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Articles 91 - 120 of 226

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Converting Inorganic Rust To Organic Nanostructured Conducting Polymers: Synthesis And Applications, Yifan Diao May 2021

Converting Inorganic Rust To Organic Nanostructured Conducting Polymers: Synthesis And Applications, Yifan Diao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Iron rust is a type of corrosion product, coming from the chemical reaction between iron and oxygen in the presence of water that first documented ca. 800 BCE. It is a heterogeneous inorganic solid-state material composed of multiple phases and is ubiquitous throughout the universe. Rust species such as Hematite (α-Fe2O3), Akaganeite (β-FeOOH), and ferrous hydroxide (Fe(OH)2), make up the solid-state chemical family composed of iron oxides, oxyhydroxides, and hydroxides that are typically recognized as chemical waste. Conducting polymer is a type of organic plastic composed of long chains with repeating subunits that bonding with strong interactions between neighboring molecules. …


Characterization Of Asphalt/Recycled Plastic Blends Modified By Exfoliated Clay Nanoplatelets, Kate A. Nguyen May 2021

Characterization Of Asphalt/Recycled Plastic Blends Modified By Exfoliated Clay Nanoplatelets, Kate A. Nguyen

Material Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

There is a renewed interest from federal and state transportation agencies as well as the asphalt industry in developing successful utilization of recycled plastics in asphalt pavements. By incorporating a third material into the asphalt/plastic blend, a stimulation of enhanced compatibility between the waste plastics and asphalt can be observed. In this thesis, the need for increased stability and improved mechanical performance of asphalt blends, at low and high temperatures, are addressed through the use of dispersed/exfoliated organic montmorillonite nanoplatelets a.k.a. nanoclay (NC). Previous studies with non-dispersed NC as a modifier in asphalt (AS) and polyethylene (PE) blends reported the …


Development Of Biomaterials For Drug Delivery, Raquel De Castro May 2021

Development Of Biomaterials For Drug Delivery, Raquel De Castro

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drug delivery systems (DDS) have highly evolved in the last decades with the development of hydrogels and nanoparticles. However, high systemic uptake, side effects, low bioavailability, and encapsulation efficiency continue to be a major hurdle faced by such DDSs.

Nanoparticles and hydrogels can be specifically designed for targeted DDSs to mitigate some of the problems. This dissertation aimed to design two DDSs for ocular drug delivery and one for cancer treatment. The first project sought to develop chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NP) using PEGDA as a copolymer to encapsulate gentamicin (GtS) for ocular drug delivery. Cs-NPs contain positive charges that can interact …


Peptoid-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles For Zika Virus Envelope Protein Detection, Meagan Olsen May 2021

Peptoid-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles For Zika Virus Envelope Protein Detection, Meagan Olsen

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Detection and identification of viral pathogens is essential in providing effective and rapid medical treatment. Well-established detection methods can be expensive, slow, and sometimes unable to provide the needed sensitivity and specificity. The Zika virus is one clinically relevant pathogen that cannot be easily identified due to cross-reactivity with other viruses from the same family. Electrochemical sensors enhanced with peptoid-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are an alternative to traditional techniques that offers rapid, accurate, label-free pathogen detection for point-of-care diagnostics. To this end, a peptoid capable of binding to the Zika virus envelope protein was developed and its binding affinity for …


Characterization, Immobilization, And Polymer Related Applications Of Watermelon Seed Powder, A Practical Source Of Urease Enzyme, Anthony Quan Quoc Mai Feb 2021

Characterization, Immobilization, And Polymer Related Applications Of Watermelon Seed Powder, A Practical Source Of Urease Enzyme, Anthony Quan Quoc Mai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Urease enzyme was crystallized almost a century ago, and to this day its intrinsic stability is not ideal for everyday applications. This work introduces a new process by which a naturally encapsulated material, watermelon seed powder (WMSP), is characterized for its stability and activity. WMSP enzymatic activity has been measured for over a year at various storage conditions—exposed to ambient atmosphere for a year, WMSP retained above 90% activity. In aqueous conditions, the enzyme maintained above 60% activity after two months; with the addition of a preservative that number stays at about 90%. There is a pH shift of the …


Assessment Of Heavy Metal Concentration In Soils Around Geita The Gold Mine, Tanzania, Mariam G. Mgendi, Mkabwa L. K Manoko, W.J.S. Mwegoha, C. Southway C. Southway Jan 2021

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Concentration In Soils Around Geita The Gold Mine, Tanzania, Mariam G. Mgendi, Mkabwa L. K Manoko, W.J.S. Mwegoha, C. Southway C. Southway

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Health issues related to gold mining cannot be underestimated. Gold mining produce acid mine drainage (AMD), which in turn releases heavy metals into the nearby environment, hence causing environmental pollution. Heavy metals are naturally very toxic, thus pose a great health concern especially when their concentration exceeds the recommended permissible limits. In this study, concentrations of five heavy metals—including Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn—were assessed in the soil around Geita Gold Mine (GGM). A total of 17 sampling sites were established from which the soil samples were collected at 0-15cm and 15-30cm soil depth. The concentration of both total …


Observation Of New Particle Formation In The Northern Hemisphere At Altitude From 4 To 20 Km, Mohamed Saad Jan 2021

Observation Of New Particle Formation In The Northern Hemisphere At Altitude From 4 To 20 Km, Mohamed Saad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New particle formation (NPF) is investigated using measurements of aerosol size distributions and meteorological variables made in two continents, including USA and Europe. Despite the considerably different aerosol particle abundances among the sites, a common relationship was found between the characteristics of NPF events and the air mass convective and/or advective transport. CO and O3 act as tracers of tropospheric and stratospheric air, respectively, their statistical relationship can be used to quantify air mass characteristics and origins. The mixing ratio values of CO increased within the upper troposphere layer before/during NPF events, which may serve as an indicator of occurring …


Laser Powder Bed Fusion Of Ti6al4v-Xcu: Process Parameters, Thywill Ccphas Dzogbewu Jan 2021

Laser Powder Bed Fusion Of Ti6al4v-Xcu: Process Parameters, Thywill Ccphas Dzogbewu

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The original intent of coating biomedical and surgical devices surface with antibacterial agents is to prevent infections. However, the difference in the material properties between the biomedical devices and the coating materials causes the coating material to spall from the biomedical devices. To address the situation, the current research focused on investigating the possibility of using laser powder bed fusion process a subset of additive manufacturing technology to in situ alloy 1 at% Cu with Ti6Al4V. In situ alloying 1 at% Cu with Ti6Al4V would lead to the production of medical and surgical devices with inbuilt antibacterial property. To determine …


การผลิตฟิล์มดูดกลืนยูวีจากลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์จากลิกนินในน้ำดำของการผลิตเยื่อชานอ้อยด้วยวิธีโซดา, ชลธิดา บุญตามส่ง Jan 2021

การผลิตฟิล์มดูดกลืนยูวีจากลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์จากลิกนินในน้ำดำของการผลิตเยื่อชานอ้อยด้วยวิธีโซดา, ชลธิดา บุญตามส่ง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในขั้นตอนการผลิตเยื่อกระดาษด้วยวิธีโซดาจะเกิดของเสียขึ้นเรียกว่า น้ำดำ ซึ่งมีลิกนินเป็นองค์ประกอบหลัก ลิกนินที่ได้นั้นสามารถนำไปสังเคราะห์เป็นลิกโนซัลโฟเนตซึ่งมีสมบัติเป็นสารอิมัลซิไฟเออร์และสามารถดูดกลืนรังสียูวี งานวิจัยนี้จึงได้ศึกษาการผลิตแผ่นฟิล์มดูดกลืนยูวีจากลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์จากลิกนินในน้ำดำที่ได้จากการผลิตเยื่อชานอ้อยด้วยวิธีโซดา โดยเริ่มจากการศึกษาผลของความเข้มข้นของโซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์ในกระบวนการผลิตเยื่อต่อการสกัดลิกนิน โดยทดลองใช้ความเข้มข้นของโซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์ในการต้มเยื่อที่ร้อยละ 12, 14, 16 และ 18 ของน้ำหนักเยื่อแห้ง เนื่องจากลิกนินมีความสามารถในการละลายที่ต่ำในตัวกลางที่เป็นกรด จึงได้ทำการแยกลิกนินโดยวิธีการเติมกรดซัลฟิวริกในน้ำดำ พบว่าลิกนินที่ได้จากความเข้มข้นของโซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์แตกต่างกันจะมีโครงสร้างเหมือนกันและเมื่อเพิ่มความเข้มข้นของโซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์ในการต้มเยื่อจะได้ปริมาณลิกนินที่เพิ่มขึ้น การใช้ความเข้มข้นของโซเดียมไฮดรอกไซด์ที่ร้อยละ 12 ให้อัตราส่วนลิกนินต่อสารเคมีสูงที่สุดจึงได้เลือกลิกนินที่ได้จากภาวะนี้ไปตกตะกอนและนำไปสังเคราะห์เป็นลิกโนซัลโฟเนตผ่านปฏิกิริยาเมทิลซัลโฟเนชันโดยใช้ฟอร์มาลดีไฮด์และโซเดียมซัลไฟต์ พบว่าลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์ได้ภายในงานวิจัยมีโครงสร้างคล้ายกับลิกโนซัลโฟเนตเชิงการค้า จากนั้นได้นำลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์ได้ผสมกับพอลิเมอร์ที่สามารถย่อยสลายได้ เพื่อศึกษาสมบัติต่างๆ ของฟิล์ม ลักษณะของฟิล์มที่ได้มีความเป็นเนื้อเดียวกันแสดงถึงความเข้ากันได้ระหว่างลิกโนซัลโฟเนตและพอลิเมอร์ ฟิล์มที่ผสมลิกโนซัลโฟเนตสามารถดูดกลืนรังสีในช่วงยูวีได้ทั้งหมด เนื่องจากมีหมู่โครโมฟอร์ซึ่งมีความสามารถในการดูดกลืนยูวีอยู่ในโครงสร้าง ฟิล์มที่ผสมลิกโนซัลโฟเนตนั้นผิวหน้าของฟิล์มจะมีความชอบน้ำมากขึ้น การเติมลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่สังเคราะห์ในงานวิจัยสามารถปรับปรุงสมบัติเชิงกลของฟิล์มได้โดยจะไปเพิ่มความต้านทานแรงดึงของฟิล์มและค่ายังมอดูลัส จากการศึกษาสภาวะที่เหมาะสมโดยวิธีพื้นที่ผิวตอบสนองพบว่าความเข้มข้นที่เหมาะสมต่อการผลิตฟิล์มที่ต้านทานยูวีได้ร้อยละ 97 พบว่าต้องผสมลิกโนซัลโฟเนตที่ความเข้มข้นร้อยละ 0.29 โดยน้ำหนักต่อปริมาตร ปริมาณพอลิไวนิลแอลกอฮอล์ที่ความเข้มข้นร้อยละ 0.89 โดยน้ำหนักต่อปริมาตร และกลีเซอรอลร้อยละ 0.89 โดยปริมาตร


New Horizons For Processing And Utilizing Red Mud, M. Archambo Jan 2021

New Horizons For Processing And Utilizing Red Mud, M. Archambo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Red mud is an industrial slurry waste that is produced as a byproduct of the Bayer process for alumina. The waste is generated in large quantities, up to a ratio of 2:1 against the valued product alumina. Red mud exhibits many chemical and physical properties that categorize it as a hazardous material. Due to the addition of sodium hydroxide in processing, the pH is typically at values close to 13. Small particle size discourages separation from water for disposal, so drying red mud happens over many years.

The pH of red mud can be reduced with inexpensive reagents. Carbon dioxide …


Leveraging Biomimicry And Additive Manufacturing To Improve Load Transfer In Brittle Materials, Ana Paula Bernardo Dec 2020

Leveraging Biomimicry And Additive Manufacturing To Improve Load Transfer In Brittle Materials, Ana Paula Bernardo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the emergence of Additive Manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) in construction, new strategically designed shapes can be created to improve load transfer through structural members and foundations. Cross-sections can be optimized to carry load using less material, or even using weaker constituent materials, like soils, which are cheap and abundant. The goal of this research is to investigate the benefits of using cellular patterns which leverage biomimicry in civil engineering applications, since nature has perfectly engineered materials and patterns which carry loads with the least amount of material possible. Most of the periodic cellular work to date has focused on …


Raman Spectroscopic Investigation Of The Speciation Of Uranyl (Vi) And Thorium (Iv) Ions In Chloride-Bearing Aqueous Solutions Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Nadib Akram Dec 2020

Raman Spectroscopic Investigation Of The Speciation Of Uranyl (Vi) And Thorium (Iv) Ions In Chloride-Bearing Aqueous Solutions Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Nadib Akram

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Raman spectra were acquired for a uranyl chloride aqueous solution at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 500°C at the chloride concentration of 6M and uranium (vi) concentration of 0.05M. The measurements were taken by sealing the sample in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) which enabled spectra acquisition at non-ambient conditions. The pressure inside the cell was measured by estimating the liquid-vapor homogenization temperature (TH) and using the isochoric equation of state diagram of water. The acquired spectra were then fitted to determine the speciation distribution of the various uranyl chloride species for the mentioned concentration. The developed …


Water Conservation Potential Of Self-Funded Foam-Based Flexible Surface-Mounted Floatovoltaics, Kaomi Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Ravneet Kaur Kailey Nov 2020

Water Conservation Potential Of Self-Funded Foam-Based Flexible Surface-Mounted Floatovoltaics, Kaomi Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Ravneet Kaur Kailey

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

A potential solution to the coupled water–energy–food challenges in land use is the concept of floating photovoltaics or floatovoltaics (FPV). In this study, a new approach to FPV is investigated using a flexible crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) module backed with foam, which is less expensive than conventional pontoon-based FPV. This novel form of FPV is tested experimentally for operating temperature and performance and is analyzed for water-savings using an evaporation calculation adapted from the Penman–Monteith model. The results show that the foam-backed FPV had a lower operating temperature than conventional pontoon-based FPV, and thus a 3.5% higher energy output per …


Effect Of Landfill Leachates On Some Water Quality Indicators Of Selected Surface Water And Groundwater At Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, Olorunwa Omofunmi, Adesola Satimehin, Abraham Oloye, Okwunna Umego Nov 2020

Effect Of Landfill Leachates On Some Water Quality Indicators Of Selected Surface Water And Groundwater At Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, Olorunwa Omofunmi, Adesola Satimehin, Abraham Oloye, Okwunna Umego

Makara Journal of Technology

This study was conducted to examine the impact of dumpsites on the quality of groundwater and surface water. The water samples and leachates were collected from dumpsites in respective zones. The physicochemical properties of the samples were examined and determined in accordance with the standards of the American Public Health Association. Results indicated that the groundwater and surface water that are close to the dumpsites have an electrical conductivity of 385 and 245 Sd/cm, total dissolved solids of 168 and 128 mg/L, a turbidity of 4.6 and 22 NTU, a total alkalinity of 103 and 50 mg/L, a total hardness …


Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone Sep 2020

Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Integrated Rural Energy Planning (IREP) framework offers a unified road map for locating, planning and operating decentralized renewable hybrid off-grid energy systems for localized (rural) applications in low-income countries. This paper presents the culmination of the IREP framework and aims to illustrate the final step of the IREP framework for two communities in Nigeria. It is focused on two aspects. Firstly, the techno-economic modeling (investment and operation optimization) of a hybrid mini-grid system using HOMER Pro, a techno-economic evaluation tool; and evaluating the benefits of demand side management (DSM) based on energy efficiency on the overall system economics using …


Cerium Oxide Based Nanocomposites For Supercapacitors, Aadithya Jeyaranjan Jan 2020

Cerium Oxide Based Nanocomposites For Supercapacitors, Aadithya Jeyaranjan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Access to clean, and sustainable energy is one of the biggest challenges of our generation. With the rapid growth of renewable energy harvesters, developing electrochemical energy storage devices (EEDs) that respond well to them is of significant interest. Supercapacitors are a class of EEDs with exceptional power densities and ultra-long cycle life. These properties make them an attractive candidate as a replacement, or to be used in combination with batteries and other EEDs. In this dissertation, nano cerium oxide (nano CeO2) based materials are examined as an active material for supercapacitor applications. The first part of this work details how …


Increasing Access To Pv Technology Through Sustainable Racking: A Review Of Existing Literature And Ground Mounted Fixed Tilt Designs, And What Can Be Done Next, Parijata Prabhakara Jan 2020

Increasing Access To Pv Technology Through Sustainable Racking: A Review Of Existing Literature And Ground Mounted Fixed Tilt Designs, And What Can Be Done Next, Parijata Prabhakara

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There is a lack of literature on the structural balance of systems (BOS), also called racking, for ground mount, fixed-tilt solar PV systems. Literature that exists discusses mostly rooftop racking and installations, additional wind loading, and weight considerations imposed on roofs, and little guidance is provided in building codes. The lack of peer-reviewed guidance on design requirements for domestic and large-scale application solar PV racking systems leaves most consumers relying on expensive, patented, off-the-shelf hardware. As PV cell technology and module costs have improved, we can start to focus on PV BOS improvements (particularly racking) and move towards sustainable designs …


Retrofit Of Corroded Corrugated Metal Culverts Using Gfrp Slip-Liner, Rahulreddy Chennareddy Dec 2019

Retrofit Of Corroded Corrugated Metal Culverts Using Gfrp Slip-Liner, Rahulreddy Chennareddy

Civil Engineering ETDs

Culverts are water conveyance structures, typically used to allow water flow and maintain a balance between the flow streams without interrupting structures such as highways and bridges. Corrugated metal pipes (CMPs) have been used as culverts in North America since the 1950s because of their low cost and simple construction method. Today, the corrosion of CMPs is a major problem faced by all U.S. Departments of Transportation. There is an urgent need to provide an efficient solution, one that is corrosion-resistant, to retrofit thousands of corroded CMPs across the country. High specific strength, high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, …


Guiding Principles In Developing The South African Approach To Durability Index Testing Of Concrete, Yunus Ballim, Mark Alexander Nov 2019

Guiding Principles In Developing The South African Approach To Durability Index Testing Of Concrete, Yunus Ballim, Mark Alexander

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Focused thinking on the possibility of early-age testing of concrete for long-term durability started in earnest during the late 1980’s in South Africa. Through sustained research, development and trial implementation on construction projects, three durability index (DI) tests have emerged, two of which have been adopted as national standard test methods for concrete construction, the remaining one being prepared a national standard. In this paper we review the guiding or foundational principles that directed the development of these DI tests, with a view to assessing the appropriateness and relevance of these guiding principles to modern concretes. The last 30 years …


Soil-Recycled Aggregate-Geopolymer Road Base/Subbase Mixtures: Steps Towards Sustainability, Mohammad Khattak, Daniel Odion Oct 2019

Soil-Recycled Aggregate-Geopolymer Road Base/Subbase Mixtures: Steps Towards Sustainability, Mohammad Khattak, Daniel Odion

Publications

This study deals with the development of Soil-Geopolymer mixtures using flyash, alkali activator and recycled aggregates (RAG) including recycled concrete (RCA) and reclaimed asphalt (RAP) as an alternative to soil-cement for pavement base and subbase layers. Several mix constituents were varied such as flyash type and content, RCA and RAP content and ratio of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. Experiment design was established and mechanical and durability characteristics of Soil-RAG-Geopolymer mixtures were evaluated and then compared to the conventional soil-cement mixtures. The results of the testing showed that for the selected Soil-RAG-Geopolymer mixtures the strength, stiffness, permanent deformation, and durability …


Implementing Population-Based Mass Drug Administration For Malaria: Experience From A High Transmission Setting In North Eastern Uganda, Richard Elliott Aug 2019

Implementing Population-Based Mass Drug Administration For Malaria: Experience From A High Transmission Setting In North Eastern Uganda, Richard Elliott

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) is a suggested mean to accelerate efforts towards elimination and attainment of malaria-free status. There is limited evidence of suitable methods of implementing MDA programme to achieve a high coverage and compliance in low-income countries. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of this MDA delivery strategy while using coverage measured as effective population in the community and population available.

Methods: Population-based MDA was implemented as a part of a larger program in a high transmission setting in Uganda. Four rounds of interventions were implemented over a period of 2 years at …


Recovery Of Carbonaceous Solid Residue (Char) From Coal Ash To Use As Possible Substitute Graphite-Based Materials In Green Energy Applications, Ana C. Santos, Charlotte J. Badenhorst, Barbara Białecka, Joanna Całus-Moszko May 2019

Recovery Of Carbonaceous Solid Residue (Char) From Coal Ash To Use As Possible Substitute Graphite-Based Materials In Green Energy Applications, Ana C. Santos, Charlotte J. Badenhorst, Barbara Białecka, Joanna Całus-Moszko

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

No abstract provided.


Synergy And Timing: A Concurrent Mass Medical Campaign Predicted To Augment Indoor Residual Spraying For Malaria, Richard C. Elliott, David L. Smith, Dorothy C. Echodu May 2019

Synergy And Timing: A Concurrent Mass Medical Campaign Predicted To Augment Indoor Residual Spraying For Malaria, Richard C. Elliott, David L. Smith, Dorothy C. Echodu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Control programmes for high burden countries are tasked with charting effective multi-year strategies for malaria control within significant resource constraints. Synergies between different control tools, in which more than additive benefit accrues from interventions used together, are of interest because they may be used to obtain savings or to maximize health impact per expenditure. One commonly used intervention in sub-Saharan Africa is indoor residual spraying (IRS), typically deployed through a mass campaign. While possible synergies between IRS and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) have been investigated in multiple transmission settings, coordinated synergy between IRS and other mass medical distribution campaigns …


Iron-Containing Nanoparticles For The Treatment Of Chrionic Biofilm Infections In Cystic Fibrosis, Leisha M. A. Martin Apr 2019

Iron-Containing Nanoparticles For The Treatment Of Chrionic Biofilm Infections In Cystic Fibrosis, Leisha M. A. Martin

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disease resulting in the morbidity and mortality of Caucasian children and adults worldwide. Due to a genetic mutation resulting in malfunction of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein, CF patients produce highly viscous mucus in their respiratory tract. This leads to impairment of the mucociliary clearance of inhaled microbes. In addition to reduced microbial clearance, anoxic environmental conditions in the lungs promote biofilm-mode growth of the pathogenic bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chronic infections of P. aeruginosa begin in early childhood and typically persist until respiratory failure and death result. The …


Study Of Synthesis Of Biodegradable Plastics From Alkaline Fermented Excessive Activated Sludge, Yaohui Liu, Chua Hong Jan 2019

Study Of Synthesis Of Biodegradable Plastics From Alkaline Fermented Excessive Activated Sludge, Yaohui Liu, Chua Hong

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The environmental problems associated with plastics have become increasingly severe in recent years. Technologically and economically feasible solutions are in urgent need in order to ensure sustainable development in the plastic industry. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of specialized polyesters of hydroxyalkanoates (HAs) and can be completely degraded in natural environment. They can be synthesized naturally or under artificially controlled processes. The barrier of limiting the application of PHAs is the high production cost. From years of study, PHAs are proofed to be able to be accumulated within the bacterial cells in activated sludge and the production yield had been …


Leaching Characteristics Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Xinbo Yang Jan 2019

Leaching Characteristics Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal-Based Sources, Xinbo Yang

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has increased over the last decade due to applications in high technology devices including those in the defense industry. The recovery of REEs from primary sources such as rare earth minerals are viable using physical separations followed by chemical processing. However, weak market values and environmental concerns have limited the viability of such operations. On the other hand, REE recovery from secondary sources such as apatite ore, bauxite waste, and waste recycling, provides an opportunity to take advantage of a resource that does not require mining costs as well as other associated costs …


Cadmium Sulfide-Buffered Pv Systems: Assessing The Environmental, Health, And Economic Impacts, Maqsood Ali Mughal, Rajesh Sharma Jan 2019

Cadmium Sulfide-Buffered Pv Systems: Assessing The Environmental, Health, And Economic Impacts, Maqsood Ali Mughal, Rajesh Sharma

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

As the world’s population continues to grow, global energy crises are expected to rise in the future, thus accelerating the demand for renewable energy technology, particularly solar photovoltaics. The energy sector will face an increasingly complex array of interlocking challenges - technological, environmental, health, economic, and regulatory. In this paper, we study CdS, a widely used buffer material in thin film photovoltaics, to assess and monetize environmental, health, and socio-economic externalities associated with the use of the material. Currently, CdS has a significant advantage over other alternate buffer materials in terms of efficiency and low-cost production of large-area processing of …


Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements (Rees) From Coal Mine Drainage Sludge Leachate, Panpan Ren Jan 2019

Recovery Of Rare Earth Elements (Rees) From Coal Mine Drainage Sludge Leachate, Panpan Ren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is the primary cause of aquatic habitat loss in the Appalachian Coal Basin and many other mining districts across the U.S. and the world. The objective of this work is to develop a cost-effective and environmentally benign process to treat and recover Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from AMD. Solvent extraction (SX) is one effective way to turn AMD into a commercially viable feedstock for rare earth production.

In this work, SX experiments were conducted on Y-Ca-Mg-Al-HDEHP-n-heptane-HNO3-H2O system to simulate AMD treatment for Yttrium recovery by changing four parameters: pH values, concentration ratio of Yttrium (Y) over …


Computational Studies On Perovskite-Metallofullerene Interface And Magnetic Properties Of Mn-Based Mixed Olivines, Bethuel Omutiti Khamala Jan 2019

Computational Studies On Perovskite-Metallofullerene Interface And Magnetic Properties Of Mn-Based Mixed Olivines, Bethuel Omutiti Khamala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Methyl ammonium lead halide (MAPbX3) perovskite based solar cells have recently emerged as promising class of materials for photovoltaic applications with efficiencies reaching over 22%. Designing interfaces with strong binding is vital to developing efficient, high-performing solar cells. Fullerene-based materials are widely employed as efficient electron acceptors and can serve as electron transporting layer in perovskite based solar cells. We have studied interfaces of methyl ammonium lead iodide MAPbI3 with Sc3N@C80 fullerene and Sc3N@C80PCBM fullerene derivate within the density functional formalism. Different surface terminations and orientations of the methyl ammonium are examined for binding of the fullerene layer. Our calculated …


Improving Base Metal Electrowinning, Charles Ebenezer Abbey Jan 2019

Improving Base Metal Electrowinning, Charles Ebenezer Abbey

Doctoral Dissertations

"In zinc electrowinning, Mn oxidizes to form MnO2 on Pb-Ag anodes, cell walls and pipes. MnO2 reduces anode corrosion but also leads to short circuits and maintenance issues. MnO2 is thought to interact with chloride ions and produce oxidized chlorine species. The interactions between Mn and Cl are not well understood. Bench scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the manganese to chloride ratio on anode corrosion rate and electrolyte chemistry using rolled Pb-Ag anodes. Increasing the average Mn/Cl- ratio from ~7:1 to ~11:1 reduced the anode corrosion rate. Anode scales produced with Mn/Cl …