Engineering Commons^™

Electrical Characterization Of Different Carbon Based Polymer Composites, Mauro Giorcelli, Aamer Abbas Khan, Patrizia Savi, Franco Berruti, Alberto Tagliaferro

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Biorecoverbiomass Residues Conversion & Valorisation For An Economic Refinery, Paul J. De Wild

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Pure Aromatics From Biomass, Matti Reinikainen, David Thomas, Pekka Simell, Ikka Hannula

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Organosolv Pretreatment As A Major Step Of Lignocellulosic Biomass Refining, Dimitrios K. Sidiras, Ioanna S. Salapa

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Effluent Treatment And Recovery Of Polyether Using Nanoporous Technology, Suhaib Alramamneh, Zachary Turner, Allison Warth

Capstone Design Expo Posters

This semester Evonik Industries, a specialty chemical producer located in Hopewell, Virginia, approached VCU’s Chemical Engineering department with a project that would reduce their costs and increase process sustainability. The project is to determine a way to separate their liquid organic product from their waste stream in order to recycle the lost product. Liquid-Liquid extraction is a procedure used across most of the chemical industry. Proven separation techniques already exist for the standard liquid-liquid separation; however, when one liquid is miscible in the other the difficulty of separation is greatly increased. In order to do a liquid-liquid separation of an …

Synthetic Fuels From 3-Φ Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Using Bio-Derived Gas Feed And Novel Nanometric Catalysts, James Aluha, Nadi Braidy, Yongfeng Hu, Ajay Dalai, Nicolas Abatzoglou

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Production Of Activated Carbons From Pyrolytic Biochar, Anastasia Colomba, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens, Ajay Dalai, Rambabu Nedunury, Alberto Colomba, Silvia Fiore, Giuseppe Genon

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Experimental Study Of Biomass Fast Pyrolysis, Felipe Buendía-Kandia, Guillain Mauviel, Francis Billaud

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Two-Stage Thermochemical Conversion Of Lignin Into Aromatic Chemicals, Paul J. De Wild, A. Kloekhorst, H. H. Heeres, W. J.J. Huijgen

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Autothermal Fast Pyrolysis Of Wood Residuesfor Wood Adhesives, Dongbing Li, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Advanced Carbonized Biomass Materials For Biosensor Applications, Muhammad Noman, Alessandro Sanginario, Pravin Jagadale, Danilo Demarchi, Alberto Tagliaferro, Mauro Giorcelli

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Pollutant Adsorption On Novel Modified Biomass As A Means Of Seawater Decontamination, Dimitrios Sidiras, F. Batzias, C. Siontorou, I. Konstantinou, I. Salapa, S. Zervopoulou

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

On-Line Analysis Of Catalytic Biomass Products Using A High Pressure Tandem Mirco-Reactor Gc/Ms, M. Soll, R.R. Freeman, Chu Watanabe, Ichi Watanabe, Y.M Kim, N. Teramae, K. Wang

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

A Flexible Three-Stage Thermochemical Conversion Process, Vander Tumiatti

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Multiple-Choice Testing Using Immediate Feedback-Assessment Technique (If At®) Forms: Second-Chance Guessing Vs. Second-Chance Learning?, Jeremy D. Merrel, Pier F. Cirillo, Pauline M. Schwartz, Jeffrey Webb

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Multiple choice testing is a common but often ineffective method for evaluating learning. A newer approach, however, using Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF AT®, Epstein Educational Enterprise, Inc.) forms, offers several advantages. In particular, a student learns immediately if his or her answer is correct and, in the case of an incorrect answer, has an opportunity to provide a second response and receive partial credit for a correct second attempt. For a multiple choice question with five possible answers, the IF AT® form covers spaces labeled A through E with a thin opaque film; when the film is scratched away, …

Exploring The Use Of Faded Worked Examples As A Problem Solving Approach For Underprepared Students, Tiffany Hesser, Jess L. Gregory

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

It is not uncommon for students to find themselves underprepared when entering a post secondary institution. In additional to lower levels of academic achievement, underprepared students may not be aware that they lack the skills needed to be successful and effectively acquire and process information. Because of this, students that enter post-secondary institutions underprepared often require more support in and out of the college classroom.

In computational based classes, such as math, engineering, chemistry or physics, this support often includes an introduction to effective problem solving strategies. This study introduced faded worked examples as a problem solving approach to students …

Characterization Of Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Treated Wool And Enhancement Of Reactive Wool Dyeing In Non-Aqueous Medium, Luyi Chen, Bijia Wang, Jiangang Chen, Xinhui Ruan, Yiqi Yang

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Faculty Publications

Wool pretreated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was characterized and its dyeing behavior in non-aqueous green solvents was investigated. Reactive dyeing of wool in deep shades is challenging because the mandatory alkaline aftertreatment to match the fastness of mordant dyes inevitably causes damage to wool keratin. The current study showed that the colorfastness-integrity dilemma could be solved by replacing water with organic solvents as the dyeing medium. Covalent fixation is predominantly favored in solvent dyeing so that excellent colorfastness is achievable at any given shade without alkali aftertreatment. Compared with aqueous dyeing, solvent dyeing was found to give 30% higher covalent …

Sustainability And Economic Analysis Of Propylene Carbonate And Polypropylene Carbonate Production Processes Using Co2 And Propylene Oxide, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Currently, the industrially important polycarbonates are synthesized from bisphenol A and diphenyl carbonate, which are highly toxic and hence other feasible alternatives are preferable. Following the considerable advances on the catalyst for the synthesis of carbonates from CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO), industrial scale processes for the productions of propylene carbonate (PC) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) have been designed and simulated with sustainability and economic analyses. The CO₂ is supplied by a nearby bioethanol plant, while the PO from a petrochemical process. The first part of the study is for the production of 200 million lb/year cyclic PC …

Propane Dehydrogenation On Single Site Gallium On Silica Catalyst, Shankali U. Pradhan

Open Access Theses

Light alkane dehydrogenation is gaining increasing importance due to the discovery of shale gas. Gallium based catalysts such as Ga/HZSM-3 and Ga₂O₃ have been used to dehydrogenate propane to propylene. However, the exact nature of the active site for propane dehydrogenation on Gallium based catalysts is still debated in literature. This work is aimed at understanding the nature of active site in Ga/SiO₂ catalyst for propane dehydrogenation. The Ga/SiO₂ catalyst is active and selective for propane dehydrogenation reaction. It is shown that Ga ⁺³ site co-ordinated with four O atoms is the most active form …

Creation Of An Annotated Library On Fda Approved Nanomedicines, Marley R. Hodson, Tanin Izadi, Nastassja Lewinski Ph.D, Bridget T. Mcinnes Ph.D

UROP Posters

Nanomedicine is a type of nanotechnology used in the medical field to limit the dosage amount and target drug delivery to specific cells. Nanomedicines that are approved and used tend to be extremely successful; however despite over a decade of research, only a limited number of nanomedicines have advanced for clinical use. A possible reason for the numerous nanomedicine failures is lack of easily accessible information and research on previous nanomedicines. In this project, we have compiled nanomedicine labeling information from the Drugs@FDA website. We have extracted phrases/sentences from labels relating to keywords on nanomaterial properties and drug profile characteristics. …

Change In Chirality Of Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Can Overcome Anionic Surfactant Stabilisation: A Systematic Study Of Aggregation Kinetics, Iftheker A. Khan, Joseph R. V. Flora, A. R. M. Nabiul Afrooz, Nirupam Aich, P. Ariette Schierz, P. Lee Ferguson, Tara Sabo-Attwood, Navid B. Saleh

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Single-walled carbon nanotubes’ (SWNT) effectiveness in applications is enhanced by debundling or stabilisation. Anionic surfactants are known to effectively stabilise SWNTs. However, the role of specific chirality on surfactant-stabilised SWNT aggregation has not been studied to date. The aggregation behaviour of chirally enriched (6,5) and (7,6) semiconducting SWNTs, functionalised with three anionic surfactants – sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and sodium deoxycholate – was evaluated with time-resolved dynamic light scattering. A wide range of mono- (NaCl) and divalent (CaCl₂) electrolytes as well as a 2.5 mg total organic carbon (TOC) L^–1 Suwannee River humic acid …

Switchable Release Of Entrapped Nanoparticles From Alginate Hydrogels, Cathal J. Kearney, Hadas Skaat, Stephen M. Kennedy, Jennifer Hu, Max Darnell, Theresa M. Raimondo, David J. Mooney

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Natural biological processes are intricately controlled by the timing and spatial distribution of various cues. To mimic this precise level of control, the physical sizes of gold nanoparticles are utilized to sterically entrap them in hydrogel materials, where they are subsequently released only in response to ultrasound. These nanoparticles can transport bioactive factors to cells and direct cell behavior on‐demand.

Coalescence-Induced Jumping Of Droplet: Inertia And Viscosity Effects, Samaneh Farokhirad, Jeffrey F. Morris, Taehun Lee

Publications and Research

The problem of coalescence-induced self-propelled jumping of droplet is studied using three-dimensional numerical simulation. The focus is on the effect of inertia and in particular the effect of air density on the behavior of the merged droplet during jumping. A lattice Boltzmann method is used for two identical, static micro-droplets coalescing on a homogeneous substrate with contact angle ranging from 0◦ to 180◦. The results reveal that the effect of air density is significant on detachment of the merged droplet from the substrate at the later stage of the jumping process; the larger the air density, the larger the jumping …

Surface Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles For Cancer Therapy Applications, Robert J. Wydra

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Despite recent advances, cancer remains the second leading cause of deaths in the United States. Magnetic nanoparticles have found various applications in cancer research as drug delivery platforms, enhanced contrast agents for improved diagnostic imaging, and the delivery of thermal energy as standalone therapy. Iron oxide nanoparticles absorb the energy from an alternating magnetic field and convert it into heat through Brownian and Neel relaxations. To better utilize magnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy, surface functionalization is essential for such factors as decreasing cytotoxicity of healthy tissue, extending circulation time, specific targeting of cancer cells, and manage the controlled delivery of …

Biomimetic Oral Mucin From Polymer Micelle Networks, Sundar Prasanth Authimoolam

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Mucin networks are formed by the complexation of bottlebrush-like mucin glycoprotein with other small molecule glycoproteins. These glycoproteins create nanoscale strands that then arrange into a nanoporous mesh. These networks play an important role in ensuring surface hydration, lubricity and barrier protection. In order to understand the functional behavior in mucin networks, it is important to decouple their chemical and physical effects responsible for generating the fundamental property-function relationship. To achieve this goal, we propose to develop a synthetic biomimetic mucin using a layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition approach. In this work, a hierarchical 3-dimensional structures resembling natural mucin networks was generated …

Alumina Supported Iron Catalyst For Hydrogen Production: Calcination Study, Anis H. Fakeeha, Wasim Ullah Khan, Ahmed A. Ibrahim, Raja L. Al-Otaibi, Ahmed S. Al-Fatesh, Moustafa A. Soliman, Ahmed E. Abasaeed

Chemical Engineering

Production of clean hydrogen from thermal decomposition of methane was studied over impregnated 30%Fe/Al2O3 catalysts in a micro-activity fixed-bed reactor. The reactant gases comprising CH4 and N2 in the ratio of 1.5 to 1 were passed through reactor at a flow rate of 25 mL/min. Moreover, effect of calcination was investigated as well. The catalytic activity results indicated that calcination temperature had a significant impact on the performance of 30%Fe/Al2O3 catalyst. The catalyst calcined at 450°C, having CH4 conversion as well as H2 yield over 70%, showed better activity as compared to all other calcination temperatures.

Modeling Of Pollutant Adsorption On Novel Modified Biomass As A Means Of Seawater Decontamination, Dimitrios K. Sidiras, Fragiskos K. Batzias, Ioanna G. Siontorou, Ilias G. Konstantinou, Ioanna Salapa, Stavroula P. Zervopoulou

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Bio-Hydrocarbons Through Catalytic Pyrolysis Of Used Cooking Oils: Towards Sustainable Jet And Road Fuels, Marco Buffi, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Upgraded Production Of A Hydroxylactone Anhydrosugar By Cellulose Pyrolysis And Its Application In The Synthesis Of Biologically Active Compounds, Ines Mancini, Andrea Defant, Federico Dosi', Danilo Malferrari, Daniele Fabbri

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Biodiesel Synthesis From Domestic Used Cooking Oil In Southern Europe: Evaluation Of Fuel Quality, T.D. Tsoutsos, St. Tournaki, O. Paraiba, D. Antunes, F. Giglio, P. Quero Garcia, J. Braga, H. Adrianos, M. Filice

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.