Engineering Commons^™

Studies On The Mechanism Of Electroreduction Of Oxalic Acid, Yu-Zhan Li, Xin Liu, Rui-Sheng Hu, Deng-Ping Gu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electroreduction mechanism of oxalic acid on Pb electrode in Na₂SO₄ solution were investigated using high scan rate cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The dynamic parameters for the first step electron transter reaction of oxalic acid electroreduction by were determined. The corresponding reduction peak potentials of oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid and glycolic acid in the cyclic voltammogranis obtained in the same condition were compared, and the intermediate reduction products of oxalic acid were suggested. The results showed that oxalic acid is weakly absorbed on the lead electrode.

Preparation, Structure And Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Carbon Nanotubes Supported Platinum Catalysts, Qing-Gang He, Xiao-Zi Yuan, Xian-Xia Yuan, Zi-Feng Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, Pt/CNTs catalyst was prepared and its electrocatalytic property was studied by obtaining cycling voltammetry curves (C-V) and Tafel curves. In addition, the XRD,XPS and TEM tests were carried out to determine the structure and composition of the catalysts. It can be found that the platinum loading has been increased significantly using a carbon nanotubes support. Dispersion of Platinum was better and gave more active sites. The electrochemical characteristic of Pt/CNTs was also more desirable than that of Pt/C catalys t(Johnson Matthey). In conclusion, carbon nanotubes can played a conspicuous role in "electrogenerative" processes of PEMFC hydrogenation reactor.

Electrochemical Character Of Water Containing Gel Electrolyte And Its Preliminary Examination In Lithium Water Cell, Jing-Dong Liu, Wen-Ji Wang, Xin-Zheng Yi

Journal of Electrochemistry

AC impedance technique has been used to characterize the system of poly(methyl acrylic acid)-poly(methyl acrylic lithiumate)-glycerol (referred to as GPE).The results showed that the conductivity of GPE increased with increasing both temperature and its water content.The glass transition temperature of GPE polymer could be lowered by water. Its conducting characteristic was just like liquid electrolyte,The electrolysis of GPE was almost the same as the electrolysis of water. Its composition voltage was about 1.50V. The GPE has been used to manufacture lithium water cell. When the graphite was used as cathode, the cell could discharge continuously for 2 hours under constant …

Bar Clamp Having Ergonomic Handle, M. Susan Hallbeck, Myung-Chul Jung

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The present invention generally relates to a handle assembly for a hand operable bar clamp having a fixed jaw, a movable jaw and a drive for translating the movable jaw towards the fixed jaw. The assembly includes a handgrip and a trigger handle. The handgrip having an elongated rear portion has a generally rounded surface and being contoured to complement the natural transverse curve pf a human palm. The trigger handle is pivotal with respect to the handgrip. The trigger handle included an elongated front portion having a rounded front surface and being contoured to complement the natural palmer curve …

Me-Em 2004 Annual Report, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plan
• Enrollment and Expenditure Data
• Faculty & Staff
• Industrial Advisory Committee
• Students
• Academic Programs
• Alumni
• Donations
• Contracts & Grants
• Graduates
• Publications

Processing, Microstructure And Mechanical Behavior Of Nanocomposite Multilayers, Zuqiang Qi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nanoscale multilayer coatings have high potential for numerous engineering applications because they can exhibit enhanced properties due to nanoscale effects and combine different properties from individual components. At present, scale effects on the mechanical behavior of multilayers are not well understood. Three multilayer nanocomposite systems, namely Al/Al2O3, Ti/TiN, and Cr/a-C, have been synthesized by using a dual-gun e-beam physical vapor deposition, to investigate the effect of layer thickness, the nature of components and their microstructures on the mechanical behavior. The deposited Al and Ti nanolayers were found to have polycrystalline fcc and hcp structure, respectively, the Cr and TiN layers …

Multifunctional Nanocomposite Co-Containing Diamondlike Carbon Thin Films, Fengli Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metal-containing, hydrogenated carbon films (Me-a-C:H) is a special class of nanocomposite films of particular interest since they can be multifunctional through the synergistic interaction of their individual components. Thus, nanocomposite thin films possess high potential in a wide field of engineering applications, especially in small scale devices. A series of multifunctional nanocomposite Co-a-C:H thin films have been synthesized by a hybrid chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) process to uncover the relationship between synthesis, microstructure and properties. The effects of deposition parameters on the microstructural evolution and properties have been systematically studied. The results showed that the …

Evolution Of Base Substitution Gradients In Primate Mitochondrial Genomes, Sameer Raina

LSU Master's Theses

The availability of large amounts of genetic data from the mitochondrial DNA of species has created an unprecedented opportunity for the study of evolutionary processes. Being our closest relatives on the evolutionary tree the primates are a prime candidate for the study of evolutionary processes. The availability of large amounts of genetic data from the primates allows us to study and compare results from different phylogenetic reconstruction methods and to study and trace rudimentary evolutionary processes within the primate lineage. The evolutionary process studied here is the response of the nucleotide frequency ratios to single-strandedness of sites during mitochondrial DNA …

Morphological Evolution And Instabilities Of Solid Thin Films And Wires, Wanxi Kan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation can be divided into four parts. In part I (Chapter 2), the diffusion controlled growth of multiple compound phases is studied with the nonlinear Kirkendall effect included. This part analyzes the growth of N compound phases. The method of finding intrinsic diffusion coefficients from only the positions of interfaces is found for two layers. In addition, the asymptotic analysis valid for small concentration gradients is applied to the “multi-foil” method of measuring intrinsic diffusion coefficients and yields an analytic solution for the displacement curve. A bounded solid film on a substrate can breakup from the edge into islands …

Modeling The Effects Of Rainfall Intensity And Deep Chiseling On Infiltration And Runoff Within Drainmod For Alluvial Soils, Daniel Nyabiba Moriasi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Accurate hydrologic models are needed to aid engineers and researchers design, install and evaluate efficient and cost-effective agricultural water management systems to reduce risks associated with food production, and to reduce soil erosion and water pollution. One model used for the alluvial soils of Louisiana is DRAINMOD. This model does not accurately predict infiltration and runoff for the crusting-prone alluvial soils of Louisiana. The main goal of this study was to modify the current DRAINMOD model to incorporate the effects of rainfall intensity and deep chiseling to improve its estimation of infiltration and surface runoff. The second goal was to …

An Understanding Of The Application Of Research Methods In Engineering Management, Andres Sousa-Poza, Rafael Landaeta, Leonardo Bedoya, Ipek Bozkurt, Yaneth Correa

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In this article, the use of research methods in the field of Engineering Management is analyzed. For this study, a database was formed by using articles from three journals in the Engineering Management field: the Engineering Management Journal (EMJ), the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and the Journal of Engineering and Technology Management (JETM). Articles written between 1999 and 2003 were analyzed and an Engineering Management research position map was developed to describe holistically the research methods being used in Engineering Management. No judgment on the Engineering Management field per se was undertaken as a result of this study. Instead, …

Optimization Of A Skewed Logistic Distribution With Respect To The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, James Charles Finney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The four-parameter kappa distribution (Hosking 1994) was analyzed with respect to the various possible shapes of the probability density function. The general form for the cumulative distribution function when both h and k are non-zero is: F(x) = { 1 - h [ 1 - k ( x - ξ ) / α ]^1/k }^1/h. The parameters h and k work together to define the function's shape, ξ affects location, and α is the scale parameter. A method of selecting parameters to minimize the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test statistic, D, was developed. The technique was first described for the …

Design And Fabrication Of Electromagnetic Micro-Relays Using The Uv-Liga Technique, John Dalton Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reports a research effort to microfabricate an electromagnetic relay for power applications using a multilayer UV-LIGA process. A mechanically wrapped coil was used and very simple design for the magnetic circuit was adopted to increase the design flexibility and performances. The broad material selection and the capability of making high aspect ratio microstructures of the UV-LIGA make the technology best suited for fabricating microelectromechanical power relays. Fabrication of the device required significant advances in the optical lithography of SU-8 negative photoresist. Research proved that aspect-ratios up to 40:1 in isolated open field structures of thickness between 1 and …

Synthesis, Structure, And Tribological Behavior Of Nanocomposite Dlc Based Thin Films, Varshni Singh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films possess a combination of attractive properties and have been largely employed to modify the tribological behavior of materials. Nanocomposite, metal-containing DLC films are the new generation of these coatings providing tremendous potential to modify and tailor their properties expanding their applications in the field of nanotechnology. The present study investigates nanoscale effects on the tribological behavior of composite nanostructured DLC-based films and functional coatings. Three aspects were studied: (i) effect of Cr interlayer on a functionally gradient substrate; (ii) nanoparticulate Cr-containing DLC (Cr-DLC) films; and (iii) nanocomposite multilayered Cr/DLC coatings. Intensified plasma assisted nitriding produced a …

Trailer Mounted Bursting Energy Absorption System, John D. Reid, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A portable crash attenuation System having a trailer frame and an energy absorption mechanism attached thereto. The absorption mechanism has a first Stage pivotably connected to a Second Stage and the Second Stage is pivotably connected to the frame. By pivoting the Stages about hinges the attenuation System may be folded from an extended, deployed position or mode to a shortened transit mode for easy relocation of the entire attenuation System.

Mechanical Properties And Corrosion Resistance Of Ni-Sic Nano Composite Coatings On 2024-T3 Aluminum, Amit Jain

Masters Theses

Coatings of nickel with and without silicon carbide nano-particles were carried out on 2024-T3 aluminum alloy by the electrochemical process. The size of the silicon carbide particles was less than 50nm. Nickel coatings were done using a nickel sulfamate bath maintained at a constant temperature of 50° ± 5° C. Tensile specimens were prepared and studied to determine the Young's modulus of bare aluminum, with nickel coatings and with composite nickel and silicon carbide coatings. Wear samples of 1 inch² (6.45cm²) were prepared and studied for wear resistance. The residual stress measurements were done by the hole …

Chemical Kinetics And Thermal Hydraulics Of Lead Bismuth Flow Loops, Kanthi Kiran Dasika

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The objective of the thesis is to study the effect of chemical kinetics and thermal hydraulics of Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) flow in the Materials Test Loop (MTL). The Materials Test Loop, also known as the Delta Loop, was built in Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL) to obtain the experimental data for corrosion estimation and analysis. It is a well-known fact that corrosion plays an important role in the design of nuclear thermal hydraulic systems. Since the MTL is a multi-section closed system that differs in diameter from one part to another, an intensive study on the overall and regional …

Preparation And Characterization Of Y-Type Carbon Nanotubes By Using Anodized Alumina Oxide (Aao) Template, Jing Zhang, Quan-Yong Gao, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, potential-modulation method was used in two-step anodization process to make an AAO template with Y-type nanochannels. Then Y-type carbon nanotubes with controlled length and branch angle were prepared in the template based on chemical vapor decomposion (CVD) method with Co particles as catalyst and C₂H₂ as carbon source. The Y-type nanotube branches exhibit the angle distribution ranging from 20° to 120°. The results demonstrated that the oxidation potential should be responsible for the angles and length of the branches. Short pulse and high oxidation potential will result in the short and dense nanotube branches.

Study On The Gas Generation In Different Charging Voltage During Formation Process In Polymer Lithium-Ion Battery, Li Huang, Ming-Gang Jin, Hui-Qun Cai, Ming-Sen Zheng, Quan-Feng Dong, Jin-Kua You, Zu-Geng Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

The gases of polymer lithium-ion battery (PLI) generated under different voltages during the first charging process were examined by means of gas chromatography (GC), and the mechanism of the gas generation was discussed. The electrolyte used in batteries was 1 mol/L LiPF₆-EC～DMC～EMC=1∶1∶1(in volume). The results showed that when the charging voltage is less than 2.5 V,  the main component of generated gases are H₂ and CO₂, and when the charging voltage is 2.5 V, EC begins to decompose. Due to the decomposition of EC, the main generated gas is C₂H₄ when the …

Electrochemical And In-Situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies On The Sb Underpotential Deposition On Cu Single Crystal Electrodes, Ji-Hong Wu, Jia-Wei Yan, Jing Tang, Wen-Yun Hu, Bing-Wei Mao

Journal of Electrochemistry

We report electrochemical and in-situ STM studies on Sb UPD onto Cu(111) and Cu(100) electrode surfaces in HClO₄ and H₂SO₄ solutions. The results indicate that the electrode surface structure as well as anion can considerably influence Sb UPD. Sb UPD on Cu(100) forms open adlayer structures, which is accompanied by surface alloying due to the more open structure of the (100) surface, On Cu(111), a more compact Sb adlayer is formed instead. Anion adsorption influences the dynamics as well as the adlayer structure of Sb UPD. Owing to the strong adsorption of SO₄^2-, …

Application Of Hydrogen-Storage Alloy Electrode In Electrochemical Reduction Of Glucose, Hui Chen, You-Gen Tang, Zheng Tang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrolysis of glucose was performed at constant potential using hydrogen-storage alloy as catalytic reduction electrode. It was found that the superficial treatment and activation of hydrogen-storage alloy powder had obvious effects on improving the current efficiency of sorbitol. Under the optimums, current efficiency of sorbitol by electrolyzing glucose was over 94%. The yield of sorbitol was over 80%, the lifespan of electrode was tested and analyzed, the ways of regeneration were discussed.

Pitting Characteristics Of Cu-50/60ni Alloys In Nacl Solution, Jie Li, Yan Niu, Shi-Zhe Song

Journal of Electrochemistry

The pitting behavior of nanocrystalline Cu-50/60Ni and cast Cu-50/60Ni alloys in different concentration of NaCl solutions has been investigated using various electrochemical methods. A logarithmic dependence of the passive breakdown potential (E_b), which is established using dynamic potential scan technic, on the chloride concentration was obtained for both alloys. The study on pitting propagation of both alloys was carried out using potential step chronocurrent method. As long as pits initiate on both alloys, the pits on nanocrystalline Cu-Ni alloys develop faster than those on cast alloys.

Preparation And Properties Of The Composite Microporous Pvdf-Hfp/Sio2 Based Polymer Electrolytes, Bao-Wen Zhang, Lu Qi, Hui Hen, Xiao-Hui Zhu, Li-Yan Liu, Yun-Xiang Ci

Journal of Electrochemistry

Microporous PVDF-HFP/SiO₂ film were prepared using a solvent/nonsolvent method-phase inversion method and the volatile plasticizers DMC, DEC or PC. The conductivity of the films increased pore volume measured by a nonsolvent uptake method. The conductivity of 1.86×10^-3 S⋅m^-1 were obtained using the liquid electrolyte LiPF₆(1 M) in EC/DMC (1:1).

Optimizing Catalyst Layer Composition Of Pemfc By Orthogonal Method, Ming-Hua Wang, Xin-Jian Zhu, Guang-Yi Cao, Sheng Sui, Qing-Chun Yu, Ming-Ruo Hu, Zheng-Yu Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

The optimal composition of catalyst layer in a PEMFC electrode was studied through orthogonal method. It was showed that the performance of hydrophilic electrodes, in which there is no PTFE in the catalyst layer, were more favorable than that of hydrophobic electrodes. According to this condition, the power density of PEMFC attained 0.37 w·cm^-2 when the Nafion loading was 1.4 mg·cm^-2, and the Pt loading was 0.4 mg·cm^-2 in the catalyst layer, using H₂ as fuel and air as oxidant both at atmospheric pressure. Additionally, the results showed that increasing Pt loading in Pt/C catalyst …

Study On Degradation Of Phenol By Electrochemical Oxidation, Yue-Li Liu, Hong-Hua Ge

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrochemical oxidation of phenol was carried out by the Dimensionally Stable Anodes (DSA) electrode, which has been discarded as waste by alkali chloride factory. The result indicates that a good phenol removal can be obtained under certain phenol concentration by the DSA electrode. The key factor in effecting phenol removal of electrochemical oxidation is applied current density, the following factors are pH, electrolyte concentration and phenol concentration. After experiments, the optimal test conditions are 30 mA/cm², pH 10, electrolyte concentration 10 mg/L, phenol concentration 10 mg/L.67% CODcr removal and 90% absorbance removal are gained by electrochemical oxidation for …

Adsorption And Oxidation Of Phenol Electrode Processes, Bao-Cheng Wang, Yan-Ping Sun, Jin-Hua Zhu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical behaviors of platinum electrode were studied by cyclic voltammetry in 1mol/L sulfuric acid solution and 1mol/L sulfuric acid solution contained phenol. The adsorption characteristics of phenol and the intermediat on electrode surface have been discussed. The reactive reversibility and oxidation mechanism of phenol on electrode process have been investigated.The potential of characteristic adsorption was suggested. The various products woud be formed when the electrode potential was greater than the one of characteristic adsorption.

The Study Of Green Corrosion Inhibitors For Mild Steel 907 In Natural Seawater Environment, Ping Gong, Min Du, Qing-Zhang Wang, Zhen-Jun Mu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nine green compounds, including calcium gluconate, zinc gluconate, zinc sulfate, garlic, ACUSOL 445N, OS-15, APG, OCTA and STPP were selected according to the methods of molecule design and function groups prune. The functions of combined corrosion inhibitors mixed by the compounds mentioned above for mild steel in seawater were studied in this work using the methods of polarization curve and weight-loss.The best weight ratio and distinct synergistic effect of calcium gluconate, zinc sulfate and OCTA were studied by Latin experiment. The afgereffects of the best weight ratio corrosoin inhibitor were studied by subsection experiment. In this way, a kind of …

The Study On Carbon Nanotube-Loaded Pt Catalysts For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Hong Zhu, Feng-Juan Ge, Xiao-Hong Kang, Yu-Guo Yang, Yun-Hua Xu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Carbon nanotube-supported-platinum (Pt/CNTs) and carbon-supported-platinum (Pt/C) catalysts were synthesized by in-situ chemical reduction. They were analyzed using TEM and XRD, then made into electrodes to be part of assemable PEMFC for the performence tests. The resulted show that Pt clusters in both catalysts are of small particle size (about 4nm), and Pt/CNTs exhibits a higher catalytic activity than Pt/C.

The Current Fluctuations Of Carbon Steel In Nano2-Nacl Solutions, Yu-Ming Tang, Yu Zuo

Journal of Electrochemistry

The characteristics of current fluctuations of A3 carbon steel in NaNO₂-NaCl solutions were studied with potentiostatic and potentiodynamic polarization methods. The steel remained stable passivation in 0.1 mol/L NaNO₂ solution without Cl^-. After NaCl was added in to the solution, current fluctuations with a characteristic of quick increase and slow decrease occurred, indicating quick dissolution and slow re-passivation of the metastable pits. The metastable pitting may cause accumulated corrosion damage around certain area and result in observable pits. With the increase of chloride concentration, the occurring potential for metastable pits Em rised, and peak values …

Remote Monitoring Of Repository Integrity Using Passive Seismic Arrays, Barbara Luke, Evangelos Yfantis

Publications (YM)

Once radioactive waste is emplaced in the repository, the challenge of monitoring the continued integrity of the excavated openings (e.g., emplacement drifts) escalates tremendously. We envision a seismic monitoring array installed on the surface at Yucca Mountain, which operates automatically to monitor repository opening stability in the long term. The objective is to monitor and validate the structural integrity of the emplacement drifts through identifying and localizing rock falls that could compromise drift access, hinder waste retrievability, and potentially reduce the effective life of waste canisters. Collateral benefits of the system include the ability to address some outstanding uncertainties regarding …