Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Biocrude From Organic Waste And Its Conversion To Hard Carbon: Experimental And Modeling Study, Isamu Umeda

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study establishes a technical and theoretical foundation for the efficient conversion of organic waste into biocrude and high-value carbon materials, aiming to facilitate the industrialization of hydrothermal and solvothermal liquefaction. The dissertation research is structured as follows:

Chapter 2 developed a novel chemical kinetic model for the HTL of corn stover based on elemental balances (C, H, N, and O). By incorporating temperature, residence time, solid loading as an independent variable, the model successfully predicted product yields and properties, revealing that there was non-pseudo-first-order reaction pathways in the conversion of water soluble organics in aqueous phase (AP) to hydrochar. …

Leaching Of Manganese Using Bio-Solubilized Iron Reductant To Prevent Manganese Carbonate Formation, Palas Kamlakar Borkar, Neha Sharma, Atharva Rane, Kwabena Boafo, Timothy Eisele

Michigan Tech Publications

A mixed culture of metal-reducing microorganisms was used to dissolve iron, which was then utilized as a reductant to extract manganese in a 250 mL two-stage bioleaching system. In this two-stage configuration, CO2 generation associated with microbial metabolism occurs in the iron-reduction stage, while MnO2 reduction is confined to a separate manganese-leaching stage, thereby minimizing manganese carbonate formation. The results demonstrated that the two-stage system effectively maintained Fe²⁺ availability, enhancing manganese dissolution while mitigating loss of manganese through manganese carbonate (MnCO3) formation. In contrast, a single-stage bioleaching approach, where microorganisms directly reduced manganese oxides, led to significant MnCO3 precipitation, …

The Composition Of Gases From A Diffusion Flame Above Longleaf Pine Needle Fuel Beds, David R. Weise, Thomas H. Fletcher, Timothy J. Johnson, Weimin Hao, Russell G. Tonkyn, Catherine A. Banach, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Mahsa Alizadeh, Stephen Baker

Faculty Publications

The gas and tar composition of a wildland fire diffusion flame from longleaf pine needles is currently relatively unmeasured and more data are needed to fill in the gap between pyrolysis data and smoke plume data, thus improving physical and chemical modeling of wildland smoke formation. A pilot experiment to measure light gas and tar composition of such a flame is described for three flame zones: persistent flame (flame base), intermittent flame, and smoke plume. Flame gases from 24 experimental fires were collected in canisters and analyzed for CO2, CO, H2, CH4, and C2 to C7 hydrocarbon gases. Other light …

Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation Of Biomass Model Compounds Using Ni, Co And Fe Over Hzsm-5, Dana Mohammad Salaas

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

With the exponential increase in the human population and energy demand coupled with the alarming levels of worldwide CO2 emissions and the global warming crisis, there is a shift of focus towards developing and deploying clean and renewable energy sources. Biomass is a widely available renewable energy source that offers a promising sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, especially in the case of liquid biofuels production. However, unlike fossil fuels, biomass inherently contains high oxygen content which must be reduced in the biomass-to-biofuel upgrading process in order for the biofuel to provide comparable amounts of energy per unit volume to traditional …

Evaluating Coal-Jatropha Curcas Composite Briquettes As Sustainable Fuel Alternatives, Amad Ullah Khan, Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Abas, Zakir Ullah, Khan Muhammad, Farida Anjum, Aamer Sharif, Melkamu Tadesse Getachew

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Coal is a major fuel source but raises environmental concerns. This study investigated the feasibility of utilizing a composite briquette sustainable fuel produced from subbituminous coal and Jatropha curcas biomass. Briquettes were prepared with varying weight ratios of coal to J. curcas biomass (90:0–0:90) using corn starch as a binder. The influence of this ratio on the briquettes’ properties was comprehensively evaluated through proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The results revealed that increasing the J. curcas content in the briquettes gradually decreased the moisture content, ash content, and fixed carbon content while …

Development And Characterization Of Sustainable Coal–Biomass Briquettes Of Sub-Bituminous Coal And Levistona Chinensis Biomass, Amad Ullah Khan, Borhen Louhichi, Muhammad Abas, Muhammad Saleem, Nashmi H. Alrasheedi, Farida Anjum, Aamer Sharif

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven the exploration of alternative fuels, such as coal–biomass briquettes, which combine the benefits of both coal and renewable biomass sources. This study focuses on the development and characterization of sustainable coal–biomass briquettes made from sub-bituminous coal (SubC) and Levistona chinensis seed biomass, with the aim of reducing environmental impact and enhancing combustion properties. Briquettes were produced by varying the coal-to-biomass ratios (90:0–0:90), with 10% corn starch used as a binder. Proximate analysis revealed that increasing biomass content raised moisture (5.85%–14.25%) and volatile matter (VM; 24.75%–32.5%), while reducing ash (15.75%–3.39%) and fixed …

Valorization Of Biomass Derivatives To Monomers By M-Mox Catalytic Hydrogenation & Hydrodeoxygenation, William Steere, Samir Castilla-Acevedo, Ben Auer, John Styers, Alan Allgeier

UNH URC Open (2026 and after)

With increasing concern regarding global warming contributions by fossil fuels in petrochemical production, the potential use of biomass-derived molecules to serve as a more eco-friendly feedstock has grown in popularity. Specifically, sebacic acid, a versatile chemical used to produce nylons, plasticizers, and lubricants, has the potential to be obtained from bio-renewable feedstocks and alleviate environmental drawbacks from fossil fuel petrochemical production. Our research validates the catalytic conversion of the biomass-derived 2,2’-bifuran 5,5’-dicarboxylate (BFDCM) to sebacic acid (SA), through M-MO_x catalyzed hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation. Catalytic activity tests were conducted for four different Pd-supported catalysts (C, Al₂O₃, …

Maximizing Charge Dynamics In Znin2s4/Cn Van Der Waals Heterojunction For Optimal Hydrogen Production From Photoreforming Of Glucose, Jinqiang Zhang, Xinyuan Xu, Lei Shi, Huayang Zhang, Shaobin Wang, Hongqi Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Biomass photoreforming stands out as a promising avenue for green hydrogen, leveraging solar energy for the generation and transformation of clean and renewable energy resources. The pursuit of efficient photocatalysts is motivated by the unsatisfied hydrogen evolution performance arising from the complex and stubborn structure of biomass. Herein, we loaded 2-dimensional (2D) ZnIn2S4 onto 2D carbon nitride nanosheets, resulting in the formation of Van der Waals (VDW) heterojunctions (ZIS/CN). Band structure and morphology of CN were rationally tailored through precursor engineering to effectively magnify interfacial internal electric field and minimize diffusion pathway within the VDW heterostructure, realizing optimal charge dynamics …

Investigating The Potential Of Blended Feedstocks For Biofuel Production Via Pyrolysis Process: Experimental And Aspen Simulation Approach, Hasan Jawad Hammood Al-Abedi

Doctoral Dissertations

"The development of renewable energy sources has become increasingly urgent considering the climate crisis and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Pyrolysis, which is decomposition of an organic feedstock without oxygen, is a thermo-chemical process that has garnered significant attention as a promising technology for sustainable energy production, capable of converting biomass and waste materials into biofuels.

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis behaviors of corn stover (CS), refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and oil shale (OS) in equal mass ratios. Utilizing a thermogravimetric analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the co-pyrolysis process is …

Thermo-Kinetic Parameters Governing Decomposition Of Amino Acids: A Computational Study, Mubarak Taleb Alkwradi

Theses

Amino acid model compounds are important nitrogenated species that in various categories of biomass. These compounds exhibit unique fragmentation pathways because of their adjacent amino and hydroxyl groups. Comprehending the decomposition chemistry of amino acids is essential to reduce harmful nitrogen emissions during biomass thermal treatment. This research reports the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of amino acids, and sulfur-containing amino acid, based on accurate density functional theory calculations coupled with kinetic modelling. The first part of the thesis provides comprehensive thermochemical parameters for the complete set of amino acids in the gas phase. The optimized geometries of amino acid compounds …

Cellulose Ester As Membranes For Controlled Release Fertilizer’S, Muhammed Salman Fajis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing environmental pollution and non-sustainable materials has escalated the need for research in sustainable practices for many areas including crop production and fertilization. The conventional coating for the controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) is non-biodegradable. Hence, the development of novel biodegradable coatings for fertilizer prills has emerged as an important area of study. In this thesis, conducting synthesis and application of cellulose esters (biomass membrane) as an encapsulation for the controlled release fertilizers. Therefore, the coating would be effective for a controlled release of nutrients to the crops by sustaining nature. Here, synthesized biodegradable cellulose esters by 8 and 16-carbon fatty acids …

Improving Lignin Recovery From Paper Mill And Biorefinery Waste Streams Via Liquid-Phase Splitting, Carter Fitzgerald

All Dissertations

Lignin is an abundant biopolymer with significant promise due to its aromaticity. It has been targeted as a replacement for a number of petroleum-based products including adhesives, coatings, polyurethane foams, activated carbon, and carbon fibers. However, commercially available bulk lignins are too polydisperse, and contain too many residual metals from the pulping process that are detrimental to the properties of the final product.

The Sequential Liquid-lignin Recovery and Purification (SLRP) process was developed by Michael Lake and John Blackburn, in collaboration with Clemson, with the intention of creating a continuous method for recovering lignin from paper-mill black liquors. Thies and …

Partially Oxidative Torrefaction Of Woody Biomass Pellets: Burning Behaviour And Emission Analysis, Sajid Riaz, Yasir M. Al-Abdeli, Ibukun Oluwoye

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Non-conventional torrefaction under partially oxidative conditions is an emerging cost-effective thermochemical pre-treatment method to improve the quality of biomass for energy applications. The literature lacks data on the combustion of biomass torrefied under oxygen-deficient atmosphere with actual reactor conditions (inevitable non-uniformities in the thermal environment). In this work, a dual mode fixed-bed biomass (torrefaction) reactor and combustor was operated on Australian biomass pellets, to torrefy the fuels at 275 °C for 30 min using partially oxidative atmosphere (O₂: 5 vol %, balance N₂) and then to combust them. Combustion behaviour with a particular focus on gaseous …

Bio-Oil Production From Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of Pennisetum Purpureum X Pennisetum Typhoideum, Tossapon Katongtung, Sanphawat Phtomphithak, Thossaporn Onsree, Nakorn Tippayawong, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Among renewable and sustainable energy resources, biomass plays a vital role. Agricultural residues/wastes, energy crops, and lignocellulosic biomass could potentially be major feedstocks for biorefineries. In Thailand, one of the most interesting energy crops is hybrid giant Juncao grass (GJG) or Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum typhoideum. GJG can be easily grown and has relatively high yields under tropical climates. Herein, conversion of GJG to biofuels via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was investigated using batch reactors under varying reaction temperatures of 250–350 ◦C and biomass-to-deionized water concentrations of 15–25 wt% at a fixed residence time of 30 min. Changes in temperature and …

Pretreatment Of Corncob With Green Deep Eutectic Solvent To Enhance Cellulose Accessibility For Energy And Fuel Applications, Sanphawat Phromphithak, Nakorn Tippayawong, Thossaporn Onsree, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Fossil fuels are the primary source of energy for a long period in spite of excessive environmental hazards, such as greenhouse gas emissions. Production of energy and fuel from lignocellulosic biomass has been the goal of the study in pursuit of renewable alternatives to fossil materials. Corncob is common agricultural biomass waste found in many countries. It can be utilized to produce bioenergy, but the conversion efficiency is limited. Pretreatment may be applied to improve the efficiency of corncob conversion; for example, by the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass. Choline chloride (ChCl) and glycerol are considered as synthetic deep eutectic solvents …

Liquid Phase Modeling In Metal Catalysis And In Zeolites, Subrata Kumar Kundu

Theses and Dissertations

Liquid phase processing is often desired for selective product formation, such as during catalytic conversion of biomass, and for purification of waste-water streams. Since the liquid phase environment influences the adsorption properties and reactivity of solid catalysts and porous materials, significant performance changes have been observed as a function of solvent properties for various industrial catalytic and separation processes. There is a need to better understand these solvation effects on processes at solid-liquid interfaces and to develop novel multiscale models that permit one to explore solvation effects on surface catalyzed reactions and during adsorption in porous media such as zeolites. …

No Formation During Co-Combustion Of Coal With Two Thermally Treated Biomasses, Thomas Allgurén, Klas Andersson, Andrew R. Fry, Eric G. Eddings

Faculty Publications

The combustion behavior of biomass as a fuel varies dependent on source of the raw material, but also on the type of pre-treatment. In this work steam exploded and torrefied woody biomass were studied with respect to NOx formation in co-firing experiments. Most of the reported data is based on small scale experiments and simulations. In this work, however, have three different cases been investigated experimentally in a 1.5MWth combustor supported by reaction simulations. One case corresponds to firing 100% Utah bituminous coal and two cases where 15% of the coal (on a mass basis) has been replaced with either …

Engineering Lewis Acidic Materials For Biomass Conversion And Battery Applications., Md Anwar Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My long-term goal is to develop catalytic systems to produce renewable energy for a sustainable society. The overall research objective of my dissertation is to advance understanding of Lewis acidic materials for (1) conversion of renewable lignin into phenolics and (2) enhanced cycling stability of lithium metal batteries to safely store renewable electricity from wind and solar, thereby laying the groundwork for our transition to a sustainable society. Petroleum is a conventional feedstock for current transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels). However, petroleum is a finite resource and produces greenhouse gases (CO₂ and CH₄) upon processing, …

Room Temperature Alkali Treatment Of Rice Straw For Enhanced Enzymatic Hydrolysis., Seth Mains

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the pollution of fossil fuels due to greenhouse emissions, researchers continue to search for alternative methods that allow for the clean production of energy, fuels, and polymer fibers. A method currently under investigation is the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a solution to current problems with energy and polymer fiber production. Through the process of pretreatment, possibilities for lignocellulosic biomass expand due to improved accessibility of the cellulose and hemicellulose which can be broken down via enzymatic hydrolysis into C5 and C6 sugars such as xylose and glucose. This study investigated the fermentation of the rice straw into …

Exploration Of The Sludge Biodiesel Pathway, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater sludge is an overlooked source of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) that could be converted into biodiesel. The United States produces about 8 million tons of sludge per year. The disposal cost for this amount of sludge is about 2 billion US dollars. The widespread availability and low cost of sludge compared to other biodiesel raw materials make it an economical choice for a renewable fuel. Using sludge as a raw material can produce 25 to 30 mg per gram of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME); the main component of biodiesel. Sludge biodiesel has the potential of transforming a …

Modeling Ash Deposit Growth Rates For A Wide Range Of Solid Fuels In A 100 Kw Combustor, Seyedhassan Fakourian, Zachary Mcallister, Andrew R. Fry, Yueming Wang, Xiaolong Li, Jost O.L. Wendt, Jinze Dai

Faculty Publications

This work details a model for evaluating the relative ash deposition propensity of various solid fuels without the complicated spatial considerations included in CFD modeling. Four deposition mechanisms are included, namely: inertial impaction, thermophoresis, condensation, and eddy impaction. This model has been validated and shown to effectively predict ash deposit rates for a wide range of solid fuels including coal, biomass, and their blends, burned in a 100 kW rated downflow combustor. Specifically, this work presents and compares two separate models for the sticking efficiency of impacting ash particles on a coupon surface: the melt fraction stickiness …

Biomass-Derived Electrode Materials And Sustainable Processes For Supercapacitors, Katelyn M. Shell

Theses and Dissertations

Biomass is one of the most abundant natural resources and has been used as a source of energy for thousands of years. Biomass as a precursor for energy storage materials is still relatively novel and faces several obstacles before becoming commonly used in today’s electrical devices. Currently, energy storage devices, such as batteries, capacitors, and supercapacitors, utilize petroleum-derived graphitic carbons for anodes, generating a need for more sustainable materials. Biomass, as a carbon-rich source for electrode materials, presents a viable and economically feasible alternative due to the prevalent lignocellulosic compounds: lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Preliminary studies on the solid residues …

Challenges To Levulinic Acid And Humins Valuation In The Sugarcane Bagasse Biorefinery Concept, Emília Savioli Lopes, Jean Felipe Leal Silva, Elmer Ccopa Rivera, Alana Petrina Gomes, Melina Savioli Lopes, Rubens Maciel Filho, Laura Plazas Tovar

Faculty Publications

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Levulinic acid (LA) is currently one of the most promising chemicals derived from biomass. However, its large-scale production is hampered by the challenges in biomass hydrolysis and the poor selectivity due to the formation of humins (HUs). This study addresses these challenges using the biorefinery concept of biomass fractionation. A three-step process (pretreatment, delignification, and acid-catalyzed conversion) was optimized to produce LA from SCB considering the yield (YLA), efficiency (ELA), and concentration of LA (CLA) as functions of temperature, reaction time, acid concentration, and solids loading. By means of a …

A Review Of Coal Heating Value Correlations With Application To Coal Char, Tar, And Other Fuels, Andrew P. Richards, Denver Haycock, Jacob F. Frandsen, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Accurately measuring a fuel’s heating value is one of the first steps in the classification of a new fuel. Heating values are widely used in coal combustion research and are becoming more useful in other fuel types as well. Many different empirical correlations to predict heating values based on primary organic (CHONS) elemental composition are found in the literature, many of which were originally created to predict heating values of parent coal, and some of which have been extended for biomass. However, no correlations exist for heating values of coal chars and tars. Thirteen literature heating value correlations (10 model …

Development Of Novel Catalysts For Hydrogen Gas Production From Biomass Compounds, Boanerges Bamaca

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

Hydrothermal biomass gasification technologies (sub- and supercritical water gasification and aqueous-phase reforming) have considerable economic, environmental, and technical advantages over other energy-extensive technologies (e.g. natural gas reforming) for hydrogen gas production. However, lack of economically feasible and highly active catalysts is a main challenge that impedes upscaling of these technologies for hydrogen gas production.

The goal of this study was to develop innovative, economically feasible and active heterogeneous supported metal catalysts for hydrothermal processes for producing hydrogen gas from biomass-derived compounds. Because of its stable structure and chemical inertness, graphene was used as catalyst support. Graphene supported metal catalysts were …

Production Of Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuel Via Titanium Oxide-Alumina (Tio2-Al2o3) Catalytic Deoxygenation Reaction, Xian Yih Ooi

Student Works (2020-2029)

The renewable hydrocarbon-like biofuel from biomass is crucial to substitute fossil fuel. Catalytic deoxygenation is a biofuel upgrading process to eliminate the high oxygen content in biofuel which will lead to corrosion, instability and lower heating value problems. The choice of support is significant to provide the maximum acid strength for the hydrogenolysis of C-O bonds. Al2O3 supported catalyst has drawn attention due to the high acidity. However, the high acidity leads to coke deposition, unstable and deactivation of the catalyst. Thus, it is important to develop methods to improve catalyst performance, reduce catalyst coking and enhance catalyst lifetime. Recently, …

Elucidating The Properties And Mechanism For Cellulose Dissolution In Tetrabutylphosphonium-Based Ionic Liquids Using High Concentrations Of Water, Brad Crawford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The structural, transport, and thermodynamic properties related to cellulose dissolution by tetrabutylphosphonium chloride (TBPCl) and tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPH)-water mixtures have been calculated via molecular dynamics simulations. For both ionic liquid (IL)-water solutions, water veins begin to form between the TBPs interlocking arms at 80 mol % water, opening a pathway for the diffusion of the anions, cations, and water. The water veins allow for a diffusion regime shift in the concentration region from 80 to 92.5 mol % water, providing a higher probability of solvent interaction with the dissolving cellulose strand. The hydrogen bonding was compared between small and large …

Reduction Of A Detailed Soot Model For Simulations Of Pyrolysing Solid Fuels, Alexander J. Josephson, Emily M. Hopkins, David O. Lignell, Rod R. Linn

Faculty Publications

This work presents a computationally inexpensive soot formation model for use in simulating large solid-complex fuel systems. The proposed model evaluates three variables: number density of tars, bulk mass density of soot particles, and particle number density. Each of these variables are influenced by soot formation phenomena, and this model evaluates the most common of these phenomena: soot nucleation, surface reactions, and coagulation. Two separate simulations were carried out using this model and results were compared against simulations using a more detailed and computationally expensive model. Results are promising and show a meaningful reduction in model complexity and computational cost …

Exploring Methodologies To Improve Lignin Utilization In Biorefineries, James Meyer

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The increasing world population, coupled with an improving quality of life, has driven a rapidly increasing demand for fuels, chemicals, and materials. Fossil carbon feedstocks, such as petroleum, are currently being consumed to meet these demands. The utilization of these feedstocks has negative impacts on human and environmental health, which are undoubtedly intensifying as a result of the increased reliance required to meet these demands. As an alternative way to meet these demands, biorefineries generate a wide range of fuels, chemicals, and materials from biomass, a renewable and sustainable resource. Current second-generation biorefineries use a plant-based feedstock, lignocellulosic biomass, comprised …

Heterogeneous Catalysis For The Upgrading Of Biomass Derived Chemicals Via Hydrodeoxygenation, Elizabeth Barrow

Theses and Dissertations

An important step in the upgrading of biomass derived chemicals is the removal of excess oxygen. The works reported here are focused on studying the heterogeneous catalysts that can be utilized for that upgrading through hydrodeoxygenation. This work begins with a discussion of the alkylation of short chain platform chemicals for chain growth and also demonstrates the proof of concept of combining alkylation and hydrodeoxygenation in a single step. Then, because of the promising nature of ReOx- Pd/CeO2 for selective hydrodeoxygenation, a detailed study of ReOx/CeO2 is presented. Finally, a new surface structure interpretation is presented for P/Ni(111) which could …