Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Enhancement Of The Thermophysical Capability Of The Chemical Engineering Simulation System, Joydeep Banerjee

Theses

The CHESS (Chemical Engineering Emulation System) is a generalized steady-state, sequential-modular chemical process simulation program. In this thesis, the thermophysical data prediction capability of CHESS has been expanded by: incorporating more accurate thermodynamic phase-behavior models, by utilizing these models in generating a wider range of thermophysical properties, and providing an updated and expanded database for pure-component physical properties.

The overall performance of the simulation system's thermophysical package has been evaluated using the study of a subprocess consisting of various rotational equipment modules.

In this work, the Chao-Seader liquid phase activity coefficient model has been reinstalled in conjunction with the original …

The Catabolism Of Arginine By Lactobacillus Brevis In A Chemostat, Jeanette Carque

Theses

A total of thirty chemostat runs were evaluated for steady state biomass concentration of L. brevis and arginine deiminase activity at dilution rates ranging from 0.022 to 0.1.07 h^-1 for a substrate feed consisting of 1.0% glucose and 0.5% arginine (w/v). Biomass concentration and enzyme activity responses were also evaluated for variations in glucose concentration from 0.05% to 1.5% and variations in arginine concentrations from 0.25% to 1.0% at a constant dilution rate (0.06 h^-1).

The system exhibited multiple steady states for the range of dilution rates from 0.022 to 0.107 h^-1. A steady state …

Transport Phenomena Of Copper Ions Through An Electromembrane, Ren-Fu Cheng

Theses

A separation process based on a new class of membrane ( the electromembrane ) was studied. Experiments were performed using three types of electromembrane to remove copper ions from aqueous solution. A Separation Cell Unit was designed and set up to investigate the transport of copper ions through the electromembranes under the influence of both an electric field and a concentration gradient. Fluxes achieved were much greater than those reported for other membrane processes, and the energy consumption was one half that of electrolytic deposition.

Computer Simulation Of A Batch Distillation Column With A Reflux Divider, Michael Gerard Clarke

Theses

The operation of a batch distillation column with a reflux divider has been mathematically simulated to reproduce operational equipment.

The operation of the column consists of one or more product recoveries. During each product recovery period the column alternates between total reflux and total product withdrawal, with the product withdrawal period being 2 — 5 seconds. Between product recoveries the column operating conditions can be reset.

The basic assumption of this batch distillation simulation is that the column completely equilibrates during the period of total reflux. The determination of the total reflux condition is obtained computationally using the iterative Newton—Raphson …

Preparation And Properties Of Novel Dental Adhesives Based Upon Pentaerythritol, Yuan-Yuan Su

Theses

Urethane methacrylates were synthesized from Pentaerythritol, TDI, HEMA and four phenolic blocking agents or from hydroxypropyl methacrylatel TDI and two phenolic blocking agents. All the products were characterized by melting pointy infrared spectroscopy, NMR spectra, and elemental analysis. The bonding of these materials to dentin slices was also investigated. Such materials are supposed to not only react with the organic constituent of dentin but also polymerized with restorative resin. It was found that bond strength was enhanced by the use of the urethane methacrylates, resulting in best mean bonding strengths of 2400 psi.

Improving The Capabilities Of The Chemical Engineering Simulation System (Chess) Computer Program, Thomas Zvolensky

Theses

Chemical process simulation programs have become an indispensable tool to chemical engineers in the preparation of heat and material balances, and energy conservation studies. Since the 1960's several dozen process simulators have been developed which are in use today within companies and through computer service bureaus. Due to advances in the areas of unit operation analysis and thermodynamic relations, these programs require periodic modification. This thesis describes the programming modifications made to the Chemical Engineering Simulation System (CHESS) version 2.0, computer program. This undertaking was considered warranted since no improvements have been made to CHESS since its release in 1971. …

The Biodegradation Of Phenolics Using Mixed Liquor From Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners Plant, Newark, New Jersey, Daewon Pak

Theses

The biological degradation of phenol, O-chlorophenol, and 2,6-dichlorophenol was studied at room temperature in aerated 5 liter batch reactors using mixed liquor from Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners Plant (Newark, New Jersey). From the concentration versus time data, kinetic rate constants were determined for phenol (at 100 ppm), 2'-chlorophenol (at 20 ppm), and 2,6-dichlorophenol (at 10 ppm). Air stripping and adsorption were determined to be insignificant removal mechanisms for the three compounds studied.

It was noted that the biodegradation rates increased after the organisms were acclimated to 100 ppm phenol. In addition, on substrate exposure, the degradation rate increased from the …

Vapor Pressures Of Some Coal Oil Fractions, David G. Gaydos

Theses

New data on coal tar oils and data from the literature on pure compounds and oils derived from coal were used for testing the predictions by the correlation of Maxwell—Bonnell. Based on the observation that the discrepancies between the predicted values and the data are systematic, recommendations were deduced on needed modifications to the correlation. A proposal for modification to the Maxwell and Bonnell correlation to improve prediction of vapor pressures of highly aromatic fuel fractions with characterization factors of8 UOPK 10.5 was made.

Experimental data were taken on vapor pressures of fractions of coke oven coal tar oils and …

Conversion And Kinetics In The Reaction Of Chloroform With Water Vapor At High Temperatures, Chii-Guang Hwang

Theses

This is an experimental study on thermolytic reactions of chloroform with excess water vapor where kinetic parameters are determined and complete product analysis made at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range from 550to 1050°C. In this study, water vapor was introduced as a reactant to convert chlorine in chlorocarbons to stable HCl which is an easily neutralized end-product and thereby completely destroy chloroform. Substantial amounts of thermodynamically stable species: HCl, CO, CO₂, C(s) etc. were observed as products.

The reaction was studied in a 46cm tubular flow reactor mounted in a furnace that had three independently temperature-controlled heating …

Reactions Of Hydrogen With Chloroform And Trichloroethylene At High Temperatures, Burhan Mahmood

Theses

The reactions of chloroform and trichloroethylene with hydrogen in the temperature range 550 to 1000°C were studied using tubular flow reactors of varying diameters. The residence time range was from 0.05 to 3.0 seconds.Two different concentrations of the chlorinated species were used, each with hydrogen in large excess. Flat temperature profiles (+/- 5°C) were achieved over 80 to 85 per cent of the 45 cm long reaction zone, with inlet gases preheated to about 400°C.

No chlorinated hydrocarbons, products or reactants were observed at /above 850°C. The major products at these temperatures were C₂H₂, C_{2 …}

A Comparison Of The Biodegradation Of Phenol And O-Chlorophenol Using A Municipal Mixed Liquor And Three Commercial Microbial Preparations, Nigel P. Mcmullen

Theses

The biodegradation of phenol and O-chlorophenol was studied in six-liter batch reactors, using a municipal mixed liquor (from the Livingston, NJ treatment plant) that had not previously been exposed to either of the substrates. In addition, three commercial microbial preparations: BI-CHEM (Sybron), Hydrobac (Polybac), and LLMO (General Environmental Science), were tested alone and in combination with the municipal mixed liquor.

It was found that the municipal mixed liquor performed significantly better than any of the commercial preparations by themselves. When the commercial preparations were mixed with the municipal mixed liquor in a ratio of 1:10 it was found that the …

Stability Of Bicomponet Polymeric Liquids In Poiseuille Flow, Chin-Chang Jeng

Theses

Polymer processing, involving two or more components, has become more popular recently in industrial plants. However, product Quality is affected very much by the fluid stability. Some theoretical and experimental results concerning Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow in rectangular coordinates, have been published, and the fluid-fluid interfaces were observed to be unstable by some researchers.

In this paper, the linear stability of bicomponent non-Newtonian fluids flowing in a cylindrical tube was investigated by using the Ellis model. Only the very long wave and the axisymmetric disturbances were considered. The Ellis zero-shear-rate viscosity ratio, m( = η02 / η01 )destabilizing. The half-zero-shear-rate-viscosity …

A Comparison Of The Biodegradation Of Nitrobenzene, 1-Butanol, And 2,4-Dichlorphenoxyacetic Acid Using A Municipal Mixed Liquor And Three Commercial Bacterial Preparations, Salvatore P. Salerno

Theses

The biological degradation of nitrobenzene, 1-butanol, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was studied in aerated 6 liter batch reactors using activated sludge from the Livingston, NJ wastewater treatment plant-- by itself and in a 10:1 by volume mixture with each of three commercial bacterial preparations: Hydrobac, BI-CHEM DC-1006/7, and Liquid Live Microorganisms (LLMO). Air stripping and adsorption were determined to be insignificant removal mechanisms for the three compounds studied. None of the bacterial mixtures were able to degrade 10 ppm nitrobenzene to any significant extent. A small but noticeable improvement in degradation rates occurred when the Livingston sludge was mixed with …

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopic Analysis Of Coal Ash, George Patrick Watson

Theses

Several coal ashes and prepared mixtures were analyzed by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Various techniques were studied to determine the most reliable procedure for quantitatively estimating, from fluorescent peak intensities, the concentrations of seven major oxides typically present in the ash. These ashes were analyzed with only minimal sample preparation. In order to determine the self-consistency of the procedure, several mixtures of known composition were prepared containing the major elements present in an ash.

Because of inter-element absorption and enhancement effects, several computational techniques were used to calculate composition from spectrum peak intensities. The method that yielded the most accurate estimates …

An Experimental Investigation Of The Kinetics And Thermal Properties Of Poly(Ethylene) Terephthalate And Its Related Di-Acid Modified Copolymers, Satish Baliga

Theses

Poly(ethylene) Terephthalate , PET, is synthesized from purified Bis-hydroxyethyl Terephthalate,(BHET), in the presence of antimony oxide catalyst. Rate constant for the polycondensation reaction, based on a second order kinetic model is found to be 152.4/mol/hr.

A new modified polyester Polyethylene Adipic Terephthalate (PEAT) is synthesized from BHET and adipic acid. The effect of adipic acid content in the copolymer,on the rate of polycondensation is studied. Adipic acid is shown to improve the activity of the polymer chain ends thereby increasing the apparent reaction rate constants.

The modified polyesters are observed to melt at a lower temperature than PET. Moreover, the …

Design Of A Photoreactor For The Oxidation Of Toxic Pollutants In Water By Ozone And Ultraviolet Radiation, Andrew Youngrak Park

Theses

A photoreactor has been set up to study the feasibility of ozone and ultraviolet radiation for treating pollutants in water. Phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,6-dichlorophenol were chosen as pollutants in this study.

The reaction kinetics mechanism has been postulated to be consisted of ozone decomposition, oxygen activation by UV, and reaction of pollutant with ozone, UV, and activated species. The corresponding reaction rate constants were found, using Rosenbrock optimization program, from four different experiment sets --- reaction of pollutant with ozone; reaction of pollutant with UV; reaction of pollutant with O₂/UV; reaction of pollutant with O₃/O_{2 …}

The Biodegradation Of Phenol And O-Chlorophenol Using Activated Sludge Bacteria, Jeffery Colish

Theses

The biological degradation of phenol up to 500 ppm and 0-chlorophenol up to 40 ppm was studied in an aerated 4.0 liter hatch reactor using activated sludge bacteria from the Livingston, N.J. wastewater treatment plant. From the concentration versus time data, kinetic rate constants were determined for phenol (@ 100 ppm) and o-chlorophenol (@ 20 ppm and 40 ppm). Air stripping was determined to be an insignificant removal mechanism for the compounds studied.

It was noted that the acclimation times decreased with repeated exposure to a particular concentration of phenol or o-chlorophenol, and that the activated sludge bacteria first had …

Homogenous Reaction Kinetics Of Reduction Of Sulfur Dioxide, Satyanarayana Manthani

Theses

Homogeneous reduction of sulfur dioxide by carbon monoxide was investigated in the temperature range between 700 and 1000°C, initial sulfur dioxide concentration of about 3000 ppm, typical of a flue gas from coal fired power plants, and excess carbon monoxide concentration, in a 12 mm O.D. quartz tubular reactor. Over ninty percent reduction of sulfur dioxide was obtained at temperatures above 900°C and space times of the order of about 3.5 seconds. Substantial carbonyl sulfide was also produced.

Simulation Of Particle Size Distribution In Continuous Emulsion Polymerization Through A Modified Population Balance Approach, Ying-Yuh Lu

Theses

A detailed mathematical model for particle size distribution in continuous emulsion polymerization of styrene and vinyl acetate is proposed on the basis of the population balance in the presence of several kinetic and mass transfer processes. This study is limited to the Smith-Ewart case II, which assumes instantaneous free radical termination within polymer particles. Radical desorption mechanism from polymer particles is included in the model and the desorption rate is formulated from the diffusion theory which suggests that the rate coefficient should be inversely proportional to the surface area of polymer particles.

The Dry Removal Process Of Sulphur Dioxide From Flue Gases Using Aluminum Oxide, Ching-Hwang Lu

Theses

Oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide and absorption on aluminum oxide pellet as a mean of removing sulfur dioxide from flue gas was studied in a packed bed reactor at various temperatures, residence times, SO₂ inlet concentrations (ppm level), and particle sizes. Three different experiments were conducted: (i) sulfation with oxygen/ozone, (ii) sulfation with oxygen only in the presence of UV radiation ( 254 nm or 366 nm ), (iii) sulfation with oxygen only. In all the experiments substantial absorption of sulfur dioxide by alumina pellet was observed. Sulfation with oxygen/ozone give the highest absorption of SO_{2 …}

Prediction Of Enthalpies Of Mixing With A Unifac Model, Dinh Dang

Theses

A modified UNIFAC model is used in the correlation and prediction of enthalpies of mixing. The model requires two interaction parameters per group pair and values for 172 such pairs are presented here. Excellent prediction results are obtained with typical errors, in the temperature range of 273°K to 400°K, below 15%. For systems containing cyclic compounds, somewhat poorer results may be encountered.

The Determination Of So3 And So2 In Stack Gas By Collection In A Buffered Formaldehyde Solution, Peter Frank Romeo

Theses

A new method for the determination of sulfur dioxide, SO₂, and sulfur trioxide, SO₃, in stack emissions was developed due to questionable results obtained from the EPA Method 8. This new method is a wet chemical procedure utilizing a pH 4.0 formic acid- sodium formate buffered formaldehyde solution to collect both SO₂ and SO₃ in the same solution. The absorbed SO₂ forms a stable adduct, hydroxymethanesulfonate, HOCH2SO₃^-, in solution with formaldehyde. The SO₃ is absorbed as sulfuric acid, H₂SO₄. The SO₃ is determined as …

Design Of A Photoreactor For The Oxidation Of Toxic Pollutants In Water By Ozone And Ultraviolet Radiation, Shahab Rashid Khan

Theses

A photoreactor has been designed to oxidize refractory chemicals found in water using ozone and ultraviolet radiation. The feasibility of the ozone/UV process has been examined by conducting experiments with three model compounds, namely, (1) o-chlorophenol (2) m-chlorophenol and (3) p-chloro phenol. For o-chlorophenol and p-chloro-phenol, reactions were very fast with ozone/UV oxidation and somewhat slower with m-chlorophenol. It is concluded that UV irradiation increases the decomposition of ozone and the resulting unstable intermediates are much more reactive than ozone. Ultraviolet light also helps in decomposing the substrate molecules. The effect of UV upon decomposition of ozone is more pronounced …

Kinetics Of Biodegradation Of Phenol And 2,6-Dichlorophenol, Samir Shrikant Desai

Theses

Biological removal of phenol up to 600 ppm and 2,6-dichlorophenol up to 20 ppm was studied in a well aerated fill-and-draw reactor of 41 capacity at 26 C using an activated sludge obtained from the municipal treatment plant in Livingston, N.J. Experimental evaluation of kinetic parameters showed that biodegradation of both phenol and 2,6-DCP followed zero-order kinetics. As expected, the lag time for both compounds was considerably reduced when acclimated sludge was used. However, the metabolism of 2,6-DCP was very slow even for preacclimated sludge, requiring about 36 hours to degrade only 15 ppm.. This was markedly improved by the …

Mathematical Model Of Temperature Profiles And Coking In A Crude Oil Heater Tube, Joseph C. Polimeni

Theses

A mathematical model to predict temperature profiles and coking of crude oil in furnace tubes is presented. The model assumes that the coking mechanism is due to a reaction in the laminar sublayer, whose rate depends upon the temperature profile. That profile is obtained by a numerical solution of the appropriate transport equations, with velocity profiles that may be laminar or turbulent, and including the temperature dependence of the crude oil properties. In addition, velocity and temperature profiles were adjusted when necessary to ensure closure of the heat and material balances. As a by-product of this study, a correction was …

The Lewis-Matheson Method On Computer, William Raymond Castner

Theses

Lewis and Matheson, in the early 1930's, developed a manual calculation technique for the solution of multicomponent distillation problems. The object of this study was to see if there would be any advantage to using the Lewis-Matheson method, once incorporated onto a computer, over current multicomponent distillation solution techniques. The immediate advantage of using the L-M technique is that it requires fewer preliminary calculations than other computer methods. It was found that the L-M technique uses about half the execution time of a typical Newton-Raphson program, while using only one tenth the computer core (memory). This was not intended to …

Mathematical Modeling Of Mass Transfer In A Hollow Fiber Dialyzer, Tzyy-Kai Yu

Theses

A mathematical model describing the flow characteristics and mass transfer has been developed for the hollow fiber dialyzer in countercurrent dialysis.

The theoretical expressions are developed from a typical Graetz problem for the stream side, and a first order differential equation for the dialyzate side. The solution of the dimensionless concentration profile is obtained as a summation of orthogonal eigenfunctions in closed form, which are given as product of an exponential function and a confluent hypergeometric function.

The analytical solution of the model has been examined by adjusting system parameters, like Sherwood number, Peclet number and the geometry of the …

Prediction Of Heats Of Mixing In Hydrogen-Bonded Solutions Using A Unifac Model, Peter John Stathis

Theses

A model for the correlation and prediction of heats of mixing of hydrogen-bonded mixtures is presented. The model incorporates a UNIFAC term to describe the physical interactions and a chemical term to account for the hydrogen bonding contribution. The model is applied to binary and tertiary mixtures of normal, isomeric, substituted, and multihydroxy alcohols with a variety of solvents. Thirteen interaction parameters are determined. For the temperature range 0 to 100°C typical errors of ±10% are obtained.

An Analysis For The Blade Coating Of Ctbn Modified Epoxy Adhesive, Jeng-Li Liang

Theses

A resin metering criterion has been developed for processing the prepregs of CTBN-EPOXY resin in which the resin content can be controlled within close tolerances. This criterion was obtained by numerically simulating the flow of CTBN-EPDXY resin in the blade-type metering device at room temperature. The Newtonion case of CTBN-EPOXY resin was selected for the study to avoid dealing with more complicated flow equations. A methodology of using the penalty function/finite element formulation was developed to solve the steady state Navior-Stokes equation.

The rheological data show that the CTBN-EPOXY resin is a non-Newtonion fluid at low shear rate. On the …

The Hydroxide-, Chymotrypsin-, And Blood-Catalyzed Hydrolysis Of A Series Of Sodium 4-Acyloxy-3-Nitrobenzene Sulfonates, Louis E. Rinaldi

Theses

The kinetics of the hydrolysis of a series of water-soluble aromatic esters (sodium 4-acyloxy-3-nitrobenzene sulfonates) were analyzed in order to determine the effect of a variety of substitutions (on the α-carbon of the acid group) upon the rate of reaction.

The following was observed. That (a), the hydroxide catalyzed and water dependent hydrolyses of these esters are slower for larger substituents and faster for smaller ones. That (b), the chymotrypsin catalytic hydrolysis of these esters shows an acylation reaction step which occurs at a rate greater than deacylation for larger substituents, and at approximately equal rates for smaller ones. Furthermore, …