Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Surface Modified Polypropylene Membranes For Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Waters By Membrane Distillation, Tharaka Hawpe Gamage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Membrane distillation is an emerging technology for treating hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced waters. Suppression of membrane fouling by inorganic and polar and non-polar organic compounds is a challenge. Here polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide and polyvinylhexyl imidazolium bromide chains have been grafted from the membrane surface. Fouling is initially due to adsorption of organic compounds followed by scale formation. When challenged with produced water, membranes modified with polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide chains provided the greatest resistance to fouling. For EC pretreated produced water and synthetic produced water that contained mainly inorganic species, the flux decline was much less.

Investigative Study Of Microalgal And Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment Systems And Modeling Of The Wafer-Enhanced Electrodeionization Using Supervised Learning, Humeyra Betul Ulusoy Erol

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater has a serious impact on environment and public health due to its high concentration of nutrients and toxic contaminants. Without proper treatment, excess nutrients discharged in wastewater can cause a damage to the ecosystem such as undesirable pH shifts, cyanotoxin production, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Main objectives of this dissertation work were to investigate i) the biofuel potential of P. cruentum when grown in swine wastewater, ii) the influence of four most commonly used ion exchange resins on the system efficiency and selectivity for the removal of sodium, calcium, and magnesium ions, and iii) the modeling of wafer-enhanced …

Behavior Of Selective Oxygen Functional Groups Upon Hydrothermal Carbonization And Pyrolysis Of Biomass And Their Roles On Selective Applications, Nepu Saha

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process where biomass is treated in water under high temperature and corresponding vapor pressure. During HTC, biomass undergoes a series of reactions including hydrolysis, decarboxylation, dehydration, aromatization, and polymerization. As a result, a solid product is produced from biomass after HTC process, which is widely known as hydrochar. Depending on the HTC process conditions, a wide-variety of oxygen-containing groups formed on hydrochar surfaces. Many of these groups could play critical roles in applications such as adsorption, and energy and gas storage, etc. However, not all functional groups are exposed on the surface due to …

Comparison Of Tensile Properties Of Triaxial Braided Carbon Fiber Composites Made From Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (Vartm) And Autoclave Molding, Donald A. Klosterman, Charles Browning

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Triaxially braided fiber composites are increasingly being used in aerospace, ballistic, and sporting good applications due to their inherent damage tolerance, torsional stability, and cost compared to woven fabrics and unidirectional preforms. There have been numerous publications over the past 15-20 years on the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of triaxial braided composites. However, most of these have involved panels made with autoclave curing. In the present study, braided carbon fiber composites were made using autoclave curing and vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). The goal of the study was to compare the physical and tensile properties of quasi-isotropic panels …

Ceramic Tiles Production From Cullet And Agricultural Wastes Obtained From Wheat And Sugarcane Cultivation, Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

Agricultural wastes are a big source for environmental pollution so it’s a good choice to recycle them so as to get an environmental and economic benefit. The purpose of this research is to determine the possibility of recycling two types of agriculture wastes obtained from wheat and sugarcane cultivation in addition to broken glass (cullet) as raw materials for ceramic wall tiles production. The used agriculture wastes are the agricultural residue obtained from wheat and sugarcane cultivation. The experimental work starts with performing XRF and sieve analysis for all raw materials. Ceramic wall tiles specimens were made with dimensions 110.4 …

Detecting The Leakage In The Pipeline System Through Flow Parameter Analysis, Hao Fu

Theses and Dissertations

The pipeline is an efficient way to transport oil and gas over long distances. However, leakage can occur when the pipes have been running for a long time. The leak of energy resources will cause economic loss in millions of dollars, pollute the local environment, and result in safety problems. Therefore, the technology of pipeline leak detection is very crucial during the energy transport process.

The goals of the research are to develop mathematical models based on experimental data and CFD simulation to detect single and multiple leaks in a pipeline and/or pipeline system. The new methods use daily recorded …

Co2-Wettability Reversal Of Cap-Rock By Alumina Nanofluid: Implications For Co2 Geo-Storage, Muhammad Ali, Adnan Aftab, Faisal Ur Rahman Awan, Hamed Akhondzadeh, Alireza Keshavarz, Ali Saeedi, Stefan Iglauer, Mohammad Sarmadivaleh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The usage of nanofluids is vast in different applications of nano-energy. These minute nanoparticles can be used to alter the hydrophobicity into hydrophilicity for CO2-brine-mineral systems in the presence of organic acids. Nonetheless, the literature lacks the information for the behavior of nanoparticles and its associated concentrations in the presence of organic acids at the reservoir (high temperature and high pressure) conditions. In this study, we have investigated that how different alkyl chain organic acids impact the wettability of mica muscovite for different ageing times (7 days and one year) and how this impact can be reversed by nanofluid priming …

Design, Analysis, And Optimization Of A Process To Produce Dimethyl Ether From Methanol, Thomas Mathwig

Honors Theses

The company that the engineering team works for is facing a contract loss with one of its customers of methanol. To avoid economic losses, a process has been proposed for converting the unused methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) through a dehydration reaction. After a preliminary simulation of the base case and optimization of the distillation column, an Equivalent Annual Operating Cost (EAOC) of $140,000 was calculated for the column. The EAOC was the sum of the annualized capital investment and the annual operating cost. Determining the process to be worth pursuing, a Toller was brought in to provide rental equipment …

Husky Hand: A Low-Cost Electro-Mechanical Prosthetic Arm For The Underprivileged, Adam Robert

Thinking Matters Student Research Symposium

A continuation of a low-cost prosthetic upper limb prototype design which was investigated in EGN 301. The prosthetic is specifically designed for the needs and requirements of under privileged individuals in the Dominican Republic with upper limb amputations. The project focuses on the creation of an open-source computer aided prosthetic hand/arm model. The design allows consumer-grade fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3-D printers to be used. The improved design allows for the integration of the PQ-12 linear actuator for grasp and finger control. This simplifies the assembly, while, also reducing the size and mass of the whole unit. Producing a low-cost …

Recovery Of Degraded Lithium Ion Cathode Particles, James Kirtley

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

This project focuses on recovering the cathode materials of lithium ion batteries through atomic layer deposition (ALD) thin film coating. In industry, when a cathode material for a lithium ion battery are stored, it reacts with CO2 and moisture in the air creating Li2CO3 and LiOH on the particle surface. The harmful substances on the surfaces have a negative impact on battery performance and battery life. In this study, we found that when Li2Ni0.8Mn0.1Co0.1 (Ni-Rich NMC) is exposed to a high amount of moisture it degrades and the performance is reduced. For example, the discharge capacity of Degraded Ni-Rich NMC …

Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Learning In Fruit Flies, Natalie Gardner

Undergraduate Research Conference at Missouri S&T

The fruit fly Drosophila Melanogaster is an optimal research specimen when observing the effects of sleep deprivation on spatial learning. A fly's sleep can be tracked using locomotion while it is undisturbed and while it undergoes sleep deprivation. To measure a fly's visuospatial awareness, a region at a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius, among the rest of the arena yielding an uncomfortable temperature ranging from 36-37 degrees Celsius, is fit with a specific visual cue that the fly is able to identify. This region, along with it's visual cue, is rotated around the arena every 3 minutes, and the amount of …

Pd-Based Electrocatalysts For Oxygen Reduction And Ethanol Oxidation Reactions: Some Recent Insights Into Structures And Mechanisms, Zhi-Peng Wu, Chuan-Jian Zhong

Journal of Electrochemistry

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for applications in fuel cells, including proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC), has attracted extensive research attention in recent years. Oxygen reduction reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction are two of the key reactions where the design of active, stable and low-cost electrocatalysts is critical for the mass commercializations of PEMFCs and DEFCs. This challenge stems largely from the limited understanding of the catalyst structures and reaction mechanisms. Progress has been made in investigations of electrocatalysts derived from Pd-based alloy nanomaterials both experimentally and computationally. We highlight herein some of the …

Theoretical Studies Of Metal-N-C For Oxygen Reduction And Hydrogen Evolution Reactions In Acid And Alkaline Solutions, Xue-Ping Qin, Shang-Qian Zhu, Lu-Lu Zhang, Shu-Hui Sun, Min-Hua Shao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Single atom catalysts (SAC) have been regarded as the promising alternatives to platinum group metals due to their low costs and potentially high catalytic activities in various electrocatalytic reactions. The atomic mechanism understanding of activity discrepancy among different metal and nitrogen co-doped carbon-based catalysts is still lacking. Here, non-precious metal and nitrogen co-doped carbons (Me-N-C, Me = Fe and Co) as the model catalysts are investigated by combining experimental and theoretical studies to explore the catalytic activities and corresponding reaction mechanisms toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at universal pHs. Atomic theoretical simulations suggest that Fe-N-C …

Oxygen-Exposure Induced Rapid Oxidation Of Spiro-Ometad In Cspbibr2 Perovskite Solar Cells, Wei-Guo Wang, Tian Bai, Gao-Fei Xue, Mei-Dan Ye

Journal of Electrochemistry

2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) is the most widely used hole transport material in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, its oxidation in the air takes a long time and results in the attack of perovskite by water. In this regard, we performed the oxidation process of Spiro-OMeTAD in oxygen, where perovskite can be protected from water, guaranteeing the integrity of perovskite. It was demonstrated that the champion Spiro-OMeTAD based CsPbIBr₂ PSCs after oxygen oxidation achieved a 7.19% power conversion efficiency (PCE), showing a higher PCE than 6.29% of the champion device oxidized in air. A series of electrochemical characterization methods were applied …

Application Of Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters In Electrocatalysis, Zhi-Hua Zhuang, Wei Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Metal nanoclusters (M NCs) consist of only several to a few hundred of metal atoms and possess core sizes less than 2 nm. Owing to the quantum size effect, the electronic states of M NCs evolve to discrete levels similar to the molecule energy gaps, other than a continuous density of states to produce plasmon characteristic of bulk metal nanoparticles (M NPs). In comparison with the conventional M NPs, M NCs exhibit dramatically unique electronic and optical properties, such as molecule-like energy gaps, strong photoluminescence and high catalytic properties, which make them promising for potential application in numerous fields, such …

Detection And Aggregation Of Listeria Monocytogenes Using Polyclonal Antibody Gold-Coated Magnetic Nanoshells Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrates, Robert T. Busch, Farzia Karim, Yvonne Sun, H. Christopher Fry, Yuzi Liu, Chenglong Zhao, Erick S. Vasquez

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic nanoshells with tailored surface chemistry can enhance bacterial detection and separation technologies. This work demonstrated a simple technique to detect, capture, and aggregate bacteria with the aid of end-functionalized polyclonal antibody gold-coated magnetic nanoshells (pAb-Lis-AuMNs) as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probes. Listeria monocytogenes were used as the pathogenic bacteria and the pAb-Lis-AuMNs, 300 nm diameter, were used as probes allowing facile magnetic separation and aggregation. An optimized covalent bioconjugation procedure between the magnetic nanoshells and the polyclonal antibody was performed at pH six via a carbodiimide crosslinking reaction. Spectroscopic and morphological characterization techniques confirmed the fabrication of stable pAb-Lis-AuMNs. …

Editors’ Choice-Examining Performance And Durability Of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells With Novel Spirocyclic Anion Exchange Membranes, Ami C. Yang-Neyerlin, Samantha Medina, Kelly M. Meek, Derek J. Strasser, Cheng He, Daniel M. Knauss, Mustain E William, Svitlana Pylypenko, Bryan S. Pivovar

Faculty Publications

A series of spirocyclic copolymer membranes with varying ion exchange capacities (IECs) were investigated to probe the impact of polymer properties on in situ fuel cell performance and stability. In-situ electrochemical tests and post-mortem electron microscopy analysis of cross-sectioned membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) have been combined with voltage loss breakdown analysis to evaluate the performance and degradation of different MEAs, and to probe the catalyst morphology and electrode structure at different stages of operation. Voltage loss breakdown results show that membrane degradation and kinetic losses played only a minor role in observed performance degradation and that performance losses were primarily …

Sorption-Spectrometric Determination Of Nickel By Monoammonium Salt Of Glycirrizic Acid, Ugilay Abdurakhmanova, Khabibjon Kushiev

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this work is to develop a sensitive, selective and rapid method for the determination of nickel ions using the monoammonium salt of glycyrrhizic acid as an analytical reagent. There obtained IR spectra of the nickel diglycyrrhizinate complex. A simple and express spectral method for determination of the nickel ion is presented. The optimal conditions for the determination of the nickel ion are found. Under optimal conditions, a gradual graph was drawn up, which is linear in the concentration range for nickel of 20.0–40.0 μg/25 ml, the composition of the complex of nickel with the monoammonium salt …

The Role Of The 2,7-Dinitroso-1,8-Dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-Disulfonic Acid Reagent In Determining The Thorium Ion (Iv), Nigora Qutlimurotova, Salohiddin Mahmadoliyev, Khabibullo Todjimukhamedov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim is to develop a method for the amperometric determination of thorium (IV) ion with 2,7-dinitroso-1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfoxyl reagent. Methods of amperometric determination of thorium by solution of 2,7-dinitrozo-1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid on different acid-base properties of background electrolytes and buffer mixtures are considered. The half-wave potential of new reagent was found by logarithmic analysis equal 0.72 V at pH 2.82, which once again indicates on the irreversibility of the process of electrooxidation of the studied organic reagent in used acid-base medias. The conditions for amperometric titration of thorium are optimized, and the influence of outside accompanying metals on the shape of curves …

Synthesis Of Some N-Oxides Of Pyridylacethylene Amines Based On 2-Methyl-5-Ethynylpyridine, Abduvakhab Ikramov, Odiljon Ziyadullayev, Adkham Khamidjanov, Shavkat Bojariev, Davron Khandamov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this work is to study the reaction of 2-methyl-5-ethynylpyridine N-oxide with some aliphatic and aromatic amines to obtain N-oxides of pyridylacetylenic amines. 2-Methyl-5-ethylpyridine converted to 2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine by dehydrogenation, and 2-methyl-5-ethynylpyridine obtained by bromination and dehydrobromination. 2-methyl-5-ethynylpyridine N-oxide synthesized by oxidation of 2-methyl-5-ethynylpyridine with perhydrol in acetic anhydride. The synthesis of N-oxides of pyridylacetylenic amines by the Mannich reaction carried out. The effect of the solvents: methanol, ethanol and n-dioxane, the catalyst, and the reaction time on the yield of the final product studied. The structure and composition of the synthesized PAA N-oxides were established using IR and …

The Role Of Hydrogen Bonds In Diluted Ethanol Solutions Of Cyclohexane And Dimethylformamide, Dilbar Bozorova, Shukur Gofurov, Mavlonbek Ziyayev, Dildora Mirtojiyeva, Odina Ismanova, Oksana Ismoilova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The refractometric method and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to determine the optical features of the concentration characteristics of diluted ethanol solutions of cyclohexane and dimethylformamide. It was found for the first time that at some concentrations the hydrogen bond is stronger than for a pure ethanol solution. The first maximum of the excess refractive index of solutions is formed at a concentration of 0.02 mole fraction of cyclohexane and dimethylformamide, which is in good correlation with IR spectroscopy, indicating the largest number of formed hydrogen bonds.

Polymers And Solvents Used In Membrane Fabrication: A Review Focusing On Sustainable Membrane Development, Xiaobo Dong, David Lu, Tequila A. L. Harris, Isabel C. Escobar

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

(1) Different methods have been applied to fabricate polymeric membranes with non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) being one of the mostly widely used. In NIPS, a solvent or solvent blend is required to dissolve a polymer or polymer blend. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dimethylformamide (DMF) and other petroleum-derived solvents are commonly used to dissolve some petroleum-based polymers. However, these components may have negative impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, using greener and less toxic components is of great interest for increasing membrane fabrication sustainability. The chemical structure of membranes is not affected by the use of different solvents, …

Peptoid Microsphere Coatings To Improve Performance In Sandwich Elisa Microarrays, Jesse L. Roberts, German R. Perez Bakovic, Shannon L. Servoss

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microarray performance is limited by low assay sensitivity and dynamic range. Increasing the surface area for reagent binding can help to improve performance, but standard techniques such as roughening the surface or adding a polymer coating lead to increased non-specific fluorescence and do not have reproducibly improved performance. Another approach to increase surface area is adding a microsphere coating on the surface. Poly-N-substituted glycine (peptoid) microspheres are ideal for this application due to low immunogenicity, protease-resistance, and biocompatibility. Peptoids are polymers with a backbone similar to peptides, but with the side chains appended to nitrogen rather …

Design Of A Full-Scale Plant For Plastic Pyrolysis, Hannah Sargent

Honors Theses

With over thirty million tons of plastic accumulating in the United States every year, the need for an environmentally safe means of disposal is increasing. Only ten percent of this plastic is recycled while the majority is disposed of via landfill. With recent advances in pyrolysis research, a permanent solution is presented. By creating a pyrolysis plant, not only could billions of pounds of plastic be prevented from contributing to landfills, but also be converted to oil resulting in an environmentally beneficial and lucrative solution to plastic waste.

Melamine Derivatives As Highly Flame Retardant Additives For Bio-Based Rigid Polyurethane Foams, Niloofar Arastehnejad

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

MELAMINE DERIVATIVES AS HIGHLY FLAME RETARDANT ADDITIVES FOR BIO-BASED RIGID POLYURETHANE FOAMS

Rigid foams, which are mainly used in construction, refrigerators, automotive industries are one of the important types of polyurethanes with great potential in insulation and energy efficiency. Unfortunately, rigid polyurethane foams are highly flammable and catch fire in a short amount of time as well as spread the flame quickly. Hence, rigid foams are considered hazardous materials due to life-threatening situations and environmental issues.

To counter that, nitrogen-based compounds as non-halogenated flame retardants are an effective, low-cost, and eco-friendly option. It has been shown that melamine derivates as …

Controlling The Orientation Of Fluorescent Dyes Using External Electric Fields, Henry J. Kantrow

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Barker Type Approach For Measuring And Interpreting Vle Of Polymer Mixed Solvent Systems, Vaishali Jain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The environment around us has a great impact on human health. A polluted environment can adversely impact human health and cause diseases like cancer, skin diseases, breathing problems and many more and hence altering the quality of life. Hence it is very important to develop sensors that can efficiently detect these harmful substances from environment. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based chemical substances that are volatile even at ambient temperature and pressure conditions which enter the atmosphere through industrial processes, building materials, etc.

Acoustic wave devices can detect very low concentrations (ppm, ppb) of organic compounds in the environment. A …

Effect Of Humic Acid On Co2-Wettability In Sandstone Formation, Mujahid Ali, Faisal Ur Rahman Awan, Muhammad Ali, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, Muhammad Arif, Mónica Sánchez-Román, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hypothesis: Millions of tons of CO2 are stored in CO2 geological storage (CGS) formations (depleted oil reservoirs and deep saline aquifers) every year. These CGS formations naturally contain small concentrations of water-soluble organic components in particular humic acid (HA), which may drastically affect the rock wettability - a significant factor determining storage capacities and containment security. Hence, it is essential to characterise the effect of humic acid concentration on CO2-wettability and its associated impact on storage capacity.

Experimental: To achieve this, we measured advancing and receding contact angles at reservoir conditions using the pendant drop tilted plate method for various …

Graphical Design And Analysis Of Mass Exchange Networks Using Composition Driving Forces, Nessren Mohamed Farrag, Dina Ahmed Kamel, Ayat Ossama Ghallab, Mamdouh Ayad Gadalla, Mai Kamal Fouad

Chemical Engineering

Pinch analysis is a methodology for minimizing energy and mass consumption in different industries. It has been widely applied for more efficient processes. This study presents a new graphical-approach to analyze and design Mass Integration (MI) and exchange networks that follows Pinch principles to guarantee maximum mass recovery with minimum losses. This technique uses the composition driving forces in network representation as it rules the mass transfer between streams. The proposed approach can be applied on both existing mass networks as well as new ones. This graphical representation a visual descriptive design tool to describe and explain the details of …

Anomaly-Handling In Lyapunov-Based Economic Model Predictive Control Via Empirical Models, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

A question that faces data-driven autonomous systems is verification that they will perform in a safe manner despite changes in the environment on which they act over time or incomplete knowledge of the system model. This work analyzes closed-loop stability of nonlinear systems under Lyapunov-based economic model predictive control (LEMPC) with data-driven models in the case where it is desirable to have the ability to detect when the data-driven model is or becomes insufficiently accurate for maintaining the closed-loop state in an expected region of state-space. Implications of the results for false sensor measurement cyberattacks seeking to impact the fidelity …