Engineering Commons^™

Synthesis Of Epoxy Monoethanolamide From Bauhinia Monandra Seed Oil, Adewale Adewuyi, Rotimi A. Oderinde

Makara Journal of Technology

In this study, we synthesized epoxidised monoethanolamide (EMA) from Bauhinia monandra seed oil (BMO) via a simple reaction route. In this process, BMO was transesterified to obtain a mixture of methyl esters, which was subjected to a urea adduct complexation reaction. The unsaturated methyl esters (BME) from the urea adduct complexation reaction were then epoxidised using performic acid produced in situ in a one-pot reaction system. The epoxidised methyl esters were converted to EMA by reacting them with monoethanolamine (1:10). The progression of the reaction was monitored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the …

Ethylene Carbonate And Polyethylene Glycol As Efficient Plasticizers In Cmc-Pva-Nh4no3-Based Polymer Electrolyte, Noor Saadiah Mohd Ali, Yuki Nagao, Ahmad Salihin Samsudin

Makara Journal of Technology

This study investigated the influence of plasticizers (polyethylene glycol [PEG] and ethylene carbonate [EC]) on the ionic conduction of CMC-PVA-NH4NO3. Blended biopolymer electrolytes (BBEs) based on carboxymethyl cellulose–polyvinyl alcohol (CMC-PVA) doped with ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) were obtained via casting solution technique incorporated with PEG and EC, which acted as plasticizers. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was conducted to evaluate the effect of plasticization on the ionic conduction properties. The ionic conductivity improved from 1.70 × 10−3 S/cm for un-plasticized BBEs to 3.92 × 10−3 S/cm for plasticized BBEs with EC and 3.00 × 10−3 S/cm for plasticized BBEs with PEG. The …

Current Status Of Hydrothermal Treatment For Energy And Material Recovery Toward A Sustainable Post-Consumer Material Cycle, Baskoro Lokahita, Muhammad Aziz, Fumitake Takahashi

Makara Journal of Technology

The demand for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly municipal solid waste (MSW) processing has increased in developing countries. The thermochemical process offers a fast and reliable solution to reutilize or reduce the volume of MSW. Hydrothermal treatment is a novel MSW treatment technology that is compatible with high-moisture-content feedstock. It involves the thermal degradation of MSW in pressurized water or steam, which promotes the disintegration of cellulosic and polymer materials. Recent advances have shown effective MSW conversion into homogenous solid hydrochar with higher energy density. Alkali and chlorine content, which causes issues in combustors, was successfully removed due to the washing …

Liquefaction Potential Analysis Based On Nonlinear Ground Response On The Coastline Of Bengkulu City, Indonesia, Lindung Zalbuin Mase

Makara Journal of Technology

This paper presents the study of the seismic response and liquefaction potential of the coastal area of Bengkulu City during the September 2007 Sumatra earthquake. The study is conducted by collecting site investigation data (standard penetration test) and applying input motion to observe soil response. Synthetic ground motion is generated by considering the important aspects of earthquakes, including focal depth, epicenter, earthquake source, and site classification. The synthetized ground motion is then used as the input motion in the seismic response analysis. The results of this analysis are spectral acceleration and peak ground acceleration at each depth. The resulting spectral …

Comparison Of Phytoremediation And Filtration For Diamond-Mine-Tailings Water Treatment, M. Hafidhuddin Noor, Mijani Rahman, Akhmad Gazali, Nia Kania, Aulia Rahma, Erdina L.A. Rampun, Amalia E. Pratiwi, Muthia Elma

Makara Journal of Technology

The water pollution caused by diamond mine activities can kill aquatic life. In this work, we used phytoremediation and filtration to treat pond water polluted by the tailings of a diamond mine located in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Einchhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) was utilized as the biomass for the phytoremediation process. Gravel (10–15 mm) and sand (0.1–1 mm) were used as filter media in the simple filtration setup, using an up-flow system (bottom to top). In the experiment, 16 L of diamond tailing water was poured into five phytoremediation reactors (each 60 L in volume), which were then tested over seven …

Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Α-Chitin/Nanocellulose Composites Developed From Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (Opefb) For Removal Of Cationic Dyes, Chun Fah Mok

Student Works (2020-2029)

In search of an eco-friendly polymeric adsorbent for dye effluent treatment application, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitin/nanocellulose composites were synthesized. The composites were reinforced by oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers (OPEFB)-derived nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). With addition of 1 wt.% NCC, a maximum improvement of 57.64% and 50.66% in tensile strength and Young’s Modulus were achieved, respectively. However, the PVA-based composites exhibited low resistance in aqueous medium. Hence, maleic acid (MA) was incorporated, in view of modifying PVA-based composites through cross-linking reactions. The effect of varying chitin content (10 wt.%-30 wt.%) and MA content (10%-50% based on total solid content of composite) …

The Development Of Polymer Constructs For Adipose Tissue Engineering Applications, Kendall Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The adipose tissue functions as the body’s main energy reservoir and plays a central role in maintaining whole body energy homeostasis. The ability to modulate this tissue’s inherent endocrine and metabolic functions has promising implications in treating disease associated with adipose tissue dysfunction. This work revolves around two diseases where adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic dysfunction drive the disease, obesity and cachexia. Both diseases impact a significant population of U.S. adults and substantially reduce patient quality of life.

In this study, we first demonstrate the use of novel therapeutic platforms engineered to specifically target adipose tissue inflammation and lipid catabolism …

Production Of Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuel Via Titanium Oxide-Alumina (Tio2-Al2o3) Catalytic Deoxygenation Reaction, Xian Yih Ooi

Student Works (2020-2029)

The renewable hydrocarbon-like biofuel from biomass is crucial to substitute fossil fuel. Catalytic deoxygenation is a biofuel upgrading process to eliminate the high oxygen content in biofuel which will lead to corrosion, instability and lower heating value problems. The choice of support is significant to provide the maximum acid strength for the hydrogenolysis of C-O bonds. Al2O3 supported catalyst has drawn attention due to the high acidity. However, the high acidity leads to coke deposition, unstable and deactivation of the catalyst. Thus, it is important to develop methods to improve catalyst performance, reduce catalyst coking and enhance catalyst lifetime. Recently, …

Tunable Luminescence Of Rare Earth Doped Nanophosphors Via Adaptive Optical Properties Of Transition Metals, Pragathi Darapaneni

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past decades, the development of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to produce a wide range of wavelengths has revolutionized the solid-state lighting industry due to their higher energy efficiency and operational lifetimes. These LEDs employ rare earth (RE) doped phosphors due to their stable emission wavelengths which can be amplified when sensitized by other RE dopants (Yb, Ce) or shell layer passivation. However, there has been a push to replace the RE elements in LEDs due to increased socioeconomic issues. One proposed alternative, transition metal (TM) dopants, is typically avoided due to their susceptibility to the local crystal environment resulting …

Research Of Increasing The Reactivity Cotton Cellulose Intended For Chemistry, R.S. Sayfutdinov, U.D. Mukhitdinov, N.M. Eshpulatov

Technical science and innovation

The reactivity of cotton pulp during chemical processing is significantly lower compared to celluloses obtained from other cellulose-containing plants. Increasing the reactivity of cotton cellulose improves the quality of the products based on it, and also increases labor productivity.

The aim of this work is to study the possibility of replacing wood pulp imported from foreign countries with domestic cotton cellulose by increasing the reactivity of cotton cellulose for chemical processing, improving the quality of the resulting product and increasing the reaction rate.

In this work, we used methods for determining the composition and structure of cotton cellulose samples. The …

Electrochemical Characterization Of Bromine Reduction To Tribromide In Individual Nitrobenzene-In-Water Emulsion Droplets, Liang Chang, Allen J. Bard

Faculty Scholarship

We report an electrochemical study of bromine reduction to tribromide in a single nitrobenzene (NB) droplet during a single collision event. The feasibility of this study is based on the favorable distribution of Br2 in NB rather than in water, which was demonstrated by voltammetry at the NB/water interface. The NB-in-water emulsions containing the ionic liquids trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (ILPA) as the supporting electrolyte and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the surfactant were prepared by a high-power ultrasonication. Its single droplet as an attoliter reactor, colliding on a 25 μm Pt UME, was monitored by chronoamperometry. The spike-type current transients of …

Peptide-Modified Chondroitin Sulfate Reduces Coefficient Of Friction At Articular Cartilage Surface, Celina Twitchell, Tanaya Walimbe, Julie C. Liu, Alyssa Panitch

School of Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease that results in pain and joint stiffness. Currently, steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and supplements aimed at restoring lubrication to the affected joint are the most successful with respect to improving patient comfort. Due to the success in lubricating therapies, there exists a keen interest to develop better therapies that mimic how lubrication occurs naturally in the joint. Here we describe the results obtained using a chondroitin sulfate chain to which is conjugated peptides that bind to either hyaluronic acid (found in high concentrations in the synovial fluid) or collagen type II (present on the …

Transition Metal-Doped Rare-Earth Oxysulfide Catalysts For High Temperature Dry Reforming Of Methane, Changyi Jiang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Carbon dioxide reforming of methane is a catalytic reaction utilizing two kinds of greenhouse gases and converting them into a useful industrial gas stream, “syngas”. However, sulfur poisoning and coke formation are two major challenges for this reaction. In this study, we have synthesized and examined several Ce-La and Ce-Zr oxides, with different transition metal additives. A rapid screening technique was developed to measure reforming and coking rates at low partial pressures. It is a good indicator of catalyst behavior at higher conversions and partial pressures. Following the rapid screening, select catalysts were examined at longer times on stream. Those …

Investigation Of Tracer-Surfactant-Foam Processes In Shallow Subsurface Environmental Remediation: History-Matching And Performance Prediction, Hazem Fleifel

LSU Master's Theses

In-situ subsurface remediation has been widely used as an efficient means of cleaning up non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) from contaminated soils and aquifer. The use of tracer, surfactant, and foam are often considered to keep track of the propagation of injected fluids in the medium, dissolve and mobilize contaminants trapped by capillary forces, and overcome the level of heterogeneity and improve displacement and sweep efficiencies.

This study shows an actual remediation process to reduce NAPL within a military base in South Korea, by injecting tracer and surfactant solutions together for a duration of 10 days. The site consists of 5 …

Dissolved Organic Matter-Capped Silver Nanoparticles For Electrochemical Aggregation Sensing Of Atrazine In Aqueous Systems, Ziad Khalifa, Moustafa Zahran Dr, Magdy Zahran Prof, Magdi Abdel Azzem Prof

Chemical Engineering

An electrochemical sensor based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was developed by immobilizing dissolved organic matter (DOM) to interact with AgNPs on a glassy carbon electrode (GC), forming a DOM/AgNP/GC composite. AgNPs have been fabricated and characterized using ultraviolet−visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The immobilization efficiency and stability of the DOM/AgNP/GC composite have been optimized through studying the effects of electrode material type, immobilization technique, sticking duration, supporting electrolyte, and pH using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The detection of atrazine (Atz), a common herbicide, in aqueous systems has a great significance because of its toxicity to humans …

Microfluidic Study Of The Electrocoalescence Of Aqueous Droplets In Crude Oil, Thomas Leary, Mohsen Yeganeh, Charles Maldarelli

Publications and Research

In electrocoalescence, an electric field is applied to a dispersion of conducting water droplets in a poorly conducting oil to force the droplets to merge in the direction of the field. Electrocoalescence is used in petroleum refining to separate water from crude oil and in droplet-based microfluidics to combine droplets of water in oil and to break emulsions. Using a microfluidic design to generate a two-dimensional (2D) emulsion, we demonstrate that electrocoalescence in an opaque crude oil can be visualized with optical microscopy and studied on an individual droplet basis in a chamber whose height is small enough to make …

Fabrication Of Perovskite Solar Cells At Uah, Natalie Mann

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Chemical Sensing With Seira And Silicon Carbide Gratings, Autumn Bruncz, Thomas Folland, Joshua Caldwell, Marko Tadjer

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Dlvo Interactions Of Janus Ellipsoids With A Planar Surface, Kailian Davis

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Hybrid Monomers & Resins For High-Performance Thermosetting Polymers, Thermoplastics, & Additive Manufacturing, Alexander William Bassett

Theses and Dissertations

Vinyl ester and epoxy resins are used to produce thermosetting polymeric materials for a variety of commercial and military applications due to their relatively high moduli (2-3 GPa at 25 deg C), glass transition temperatures (Tgs) (greater than or equal to 120 deg C), and adequate fracture toughness (G1C approx. 200-250 J m-2). Most commercially available vinyl ester and epoxy resins are typically cured via traditional manufacturing techniques such as resin transfer molding and thermal curing. However, additive manufacturing (AM) has gained significant traction as a favorable manufacturing technique over traditional methods due to the ability to create customizable parts …

Co2 Mass Transfer Enhancement Of Aqueous Amine Solvents By Particle Additives, Leland R. Widger, Guojie Qi, Kun Liu, Jonathan Bryant, Cameron A. Lippert, Kunlei Liu

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to methods for improving carbon capture by providing particles within an amine solvent. The particles provide for increased turbulence at the interface between the counter-flowing gas and solvent, which allows for increased amine and carbamate salt diffusion between the liquid film and bulk.

The Use Of Succinonitrile As An Electrolyte Additive For Composite-Fiber Membranes In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Jahaziel Villarreal, Roberto Orrostieta Chavez, Sujay A. Chopade, Timothy P. Lodge, Mataz Alcoutlabi

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In the present work, the effect of temperature and additives on the ionic conductivity of mixed organic/ionic liquid electrolytes (MOILEs) was investigated by conducting galvanostatic charge/discharge and ionic conductivity experiments. The mixed electrolyte is based on the ionic liquid (IL) (EMI/TFSI/LiTFSI) and organic solvents EC/DMC (1:1 v/v). The effect of electrolyte type on the electrochemical performance of a LiCoO₂ cathode and a SnO₂/C composite anode in lithium anode (or cathode) half-cells was also investigated. The results demonstrated that the addition of 5 wt.% succinonitrile (SN) resulted in enhanced ionic conductivity of a 60% EMI-TFSI 40% EC/DMC MOILE …

Three-Phase Hydrodynamic Simulation And Experimental Validation Of An Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Jéferson Luis Alba, Gabriel Tomazzoni Mazzarotto, Severino Rodrigues De Farias Neto, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy, Lademir Luiz Beal

Articles

This research focuses on performing multiphase solid/liquid/gas CFD simulations of a UASB reactor in order to obtain a validated model that provides a clearer understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviour of the three phases in UASB reactors. Eulerian–Eulerian, laminar, three-dimensional, multiphase simulations are carried out using Fluent 16.2. The liquid phase velocity and flow profile are validated through PIV experiments. A liquid mean velocity difference of 8.45% is found between the experimental and numerical results, thus validating the CFD model. Shadowgraphy is applied successfully to validate the biogas phase velocity and bubble size. Based on the hydrodynamic analysis results, the reactor …

Coating Topologically Complex Electrospun Fibers With Nanothin Silk Fibroin Enhances Neurite Outgrowth In Vitro, Alexis M. Ziemba, Tanner D. Fink, Mary Clare Crochiere, Devan L. Puhl, Samichya Sapkota, Ryan J. Gilbert, R. Helen Zha

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electro spun poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) fibers are commonly used for tissue engineering applications because of their uniform morphology, and their efficacy can be further enhanced via surface modification. In this study, we aimed to increase neurite outgrowth along electro spun fibers by coating with silk fibroin (SF), a bioinert protein derived from Bombyx mori cocoon threads, shown to be neuro compatible. Aligned PLLA fibers were electro spun with smooth, pitted, and devoted surface nano topographies and coated with SF by immersion in coating solution for either 12 or 24 h. Specifically, thin-film coatings of SF were generated by leveraging the …

Re-Crosslinking Particle Gel For Co₂ Conformance Control And Co₂ Leakage Blocking, Yifu Long, Baojun Bai, Thomas P. Schuman

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The present invention generally relates to the composition of particle gels for CO₂-EOR and CO₂ storage. More particularly, CO₂ resistant particle gels are provided that can re-crosslink at subterranean conditions. These particle gels can be deployed to improve the conformance of CO₂ flooding, CO₂ huff-puff, or Water-Alternative-Gas (WAG). The applications may also involve CO₂ storage, such as the blocking of CO₂ leakage and similar CO₂ processing.

Critical Review Of Asphaltene Properties And Factors Impacting Its Stability In Crude Oil, Sherif Fakher, Mohamed Ahdaya, Mukhtar Elturki, Abdulmohsin Imqam

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Asphaltene is a component of crude oil that has been reported to cause severe problems during production and transportation of the oil from the reservoir. It is a solid component of the oil that has different structures and molecular makeup which makes it one of the most complex components of the oil. This research provides a detailed review of asphaltene properties, characteristics, and previous studies to construct a guideline to asphaltene and its impact on oil recovery. The research begins with an explanation of the main components of crude oil and their relation to asphaltene. The method by which asphaltene …

Evaluation Of Diode Laser Application On Chemical Analysis And Surface Microhardness Of White Spots Enamel Lesions With Two Remineralizing Agents, Lamiaa Mahmoud Moharam, Doaa Mohamed Sadony, Shaymaa Mohamed Nagi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: To investigate the effect of diode laser application and two commercial remineralizing agents on the remineralization and surface microhardness of white spot enamel lesions. Material and Methods: Sixty specimens were prepared then equally divided into six groups (n=10/group), according to the diode laser and the two commercial remineralizing agents applied to demineralized enamel surfaces (APF gel and sodium fluoride NaF mousse) with or without diode Laser application as follows; Group A; control, Group B; diode Laser application, Group C; APF gel application, Group D; NaF mousse application, Group E; APF gel application + diode Laser, Group F; NaF mousse …

Rapid Self-Assembly Of Polymer Nanoparticles For Synergistic Codelivery Of Paclitaxel And Lapatinib Via Flash Nanoprecipitation, Shani L. Levit, Hu Yang, Christina Tang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Taxol, a formulation of paclitaxel (PTX), is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs, particularly for treating recurring ovarian carcinomas following surgery. Clinically, PTX is used in combination with other drugs such as lapatinib (LAP) to increase treatment efficacy. Delivering drug combinations with nanoparticles has the potential to improve chemotherapy outcomes. In this study, we use Flash NanoPrecipitation, a rapid, scalable process to encapsulate weakly hydrophobic drugs (logP < 6) PTX and LAP into polymer nanoparticles with a coordination complex of tannic acid and iron formed during the mixing process. We determine the formulation parameters required to achieve uniform nanoparticles and evaluate the drug release in vitro. The size of the resulting nanoparticles was stable at pH 7.4, facilitating sustained drug release via first-order Fickian diffusion. Encapsulating either PTX or LAP into nanoparticles increases drug potency (as indicated by the decrease in IC-50 concentration); we observe a 1500-fold increase in PTX potency and a six-fold increase in LAP potency. When PTX and LAP are co-loaded in the same nanoparticle, they have a synergistic effect that is greater than treating with two single-drug-loaded nanoparticles as the combination index is 0.23 compared to 0.40, respectively.

Insights Into The Applications Of Waste Materials In The Oil And Gas Industry: State Of The Art Review, Availability, Cost Analysis, And Classification, Abo Taleb T. Al-Hameedi, Husam H. Alkinani, Hussein W. Albazzaz, Shari Dunn-Norman, Mohammed M. Alkhamis

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates different types of waste materials and their applicability in the oil and gas industry as well as analyzing various applications of these waste materials in the petroleum industry. This study also explores the availability of these waste materials by performing a statistical analysis in a good number of countries worldwide. The statistical study was performed starting with a study on which countries generate waste the most overall, followed by examining multiple countries and investigating their top three most available waste. The results showed that the USA is the leading country in terms of municipal solid waste generation …

Integrity Testing Of Gas Permeable Silicone Filters, Maggie M. Baker, Thomas P. Humann, Kevin J. Yerina

Biomedical Engineering

This report investigates the most reasonable, cost efficient, and reliable ways to integrity test a filter made from a permeable silicone membrane for future biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The goal of the project was to create a fixture that a pharmaceutical company can use to quickly and reliably test the integrity of the filter. A variety of methods are outlined to test the integrity of the filter, after a series of quantitative tests, a single method was established that meet the requirements most thoroughly. The method that was determined to be most effective involves a series of components including a …