Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Wastewater Treatment : Phenol Extraction By Liquid Membrane, Jan-Ming Hou

Theses

Two models for the extraction of phenol by means of liquid surfactant membranes is presented in which external mass transfer around w/o emulsion drop, phase and chemical equilibria are taken into account.

The nonlinear coupled P.D.E.'s is solved under assumptions to get a close-formed analytical approximate solution. The experimental results on the batch extraction of phenol are found to be satisfactory simulated by one of the proposed models provided that phenol concentration is higher than 0.01N. The model requires no adjustable parameter thus it can predict the extraction behavior without doing experiments.

Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons From Incineration Emission Samples, Robert Cebula

Theses

Stack emissions from five sources (one pulverized coal combustion operation, three sewage sludge incineration operations and one gray tin refractory operation) were sampled by use of U.S. EPA Modified Method 5 isokinetic sampling unit for vapor and particulate effluent. The sampling unit provided XAD-2 resin samples, polytetrafluoroethylene and glass fiber filters and impinger washings of dichloromethane. The resins were soxhlet extracted using dichloromethane (DCM) and the filters were soxhlet extracted using DCM followed by acetone. Fractionation of extracts was accomplished by thin layer chromatography. The resulting fractions were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), nitro-PAH and quinone-PAH by high-performance liquid …

Recycled Plastics As Fillers In Polymer Cement Concrete Composites, Shian-Jong Liu

Theses

How to handle the plastic waste is a big task for the modern society in environmental protection. People already focus on it, especially in PET soft drink bottles. Although PET bottle can be reclaimed, its usages are restricted due to the limitation in color and difficulty in purification.

On the other side, concrete is the most common material for human beings to used [sic] in construction. Concrete has good compressive strength, but poor [sic] in flexural and tensile strengths, which limits its applications. So, scientists try to improve its properties by adding the polymer into the conventional concrete, to enhance …

Biosynthesis Of Amine Oxides Using Calcium-Alginate Immobilized Hog Liver Microsomes : An Evaluation Of Process And Reactor Design, Ioannis I. Valvis

Theses

An evaluation of the biocatalytic ability and the potential utilization of Calcium-alginate immobilized hepatic microsomes (beads) for the biosynthesis of amine oxides has been performed, To accomplish this task, the following three areas Were investigated: immobilization, catalytic biooxidation ability, and reactor configurations.

Immobilization was found to result in higher yields over free microsomes at the expense of higher cofactor requirements. Refrigerated drying of immobilized micro-somes appears to be a better storage technique than wet storage in buffer. Smaller beads resulted in higher rates than larger beads, but size did not affect the overall yield.

Chlorpromazine (CPZ), diphenylamine (DPA) and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine …

Use Of Recirculation Reactor To Study Biodegradation Of 2-Chlorophenol, Kai-Chung Yang

Theses

The performance of immobilized cells in the treatment of hazardous waste was investigated using a recirculation flow reactor run in a batch mode. A mixed microbial population from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was immobilized in calcium alginate gel. The bio-oxidation ability of these microbes towards a model toxin (2-chlorophenol) was studied. The process parameters studied were as follows:

1. Flow rate of the recycle stream;
2. Biomass loading;
3. Spiking concentration of 2-chlorophenol;
4. Use of buffered vs. non-buffered defined medium.

Dissolved oxygen concentration was monitored using a flow Clark-type dissolved oxygen probe. Oxygen consumption was correlated with the biodegradation of 2-chlorophenol. Physical …

A Dynamic Model Of A Fill-And-Draw Reactor And Its Implications For Hazardous Waste Treatment, Shing-Hwa Chang

Theses

A dynamic model of a fill-and-draw reactor has been developed, which includes a number of operational parameters such as the draw-down volume, the fraction of total cycle time devoted to fill, reaction, and draw, and the concentration of the toxic substance in the feed to the reactor. The model has been solved numerically for two cases, one assuming Monod kinetics, and one considering substrate inhibition (Andrews kinetics).

The conversions achieved with this type of reactor have been compared to that of a conventional activated sludge (CSTR) design. These results indicate that for most practical settings of the operating parameters, the …

Synergistic Fillers In Polymer Concrete : New Composites, Syed Hassan Javed

Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of synergistic fillers on underwater construction, burning and mechanical properties of polymer portland cement concrete(PPCC).

Fine grains of hydrous calcium sulfate, Trihydrated alumina, Calcium carbonate and fibrous unhydrous calcium sulfate were examined in PPCC. It has been observed that these synergistic filler improves the mechanical property (stress) and reduce the average time of burning of PPCC. With fixed quantity of polymer, the deterioration of PPCC in water increases by replacing the sand with above stated fillers.

Bead Design For Biodegradation Of 2-Chlorophenol Using Microorganisms Entrapped In Alginate Gel, Fayaz Lakhwala

Theses

The performance of immobilized cell reactors varies with a number of parameters, one of which is proper bead design. A mixed microbial population from a waste water treatment plant was immobilized in calcium alginate gel. The viability of these organisms was studied in a microassay reactor by varying parameters such as concentration of calcium chloride, concentration of sodium alginate, temperature of operation, biomass concentration within the beads and concentration of a model compound (2-chlorophenol). The effect of storage on viability over a period of three months was also investigated. It was found possible to have access to active biomass by …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Novel Blocked Isocyanate Dental Adhesive Based On Diphenylmethane - 4, 4' - Diisocyanate, Yangming Lin

Theses

The dental adhesive monomers based on diphenylmethane - 4,4 - diisocyanate (MDI) were prepared and studied in this research. The diisocyanate, MDI, was first reacted with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to form an intermediate adduct. This adduct had an active isocyanate end group. It was then bonded with o-chlorophenol (OCP), a blocking agent, to produce a blocked isocyanate monomer.

The new blocked isocyanate (HEMA-MDI-OCP) was found to have an average value of more than 1200 psi in tensile tests measuring its adhesion to dentin slices.

Programming For The Prediction Of Thermodynamic Phenomena, One Kwon Rim

Theses

A Thermodynamic Calculation Program was developed. The program contains the calculation procedure for VAPOR/LIQUID EQUILIBRIUM(Isothermal P-X data and T-X data), HEAT-OF-MIXING(liquid mixture data) and LIQUID/LIQUID EQUILIBRIUM SEPARATION data. The program may optionally use the Knox Molecular(GAM), UNIQUAC, NRTL, Wilson and Redlich-Kister equations, and is prepared to accept any kind of model which will be developed in the future. This program also performs parameter file creation, parameter input, updating of parameters, and is structured to allow implementation of data regression when program is updated. Comparison and analysis of each function were executed using this program. It was revealed that VLE(Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium) …

Hydrodechlorination Reactions Of Trichloroethylene And 1,1 1, Trichloroethane Over Alumina Supported Palladium Catalysts, And, Trichloroethylene Over Nickel Catalyst, Atul R. Shah

Theses

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the viability for conversion of chlorocarbon wastes solvents into useful hydrocarbons and HCl by catalytic reduction. The second objective was to investigate the pathways for these hydrodechlorination reactions over the chosen alumina supported Palladium and nickel catalysts as well as determine selectivities, product distribution, and deactivation mechanism.

Reactions of trichloroethylene with hydrogen over alumina supported palladium catalyst was studied in temperature range 40°C to 57°C at one atmosphere total pressure. The major products observed were ethane and (cis) 1,2 dichloroethylene with trace products chloroethylene, chloroethane and (trans) 1,2 dichloroethylene. At the …

Transient Analysis Of Macromolecular Blood-Tissue Exchange In Microvascular Bed, Alex Yefim Bekker

Dissertations

Movement of macromolecules across microvascular walls was studied in the hamster cheek pouch with intravital fluorescence microscopy. A graded series of Fluorescein Isothiocyanate labeled Dextrans(FITC) of 20,000 -70,000 molecular weight were used as representative macromolecular tracers. The time dependent extravasation of FITC-Dextrans was video taped for approximately two and a half hours. Permeation of macromolecules from individual microvessels was quantified by digital video image processing. Histograms of the light intensity distributions for selected fields at various times have been measured and used to construct integral optical density - time profiles of the extravasated fluorochromes for particular leaky sites. An integrated …

A Theoretical Investigation Of The Possibility Of Coexistence Of Three Microbial Populations Competing Purely And Simply In Configurations Of Three Interconnected Chemostats, Shiuan-Wu Chang

Theses

It is known from the literature that out of any number of microbial populations competing purely and simply in an environment which is homogeneous and has time invariant inputs (e.g. in an ideal chemostat) only one population can survive in a steady state under any conditions. However it has been proven possible for two competitors to coexist in two interconnected chemostats, which indicates that spatial heterogeneities may lead to coexistence of pure and simple competitors. The present study investigates whether the spatial heterogeneities created by three interconnected bioreactors may lead to a mixed culture (i.e. coexistence) of three pure and …

Reaction Of Hydrogen With Methylene Chloride And Carbon Tetrachloride At High Temperature, Hun Tsao

Theses

The reactions of methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride in hydrogen in the temperature range 500 - 1000° C were studied using tubular flow reactors of three diameters. (ID: 0.40, 1.05, 1.60 cm). Residence time range was from 0.3 to 3.5 seconds. Temperature profiles of the reactors was kept within +/- 5° C of central 85% for the 18 inch long reactor, at a total pressure of 1 atmosphere. No chlorinated hydrocarbon products were observed at or above 950° C. The major products in this temperature range were CH4, C2H₂, C2H₄, C2H₆ and HCl.

The pseudo …

Reactions Of Atomic Hydrogen With Dichloromethane In A Flow System, Shun-Hsien Huang

Theses

The reaction kinetics of atomic hydrogen with dichloromethane were studied in a tubular flow reactor with 2.6 cm I.D. Pyrex tube at pressure of 2.1 to 2.7 torr absolute and room temperature . Hydrogen atoms were generated by a microwave discharge plasma. Atomic hydrogen concentration were measured by chemiluminescence titration with nitrogen dioxide. The concentrations of hydrogen atom ranged from 2.0 * 10¹⁴ to 5.0 * 10¹⁵ atoms per cm³. Chlorocarbon reagent and products were monitored by online gas chromatography (FID).

Major products observed were hydrogen chloride and methane. The conversion of dichloromethane increases first to …

A Study Of The Dynamics Of Microbial Competition For A Single Resource In A Chemostat Between Reversible Attachment To Solid Surfaces, Pericles Theofilos Lagonikos

Theses

It is known that two microbial populations competing for a single non-renewable resource in a homogeneous environment with time-invariant inputs cannot coexist in a steady state. The case where two microbial populations exhibiting reversible attachment to the walls of a chemostat compete for a single resource is studied theoretically. Because of the cell's attachment to the walls, the environment is no longer homogeneous. The present study considers the case where the attached cells form no more than a monolayer. The Baltzis-Fredrickson model is used to represent the attachment to the walls. In one system the attachment of cells of the …

A Mathematical Model Of Photopolymerization In A Batch Reactor, Jyh-Yao Li

Theses

A mathematical model of a photo initiated additionpolymerization in a batch reactor was developed.

The model considered initiation, propagation and, termination to simulate the addition polymerization process, The model has the advantage that the concentration of any particular n-mer may be calculated without calculating all of its precursors. Other methods do not have this property. An analytical solution to the model for the photopolymerization of styrene was solved. The calculations were run on a VAX 8800 computer and the results were then compared with the experimental results. The calculated results fitted the experimental results to some extent. Effects from the …

Studies Directed Toward Beta-Cyclodextrin And Capped Beta-Cyclodextrin Mimics Of Alpha-Chymotrypsin, Preston Marlon Canzius

Theses

Molecular mechanics calculations were used to investigate beta-cyclodextrin and capped beta-cyclodextrin as models for the active site of alpha-chymotrypsin. The Amber molecular mechanics force field was used to investigate the effect that addition of the caps has on the conformation of the beta-cyclodextrin macrocycle.

The RMS module of Amber was used to calculate differences in position between the atoms of the minimized mimics and those of the X-ray crystal structure. The deviation in position of the atoms of the minimized capped beta-cyclodextrin macrocycle was found to be larger than that of the minimized beta-cyclodextrin, indicating that the caps do affect …

Theoretical Studies Of A Norbornane Mimic Of Acyl-Alpha-Chymotrypsin, Pin-Nan Chen

Theses

Molecular mechanics calculations were used to investigate the structural flexibility of the norbornane mimic which is a model of an acyl-alpha-chymotrypsin intermediate. The Amber molecular mechanics force field was used to perform the conformational analysis.

Comparison of the optimized conformations of different energy has shown the relative structural rigidity of this molecule. Structural superposition of the minimized mimic to the native conformation of chymotrypsin shows that the mimic has a very similar spatial arrangement of its functional groups compared to the catalytic triad of the real enzyme.

Molecular electrostatic potential maps calculated in planes parallel to the average plane containing …

Hydrodechlorination Reactions On Silica-Supported Rhodium Catalysts, Yung-Ming Chen

Theses

The objectives of this study were to investigate the pathways of the hydrodechlorination reactions over silica-supported Rh catalysts as well as identify selectivities and deactivation properties.

Reaction of 1,2-dichloroethane with hydrogen over Rh/SiO₂ catalyst was studied in the temperature range 200 to 300°C. Formation of two intermediates was proposed while 1,2-dichloroethane was adsorbed on the catalyst, the reactive intermediates then produce ethane, ethylene, chloroethane and methane. From the methane formation, it was inferred that the ethane hydrogenolysis occured over the Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. Higher conversion to C₁ and C₂ hydrocarbons was observed at higher reaction temperature. The …

Separation Of Chromium From Waste Sludges By An Electric Membrane Process, Freeman Nai-Tchun Ho

Theses

The process is characterized by using metallic membrane as a filter which is charged by a separate DC-power supply and it may become experimentally very effective in increasing the separation potency and migration flux. The technique of integrating migration with electromembrane was evaluated for the removal of chromium. The transport was found to be adequately described by an equation in which the rate is proportional to the chromium concentration. The rate of dichromate ions transported across the membranes and the gel water content of membrane increased when the ratio of electromembrane potential and cell system potential was increased. The back …

Particle Size Distribution In Isothermal Batch Emulsion Polymerization, Bhavin R. Patel

Theses

A detailed modified mathematical model for particle size distribution in isothermal batch emulsion polymerization of Styrene and Vinyl acetate is proposed on the basis of the population balance approach in presence of several kinetic and mass transfer processes. This study is limited to Smith-Ewart's case II, which assumes instantaneous free radical termination within the polymer particles. Radical desor¬ption mechanism from polymer particles is included in the model and the desorption rate is formulated from the diffu¬sion theory which suggests that the rate co-efficient should be inversely proportional to the surface area of polymer particles.

Experimental runs are made using laser …

The Effect Of Inorganic Salts On Adsorption Of Organics By Fly Ash, Pai-Yuan Horng

Theses

Optimum amounts of inorganic salts ( monovalent, divalent, and trivalent chlorides ) added to various bituminous coal fly ashes in batch adsorption treatment experiments indicates the possibility of improving adsorption capacity.

Experiments were conducted on aqueous solutions of three priority pollutants : phenol, toluene, benzene. Both high fusion and low fusion fly ashes were used as sorbent materials. Removal of organic pollutants was measured using a total organic carbon analyzer.

Isotherm tests positively indicate that the addition of inorganic salts to fly ash significantly increases adsorption capacity. The study shows that removal of organic pollutants by fly ash depends on …

The Kinetics And Mechanism Studies Of Cathodic Electro-Initiated Crosslinking Polymerization Of Unsaturated Polyester Prepolymer, Joseph Yuan-Ji Sheng

Theses

The cathodic electro-initiated polymerization reaction of the unsaturated polyester prepolymer has been found to have the characteristics of the first order ionic initiation polymerization mechanism. The rate of polymer formation is directly proportional to the current intensity and voltage supplied, but inversely proportional to the reaction temperature. The rate of initiation can be expressed as a function of the initial concentration of the prepolymer, residence time and reaction temperature. The rate expression of the initiation step has been derived based upon the experimental data collected as follows:

ln W = k0 exp[-Ea/RT] Ca0 ln t + ln b

where k0 …

High Temperature Reactions Of Chloroform With Methane, Thomas Siozopoulos

Theses

The reactions of Chloroform with Methane were studied at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 550-800 deg C, and using three different reactor diameters.

The reaction was found to follow pseudo-first order kinetics in the presence of excess Methane and Argon, and the kinetic parameters were determined for each of the reactor sizes.

The resulting global Arrhenius expressions are:

For 0.4 cm ID Kexp = 2.03 * 10⁸ exp (-34000/RT)

For 1.05 cm ID Kexp = 9.86 * 10⁸ exp (-37950/RT)

For 1.6 cm ID Kexp = 4.17 * 10⁸ exp (-36760/RT)

An increase in the …

The Use Of Pure Cultures As A Means Of Understanding The Performance Of A Mixed Culture In The Biodegradation Of Phenol, Chirasakdi Varuntanya

Dissertations

In an effort to gain a more fundamental understanding of the performance of mixed microbial cultures in the biodegradation of toxic organic chemicals, studies have been conducted using three phenol degrading species isolated from a municipal treatment plant. The rate of phenol degradation was investigated for each of the three pure phenol degrading species, and various combinations of the three species. A simple competitive model was used to predict the behavior of the mixed cultures by using the pure culture Monod rate constants. The model fit the growth data for total biomass very well, although (as with the pure culture …

The Biochemical Fuel Cell : Conversion Of Waste To Energy, Charles August Mielke

Theses

A batch biochemical-fuel cell was constructed and studies on the production of bioelectric energy using an alga Scenesdesmus quadricauda, and a bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, were conducted. Results were compared for a steady state cell using various concentrations of media components and showed that a 1000-fold increase in the concentration of media components produced a net potential output of 0.03mv/ml compared to an initial output of 0.02mv/ml. Further studies showed the biochemical net potential output using activated sludge from a waste treatment facility was 0.01mv/ml compared to 0.02mv/ml for the cell using the initial media concentration.

The system exhibited steady state …

Gas-Phase Reaction Of 1,2-Dichloroethane With Hydrogen In A Tubular Flow Reactor, Wei-Lian Lee

Theses

We have studied the reaction of 1,2-dichloroethane with H₂ in three tubular flow reactors of different diameters at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 550° C to 1000°C. The kinetic parameters and product distribution were experimentally determined for each size reactor. The wall and bulk reaction rate constants were decoupled via analysis of three different surface to volume reaction data.

The experimental reactor was an isothermal tubular flow reactor that operated within the domain of plug flow region. The reaction was found to follow first-order kinetics with respect to 1,2-dichloroethane when in the presence of excess hydrogen. The …

Thermal Decomposition Of Chlorobenzene In An Atmosphere Of Hydrogen, Edward Robert Ritter

Theses

The thermal decomposition of chlozobenzene was investigated in a tubular flow reactor at 1 atmosphere total pressure and average residence times of 0.02 - 2.5 seconds. The temperature range from 800 - 1010°C was studied in both a reductive atmosphere of hydrogen and an inert atmosphere of heIium. Complete destruction of chlorobenzene occurs at about 1000°C for an average residence time of 1 second in hydrogen gas. In the inert gas, the complete destruction of the reagent was not observed in the range of conditions which were studied. The major products observed for pyrolysis in hydrogen were benzene, HCl, and …

A New Density-Dependent Mixing Rule For Equations Of State, Theodore John Shatynski

Theses

A general procedure for the development of density-dependent mixing rules is demonstrated. This method is used to obtain a density-dependent local-composition mixing rule based on an extention of the work of Knox et al (1984). The resulting expression is tested with the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state. Results for normal and cryogenic vapor-liquid systems for both one-parameter and three-parameter versions of the mixing rule are compared with results using the classical mixing rules.