Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Hydrazine/Nitrogen Dioxide Fiber Optic Sensor, Alfred S. Andrawis, Josephine B. Santiago, Rebecca Young, Clayton J. Baum

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper outlines the development of a dual hydrazine/nitrogen dioxide (HZ/NO2) prototype fiber optic sensor utilizing an acid-base indicator that undergoes color changes depending on which gas is present. Bromothymol blue bromocresol green mixture (1/1) in hydrogel (1/1), produces a blue-green indicator for HZ and/or NO2. The sensor was tested several times over a period of eight weeks and the response was consistent and proved the feasibility of dual HZ/NO2 leak detection. Prototype sensor construction, the hardware, and the software of the electronic interrogator circuitry are briefly explained. The paper presents a summary of sensor response when exposed to 52 …

Role Of Curvature Elasticity In Sectorization And Ripple Formation During Melt Crystallization Of Polymer Single Crystals, Rujul Mehta, Wirunya Keawwattana, Andrew L. Guenthner, Thein Kyu

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

The present article focuses on theoretical elucidation of possible effect of mechanical deformation on spatio-temporal emergence of unusual polymer morphology subjected to quiescent isothermal crystallization conditions. The present theory developed is based on a phase field model consisted of non-conserved time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation having an asymmetric double well potential in the crystal order parameter signifying metastability for crystallization, coupled with the chain tilt angle involving curvature elasticity and strain recovery potentials. Under quiescent crystallization conditions, the curvature elasticity term is needed to discern the emergence of sectorized single crystals. Upon coupling with the strain recovery potential, the numerical calculation …

Modification Of Statistical Threading In Two-Component Pseudorotaxane Melts Using The Amphiphilic Approach And Variations In The Confinement Geometry, Sagar S. Rane, Wayne L. Mattice, Coleen Pugh

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

Recently we described a coarse-grained model of poly(ethylene oxide) and then employed that model to study the amount of spontaneous threading of cyclic molecules by linear chains in the melt [C. A. Helfer, G. Xu, W. L. Mattice, and C. Pugh, Macromolecules 36, 10071 (2003)]. Since the amount of statistical threading at equilibrium is small, there is interest in identifying physical changes in the system that will increase the threading. We now use that coarse-grained model to investigate the effect on threading of various hypothetical (but feasible) modifications to the two-component system of macrocycles and linear chains in the melt, …

Novel Internally-Staged Ultrafiltration For Protein Purification, Meredith Ann Feins

Dissertations

A new ultrafiltration technique based on a multimembrane stack has been developed to fractionate proteins closer in molecular weight than conventionally possible. The technique is illustrated here by obtaining a pure protein product from a binary protein mixture. By employing membranes in series using the same membrane without any gaskets or spacers in-between, ultrafiltration is carried out to separate two proteins relatively close in molecular weight. Flat membranes, of the same molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) 30,000 or 100,000, are stacked together in the desired number, and ultrafiltration takes place. The membrane rejection of a protein is amplified with each additional …

Mathematical Modeling Of Transient State Transdermal Drug Delivery, Alison Nickol Weltner

Theses

In this work, a two-pathway mathematical model for transdermal drug delivery with iontophoresis is presented. The partial differential equations are described and then solved. An alternative, two-pathway, three-layer model is also presented, and the implications of the coefficients within the equation are discussed. Using Franz cell iontophoretic delivery data from three drug substances (amitriptyline HCl, clomipramine HCl, and nortriptyline HCl), the two-pathway model is regressed to determine the diffusion coefficient and the concentration within the skin at the drug reservoir interface. ANOVA analysis indicates a correlation between iontophoretic current and concentration of drug within the stratum corneum.

Investigation Of Adsorption And Oxidation Behavior Of Isosafrole On A Smooth Pt, Xiao-Hong Zhang, Xiao-Jing Su, Qi-Ling Zhong, Lei Zhang, De-Sheng Mei, Bin Ren, Zhong-Qun Tian

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electro-oxidation of isosafrole on a smooth platinum electrode was investigated in the non-aqueous solution. The CV curve shows two oxidation peaks and one reduction peak in the potential region between -0.5 V and 1.95 V. The relation between the oxidation and reduction peaks has been determined also by CV. The adsorption behavior of isosafrole on Pt was also investigated.

Study On Reduction Process Of Electrolyic Manganese Dioxide In Situ By Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy, Li-Cai Zhu, Zhong-Zhi Yuan, Wei-Shan Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The concentrationsof soluble Mn(Ⅲ) species, during the reduction ofelectrolytic MnO₂ (EMD) in alkaline solution,have been monitored in situ by UV-visible spectroscopy. The concentration of Mn(Ⅲ) ion in solution changes with discharge time. The first electron discharge process of EMD can be described by three different steps: 1) the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions on the surface of EMD particles and the structural defect regions within the EMD, 2) the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions in ramsdellite, 3)the reduction of Mn⁴⁺ ions in pyrolusite. During the second electron discharge of EMD, the soluble Mn(Ⅲ) is reduced to Mn(Ⅱ) , …

Electrocatalytic And Lifetime Studies Of Commercial Catalystsin A Pemfc, Cheng Xuan, Yan-Yun Ma, Li Qi, Cheng Peng, Ling Chen, Jun Zhao, Ying Zhang, Qin-Bai Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

A particularly designed H-type cell was used to simulate the operating condition of a hydrogen-air proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The electrocatalytic activity, morphology, structure and lifetime of commercially available catalysts, carbon support platinum (Pt/C) and unsupported platinum-ruthenium (Pt-Ru), were preliminary studied by carrying out electrochemical measurements and by SEM, XRD techniques. The catalysts were simultaneously tested in the H-cell under operation, and also separately tested in a conventional electrochemical cell for comparison. It was found that the characteristic peaks of hydrogen adsorption/desorption on cyclic voltammograms shifted considerably to a more positive direction for Pt/C, while a more negative …

The Influence Of Strontium Substitution In Fluorapatite Glasses And Glass-Ceramics, R. G. Hill, A. Stamboulis, R. V. Law, A. Clifford, Mark R. Towler, C. Crowley

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Strontium is often substituted for calcium in order to confer radio-opacity in glasses used for dental cements, Biocomposites and bio glass-ceramics. The present paper investigates the influence of substituting strontium for calcium in a glass of the following composition: 4.5SiO₂3Al₂O ₃1.5P₂O₅3CaO2CaF₂, having a Ca:P ratio of 1.67 corresponding to calcium fluorapatite (Ca5(PO 4)3F). The glasses were characterized by magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al and ³¹P NMR spectra for the glasses with …

Fundamental Chemistry Of U And Pu In The Tbp-Dodecane-Nitric Acid System, Kenneth Czerwinski, Byron Bennett

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The speciation of hexavalent U and tetravalent Pu will be examined in the TBP-dodecane-nitric acid systems. This topic is chosen based on data needs for separation modeling identified by the AFCI. Emphasis will be placed on studying the influence of nitrate and acetohydroxamic acid on U and Pu speciation as well as conditions where a third phase forms in the organic phase. The organic phase will be 30% TBP in dodecane. Equal volumes of aqueous and organic phase will be used. The speciation of the actinides in the aqueous and organic phase will be determined by a number of different …

Growth And Transport Properties Of Complementary Germanium Nanowire Field Effect Transistors, Andrew B. Greytak, Lincoln J. Lauhon, Mark S. Gudiksen, Charles M. Lieber

Faculty Publications

n- and p-type Ge nanowires were synthesized by a multistep process in which axial elongation, via vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth, and doping were accomplished in separate chemical vapor deposition steps. Intrinsic, single-crystal, Ge nanowires prepared by Au nanocluster-mediated VLS growth were surface-doped in situ using diborane or phosphine, and then radial growth of an epitaxial Ge shell was used to cap the dopant layer. Field-effect transistors prepared from these Ge nanowires exhibited on currents and transconductances up to 850 µA/µm and 4.9 µA/V, respectively, with device yields of >85%.

Heat Transfer In A Thin Liquid Film In The Presence Of An Electric Field, Rama Subba Reddy Gorla, Jorge E. Gatica, Bahman Ghorashi, Pijarn Ineure, Larry W. Byrd

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat transfer enhancement in an evaporating thin liquid film utilizing a electric field under isothermal interfacial condition is presented. A new mathematical model subjected to van der Waals attractive forces, capillary pressure, and an electric field is developed to describe the heat transfer enhancement in the evaporating thin liquid film. The effect of the electrostatic field on the curvature of the thin film, evaporative flux, pressure gradient distribution, heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient in the thin film is presented. The results show that applying an electric field can enhance heat transfer in a thin liquid film significantly. in addition, …

Characterisation Of The Glass Fraction Of A Selection Of European Coal Fly Ashes, J. Henry, Mark R. Towler, K. T. Stanton, X. Querol, N. Moreno

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fly ash largely consists of the inorganic content of coal that remains after combustion. The crystalline phases present in fly ash may form upon cooling of a molten alumino-silicate glass. This view is supported by the spherical shape of many fly ash particles, inferring that they have gone through a viscous fluid state. The amorphous content in fly ash is believed to dominate reactivity behaviour, under both alkaline and acid conditions, because glasses have a higher potential energy than the equivalent crystal structure and the variation of bond angles and distances in a glass makes the bond breakage easier. It …

Design And Simulation Of An Induction Skull Melting System, Taide Tan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Incorporating volatile actinides, mainly americium into a metallic fuel pin (MFP) has been a serious problem due to americium’s high vapor pressure. An Induction Skull Melting (ISM) system was identified by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as a potential furnace design to cast MFPs. Through the development of the ISM system, the nuclear waste feedstock can be melted and injected into the mold for fabricating MFPs in the advanced nuclear fuel cycles. The main phenomena in this system include: induction melting process, casting process and mass transfer process of americium. Issues related to ISM system design for casting MFPs are discussed …

A Sequential Approach To Modeling Catalytic Reactions In Packed-Bed Reactors, Jing Guo, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Sequential Modeling Approach is Proposed to Simulate Catalytic Reactions in Packed-Bed Reactors. the Hydrogenation of Alpha-Methylstyrene and Wet Oxidation of Phenol Are Selected as Studied Cases. the Modeling Scheme Combines a Reactor Scale Axial Dispersion Model with a Pellet Scale Model. Without Involving Any Fitting Parameters, Such an Approach Accounts for the Non-Linear Reaction Kinetics Expression and Different Types of Pellet-Liquid Wetting Contact. to Validate the Developed Modeling Scheme and the Parallel Approach Reported in the Literature, the Experimental Observations for Hydrogenation of Alpha-Methylstyrene to Cumene Have Been Employed. the Predicted Results by Both Approaches Agree Reasonably with the …

Developing A Sensing System For The Measurement Of Oxygen Concentration In Liquid Pb-Bi Eutectic, Bingmei Fu, Yingtao Jiang, Jian Ma

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Although liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is a good candidate for the coolant in the subcritical transmutation blanket, it is known to be very corrosive to stainless steel, the material of the carrying tubes and the containers. Such a corrosion problem can be prevented by producing and maintaining a protective oxide layer on the exposed surface of stainless steel. The proper formation of this oxide layer critically depends on the accurate measurement and control of the oxygen concentration in the liquid LBE. YSZ (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) oxygen sensors, using molten bismuth saturated with oxygen as the reference, have been utilized to …

Molecular-Dynamics Simulation Of The Effect Of Ions On A Liquid–Liquid Interface For A Partially Miscible Mixture, Richard L. Rowley, Kent E. Wardle, Eric Carlson, Douglas Henderson

Faculty Publications

Molecular-dynamics simulations were performed to model the effect of added salt ions on the liquid-liquid interface in a partially miscible system. Simulations of the interface between saturated phases of a model 1-hexanol + water system show a bilayer structure of 1-hexanol molecules at the interface with OH heads of the first layer directed into the water phase and the opposite orientation for the second layer. The alignment of the polar OH groups at the interface stabilizes a charge separation of sodium and chloride ions when salt is introduced into the aqueous phase, producing an electrical double layer. Chloride ions aggregate …

Silicon Based Micro Components For Use In Chemical Agent Detection, Scott R. Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this work was to model, fabricate and test silicon based micro components for applications in chemical agent detection. Part I deals with research done on tunable micro Fabry-Perot interferometers. These devices are designed for use in identifying chemicals that absorb radiation in the infrared range of the spectrum. Part II deals with research done on novel Layer by Layer (LbL) assembled enzyme microreactors. These devices are designed for use in identifying chemicals that absorb radiation in the ultraviolet and visible range of the spectrum.

The emphasis of Part I is on the design and modeling of Fabry-Perot …

Fatigue Of Drill Pipes Used In Horizontal Directional Drilling, Feibai Ma

Doctoral Dissertations

Fatigue is the most common cause of mini-HDD drill rod failure. It can occur at stress levels far below the normal operating stress in most drill stem components. Fatigue failures occur because the drill rod, after it has been forced into a curved path, undergoes a cyclic bending stress oscillating from tension to compression in concert with the other stress components caused by torque, thrust, or pullback.

When a rod breaks underground, there is considerable extra cost caused by the delay in “fishing” out the broken rod as well as the cost of replacing the rod. On the other hand, …

Construction Of Depth-Structure Shelf-Edge Map For Case Study Of Kujung Formation, East Java Sea, Saifatur Rusli, Suparto Suparto

Makara Journal of Technology

Construction of Depth-Structure Shelf-edge Map for Case Study of Kujung Formation, East Java Sea. In general, reflection seismic method has capability to represent sub-surface in time domain. Seismic cross-section that depicts the formation of sub-surface usually use time domain in the format of TWT (Two Way Times). This due to in the process of seismic data acquisition, seismic wave propagates in down-going and up-going manner so that the obtained results from data processing are in the format of TWT seismic vs. shot points. This paper will describe the construction of depth-structure map for case study of Kujung Formation, East Java …

Pid Fuzzy Logic Controller System For Dc Motor Speed Control, H. Samsul Bachri M.

Makara Journal of Technology

PID Fuzzy Logic Controller System for DC Motor Speed Control. A good controller system must have resilience to disturbance and must be able to response quickly and accurately. Problem usually appears when PID controller system was built sensitively hence the system’s respon to the disturbance will yield big overshot/undershot then the possibility of oscillation to be happened is excelsior. When the controller system was built insensitively, the overshot/undershot will be small but the recovery time will be longer. Hybrid controller system could overcome those problems by combining PID control system with fuzzy logic. The main control of this system is …

Analysis Of Kancil's Car Knuckle Prototype, Tresna P. Soemardi, Aida Mahmudah

Makara Journal of Technology

Analysis of Kancil’s Knuckle Prototype. The objective of this work is to execute strength analysis of knuckle, which is made from FCD 50, by using static analysis on maximum loading. This maximum loading is obtained from front axle loading calculation on particular operating condition. That is, vehicle is braking while cornering in down hill. From previous vehicle loading calculation, we get a number of loading values on different speed and deceleration. At the end, we get a value of speed and deceleration that guarantee the vehicle safety if it is braking while cornering in down hill. As comparison, loading calculation …

Quarternair Cugasete And Cuga0.5in 0.5te2 Thin Films Fabrication Using Flash Evaporation, A. Harsono Soepardjo

Makara Journal of Technology

Quarternair CuGaSeTe and CuGa0.5In 0.5Te2 Thin Films Fabrication Using Flash Evaporation. Quarternair materials CuGaSeTe and CuGa0.5In 0.5Te2 are the basic materials to solar cell fabrication. These materials have high absorption coefficients around 103 – 105 cm-1 and band gap energy in the range of 1-5 eV. In this research, the films were made by flash evaporation method using quarternair powder materials of CuGaSeTe and CuGa0.5In 0.5Te2 to adhere in a glass substrate. After the films were obtained, the properties of these films will be characterized optically and electrically. The lattice parameter of the films and the crystalline film structure were …

Graded Channel Mosfet Simulation With S-Pisces 2b, Hartono Siswono

Makara Journal of Technology

Graded Channel MOSFET simulation with S-Pisces 2B. Graded-Channel Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-effect- Transistor or GCMOSFET is being discussed in this paper. GCMOSFET technology has been developed to meet the growing demand for low power and high performance application. In this paper, it will be shown that, compared to ungraded MOSFET, the GCMOSFET device offers the advantage of significantly higher drive current. The higher drive current is achieved because the effecctive channel length of GCMOSFET is shorter than the ungraded MOSFET’s. From the simulation result with S-PISCES 2B and MATLAB, it can been shown that the ID from GCMOSFET is higher than the …

Dynamic Contact Angles Under Evaporation, Robert M. Ybarra, Partho Neogi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wetting kinetics in the presence of heat transfer, evaporation, and Marangoni effect has been explored using a method used by Joanny and de Gennes [C. R. Acad. Sci. Ser. II 299, 279 (1984)]. The method solves for the dynamic contact angle alpha by equating the rate of surface work to the rate of dissipation. The result in the form of dynamic contact angle alpha as a function of capillary number Ca agrees well with existing experimental data. Qualitative comparisons have been made in cases where quantitative data do not exist. Finally, a form of contact line instability is predicted, for …

Causes Of Proteolytic Degradation Of Secreted Recombinant Proteins Produced In Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia Pastoris: Case Study With Recombinant Ovine Interferon-Τ, Mehmet İnan, Michael M. Meagher, Bradley A. Plantz, Jayanta Sinha

Papers in Biochemical Engineering

It was observed that during fermentative production of recombinant ovine interferon-τ (r-oIFN-τ) in Pichia pastoris, a secreted recombinant protein, the protein was degraded increasingly after 48 h of induction and the rate of degradation increased towards the end of fermentation at 72 h, when the fermentation was stopped. Proteases, whose primary source was the vacuoles, was found in increasing levels in the cytoplasm and in the fermentation broth after 48 h of induction and reached maximal values when the batch was completed at 72 h. Protease levels at various cell fractions as well as in the culture supernatant were …

Bio-Chip, Photoluminescent Methods For Identifying Biological Material, And Apparatuses For Use With Such Methods And Bio-Chips, Ravi F. Saraf

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Patents

A method detects binding of molecules, advantageously without tagging molecules in the sample. A sensor is used in which is included a single stranded nucleic acid sequence and a photoluminescent material in respective layers. After the sensor is exposed to a biological sample for sufficient time for its single stranded nucleic acid sequence to bind to a material of interest, photoluminescence from the sensor can be measured. An apparatus for tagging-free detection of binding of molecules also is provided. Methods of making tagging-free sensors are provided. Also, tagging-free methods to detect binding of antigens and related devices are disclosed.

A Rapidly-Converging Alternative To Source Iteration For Solving The Discrete Ordinates Radiation Transport Equations In Slab Geometry, Nicholas J. Wager

Theses and Dissertations

I present a numerical technique to solve the time independent Boltzmann Transport Equation for the transport of neutrons and photons. The technique efficiently solves the discrete ordinates equations with a new iteration scheme. I call this new scheme the angle space distribution iteration method because it combines a non-linear, high angular-resolution flux approximation within individual spatial cells with a coarse angular-resolution flux approximation that couples all cells in a spatial mesh. This shown to be an efficient alternative to source iteration. The new method is implemented using the step characteristic and exponential characteristic spatial quadrature schemes. The latter was introduced …

Progress In Research For Biofuel Cell, Yue Bao, Xia-Qin Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this article, research progresses of the biofuel cell in recent years were summarized. The operation principle and classification of the biofuel cells were described. The role of the mediator for promoting electron transfer in biofuel cells and the techniques for improving the electric properties of biofuel cells, such as output potential, were discussed with some attracting research instances. Finally, the choke points for research of biofuel cell were explored, and the application prospect of biofuel cells was forecasted.

Preparation, Structure And Electrochemical Hydrogenation Of Carbon Nanotubes Supported Platinum Catalysts, Qing-Gang He, Xiao-Zi Yuan, Xian-Xia Yuan, Zi-Feng Ma

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper, Pt/CNTs catalyst was prepared and its electrocatalytic property was studied by obtaining cycling voltammetry curves (C-V) and Tafel curves. In addition, the XRD,XPS and TEM tests were carried out to determine the structure and composition of the catalysts. It can be found that the platinum loading has been increased significantly using a carbon nanotubes support. Dispersion of Platinum was better and gave more active sites. The electrochemical characteristic of Pt/CNTs was also more desirable than that of Pt/C catalys t(Johnson Matthey). In conclusion, carbon nanotubes can played a conspicuous role in "electrogenerative" processes of PEMFC hydrogenation reactor.