Complex Fluids Commons^™

Upcycling Waste To Wealth: Cuo-Sio₂/Reduced Graphene Nanocomposite From Pomegranate Peels For One-Pot Low-Temperature Conversion Of Waste Oils Into Valuable Fatty Acid Monomers, Attia Attia, Shahenda Mahran Dr., Maria Centeno Prof., Basudeb Saha

Petroleum Engineering and Gas

and hence reduce the price of the fatty acid monomers. This study reports for the first time a novel, environmentally benign, highly active copper oxide-silica oxide/reduced graphene oxide (CuO-SiO2/RGO), heterogeneous nano-catalyst derived from waste pomegranate peels, for the one-pot, low-temperature synthesis of fatty acid monomers from high-acid-value waste vegetable oil (WVO). The synthesised nano-catalyst was extensively characterised using XRD, FT-IR, TEM, SEM, EDX and TGA-DTA. Further, it was utilised to synthesise fatty acidrich oleic phenoxypropyl acrylate (OPA) monomer from high acid value WVO via a single-step reaction.

Binary Solid/Liquid Equilibrium Of Mixtures Of Thermally Robust Salts And Molecular Compounds For Use As Heat Transfer Fluids, Jared Ridge Mathews

Poster Presentations

Fossil fuels, contributors to climate change that may bear catastrophic consequences, power the entire world. The human species is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for energy, but other sources of renewable and environmentally friendly energy must be developed. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising source of renewable energy with hampered potential—better heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are needed for it to be economically feasible. Currently, the HTFs in industrial use are predominantly either synthetic oils or nitrate-based molten salts. Synthetic oils are only stable up to 400 °C, and molten salts often have high melting temperatures, making them prone …

Binary Solid/Liquid Equilibrium Of Mixtures Of Thermally Robust Salts And Molecular Compounds For Use As Heat Transfer Fluids, Jared Ridge Mathews

Honors Theses

Fossil fuels, contributors to climate change that may bear catastrophic consequences, power the entire world. The human species is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for energy, but other sources of renewable and environmentally friendly energy must be developed. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising source of renewable energy with hampered potential—better heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are needed for it to be economically feasible. Currently, the HTFs in industrial use are predominantly either synthetic oils or nitrate-based molten salts. Synthetic oils are only stable up to 400 °C, and molten salts often have high melting temperatures, making them prone …

Thermal Stability Analysis Of Aqueous Ionic Amines For Sustainable Co2 Capture, Li Hua Zang, Keegan Everitt, Kevin West, Brooks D. Rabideau, Breanna Dobyns, James Davis

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

In closed air cabin atmospheres such as those of spacecraft, CO₂ accumulation jeopardizes crew respiratory function and may gradually affect sensitive equipment, making effective air revitalization critical. Traditional CO₂ capture methods like monoethanolamine (MEA) efficiently capture CO₂ but suffer from high volatility, leading to solvent loss and unpleasant odor, as well as corrosion and degradation, requiring frequent replacement. These flaws demand eco-friendly, durable alternatives. This study addresses these limitations by exploring a series of aqueous ionic amines (AIAs), salts similar to MEA in CO₂ capture efficiency but with improved thermal stability—crucial for preventing degradation under high regeneration temperatures and prolonged …

Thermophysical Properties Of Aqueous Amine Salts For Closed Air Cabin Revitalization, Mahmud R. Yusuf, Isabela Flores, Ben Hines, Li Hua Zhang, Seth Christa, Brooks D. Rabideau, Kevin West, Breanna Dobyns, James Davis

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plays a crucial role in closed cabin air revitalization, however current CO2 capture technologies pose several issues. Traditional amine solutions, such as monoethanolamine, are commonly used in CO2 capture on the International Space Station but face drawbacks including high volatility, thermal degradation, and unpleasant odor. To overcome these challenges, amine salt solutions have emerged as promising alternatives. Amine salt solutions have reduced environmental impact, lower corrosion potential, and improved CO2 loading capacity, making them a more efficient and sustainable replacement. Knowing these physical properties are critical for modeling and optimizing a scrubbing process that employs these …

Zeolite 13x Particles With Porous Tio2 Coating And Ag2o Nanoparticles As Multi-Functional Filler Materials For Face Masks, Wei Su, Kaiying Wang, Han Yu, Fateme Fayyazbakhsh, Jeremy Watts, Yue-Wern Huang, Jee-Ching Wang, Xinhua Liang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Adsorbent components in face masks are crucial for protecting individuals exposed to dangerous situations. In this study, one porous TiO₂ layer was deposited on zeolite 13X particles by coating hybrid organic/inorganic titanium alkoxide film via molecular layer deposition (MLD), followed by heat treatment to remove organic components in the MLD film. Various concentrations of Ag₂O nanoparticles were impregnated on the TiO₂-coated 13X particles, offering a wide range of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral characteristics. The obtained composite particles were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis to study the composition and mass loading of …

Fundamental Study Of Nonlinear Electrophoresis, Joseph Armakan Bentor

All Dissertations

Classical electrophoretic theory describes the linear response of particles suspended in Newtonian fluids under weak electric fields. When the electric field exceeds this weak limit, a nonlinear response arises due to non-uniform surface conduction over the curved particles. This nonlinear behavior introduces dependencies on fluid and particle properties not considered in the classical theory, offering potential advantages for microfluidic particle manipulation. While this phenomenon has been extensively studied theoretically and numerically in Newtonian fluids, experimental investigations have been relatively limited.

Fluid rheology can significantly alter particle dynamics under applied electric fields. Rheological properties like shear-thinning and elasticity which are not …

Hydrodynamics Of Drops And Particles Driven By Marangoni And Diffusiophoretic Forces, Subramaniam Chembai Ganesh

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the hydrodynamics of particles and drops driven by forces generated by an asymmetrical physical and chemical surrounding environment. In the first part, a novel colloidal motor design driven by surface tension forces is proposed, utilizing an active Janus particle encapsulated in an immiscible liquid drop to form a compound drop/particle. Marangoni forces induced by asymmetric solute adsorption at the liquid-liquid interface of the drop propels the compound system. The propulsion speeds of the motor are analyzed for various relative sizes and configurations of the Janus particle and the encapsulating drop and the effects of varying the transport …

Computational Modeling Using A Novel Continuum Approach Coupled With Pathway-Informed Neural Networks To Optimize Dynein-Mediated Centrosome Positioning In Polarized Cells, Arkaprovo Ghosal, Padmanabhan Seshaiyar Dr., Adriana Dawes Dr., General Genomics Inc.

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

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 …

Process Improvement And Microbial Characterisation Of Biological Nitrogen Removal For Tropical Wastewater With Low Chemical Oxygen Demand/Nitrogen Ratio, How Seow Wah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Malaysia has one of the most established biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) among the developing Southeast Asian countries. The current WWTPs’ design and operating guidelines in Malaysia are mainly derived from other developed countries with more experiences in operating biological nitrogen removal. These design guidelines are good practices for WWTPs in the temperate climate region, but may not be optimal for the local wastewater characteristics and tropical climate in Malaysia. The local wastewater industry is keen to improve the design and operation of WWTPs to reduce the energy consumption and operating cost, which helps to foster a …

Fractionation And Characterization Of Extracted Lignin From Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Using Synthesized Deep Eutectic Solvents, Tan Yee Tong

Student Works (2020-2029)

Deep eutectic solvent (DES), a new generation green solvent has been introduced as an alternative pretreatment solvent due to its ability for lignocellulosic biomass fractionation and lignin extraction. Numerous types of compounds can be adopted as DES constituents, which has resulted in abundant variation of DES with varying properties. Selection of the suitable chemical compound category is therefore essential for optimum DES performance. However, investigation on the performance comparison between the different DES categories is lacking. In addition, despite its widely acknowledged effectiveness in biomass fractionation, the properties of DES-fractionated biopolymers, especially lignin are not well understood. Hence, this project …

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 …

The Synthesis, Purification, And Characterization Of The P3 Peptoid, Myles Joyce

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relatively young field of nano-systems has vast applications over various different fields. Peptoids (peptide analogues) and their uses are consistently investigated components of these nano-studies. A particularly interesting group of peptoids are able to self-assemble into secondary structures under the right conditions. The P3 peptoid is able to form microspheres if properly synthesized and purified. Microspheres are frequently studied due to their low surface area to volume ratios. This unique aspect of microspheres makes them an excellent candidate for drug delivery systems; however, these systems must also be robust so that the desired compound can be encapsulated within the …

Exploring The Role And Impact Of Microscale Phenomena On Electrode, Microdevice, And Cellular Function, Sanaz Habibi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Microfluidic technologies enable the development of portable devices to perform multiple high-resolution unit operations with small sample and reagent volumes, low fabrication cost, facile operation, and quick response times. Microfluidic platforms are expected to effectively interpret both wanted and unwanted phenomena; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the unwanted phenomena has not been appropriately investigated in the literature. This work explored an attenuative evaluation of unwanted phenomena, also called here as secondary phenomena, in a unique approach.

Upon electric field utilization within microfluidic devices, electrode miniaturization improves device sensitivity. However, electrodes in contact with medium solution can yield byproducts that can …

Surface Enabled Lab-On-A-Chip (Loc) Device For Protein Detection And Separation, Zhichao Wang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Sensitive and selective chemical/biological detection/analysis for proteins is essential for applications such as disease diagnosis, species phenotype identification, product quality control, and sample examination. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device provides advantages of fast analysis, reduced amount of sample requirements, and low cost, to magnificently facilitate protein detection research. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) is a strong and reliable electrophoretic technique capable of discerning proteins from complex mixtures based on the isoelectric point (pI) differences. It has experienced plenty of fruitful developments during previous decades which has given it the capability of performing with highly robust and reproducible analysis. This progress has made IEF devices …

Characterization And Quantification Of Monomers, Oligomers, And By-Products From Xylan During Biomass Pretreatment, Ching-Shuan Lau

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biomass pretreatment generates inhibitory products, which reduce the overall yield of xylose for ethanol production. Understanding of hemicellulose depolymerization into xylose is essential to identify the pretreatment conditions that maximize xylose formation, but minimize the generation of these inhibitory products, such as formic acid and furfural. Thus, the goal of this project is to understand how dilute acid pretreatment parameters affect hemicellulose depolymerization, maximize xylose concentrations, and minimize by-products formation.

To progress towards this goal, rates and mechanisms of hemicellulose release must be determined. Birchwood xylan was used as the starting material to produce xylose oligomers. The hydrolyzed birchwood xylan …