Engineering Commons^™

Synthesis Of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles In Droplet Flow Reactors, Christopher Reilly

Honors Theses and Capstones

Synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles within droplet flow reactors is advantageous over batch synthesis due to the elimination of concentration and temperature gradients inside the reactor and prevention of reactor fouling. We present results on the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles using aqueous droplets of copper acetate and acetic acid inside a bulk stream of sodium hydroxide in 1-octanol. Varying the copper acetate, acetic acid, and sodium hydroxide concentration resulted in needle-like and plate-like nanoparticles of varying sizes. The rate of mass transfer from the bulk to the droplet phase was found to increase with flow rate and addition of …

Monte-Carlo-Simulation-Based, Product-Quality-Focused Analysis Of Nanocoating Curing And Post Curing Process, Jianming Zhao

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

MONTE CARLO SIMULATION BASED

PRODUCT QUALITY ANALYSIS OF

POLYMER COATING CURING AND POST CURING

By

Jianming Zhao

May 2017

Advisor：Dr. Yinlun Huang

Major: Chemical Engineering

Degree: Master of Science

To achieve better property of polymer coatings, different categories of nanoparticles are applied before coating’s curing process. However, one of the adverse effects is the change of final property, which leads the difficulty of product quality control. Using mathematical modeling method can actually improve the cost and time to get a prediction of product quality. Still now, different series of models are developed for various purposes. For example, Monte-Carlo simulation …

Photocatalytic Decomposition Of Phenol Under Visible And Uv Light Utilizing Titanium Dioxide Based Catalysts, Marjorie G. Steiner

Honors Theses and Capstones

Pollution in wastewater effluvia from phenol and phenolic compounds is a common occurrence in many industrial manufacturing plants. Phenol is toxic to human beings as well as a contaminant to the environment, meanwhile, it is difficult to remove from wastewater due to its non-biodegradable nature. To boost the rate of decomposition, various catalytic approaches have been developed. With the interest of decreasing operation cost, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) based catalysts have emerged as good candidates for the photocatalytic process.

In this honors project, a series of TiO₂ based catalysts, including TiO₂, N-TiO₂, Cu-TiO_{2 …}

Optimal Combined Long-Term Facility Design And Short-Term Operational Strategy For Chp Capacity Investments, Jose Mojica, Damon Petersen, Brigham Hansen, Kody Powell, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

This work presents a detailed case study for the optimization of the expansion of a district energy system evaluating the investment decision timing, type of capacity expansion, and fine-scale operational modes. The study develops an optimization framework to find the investment schedule over 30 years with options of investing in traditional heating sources (boilers) or a next-generation combined heat and power (CHP) plant that provides heat and electricity. In district energy systems, the selected capacity and type of system is dependent on demand-side requirements, energy prices, and environmental costs. This work formulates capacity planning over a time horizon as a …

Modeling Soot Oxidation And Gasification With Bayesian Statistics, Alexander Jon Josephson, Neal D. Gaffin, Sean T. Smith, Thomas H. Fletcher, David Lignell

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a statistical method for model calibration using data collected from literature. The method is used to calibrate parameters for global models of soot consumption in combustion systems. This consumption is broken into two different submodels: first for oxidation where soot particles are attacked by certain oxidizing agents; second for gasification where soot particles are attacked by H2O or CO2 molecules. Rate data were collected from 19 studies in the literature and evaluated using Bayesian statistics to calibrate the model parameters. Bayesian statistics are valued in their ability to quantify uncertainty in modeling. The calibrated consumption model with …

Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (Zif) Incorporated Membrane For Co2/Ch4 Separation, Nampetch Padungpetch

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Biogas is the alternative energy that has a methane gas as the main composition. Before using it, biogas must be upgraded by the removal of all impurities especially CO2. The membrane technology is considered an efficient and environmentally friendly process for biogas upgrading. However, there is still a limited number of promising membranes. Accordingly, this study aims to develop the hollow fiber membrane for the biogas upgrading. The synthesized hollow fiber membranes, which were a composite membrane, were composed of a support layer of polyetherimide (PEI) and a mixed matrix selective layer of commercial poly(ether-block-amide) (Pebax 1657) and zeolitic imidazolate …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Poly(Simvastatin) - Incorporated Copolymers And Blends For Bone Regeneration, Theodora Asafo-Adjei

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Common biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are used as drug delivery vehicles for tissue regenerative applications. However, they are typically bioinert, with drug loading limitations. Polymerizing the active agent or precursor into its respective biodegradable polymer would control drug loading via molar ratios of drug to initiator used for synthesis. Simvastatin was chosen due to its favorable anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and osteogenic properties. In addition, its lactone ring lends itself to ring-opening polymerization and, consequently, the synthesis of poly(simvastatin) with controlled simvastatin release.

Simvastatin was first polymerized with a 5kDa methyl-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) …

Tunable Nanocomposite Membranes For Water Remediation And Separations, Sebastián Hernández Sierra

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Nano-structured material fabrication using functionalized membranes with polyelectrolytes is a promising research field for water pollution, catalytic and mining applications. These responsive polymers react to external stimuli like temperature, pH, radiation, ionic strength or chemical composition. Such nanomaterials provide novel hybrid properties and can also be self-supported in addition to the membranes.

Polyelectrolytes (as hydrogels) have pH responsiveness. The hydrogel moieties gain or lose protons based on the pH, displaying swelling properties. These responsive materials can be exploited to synthesize metal nanoparticles in situ using their functional groups, or to immobilize other polyelectrolytes and biomolecules. Due to their properties, these …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Development of biomass feedstocks with desirable traits for cost-effective conversion is one of the main focus areas in biofuels research. As suggested by techno-economic analyses, the success of a lignocellulose-based biorefinery largely relies on the utilization of lignin to generate value-added products, i.e. fuels and chemicals. The fate of lignin and its structural/compositional changes during pretreatment have received increasing attention; however, the effect of genetic modification on the fractionation, depolymerization and catalytic upgrading of lignin from genetically engineered plants is not well understood. This study aims to fractionate and characterize the lignin streams from a wild-type and two genetically engineered …

Surface Chemisty Study Of Monazite Flotation In Coal Refuse Systems, Wencai Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Rare earth mineral recovery from alternative resources such as coal and coal byproducts is increasingly important to provide an opportunity for economic recovery from U.S. sources. Currently, China produces the majority of the 149,000 tons of rare earth elements used annually worldwide of which the U.S. imports 11% or around 16,000 tons. There are no significant mining operations producing rare earth elements in the U.S. However, there are many U.S. sources containing rare earth minerals such as monazite including heavy mineral sand and phosphate operations. Monazite mineral particles of a few microns have also been detected in Fire Clay seam …

Investigating A Sequentially Assembled Mnox/Pt Nanocatalyst As A Potential Anode For Ethylene Glycol Fuel Cells, Ghada El-Nowihy

Chemical Engineering

Aiming at a better electrocatalytic enhancement of ethylene glycol (EG) electrooxidation (EGO) in an alkaline medium for EG fuel cells (EGFCs), a MnOx/Pt anode was developed. A sequential layer-by-layer electrodeposition technique was employed to assemble first platinum nanoparticles (nano-Pt) directly onto the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode then manganese oxide nanoparticles (nano-MnOx) were next immobilized. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to evaluate the surface morphology and the bulk composition of the proposed catalyst in addition to the relative ratio of the catalyst’s ingredients. On the other hand, the catalyst …

Co-Gasification Of Coal And Biomass Wastes In An Entrained Flow Gasifier: Modelling, Simulation And Integration Opportunities, Dalia A. Ali Eng, Mamdouh A. Gadalla Prof., Omar Y. Abdelaziz, Christian P. Hulteberg, Fatma H. Ashour Prof.

Chemical Engineering

Gasification processes convert carbon-containing material into syngas through chemical reactions in the presence of gasifying agents such as air, oxygen, and steam. Syngas mixtures produced from such processes consist mainly of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4); this gas can be directly utilised as a fuel to produce electricity or steam. Besides, it is regarded as a basic feedstock within the petrochemical and conventional refining industries, producing various useful products like methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, and acetic acid. In this work, a rigorous process model is developed to simulate the co-gasification of coal-biomass blends through an …

The Effects Of Carboxylic Acids In Aluminum Anodizing, Abby E. Koczera

Honors Theses and Capstones

Hard-anodized alumina coatings were formed in sulfuric acid at low temperature and high current density in the presence of carboxylic acid additives. Citric acid, trimesic acid, mellitic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were utilized in varying concentrations. The additives were chosen for their capacity to form complexes with tri-valent aluminum and hence impart chemical stability to the coatings. The coatings were sealed in boiling water, and corrosion resistance was observed in a high pH solution of potassium hydroxide. The coatings were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess coating thickness and pore dimensions. Thicker coatings were produced when the …

Method For Carbon Dioxide Splitting, James E. Miller, Richard B. Diver, Nathan P. Siegel

Other Faculty Research and Publications

A method for splitting carbon dioxide via a two-step metal oxide thermochemical cycle by heating a metal oxide compound selected from an iron oxide material of the general formula A_xFe_3-xO₄, where 0≦x≦1 and A is a metal selected from Mg, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, and Mn, or a ceria oxide compound of the general formula M_aCe_bO_c, where 0

Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Assessments Of Biofuel Production From Woody Biomass Through Torrefaction-Fast Pyrolysis And Catalytic Upgrading, Olumide Winjobi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biofuel production through fast pyrolysis of biomass is a promising conversion route in the production of biofuels compatible with existing technology. The bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis is a versatile feedstock that can be used as a heating oil or upgraded to a transportation hydrocarbon biofuel. Comparative study of a one-step, fast pyrolysis only pathway and a two-step torrefaction-fast pyrolysis pathway was carried out to evaluate the effect of torrefcation on (i) the minimum selling price of biofuel and (ii) the potential life cycle GHG emissions of the biofuel production pathway.

To produce bio-oil which can serve as a substitute …

Catalytic Hydrotreatment For The Development Of Renewable Transportation Fuels, Lilu Funkenbusch

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biologically-derived feedstocks are a highly desirable source of renewable transportation fuel. They can be grown renewably and can produce fuels similar in composition to conventional fossil fuels. They are also versatile and wide-ranging. Plant oils can produce renewable diesel and wood-based pyrolysis oils can be made into renewable gasoline. Catalytic hydrotreatment can be used to reduce the oxygen content of the oils and increase their viability as a “drop-in” transportation fuel, since they can then easily be blended with existing petroleum-based fuels. However, product distribution depends strongly on feedstock composition and processing parameters, especially temperature and type of catalyst. Current …

Computational All Atom Energy Density Landscape Mappings Of Intra-Protein Interactions From Static And Dynamic Ensemble Structure Data, Oscar H. Bastidas

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the energetic and dynamic behavior of natural protein fluctuations is critical to elucidating important information associated with a multitude of protein functions including signaling processes, enzyme behavior, aggregation pathways etc... This information is also critically important in the development of novel and effective strategies aimed at target proteins associated with pathologies and disease. In order to obtain such useful information, tools and techniques are lacking that: 1) permit the efficient quantitative analysis of fluctuation behavior of existing protein structure ensembles and 2) permit computationally generated natural fluctuation states of proteins at relatively large timescales demanded by the need for …

Development Of Novel Catalysts For Air Pollution Control, Chao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The development of economy strongly related with increased consumption of fossil fuels, which causes severe air pollution issue. With more and more strict environmental regulations implemented all over the world, robust and efficient emission control technologies need to be innovated and applied to overcome the pollution challenge. This dissertation focuses on utilizing heterogeneous catalysis to eliminate carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (CH_x) and nitric oxides (NO_x) emissions produced from fossil fuel combustion.

The first type of catalyst is Pd supported on Mn-Ce solid solution. It achieves 100% CO conversion at room temperature. The high activity is attributed …

Modeling Battery Performance Due To Volume Change In Porous Electrodes Due To Intercalation, Taylor R. Garrick

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for energy continues to increase as the economies of developing countries become more modern and show an increased need for a reliable energy infrastructure in order to meet the increased demand associated with a large and more mobile population. An increased demand puts a strain on all sectors, however it is specifically noticeable in the transportation sector where a significant portion of the fuel utilized for transportation comes from petroleum and other fossil fuels. Recently, using alternative forms of energy for transportation has become reality, and in turn, using electricity as a transportation fuel has gained significant momentum, …

Effects Of Post Eviction Resettlement On Land-Use And Cover Change In Uganda’S Oil Exploration Areas, Joseph Ssekandi, John Mburu, Oliver Wasonga, Laban Macopiyo, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Evaluation of the changes in land use and land cover change (LULCC) in respect to oil exploration across the Albertine region in Uganda has been focused around the exploration areas and protected areas, with no attention to the potential impacts of evictees’ activities on resettled areas. This study used LANDSAT images to analyze the land use and land cover changes (LULCC) among the period before eviction (2002 and 2005) at the climax of eviction and resettlements (2005-2011), and during the post-resettlement period (2011-2015) to quantify the impacts of resettlements on the environment. LANDSAT images were processed using ERDAS IMAGINE software …

Evaluation Of Compositional Effects On Gas-Oil Miscibility And Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (Gagd) Eor Process, Mohamed Al Riyami

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Vanishing interface technique (VIT), offers fast and accurate determination of minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) between the reservoir crude oil and the various gases injected for enhancing oil recovery (EOR). The technique is based on miscibility being the condition where an interface between the injected fluid and the reservoir crude oil vanishes. This research has evaluated the effect of the gas-oil ratio on zero-IFT pressure. VIT experiments were simulated using an equation of state (EOS) and the Parachor model. This work proves the robustness of VIT in estimating miscibility pressures for gas injection EOR projects. Also this work presents a …

A Model-Centric Framework For Advanced Operation Of Crystallization Processes, Navid Ghadipasha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Crystallization is the main physical separation process in many chemical industries. It is an old unit operation which can separate solids of high purity from liquids, and is widely applied in the production of food, pharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals. While industries in crystallization operation quite rely on rule-of-thumb techniques to fulfill their requirement, the move towards a scientific- and technological- based approach is becoming more important as it provides a mechanism for driving crystallization processes optimally and in more depth without increasing costs. Optimal operation of industrial crystallizers is a prerequisite these days for achieving the stringent requirements of the …

The Role Of Surface Active Compounds In Crude Oil On Reservoir Wettability., Paulina Metili Mwangi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the role of crude oil’s surface active compounds (SAC) in determining the reservoir wettability. Wettability describes the relative preference of a reservoir rock for oil or water. Wettability influences the distribution of fluids in a reservoir and the efficiency of oil recovery methods. Unfortunately, the chemical mechanisms controlling wettability in individual reservoirs remain hazy. Wettability is conditional and is influenced by rock mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and temperature. An extensive experimental study was executed to understand the impact of naturally-occurring SACs typically found in crude oil, on the wettability of sandstone and carbonate rocks over a range of …

The Formation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons From The Pyrolysis Of Model 1-Alkene Fuels, Eva Christine Caspary

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To understand the role of 1-alkenes and allylic radicals in the reaction pathways leading to the formation and growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), pyrolysis experiments have been performed with three 1-alkene fuels—propylene (CH₂=CH–CH₃), 1-butene (CH₂=CH–CH₂–CH₃), and 1-pentene (CH₂=CH–CH₂–CH₂–CH₃)—at temperatures of 600 – 1000 °C and a fixed residence time of 0.31 s. The experiments are carried out in an isothermal laminar-flow quartz-tube reactor. Analyses of the pyrolysis products by gas-chromatographic and high-pressure liquid-chromatographic techniques reveal that the three fuels differ in: 1) their conversion behavior, 2) the relative amounts of the major C₂ – C₄ species produced, and 3) …

Theoretical Investigation Of The Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation Of Levulinic Acid Over Ru (0001) Catalyst Surface, Osman Mamun

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rapidly declining fossil fuel reserves and the onset of global climate change, the development of active, selective, and stable catalytic materials for the efficient production of biomass derived platform chemicals, i.e., levulinic acid (LA), succinic acid (SA), γ-valerolactone (GVL) etc., is receiving considerable attention in order to produce second generation biofuels and commodity chemicals. Though solid lignocellulosic biomass is significantly cheaper than petroleum; however, the available technology is the significant barrier for large scale utilization of biomass for the production of biofuels. The development of biomass conversion technology requires, 1) identification of potential biomass chemicals that can …

Catalytic Activity Of Cu-Ceo2zro2 For Biodiesel Production, Wasupon Wongvitvichot

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

CeO2-ZrO2 was synthesized by co-precipitation (CZ copre) and nanocasting (MSP CZ) methods for supporting 9%wt Cu catalyst loaded by deposition-precipitation (DP) method (CuCZ copre and Cu-MSP CZ, respectively). Both CuCZ copre and Cu-MSP CZ were used in esterification reaction for biodiesel production. Structure and specific surface area of the synthesized supports and catalysts were characterized by XRD and BET tecnhiques. It was found that the specific surface area of CZ copre was less than MSP CZ support. The XRD result of CuCZ copre exhibited the diffraction peak of CuO, indicating the agglomeration of Cu species on support while that of …

Designing Efficient Petroleum Fiscal System For Mozambique, Nelson Victor

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Nowadays, tax regime is designed to attract investment and provide the contractor with fair return on investment, at the same time, provide the host government with adequate resources for rent, thereby resulting in win-win situation. This study analyses the existing petroleum fiscal regime in the Republic of Mozambique and proposes a more efficient and flexible regime. The analysis shows that the government take currently remains at around 39% while the contactors' net present value (NPV) increases as field sizes and oil prices increase. The current system is considered a regressive system which is inefficient in distributing wealth from oil profit. …

Development Of Standard Operating Procedure: Admicellar Polymerization Of Polystyrene Thin Film (Aibn) On Polysciences 30-50Μm Glass Beads Using Cetyltrimethyl-Ammonium Bromide Surfactant, David Langford

Honors Theses

Poly(1-phenylethene), commonly referred to as Polystyrene, is one of the world's most common polymers. Made from the monomer styrene (ethenylbenzene), this polymer is used in a wide range of products from packing peanuts to disposable cutlery. The method of polymerization used in this research project is called admicellar polymerization. This process consists of four main steps: admicelle formation, adsolubilization, polymerization, and removal of admicelle and polymer. Admicellar polymerization has a number of advantages over related methods of thin film polymerization including simplicity and low cost of components and process.

Thermal Denox Optimization: A Case Study In Fluid Catalytic Cracking, David E. Rozier

Honors Theses

This thesis will first provide background information on fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), a highly important unit operation to the process of petroleum refining, and a description of Thermal DeNOx, an environmental treatment system common to FCC units and other process units where high temperature furnaces are used. Next, this thesis will detail a project which I had the chance to lead as a process engineering intern at ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Refinery in the fall of 2016. The objective of the project was to optimize Thermal DeNOx systems installed on two FCC units at the refinery. Experiments were conducted on these …

The Pharmacodynamic Functions Of Low-Dose Rapamycin As A Model For Universal Influenza Protection, William Gust

Honors Theses

One of the most sought after breakthroughs in modern influenza research is the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that would protect against all strains of avian influenza. An unlikely model for this kind of protection might be found in the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. Traditionally used to prevent organ transplant rejection, low doses of rapamycin have been found to protect mice against infection with distinct subtypes of influenza. However, it is not understood how a partial block in this pathway provides optimal heterosubtypic immunity. Interestingly, previous experiments have shown that low dose rapamycin inhibits germinal center formation to reduce antibody …