Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Heterogeneous Biodiesel Catalyst From Steel Slag Resulting From An Electric Arc Furnace, Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

Biodiesel is one of the most environmentally friendly and renewable fuels, as it is a non-polluting fuel and is made from living resources, such as vegetable oils. The steel industry generates a variety of solid wastes, including electric arc furnace slag (EAFS). The synthesis of biodiesel from waste sunflower cooking oil was examined in this study, utilizing EAFS as a catalyst, which mainly contains ferric and ferrous oxides, calcium oxide, and silica. To evaluate their impact on biodiesel production, four independent variables were chosen: temperature (50–70 ◦C), catalyst loading (1–5%), methanol-to-oil (M:O) molar ratio (5–20), and time (1–4 h). The …

Design And Fabrication Of Nanostructured Electrodes For Complementary Electrochemical And Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting, Kholoud El Sayed Abousalem

Theses and Dissertations

Designing highly active, durable, and nonprecious electrodes for overall water splitting is of urgent scientific importance to realize sustainable hydrogen production. Accordingly, the need to search efficient energy production systems is of crucial necessity. In this thesis, two various systems for sustainable hydrogen production have been reported using electrochemical and photoelectrochemical pathways. In the first part of the thesis, electrochemical water splitting involving both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been established. To this end, an innovative approach is demonstrated to synthesize flower-like 3D homogenous trimetallic Mn, Ni, Co phosphide catalysts directly on nickel foam via …

Advances Of Phosphide Promoter Assisted Pt Based Catalyst For Electrooxidation Of Methanol, Meng Li, Li-Gang Feng

Journal of Electrochemistry

Transition metal phosphide (TMP), as an ideal catalytic promoter in methanol fuel oxidation, has received increased attention because of its multifunctional active sites, tunable structure and composition, as well as unique physical and chemical properties and efficient multi-composition synergistic effect. Some advances have been made for this catalyst system recently. In the current review, the research progresses of transition metal phosphides (TMPs) in the assisted electrooxidation of methanol including the catalysts fabrication and their performance evaluation for methanol oxidation are reviewed. The promotion effect of TMPs has been firstly presented and the catalyst systems based on the different metal centers …

A High-Performance Continuous-Flow Mea Reactor For Electroreduction Co2 To Formate, Pei-Xuan Liu, Lu-Wei Peng, Rui-Nan He, Lu-Lu Li, Jin-Li Qiao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is a promising approach to produce liquid fuels and industrial chemicals by utilizing intermittent renewable electricity for mitigating environmental problems. However, the traditional H-type reactor seriously limits the electrochemical performance of CO₂RR due to the low CO₂ solubility in electrolyte, and high ohmic resistance caused by the large distance between two electrodes, which is unbeneficial for industrial application. Herein, we demonstrated a high-performance continuous flow membranes electrode assembly (MEA) reactor based on a self-growing Cu/Sn bimetallic electrocatalyst in 0.5 mol·L^-1 KHCO₃ for converting CO₂ to …

Synthesis Of Lithium-Rich Manganese-Based Layered Cathode Materials And Study On Its Structural Evolution Of First Cycle Overcharge, Chen-Xu Luo, Chen-Guang Shi, Zhi-Yuan Yu, Ling Huang, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials have become one of promising cathode materials due to their low cost and large discharge specific capacity exceeding 250 mAh·g^-1. However, their problems such as low coulombic efficiency of first cycle and apparent voltage decay influence commercialization process. The high charging voltage will cause instability of structure and increase the hidden danger of the battery. Therefore, structural evolution of first cycle at higher voltage needs to be further studied. In this work, the precursor was synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and the lithium-rich manganese-based layered cathode materials were prepared by lithium-mixed and high-temperature sintering, …

Progress Of Pt-Based Catalysts In Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: A Review, Long Huang, Hai-Chao Xu, Bi Jing, Qiu-Xia Li, Wei Yi, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

Fuel cells are energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy directly into electricity. It has the advantages of high energy density, high utilization efficiency of fuel, clean and noiseless during working. Among all kinds of fuel cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are most popular since PEMFCs function at near ambient temperature, while their power densities are higher than those of other fuel cells. Currently, Pt-based nanomaterials are still the unreplaceable catalysts in commercialized PEMFCs. The lack of low-cost and high-performance cathode catalysts is still one of key factors that hampers the commercialization of PEMFCs. In this review, the …

Oxidative Efficiency Of Ozonation Coupled With Electrolysis For Treatment Of Acid Wastewater, Ze-You Hu, Feng-Yun Xiang, Ji-Qiang Mao, Ya-Lei Ding, Shao-Ping Tong

Journal of Electrochemistry

Establishment of an ozone-based advanced oxidation process (AOPs-O₃) for effective treatment of acid wastewater is an important and difficult task. The process of ozonation coupled with electrolysis (electrolysis-ozonation, E-O₃) has been reported to effectively degrade pollutants in neutral solution. We studied the efficiency of E-O₃ for degradation of acetic acid (HAc, an ozone inert chemical) in acid solution and found that E-O₃ had high oxidative efficiency at pH less than 3. For example, 52.2% of 100 mg·L^-1 HAc could be removed by E-O₃ in 120 min at pH 1.0, but only 2.2% …

Investigating The Variation In The Optical Properties Of Tio2 Thin-Film Utilized In Bifacial Solar Cells Using Machine Learning Algorithm, Ziad Khalifa, Sameh Abdellatif, Ahmed Fathi, Kareem Abdullah, Minatallah Hassan

Chemical Engineering

Among various solar cell architectures, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and perovskite solar cells have demonstrated the capability of being bifacial as both can be fabricated on conducting glass electrodes. In both cells, TiO2 plays a key role in the optoelectronic properties of the cell. Various studies have reported a range of recipes and deposition techniques for TiO2 thin films. Such variety introduces some uncertainties into the optical properties of the prepared films as well as in the process repeatability. Here, we utilized machine learning methods to correlate the film porosity to the film refractive index, making it capable of studying …

Heteroaggregation Of Lignin-Zein Nanoparticles: Effects Of Relative Size And Concentration, Yada Chulakham

LSU Master's Theses

Nanotechnology has become an advanced tool for manufacturing materials of the future. As the size of a material is reduced to a nanoscale, its surface area to volume ratio increases drastically, and its surface property becomes size dependent. This allows scientists to make use of unique properties that nanomaterials have to offer to create novel materials that otherwise could not have been achieved in meter-scale materials. As more industrial companies have planned to incorporate different types of nanomaterials into their products, it is undeniable that some of these nanomaterials will be released to the environment. Such possibility has led to …

Alf3-Al2o3 Ald Thin-Film-Coated Li1.2mn0.54co0.13ni0.13o2 Particles For Lithium-Ion Batteries: Long-Term Protection, Han Yu, Xiaoqing He, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Improving the performance of existing cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) through surface modification has been proven to be an effective way to improve the performance of LIBs. However, it is a challenge to use a traditional method to prepare an effective coating film, which meets the requirements of uniformity, continuity, electrochemical stability, and strong mechanical properties. In this study, an ultrathin AlF₃-Al₂O₃ film was coated on the surface of Li_1.2Mn_0.54Co_0.13Ni_0.13O₂ (LRNMC) particles by atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a fluidized bed reactor. A cathode electrolyte …

Examining The Effect Of A Chitosan Biopolymer On Alkali-Activated Inorganic Material For Aqueous Pb(Ii) And Zn(Ii) Sorption, Sukanta K. Mondal, Chenglin Wu, Felix C. Nwadire, Ali A. Rownaghi, Aditya Kumar, Yusuf Adewuyi, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biopolymers and alkali-activated materials have attracted a great deal of attention as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal contaminants from aqueous solutions. Both materials are sustainable and feature unique properties, but biopolymers are relatively more expensive or difficult to prepare and exhibit low mechanical and surface properties, a narrow pH range, and thermal stability. In this study, hybrid adsorbents were prepared from both types of material, by alkali activation of low-cost fly ash precursors accompanied by incorporation of 0-2%mass chitosan biopolymer. Two types of alkaline activating solutions, NaOH and Na2SiO3, were employed to generate two sets of hybrid adsorbents …

Stabilizing The Interface Of All-Solid-State Electrolytes Against Cathode Electrodes By Atomic Layer Deposition, Ye Jin, Han Yu, Xiaoqing He, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In recent years, with the severe safety problems of organic electrolytes, all-solid-state electrolytes (ASSEs) have been considered as an appealing choice to replace organic electrolytes due to their high reliability and safety. However, the uncontrolled interfacial chemical reactions between electrodes and ASSEs would lead to high interfacial resistance, which is detrimental for the battery performance. In this work, LiFePO₄ (LFP) particles were coated with ultra-thin ZrO₂ films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and the effects of thin film coating on the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries using the NASICON-type Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄) …

Application Of Gravity Data For Hydrocarbon Exploration Using Machine Learning Assisted Workflow, Oluwafemi Temidayo Alaofin

LSU Master's Theses

Gravity survey has played an essential role in many geoscience fields ever since it was conducted, especially as an early screening tool for subsurface hydrocarbon exploration. With continued improvement in data processing techniques and gravity survey accuracy, in-depth gravity anomaly studies, such as characterization of Bouguer and isostatic residual anomalies, have the potential to delineate prolific regional structures and hydrocarbon basins. In this study, we focus on developing a cost-effective, quick, and computationally efficient screening tool for hydrocarbon exploration using gravity data employing machine learning techniques. Since land-based gravity surveys are often expensive and difficult to obtain in remote places, …

Gibbs–Duhem Relation For Phase-Field Models Of Polymeric Mixtures, Rami Alhasan, Douglas R. Tree

Faculty Publications

Phase-field models are relatively inexpensive field-based models capable of capturing the nonequilibrium multiphase behavior of polymers and other soft materials. With their rise in popularity over the past several years, questions have arisen concerning the thermodynamic consistency of some model formulations. In doing so, researchers have employed several different forms of the Gibbs–Duhem equation─a classical thermodynamic relationship used to assess consistency─leading to questions about the correct form of this expression for inhomogeneous mixtures. In this paper, we derive a generalized Gibbs–Duhem relation that is valid for phase-field models. The key to the derivation is the recognition that the functional derivatives …

Combined Ibuprofen And Curcumin Delivery Using Mg-Mof-74 As A Single Nanocarrier, Shane Lawson, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively used as drug delivery platforms because of their considerable textural properties and physiochemical tunability. However, most medicinal treatments often administer multiple therapeutic pharmaceuticals simultaneously and combined drug delivery over a single MOF carrier has not been extensively developed. As such, in this study we implemented Mg-MOF-74, which is known to have rapid pharmacokinetic properties, for the combined delivery of ibuprofen and curcumin to demonstrate the proof-of-concept for dual-drug delivery over this previously unexplored MOF. To this end, 30 wt % total drug loading of two drugs was impregnated at various ratios (25:5 ibuprofen-curcumin, 20:5 …

Contact‐Free Remote Manipulation Of Hydrogel Properties Using Light‐Triggerable Nanoparticles: A Materials Science Perspective For Biomedical Applications, Cho-E Choi, Aishik Chakraborty, Ali Coyle, Yasmeen Shamiya, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

Considerable progress has been made in synthesizing “intelligent”, biodegradable hydrogels that undergo rapid changes in physicochemical properties once exposed to external stimuli. These advantageous properties of stimulus-triggered materials make them highly appealing to diverse biomedical applications. Of late, research on the incorporation of light-triggered nanoparticles (NPs) into polymeric hydrogel networks has gained momentum due to their ability to remotely tune hydrogel properties using facile, contact-free approaches, such as adjustment of wavelength and intensity of light source. These multi-functional NPs, in combination with tissue-mimicking hydrogels, are increasingly being used for on-demand drug release, preparing diagnostic kits, and fabricating smart scaffolds. Here, …

Addressing Pfas Contamination In Blood Bank Supplies With Hydrogel Nanocomposite Sorbents, Anicah Lynn Smith, E. Molly Frazar, J. Zach Hilt

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Environmental pollutants continue to be a threat to global human health. Persistent contaminants, such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been linked to a multitude of adverse health effects such as cancerous tumors, increased blood cholesterol levels and liver damage. The dominant source of exposure to PFAS is through contaminated drinking water, and accumulation has been found to occur significantly in human blood serum. Thus, high-risk groups who are receiving frequent blood transfusions are exposed to these harmful chemicals in a dual fashion, which could prove detrimental. Traditional sorbents that display an affinity for PFAS include powdered activated carbon and clay. …

Role Of Inflammatory Niche And Adult Cardiomyocyte Coculture On Differentiation, Matrix Synthesis, And Secretome Release By Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Jyotsna Joshi, Chandrasekhar R. Kothapalli

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Myocardial infarction (MI) causes cardiomyocyte death, provokes innate immune response, and initiates tissue remodeling. The intrinsic healing process is insufficient to replace the lost cells, or regenerate and restore the functional features of the native myocardium. Autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) transplantation is being explored to offer therapeutic potential after MI. Here, we cultured human BM-MSC spheroids in three-dimensional collagenous gels for 28 days under exposure to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (+ TNFα), and coculture with adult human cardiomyocytes, or with conditioned media (CM) pooled from TNFα-stimulated adult cardiomyocytes. MSC differentiation marker (CD90, GATA4, cTnI, cTnT, Cx43, MHC, α-actin) …

A Phase Field Model For Dynamic Simulations Of Reactive Blending Of Polymers, Mukul D. Tikekar, Kris T. Delaney, Michael C. Villet, Douglas R. Tree

Faculty Publications

A facile way to generate compatibilized blends of immiscible polymers is through reactive blending of end-functionalized homopolymers. The reaction may be reversible or irreversible depending on the end-groups and is affected by the immiscibility and transport of the reactant homopolymers and the compatibilizing copolymer product. Here we describe a phase-field framework to model the combined dynamics of reaction kinetics, diffusion, and multi-component thermodynamics on the evolution of the microstructure and reaction rate in reactive blending. A density functional with no fitting parameters, which is obtained by adapting a framework of Uneyama and Doi and qualitatively agrees with self-consistent field theory, …

Centrifugal Assembly Of Bijel Ropes Via Helical Microfluidics, Shankar P. Kharal

Theses and Dissertations

Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) are soft materials that retain a liquid bicontinuous network stabilized by an interfacially jammed layer of nanoparticles. In this thesis, we investigated a microfluidic twisting method to fabricate micro-ropes of nano-structured bijel fibers. This method shows how weak microfibers with tensile strengths of a few kPa can be reinforced by 4 orders of magnitude by means of microfluidic twisting. Microfluidic twisting allows to produce continuous bijel fiber ropes of controllable architecture. Modelling the fluid flow field reveals the rope geometry dependence on a subtle force balance composed of rotational and translational shear stresses. However, …

A Combined Electrochemical-Biological System For The Production Of Liquid Fuel From Co2, Elizabeth Hann

Link Foundation Energy Fellowship Reports

Biological photosynthesis is the origin of our liquid transportation fuels, from petroleum to corn ethanol. Biological photosynthesis has an efficiency of approximately 1% for the conversion of photons from sunlight to biomass1. Increasing the energy efficiency of biomass production (solar-to-biomass conversion) would allow for biomass, and biofuels, to be produced using less resources. Artificial photosynthesis seeks to overcome the limitations of biological photosynthesis, including low efficiency of solar energy capture and poor carbon dioxide reduction, and could provide an alternative route for biomass production. A two-step electrochemical process converts CO2 to acetate. Acetate is a soluble, two-carbon substrate that can …

Leveraging The Advancements In Functional Biomaterials And Scaffold Fabrication Technologies For Chronic Wound Healing Applications, Alap A. Zahid, Aishik Chakraborty, Yasmeen Shamiya, Shruthi Polla Ravi, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

Exploring new avenues for clinical management of chronic wounds holds the key to eliminating socioeconomic burdens and health-related concerns associated with this silent killer. Engineered biomaterials offer great promise for repair and regeneration of chronic wounds because of their ability to deliver therapeutics, protect the wound environment, and support the skin matrices to facilitate tissue growth. This mini review presents recent advances in biomaterial functionalities for enhancing wound healing and demonstrates a move from sub-optimal methods to multi-functionalized treatment approaches. In this context, we discuss the recently reported biomaterial characteristics such as bioadhesiveness, antimicrobial properties, proangiogenic attributes, and anti-inflammatory properties …

Development And Characterisation Of A Whole Hybrid Sol-Gel Optofluidic Platform For Biosensing Applications, Emma Mchugh, Graceson Antony, Arun Kumar Mallik, Alicja Kaworek, Declan Mccormack, Brendan Duffy, Mohamed Oubaha

Articles

This work outlines, for the first time, the fabrication of a whole hybrid sol-gel optofluidic platform by integrating a microfluidic biosensor platform with optical waveguides employing a standard photolithography process. To demonstrate the suitability of this new hybrid sol-gel optofluidic platform, optical and bio-sensing proof-of-concepts are proposed. A photoreactive hybrid sol-gel material composed of a photopolymerisable organically modified silicon alkoxide and a transition metal complex was prepared and used as the fabrication material for the entire optofluidic platform, including the optical waveguides, the sensing areas, and the microfluidic device. The most suitable sol-gel materials chosen for the fabrication of the …

The Utilization And Loss Of Available Energy In Aerospace Systems, Mohammad Abbas

Doctoral Dissertations

“Theoretical principles and analytical methodology for the control volume-based energy availability methodology for aerospace vehicles are developed; applications are made to jet-propelled and rocket-propelled vehicles as well as to stand-alone engine systems. Energy availability utilization characteristics of a modeled turbojet engine are studied across a wide range of operating conditions of throttle setting, flight altitude, and flight Mach number. The method is also extended to consider jet-powered vehicles. Fundamental principles regarding entropy generation and energy availability are developed, including directly linking entropy generation and maximum range and endurance of a powered aircraft. Theory and application of the energy utilization methodology …

Numerical Simulation Study Of Gel Treatment For Conformance Control From Lab To Field, Jianqiao Leng

Doctoral Dissertations

“Gel treatment has been widely applied to control reservoir conformance and thus improve the sweep efficiency of injection fluids. Quite a few numerical simulations have been conducted to investigate the factors impacting gel treatment and assist to optimize treatment design and predict the performance. However, there exists significant barrier between the simulation approaches and lab experiments. In this study, two comprehensive reviews have been conducted to identify the gaps between lab and current simulations for in-situ polymer treatment and preformed particle gel treatment, separately.

Based on the identified gaps, the effect of a few major factors which are very important …

The Kanarra Fold-Thrust System -- The Leading Edge Of The Sevier Fold-Thrust Belt, Southwest Utah, William Joseph Michael Chandonia

Doctoral Dissertations

“The Jurassic to Eocene Sevier fold-thrust belt is the subject of continued scientific curiosity in tectonics, stratigraphy, and industry. Understanding its development in southwest Utah is hindered in part due to the multiple origins proposed for the Kanarra anticline, a major leading edge structure -- a drag fold along the Hurricane fault, Laramide monocline, Sevier fault propagation fold, or a combination of these -- which have confused its tectonic significance and regional context. This confusion results from the structural complexity of its exposed eastern limb, as well as displacement and burial of its crest and western limb beneath Neogene sediments …

Evaluation Of Recrosslinkable Preformed Particle Gel (Rppg) As A Fluid Loss Control Material During Drilling Operations, Mohamed Saad M. Ahdaya

Doctoral Dissertations

"One of the most intense, expensive, and time-consuming problems during drilling operations is the loss of circulation, which could result in several consequences, including wellbore collapse, fluid inflow, formation damage, environmental issues, and nonproductive time. This research aims to evaluate novel materials that can mitigate lost circulation and overcome the limitation of other materials. In this research, a comprehensive evaluation of a re-crosslinkable preformed particle gel (RPPG) has been conducted to determine the extent to which it can be used to control drilling fluid losses during drilling operations. The RPPG consists of swellable gel particles that can self-crosslink to form …

Development And Testing Of A New Air-Assisted Flare System For Low Flow Conditions, Hayder Alhameedi

Doctoral Dissertations

"Flare systems provide a safe, efficient, and reliable way to treat unwanted flammable gases that come from relief devices of various chemical processing equipment to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment. Flare systems are classified according to the assist media type as non-assisted (utility), steam-, air-, and pressure-assisted flares. The assist medium enhances mixing between flare gases and surrounding air and induces more air into the combustion zone. An air-assisted flare system is the preferred flare type in regions where steam is unavailable or is costly to supply or ambient temperatures are too low. The environmental protection agency (EPA) …

Engineering Ni/Al2o3 Catalysts By Atomic Layer Deposition For Methane Reforming, Baitang Jin

Doctoral Dissertations

"Dry reforming of methane (DRM) could be a promising choice to utilize natural gas (mainly methane or CH₄), recycle captured CO₂, and produce valuable syngas. Promoters (e.g., CeO₂ and MgO) on Ni/Al₂O₃ prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and ALD-prepared ultrathin overcoating (e.g., ZrO₂ and CeO_x) on Ni/Al₂O₃ prepared by incipient wetness method were investigated for methane reforming.

MgO and CeO₂ prepared by traditional incipient wetness method were used to promote the performance of ALD-prepared Ni nanoparticles (NPs) supported on four-channel α-Al₂O_{3 …}

Surface Modification To Improve The Electrochemical Performance Of Cathode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries And Sodium-Ion Batteries, Han Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The specific capacity of active materials as well as their cycling stability are the main limiting factors for the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIB). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is considered as a promising surface modification method to enhance the electrochemical performance of active materials for LIBs and SIBs.

In this research, we are committed to using ALD to modify the cathode materials of LIB, by coating different films on the surface of different cathode materials and constructing a stable and favorable interface layer for lithium-ion transport, so that we can protect the active materials from the …