Engineering Commons^™

In Vitro Osteogenic Performance Of Two Novel Strontium And Zinc-Containing Glass Polyalkenoate Cements, Daniella Marx, Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdi, Marcello Papini, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) are under investigation as potential bone adhesives, as they may provide an alternative to polymethylmethacrylate-based cements. GPCs containing strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) in place of aluminum (Al) are of particular interest because these ions are known stimulators of osteoprogenitor differentiation. GPCs have been manufactured from a novel bioactive glass (SiO2:0.48, ZnO:0.36, CaO:0.12, SrO:0.04) in the past, but, while such materials have been assessed for their influence on viability, their influence on osteogenic function has not been investigated until now. For this study, two GPCs were formulated from the same glass precursor evaluated in previous studies. …

Mixed Metal Oxide Nanowires Via Solid State Alloying., Veerendra Atla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mixed metal oxide materials with composition control find applications in energy conversion and storage processes such as heterogenous catalysis, photoelectrochemical catalysis, electrocatalysis, thermal catalysis, and lithium-ion batteries. Mixed metal oxides and/or complex oxides with composition control and in one-dimensional form as nanowires could be interesting to various catalysis applications due to control on single crystal surfaces, active sites, acidity versus basicity site density, and oxygen vacancies. The major challenge is to synthesize mixed metal oxide nanowires beyond binary oxides with composition control. In this dissertation, solid state alloying of binary oxide nanowires with solid and liquid precursors is studied to …

Methane Emission Treatment And Potential Upcycling Using Methylomicrobium Alcaliphilum, Jace Parkinson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Anthropogenic methane emissions are harmful to the environment and can be difficult to treat. Use of M. alcaliphilum for bioremediation of methane looks to be one of the most promising methods of reducing the negative environmental impacts of methane emissions while simultaneously providing an economic incentive. Successful bioreactor design for M. alcaliphilum based methane treatment requires biokinetic constants and microbial growth information. Methods were established for determining biokinetic constants, including growth rate, biomass yield, specific methane consumption rate, and a correlation between methane oxidation and carbon dioxide production for M. alcaliphilum. Values determined for these constants were used to …

Exploring Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley Reactions Using Metal Organic Framework Catalysts., Yuehan Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reaction is a reaction that is used to reduce aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding alcohols with the added use of catalysts. The common metal triflate catalysts used in MPV reduction incur tremendous environmental hazards and high operational costs. The use of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as catalysts can be an alternative due to MOFs’ extraordinarily high surface areas, ultrahigh porosities, tunable pore sizes, modifiable internal surfaces, and numerous framework structures. Moreover, using MOFs as catalysts for MPV hydrogenation is economically viable due to low operational and material costs. This study involves using MOF-808 (Hf) in the MPV …

Room Temperature Alkali Treatment Of Rice Straw For Enhanced Enzymatic Hydrolysis., Seth Mains

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the pollution of fossil fuels due to greenhouse emissions, researchers continue to search for alternative methods that allow for the clean production of energy, fuels, and polymer fibers. A method currently under investigation is the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a solution to current problems with energy and polymer fiber production. Through the process of pretreatment, possibilities for lignocellulosic biomass expand due to improved accessibility of the cellulose and hemicellulose which can be broken down via enzymatic hydrolysis into C5 and C6 sugars such as xylose and glucose. This study investigated the fermentation of the rice straw into …

Wetting And Drying Dynamics For Tio2 With Pbs Quantum Dots., Kelly M. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Initial solar cells utilized silicon and alloys for their economic viability. Photoelectrochemical photovoltaic cells were discovered with technological advancement which increased solar efficiency and further improved economic feasibility leading to quantum dot sensitized solar cells. Lead sulfide quantum dots and titanium dioxide were studied for wetting and drying effects. Zeta potential, pH values, SEM, and optical microscopes quantified or observed the colloidal suspension and dried sample behavior. Combined mixtures of lead sulfide and titania were dried at 3.6 pH and 12.56 pH values. This due to the observed zeta potential isoelectric point of titania, and behavior showed increased stability occurring …

The Study Of Copper Corrosion Mechanisms Using Electrochemical Experimental Techniques., Evan Grimm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover and thoroughly explain the corrosion mechanisms of copper in saltwater, tap water and deionized water, and to apply these methods and findings when testing the corrosion mechanisms of other materials. The experimental procedure consisted of measuring the open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, and Tafel analysis.

The copper was found to corrode at a greater rate in saltwater, followed by tap water then deionized water, with a larger difference between saltwater and tap water than between tap water and deionized water. Each reaction was found to be both kinetically …

Modified Electrode Surfaces With Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysts Derived From Electropolymerized Complexes With Redox Active Ligands., Amanda Mae Arts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The demand for energy is growing exponentially, and to keep up with these demands new technologies for renewable energy have received increased attention. Hydrogen is one of the most promising energy sources for the future and plays a vital role in water electrolysis and fuel cells, as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the main step in the water splitting process. To increase the reaction rate and improve efficiency for the water electrolysis, catalysts are used to minimize the overpotential.

Most of the current electrocatalysts for HER are heterogeneous in nature and are dominated by platinum and other precious metals …

The Effects Of Ceria Loading On Three-Way Catalysts For Passive Scr Operation, Calvin R. Thomas, Josh A. Pihl, Vitaly Y. Prikhodko, Michelle K. Kidder, Jochen A. Lauterbach, Todd J. Toops

Faculty Publications

Passive SCR systems, which employ both a three-way catalyst and SCR catalyst, are effective for the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from lean burn gasoline engines. However, questions remain regarding the effect of three-way catalyst formulations on their performance in these systems. Here, Pd/CeOx/Al2O3 catalysts with variable CeOx loading were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated to determine the effects of CeOx on catalyst performance. While a small amount of ceria was beneficial for promoting essential reactions, excess ceria was detrimental due to the increase in oxygen storage capacity. Additionally, insights into potential reaction pathways for NH3 production were determined.

Mixing Optimization With Inward Flow Configuration Contra-Rotating Impeller, Baffle-Free Tank, P. Satjaritanun, J. R. Regalbuto, J. A. Regalbuto, N. Tippayawong, Sirivatch Shimpalee

Faculty Publications

In this study, pitched-blade, contra-rotating impeller, baffle-free tank with opposing inward flow is optimized using various designs of mixers derived from the Taguchi method. Mixing efficiency and torque are used to find the optimal design for the different specific gravities of solid particles employing in both experiments and CFD simulations. The analysis of signal-to-noise ratio shows that the impeller clearance and diameter are significant factors on the fluid flow and thus the mixing efficiency. In this study, 27 cases were studied to determine and report the optimal design parameters. A combination of CFD simulation with a strong design of experiment …

Rheological Properties Of Aged Crude Hard Wood Pyrolysis Oil, Divina D. Kaombe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Upon storage of the pyrolysis oil, aging reactions may initiate phase separation and change of the rheological properties. These changes lead to unfavourable fuel characteristics in handling, transportation and applications. Efforts have been made for alleviation including methods on how to avoid these aging effects and development of equipment capable of handling aged pyrolysis liquids with unfavourable fuel characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the rheological properties of phase separated pyrolysis liquid fuel. Two batches of a well – stored poplar wood pyrolysis oils were used for the investigation; one batch was diluted with water to …

Production Of Pure Vanadium: Industry Review And Feasibility Study Of Electron Beam Melt Refining Of V–Al Alloys, Devin Rappleye, Rob Haun

Faculty Publications

The vanadium industry has experienced significant change over the last two decades with the emergence of vanadium redox flow batteries for grid-level energy storage, the growing demand for high-strength steel, and the selection of vanadium as a critical material in multiple countries. This review presents the status of the vanadium industry examining production processes and detailing facilities. The available information for each producer is presented including vanadium products and capacity. The production of pure vanadium is identified as a potential vulnerability for some nations where vanadium metal is needed in small, yet strategic, applications and globally only two producers of …

Finite Element Modelling And Exergy Analysis Of A Solar Thermal Hollow Fiber Vacuum Membrane Distillation System, Benjamin Shuldes

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A finite element model was developed to investigate the performance of a vacuum membrane distillation module under various operating conditions and membrane parameters. Porosity, tortuosity, pore diameter, membrane thickness, and fiber length were varied along with feed temperature, velocity, and flow configuration. In all cases, boundary layer polarization phenomena were seen to inhibit the performance of the module. At certain conditions, for a 7.5 cm fiber, the reduction in permeate flux from 65 LMH (Liter/m²/h) at the inlet to below 45 LMH at the outlet of the fibers was observed. In most cases, salt concentration polarization was the …

Fully Coupled Internal Radiative Heat Transfer For The 3d Material Response Of Heat Shield, Raghava S. C. Davuluri, Rui Fu, Kaveh A. Tagavi, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The radiative transfer equation (RTE) is strongly coupled to the material response code KATS. A P-1 approximation model of RTE is used to account for radiation heat transfer within the material. First, the verification of the RTE model is performed by comparing the numerical and analytical solutions. Next, the coupling scheme is validated by comparing the temperature profiles of pure conduction and conduction coupled with radiative emission. The validation study is conducted on Marschall et al. cases (radiant heating, arc-jet heating, and space shuttle entry), 3D Block, 2D IsoQ sample, and Stardust Return Capsule. The validation results agree well for …

Exploiting The Role Of Nanoparticles For Use In Hydrogel-Based Bioprinting Applications: Concept, Design, And Recent Advances, Aishik Chakraborty, Avinava Roy, Shruthi Polla Ravi, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging tissue engineering approach that aims to develop cell or biomolecule-laden, complex polymeric scaffolds with high precision, using hydrogel-based “bioinks”. Hydrogels are water-swollen, highly crosslinked polymer networks that are soft, quasi-solid, and can support and protect biological materials. However, traditional hydrogels have weak mechanical properties and cannot retain complex structures. They must be reinforced with physical and chemical manipulations to produce a mechanically resilient bioink. Over the past few years, we have witnessed an increased use of nanoparticles and biological moiety-functionalized nanoparticles to fabricate new bioinks. Nanoparticles of varied size, shape, and surface chemistries can …

Single-Particle Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Isoelectric Point And Comparison To Variants Of Interest, Oluwatoyin Areo, Pratik U. Joshi, Mark Obrenovich, Moncef Tayahi, Caryn L. Heldt

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, is a new, highly pathogenic coronavirus, which is the third coronavirus to emerge in the past 2 decades and the first to become a global pandemic. The virus has demonstrated itself to be extremely transmissible and deadly. Recent data suggest that a targeted approach is key to mitigating infectivity. Due to the proliferation of cataloged protein and nucleic acid sequences in databases, the function of the nucleic acid, and genetic encoded proteins, we make predictions by simply aligning sequences and exploring their homology. Thus, similar amino acid sequences in a protein usually confer similar biochemical …

Metabolic Modeling And Omics-Integrative Analysis Of Single And Multi-Organism Systems: Discovery And Redesign, Mohammad Mazharul Islam

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Computations and modeling have emerged as indispensable tools that drive the process of understanding, discovery, and redesign of biological systems. With the accelerating pace of genome sequencing and annotation information generation, the development of computational pipelines for the rapid reconstruction of high-quality genome-scale metabolic networks has received significant attention. These models provide a rich tapestry for computational tools to quantitatively assess the metabolic phenotypes for various systems-level studies and to develop engineering interventions at the DNA, RNA, or enzymatic level by careful tuning in the biophysical modeling frameworks. in silico genome-scale metabolic modeling algorithms based on the concept of optimization, …

Utilization Of Electric Arc Furnace Dust As A Solid Catalyst In Biodiesel Production, Khaled El-Araby Khodary, Marwa Mohamed Naeem, Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

World’s energy sources like petrochemical oils, natural gas and coal cause global warming and environmental pollution. Therefore, the traditional energy sources must be replaced by the renewable energy resources. Biodiesel has been recognized as one of the effective, green, renewable and sustainable fuels. This paper investigates the production of biodiesel from sunflower oil by using electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) as a heterogeneous solid catalyst. Four reaction variables, i.e., the reaction time, methanol-to-oil (M/O) molar ratio, reaction temperature and EAFD loading, were chosen to determine their effect on biodiesel production. The effect of the all reaction variables on the biodiesel …

Degumming Of Hemp Fibers Using Combined Microwave Energy And Deep Eutectic Solvent, Bulbul Ahmed

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp is considered as one of the sustainable agricultural fiber materials. Degumming or surface modification of hemp bast is needed to produce single fibers for ensuing textile and industrial applications. The traditional degumming process necessitates a high amount of alkali, which causes detrimental environmental pollution. This study offers a new method to degum hemp fibers with reduced use of harmful alkali and precious water resources. In this work, hemp bast fibers were degummed by using combined microwave energy and deep eutectic solvent (DES). The properties of hemp fibers manufactured by this method were investigated and compared with the traditional alkali …

Gas Evolution Phenomenon Of Methane In Base Fluids Of Non-Aqueous Drilling Muds Under Controlled Depressurization, Damilola Ojedeji

LSU Master's Theses

As wells become more complex and drilling conditions to reach targets prove even more challenging, being able to detect influx event early and safely handle these influxes has become one of the most important focus areas for improvement in well control safety. The high solubility of formation gas in non-aqueous drilling fluids however makes kick detection and safe handling of kicks more complicated. Recent studies are beginning to incorporate desorption kinetics in well control models to simulate the transient multiphase flow phenomenon associated with gas kicks in non-aqueous drilling fluids to foster safe handling of kicks. However, there is currently …

Integrating Design Thinking In Chemical Engineering Coursework For Enhanced Student Learning, J. P. Stengel, S. S. Jerpoth, Kirti M. Yenkie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

In the engineering discipline, it is of utmost importance to give value to applied learning because as engineers, we are expected to innovate, and innovations happen when theoretical ideas are implemented successfully. Design thinking is one such approach that can enhance the value of theoretical concepts and motivate the students to visualize their ideas in more meaningful ways. The five stages of design thinking include: (i) Empathize, (ii) Define, (iii) Ideate, (iv) Prototype, and (v) Test. The traditional engineering curriculum focuses on the last four stages and thus leads to a skewed perspective among students with regards to problem definition, …

The Impact Of Micro Porous Layer On Liquid Water Evolution Inside Pemfc Using Lattice Boltzmann Method, Mitchell Sepe, P. Satjaritanun, I. V. Zenyuk, N. Tippayawong, Sirivatch Shimpalee

Faculty Publications

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) require a gas diffusion layer to aid in fuel transport to the catalyst sites. A microporous layer (MPL) is often added to the GDL to improve liquid saturation inside gas diffusion media. In this work, the lattice Boltzmann method was applied to four GDL samples with the addition of an MPL. Three injection orientations were used to study liquid evolution through the samples. Each orientation used four different injection pressures, ranging from 5,000 Pa to 8,000 Pa. Saturation data for GDL samples with and without an MPL were compared. Results showed that when adding …

Water Regulation For Enhancing Soil Quality Using Cactus Mucilage: A Theoretical And Experimental Analysis, Khuloud Alrashdi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As water is one of the primary sources of life, it is essential in an endless number of systems and processes to be utilized efficiently in nature and in practical applications. One of these applications includes farming, which depletes a lot of water as the water irrigation systems cover large soil areas. While water is a critical factor in growing crops, a question here stands, can the irrigation process be transformed? This is the overarching goal of my work since it is centered on studying if cactus mucilage, a natural substance, is capable of improving water absorption processes on crops …

Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis For Light Olefins From Syngas: A Review Of Catalyst Development, Arash Yahyazadeh, Ajay K. Dalai, Wenping Ma, Lifeng Zhang

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Light olefins as one the most important building blocks in chemical industry can be produced via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) from syngas. FT synthesis conducted at high temperature would lead to light paraffins, carbon dioxide, methane, and C5+ longer chain hydrocarbons. The present work focuses on providing a critical review on the light olefin production using Fischer– Tropsch synthesis. The effects of metals, promoters and supports as the most influential parameters on the catalytic performance of catalysts are discussed meticulously. Fe and Co as the main active metals in FT catalysts are investigated in terms of pore size, crystal size, and …

Hydrochloric Acid Modification And Lead Removal Studies On Naturally Occurring Zeolites From Nevada, New Mexico, And Arizona, Garven M. Huntley, Rudy Luck, Michael Mullins, Nick Newberry

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Four naturally occurring zeolites were examined to verify their assignments as chabazites AZLB-Ca and AZLB-Na (Bowie, Arizona) and clinoptilolites NM-Ca (Winston, New Mexico) and NV-Na (Ash Meadows, Nevada). Based on powder X-ray diffraction, NM-Ca was discovered to be mostly quartz with some clinoptilolite residues. Treatment with concentrated HCl (12.1 M) acid resulted in AZLB-Ca and AZLB-Na, the chabazite-like species, becoming amorphous, as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. In contrast, NM-Ca and NV-Na, which are clinoptilolite-like species, withstood boiling in concentrated HCl acid. This treatment removes calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, aluminum, and iron atoms or ions from the framework while leaving …

Epoxy Curing: Paramount Or Trivial? A Cure Path Dependent Inquiry, Jared Bates

Dissertations

The presented research delves into epoxy network formation corroborating reactant concentration profiles and physical property development throughout cure, providing an experimental basis for burgeoning molecular dynamics and coarse-grained simulation methodologies. Herein, three primary subjects were investigated: the first two examine neat and toughened epoxide/amine network formation with respect to various cure profiles aimed at altering reaction pathways, the final chapter intends to augment traditionally utilized activation energy (E_a) methodologies.

Neat and toughened epoxide/amine slurries were monitored in-situ throughout cure via near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and rheological techniques. Functional group conversion and moduli development were related with specific attention …

Computational Investigation Of Biological Membranes, Allyson Karmazyn

Theses - ALL

Lipids are the building blocks of biological membranes, and the types of lipids that compose these cellular envelopes influence the physicochemical properties of the chemicals that can enter or exit the cell across the membrane. This work focuses on the lipid membrane compositions of eukaryotic (red blood cells) and prokaryotic (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) membranes. By analyzing the lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions results of the computational simulations, insights into lipid aggregation, bilayer leaflet behavior, membrane asymmetry, and small molecule transport through protein channels were obtained. The differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell membranes are qualitative known; however, this work provides these concepts …

Lipoprotein-Induced Increases In Cholesterol And 7-Ketocholesterol Result In Opposite Molecular-Scale Biophysical Effects On Membrane Structure, Manuela A.A. Ayee, Irena Levitan

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Under hypercholesterolemic conditions, exposure of cells to lipoproteins results in a subtle membrane increase in the levels of cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, as compared to normal conditions. The effect of these physiologically relevant concentration increases on multicomponent bilayer membranes was investigated using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Significant changes in the structural and dynamic properties of the bilayer membranes resulted from these subtle increases in sterol levels, with both sterol species inducing decreases in the lateral area and inhibiting lateral diffusion to varying extents. Cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, however, exhibited opposite effects on lipid packing and orientation. The results from this study indicate …

Development Of Computational Antibiotic Screening Platform Across Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins, Yinghui Dai

Dissertations - ALL

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections by either killing bacteria or stopping them from reproducing. Throughout the use of antibiotics, bacteria has developed a variety of defense mechanisms against antibiotics and thus diminishing their effectiveness. Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat and becomes a global crisis as it is able to constantly evolve and rapidly spread. In the face of increasing bacterial resistance to all known antibiotics, there is an urgent need to accelerate the antibiotic discovery pipeline and discover new classes of antibiotics. A major bottleneck in the discovery of novel antibiotics is the limited permeability of …

Enhanced Oil Recovery In Tight Rocks Using The “Slot-Drill” Completion, Hassan Amer

LSU Master's Theses

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is essential in shale/tight formations because primary recovery typically produces less than 10% of the original hydrocarbon in-place (OHIP). This work presents a novel “slot-drill” EOR technology, which involves injecting gas through a horizontal fracture that is cut into the formation near the top of the reservoir (using a tensioned abrasive cutting cable mounted to the drillstring) and producing oil from a second slot-drilled horizontal fracture near the bottom of the reservoir.

The dusty-gas diffusion model was implemented in a compositional simulator to account for the diffusion mechanism expected during the injection of gases in this …