in a batch mode without having any significant nitrite presence in the reactor. The experimentally determined kinetic parameters were used in preliminary calculations for sizing a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). An existing mathematical model for the …

Coexistence Of Three Pure And Simple Competitors In Four Interconnected Bioreactors, Ming Wu

Theses

It is known that a homogeneous environment having invariant inputs cannot allow for steady state coexistence of any number of pure and simple competitors. However, it has been proven that two pure and simple competitors can coexist at a steady state in two interconnected chemostats, if the conditions are such that they allow a different species to grow faster in each one of the two vessels. It has been also shown that three pure and simple competitors cannot coexist in three interconnected chemostats, even if the conditions are such that a different population could grow faster (have the competitive advantage) …