Chemical Engineering Commons^™

The Effect Of Flexibility On Interaction Of Two Fibers Settling In Moderate Reynolds Numbers, Ahmed Alhasan

Masters Theses

The behavior of solid particles in a fluid has become an important topic. The need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of fluid-particle interaction is the motivation for the present work. The characteristics of fibers suspensions depend on the many variables such as flexibility, Reynolds numbers, density and aspect ratio. The aim of this work is to probe effects of these variables on sedimentation behavior by using a fiber-level simulation technique. In this techniques, a D3Q15 model in a lattice Boltzmann equation with a Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) approximation is used to simulate motion of fluids, where Navier-Stokes equations are solved …

Catalytic Pyrolysis Of Poly Vinyl Chloride As A Viable Way Of Waste Management, Randy Santos, Foster A. Agblevor

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The main purpose of this investigation is to achieve the dechlorination and cracking of PVC producing a low chlorinated oil using a single step process; finding and using a suitable adsorbent that captures the chlorine released in the decomposition of the Poly Vinyl Chloride in the solid phase; then use the adsorbent to enhance red mud chlorine absorption activity. Find an alternative viable use for the waste PVC and red mud that will reduce landfilling. Calcium Hydroxide was selected as the main chlorine adsorbent since it captured 75% chlorine in the solid phase. The calcium hydroxide was mixed with red …

Electrodeionization Versus Electrodialysis: A Clean-Up Of Produced Water In Hydraulic Fracturing, Brigitte Marie Rodgers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrodeionization (EDI) is a widely studied process ranging from applications in wastewater clean-up in the food and beverage industry to purifying organic compounds. To date, there are no apparent studies on applying this technology to produced wastewater recovered from hydraulic fracking sites. Water consumption within hydraulic fracturing sites can reach in the upwards of millions of gallons per site, so a need for a water recycling process becomes necessary within areas where water requirements are scarce. Implementation of an EDI module that is capable of handling high salt solutions from produced wastewater in subsequent fracturing practices will decrease overall water …

Initial Structural Subsidence As Reflected In Morrowan And Atokan (Pennsylvanian) Subsurface Stratigraphy, Northern Arkoma Basin, North-Central Arkansas, Fatimah Taher Nahi Al Asadi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkoma Basin is a carboniferous foreland basin that is known for its prolific gas production. The objective of this research is to study the initial subsidence of the basin by analyzing the strati-graphic and structural features of the study area. This was accomplished through IHS Petra, Surf-er 13, and Win-Tensor software. Field work studies comprised a large part of this study. Also, a seismic profile and Google earth elevation profiles are among the methods used to study the initial subsidence of the Arkoma Basin. The study area within the basin represents a transitional zone from the shelf into the …

Alginate Hydrogels As Three-Dimensional Scaffolds For In Vitro Culture Models Of Growth Plate Cartilage Development And Porcine Embryo Elongation, Taylor D. Laughlin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The establishment of in vitro culture models utilizes tissue engineering principles to design functional mimics of in vivo environments in vitro. Advantages for the use of in vitro culture models include ethical alleviation of animal models for therapeutic testing, cost efficiency, and a greater ability to study specific mechanisms via a systematic, ground-up approach to development. In this thesis, alginate hydrogels are utilized in the development of in vitro culture models of porcine embryo elongation and growth plate cartilage development. First, the effect of scaffold and modifications to the scaffold were explored in both projects. In order to modulate …

Self-Similar Random Process And Chaotic Behavior In Serrated Flow Of High Entropy Alloys, Shuying Chen, Liping Yu, Jingli Ren, Xie Xie, Xueping Li, Ying Xu, Guangfeng Zhao, Peizhen Li, Fuqian Yang, Yang Ren, Peter K. Liaw

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The statistical and dynamic analyses of the serrated-flow behavior in the nanoindentation of a high-entropy alloy, Al_0.5CoCrCuFeNi, at various holding times and temperatures, are performed to reveal the hidden order associated with the seemingly-irregular intermittent flow. Two distinct types of dynamics are identified in the high-entropy alloy, which are based on the chaotic time-series, approximate entropy, fractal dimension, and Hurst exponent. The dynamic plastic behavior at both room temperature and 200 °C exhibits a positive Lyapunov exponent, suggesting that the underlying dynamics is chaotic. The fractal dimension of the indentation depth increases with the increase of temperature, and …

Comparison Of Sfm Computer Vision Point Clouds Of A Landslide Derived From Multiple Small Uav Platforms And Sensors To A Tls Based Model, Samantha Ruggles, Joseph Clark, Kevin W. Franke, Derek Wolfe, Brandon Reimschiissel, Ronald Abraham Martin, Trent Okeson, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

Structure from motion (SfM) computer vision is a remote sensing method that is gaining popularity due to its simplicity and ability to accurately characterize site geometry in three dimensions (3D). While many researchers have demonstrated the potential for SfM to be used with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to model in three dimensions various geologic features such as landslides, little is understood how the selection of the UAV platform can affect the resolution and accuracy of the model. This study evaluates the resolution and accuracy of 3D point cloud models of a large landslide that occurred in 2013 near Page, Arizona …

Film Performance Of Poly(Lactic Acid) Blends For Packaging Applications, Carlos A. Diaz, Hsunpao Y. Pao, Sungyoung Kim

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources, stands out as a substitute to petroleum-based plastics. PLA based films for food packaging has been an area of both commercial and research interest within the context of sustainability. In spite of its high strength, packaging applications have been limited because PLA is more brittle than traditional oil-based plastics. Because of this, films display low tear and impact resistance and produce a loud crackling sound when manipulated. Although many studies address the toughening of PLA in the bulk, little attention has been placed on the film performance. The present study …

Occurrence Of Reverse Side Effects In Corona Treatment Of Dispersion-Coated Paperboard And Its Influence On Grease Barrier Properties, Sami-Seppo Ovaska, Ringaudas Rinkunas, Tadeusz Lozovksi, Robertas Maldzius, Jonas Sidaravicius, Leena-Sisko Johansson, Monika Österberg, Kaj Backfolk

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

The uncoated side of dispersion-barrier-coated paperboards was exposed to positive and negative direct current corona treatments in order to confirm the occurrence of backside treatment and clarify its effects on the usability of the paperboard. The main component of the coating dispersions was hydroxypropylated potato starch and the effects of talc and styrene-butadiene latex additions on backside treatment were evaluated. Coatings with a high talc proportion showed excellent initial grease resistance, but corona-induced strikethroughs caused a drastic decrease in grease penetration time. The root-mean-square roughness measurements revealed moderate surface roughening at the backside, indicating thus backside treatment. The alterations in …

Experimental Data Extraction And In Silico Prediction Of The Estrogenic Activity Of Renewable Replacements For Bisphenol A., Huixiao Hong, Benjamin G Harvey, Giuseppe R Palmese, Joseph F. Stanzione Iii, Hui Wen Ng, Sugunadevi Sakkiah, Weida Tong, Joshua M Sadler

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous compound used in polymer manufacturing for a wide array of applications; however, increasing evidence has shown that BPA causes significant endocrine disruption and this has raised public concerns over safety and exposure limits. The use of renewable materials as polymer feedstocks provides an opportunity to develop replacement compounds for BPA that are sustainable and exhibit unique properties due to their diverse structures. As new bio-based materials are developed and tested, it is important to consider the impacts of both monomers and polymers on human health. Molecular docking simulations using the Estrogenic Activity Database in …

Trends In Minimizing And Treating Industrial Wastes For Sustainable Environment, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While treating the industrially produced wastes through various processes such as physical, chemical, biological and radiation processes have been implemented on various scales and is the focus of various studies and development, the trend of minimizing and/or eliminating the pollutions at the source via developing and selecting proper catalytic multiphase reactors is worth to be given proper attention and consideration which is the focus of this manuscript beside outlining the processes used for treating the wastes. In order to achieve such goal in minimizing the wastes, these multiphase reactors must be well understood, studied, scaled up and designed. This can …

The Influence Of Relative Particle Size And Material Interactions On The Flow-Induced Detachment Of Particles From A Microchannel, Morgan Brittany Mayfield

Graduate Theses - Chemical Engineering

Particulate transport in microfluidic channels is difficult due to confined geometries and low flow rates, which promote solids settling. To re-entrain these solids, the detachment behavior of closely-fitting particles from microchannel walls must be understood. Experiments were completed to examine the effects of particle size and material interactions on particle detachment velocity. Studies were conducted for various sizes of glass and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, spheres in glass and poly(dimethyl siloxane), PDMS, microfluidic channels. In addition, an inexpensive method to produce monodisperse PMMA microparticles was developed. To analyze the effect of material interactions, the work of adhesion between the particle and …

Go With The Flow –Thermoelectric Energy, Shawn Bell

Middle School Lesson Plans

In this unit, students will learn how thermal energy be transferred and transformed. They will carry out investigations to gather evidence to support an explanation about direct conversion of heat into electrical energy. They will develop a model that shows the components of the system and changes in the system being investigated, and they will use evidence from the investigation to construct an explanation for how the energy flows.

Fugitive Emissions, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Fact sheet about fugitive emissions, their causes, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methods of detection and regulation. [This item is an outdated or superseded version and retained for historical purposes only. It may no longer reflect current information, policies, or practices.]

Hydrothermal Synthesis And Characterisation Of Bioactive Glass-Ceramic Nanorods, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Seyed Farid Seyed Shirazi, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study fabrication of rod-like bioactive glass-ceramics (BGCs) using hydrothermal treatment based on a sol-gel precursor is reported for the first time. BGCs with composition 58 wt% SiO₂, 33 wt% CaO and 9 wt% P₂O₅ were synthesized in different thermal conditions (200 and 220 °C) and characterised with regard to morphology, chemical composition and crystallinity. The bioactivity of the materials was assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid for up to 7 days. The results revealed that as the reaction temperature increased from 200 to 220 °C, the diameter of rods was reduced from …

Ultrathin Microporous Metal Oxide Coatings: Preparation By Molecular Layer Deposition, Characterization And Application, Zhuonan Song

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular layer deposition (MLD), a gas phase deposition technique, was applied to deposit conformal organic-inorganic hybrid coatings by conducting a series of sequential, self-limiting surface reactions on substrates with exquisite thickness control at the sub-nanometer level. Obtained organic-inorganic hybrid coatings can subsequently be converted into porous coatings by removing the organic compound. Potential of functional coatings and membranes prepared by MLD was explored for applications from adsorptive separation, water purification, to gas storage.

We demonstrated a new concept, pore misalignment, to continuously fine tune the molecular-sieving “gate” of 5A zeolite by adjusting the external porous Al2O3 MLD coating thickness. For …

Development Of Highly Active And Stable Compressive Pt Cathode Catalysts For Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Taekeun Kim

Theses and Dissertations

With the limited fossil fuel reserve and increased power demand, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) have been considered to be a promising alternative to the current energy consumption mode due to its high energy conversion, high efficiency, and zero emissions. However, high cost, poor stability, and sluggish kinetic for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of Pt/C cathode catalysts are obstacles for the commercialization of PEMFC for automotive application. The observed poor stability is attributed to a corrosion of carbon supports due to low pH, high temperature, and high anodic potentials (1.0-1.5 V) at the cathode interface during start-up/shutdown conditions. Electrochemical …

Pvdf Membranes With Stable, Ultrathin Graphene Oxide (Go) Functional Coatings For Antifouling Oil/Water Separation Under Cross-Flow Condition, Lei Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Oil/water separation plays an important role in industrial wastewater treatment and environment protection. For the treatment of oily wastewater, especially for removing oil droplets with sizes in the micrometer range, ultrafiltration (UF) membrane technology is considered the most efficient method due to its high separation efficiency and relatively simple operational process. However, caused by the deposition of the oil droplets onto the membrane surface and into the membrane pores, the fouling of UF membranes shortens their service time and degrades their separation performance in practical applications.

In this work, graphene oxide (GO) was utilized as a novel coating material to …

Adsorption Reversibility Of So2, No2, And No On 13x And 5a Zeolites, Peter Fairchild

Theses and Dissertations

The adsorption reversibility of gasses that are typically found in flue gas for coal based power plants, such as SO2, NO2, and NO, onto 13X and 5A zeolites was presently investigated. The four individual gas mixtures containing these species consisted of 74 ppm NO (balance He), 74 ppm NO2 (balance He), 42 ppm SO2 (balance He), and 500 ppm SO2 (balance N2), which were also consistent with the values that are found in flue gas. Another gas, 15.03 mol% CO2 (balance N2), was also used in this work to evaluate the role of exposing SO2 to the zeolite on their …

Development Of Pressure Swing Adsorption (Psa) Processor Co2 Capture From Flue Gas, Md. Atikur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing the anthropogenic CO2 emissions and lowering the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has become one of the most important environmental issues of recent times. To this end, the development of a cost effective pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, utilizing commercially available 13X zeolite as the adsorbent, is underway to remove and concentrate CO2 in the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant. This systematic development effort has been carried out so far at the bench scale. It has included the following studies that defined and validated this PSA process both experimentally and via a PSA process model. …

Characterization, Synthesis And Stabilization Of Au Based Bimetallic Catalysis For The Hydrochlorination Of Acetylene, Kerry Charles O'Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third most-produced plastic polymer world-wide by volume after polypropylene and polyethylene. Vinyl chloride monomer, which is polymerized into PVC, is produced via mercuric chloride catalysts that deactivate as mercury sublimes into the atmosphere from the catalyst surface, resulting in substantial environmental concerns.

In an effort to rationally synthesize non-mercuric catalysts, strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) was used to prepare highly dispersed and active gold nanoparticles over low point of zero charge (PZC) carbon to increase the active metal surface area. The use of <1.5nm gold clusters did not lead to large increases in activity as there was an increased degree of particle coalescence during reaction for activated carbon supported samples. A pronounced support effect was observed in which oxide supports completely prevented Au sintering, but was virtually inactive. This suggests that the active site for the hydrochlorination reaction involves the carbon surface.

The stabilization of carbon supported gold nanoparticles in the HCl-rich reaction environment was …

Polyphenols As Natural, Dual-Action Therapeutics For Alzheimer's Disease, Kayla M. Pate

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by extracellular plaques in the brain created when monomeric amyloid-β (Aβ) protein aggregates into fibrillar structures. Soluble Aβ aggregates, including oligomers, that form along the reaction pathway are believed to be the primary pathogenic species and have been shown to increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This upregulation of ROS is one suggested contributing factor of Aβ aggregate cytotoxicity and has proven capable of mediating cell signaling associated with Aβ aggregate-induced cellular responses.

Polyphenols have been suggested as a complimentary AD therapeutic based on epidemiological evidence that …

Green Synthesis Nanocomposite Membranes, Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Vasile Smuleac, Rajender S. Varma, Subhas K. Sikdar

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

A nanocomposite membrane includes a macroporous polymer membrane having a plurality of pores. A plurality of metal nanoparticles are synthesized and immobilized within those plurality of pores. The nanoparticles are reduced and capped with a green reducing and capping agent such as green tea extract.

Reduced Graphene Oxide (Rgo) Hollow Network Cages For High-Performance Electrochemical Energy Storage, Chi Zhang, Xu-Jun He, Gao-Ren Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The reduced graphese oxide (RGO) hollow network cages were synthesized via zinc oxide (ZnO) template-assisted electrodeposition. The as-prepared RGO hollow network cages exhibited the multi-level architectures, from nano sheets, porous structures, networks, to 3D microscaled hollow cages, which can simultaneously optimize transport of electroactive species, utilization rate of electrode material, and super capacitive performance. Electrochemical measurements confirmed the superior performance of RGO hollow network cages for supercapacitors (SCs), such as high Csp (393 F⋅g^-1 at 1.0 A⋅g^-1), excellent rate capability (21.2% Csp loss from 1.0 to 20 A⋅g^-1), and superior cycling stability (< 1% Csp loss after 10000 cycles).

Synthesis, Structural Diversity, And Redox Control Of Cyclometalated Monoruthenium Complexes, Zhong-Liang Gong, Jiang-Yang Shao, Yu-Wu Zhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Cyclometalated ruthenium complexes have received increasing attractions recently due to their excellent redox and photophysical properties. One structural feature of these complexes is that there is a ruthenium-carbon (Ru-C) σ bond presented in the molecule. Three common methods, namely, the “late metalation”, “early metalation”, and “transmetalation” methods, for the synthesis of cyclometalated ruthenium complexes are discussed and summarized. General strategies for the design of cyclometalating ligand and cyclometalated ruthenium complexes are introduced. By using different ancillary ligands, such as pyridine, imidazole, triazole, and pyrimidine, a great number of ruthenium complexes can be prepared. The presence of the Ru-C bond significantly …

Developments Of Photo-Assisted Fuel Cells, Ling-Ling Zhang, Shao-Jun Dong

Journal of Electrochemistry

The exploitation and utilization of fossil fuels have led to serious energy crisis and environmental pollution. In this case, the development of renewable energy is an alternative to traditional energy consumption. Fuel cells (FCs) can convert chemical energy into electricity via the electrochemical reaction, which is green and environment-friendly. Photo-assisted FCs integrate photo-responsive components into FCs, leading to the dual routes of energy conversion including light energy to electricity and chemical energy to electricity, and thus, improving the energy utilization efficiency. The development of photo-assisted FCs is significant for practical application and promising to solve the coming energy crisis. In …

Wet Air Oxidation For Industrial Wastewater And Sludge Treatment: First Results Of A New Research Program In Quebec, Jean-François Vermette, Sophie Girard, Patrick Desjardins

5th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE 2016)

Introduction

Sub-critical water technologies, in particular wet air oxidation (WAO), have been developing across Europe in recent decades. This process is now used at the industrial scale for the effective treatment of wet organic material, mainly sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and is done with energy self-sufficiency [1, 2]. In WAO, hot pressurised water (200-350 ˚C, 30-200 bars) is enriched with oxygen or air to initiate exothermic oxidation of organic material, mostly into CO₂ and H₂O. Since the operating temperature is much lower than typical incineration, no gaseous emissions of NO_X, dioxins or furans …

How To Reduce The Energy Costs Of Food And Dairy Products To Spray Drying?, Pierre Schuck, Anne Dolivet, Serge Méjean, Romain Jeantet

5th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE 2016)

The most frequently used technique for dehydration of dairy products is spray drying. This is an effective method to preserve biological products as it does not involve prolong exposure of materials to severe heat treatment. Due to the variety and complexity of the concentrates to be dried, a more rigorous understanding of spray-drying based on physico-chemical and thermodynamic properties is necessary. At the same time, the current state of the art did not allow easy determination of the parameters of spray-drying of dairy products prior to drying, except from performing several complex and expensive experiments with pilot-scale spray-dryer. Nevertheless, recent …

Oxygen/Steam Charcoal Gasification In A Fluidized Alumina Bed, Rui Moreira, Rui Vaz, António Portugal, Noemí Gil-Lalaguna, Fernando Bimbela, José Luis Sánchez

5th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE 2016)

Mixtures of oxygen and steam were used as gasifying agents to produce a gas stream with high hydrogen content. The effects of the equivalence ratio (ER) and steam to carbon ratio (S/C) on gasification performance were studied at 900 ºC. The highest hydrogen yield (0.412 Nm³/kg charcoal) and apparent energy efficiency (33.43%) were achieved using a mixture that had a S/C ratio of 0.625 and an ER equal to 0.3 (pure oxygen). The results showed that the carbon conversion improved when the ER and the S/C ratio were augmented, and that the production of tars increased when the …

Bio-Oils From Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis Of Cellulose Using A Multi Mode Batch Reactor, Marco Frediani, Piero Frediani, Luca Rosi, Mattia Bartoli

5th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE 2016)

The end of fossil fuels era is becoming day by day [1] however the request of raw materials and fuels from industry is growing every year [2]. As a consequence research for renewable resource to supply oil is became very attractive [3]. Biomasses are very promising sources to satisfy the growing request of energy and raw materials [4-6] and in the same time to reduce the environmental impact due to their production [7]. Cellulose is particular interesting among different available biomasses because it is not interfere with the availability of …