Chemical Engineering Commons^™

The Optimization And Comparison Of A Cerium Salt-Based Phosphate Filtration System To Industry Standard Phosphate Removal Water Filtration Systems, Nicholas Seymour, Snehi Shrestha, Laura Viktoria Pretzman

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Phosphorous, being one of the fundamental building blocks of life, has been linked with the increase of cyanobacteria and algae growth. One of the main ways that phosphorous enters the marine ecosystem is through the form of runoff phosphates from fertilizers and industrial processes. In addition to disrupting the biology of ecosystems another drawback of excess of phosphates is the tendency for these chemical groups to form scale buildup on metal through the form of calcium phosphate.

The goal of our project is to investigate a novel way of removing phosphate groups from wastewater with the use of the rare …

Rapid Diagnostics With Nanoparticles, Lance Johnson, Sai Katikala, Maaz Nawaz

Capstone Design Expo Posters

More than 500,000 open-heart surgeries are performed in the United States every year. The anticoagulant Heparin is used to decrease the likelihood of thrombosis or hemorrhaging in each surgery by bonding to the enzyme inhibitor antithrombin III (AT-III). However, anesthesiologists currently lack the ability to measure antithrombin levels in a patient quickly, making appropriate Heparin dosages difficult to determine and possibly resulting in thrombosis or hemorrhaging if thrombin levels move outside the allowable range. This could be prevented with a simple bedside test. Current tests use gold, but we believe Iron (III) Oxide (commonly known as rust) can be used …

A Treatment For Menorrhagia And Irregular Menstruation: Free Flowing Cryo-Fluid Endometrial Ablation, Julia Biddle, Hubertina Rose Tolpa, Krystal Zentgraf

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Menorrhagia (abnormally heavy and prolonged menstrual period) is a condition suffered by many women; these women have menstrual flow greater than 80 mL per cycle compared to the average 30 mL for normal cycles. The area of the uterus responsible for menorrhagia is the regenerative basal layer of the endometrium (inner uterine layer). In order to relieve menorrhagia, the endometrium needs to be destroyed through the basal layer. This project looks to address issues which patients face with current standard menorrhagia treatments, such as invasiveness, intense pain, or incomplete treatment of the uterine wall, by developing a superior remedy.

The …

Separation Technologies Of Base Oils: The Optimization Of An Anaerobic Thermal Desorption Unit, Kelsey Mangham, Nicholas Montesdeoca, Michael "Ngyuon" Lay

Capstone Design Expo Posters

There has been a recent increase in the amount of oil and natural gas exploration due to fuel reserves that were once inaccessible in North America becoming available through methods such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. However, these methods of exploration generate substantial amounts of oil contaminated waste which pose significant pollution risks of which current methods of treatment are slow and ineffective. This project aims to design a better operating process for use with Anaerobic Thermal Desorption Units (ATDU) that are currently manufactured by RLC Technologies which offer more environmentally safe and quick processing of such wastes.

Current …

Carbon Adsorber Fouling: Removal Of Ammonium Bisulfate, Ahmed Ahmed Elmak, R. Luke Bolten, Christopher Holland

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Infilco Degremont’s efficient sludge treatment process using a High Temperature Fluidized Bed (HTFB) incinerator is used by several waste processing plants in the United States and Canada. In a few instances, a buildup of ammonium bisulfate within the activated carbon bed absorbers has become an issue. The carbon bed absorbers are used for the removal of mercury from the incinerator flue gas. Buildup of this compound on the carbon surface results in increases in the pressure drop across the adsorber, as well as decreases in the efficiency of the unit. This eventually leads to the need to shutdown the afflicted …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Algal Biofuels, Dipesh Kumar, John Korstad, Bhaskar Singh

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

First- and second-generation biofuels are widely recognized as unsustainable in the long run due to associated challenges and are incapable to completely displace petroleum-based transportation fuels. Biofuel from algae (third generation of biofuels) is an emerging area of research and offers several potential benefits over first and second generation of biofuels. To achieve the goals of sustainable development needed today requires moving beyond the general compliance to specified norms for environmental protection and a cradle-to-grave-approach-based analysis of products and processes. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an analytical tool to assess the environmental, social, and economic performance of alternative products and …

Upgrade Of Flash Pyrolysis Condensate By Esterification With Higher Alcohols, Tim Schulzke, Stefan Conrad, Stefan Kaluza, Tom Van Loo

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of Palm Oil Mills Into Biorefineries: Technical, And Environmental Assessment Of Six Biorefinery Options, Jesus Alberto Garcia-Nunez, Manuel Garcia-Perez, Daisy Tatiana Rodriguez, Nidia Elizabeth Ramirez, Carlos Fontanilla, Claudio Stockle, James Amonette, Craig Frear, Electro Silva

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Organosolv Pretreatment As A Major Step Of Lignocellulosic Biomass Refining, Dimitrios Sidiras, Ioanna Salapa

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Fractionation Of Flash Pyrolysis Condensates By Staged Condensation, Tim Schulzke, Stefan Conrad, Jan Westermeyer

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Electrical Characterization Of Different Carbon Based Polymer Composites, Mauro Giorcelli, Aamer Abbas Khan, Patrizia Savi, Franco Berruti, Alberto Tagliaferro

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Biorecoverbiomass Residues Conversion & Valorisation For An Economic Refinery, Paul J. De Wild

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Pure Aromatics From Biomass, Matti Reinikainen, David Thomas, Pekka Simell, Ikka Hannula

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Organosolv Pretreatment As A Major Step Of Lignocellulosic Biomass Refining, Dimitrios K. Sidiras, Ioanna S. Salapa

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Effluent Treatment And Recovery Of Polyether Using Nanoporous Technology, Suhaib Alramamneh, Zachary Turner, Allison Warth

Capstone Design Expo Posters

This semester Evonik Industries, a specialty chemical producer located in Hopewell, Virginia, approached VCU’s Chemical Engineering department with a project that would reduce their costs and increase process sustainability. The project is to determine a way to separate their liquid organic product from their waste stream in order to recycle the lost product. Liquid-Liquid extraction is a procedure used across most of the chemical industry. Proven separation techniques already exist for the standard liquid-liquid separation; however, when one liquid is miscible in the other the difficulty of separation is greatly increased. In order to do a liquid-liquid separation of an …

Synthetic Fuels From 3-Φ Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Using Bio-Derived Gas Feed And Novel Nanometric Catalysts, James Aluha, Nadi Braidy, Yongfeng Hu, Ajay Dalai, Nicolas Abatzoglou

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Production Of Activated Carbons From Pyrolytic Biochar, Anastasia Colomba, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens, Ajay Dalai, Rambabu Nedunury, Alberto Colomba, Silvia Fiore, Giuseppe Genon

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Experimental Study Of Biomass Fast Pyrolysis, Felipe Buendía-Kandia, Guillain Mauviel, Francis Billaud

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Two-Stage Thermochemical Conversion Of Lignin Into Aromatic Chemicals, Paul J. De Wild, A. Kloekhorst, H. H. Heeres, W. J.J. Huijgen

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Autothermal Fast Pyrolysis Of Wood Residuesfor Wood Adhesives, Dongbing Li, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Advanced Carbonized Biomass Materials For Biosensor Applications, Muhammad Noman, Alessandro Sanginario, Pravin Jagadale, Danilo Demarchi, Alberto Tagliaferro, Mauro Giorcelli

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Pollutant Adsorption On Novel Modified Biomass As A Means Of Seawater Decontamination, Dimitrios Sidiras, F. Batzias, C. Siontorou, I. Konstantinou, I. Salapa, S. Zervopoulou

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

On-Line Analysis Of Catalytic Biomass Products Using A High Pressure Tandem Mirco-Reactor Gc/Ms, M. Soll, R.R. Freeman, Chu Watanabe, Ichi Watanabe, Y.M Kim, N. Teramae, K. Wang

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

A Flexible Three-Stage Thermochemical Conversion Process, Vander Tumiatti

Biorefinery I: Chemicals and Materials From Thermo-Chemical Biomass Conversion and Related Processes

No abstract provided.

Multiple-Choice Testing Using Immediate Feedback-Assessment Technique (If At®) Forms: Second-Chance Guessing Vs. Second-Chance Learning?, Jeremy D. Merrel, Pier F. Cirillo, Pauline M. Schwartz, Jeffrey Webb

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Multiple choice testing is a common but often ineffective method for evaluating learning. A newer approach, however, using Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF AT®, Epstein Educational Enterprise, Inc.) forms, offers several advantages. In particular, a student learns immediately if his or her answer is correct and, in the case of an incorrect answer, has an opportunity to provide a second response and receive partial credit for a correct second attempt. For a multiple choice question with five possible answers, the IF AT® form covers spaces labeled A through E with a thin opaque film; when the film is scratched away, …

Exploring The Use Of Faded Worked Examples As A Problem Solving Approach For Underprepared Students, Tiffany Hesser, Jess L. Gregory

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

It is not uncommon for students to find themselves underprepared when entering a post secondary institution. In additional to lower levels of academic achievement, underprepared students may not be aware that they lack the skills needed to be successful and effectively acquire and process information. Because of this, students that enter post-secondary institutions underprepared often require more support in and out of the college classroom.

In computational based classes, such as math, engineering, chemistry or physics, this support often includes an introduction to effective problem solving strategies. This study introduced faded worked examples as a problem solving approach to students …

Characterization Of Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Treated Wool And Enhancement Of Reactive Wool Dyeing In Non-Aqueous Medium, Luyi Chen, Bijia Wang, Jiangang Chen, Xinhui Ruan, Yiqi Yang

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Faculty Publications

Wool pretreated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was characterized and its dyeing behavior in non-aqueous green solvents was investigated. Reactive dyeing of wool in deep shades is challenging because the mandatory alkaline aftertreatment to match the fastness of mordant dyes inevitably causes damage to wool keratin. The current study showed that the colorfastness-integrity dilemma could be solved by replacing water with organic solvents as the dyeing medium. Covalent fixation is predominantly favored in solvent dyeing so that excellent colorfastness is achievable at any given shade without alkali aftertreatment. Compared with aqueous dyeing, solvent dyeing was found to give 30% higher covalent …

Sustainability And Economic Analysis Of Propylene Carbonate And Polypropylene Carbonate Production Processes Using Co2 And Propylene Oxide, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Currently, the industrially important polycarbonates are synthesized from bisphenol A and diphenyl carbonate, which are highly toxic and hence other feasible alternatives are preferable. Following the considerable advances on the catalyst for the synthesis of carbonates from CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO), industrial scale processes for the productions of propylene carbonate (PC) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) have been designed and simulated with sustainability and economic analyses. The CO₂ is supplied by a nearby bioethanol plant, while the PO from a petrochemical process. The first part of the study is for the production of 200 million lb/year cyclic PC …

Propane Dehydrogenation On Single Site Gallium On Silica Catalyst, Shankali U. Pradhan

Open Access Theses

Light alkane dehydrogenation is gaining increasing importance due to the discovery of shale gas. Gallium based catalysts such as Ga/HZSM-3 and Ga₂O₃ have been used to dehydrogenate propane to propylene. However, the exact nature of the active site for propane dehydrogenation on Gallium based catalysts is still debated in literature. This work is aimed at understanding the nature of active site in Ga/SiO₂ catalyst for propane dehydrogenation. The Ga/SiO₂ catalyst is active and selective for propane dehydrogenation reaction. It is shown that Ga ⁺³ site co-ordinated with four O atoms is the most active form …

Creation Of An Annotated Library On Fda Approved Nanomedicines, Marley R. Hodson, Tanin Izadi, Nastassja Lewinski Ph.D, Bridget T. Mcinnes Ph.D

UROP Posters

Nanomedicine is a type of nanotechnology used in the medical field to limit the dosage amount and target drug delivery to specific cells. Nanomedicines that are approved and used tend to be extremely successful; however despite over a decade of research, only a limited number of nanomedicines have advanced for clinical use. A possible reason for the numerous nanomedicine failures is lack of easily accessible information and research on previous nanomedicines. In this project, we have compiled nanomedicine labeling information from the Drugs@FDA website. We have extracted phrases/sentences from labels relating to keywords on nanomaterial properties and drug profile characteristics. …