Engineering Commons^™

Hydrotropic Extraction Of Hydrocarbon Mixtures, Michael Jay Ram

Dissertations

The solubilities at 25°C of selected aromatics and straight chain alkanes in hydrotropic solutions of sodium xylene sulfonate and sodium cymene sulfonate were studied. The results of this investigation are shown on distribution diagrams relating the solubilities of alkane and aromatic in each phase.

Two methods were investigated to predict the experimentally determined solubilities. The semi-empirical solubility parameter approach resulted in answers that were extremely low. A purely theoretical approach involves the calculation of dispersion forces between molecules. An equation for predicting solubilities has been derived so that it is applicable to four component systems. This method results in values …

Correlation And Coordination Of Engineering Properties Of Zirconium And Zirconium Alloys, Rasiklal Jethalal Shah

Theses

This thesis is a report on the mechanical, nuclear, electrical and chemical properties of the zirconium and five zirconium-base binary alloys: zirconium-tin alloys, zirconium-aluminium alloys, zirconium-titanium alloys, zirconium-niobium alloys, and zirconium-hafnium alloys. The peculiarities of these alloys, as related to its history, heat treatment and composition, are discussed. This work discusses the effect of temperature and impurities such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of zirconium and zirconium alloys. Zirconium metal production is briefly discussed. Empirical formula, by which the thermal conductivity of zirconium alloys can be calculated by the measurements of thermal resistivity, …

A Systematic Evaluation Of Alternate Chemical Routes, Arthur H. Bobis

Dissertations

A systematic method for selecting from among alternative routes for chemical synthesis is developed and presented. Consideration is given not only to making the best decision, but of reaching that decision with a minimum of experiments.

A method is developed whereby the calculated differences in process cost due to variations in the levels of such responses as chemical yield, usage and recovery are displayed graphically. Such a representation by indicating the potential worth of any experiment focuses attention on those parts of the synthesis which have an economic bearing on the ultimate process cost.

The probability of achieving a particular …

Prediction Of Batch Heat Transfer Coefficients For Pseudoplastic Fluids In Agitated Vessels, Donald William Hagedorn

Dissertations

Experimental batch heat-transfer data were obtained for both Newtonian and pseudoplastic liquids in a baffled agitated vessel. The fluids tested had flow behavior in-dexes between 0.36 and 1.0; and the apparent viscosity ranged from 1 to 1200 centipoise. Four types of impellers (anchor, paddle, propeller, and disk and vane turbine) were studied using eleven separate impellers. The probable error in the measured heat transfer coefficient was ± 20 percent.

The effects of the generalized Reynolds number, generalized Prandtl number, and viscosity ratio were studied. In addition the effect of impeller diameter was studied for paddles, propellers, and turbines; and the …

Optimum Linear And Adaptive Polynomial Smoothers, Stanley Bruce Alterman

Dissertations

The design of optimum polynomial digital data smoothers (filters) is considered for linear and adaptive processing systems. It is shown that a significant improvement in performance can be obtained by using linear smoothers that take into account known a priori constraints or distributions of the input signal. The procedure for designing optimum (minimum mean square error) adaptive polynomial data smoothers is then discussed and analyzed. The optimum smoother makes use of a priori signal statistics combined with an adaptive Bayesian weighting of a bank of conditionally optimum smoothers. Use of this technique permits large improvements in performance with a minimum …

The Electrochemical Oxidation Of Cholesteryl Acetate Dibromide, Abraham Cooper

Dissertations

Cholesteryl Acetate Dibromide was dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, suspended with mixing in 4.5 molar solution of sulfuric acid and electrolyzed at a lead dioxide anode. The anodically prepared film of lead dioxide, when maintained at potentials (relative to a calomel electrode) above 1.5 volts, was a catalyst for the oxidation. A new and mild oxidation took place at the catalytic electrode surface that resulted in attack on the tertiary hydrogen atom at the 25 carbon. The mildness of the oxidation prevented the decomposition of the unconverted raw material and permitted the recovery of up to 96% of the cholesteryl acetate …

Current-Potential Effects Of Trace Impurities In Manganese Electrowinning, George Robert Ferment

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effects of trace metallic impurities, found in manganese electro-winning solutions, on cathode current-potential curves.

This investigation led to the development of a novel analytical tool, emphasizing polarization curves as a means of detecting trace metallic impurities in manganese sulfate electrolytes. The method possesses two distinguishing features: (a) it uses the competing hydrogen evolution reaction as a means of detecting metallic impurities, and (b) it enables one to establish if the electrolyte is sufficiently pure for efficient electrolysis.

Nine metallic impurities were studied, consisting of: nickel, cobalt, silver, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cadmium, …

Effect Of Particle Size And Particle Size Distribution On The Burning Rate Of Barium Chromate-Boron Pyrotechnic Delay Compositions, Donald J. Freeman

Theses

The burning rate of barium chromate-boron delay compositions is shown to be related to the 10 percent particle size point on the particle size distribution curve (particle size vs. percent greater than size) for either of the components. The burning rate is also shown to be inversely proportional to the 10 percent point of the barium chromate; and to follow a hyperbolic type relationship with the 10 percent of the boron, decreasing asymptotically as the 10 percent point increases. No correlations were found between the burning rate of the compositions and the average particle diameter, the mean particle diameter, or …

Investigation Of The Octene-Decane-Urea Adduct Equilibrium System, Frederick Charles Guest

Theses

Concentrations of equilibrium mixtures formed by adding increments of octene to a solution of urea in methanol to form adduct are reported.

Calorimetric studies indicate that the addition of octene to a urea-methanol solution shows an endothermic heat effect prior to the formation of solid adduct. The heat effect becomes exothermic as solid adduct is formed.

Addition of decane to an equilibrium octene-urea adduct system increased octene concentration in the supernatent liquid, indicating an octene release from the original adduct as decane adduct was formed.

The order in which decane and octene were added to form the decane-octene-urea adduct system …

Cation Exchange Between Solutions Of Ferric Nitrate And Dowex 50x-8 Resin, Michael H. Mansky

Theses

The rate of exchange of ferric ions from solutions of ferric nitrate and hydrogen ions from Dowex 50X-8 has been studied in an agitated bed ion exchange column over a range of bed loading conditions. Agitation has been maintained in a regime known to indicate film diffusion control of rate in small scale batch reactors.

Calculated diffusion coefficients for the column are slightly higher than those determined in the batch reactor because of greater turbulence of agitation in the column.

The assumption of previous investigators concerning linearity of equilibrium data has been found to be invalid for the system studied. …

Factors Affecting The Biodegradation Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates In River Die-Away Studies, Neil M. Mchugh

Theses

The determining factors in the biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates have been investigated using the river die-away technique. Emphasis was placed on finding the correlation between biodegradability and each of the following: surfactant structure, inoculation of basic water medium with activated sludge, and acclimation of bacteria to a given surfactant. It has been shown that the lower the molecular weight of linear alkylate, down to C8, the faster the rate of biodegradation. It was further shown that there is no direct relationship between phenyl position distribution and biodegradability, nor is there any direct correlation between the amount of surfactant remaining …

Use Of Gas Chromatography To Determine The Mutual Solubility Of Water And Toluene, John Orshich

Theses

The possibility of determining the water traces in water saturated toluene as well as the traces of toluene in toluene saturated water by means of gas chromatography was investigated.

A 15 feet long, 1/4 inch copper column, attached to F & M Chromatograph 500, was used; the column was packed with 5 Armeen SB on Haloport F (Teflon).

The determination of toluene in toluene saturated water did not appear to be feasible, since the retention time for toluene with the used column was too short to allow the base line of the recorder to become steady at the attenuation value …

Activity Coefficient For Infinite Dilute Solution By Gas-Liquid Chromotography, Suresh Jivabhai Patel

Theses

Gas-liquid partition chromatography has been used to determine the activity coefficient for very dilute solutions of solute in non-volatile solvents.

Other, more classical methods of determining the activity coefficient are laborious and are neither as accurtate nor as precise as desired.

The systems studied were:

(1) Benzene-Dinonyl Phthalate

(2) Cyclohexane-Dinonyl Phthalate

(3) Benzene-Squalane

(4) Cyclohexane-Squalane

All systems were studied over the column temperature range of 50° to 110°C with constant pressure and sample size. A study was also made on the effect of column pressure at constant temperature and sample size. One system was studied with variable sample size but …

Heat Transfer To Non-Newtonian Fluids In Turbulent Flow, Donald S. Smalley, George Vassil

Theses

An investigation of the heat transfer characteristics of non-Newtonian solutions in turbulent flow is presented. The range of flow behavior indices (n) was examined from 0.69 to 0.88. The consistency index (K) was investigated over the range of 0.00008 to 0.002 lbsf x sec^n'/ft². The Reynolds number varied between 2200 to 25,000.

Two methods of correlating film coefficients which have been previously developed were examined. Improvement in the reliability of correlation is demonstrated by modifications proposed in this work.

Brittle Fracture Of Carbon Steel, Ronald Robert Stang

Theses

This thesis is a report on the research and engineering efforts made, since 1957, to further define the causes and means for the prevention of catastrophic brittle fracture of carbon steels at ambient temperatures. All of the data based on the literature published from 1958 to 1965 has been critically examined and correlated.

Included are discussions of the factors affecting brittle fracture and the tests used to predict resistance Of steels to brittle fracture. Correlations of tests with actual service performance and relationships between tests are discussed. A review and critical evaluation of present day steel specifications as they affect …

The Thermal Conductivity With Vapor Pressure For N-Paraffin Hydrocarbons, Jacob Tolsma

Theses

A literature search of the thermal conductivity of pure liquids has been made and experimental values have been compiled. Study of the theory of the thermal conductivity of liquids indicated that a relationship exists between thermal conductivity and viscosity. Previous investigations have found an almost linear relationship between the logarithms of viscosity and vapor pressure for n-paraffin hydrocarbons. In this investigation the logarithm of thermal conductivity plotted versus the logarithm of vapor pressure for the same series was also found to be almost linear. The equation of the line when combined with a linearized Antoine equation in terms of the …

A Study Of Emulsion Viscosities, Frederick R. Cummings

Theses

The apparent viscosity of stable emulsions has been measured and evaluated. The systems studied consisted of various oil in water emulsions, utilizing a series of six n-paraffins from heptane to octadecane. The system was stabilized with a conventional emulsifying agent. The apparent viscosity of these emulsions was studied in relation to (a) the concentration of the disperse phase and, (b) the viscosity of the hydrocarbon used as the continuous phase.

It was established that the volume concentration of the disperse phase had considerable effect on the apparent viscosity of the emulsion. An increase in the concentration of the disperse phase …

The Effect Of Column Diameter On The Efficiency Of Packed Fractioning Towers, William Lintner

Theses

The object of this work was to study the effect of packed column diameter on the fractionation efficiency so that a more reliable engineering approach could be employed in the scaling up of fractionating columns.

The height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP) was employed to compare column efficiencies in this study. The HETP was calculated for several gas mass velocities through columns of one-inch, two-inch and three-inch diameter, packed with one-quarter inch Berl saddles. All data were collected at total reflux conditions employing the standard n-heptane-methylcyclohexane binary.

The results indicated that the efficiencies of the one-inch and two-inch diameter …

The Rimo Filter, Richard Thomas Modafferi

Theses

Up to the present time, there has existed no general method for obtaining the pole locations of minimum-phase constant time delay filters of desired selectivity. Since constant time delay filters are necessary for low distortion FM transmission, and minimum-phase filters are easy to construct and align, a general method for locating the poles of minimum-phase constant time delay filters would be of considerable importance. Presented in this paper is a procedure for locating the poles of minimum-phase constant time delay filters of desired selectivity, using a FORTRAN digital computer program. Two experimental FM receivers were built to test. the new …

An Investigation Of The Mechanism Controlling The Co-Deposition Of Aluminas With Copper During Electrodeposition Of Copper, James Edward Hoffmann

Theses

Experimental work was undertaken to determine the mechanism controlling the co-deposition of aluminas with copper during electrode-position of copper. The aluminas were present in the copper plating electrolytes as an insoluble disperse phase.

Three possible mechanisms for co-deposition of aluminas were studied, They were mechanical inclusion, electrophoretic deposition, and adsorption.

The results of experimental studies established that mechanical inclusion was not a significant factor in the mechanism controlling co-deposition of aluminas with copper.

Theoretical considerations of the compositions of the copper plating electrolytes indicated that co-deposition of aluminas by an electrophoretic mechanism was highly unlikely. The conclusions arrived at by …

Planning And Scheduling Software Programs With Pert, Henry E. Mielo

Theses

The use of the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) in planning and scheduling software programs was discussed in this thesis. A real world program, referred to as the Wrap-Around Simulation or WAS Project, was selected to illustrate that complex efforts in the software domain can respond favorably to modern planning and scheduling techniques

The WAS Project included the provision of a digital simulation of the shipboard environment in which a Digital Fire Control Computer (DFCC) would operate as part of a Digital Fire Control System. The digital simulation afforded a well controlled and conclusive checkout of the operational program …

Electrolytic Polishing Of Copper And Nickel Silver, Halle Abrams

Theses

To facilitate the study of surface conditions on ultrasonic weldability, electrolytic polishing was used to obtain four types of surfaces on copper and nickel silver (alloy D). A500 orthophosphoric acid bath was used, and the necessary operating conditions to obtain these surfaces were established. In accordance with current electrolytic polishing theory, the existence of the anode viscous layer and anode surface film was observed, and their role in the polishing process is discussed. By means of metallurgical techniques and surface profile measurements, it is shown that the four types of surfaces are significantly different, and good reproducibility of these surfaces …

The Effect Of An Electrical Corona Discharge Upon The Reaction Of So2 To So3 In Low Concentration So2 - Air Mixtures, Edward James Malarkey

Theses

An investigation of a pilot plant electrical dust precipitator was conducted to determine its ozone generating characteristics in air as well as the ability of the ozone formed to convert gaseous SO₂ to particulate SO₃. It was anticipated that in addition to the known primary particulate dust and mist removal function of a precipitator, a secondary gaseous removal facility was inherent in its operation.

Ozone formation quantities were determined at varied air flow and electrical power input levels to the precipitator. Maximum ozone generation was 0.02 pounds per hour at an energy input level of 113 KW-HR …

Fugacity Coefficients Of Gases In Binary Mixtures, David Albin Olson

Theses

A proposed, method of Joffe for determining fugacity coefficients of gases In binary mixtures is presented. The method is evaluated by calculating 320 pairs of fugacity coefficients and comparing the results with experimental data and with values calculated by the method of Pitzer.

Joffe derived the expression for fugacity coefficients by employing the technique of Gamson and Watson. The expression is based on the three-parameter corresponding states principle as previously presented by Pitzer and a proposed definition of the pseudocritical properties.

The method of Pitzer and the proposed method of Joffe both require the same data.

This study is based …

Application Of Radioactive Tracers In The Study Of Diffusional Phenomena, Rodolfo Cilento

Theses

The study of mass transfer of a solute through a solvent can be greatly facilitated by the use of radioactive tracers.

This experiment was developed to demonstrate that by using radioactive tracers very small quantities of matter that would be very difficult to test chemically, can not only be tested but easily followed without disturbing the apparatus in which the diffusion is taking place.

Oleic Acid tagged with radioactive iodine (I¹³¹) was diffused through hexane at constant temperature in a glass column, one inch in diameter and thirty-six inches long.

The diffusion of Oleic Acid was followed by …

Gas Phase Fugacity Coefficients, Harvey Joel Klee

Theses

A method is presented for calculation of fugacity coefficients in gas mixtures. This work is based on a recent paper by Leland, Gamson, and Chappelear, wherein they presented a new method for evaluation of ideal K values. The information required for the method presented here includes pure component physical properties, and generalized tables or equations for compressibility factors, fugacity coefficients, and real gas enthalpy departure terms. Pseudo-critical temperatures and pressures for the mixture are calculated using the expressions presented by Leland and Mueller.

Five different binary systems consisting of paraffin hydro-carbon and CO₂ mixtures containing 318 separate points were …

Decomposition Of Diacetone Alcohol In Packed Beds Of Ion Exchange Resins, Arthur Donald Lahr, Rafael Juan Puente-Duany

Theses

A study was made of the rate of decomposition of diacetone alcohol by anion exchange resins in a packed bed under adiabatic and isothermal conditions. Two different resins were compared: a conventional type gel structure resin, Amberlite IRA-400, and a newly marketed maorore-ticular resin, Amberlyst A-26.

In a substrate with low water content, the rate of decomposition of diacetone alcohol by Amberlite IRA-400 vas controlled by intraparticle diffusion. This vas due to shrinkage of the polymer chain matrix of the resin. When dry diacetone alcohol feed was introduced the amount of decomposition was not measurable.

It was found that the …

An Oxidation Of Para-Nitrotoluene, Albert Edward Meisinger

Theses

The original purpose of this paper was to investigate the reaction kinetics of the air oxidation of para-nitro-toluene (PNT) to para-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA). The reaction was to be carried out at atmospheric pressure and at temperatures between 100 and 175° C, and in the presence of an oxidation catalyst. However the main problem became one of trying to find a catalyst that would work at these conditions. The catalysts used were nickel acetate, cobaltous acetate, manganous acetate and manganese naphthenate. Hydrogen peroxide was tried as an accelerator for the reaction. None of these worked since no yield greater than 0.01% …

Effect Of Temperature On Rate Of Absorption Of Ammonia By Water In Packed Tower, Chhotu B. Patel

Theses

Measurements of the rate of absorption of ammonia in water have been made using a 4-inch diameter Lucite column With porcelain Raschig rings packed to a height of 3 feet, Tests were made with water rates of 462 and 695 lbs./ hr-ft² and a constant gas rate of 130 lbs/hr-ft² with liquid temperature verying from 72° F. to 110° F.

At constant liquid and gas rate, the mass transfer coefficient, Κ_Ga, decreases with increasing liquid temperature and in represented by straight lines on plot of Κ_Ga versus temperature. The variation of Κ_Ga …

Esterification Of Oleic Acid, Niranjan Muljibhai Patel

Theses

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of catalyst concentrations and temperatures on the rate of reaction and energy of activation in the reaction system of oleic acid and oleyl alcohol. It is suggested by Flory^2,3 that the p-toluene-sulfonic acid catalyzed esterification reactions follow a second order mechanism. The p-toluene-sulfonic acid is used in the present work.

Two different catalyst concentrations were used at two different temperatures. The uncatalyzed reaction at the same temperatures was also studied. The specific rate constants are calculated and from that, the energy of activations are calculated using the Arrhenius equation. …