Engineering Commons^™

A Spin-Coated Tiox/Pt Nanolayered Anodic Catalyst For The Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells, Islam M. Al-Akraa, Ahmad M. Mohammad Prof

Chemical Engineering

The CO poisoning of the platinum anodic catalyst which typically functions the catalytic deterioration of the direct formic acid fuel cells could be minimized with a simple modification for Pt with titanium oxide. The fabrication scheme involved the spin-coating of a Ti precursor onto a Pt thin layer that was physically sputtered onto a Si substrate. The whole assembly was subjected to a post-annealing processing to produce the TiOx layer (60 nm) in a porous structure (mostly Anatase) atop of the Pt surface. The porous nature of the TiOx layer permitted the participation of Pt in the electrocatalysis of the …

Development Of Novel Adsorbent For Industrial Waste Water Treatment, Hassaan M. Shehata, Dalia A. Ali, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr, Hany A. Elazab, Hoda A. Elsawy Dr

Chemical Engineering

The main objective of this research project is to perform some experimental procedures to inform the ability of the novel adsorbent used in this project. The chemical modification of the adsorbent is the chemical oxidation of pure powder chitosan using some specific redox pairs which are potassium dichromate and sodium bisulphite. After preparing the modified chitosan, there are some parameters that must be discussed during the adsorption process. The first parameter is the time parameter, showing experimentally the optimum time for adsorption under certain conditions by collecting values of absorbance and concentration of thymol blue adsorbed after the process from …

Modeling Of Zinc-Air Batteries Using Theoretical And Empirical Approach, Woranunt Lao-Atiman

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Nowadays, an energy storage system (ESS) is attracting widespread research interest. Zinc-air battery (ZAB) is a promising candidate for ESS owing to its high energy density at low cost. Although ZAB has been researched in various aspects, the modeling aspect is still insufficient. Therefore, this work aims to study the modeling of ZAB using both theoretical and empirical approaches. At first, the ZAB system was analyzed using a theoretical approach. The studied system was an integrated system of zinc-air flow battery (ZAFB) and zinc electrolyzer. The zero-dimensional mathematical model was developed in MATLAB and validated against experimental data. The model …

Synthesis, Characteristic And Application Of Mesocellular Foam Carbon (Mcf-C) As Catalyst For Dehydrogenation Of Ethanol, Yoottapong Klinthongchai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aims to investigate the synthesis of MCF-C as catalyst for dehydrogenation of ethanol. The study was classified into 3 parts. In the first part, the mesocellular foam silica (MCF-Si) was converted to mesocellular foam carbon using a surfactant residue as a carbon source, and followed by testing the dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde. Surfactant residue in the inside of MCF-Si could be used as the carbon source for MCF-C synthesis. The obtained material could maintain the meso-structure, and exhibited higher activity for ethanol dehydrogenation in comparison to MCF-Si. For the second part, MCF-C was examined for 12 h …

การเตรียมเเละวิเคราะห์คุณลักษณะของอนุภาคลิโพโซมสำหรับกักเก็บสารอาร์บูตินด้วยเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์เเรงดันสูง, รัชพล ชูทับ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การกักเก็บสารสำคัญในรูปแบบของอนุภาคลิโพโซม เป็นวิธีการที่ได้รับความนิยมเป็นอย่างมาก เนื่องจากอนุภาคลิโพโซมมีส่วนประกอบที่สามารถเข้ากับร่างกายได้ ไม่มีความเป็นพิษ และสามารถย่อยสลายได้เอง รวมไปถึงช่วยเพิ่มเสถียรภาพของสารที่นำมากักเก็บให้ดีขึ้น วิธีการเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมเพื่อกักเก็บสารเป็นหนึ่งปัจจัยที่จะต้องคำนึงถึง เพราะจะส่งผลต่อการกระจายตัวและขนาดของอนุภาค รวมไปถึงอัตราการปลดปล่อยของสารและเสถียรภาพความคงตัวของอนุภาคลิโพโซมด้วย งานวิจัยนี้มีความสนใจที่จะศึกษาการเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมสำหรับกักเก็บสารอาร์บูตินด้วยเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูง เนื่องจากอาร์บูตินเป็นสารที่มีเสถียรภาพต่ำการกักเก็บสารในรูปแบบของอนุภาคลิโพโซมมีความเป็นไปได้ที่จะช่วยเพิ่มเสถียรภาพให้กับสารอาร์บูติน การเตรียมอนุภาคด้วยเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูงเป็นวิธีที่สะดวกและรวดเร็ว สามารถเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมได้ในปริมาณที่มาก อีกทั้งยังมีความต่อเนื่องของกระบวนการโดยไม่ต้องผ่านหลายขั้น โดยวัตถุประสงค์ของงานวิจัยต้องการศึกษาปัจจัยต่างๆ ได้แก่ อัตราส่วนระหว่างฟอสโฟลิพิด คลอเรสเตอรอล และสารอาร์บูติน อัตราการปลดปล่อยของสารอาร์บูตินและเสถียรภาพความคงตัวของอนุภาคลิโพโซม รวมไปถึง สภาวะของเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูง ได้แก่ ความดันและจำนวนรอบ ที่ใช้ในการเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมเพื่อกักเก็บสารอาร์บูติน จากการศึกษาพบว่า การเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมที่กักเก็บสารอาร์บูตินด้วยเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูง ทำให้ได้ลิโพโซมขนาดเล็กที่มีผนังสองชั้นเพียงชั้นเดียว ซึ่งจะมีขนาดของอนุภาคลดลงอย่างมีนัยสำคัญเมื่อเพิ่มความดันและจำนวนรอบของเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูง โดยมีขนาดเฉลี่ยอยู่ระหว่าง 150 ถึง 200 นาโนเมตร ผลการทดลองความเข้มข้นของลิพิดต่อความสามารถในการกักเก็บสารอาร์บูติน พบว่า เมื่อเพิ่มความเข้มข้นโดยรวมของลิพิด ประสิทธิภาพการกักเก็บสารมีค่าเพิ่มขึ้น ซึ่งมีค่าประสิทธิภาพการกักเก็บสารเฉลี่ยสูงสุดอยู่ที่ 74.29 เปอร์เซ็นต์ นอกจากนั้น ผลการทดลองยังแสดงให้เห็นว่าการกักเก็บสารสำคัญไว้ในรูปแบบของอนุภาคลิโพโซมและมีการเติมสารคลอเรสเตอรอลลงไปจะสามารถช่วยควบคุมอัตราการปลดปล่อยของสารสำคัญได้ รวมไปถึงช่วยเพิ่มเสถียรภาพความคงตัวให้กับอนุภาคลิโพโซมได้อีกด้วย ดังนั้น สภาวะของเครื่องโฮโมจิไนเซอร์แรงดันสูงและสัดส่วนระหว่างฟอสโฟลิพิดกับคลอเรสเตอรอลที่เหมาะสมในการเตรียมอนุภาคลิโพโซมสำหรับกักเก็บสารอาร์บูติน คือ ความดัน 1000 บาร์ จำนวน 3 รอบ ที่ความเข้มข้นโดยรวมของลิพิดร้อยละ 2 โดยน้ำหนัก อัตราส่วนระหว่างฟอสโฟลิพิดกับคลอเรสเตอรอล 10:2 โดยน้ำหนัก และสภาวะอุณหภูมิในการเก็บรักษาที่ 4 องศาเซลเซียส

Enhanced Methane Hydrate Formation Using Promoters For Natural Gas Storage And Transportation Application, Katipot Inkong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Solidified natural gas (SNG) is an alternative technology for natural gas storage and transportation in the clathrate hydrate formed. It has higher volumetric energy storage with the ease to handle not to mention its safety. Effects of different hydrate promoters, including methyl ester sulfonate (MES), tetrahydrofuran (THF), hollow silica (HS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), on the methane hydrate formation was investigated. All experiments were performed in an unstirred tank reactor at desired experimental conditions. The results indicated that all promoters significant enhanced the hydrate formation both kinetics and methane uptake compared with pure water. The increase in the MES …

Synthesis Of Mwcnts By Chemical Vapor Deposition From Methane Using Femo/Mgo Catalyst : Role Of Hydrogen And Kinetic Study, Chawalkul Chotmunkhongsin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) of methane over FeMo/MgO catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor. The role of hydrogen on CNTs synthesis and kinetics of CNTs formation were experimentally investigated. The study revealed that hydrogen in the catalyst reduction process plays an important role in the structural changes of FeMo/MgO catalyst. The catalyst structure fully transformed into metallic FeMo, resulting in the increased yield of 5 folds higher than the non-reduced catalyst. However, the slightly larger diameter and lower crystallinity ratio of CNTs was obtained. The hydrogen co-feeding during the synthesis can slightly …

Deposition Of Tio2-Coated Cspbbr3 Perovskite Heterostructure Thin Film, Chutikan Sairot

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

All-inorganic lead halide perovskite quantum dots have been emerged in recent years for optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices due to their excellent optical properties. In this work, surface coating was carried out by titanium dioxide (TiO2) to coat on the surface of CsPbBr3 PQDs to improve the stability and charge separation property. The FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of TiO2 with an amorphous phase (am-TiO2). The crystallite size of CsPbBr3/am-TiO2 QDs composite was increased to be 13.30 nm from 12.65 nm of CsPbBr3. A slightly decrease of energy bandgap was found compare to CsPbBr3 QDs owing to quantum confinement effect. The …

Preparation And Characterization Of Sequential Curing With Off-Stoichiometric Amine-Diglycidyl Ether Of Bisphenol A /Novolac Epoxy Blended Systems, Pakawat Suttitham

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

B-stage epoxy adhesives are used in many applications such as electronic devices and prepreg composites. The most common available form is in the film form, rolls, sheets, or custom preforms. In this work, B-staged epoxy adhesives were prepared by using sequential curing with off-stoichiometric amine technique. Diethylenetriamine (DETA) was used as the curing agent for the first curing step. While dicyandiamide (DICY) was used as the latent curing agent for the second curing step and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1dimethylurea (DIURON) as accelerator for reducing the curing temperature of DICY. Novolac epoxy was blended in diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with various ratio …

Investigation Of Asphaltene Adsorption At Liquid-Liquid And Liquid-Solid Interfaces, Fang Liu

Dissertations and Theses

Asphaltenes, as indigenous components in crude oils, are believed to play an important role in the petroleum production and processing industry. For example, asphaltene molecules can adsorb onto the water / oil interface like the amphiphiles and hinder water droplet coalescence, resulting in the stabilization of water-in-oil emulsions. Also, in the upstream production, depending on the temperature and pressure, asphaltenes can precipitate and deposit onto the reservoir rocks, the wellbores and the pipelines, leading to the change in reservoir rocks’ surface wettability and the blockage of the production facilities. Hence, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of asphaltenes adsorption …

Capillary Forces And Wetting Dynamics By Diffuse-Interface Modeling, Fanny Thomas

Dissertations and Theses

Wetting phenomena underlie many natural and industrial processes, from the proper functioning of the lungs to the thin coating of surfaces. The three-phase interactions involved at microscopic scales play a critical role. Adding solid particles to an emulsion, for example, can drastically change the flow behavior due to capillary bridging between the particles. The study of these three-phase systems is especially relevant to the petroleum industry, where gas hydrates forming large clusters in subsea pipelines during crude oil transportation is a major concern. The dynamics of such systems is also of great interest from a fundamental perspective. Indeed describing non-equilibrium …

Dynamics And Phase Behavior Of Mixed Antibody-Excipient Adsorption At An Air/Water Interface, Ankit D. Kanthe

Dissertations and Theses

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become a leading candidate for oncological therapeutics due to their unparalleled selectivity. Monoclonal antibodies are amphiphilic, containing polar and nonpolar amino acid residues on their biomolecular surfaces. Their amphiphilic nature drives mAbs to strongly adsorb to air/water interfaces. Interfacial adsorption presents a central problem to the production and use of antibody-based pharmaceuticals. Air/water interfaces are frequently generated during the manufacture (filtration and chromatography) and production (freezing, thawing, filtration and filling) of the drug product. Moreover, air/water interfaces are present during the storage, transportation and administration of the therapeutics. When an air/water interface is created, the antibodies …

Motion Of Janus And Patchy Particles Near Various Boundaries, Zohreh Jalilvand

Dissertations and Theses

Colloidal particles with anisotropic surface properties are an emergent class of novel materials that have been indicated to possess a remarkable potential to still be fully exploited. Among anisotropic colloids, Janus and patchy particles with different compositions and functionalities recently have drawn significant attention in the field of colloid science. They are known as promising candidates to address challenges in various fields such as emulsion stabilization, oil recovery, drug delivery, biosensors and environmental remediation. A majority of the envisioned applications require Janus and patchy particles to operate near boundaries, i.e., a wall or a fluid/liquid interface, which significantly affect the …

Synthesis Of Lamno3 & Ceo2-Mnox Nanocrystals For Selective Catalytic Reduction, Joseph Lane

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Experimental And Computational Characterization Of Sodium Nitrate @ Silica Nano Capsules For Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Wataru Hashimoto

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this investigation, a nanocapsule composed of a sodium nitrate core and a silicon dioxide shell is synthesized, characterized, and analyzed utilizing a mixture of analytical and computational tools. The sol-gel method was selected as the process of nanoencapsulation. Analytical characterization techniques employed in this investigation include differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure melting temperatures and enthalpies of fusion, dynamic light scattering (DLS) to calculate particle size distributions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze surface characteristics, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to perform shell characterization, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to determine chemical composition. Preliminary results indicated a decrease in …

Fundamental Study Of Supported Metal Catalysts Prepared By Metal In Lithium Solution For Energy Science, Haiping Xu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising technique for energy conversion and storage from intermittent electricity sources (ie. wind and solar). By coupling electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) to a renewable energy source atmospheric CO2 could be converted back into a fuel such as ethanol, or a commodity chemical such as ethanol or acetic acid. These products could then be consumed for energy or used to generate more valuable chemical products effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere. To commercialize this process, it is highly desired to prepare catalysts that selectively reduce CO2 at low overpotential with long durability. Research …

Bimetallic Nanoparticles Integrated Membranes For Groundwater Remediation: Synthesis, Characterization And Applications, Hongyi Wan

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The detoxification of chlorinated organics from groundwater, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC), is a challenging area. Reductive dechlorination has been investigated using iron and iron-based nanoparticles, such as bare Fe, sulfidized Fe (S-Fe) and palladized Fe (Pd-Fe). However, issues including particle agglomeration, difficulties in recycling and particle leaching have been reported to hinder the application and wide usage of these techniques. The integration of nanoparticles and membranes can address these issues because of the large surface area, stability, and the potential for versatile functionalities. In this study, commercial polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) microfiltration …

Characterization And Electrochemical Performance Of Dopamine-Sensitized Titania Thin Films, Joshua Garay

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Sensitization of mesoporous titania films with dopamine and polydopamine for visible light photoelectrochemical activity is investigated. Sensitization effectiveness is compared with 8 mM dopamine solutions of varying pH (acidic, basic, and neutral), as well as with a basic polydopamine solution. Vibrational changes due to dopamine attachment are determined from detached powders by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to quantify organics attached. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of intact films probes the chemically induced charge shift from dopamine attachment. Cyclic voltammetry identifies the irreversible dopamine oxidation and tin reduction voltages. Finally, chronoamperometric curves are used to compare …

Effect Of Silica Nanoconfinement Of Lipid Bilayers On Its Phase Transition And On The Colloidal Stability Of Silica Nanoparticles, Aniruddha Atul Shirodkar

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

In this work, we incorporated 4-(N-Boc-aminometyl) phenylboronic acid (BA), at different concentrations, into 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayers confined within nanopores of two different mean pore diameters of 7.4 nm and 11.7 nm of micron sized silica particles. The confinement of DPPC into nanopores resulted in the depression in the main phase transition temperatures compared to the liposomal system. The addition of BA was found to induce disruptions in the acyl chains of the lipid molecules at all concentrations of the solute. The lipid bilayer cooperativity was found to be higher in the confined systems compared to the liposomal systems despite …

Silica Nanoporous Confinement Effects On Ionic Liquid Properties For Better Design Of Small Molecule Separation, Electrochemical Devices And Drug Delivery, Yuxin He

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Silica nanoconfinement provides a high level of control of ionic liquids (ILs) in localizing catalysts, creating distinct environment for tuning reactivity and controlling the partition of solvents, reactants and products. Silica thin films with two different pore sizes (2.5 nm and 8 nm) were synthesized to study the effect of nanopore confinement on ionic liquids 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF₆]), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]). Silica thin films with accessible 8 nm pore diameters were synthesized using evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) with Pluronic P123 as templating surfactant on a chemically neutral modified substrate. The silica films with similar orthogonal aligned mesostructured but …

Nanostructured Metal Thin Films As Components Of Composite Membranes For Separations And Catalysis, Michael J. Detisch

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Novel metallic thin film composite membranes are synthesized and evaluated in this work for improved separations and catalysis capabilities. Advances in technology that allow for improved membrane performance in solvent separations are desirable for low molecular weight organic separation applications such as those in pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, the introduction of catalytic materials into membrane systems allow for optimization of complex processes in a single step. By adding a nanostructured metallic thin film to its surface, a polymer membrane may be modified to exhibit these improved properties. Using magnetron sputtering, thin metal films may be deposited on commercially available membranes to …

A Framework For Heterologous Biosynthesis Of Natural Products In Mammalian Cells Via Polymer-Mediated Transfections, Logan Warriner

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

With the promise to treat a multi-faceted list of serious inherited and acquired diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases, and inherited genetic indications, gene therapy has continued to push the boundaries of traditional medicine since its earliest implementation. While much progress has been made, clinical success has largely remained elusive. Immunogenicity, difficulty producing commercially relevant quantities, and having a limited genetic payload still limits the ability of viruses to act as directed delivery agents for genetic material. As such, researchers have turned to cationic synthetic materials as a means of delivering nucleic acids, which can circumvent the immune …

Microfiltration Membrane Pore Functionalization Approaches For Chloro-Organic Remediation To Heavy Metal Sorption, Mohammad Saiful Islam

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Microfiltration polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes have distinct advantage for open structure in terms of high internal surface area and ease of access in the pore domain. Functionalization of PVDF membranes with different functional groups (-COOH, -OH, -SH) enables responsive (pH, temperature) properties to membrane, tuning of effective pore size, controlling permeate flux. PVDF microfiltration membrane functionalization with suitable responsive polymer such as poly acrylic acid (PAA) to incorporate carboxyl (-COOH) group enables further modification of functionalized PAA-PVDF membranes for different application ranging from catalysis, bio reactor to heavy metal sorption platform. As a catalytic reactor bed, this PAA-PVDF membranes are …

The Development Of Temperature And Ph Responsive Hydrogels And Membranes For Selective Sorption Of Perfluoroorganics And Nanoparticle Integrated Catalytic Degradation Of Pcb, Anthony Saad

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The functionalization and use of responsive and catalytic polymeric membranes and materials were explored for contaminant capture and degradation. While membranes have a wide variety of uses across multiple industries, the inclusion of materials that are temperature and pH responsive in the membrane pore domain yields a wide range of applications and possibilities for water treatment. Temperature and pH responsive polymers, as well as controlled nanostructured materials, were synthesized in membrane pores for advanced adsorption-desorption and catalytic treatment of emerging organic contaminants in water. In this study, supported by the NIEHS, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm) was used as a model thermo-responsive polymer, …

A Thermodynamic And Feasibility Study Of Green Solvents For The Fabrication Of Water Treatment Membranes, Xiaobo Dong

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) has been widely used to fabricate polymeric membranes. In NIPS, a polymer is dissolved in a solvent to form a dope solution, which is then cast on a substrate and immersed in a nonsolvent bath, where phase inversion occurs. Petroleum-derived organic solvents, such as N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) and Dimethylacetamide (DMAc), have been traditionally used to fabricate polymeric membranes via NIPS. However, these solvents may have negative impacts on environmental and human health; therefore, using greener and less toxic solvents, preferably derived from biomass, is of great interest to make membrane fabrication sustainable. In this dissertation, two …

Heart Tissue Reconstruction By Light-Controlled Cell Adhesion, Patterning And Alignment On Decellularized Scaffolds, Cong Li

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

There is an urgent demand for engineered tissues and organs because of extremely limited donor tissues available for transplant. The challenge of tissue rejection has motivated many researchers to try to remove all of the cells from a heart and then add back in patient matched cells. These recellularized hearts are a promising avenue towards a functional bioartifical heart that is less likely to be rejected. Decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds generated from animal hearts do not have the cellular components that elicit immune rejection in patient, and they also preserve the native heart tissue structure. While decellularization techniques are …

Polymeric Nanocomposite Membranes With Phosphorene Based Pore Fillers For Fouling Control, Joyner Eke

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Phosphorene is a two-dimensional material exfoliated from bulk phosphorus. Specifically, relevant to the field of membrane science, the band gap of phosphorene provides it with potential photocatalytic properties, which could be explored in making reactive membranes able to control the accumulation of compounds on the surface during filtration, or fouling. Another reason phosphorene is a promising candidate as a membrane material additive is due to its catalytic properties which can potentially destroy foulants on the membrane surface.

The first goal of this study was to develop an innovative and robust membrane able to control and reverse fouling with minimal changes …

Thermal / Structural Analysis Of The Hb 650 Thermal Shield, Gerald J. Smith

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Fermilab’s PIP-II project’s superconducting linear accelerator (Linac) will drive the next generation of particle accelerators through a revolution in beam intensity. Key to beam intensification are the high efficiencies of niobium-tin superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities operating at cryogenic temperatures near 5 Kelvin. A multifaceted approach is employed to achieve and maintain the extreme temperature. Vacuum provides the first barrier to thermal convection. Physical thermal intercept zones further isolate the exterior shell vacuum vessel at 300 Kelvin from the supercooled beamline. The first thermal intercept lies just inside the exterior vacuum vessel forming the 40 Kelvin zone. This 40K thermal shield …

Wastewater Treatment Fatty Acids For Biodiesel Production, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater scum is the thick oily substance that floats on top of the primary and secondary tanks within a wastewater treatment plant. Scum has a 30% to 60% lipid content making it an excellent resource for the biodiesel industry. Also the use of scum would reduce the cost of current management practices such as landfill disposal or incineration. In this article there is an overview of lipid byproducts currently being produced at wastewater treatment plants today. This is followed by a presentation showing a full length process for turning wastewater scum into biodiesel raw material.

Development Of Novel Materials And Processes For Direct Conversion Of Co₂ Flue Gas To Chemicals And Fuels, Ahmed Al-Mamoori

Doctoral Dissertations

“This research focused on addressing the pressing issues of greenhouse gas emissions that greatly contribute to climate change. Specifically, the focus was given to the reduction of anthropogenic CO₂ emission and its subsequent conversion to commodity chemicals and fuels. In the first part of the research, a series of novel high temperature CO₂ adsorbents including double salts (K-Ca and Na-Ca) and metal-doped calcium oxide (Fe_x@CaO and Ga_x@CaO) was developed and evaluated. Both sets of materials exhibited high CO₂ capacity, fast kinetics, and long-term stability. In particular, at 650 °C, the doped adsorbents comprising …