Engineering Commons^™

Lactic Acid-Assisted Complexation For Enhanced Lithium Extraction And Its Application To Spent Libs, Sibananda Sahu, Niharbala Devi

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

A novel approach for complexing lithium with lactic acid to enhance extraction efficiency and its application to spent LIBs was proposed in this study. Key parameters influencing the extraction were systematically examined, including lactic acid concentration, pH of the aqueous phase, concentration of extractant, diluent selection, phase ratio between organic and aqueous phase, and stripping efficiency. Lithium extraction showed a remarkable improvement, rising from 16% to 43%, as the lactic acid concentration enhanced from 0.01 mol∙L‒1 to 1.0 mol∙L‒1. This was achieved using D2EHPA (0.1 mol∙L‒1)  at a maintained pH of 6.5. Maximum lithium extraction of 84.5% was observed at …

Development Of Ceramic Based Novel Materials For Application In Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (Ltsofc) – A Critical Review, Kaliappan Tamilselvan, Arputharaj Samson Nesaraj

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In the field of renewable energy, fuel cell research has emerged as a promising source of energy for the future. Fuel cells utilize fuels more efficiently compared to other energy generation systems. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are gaining prominence due to their applications in military operations, mobile power supplies, and stationary power generation. Significant research efforts are being made to lower the operating temperature of SOFCs from 1000℃ to approximately 600℃, leading to the development of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs). This is being achieved by selecting alternative electrode and electrolyte materials, particularly ceramics, to enhance their …

The Effect Of Asphalt Emulsion On The Properties Of Fly Ash Based Geopolymers, Natcha Prommityat, Chiravoot Pechyen, Pitak Laoratanakul, Benya Cherdhirunkorn

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This research aimed to study the effect of asphalt emulsion (AE) on the properties of fly ash based geopolymers. Solid waste materials used for the production of geopolymer were coal fly ash (FA) 70 wt% and bagasse ash (BA) 30 wt%. Alkaline solution used for the geopolymerization reaction was the mixture of 10 M NaOH and Na2Sio3

with the ratio of 1:2. The liquid and solid (L/S) ratios of 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 were prepared. The AE of 1 wt%, 3 wt% and 5 wt% were added into the raw materials mixtures. Then, the mixed slurry was casted into a …

Antibacterial, Self-Adhesive Guar Gum/Polyvinyl Alcohol/Tannic Acid Conductive Hydrogels For Flexible Strain Sensors, Noppanan Putdon, Somnuk Theerakulpistut, Rawit Jittham, Pornnapa Kasemsiri

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this research, a multifunctional strain sensor with antibacterial properties and self-adhesion capabilities was developed using guar gum (GG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and tannic acid (TA). The incorporation of TA into GG-PVA hydrogel-based strain sensors was investigated to evaluate its effects on mechanical and electrical properties, self-adhesion, and antibacterial activities. The anti-bacterial activities against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were enhanced with the increasing content of TA. The adhesive strength was observed in the range of 1.20 ± 0.10 kPa to 5.05 ± 0.23 kPa, and the values tended to increase as TA content increased. The …

Mechanochemical Synthesis Of Ni(Ii)-Tptz Complexes With Co-Ligands: Spectroscopy, Dft, And Biological Studies, Deepak Senapati, Anulipsa Priyadarshini, Debadutta Samal, P. Ramesh Babu, Satyanarayan Sahoo, Narayan Chandra Bera, Raghabendra Samantaray, Jagannath Panda, Rojalin Sahu

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

New mixed-ligand Ni(II) complexes [Ni(tptz)(1,10-phen)] (1), [Ni(tptz)(2-Mimd)2] (2), and [Ni(tptz)Imd)2] (3) were synthesized via a green, solvent-free mechanochemical approach using ball milling. The primary ligand used was 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tptz), with secondary ligands being 1,10-phenanthroline, 2-methyl imidazole, and imidazole, respectively. Structural characterization by IR, UV-Visible, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction, supported by DFT calculations, revealed a distorted square planar geometry for complex 1 and distorted tetrahedral geometries for complex-2 and complex-3. Notably, bathochromic shifts in the UV-Vis spectra confirm metal-ligand charge transfer transitions and extended π-delocalization. Powder XRD analysis determined average crystallite sizes of 17.86 nm (1), 25 nm (2), …

Liquid-Liquid Extraction Of Nd(Iii) Using [P66614][Cy272] Ionic Liquid, Prasanjit Das, Kali Sanjay, Niharbala Devi

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This study explores the extraction of Nd(III) from synthetic solutions using the ionic liquid [P66614] [Cy272]. Key extraction parameters, including the effect of phase contact time, initial pH, salting-out agents, extractant concentration, and temperature, were systematically optimized. Results revealed that a phase contact time of 15 min, an initial pH of 2.14, and 0.2 mol∙L‒1 NaCl as a salting-out agent and extractant concentration of 0.015 mol∙L‒1 [P66614][Cy272], achieved maximum extraction efficiency of 99.7%. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the process is to be exothermic, spontaneous, and entropy-driven, highlighting the strong complexation between Nd(III) and the ionic liquid [P66614][Cy272]. Stripping tests revealed that …

Statistical Investigation Of Gypsum Crystallization Kinetics, Azmain A. Akash

LSU Master's Theses

Gypsum, a naturally occurring mineral salt, is frequently encountered in industrial processes such as seawater desalination and power plant cooling. Over the years, significant effort has been devoted to controlling the crystallization of gypsum through various chemical approaches, including acidification, chelating agents, and antiscalant polymers. Nevertheless, the cost associated with chemical treatments may be reduced by incorporating physical operational strategies to complement chemical methods in regulating gypsum crystallization.

This study systematically examines the comparative roles of chemical and physical entropy in the gypsum crystallization process to elucidate their respective influences on gypsum growth kinetics. Chemical entropy is manipulated by adjusting …

Rfid Occupied Advanced Framework For Specialized Vehicle Access, Operating System, And Wireless Data Transmission Without Human Intervention, Abdullah Al Mamun Anik, Mosammet Sadia Akter Moon, Fahim Faysal Arnob, Mehedi Hasan, S. A. Naimal Hoque, Mohammad Mashhunar Rahman, Tahzin Bin Ahmed, Tonmoy Barua

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Radio frequency identification system (RFID) tags are tiny electronic devices that include a distinctive code that can be detected by a reader that supports RFID. The string of characters is used for recognizing and monitoring the object to which the tag is connected. RFID tags interact with RFID readers using radio frequency. While the tag comes into close proximity to the scanner, that device sends a radio signal that triggers the tag. The tag then responds by sending its unique identity. RFID pinpointing ability is verified experimentally in two different techniques, one utilizing radar and the other a photosensitive transition. …

Accurately Constituting Robust Interfaces For High-Performance High-Energy Lithium Metal Batteries, Kevin V. Carballo, Meetesh Singh, Xiangbo Meng

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-energy lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have received ever-increasing interest. Among them, coupling lithium metal (Li) with nickel-rich material, LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO₂ (NMCs, x ≥ 0.6, x + y + z = 1), is promising because Li anodes enable an extremely high capacity (∼3860 mA h g⁻¹) and the lowest redox potential (−3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode), while NMCs can achieve a much higher capacity of ∼200 mA h g⁻¹ and lower cost than those of LiCoO₂. However, the resultant Li‖NMC cells have been hindered from commercialization due to a …

Cross-Facility Reliable Deep Learning Based Beef Marbling Assessment Via Unsupervised Domain Adaptation Regression, Samuel Vinson, Dongyi Wang

2025 Research Poster Competition

Beef is one of the most important sources of animal protein and plays a crucial role in daily diets to support muscle growth, energy production and overall health. Historically, each beef carcass was evaluated by 3-5 skilled United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat graders, which are still considered as the gold standard for grading. Since 2009, electronic imaging grading systems have been approved by the USDA and have been gradually adopted in the grading facilities. Accurate and consistent beef grading plays a critical role in maintaining the quality, market value, and consumer trust in U.S. beef products. The USDA …

Cnns And Transformers For Visual Understanding: From Feature Alignment To Image Captioning, Xuehao Liu

Doctoral

Deep learning has developed rapidly since the introduction of Deep Belief Networks during the past decade. As an area of machine learning, it still has many open challenges. Among these open challenges is the issue of transparency, with deep learning models known as black boxes. Both explainability of a model for understanding the decision making process, and the transparency of the relationship between the input and output are crucial for understanding a model. The understanding of models can build trust between AI systems and humans, verify models behavior, and identify potential biases or errors.

Navigating Human-Robotic Interaction Challenges In Teaching-By-Demonstration, Shakra Mehak

Doctoral

The advancement in interdisciplinary research domains, like robotics and HRI, presents a challenging task. It is an exception rather than the norm for research to extend beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines and encompass the challenges presented by other fields of study. This project is part of ”Collaborative Intelligence for Safety Critical Systems” (CISC), which is a Marie Curie Training Network funded by the European Commission to hire and train researchers with the expertise and skillset necessary to carry out the major tasks required to develop a Collaborative Intelligence system. The program encompasses four overarching themes: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Human …

Personalized Persuasion In The Digital Age: A Data-Driven Approach To Effective Communication, Annye Braca

Doctoral

This thesis investigates the potential of Machine Learning (ML) to personalize persuasive marketing messages. It explores the identification of individuals receptive to specific persuasion techniques based on their psychometric profiles. By developing ML models that incorporate these profiles, the thesis aims to predict the impact of tailored messages and improve the effectiveness of marketing communication.

3d Bioprinting Technology Innovation In Female Reproductive System, Siyao Chen, Tongxin Wang, Jiaqi Chen, Mingxing Sui, Luyao Wang, Xueyu Zhao, Jianqiao Sun, Yingli Lu

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Several diseases affect the female reproductive system, and both disease factors and treatments impact its integrity and function. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms of disease occurrence and exploring treatment methods are key research focuses in obstetrics and gynecology. However, constructing accurate disease models requires a microenvironment closely resembling the human body, and current animal models and 2D in vitro cell models fall short in this regard. Thus, innovative in vitro female reproductive system models are urgently needed. Additionally, female reproductive system diseases often cause tissue loss, yet effective tissue repair and regeneration have long been a bottleneck in the medical field. …

Twitter-Based Osint For Cyber Event Analytics, Dakota S. Dale, Kylie Mcclanahan, W. Sky Elder, Qinghua Li

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is often regarded as a critical component for cybersecurity intelligence gathering to secure cyber infrastructures. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media progress and become more commonplace, we have the unique opportunity to collect and analyze information from social media in real time. In this paper, we propose an AI-based framework for automatically filtering the Twitter stream for cybersecurity information, analyzing the natural language to aggregate the tweets around specific cybersecurity events, and certifying the information. The system's applications range from discovering events security operators may not have been aware of to helping operators investigate on-going events …

Sogar: Self-Supervised Spatiotemporal Attention-Based Social Group Activity Recognition, Naga Venkata Sai Raviteja Chappa, Pha Nguyen, Alexander H. Nelson, Han-Seok Seo, Xin Li, Page Daniels Dobbs, Khoa Luu

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social group activity recognition is crucial for various applications including surveillance, human-robot interaction, and behavioral analysis. Current approaches often require extensive manual annotations and rely heavily on pre-trained detectors, limiting their practical applications. Additionally, existing methods struggle to effectively model long-term spatiotemporal relationships in group activities. This paper introduces a novel approach to Social Group Activity Recognition (SoGAR) using Self-supervised Transformers network that can effectively utilize unlabeled video data. To extract spatio-temporal information, we create local and global views with varying frame rates. Our self-supervised objective ensures that features extracted from contrasting views of the same video are consistent across …

The Effect Of Huntington’S Disease On The Mechanical And Electrical Properties Of Red Blood Cells, Liliana Ponkratova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Huntington’s disease (HD) has an impact on brain tissues and can alter the biochemical properties of the peripheral blood. Evidence in existing literature suggests that peripheral mutant Huntingtin protein may be involved and deteriorate HD. Red blood cells (RBCs), being the most abundant type of cells in the peripheral blood, can show detectable changes in their biophysical properties due to subtle changes in cell membranes. These changes can offer a minimally invasive means to track the progression of the disease. The transgenic line R6/2 is used as the disease model. Utilizing the electro-deformation spectroscopy, we measured membrane permittivity, cytoplasm conductivity, …

A National Assessment Of State Level Culvert Management Plans, Steven Michael Carvalho Jr

Honors Theses and Capstones

In this paper, infrastructure asset management was explored, particularly culvert management, with the main objective being the investigation of culvert management plans nationally in the United States of America. These documents were collected, categorized for context, and evaluated for the addressing of increasingly important concepts for modern times. These research parameters, prioritization strategy, social equity, and climate change, were then compared to two other considerations to create more inferences and potential conclusions: geographical region and political ideology. A statistical analysis was then conducted spearheaded by Spearman’s correlation, a test that measured the strength of a potential correlation between two variables. …

Understanding Human-Agent Teaming: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Perceptions And Interactions, Valerie Robbins-Roth, Kendall Carmody, Bella Deloach, Meredith Carroll, Amanda Thayer, Jessica Wildman

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

While quantitative research on trust in HATs is well-established, there is a significant gap in understanding individuals’ subjective experiences during trust violations and repair. This study explores how people perceive and respond to these events, guided by three key questions: (1) How do participants describe emotional and behavioral responses to trust violations and repair? (2) How do personality traits influence reactions? (3) What qualitative themes emerge in the dissolution of trust? Using a mixed-methods approach, participants engaged in a 1-hour simulated search-and-rescue mission with four autonomous agents. During the task, one agent committed two trust violations, followed by repair attempts …

Emotion Processing In Adolescents With Epilepsy And Healthy Controls Using Multi-Modal Neuroimaging, Frances Kathryn E. King

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder not only of seizures but also of widespread network dysfunction, impacting cognitive and emotional processing. One critical cognitive process affected in epilepsy is emotional conflict processing, which relies on the interplay of multiple brain networks. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of emotional conflict processing in epilepsy, particularly in adolescents, have remained poorly understood. This dissertation investigated the neural mechanisms underlying emotional conflict processing in typically developing adolescents and adolescents with epilepsy using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The first study elucidated the spatiotemporal profile of emotional conflict processing in 24 typically developing adolescents using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Cluster-based …

Neurovascular Coupling Impairments In Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: An Eeg-Nirs Analysis, Zachary Armstrong

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of neurological impairment, often leading to variable recovery and uncertain prognosis in the neurocritical care setting. There is a pressing clinical need for robust, physiologically grounded biomarkers to inform prognosis and therapeutic decision-making in acute TBI. This thesis investigates neurovascular coupling (NVC), the physiological coordination between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow, as a candidate biomarker for brain function and recovery after injury.

A prospective cohort study was performed using simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) recordings in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI and healthy controls. Wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analysis was …

The Bioremediation Of Nutrients And Heavy Metals In Watersheds: The Role Of Floating Treatment Wetlands, Nirmal Kumar, Bhupinder Singh, Yuanze Chen, Abishek Kafle, Ram L. Ray, Sandeep Kumar, Xiaonan Shan, Venkatesh Balan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are engineered systems that utilize floating platforms planted with aquatic vegetation to treat polluted water such as stormwater, agricultural runoff, and wastewater. FTWs have emerged as promising and environmentally sustainable solutions for water purification. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on FTW design, plant selection, and performance evaluation. It highlights key factors influencing nutrient and heavy metal removal, including the hydraulic retention time, mat thickness, and types of plant species. Recent findings on the roles of root architecture, microbial interactions, and seasonal variability in treatment efficiency are also discussed. Additionally, the review explores advanced analytical methods …

Nonlinear Control Of Buck-Type Converters For Micro-Wind Generators, Noah Wilding, Shuzan Kumar Sarkar, Shruti Pandey, Michael L. Mcintyre

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Small-scale wind turbines offer a promising solution for distributed renewable energy generation. However, this approach often leads to wasted energy when battery capacity is reached, as excess energy is typically dissipated into resistors. The reliance on batteries further increases the cost and complexity of such systems. This paper presents a nonlinear control algorithm for regulating buck-type converters, providing a more efficient energy management solution. By employing a grid-connected inverter, excess energy is utilized rather than dissipated, potentially eliminating the need for batteries and reducing micro-wind turbine installation costs. The proposed control strategy manages the DC-link voltage for the inverter by …

Filter Based Motor Control For Robotic Applications, Shuzan Kumar Sarkar, Noah Wilding, Shruti Pandey, Nicholas Hawkins, Michael L. Mcintyre

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Controlling coreless DC motor in the field of humanoid robotic application involves considering various surrounding electromagnetic environment interference and sudden change of load with parameters variation of motor dynamics which makes the system complex. This paper presents a filter-based control scheme for a coreless DC motor drive system using an H-bridge inverter as the input circuit of the motor which is easy to implement and cost effective. From the electromagnetic characteristics, the dynamic model of the motor along with the control scheme is implemented in the commercial software PLECS. Then the effectiveness of this approach is validated through simulations demonstrating …

C 3 An: Custom, Compact And Composite Ai Systems - A Neurosymbolic Approach: 4Th-Generation Evolution Of Intelligent Systems, Amit P. Sheth, Kaushik Roy, Revathy Venkataramanan, Venkatesan Nadimuthu

Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems continue to evolve rapidly. From the architecture perspective, it is evolving from large, monolithic models trained on massive internet data to complex, multi-component “compound” systems and “agentic” frameworks capable of semi-autonomous decision-making. These systems show immense promise yet face numerous challenges in reliability, consistency, transparency, and alignment with user goals. In this article, we propose Custom, Compact and Composite AI with Neurosymbolic (C3AN) approach, a framework that paves way to 4th-generation of AI that integrates data, knowledge, and human expertise to build robust, intelligent and trustworthy AI systems defined by 14 foundation elements.

Custom emphasizes …

Consumer Preferences And Willingness To Pay For Vertiport Design, Amenities, And Services, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The rise of urban air mobility (UAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft necessitates the development of well-designed vertiports that align with consumer expectations. This study examines consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for vertiport design, amenities, and services to inform infrastructure planning and investment strategies. Using a survey-based quantitative research design, data were collected from 500 participants to assess key factors influencing WTP, including convenience, security measures, service efficiency, and premium offerings. Findings indicate that location accessibility, affordability, and streamlined security procedures are primary determinants of vertiport adoption. While aesthetic and retail enhancements contribute to passenger …

Learning From Leads: A 1d Dilated Resnet For Ecg Chagas Disease Screening, Somesh Saini, Matheus Lima Diniz Araujo

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Using Electro-Peroxone Process To Remediate Soil Contaminated With Phenol, Elaheh Faghih Nasiri, Farhad Qaderi, S. Mustapha Rahmaninezhad

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Industrial processes are among human activities that cause production of a large volume of wastewater containing organic pollutants such as phenol and its derivatives. Soil remediation is crucial for enhancing environmental quality for both humans and other living organisms. This study investigate the use of an electro-peroxone system to remove environmental pollutants from soil. In conjunction with ozonation, the study employed electrochemically generated hydrogen peroxide using a carbon electrode, addressing concerns about transportation and storage. Experiments were structured using response surface methodology (RSM) with three variables: ozone dosages ranging from 4 to 8 l/h, initial pollutant concentrations from 20 to …

An Educational Framework For The Disruptive Technologies And Their Integration In The Un Sdgs Curriculum, Tulsi Pawan Fowdur, Aishani Radhakeesoon

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Disruptive technologies such as 5G, AI, IoT, cloud computing, and blockchain are revolutionizing life on our planet and at the same time contributing immensely towards sustainable development and the achievement of the UN SDGs. Nowadays, optimizing the management of resources in various fields such as manufacturing, education, health, transportation etc. in a much more efficient way is possible. This can be achieved by capturing a wealth of real-time data via IoT sensors with the ultra-reliable and low latency connections provided by 5G. Additionally, with cloud computing, blockchain, and AI, these real-time systems can securely transmit, store, and analyze a massive …

Perspectives Of Corporate Instructional Design Experts On Effectiveness, Personal Traits And Attributes, And Technology, Thomas A. Gant

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological descriptive study explored corporate instructional design experts' perspectives on effectiveness, personal traits and attributes, and technology that enhance their expertise. Three central themes emerged: "Mastering Instructional Design: The Journey of Continuous Learning and Skill Development," highlighting the importance of mentorship, lifelong learning, and professional development; "Accessing Instructional Design Expertise Through Individual Strengths," emphasizing adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy; and "Navigating Technological Integration and Innovation in Instructional Design," showcasing the transformative role of tools such as virtual reality, learning management systems, and authoring software. Semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom with 10 corporate instructional designers with at least 10 years …