Engineering Commons^™

Lignin Copolymer Property Prediction Using Machine Learning, Collin Larsen

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lignin, an abundant biopolymer, is a waste byproduct of the paper and pulp industry. Despite its renewable nature and potential applicability in various products, such as plastics and composites, the development of lignin-based materials has been impeded by the cumbersome, Edisonian process of trial and error. This research proposes a novel approach to forecasting the properties of lignin-based copolymers by utilizing a recurrent neural network (RNN) based on the Keras models previously created by Tao et al. Example units of modified lignin were synthesized via esterification and amination functional group modifications. To increase the efficiency and accuracy of the prediction …

Estimating Toxic Load From Finite-Duration Contaminant Releases In Wind Tunnel Experiments, Patrick B. Jones

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

When gaseous contaminants are released into the atmosphere said contaminants form clouds that travel in the prevailing wind direction. An individual caught in the downwind path of one such cloud will accumulate a dosage, or toxic load, of said contaminant that is dependent on a multitude of environmental factors. This thesis quantifies unpredictability – or variation – in toxic load measurements using downwind concentration data captured from finite-duration gaseous contaminant releases conducted at set conditions in the Chemical Hazards Research Center ultra-low speed wind tunnel.

Finite-duration releases can be divided into two categories – time-limited steady releases and puffs – …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Milk Production In The Us, Cailey Cooper

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Life cycle assessment is performed to determine the environmental impacts of the life cycle of a product. In this study, the greenhouse gas emissions from milk production in the United States were calculated using a cradle-to-gate analysis. The dairy industry has a noticeable impact on the total greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Performing life cycle assessment provides information about the main emission sources in the life cycle which can spark innovative changes to reduce these emissions. The life cycle assessment was performed using the openLCA software and ReCiPe impact assessment methodology. The results indicated that 1.28 kg of carbon …

Heat Transfer From Plates, Leanza Trevino

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this honors thesis is to create an experiment for the CHEG Lab I course. This is a continuation of work done by Alexa Moreno. She created an experiment to model free convection of a horizontal plate. In this report, free and forced convection of a vertical and horizontal plate, respectively are modeled. This report explains the motivation for creating this heat convection experiment, the results of performing the experiment, and provides recommendations for future work on this experiment. Lab handouts are included in the Appendix.

Characterizing And Quantifying Shear-Induced Hemolysis In A Hollow Fiber Membrane System, Siddhi Bhat

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Clinical studies have shown that patients undergoing renal replacement therapy are more susceptible to developing hemolysis, or the rupturing of red blood cells. Rapid hemolysis can cause symptoms such as anorexia, vomiting, and even death in severe cases. The aim of this study is to identify how shear stress within a hollow fiber membrane impacts the level of hemolysis that occurs. This allows for the optimization of the ultrafiltration membranes that are typically used for hemofiltration treatments. The variables being studied are the radii of hollow fibers, number of fibers, and volumetric flow rate of blood being circulated. Here, we …

Utilization Of Electrodeionization To Separate And Concentrate Cellobionic And Gluconic Acid, Andie Veeder

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biofuel production is currently an expensive and inefficient process with many drawbacks. It is water and land intensive, competes with food production, and requires large energy inputs decreasing its relative sustainability. This paper explores the use of electrodeionization (EDI) to improve the biofuel process by separating and concentrating large, organic sugar acids that are important materials for the production of bioethanol. An EDI device was assembled for the purpose of separating and concentrating gluconic, cellobionic and lactobionic acid. Several trials were conducted and samples were analyzed to determine the success of this experiment. The results for the separation and concentration …

Comparing Firocoxib And Meloxicam In The Application Of Microneedle Patch For Transdermal Drug Delivery, Ruohan Li

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis compares the performance of meloxicam and firocoxib in the aspects of its physical characteristic, chemical compositions, and in-vitro performances for transdermal pain management microneedle patches on farm animals. The microneedle patches are composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), type I collagen (COL), and chitosan (CHI) as base material that carries NSAIDs to achieve therapeutic purposes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the morphological and physical characteristics of the microneedle patches. Both meloxicam and firocoxib microneedle patches were successfully prepared using the methodology, with organized microneedle distribution and sizing. And Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the chemical …

A Teaching Unit Plan For Introducing Engineering In 1st-2nd Grade Classrooms, Claudia Smith

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The field of engineering, and specifically chemical engineering, is projected to increase significantly over the next 10 years. Engineering programs require students to have a strong foundation of math and science. Students in the United States are often underprepared to enter these programs, and the majority of high school students are not interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field at all. For this project, a unit teaching plan was created to introduce students to the field of engineering, providing a foundation for their upper-level STEM classes, and encouraging them to consider engineering as a career in the future. …

Response Of Cell Nuclei To Mechanical Strain In Synthetic Liquid Crystals, Sydnee Ehorn

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this research project, induced mechanical stress on the cell nucleus via synthetic liquid crystals (LCs) was explored. Points of interest were the shape alterations and distortions of the nuclear envelope under strain, providing insight into the mechanics and stiffness of the cell nuclei. LCs are substances with structure and fluidity, and LCs in the nematic phase are aligned in a single direction without layers, inducing shear stress on inclusions. This study confirmed that an aqueous solution of 17.3 wt% disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) can successfully strain the nuclei of chicken red blood cells (RBCs) by examining the nuclear response to …

Separation Of Organic Acids Through Direct Catalysis From Sugars, Katelyn Robinson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Society relies on plastic products, whether they are single use or durable. A downside of plastic is that the most common type is a product of oil and oil is not only a limited resource but also a climate-damaging resource. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-based, biodegradable plastic. However, the process of converting biomass to polylactic acid polymer has the largest environmental impact of the PLA production process, so alternative methods of conversion are needed (Moretti et al., 2021). The polylactic acid polymer can be made with lactic acid, which can be converted from glucose.

Elucidating The Mechanical And Transport Properties Of Lignin-Based Hydrogel Composites, Nicholas Gregorich

All Dissertations

The use of lignin in the fabrication of soft composites has become an emerging area of research in polymer science and polymer chemistry. These lignin-based materials present numerous benefits, notably, a reduction in the use of petroleum-based precursor, improved structural benefits to otherwise soft host polymers, as well as the inherent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of lignin, making it suitable for biomaterials. Herein, we present two chemical reaction pathways of incorporating lignin that was fractionated and cleaned using the Aqueous Lignin Purification with Hot Agents (ALPHA) process into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel composites for aqueous-based separations. By leveraging the ALPHA …

Bridging The Gap Between Phase Behavior And Processing For Renewable And Refinable Carbonaceous Precursors, Graham Tindall

All Dissertations

As a category of materials, engineered carbons, specifically carbon fibers, are first-in-class for properties such as modulus, specific strength, and thermal resilience; however, the inability to directly process atomic carbon necessitates the development and optimization of carbonaceous precursors. Because the structure and properties of carbon are highly dependent on the precursors and requisite processing, numerous materials have been investigated as feedstocks for large-scale production. Although cellulose and rayon were among the first investigated, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is the current hegemon of carbon fiber precursors. PAN feeds 90% of this market, but it is neither inexpensive nor renewable. Because a significant fraction …

Characterization Of Lignin And Cellulose Biopolymers Structure – Function Relationships, Zachariah Pittman

All Dissertations

Biomass is vital to ongoing efforts to secure a sustainable future. While many of our efforts focus on finding alternative forms of energy, biomass among them, only biomass has the potential to serve as a sustainable materials feedstock. However, biomass is heterogenous, complicating the upgrading processes needed to manufacture commodity and performance products. For example, plant biomass consists largely of cellulose, a crystalline polysaccharide, and lignin, a highly stable polyaromatic. The specific properties of cellulose and lignin depend greatly on the plant, harvesting conditions, and isolation procedures. Thus, accurate and reliable determination of the fundamental properties of biomass is crucial …

Fluorescence Multiplexing With Combination Probes For Biological And Diagnostic Applications, Madeline Mccarthy

All Dissertations

Cancer refers to a group of diseases containing more than 200 different subtypes. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease by nature, meaning that there are differences among tumors of the same type in different patients, and there are differences among cancer cells within a single tumor of one patient. Since cancer is not a single disease, nor does it have a single cause, it proves to be incredibly hard to diagnose and treat. The ability to study cellular markers, cell and tissue spatial arrangement, and gene function are all integral parts of cancer diagnostic and treatment efforts.

Here, I first present …

Dpd Guided Insight On The Formation Process Of Polyethersulfone Membranes By Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation And The Effects Of Additives, Eric Ledieu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a coarse grain simulation method, was applied to the membrane formation process of non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to gain further insight on the mechanism of certain variables and how they affect the final morphology. NIPS involves two solutions, an organic polymer dissolved in an organic solvent colloquially called the dope and an aqueous coagulation bath, brought into contact with one another. The solvents then mix, causing the polymer to fall out of solution as an asymmetric membrane with a dense surface layer and a more open subsurface layer in response to the decreasing solubility. Polyethersulfone …

Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy is a technology that relies on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy functioning ones. One of the cells used for such advanced therapies are stem cells, owing to their ability to differentiate into specific cells required for repairing damaged or defective tissues or cells. The majority of cell-based products are intended to transiently persist in the patient, secreting factors which then allow the patient’s body to heal; in these products, the cells are subsequently eliminated from the body. Furthermore, unique manufacturing platforms, in addition to novel commercialization strategies, will be required to create a successful, sustainable cell …

Tangential Flow Treatment Of Poultry Processing Wastewater Using Stainless Steel Ultrafiltration Membrane, Saubana Olorunsola Dada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current treatment of poultry processing wastewater (PPW) requires a large expanse of land, takes time, and requires chemical usage. The wastewater is typically treated prior to discharge. Apart from aiming to reuse the treated water for non-potable activities, this project aimed to reduce the footprint and time required for PPW treatment. To intensify the PPW treatment units, we studied the possibility of replacing dissolved air floatation (DAF) with a stainless steel ultrafiltration membrane (SSUF). Combined PPW from all processing units taken before the first DAF and the second DAF were used for this study with no pretreatment. The SSUF …

Electrodialysis Process For The Simultaneous Treatment Of Reject Brine And Capture Of Carbon Dioxide, Jawad Mustafa

Dissertations

Desalination plants are highly efficient in producing desalinated water for potable applications. However, the process also generates reject brine, which is highly concentrated saline water. In order to produce 1 liter of potable water using desalination, approximately 1.5 liters of reject brine is generated. The disposal of reject brine presents a significant challenge for the desalination industry. Typically, this waste product is discharged into the sea, causing environmental damage, and polluting marine life. Moreover, certain countries heavily rely on desalination to meet their potable water needs, which results in the emission of greenhouse gases. As desalination plants consume a significant …

Waste Biomass-Derived Ultraporous Functionalized Superactivated Hydrochars For Hydrogen Storage And Carbon Capture, Al Ibtida Sultana

Theses and Dissertations

Accelerating world population and simultaneous growth in economic race has resulted in parallel rise of waste generation where the necessity of mitigating the climate change, via transitioning towards a clean energy economy and minimization of greenhouse gas from atmosphere, is in urgent need of attention. Hence, the objectives of this dissertation comprised of firstly upcycling waste biomass into low-cost and effective adsorbent material such that, secondly, its surface could be tailored by modulating its synthesis conditions (hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation) to be developed into ultraporous and functionalized adsorption medium in order to, thirdly, assess its application as adsorbents for …

Catalytical Performance Of Heteroatom Doped And Undoped Carbon-Based Materials, Jahangir Alom, Md Saif Hasan, Md Asaduzaman, Mohammad Taufiq Alam, Dalel Belhaj, Raja Selvaraj, Md Ashraf Hossain, Masoumeh Zargar, Mohammad Boshir Ahmed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Developing cost-effective, eco-friendly, efficient, stable, and unique catalytic systems remains a crucial issue in catalysis. Due to their superior physicochemical and electrochemical properties, exceptional structural characteristics, environmental friendliness, economic productivity, minimal energy demand, and abundant supply, a significant amount of research has been devoted to the development of various doped carbon materials as efficient catalysts. In addition, carbon-based materials (CBMs) with specified doping have lately become significant members of the carbon group, showing promise for a broad range of uses (e.g., catalysis, environmental remediation, critical chemical production, and energy conversion and storage). This study will, therefore, pay attention to the …

Removal Of Hexavalent Chromium From Water By Chitosan-Enhanced Ultrafiltration, Putu A. Y. Indiasih, Anindita D. Syaifudin, Nurul Faiqotul Himma, Bambang Ismuyanto

Makara Journal of Technology

Polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration has gained increasing attention as a selective separation process to remove small solutes, such as metal ions, from water or wastewater. Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is one of the metal ions in wastewater that has received considerable attention because of its toxicity. Chitosan was used in this study as the polymer to bind Cr(VI) to enhance its removal by ultrafiltration. The effects of chitosan-to-Cr(VI) ratio on Cr(VI) rejection and permeate flux were investigated. In addition, the fouling tendency was evaluated. Results showed that the addition of chitosan with a mass ratio of 12.5 increased the Cr (VI) rejection from …

Remote Alignment Fixing Device With Vizir Marks In Base Lcd Indicator, Nodirbek Rustambekovich Yusupbekov, Zahidov Muratovich Nematjon

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article substantiates the needs to increase the level of automation of methods and geodetic support of geometric parameters during the construction of buildings and structures. In particular, the method of alignment measurements is considered. This is widely used in determining deviations from the straightness and alignment of the installation of elements in engineering building structures, including hydraulic structures, as well as in the control of process equipment installations, rolling mills, conveyor lines, crane tracks, when monitoring precipitation. and deformations of techno objects. One of the methods of alignment measurements with the use of a visual-optical device – aliniometer and …

The Magnetic Chain Mathematical Models Of A New Angular Displacement Converter With A Variable Active Area Of A Movable Core, Sultan Faizullayevich Аmirov, Ulugbek Shukhratovich Mamadaliyev, Islom Azim Ugli Karimov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article develops mathematical models of the magnetic chain of new differential type angular displacement transformer converter with a variable active area of the movable core, in which the width of the movable ferromagnetic core is a function of the angular displacement of the converter. In this case, the magnetic chain of the converter, divided into three characteristic (before the mobile ferromagnetic core, ferromagnetic core and after the ferromagnetic core) sections, is considered as a magnetic chain with distributed parameters. It is established that when the magnetic resistance of the magnetic chain steel part is not taken into account, the …

Choice Of Instruments For Verification And Calibration Of Gas Analyzers, Ortigali Khakimov, Paraxat Mayliyevna Matyakubova, Mirolim Muhammad O'G'Li Maxmudjonov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article analyzes the process of metrological control of gas analyzers and metrological requirements for them. The current state of the standards used in the state metrological control of gas analyzers and the results of the analyzes were studied. The task of choosing the measuring instruments used in the verification process and optimizing the requirements for them is set. An experimental verification process was organized in three groups using several measuring devices, and the reliability of the verification results was assessed. With the use of modern measuring instruments, a graph of the output value was built during the experimental verification …

Modeling And Adjustment Of A Fuzzy Controller In A Bioreactor Control System, Mahmudov Giyosjon Baqoyevich

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article describes the modeling and configuration of a fuzzy controller for the control system of the bacterial oxidation of hard-to-enrich gold-bearing sulfide ores. The simulated logical fuzzy controller allows you to save the consumption of refrigerant water consumed in the process by 4,3%, using it to control the process of bacterial oxidation.

Mathematical Description Of A Bleach Impregnation Reservoir, Bekobod Ibragimov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article discusses the issues of constructing a mathematical model of the technological process of bleaching textile materials in an impregnating reservoir using the heat balance equation, on the basis of which a qualitative analysis of the dynamic properties of an object has been carried out in order to create highly efficient control systems with the use of energy-saving technologies. While constructing a mathematical model characterizing the established and non-established modes of the control object (impregnating reservoir) used changes in heat flow and mass velocity of the incoming tissue. An algorithm for constructing a mathematical model of the process of …

Mathematical Description And Algorithm For Solving The Model Of The Ionite Regeneration Process In The Ion Exchange Method Of Water Softening, Djalolitdin Paxritdinovich Mukhitdinov, Nilufar Abdusami Qizi Yunusova

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Based on the modern representation of the water softening process by the ion exchange method, modeling was carried out, an algorithm was developed and the ionite regeneration process was calculated in a water softening plant with a fixed ionite layer. To solve the system of equations of the model, special, but simple enough for use in engineering calculations, techniques and methods have been developed and applied. The constructed model and its solution algorithm can be used to predict the process of ionite regeneration in an ion exchange apparatus. It can also be used to calculate the time of the ionite …

Synthesis Methods And Algorithms For Expanding The Dynamic Range Of The Adc, Jumaev Odil Abdujalilovich, Rashidov G'Olibjon Xayriddinovich

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The modern development of new technologies, in particular, the intensive use of programmable logic integrated circuits in digital information processing tasks, allows for algorithmically and programmatically solving problems, opens up real opportunities to increase accuracy and ensure the required signal conversion speed, and also, it will be possible to take into account the effects of noise and their elimination over the entire time interval band. The article discusses the main methods of digital information processing, analyzes the ways and possibilities of expanding the dynamic range of analog-to-digital converters, as well as the synthesis of appropriate conversion devices, primarily digital filters.

Synergetic Synthesis Of Multivariate Nonlinear Dynamic Objects, Isamiddin Siddikov, Komil Usmanov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Based on the synergetic approach, the article solves the problem of analyzing a chemical reactor as a control object and formulates recommendations on the structural and topological synthesis of various control system options. The main feature of technological control objects, in which, as a result of hydromechanical, physical, chemical influences on the flows of the starting substances, their physical properties, state of aggregation and composition change, is their multidimensionality, nonlinearity, multiconnectedness, as well as parametric uncertainty of the mathematical model at the design stage. This type of facility includes a chemical reactor, thermal management, which in most cases is carried …

Methods And Algorithms For Monitoring And Prediction Of Various Fire Hazardous Situations, Mizaakbar Xakkulmirzayevich Hudayberdiyev, Oybek Zokirovich Koraboshev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article analyzes emergency situations arising from natural disasters (fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.) and man-made accidents. The event in which the values of fire risks in the area decrease uniformly and at the same time the amount of fire risks is minimal is considered optimal. Models, methods, and logistic regression algorithm have been used to predict fire hazard situations and identify potential fire safety measures.