Engineering Commons^™

Analysis Of The Optimum Extraction System Design For The Separation And Purification Of Rare Earths, Kenneth Yeon-Kang Chan

Dissertations

A mathematical model for the liquid-liquid equilibrium of the lanthanide and yttrium oxides in the nitric acid - water - tributyl phosphate (HNO₃-H₂O-TBP) two-phase system has been developed. This model is based on the interrelationships of chemical reactions, phase equilibrium, and material balance. The chemical reactions were modelled using experimentally derived empirical equations for components involved. The distribution coefficients of 16 rare earths which were experimentally determined. by UK Harwell Laboratory were used to evaluate the parameters of this equilibrium model. Once model parameters are determined, material balance for all species in the HNO₃-H …

Investigation Of Reactor Design Parameters Towards Optimizing Biodegradation Of Chlorophenols By Phanerochaete Chrysosporium, Nirupam Pal

Dissertations

The biodegradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (246-TCP) and 2,4,5-trichiorophenol (245-TCP) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium was studied in batch and in continuous systems. Contrary to most of the previous reports from the literature, this study shows that degradation of both TCPs can occur in the absence of any measurable ligninase activity. The microorganism did not retain its degradative ability for more than about two weeks

In order to better understand the degradation process, the individual contributions of both the biomass and the extracellular proteins were studied separately. The results show that neither the biomass nor the extracellular proteins alone can completely degrade 246-TCP, but …

Pressure Swing Absorption-Based Separation Of A Gas Mixture, Syamalendu Bhaumik

Theses

In this study, separation of a gas mixture was investigated using the novel concept of pressure swing absorption in a stationary absorbent liquid. The best features of pressure swing adsorption, gas liquid scrubbing and hollow fiber based membrane processes were incorporated to develop the process.

A well-packed microporous hydrophobic hollow fiber module was used to achieve absorption of a gas at a high pressure into a liquid during a certain part of the cycle followed by desorption of the gas from the liquid in the other part of the cycle. The device has a very high interfacial area per unit …

Behavior Of Bubble Columns, Clint Davison

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

In the research program I studied different methods used in mixing gas and liquid in industrial reactors. I was introduced to the bubble column, the airlift reactor, and the bubbling stir tank through text reading, experimentation, and designing. From readings coming from the instrument and observation with my own eyes, I was able to learn much about the flow of particles in tanks such these.

The bubble column and the airlift reactor contain two sections of water flow (riser and downcomer). The riser area has a lower bulk density of fluid because of the rising air bubbles. The downcomer area …

Process Equipment, Cost Scale-Up, Donald S. Remer, Lawrence H. Chai

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Process Plants, Costs Of Scaled-Up Units, Donald S. Remer, Lawrence H. Chai

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Process Equipment Cost, Biotechnology And Pharmaceutical, Donald S. Remer, Javier H. Idrovo '89

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Environmental Implications Of Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells, Donald L. Warner, Cary L. Mcconnell

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A detailed study was made of the potential for abandoned oil and gas wells in the Lower Tuscaloosa sand of Mississippi and Louisiana to act as conduits for movement of saline water from the Lower Tuscaloosa into underground sources of drinking water (USDW's). Finite-difference numerical modeling determined the extent that water might be forced from the Lower Tuscaloosa sand into a USDW as a result of injection into the Lower Tuscaloosa. Within the range of conditions modeled, water from the Lower Tuscaloosa never traveled into a USDW. On the basis of the modeling, we concluded that it is unlikely that …

Synthesis Of Aluminum Hydroxide Nanoparticles In Spontaneously Generated Vesicles, Iskandar I. Yaacob, Suhas Bhandarkar, Arijit Bose

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Unilamellar vesicles, formed spontaneously by mixing single-tailed cationic (cetyl trimethyl ammonium tosylate, CTAT) and anionic aqueous solutions of (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, SDBS) surfactants have been used as reactors for the aqueous phase precipitation of nanometer sized particles within their inner cores. AlCl3 solution was encapsulated within these vesicles, aluminum ions were replaced with sodium ions in the extravesicular phase, and sodium hydroxide was then added to the extravesicular region. Hydroxyl ions penetrate through the vesicle walls and react with the available aluminum in the intravesicular region to form the product. The morphology and sizes of these particles were examined …

Overview Of Acerc Comprehensive Model Development, Thomas H. Fletcher, Scott C. Hill

Faculty Publications

A major objective of the Advanced Combustion Engineering Research Center (ACERC) is the development of comprehensive combustion models to help in the solution of critical national combustion problems. Computer models incorporate research and technology results from center projects and from external research programs. The synergistic integration of scientific knowledge that is expected from the NSF engineering research centers is demonstrated to a great extent at ACERC by the development of these software tools. The transfer of technology from ACERC to industry is also accomplished in part by the implementation of the models at industrial firms. The effort to develop such …

Reversible Complexation Of O2 To (Meso-Tetraphenylporphyrinato)Cobalt(Ii) Plasma Polymer And Sublimed Films At Room Temperature, J. M. Skelly, Nicholas C. Morosoff, V. T. Stannett, A. L. Crumbliss

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling Of The Formation Of Calcareous Deposits On Cathodically Protected Steel In Seawater, J. F. Yan, T. V. Nguyen, Ralph E. White, R. B. Griffin

Faculty Publications

A first principle mathematical model of the formation of calcareous deposits on a cathodically protected steel rotatingdisk electrode in seawater is presented. The model includes equations which transport phenomena, electrochemical reactions,precipitation reactions, and a homogeneous reaction involved in the formation of calcareous deposits on an electrodesurface. Predicted concentration profiles show that a high concentration of OH^– ions on the electrode surface leads to the formation of calcareous deposits. The calcareous deposits contain mostly CaCO₃, but the initial deposits are predicted to contain more Mg(OH)₂ than CaCO₃. The predicted calcareous deposits on the electrode surface …

A Water And Heat Management Model For Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells, Trung V. Nguyen, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

Proper water and heat management are essential for obtaining high-power-density performance at high energy efficiency for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. A water and heat management model was developed and used to investigate the effectiveness of various humidification designs. The model accounts for water transport across the membrane by electro-osmosis and diffusion, heat transfer from the solid phase to the gas phase and latent heat associated with water evaporation and condensation in the flow channels. Results from the model showed that at high current densities (> 1 A/cm²) ohmic loss in the membrane accounts for a large fraction of the …

Progress In Coal Pyrolysis, Peter R. Solomon, Thomas H. Fletcher, Ronald J. Pugmire

Faculty Publications

The heterogeneous nature of coal and the complexity of the pyrolysis process have made it very difficult to perform unambiguous experiments to determine the rates and mechanisms in coal pyrolysis. However, recent years have seen a number of new experimental and theoretical approaches which shed new light on the subject. This paper considers the recent progress on kinetics, the formation of volatile products, network models, cross-linking, rank effects, and the ‘two-component’ model of coal structure. Recent experiments which measured coal particle temperatures at high heating rates provide reasonable agreement on kinetic rate constants. These rates also agree with those derived …

Swelling Properties Of Coal Chars During Rapid Coal Pyrolysis And Combustion,, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Coal devolatilization experiments are commonly conducted at moderate temperatures (800 to 1300 K) and heating rates (10³ to 10⁴ Ks⁻¹) in inert environments in order to measure evolved species before secondary reaction in the gas phase. However, chars from these experiments exhibit different physical characteristics than chars obtained under typical combustion conditions (1500 to 2000 K, 10⁵ Ks⁻¹, and 3 to 10 mol% oxygen). Experiments were conducted in two laminar, entrained-flow reactors to determine characteristics of coal chars in inert and oxygen-rich environments. One flow reactor was heated electrically, with gas temperatures of …

Chemical Structural Features Of Pyridine Extracts Of The Argonne Premium Coals Using 13c Nmr Spectroscopy, Thomas H. Fletcher, S Bai, Ronald J. Pugmire, Steven Wood, David M. Grant

Faculty Publications

Soxhlet extractions were performed on the eight Argonne Premium coals using pyridine purged with argon and followed by a novel washing procedure to remove the pyridine. Mass closure (extracts plus residues) on duplicate experiments accounted for 94-96% of the original coal, repeatable to within 2%. Chemical structural features determined from ¹³C NMR analyses of the extracts and residues showed more attachments per aromatic cluster for the residues, indicating a greater degree of covalent bonding in the residue than in the extract. ¹H NMR analysis of the extracts showed a gradual increase in the hydrogen aromaticity with rank, along …

An Overview Of Acerc Research In Fuel Characterization And Reaction Mechanisms, Ronald J. Pugmire, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

A major objective of the Advanced Combustion Engineering Research Center is the development and verification of data on fuel characterization and reaction mechanisms and rates that can be incorporated into submodels for use in the comprehensive combustion codes. As technology has advanced, the levels of analytical sophistication has also advanced, making it possible to augment the existing body of information with new data. From this new data it is possible to draw new insights regarding the complex nature of coal and the various processes associated with combustion. The ACERC program has made it possible to bring different disciplines together to …

Lattice Boltzmann Thermohydrodynamics, F. J. Alexander, S. Chen, J. D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

We introduce a lattice Boltzmann computational scheme capable of modeling thermohydrodynamic flows of monatomic gases. The parallel nature of this approach provides a numerically efficient alternative to traditional methods of computational fluid dynamics. The scheme uses a small number of discrete velocity states and a linear, single-time relaxation collision operator. Numerical simulations in two dimensions agree well with exact solutions for adiabatic sound propagation and Couette flow with heat transfer. © 1993 The American Physical Society.

Surface Treatment For Mitigation Of Hydrogen Absorption And Penetration Into Aisi 4340 Steel, G. Zheng, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

The effectiveness of underpotential deposition of Pb onto a membrane made of AISI 4340 steel on the reduction of the hydrogen evolution reaction on the membrane and the degree of hydrogen ingress into the membrane was determined. In the presence of a monolayer coverage of Pb on the membrane surface, the hydrogen evolution currents were reduced by a factor of two compared with the values obtained on bare steel, and the steady-state hydrogen permeation flux through the steel membranes was reduced by 71%.

Impedance Spectroscopy As A Nondestructive Health Interrogation Tool For Lithium-Bcx Cells, Branko N. Popov, W. Zhang, E. C. Darcy, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

The objective of this investigation was to study the growth of thick passivating layers on the Li anode in Li/BCX(Li/SOCl₂ + BrCl) cells which were stored for a period of 3 years. Impedance spectroscopy and equivalent circuit models were used to determine characterizing parameters for these cells. The equivalent circuit used for virgin cells includes a faradic contribution and diffusion of the electroactive species. The equivalent circuit for batteries stored 1 or 2 years includes the impedance of a metal/passive film interface, the resistance of the film, and the impedance of the passivating film/electrolyte interface. The equivalent circuit used …

Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy As A Tool For Organic Coating Solute Saturation Monitoring, Branko N. Popov, Mohammed A. Alwohaibi, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to study the solute uptake for epoxy/phenolic (E/p) andepoxy/amine (E/a) thick-coated mild steel samples immersed for 160 days in 3.5 weight percent NaCl solution exposed to air. Samples with thicknesses of approximately 200 µm with an exposed surface area of 22.6 cm² were used to follow solute saturation of the organic coating. Good agreement was obtained between the calculated and measured coating capacitance when, according to the diffusion equation, the coating capacitance was plotted against exposure time.

Galvanostatic Pulse And Pulse Reverse Plating Of Nickel-Iron Alloys From Electrolytes Containing Organic Compounds On A Rotating Disk Electrode, Branko N. Popov, Ken-Ming Yin, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

Linear sweep voltammetry, galvanostatic pulse, and pulse reverse techniques were used to study the plating of nickel-iron alloys in the presence of organic additives. The effects of pulse current densities, i_p, reverse current densities, i_r, rotation speed of disk electrode, and the presence of organic additives on deposition of nickel-iron alloys are evaluated. The observed phenomena can be explained by the concentration depletion of reactants (or products), and the surface coverage of the additives on the electrode. A new formulation of the plating bath is defined.

Impedance Analysis For Oxygen Reduction In A Lithium Carbonate Melt: Effects Of Partial Pressure Of Carbon Dioxide And Temperature, Bhasker B. Dave, Ralph E. White, Supramaniam Srinivasan, A. John Appleby

Faculty Publications

Effects of partial pressure of carbon dioxide and temperature on oxygen reduction kinetics on a gold electrode in a lithium carbonate melt were examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetric techniques. The impedance spectra were analyzed by a complex nonlinear least squares method, using the Randles-Ershler equivalent circuit model, to determine the electrode-kinetic and the mass-transfer parameters such as the charge-transfer resistance and the Warburg coefficient. The cyclic voltammetric measurements indicated that the oxygen reduction process in lithium carbonate melt is "reversible" up to 200 mV/s. The product DC₀ determined by cyclic voltammetry agreed well …

Thermal Analysis Of Spirally Wound Li/Bcx And Li/Socl2 Cells, E. E. Kalu, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

A thermal analysis of Li/BCX and high rate Li/SOCl₂ cells is presented. The thermal model developed was used to study the effect of ambient temperature of discharge (0–40°C) on Li/BCX cells discharged at the same rate. The model predictions show that ambient temperature of discharge was critical in thermal management of the cell. For forced convection cooled cells, the model predicted that ambient temperature near room temperature (25°C) was required to achieve the lowest maximum temperature rise in the cell. Inclusion of the effects of reaction products to the model predictions showed that a constant composition assumption may be …

Free-Radical Retrograde Precipitation-Polymerization Process, Gerard T. Caneba

Michigan Tech Patents

A free-radical retrograde polymerization process for forming a polymer. An admixture of reactants including predetermined amounts of a monomer, a solvent, and a free-radical-initiator is reacted. A precipitation polymerization reaction occurs such that a polymer-rich phase is at a temperature generally above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the admixture.

High-Level Expression Of A Heterologous Protein In The Milk Of Transgenic Swine Using The Cdna Encoding Human Protein C, William H. Velander, John L. Johnson, Raymond L. Page, Chritopher G. Russell, Anuradha Subramanian, Tracy D. Wilkins, Francis C. Gwazdauskas, Christoph Pittus, William N. Drohan

Papers in Biotechnology

Transgenic pigs were generated that produced human protein C in their milk at up to 1 g/liter. The gene construct was a fusion gene consisting of the cDNA for human protein C inserted into the first exon of the mouse whey acidic protein gene. These results demonstrate that the mouse whey acidic protein gene contains regulatory elements that can direct cDNA expression at high levels in the pig mammary gland. Recombinant human protein C that was produced at about 380 pg/ml per hr in transgenic pig milk possessed anticoagulant activity that was equivalent to that of protein C derived from …

A Study Of The Effects Of Polyacrylates On Water Retention And Binder Migration Tendencies Of Coatings, Wichan Charoenkitsupat

Masters Theses

Five commercial polyacrylate samples were used to study their effects on viscosity, water holding, and binder migration under non-pressure conditions. The polyacrylates used were different in acid level, degree of crosslinking, and type of polymer (copolymer and terpolymer). A series of coatings was prepared using a number two clay and three styrene-butadiene latexes of similar particle size and T⋁g but different degrees of carboxylation, then the polyacrylates were added at several levels. The coatings were evaluated for rheological properties, water loss rate and binder migration. The results show that with increasing amounts of polyacrylates, the viscosity increased and the water …

A Computer Simulation Of The Rotary Vacuum Filter Brown Stock Washing System Using Distribution Sampling, Edison G. Yiu

Masters Theses

A probabilistic model was utilized to simulate the brown stock washing system's error due to process variability and measurement noise. Mass balances of the washing system were performed using distribution sampling. This model relies on a nonlinear relationship between displacement and dilution, which permitted the generation of displacement ratio based upon wash liquor ratio. Experimental trials were performed on a pilotscale rotary vacuum single-stage washer. Nonlinear first-order relationship appears to characterize a pilotscale washer adequately. Differences were observed between the means and standard deviations of the measured results compared to the simulation output. Future work is needed to identify the …

A Study Of The Effects Of Pigment Size And Shape On Binder Migration, Hee Jong Yang

Masters Theses

The effects of pigment size and shape on coating structure and binder migration has been investigated. Clays and ground calcium carbonates of different particle size distributions were used in coatings with 15 pph SB latex.

Coatings were applied to Mylar and a special Tyvek using a wire wound rod. The coatings were dried slowly under ambient conditions, and using hot air immediately or after having been allowed to reach immobilization through penetration into the Tyvek. The dried coatings were evaluated for water holding, relative pore size and migration using the UV technique to measure the increase in SB latex at …

A Study On Radical Scavenging And Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics Of Stable Radical Nitroxides, Shiey-Shiun Horng

Dissertations

Several nitroxides have been prepared for study of their image enhancement capability. These nitroxides contain different nitroxyl moieties within one molecule. On MRI examination for the nitroxides prepared, TEMPO and HPTPO are better due to their better water solubility, even though some of the others have more nitroxyl centers available. The intensity response is linear with respect to concentration in the range studied in most of the cases except for HPTPO, whose intensity finally reaches maximum when its concentration is higher than 10 mM.

Three sources of biomass, namely, liver microsomes, whole-cell yeast and a bacterial activated sludge consortium, have …