Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Effect Of Household Oil Contamination And Agricultural Soil Contamination On Phyllosilicate Nanocatalyst Performance During Pyrolysis Of Polyolefins, Joey Velasquez

Master's Theses

The effect of household oil and agricultural soil contamination on catalyst performance during polyolefin pyrolysis was simulated on mixed virgin plastic pellets by evaluating contamination influence on mixed plastic degradation temperatures. Three phyllosilicate nanocatalysts including Fulcat435, Fulcat22F and Y-Zeolite were evaluated in this work based on a literature review of catalyzed plastic pyrolysis and these catalysts’ ability to lower plastic decomposition temperature by 50 °C – 100 °C. These findings were confirmed in this research through thermogravimetric analysis of a polyolefin mixture and further developed in furnace experiments containing household oil and agricultural contamination. Household oil contamination deactivated each of …

Chemical Recycling Of Pet Plastic Waste, Charlie Parker, Benjamin Puga, Jake Verschoor

Materials Engineering

The growing accumulation of plastic waste, specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET), has driven the need for more efficient and scalable chemical recycling methods. This study investigated the methanolysis of PET using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles as a catalyst and tetrabutylammonium chloride (NBu₄Cl) as an ionic liquid, aiming to reduce methanol consumption while achieving high PET conversion efficiency. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via wet chemistry and characterized using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), which showed an average particle size of 13.5 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.1556, indicating a moderately-high monodisperse distribution of particles sufficient for reactions. The main conversion product, dimethyl …

Interfacial Phenomena Of Plastics: From Surface Modifications To Environmental Impacts, Kennedy Guillot

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Plastic is a ubiquitous part of everyday life since its introduction in the previous century. Global production continues to exponentially increase, establishing plastics as one of the most dominant materials in modern manufacturing. Within the scope of academia, plastic is essential due to its low cost and sterility, particularly for minimizing contamination. Beyond the laboratory, plastic use spans numerous industries, and its use and disposal has since raised many environmental concerns. Once valued for its durability, plastics now pollute the environment in landfills and natural ecosystems. In recent decades, the consequences of this pollution have been investigated, yet the full …

Multifunctional Pvdf Ionogels With Magnetic Nanoparticles For Electroactive And Magnetic Actuation, Alfredo Carrillo Valverde

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fast development of compact and multifunctional electronics has driven interest in smart materials capable of responding to multiple stimuli. Ionogels, polymers that have been swollen with ionic liquids (IL), offer several favorable electrochemical and thermal properties due to their intrinsic ion conductivity, wide electrochemical window, non-flammability, and high thermal stability. However, their poor mechanical properties (e.g., modulus and strength) limit their use in applications. In this work, multifunctional PVDF ionogel composites were made by blending magnetically responsive iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) into the polymer matrix. The influence of MNP concentration (9-21 wt%) on composition, ionic …

Tuning The Morphology Of Triblock Copolymers Via Homopolymer Blending, John F. Searles

Honors Theses

Morphology plays an important role in the physical properties of block copolymer (BCP) materials. Depending on the type of morphology and chemical composition of the blocks, BCPs are used in applications ranging from soft biomaterials for biomedical devices to rigid materials for ballistics protection. Due to incompatibility between comonomers and required block weight ratios to achieve targeted morphologies, it is generally necessary to use complex, time-consuming, and expensive synthetic techniques to prepare BCPs. As a result, there is increased interest in the development of new processing methods to tailor block copolymer morphology without the need for additional synthesis. The morphological …

Mechanistic Insights Into Polymer-Assisted Graphene Exfoliation: The Roles Of Velocity, Adhesion, Cohesion, Temperature, Peeling Mode, And Edge Defect Via Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics, Linjiale Dai

All Theses

Graphene exfoliation is a critical step in the fabrication of high-quality graphene

layers. However, the underlying fracture mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this

work, I employed coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to

investigate how factors such as interfacial binding energy, substrate cohesion, temperature,

peeling mode, and edge defects influence the outcome of the exfoliation process. To model

polymer-assisted mechanical exfoliation, I used a finite-size system in which multilayer

graphene (MLG) is sandwiched between two thin polymer films. Leveraging the

spatiotemporal efficiency of the CG model, I performed fifty simulation iterations per

parameter set and analyzed the results from a …

Incorporating Recycled And Repurposed Plastic Into 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Basant Bhatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The increasing awareness of sustainability in the asphalt industry has driven the use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and waste plastic. This study examines the incorporation of recycled polypropylene (rPP), recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), and recycled low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) at 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.8% dosages into 100% RAP, along with the warm mix asphalt additive Evotherm® P25. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and durability performance of the modified asphalt mixtures while rutting and fatigue life were evaluated using mechanistic-empirical (ME) analysis in PerRoad software. Both plastic type and dosage had a statistically significant impact …

Design And Characterization Of Lignin-Based, Thermoresponsive Soft Composites With Improved Mechanical And Transport Properties, Missoury D. Wolff

All Dissertations

In an attempt to reduce reliance on petroleum-based polymers, lignin – an abundant biopolymer – has gained popularity as a sustainable alternative. However, research on lignin-containing soft composites – i.e., hydrogel (bio)composites – has largely been heuristic, providing limited insight into the fundamental structure-processing-property relationships that govern performance improvements in this emerging class of ‘green’ soft composites. As such, this dissertation presents a systematic investigation of how lignin molecular weight (MW), composite composition, and the concentrations of crosslinker and accelerator impact the mechanical and transport characteristics of soft composites composed of lignin, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA).

In the …

Enhancing Oil Recovery With Novel Nano-Particle-Infused Surfactant Biopolymer Composite: A Comprehensive Investigation, Attia Attia, Amira Shafaay Dr., Michael Sami Alfonse Eng., George Azmi Eng., Rania Ramadan

Petroleum Engineering and Gas

The oil industry worldwide is searching for a new way to increase oil recovery. Chemical flooding has been used worldwide to improve oil recovery. In this research, the study of Enhanced Oil Recovery was carried out by using an Egyptian oil of API 42◦; the experiments were done by using Xanthan biopolymer (XG) gum with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) as a composite for the EOR process and studying the impact of different composite concentrations on oil recovery. Design Expert software was used to determine the optimum concentrations of the composite. 500 ppm concentration of graphene cobalt samarium ferrite nanoparticles (NP) …

Modern Ir-Spectroscopic Methods For The Analysis Of Hydroxybenzene-Methanal Resin Obtained On The Basis Of 2,5-Furandion, Sherali Anvarovich Umarov, Ravshan Israilovich Ismailov Ismailov

Technical science and innovation

The chemical changes occurring during the synthesis of hydroxybenzene-methanal resins obtained on the basis of 2,5-furandion under various ratios and temperature conditions were investigated using the IR spectroscopic method. Analysis of the compositional changes in the resin during the production of the thermoreactive resin revealed that the content of hydroxyl groups (~3300–3500 cm⁻¹) decreased, while the aldehyde groups (~1700–1750 cm⁻¹) increased; moreover, the presence of ether groups (~1050–1150 cm⁻¹) indicated that the process was successful. The synthesis of resins based on thermoreactive hydroxybenzene-methanal resins was carried out at high temperatures (70°C, 80°C, 95°C). During the identification of the functional groups …

Effect Of Temperature On Physicochemical Properties Of Plasticized Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose K100–Carbopol 934 Films Containing Propylene Glycol As Plasticizer, Braja Bihari Panda, Rudra Narayan Sahoo, Amit Kumar Nayak

Makara Journal of Science

This paper studies the effect of different temperatures on different important physicochemical characteristics of plasti-cized hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) K100-Carbopol 934 films containing propylene glycol (as a plasticizer), such as the rheology, thickness, folding endurance, tensile strength, elongation, and in vitro swelling with diffusion ki-netics. Rheology of HPMC K100-Carbopol 934 blend dispersions containing propylene glycol (before film casting) demonstrates that the flow is shear thinning and pseudoplastic. In the study of in vitro swelling, the relaxation-controlled transport is the predominant process of solvent diffusion into these plasticized HPMC K100–Carbopol 934 blend films under study. The results suggest that the solvent transport …

Damage Behavior In Unidirectional Cfrp Laminates With Ply Discontinuity, M.J. Mohammad Fikry, K. T. Tan, Yutaro Arai, Ryo Inoue

University Research

This study presents a comprehensive quantitative investigation into the material properties and damage behavior of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminates with ply discontinuities. Laminates with varying resin gap lengths were evaluated. In situ edge observations and X-ray computed tomography were employed to assess the damage processes in the area of the ply discontinuity. These methods examined initially occurring cracks, secondary cracks, and delamination. Some unexpected cracking behavior was observed in this study. For instance, initial cracks were observed to form not at the interface but at a distance from the resin–ply interface, likely due to a constraint condition caused …

Development Of Ex-Situ Accelerated Chemical Stress Test Protocol For Common Anionic Exchange Membrane Chemistries, Michael D. Friend, Michael D. Friend

Master's Theses

The development of sustainably produced hydrogen fuel (“green hydrogen”) is key for the transition to clean energy sources. Green hydrogen is produced via water electrolysis. As with many clean energy sources, one of the major barriers for scaling water electrolysis is cost. A newer category of water electrolysis is Anionic Exchange Membrane (AEM) water electrolysis. AEM electrolysis systems have the potential to cost less as they do not require the expensive precious metal catalysts the current high preforming Proton Exchange Membrane water electrolysis technologies do. However, AEM lifetimes must be long enough to be cost competitive and AEM chemical durability …

Biobased Acrylate Composites With Enhanced Strength For Additive Manufacturing, Nicole Wagner, Joseph Mcwherter

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

With the expanding use of polymers in additive manufacturing, sustainable resins for use in vat photopolymerization are required to reduce their environmental impact. One promising approach to achieve this is to incorporate biobased fillers that replace the acrylates in photopolymer resins as ‘green’ alternatives. In this study, photopolymer composites consisting of a methacrylate resin with varying calcium carbonate powder content between 0 and 50 wt.% were investigated. A digital light processing technique was used to fabricate tensile test specimens for mechanical testing. Good printability, dimensional accuracy, and good interlayer adhesion were observed for composite resin formulations that incorporated calcium carbonate …

A Comparative Study On Natural Vs. Synthesized Polymers Combined With Silica Nanoparticles To Maximize Secondary Oil Recovery, Attia Attia, Mohamed Sadek Hamedi Al, Waleed Abd-Alsabour Ali Eng., Zeyad Tamer Elshony Eng.

Petroleum Engineering and Gas

Polymer flooding is a well-established technique for enhancing oil recovery from reservoirs. In this study, we investigate the performance of two different polymers, Xanthan Gum, and HPAM for secondary oil recovery in the sand pack. The effects of polymer concentration and high salinity on oil recovery are studied. The polymers are characterized using various measurements and tests, including viscosity, shear rate, and interfacial tension. The sand pack flooding experiments are conducted under various conditions, including varying polymer slugs, and nanosilica (silicon dioxide SiO2) concentration. The results are analyzed to determine the optimal conditions for polymer flooding for enhanced oil recovery. …

Polymorphism And Mechanical Behavior In Hot-Pressed 3d-Printed Polyamide Composite: Effects Of Pressure And Temperature, John Barber, Patricia Revolinsky, Jimesh Bhagatji, Diego Pedrazzoli, Sergii Kravchenko, Oleksandr Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The aim of this work is to study the effect of high-temperature compaction (HTC) upon the polymorphism and the mechanical behavior of an additively manufactured (AM) carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide (PA6). Different pressure and temperature levels during HTC were tested to determine the overall effect on the mechanical behavior and material crystalline composition. Treated, carbon fiber-reinforced PA6 samples were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and three-point bending testing. When considered with respect to as-printed samples, an HTC temperature of 190 °C combined with 80 psi pressure resulted in an increased flexural modulus and strength …

A Comprehensive Review Of Piezoelectric Pvdf Polymer Fabrications And Characteristics, Nadia Ahbab, Sidra Naz, Tian-Bing Xu, Shihai Zhang

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer films, renowned for their exceptional piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and ferroelectric properties, offer a versatile platform for the development of cutting-edge micro-scale functional devices, enabling innovative applications ranging from energy harvesting and sensing to medical diagnostics and actuation. This paper presents an in-depth review of the material properties, fabrication methodologies, and characterization of PVDF films. Initially, a comprehensive description of the physical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, and electromechanical properties is provided. The unique combination of piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and ferroelectric properties, coupled with its excellent chemical resistance and mechanical strength, makes PVDF a highly valuable material for a wide …

Incorporating Insulin Into Alginate-Chitosan 3d-Printed Scaffolds: A Comprehensive Study On Structure, Mechanics, And Biocompatibility For Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Afsaneh Jahani, Mohammad Sagdegh Nourbakhsh, Ali Moradi, Marzieh Mohammadi, Lobat Tayebi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability worldwide, challenging current treatments to limited cartilage self-healing capacity. Cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) integrates cells, scaffolds, and signaling molecules, with Insulin being utilized as a differentiation biomolecule due to cost-effectiveness, dose-dependent influence on chondrogenesis, suitable biological activity, and ability to activate relevant receptors. Yet, administering differentiation biomolecules through conventional scaffolds poses a persistent challenge. Alginate (Alg) is commonly employed in CTE for its biocompatibility, though it lacks sufficient mechanical properties. Chitosan (Cs), while enhancing scaffold mechanical properties, but does not independently provide optimal support for chondrogenesis. While Alg-Cs scaffolds have garnered attention, challenges …

Prediction Of Glass Transition Temperature Of Polymers Using Structure-Based Models, Nicholas Wolfe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The focus for this study is prediction of glass transition temperatures of polymers using machine learning models. The preprocessing of the data included the generation of descriptors, the scaling of the data, the principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction, and the clustering of the data. Three methods of property predictions were utilized including Linear Regression, Random Forest, and a Feedforward Neural Network. The dataset consisted of over 7000 polymers each with their respective glass transition temperatures. This study found that the Random Forest model returned the best results followed by the Feedforward Neural Network then the Linear Regression model. Each …

Modeling The Thermodynamics Of Butadiene And Carbon Dioxide Coupling Reactions, Alexis Sarantos

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will analyze the synthesis reaction of ethenylated 𝛿-valerolactone (EVL), specifically to determine certain thermodynamic properties of EVL and its coproducts. The thermodynamic properties of the reaction products can then be utilized to make the development of a large-scale process simpler and safer. The properties that will be determined are the heats of formations, heat capacities, and changes in enthalpy caused by each product during the reaction, and these will be used to determine whether the energy produced by the reaction is sufficient to maintain formation of the desired product. Additionally, a process model of heat flows and energy …

Effects Of Polyolefin Types On Catalytic Hydrocracking, Kenneth Jackson Seeber

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Plastic waste recycling has become an important conversation in the last couple of decades with pollution on the rise. One of the few ways to recycle plastics is by breaking these long-chained polymers down via catalytic processes. Due to many plastic products being a blend, it is imperative that any chosen catalyst that could be used for recycling should be able to handle different types of polymers. This paper discusses how tungsten carbide over silica (W_xC/SiO₂) catalyzes the degradation of a few selected polymers and polymer blends. From this research it was determined that W_{x …}

Polystyrene Plastic Waste As An Organic Hydrogen Carrier, Alaina Bachmann

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed research develops and studies catalytic chemical processes that enables using polystyrene (PS) plastic waste as solid “organic hydrogen carriers” (OHC). Demands for OHCs are driven by desire to alleviate climate change, by replacing carbon-based energy sources with hydrogen. However, hydrogen is highly flammable and difficult to store and transport so OHCs are needed to facilitate its transportation. Common OHCs are liquid petroleum chemicals with unsaturated chemical structures. They can be hydrogenated to store hydrogen and dehydronated to release hydrogen at desired application sites. The proposed research aims to investigate the following cycle: hydrogen storage by hydrogenation of PS …

Pla Polymer Binder In Core Production - Influence On Final Casting Dimensions, Artur Soroczyński, Krzysztof Rechowicz

Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC) Faculty Publications

The foundry industry is seeking an ecological alternative to synthetic molding resins. This study evaluates the technological properties of core sands bonded with biodegradable polylactide (PLA). Cores prepared on a 2% quartz sand matrix were subjected to casting processes using two alloys with extremely different pouring temperatures: gray cast iron (approx. 1200 °C) and AK11 silumin (approx. 710 °C). The research methodology included macroscopic assessment, dimensional analysis using 3D scanning (GOM Inspect), and qualitative knock-out assessment supported by numerical temperature field simulation. The results showed that the high crystallization temperature of cast iron leads to complete thermal degradation of the …

Reuse Of Calcium Carbonate (Caco3) Recovered From Discarded Carpets As Filler In Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites, Roshan Devkota

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over four billion pounds of carpet are discarded annually in the United States, making carpet waste a significant environmental concern. Calcium carbonate (CaCo₃) constitutes up to 45% of the mass of most synthetic carpets. Reusing this CaCo₃ as a filler in the rapidly growing fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) industry, which is projected to reach USD 10.38 billion, presents a low-cost, practical approach to developing a market-based solution to post-consumer carpet waste.

This study investigates the reuse of CaCo₃ recovered from discarded carpet backing as a filler in FRP composites, focusing on its mechanical viability in comparison to virgin CaCo₃. The methodology …

Influence Of Fused Deposition Modeling Process Parameters On The Constitutive Model Of Hyperelastic Thermoplastic Polyurethane, Lucas Gallup, Mohamed Trabia, Brendan O'Toole, Youssef Fahmy

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are suited for fused deposition modeling (FDM) of parts that require high levels of flexibility and strength. Predicting the deformation of TPU parts produced using FDM may be difficult, especially under large deformations, as their constitutive models depend on the printing process parameters. The lack of understanding led to the absence of constitutive models for TPU parts produced using FDM. This work aims to identify accurate hyperelastic constitutive models. Six groups of uniaxial tensile specimens were produced using FDM. These groups were made with variations in two process parameters, which were infill geometry and extrusion nozzle temperature. …

Synthesis Of Activated Carbon From Coconut Shell And Recycled Styrofoam Nanofiber For Water Filtration, Rahma Dani, Ismet Ismet, Leni Marlina, Rona Alisya, Muhamad Abel Kirana Aldi, Anggi Ludiansyah, Lintang Auliya Kurdiati, Meutia Kamilatun Nuha Ap Idjan, Agung Mataram, Muhammad Rama Almafie, Ida Sriyanti

Makara Journal of Science

Water pollution affects life sustainability; hence, several efforts have been exerted to overcome this problem. For ex-ample, nanofiber membrane technology is introduced to retain solutes while allowing only water molecules to pass through the system. Therefore, this study aimed to maximize the technology for water filtration using the electrospin-ning method by combining Styrofoam waste-based polymer with activated carbon from coconut shell waste (ACCS). The nanofiber diameter produced ranged from 590 nm to 610 nm with porous characteristics and without beads. The carbon content varied from 68.04% to 69.84%, according to the energy dispersive X-ray measurement, demonstrating the composite’s effectiveness. The …

Optimization Of Tps Films Using An Adaptive Design Of Experiments Approach In A Bayesian Optimization Framework, Theresa Marks, Gracie White, Scott Lohman, Mayank Malhotra

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Plastic pollution, amounting to 12 million tons annually, necessitates sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. Compostable thermoplastic starch (TPS) films show promise but lack strength and durability compared to traditional plastics. This study employs an adaptive design of experiments (DoE) approach to enhance TPS films by optimizing testing points. The research focuses on varying concentrations of plasticizers (acetic acid and glycerol) in a water and potato starch mixture, aiming to identify the optimal ratio maximizing tensile strength and % elongation at break. Gaussian process regression (GPR) with uncertainty estimation and Bayesian optimization (BO) utilizing an acquisition function (AF) are employed. The …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Trackable Pathology-Triggered Polymersomes Toward Enzyme Replacement Theranostics For Gm1 Gangliosidosis, Dorian Foster

All Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the development and optimization of pathology-responsive polymersomes for simultaneous enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in the treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis (GM1). While therapeutic strategies exist for similar, non-neuropathic lysosomal storage disorders, implementation towards GM1 faces significant challenges due to the blood-brain barrier.

Herein, we developed and characterized a range of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid-b-polylactic acid (HA-PLA) polymersomes (PSs) capable of encapsulating therapeutic enzymes in their hydrophilic core. These polymersomes exhibit pathophysiology-triggered responsiveness, degrading in the presence of acidic conditions, which is characteristic of lysosomes, and enzymes such as hexosaminidase A, which …

Isolation And Upgrading Of Lignin From Agricultural Sources Using Phase Equilibria, Bronson Lynn

All Dissertations

In the emerging bioeconomy, agricultural residues from our nationwide crop harvests are positioned to be a cornerstone of renewable and sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, to be economically viable, the basic constituents of this plant matter must be separated and funneled to the appropriate application to maximize value and overall usability.

This work focuses on the component that has, to this point, been largely left behind: lignin. Although it is the most abundant aromatic biopolymer on the planet, making up 15-40% of grasses, hardwoods, and softwoods, the processing involved to isolate usable lignins is too complex and expensive to …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Waste Plastic Gasification, Henrik Don-Yor Ketting

Master's Theses

The increasing generation of plastic waste and its environmental impact has driven interest in alternative disposal methods such as gasification. This study presents a techno-economic analysis of the gasification of waste plastics, specifically polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), to produce syngas. A two-stage process—thermal decomposition followed by steam reforming—was simulated using Aspen Plus. The simulation results were validated against experimental data available in the literature. The economic analysis was conducted by estimating the capital and operating costs of the gasification plant, considering factors such as feedstock costs, energy requirements, and syngas purification systems. Net Present Value Calculations were used to …