Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Engineered Porous Structures For Propellants Using Additive Manufacturing, Elbert Caravaca

Dissertations

Foamed polymers are widely used today for shock absorption and packaging materials to prevent damage to their contents. Typical foamed densities vary from 0.1 g/cm³ to 0.4 g/cm³ depending on the polymeric materials used. There is a need to explore foaming densities above 0.4 g/cm³ for propellants with highly engineered surface area progression for increased combustion performance. One way to achieve this is through highly controlled and engineered graded foam structures. To further exploit this approach, additive manufacturing coupled with a tunable means to generate foamed structures is the target of this work. To generate foam structures …

Machine Learning For Predictive Energy And Emissions Modeling Of Vehicles And Power Grids In The United States, S M Tanvir Faysal Alam Chowdhoury

Dissertations

The environmental benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption depend on more than replacing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric powertrains. EV adoption reshapes electricity demand, interacts with regional generation mixes, and influences travel behavior and congestion, creating a coupled transportation-energy system in which vehicle and power-plant emissions must be evaluated together. This dissertation develops machine-learning frameworks for predicting energy consumption and emissions from vehicles and power grids under rising EV adoption. The first component forecasts grid emissions from EV charging. Using simulation data from NREL's Cambium database, a Prophet-based time-series framework predicts carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emission rates …

Glass Transition Temperature Of Plga Nanoparticles And The Application In Drug Delivery, Guangliang Liu

Dissertations

The glass transition temperature (T_g) of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles plays a crucial role in governing molecular mobility, diffusion, and consequently, drug release kinetics. However, the interaction among residual surfactant, drug effect, nanoscale confinement, and release medium on T_g remains insufficiently characterized. This study aims to bridge this gap by correlating the thermal behavior of PLGA nanoparticles with their drug release behavior under physiologically relevant conditions.

In the present study, PLGA nanoparticles were synthesized using both nano-emulsion and surfactant-free nano-precipitation approaches. The influence of residual surfactants - poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DMAB) - was systematically …

Membrane-Engineered Nanotherapeutic Platforms For Drug Delivery: Hollow Fiber Membrane Synthesis Of Lipid Nanoparticles, Biomimetic Nanocarriers, And Nanobubbles, Zhixiang Liu

Dissertations

Lipid-based nanocarriers have emerged as a cornerstone technology for RNA therapeutics, enabling effective intracellular delivery for applications ranging from vaccination to gene regulation. However, current manufacturing approaches, particularly microfluidic-based platforms, face inherent limitations in scalability, throughput, and structural tunability due to their reliance on confined channel geometries and restricted mixing architectures. Addressing these challenges requires fundamentally new strategies that decouple nanoparticle formation from traditional microscale flow constraints while maintaining precise control over physicochemical properties.

This dissertation presents a comprehensive framework for the design, engineering, and application of advanced lipid-based nanocarriers, centered on a hollow fiber membrane (HFM)—assisted nanopore-mediated assembly platform. …

Material Degradation And Analysis Of N-Doped Graphene/Mof Nanocatalysts For Orr In Electrochemical Energy Systems, Niladri Talukder

Dissertations

The development of advanced electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems is crucial for achieving sustainable energy security. As alternatives to precious metal-based catalysts in electrochemical systems, especially for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), Nitrogen-doped Graphene with Metal-organic Frameworks (N-G/MOF) nanocatalysts have shown exceptional promise in recent years. This research advances the understanding of N-G/MOF nanocatalysts by systematically examining their structural features, degradation traits, correlated performance losses, and other aspects related to catalytic activities.

First, nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) nanocatalysts were thoroughly investigated, resolving their physical properties, the influence of synthesis parameters, molecular-level material structures, and chemical and electronic structural details of …

Upcycling Commodity Polymers To Advanced Materials For Energy And Environmental Sustainability, Anthony Griffin-Espinoza

Dissertations

Synthetic polymers play an essential role in nearly every aspect of our lives. Extending beyond single-use packaging, polymeric material design has progressed to attain tailorable architectures granting exceptional performance across advanced applications, including carbon-fiber reinforced polymer composites for aerospace, conductive materials for soft electronics, and drug carriers for biomedicine. While highly promising, intricately designed polymers needed to achieve excellent performance often have limited processability, complex synthetic methods, and expensive precursors. Furthermore, due to a lack of recyclability, commodity polymer waste streams result in both environmental impacts and a substantial loss of economic value. This dissertation focuses on developing robust strategies …

Utilization Of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids For Enhanced Oil Recovery In Harsh Emirati Tight Carbonate Oil Reservoirs, Noran Hussein Mousa

Dissertations

In response to the increasing global demand for energy and the limitations of traditional chemical oil recovery methods, this study explores the potential of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agents for Emirati tight oil reservoirs. Four ILs—C10mimCl, C12mimCl, C12mimBF4, and C16mimBr—were evaluated for their effects on the interfacial tension (IFT), wettability, emulsification, and rheological properties under reservoir conditions. Experiments conducted at varying salinities, temperatures (up to 110°C), and IL concentrations (500–3000 ppm) demonstrated that longer alkyl chain ILs, particularly C16mimBr, effectively reduced IFT by >99% and improved wettability by lowering contact angles down to 15.37°. Statistical …

Determination Of Electrochemical Parameters For Predicting Reaction Mechanism And Algorithmic Approaches To Pain Assessment, Huize Xue

Dissertations

This dissertation introduces novel advancements in electrochemical kinetics and pain assessment, structured into two main parts. The first part focuses on the comprehensive analysis of the kinetic and mechanistic aspects of electrochemical reactions, utilizing a combination of experimental techniques and simulation methods. A new software tool, Envismetrics, was developed using Python to facilitate the analysis of complex electrochemical data, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and hydrodynamic voltammetry (HDV). The software was rigorously tested and validated with well-characterized redox systems such as the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide couple, dimethylamine borane (DMAB), and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). It was successfully used to determine …

Gas-Generating Reactive Materials: Design, Evaluation And Effect Of Morphology On Their Ignition And Combustion, Purvam Mehulkumar Gandhi

Dissertations

This work investigates optimizing gas-generating reactive materials, focusing on particle morphology's effect on ignition and combustion behavior. Metal-based gas-generating energetic materials (EMs) are promising alternatives to replace traditional CHNO compounds. Design of advanced metal-based EMs requires consistent ways of evaluating how their characteristics affect their ignition and combustion. Many relevant evaluation approaches exist; however, the results may be difficult to compare directly across different studies. Commonly, experimentalists ignite metal-based EMs in enclosed chambers and report pressures, P. However, direct comparison of these pressures is hindered by variations in the chamber volume, V, and the EM mass, m. To standardize the …

Decomposition Of Diisopropyl Methylphosphonate (Dimp) Exposed To Elevated Temperatures And Combustion Products Of Reactive Materials, Elif Irem Senyurt

Dissertations

The safe and efficient destruction of chemical weapon agents (CWAs) stockpiles remains a critical global challenge. Understanding the thermophysical properties, decomposition mechanisms, and interactions of CWAs with their environment is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate their threats. Diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) and Dimethyl methylphosphonate are commonly used nerve agent surrogates. This dissertation focuses on DIMP and DMMP, investigates their properties and behavior under conditions relevant to prompt defeat scenarios.

The thermophysical properties of DIMP and DMMP were experimentally characterized, including vapor-liquid surface tension (3-60 °C) and viscosities of neat and aqueous solutions. Results revealed significant non-ideal behavior in aqueous …

Synthesis, Characterization And Testing Of Graphene-Based Materials For Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Catalysts, Hassan Shirzadi Jahromi

Dissertations

The requirement for low cost and efficient catalysts for fuel cells motivated the proposed research on Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) integrated with transition metal zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). Synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation of the newly synthesized nitrogen-doped graphene oxide-based catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) constitutes the main objective of this thesis.

The synthesis of N-rGO combined with cobalt, nickel, or iron ZIFs was carried out using wet chemical methods followed by one step pyrolysis at 900°C, resulting in catalysts with highly porous structures and uniform metal nanoparticle distribution. These were characterized for structure, microstructure, composition …

Electrified Membrane For Water Treatment And Resource Recovery: Advancing Multiscale Strategies In Gas-Involving Reactions, Jianan Gao

Dissertations

Multifunctional, modular, and scalable water treatment technologies that operate without chemical additives are crucial for addressing global water pollution challenges. While traditional membrane-based separation processes are crucial for ensuring clean water supplies, they primarily focus on pollutant removal rather than on the upcycling of pollutants into valuable resources. Electrified membrane filtration presents a robust alternative, utilizing minimal or no chemical additives and harnessing electrical power to directly reduce contaminants or produce reactive oxidants or reductants on-site.

This dissertation is dedicated to the development of innovative electrochemically reactive membranes designed to address three major challenges: (1) the engineering of electrocatalysts with …

Microwave Catalysis-Enabled Membrane Processes For Microbial Inactivation, Fangzhou Liu

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for advanced technologies to combat virus transmission. Traditional membrane filtration technologies primarily serve as physical barriers, capturing pollutants but failing to inactivate microbial agents such as bacteria and viruses. These membranes typically target larger particles but are ineffective against sub-micrometer viral particles. Thus, there's a critical demand for membrane filtration processes that combine robust filtration with antifouling and reaction -enabled functions for efficient pathogen disinfection. This research explores a novel microwave-assisted membrane filtration process incorporating catalytic reactions to enhance microbial disinfection and prevent membrane fouling, offering a groundbreaking solution to global challenges …

Collision Dynamics Of Compound Droplets In Microchannels: A Combined Numerical And Data-Driven Study, S M Abdullah Al Mamun

Dissertations

Understanding and predicting the hydrodynamic interactions of micron-scale droplets is crucial in a wide range of industrial and real-life applications, including microfluidics, pharmaceutics, drug delivery, food science, and enhanced oil recovery. These multi-phase and multi-scale phenomena are further complicated by the presence of core droplets of an immiscible fluid within shell droplets, known as compound droplets. The collisions and interactions of droplets in emulsions are influenced by various physical and geometric parameters, leading to distinct rheological and dynamic responses. This research employs numerical methods for a systematic parametric study of both simple and compound droplet pair collisions under confined shear …

The Synthesis, Characterization, And Application Of Polysaccharide-Based Additive To Improve Wet And Dry Strength And High-Barrier Properties Of Paper Products, Cornellius Marcello

Dissertations

Paper products play an essential role in our daily lives owing to their low cost, environment-friendly character, renewability, and recyclability. Paper manufacturers have been using petroleum-based strength additives (cPAM, GPAM, PAE) to meet the perceived needs of customers. On the other hand, paper produced from cellulose is hydrophilic and porous, leading to shallow water and grease resistance, causing paper manufacturers to use many kinds of coating materials such as poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and synthetic plastic to improve water resistance, especially for food packaging paper products like cups, plates, food boxes, and packaging. However, PFAS are identified as likely carcinogenic to …

Creating Advanced Processes Through Utilizing Renewable Eutectics For Gas Capture And Separation, Ahmad Mohammad Rasheed Al-Bodour

Dissertations

Global efforts to reduce emissions of environmentally harmful gases have intensified, with carbon dioxide (CO2) being identified as the most significant greenhouse gas and a key target for reduction strategies. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the highest potential of threatening the environment. It is recognized as one of the greenhouse gases which has the potential of negative effects on the human being, atmosphere, and the environment. Even though CO2 gas has negative effects but at the same time it has high potential to be exploited in beneficial ways. For instance, CO2 is used in the energy field to produce the so-called …

Interaction Of Particles With Plasma And Shock Produced By Pulsed Spark Discharge, Shomik Mukhopadhyay

Dissertations

Interactions of powders with high-temperature plasma and shockwaves occur in diverse scenarios, such as nuclear blasts, accidental industrial dust explosions, solid propellant combustion in explosive charges and when removing contaminants from surfaces. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), known for generating shock and plasma, is a promising lab-scale technique for simulating these interactions. Studies with ESD involved placing powders near a spark-producing gap between electrodes and observing mechanical and chemical processes like particle motion and ignition. A limited range of spark conditions and material properties have been tested, which facilitated the development and validation of preliminary computational models describing this system. Significant gaps …

Molecular-To-Continuum Scale Modeling Of Aerosols: Atmospheric Application And Beyond, Ella Ivanova

Dissertations

Aerosol modeling is critical for various applications, such as climate forecasting, air quality, and human health impact assessment. During their lifetime, aerosols undergo a complex evolution, usually divided into several stages — formation, processing, transport, and removal — that occur on different scales. Thus, the choice of modeling methods depends on the stage considered. For example, certain stages of particle formation may require nano-scale modeling while aerosol-cloud interactions span from microscale to mesoscale. This study examines the modeling of aerosol behavior over a wide range of scales, from nano to microscale, with implications to mesoscale.

This dissertation focuses on two …

Microplastic Abundance And Removal In Stormwater Using Green Infrastructure, Meghana Parameswarappa Jayalakshmamma

Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as a pervasive environmental contaminant, conveying other contaminants, accumulating in aquatic organisms, and posing ecological risks. The existing research has primarily focused on MPs in wastewater treatment plant effluents in surface waters. However, the role of stormwater systems in MP transport has been less explored. Given the rise in MPs from urban sources, stormwater runoff from urban areas may serve as a critical conduit for transporting land-based MPs into aquatic environments. Green infrastructures (GIs) have been recognized for mitigating flooding and improving water quality from minor storms by trapping stormwater pollutants. Yet, the capability of …

Enabling High-Rate Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing Through Structure-Processing-Property Relationships Of Polyphenylene Sulfide, Lina Ghanbari

Dissertations

In this dissertation, relationships between polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) chain structure and melt processing parameters are linked to thermoplastic composite (TPC) properties and mechanical performance. Deviations from linear PPS structure and the formation of branching/crosslinked moieties upon exposure to TPC manufacturing steps presents an opportunity to systematically uncover the interdependencies of melt-state thermal history on polymer rheology, crystallization, crystal structure, and translate these properties to the continuum level. This work first explores unreinforced PPS and how the formation of non-linear chain architectures yield altered rheological states when held at melt processing temperatures. These hindered chains exhibit unconventional crystallization behavior and non-uniform …

Valorization Of Date Palm Waste For The Isolation, Characterization, And Surface Chemistry Modification Of Nanocellulose, Mohsin Raza

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the utilization of date palm waste, a lignocellulosic material, as a source for the extraction of nanocellulose (NC), a versatile biopolymer with applications in biodegradable composites, bioplastics, and food packaging. Conventional methods of NC production using mineral acids such as sulphuric and hydrochloric acid are reaching their limits of toxicity, so more environmentally friendly alternatives such as ionic liquids (ILs) are being explored. The research focuses on the characterization of different date palm wastes to evaluate their α−cellulose content, lignocellulosic character, and thermal stability. By comparing extraction methods with mineral acids and ILs, the study evaluates …

Enzymatic Production Of Cyclodextrin Using Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase Immobilized In Metal Organic Frameworks (Mofs), Babatunde Azeez Ogunbadejo

Dissertations

Cyclodextrins (CDs) and their derivatives have attracted significant attention in the pharmaceutical, food, and textile industries, which has led to an increased demand for their production. CDs are typically produced by the action of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) on starch. Owing to the relatively high cost of enzymes, the economic feasibility of the entire process strongly depends on the effective retention and recycling of CGTase in the reaction system, while maintaining the enzyme’s activity and stability. Previous supports used for this purpose such as silica and hydrogels, have numerous drawbacks, including enzyme leaching, activity loss and significant mass transfer limitations. The …

Valorization Of The Polymeric Constituents In Plastic Wastes Through Thermo-Chemical Processes By Using Viable Metal Oxides Additives, Labeeb Hamad Ali

Dissertations

The rapid accumulation of different types of plastic waste necessitates the development of effective and economically viable waste management operations. Such a process should ideally not only mitigate associated environmental burdens but also recycle and recover value-added products. Through incineration or pyrolysis, thermal processing has emerged as a mainstream approach to waste management of the ever-increasing loads of different categorized plastic wastes. Throughout the work of the thesis, we have utilized a multitude of complementary techniques spanning material characterizations, catalysis, kinetic modelling, and density functional theory (DFT) to comprehend the complex chemistry that underpins catalytic chemical recycling of plastic wastes. …

Formate Dehydrogenase Immobilized On Metal Organic Framework For Enhanced Conversion Of Co2 To Formate, Shadeera Rouf

Dissertations

Enzymatic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to formate by formate dehydrogenase (FDH) is a promising technology for reducing CO₂ concentrations in an environmentally friendly manner. For practical and economical implementation of the process, however, enhanced reusability of the enzyme is essential, which requires easy separation from the reaction mixture, coupled with sustained stability. One way to achieve this is by using the enzyme in an immobilized form. In this work, the effectiveness of using different metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as promising alternative supports for FDH immobilization has been assessed. A highly stable zirconium-based MOF, UiO66 and its …

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …

Assessing The Feasibility And Mechanism Of Destructive Removal Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) From Water, Kaushik Vinaykumar Londhe

Dissertations

One of the most pertinent challenges faced by the drinking water community is the widespread contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These anthropogenic chemicals have been ubiquitously used in everyday products such as carpets, stain repellents, dyes, shampoos, non-stick cookware as well as in aqueous firefighting foams. PFAS are linked with adverse health effects in humans such as thyroid disease, obesity, immunological and reproductive disorders and linked to cancer in adults and low birth weight and developmental defects in infants.

Conventional water treatment technologies have proven to be largely ineffective in PFAS remediation, due to their extreme stability and …

Using Afm-Ir To Study Nanoscopic Phase Behavior Of Polymer Blends And Photovoltaic Bulk Heterojunctions, Nathaniel L. Prine

Dissertations

Conjugated polymers (CPs) and polymer blends harbor the potential for high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs) due to their short energy payback time, low cost, solution processability, lightweight attributes, and flexibility. However, OSCs suffer from poor thermal stability compared to their inorganic equivalents. This study explores the thermal instability of OSCs, focusing on phase separation of the photoactive layer under heat, resulting in morphology changes and degradation of power conversion efficiency (PCE). Utilizing atomic-force microscopy coupled with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we delve into thermal stability-morphology relationships to devise strategies to improve OSC blend durability under thermal …

Synthesis Of Glucomannan-Xylan Composite Biofilms: Characterization And Applications For Food Packaging, Kholoud Al-Ajlouni

Dissertations

Scientists are most concerned about the need for green alternatives for efficient food packaging polymers to replace petroleum-based packaging products. The waste of corn cobs and the roots of the konjac plant contain hemicellulose, xylan and glucomannan respectively, and can be used to produce biofilms for food packaging.

The aim of these studies is to formulate biofilms from glucomannan-xylan blends that compete with petroleum-based plastic wrap. The biofilms must be strong, smooth, transparent, have a water vapor barrier, have the required mechanical properties and be cheap. Biofilms from glucomannan were stiff, lacked mechanical properties, and absorbed moisture. Therefore, it reacts …

Bacterial Motion And Spread In Porous Environments, Yasser Almoteri

Dissertations

Micro-swimmers are ubiquitous in nature from soil and water to mammalian bodies and even many technological processes. Common known examples are microbes such as bacteria, micro-algae and micro-plankton, cells such as spermatozoa and organisms such as nematodes. These swimmers live and have evolved in multiplex environments and complex flows in the presence of other swimmers and types, inert particles and fibers, interfaces and non-trivial confinements and more. Understanding the locomotion and interactions of these individual micro-swimmers in such impure viscous fluids is crucial to understanding the emergent dynamics of such complex systems, and to further enabling us to control and …

Synergistic Effect Of Air Sparging In Separation Via Nano-Carbon Immobilized Membrane Distillation Process And Optimization, Mitun Chandra Bhoumick

Dissertations

Membrane distillation (MD) has gained significant popularity as a separation and purification technique in diverse domains, such as saline/brackish water treatment, organic recovery, and wastewater treatment. The objective of this research is to advance MD by developing a novel air sparged membrane distillation in treating saline water, recovering solvents, and achieving preconcentration. To optimize the flux and selectivity in membrane distillation, the study also employed a response surface method based on a central composite rotatable design.

In this study, a novel air-sparged membrane distillation (ASMD) is introduced for the treatment of saline water, utilizing a nanocarbon immobilized membrane. The performance …