Polymer Science Commons^™

Comparison Study Between Post-Fermentation Stillage And Pre-Fermentation Mash Utilizing Acidification And Steam Explosion Techniques For Cellulose Saccharification, Daniel Mckee

Master's Theses

Pre-fermentation mash fiber and post-distillation stillage fiber were examined and compared using a variety of preparatory techniques to determine the better source for cellulose fiber saccharification. Once screened, dried, and diluted to a 10% solution, mash fiber and stillage fiber were exposed to increasing temperatures for steam explosion techniques as well as increasing acidification techniques. Both underwent enzymatic saccharification to convert the exposed cellulose to glucose and other sugars. Once the optimum steam explosion technique parameters and acidification parameters were determined to be 2.5% sulfuric acid at 127.8°C for 1 hour, a comparison of the saccharification of pre-fermentation mash fiber …

Responsive Nanogel Probe For Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensing Of Ph And Strain In Hydrogels, Mingning Zhu, Dongdong Lu, Shanglin Wu, Qing Lian, Wenkai Wang, Amir H. Milani, Zhengxing Cui, Nam T. Nguyen, Mu Chen, L. Andrew Lyon, Daman J. Adlam, Anthony J. Freemont, Judith A. Hoyland, Brian R. Saunders

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

In this study a new pH-responsive nanogel probe containing a complementary nonradiative resonance energy transfer (NRET) fluorophore pair is investigated and its ability to act as a versatile probe of network-related changes in three hydrogels demonstrated. Fluorescent sensing using NRET is a powerful method for studying relationships between Angstrom length-scale structure and macroscopic properties of soft matter. Unfortunately, inclusion of NRET fluorophores into such materials requires material-specific chemistry. Here, low concentrations of preformed nanogel probes were included into hydrogel hosts. Ratiometric photoluminescence (PL) data for the gels labeled with the nanogel probes enabled pH-triggered swelling and deswelling to be studied …

Development Of Starch-Polyvinyl Alcohol (Pva) Biodegradable Film: Effect Of Cross-Linking Agent And Antimicrobials On Film Characteristics, Aniket Satish More, Chandani Sen, Madhusweta Das

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

To satisfy the need of developing eco-friendly flexible antimicrobial packaging film with minimum use of synthetic chemical ingredients, the present study examined the efficacy of citric acid (CA) as cross-linking agent and essential oils (EOs), viz., cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and oregano essential oil (OEO) as natural antimicrobials in corn starch-polyvinyl alcohol (CS-PVA) film. Compared to film prepared from filmogenic solution (FS) containing 75 kg CS+8.75 kg PVA+24.6 kg glycerol per m³ FS, film additionally containing CA at 0.07 kg/kg CS indicated 95% higher ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and 27% lower water vapor permeability (WVP). Film developed with incorporation …

Cellulose Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites By In-Situ Ring-Opening Polymerization, Shahab Kashani Rahimi

Dissertations

Over the past two decades, the increasing concern about the negative environmental impacts of synthetic materials has led to rising interests in utilizing renewable natural resources to develop polymer materials with comparable properties and performance to their synthetic counterparts. One of the major fields of interest is polymer composites where the replacement of synthetic fibers with bio renewable natural fibers is of great potential. However, the processing difficulties, in terms of fiber dispersion and thermal stability have limited the application of cellulosic fibers to polymers with low processing temperatures which are mostly hydrophobic polymers. As a result, the true reinforcing …

Drawing And Twisting Of Graphene Fibers, Gregory T. Lane, Robert J. Sekerak, Isaias Diaz

Mechanical Engineering

The aim of this project was to develop a more automated process for drawing and twisting of graphene fibers than was currently in place. This was implemented by having two chemical baths with variable speed rollers at either end, and intermediate roller to spool fiber between stages, and a twisting cylinder with integral spool to twist the fiber as it is collected. The goal was to have this first iteration deliver a working prototype, however due to manufacturing delays and timing constraints, that will be missed. A second follow-on project would be able to continue the work presented here and …

A Comparison Study Of Two Synthesis Methods For Polymer Of Intrinsic Microporosity 1 (Pim-1), Conor S. Perry

Materials Engineering

Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) are an emerging polymeric material class for molecular sieving applications. This study focuses on PIM-1, an alternating copolymer of 5,5’,6,6’-tetrahydroxy-3,3’,3,3’-tetramethyl-1,1’-spirobisindane and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile synthesized via nucleophilic aromatic substitution. PIM-1 been widely studied as a gas separating material and filtering membrane, but in this case, it is studied as a battery separator material. PIM-1’s microporous (pore diameters less than 2 nm) structure allows smaller favorable ions to transport while preventing larger ions and compounds from transporting. Two synthesis methods, round bottom flask synthesis and ball mill synthesis, of PIM-1 are compared to see any improved characteristics. The …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Molybdenum Sulfide And For Hydrogen Evolution Reaction And Supercapacitor Applications, Zhuo Wang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

To meet the constantly rising requirement of energy other than traditional fossil fuel and environment protection, it is a perfect time to development low cost, and efficient materials for clean energy production. Hydrogen generation by water splitting is one of the cleanest ways to produce cheaper energy. Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the key steps in water splitting process. Ideally, the thermodynamic potential for HER should be at 0 V (vs. SHE). However, without an efficient catalyst, this reaction occurred at higher potential, called overpotential. A good HER catalyst is needed to lower the overpotential and hence to …

An Industrial Process For The Production Of Nylon 6 6 Through The Step-Growth Reaction Of Adipic Acid And Hexamethylenediamine, David Wallace Jacobson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A continuous, two stage, four reactor system process is presented here for the proposed purpose of nylon 6 6 manufacture at the rate of 85 million lbs per year. Report components include: process descriptions, simulation methods and results, economic analysis, EH&S considerations, process control descriptions, and a general recommendation for how to proceed with plans enclosed. The general design of the plant is a two stage system composed of one PFR used for the formation of nylon salt and low molecular weight nylon chains, followed by three CSTR’s used for increasing nylon molecular weight. The overall process has been found …

Polyisobutylene Telechelic Prepolymers By In Situ End-Quenching And Post-Polymerization Modifications, Bin Yang

Dissertations

This volume focuses on the development of telechelic polyisobutylene (PIB) prepolymers by combining end-capping of living carbocationic polymerization of isobutylene (IB) with suitable reactants and post-polymerization modifications. Alkylation kinetics of PIB tert-chloride with alkoxybenzenes using either TiCl₄ or AlCl₃ were investigated. Quantitative para-position end-capped products were only achieved if the alkoxybenzene/AlCl₃ molar ratio was greater than unity; while no such molar ratio is required for TiCl₄, but the alkylation rate was slower than AlCl₃ under the same conditions. Photopolymerization kinetics analysis of PIB triphenol tri(meth)acrylates with low and high M_ns, …

Evaluating The Bond Behavior Between Frp And Grooved Concrete Specimens Using Single Shear Pull Out Test, John Omboko

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Surface preparation affects the bond behavior between Fiber Reinforcing Polymer (FRP) composite material and concrete. In this research, a special type of surface preparation known as grooving, which involves cutting transverse grooves, is conducted on concrete blocks (specimens) that are categorized as either Unfilled (U) or Filled (F). This idea is to ascertain how the grooves affect the strength of FRP-bonded-concrete specimen. These two categories are then benchmarked to control (C) specimens which do not have grooves on them. Category U specimens only have the epoxy applied on the concrete surface while category F specimens have epoxy applied on both …

High-Density Non-Fouling Bioactive Coatings: Development And Characterization, Bonan Yu, Ramya Raman, Karl Schlike

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Producing Food Packaging Printing Ink Via Green Emulsion Aggregation Method, Maryam Ataeefard, Shohre Rouhani

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Digital printing will become more and more important in the packaging industry. Digital printing technology is growing because it allows the print suppliers to improve the level of service they offering to their customers, as well as, it opens new opportunities and helps them to make more money. Additives, dyestuffs, resin and other chemicals in packaging printing ink may influence safety of the food. Therefore, choosing suitable materials are very important in food packing ink. Over the last years, many printing ink manufacturers moved toward more sustainable inks. Drivers for this development, besides the resource scarcity and a higher legislative …

Microemulsion Formation Of Vegetable Oils Using Mixed Extended Surfactant For Cleaning Applications, Siriluk Jariyawattanarat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Some vegetable oils and animal fats can form semi-solid crystalline. The formation of semi-solid fats or waxy soils results in weak interactions between the oil and surfactant during the cleaning process. In this study, the anionic extended surfac-tant (C14-15, 8PO-SO4) systems were employed to form a middle phase microemul-sion with various vegetable oils (coconut, palm and soybean oil). The addition of nonionic extended surfactant (C16-18, 2PO-4EO-OH) in the mixed surfactant systems was also evaluated to observe the solubility enhancement of oil and water phase. The IFT value of formulated surfactant systems was measured to determine the optimum salinity. The Hydrophilic-Lipophilic …

A Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study Of Thiol:Ene Poly(Ionic Liquid) Polymerization And Gas Absorption, Yueming Wu

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The polymerization process of, and gas absorption by, imidazolium-containing thiol:ene poly (ionic liquid)s (PILs), prepared from bisallylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide [NTf₂^-] and pentaerythritoltetrakis(3 mercaptopropionate), was studied. The thiol:ene PILs examined were recently reported by groups at Murray State University. The advantage of thiol:ene PILs over other reported PILs is that thiol:ene polymers are made rapidly by UV exposure and exhibit high mechanical and thermal stability due to high cross-linking. The properties of interest for the thiol:ene PILs were studied using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). QCM techniques are based on the piezoelectric effect, where certain crystals (e.g., …

Green Thermosetting Factory: Novel Star-Shaped Bio-Based Systems And Their Thermosetting Resins; Synthesis And Characterization, Arash Jahandideh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing attentions toward sustainable development, economic and environmental issues have led to many attempts at replacing the petroleum-based materials with renewables. Substitution of petroleum-based platforms with green alternative technologies is beneficiary in different ways. Using bio-renewables reduces the dependency of the national plastic industry to the petroleum resources and substantially promotes the environmental profile and sustainability of the product. It is expected that the emergence of the corn-based thermosetting industry generates substantial profits for the corn production sector. Developments in the emerging biobased thermosets are spectacular from a technological point of view. However, there are still several disadvantages associated with …

Uses For Graphene, Marcus R. Schmidt

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This slide presentation for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College discusses graphene, which is a chemically or mechanically produced single layer of pure carbon atoms. The thinnest compound known to man is also one of the strongest, with uses in technology and the health industry from faster charging batteries to motorcycle helmets. The remaining slides summarize a process by which free radicals are reduced in graphene by being treated with butyl acrylate polymerization.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Poly(Simvastatin) - Incorporated Copolymers And Blends For Bone Regeneration, Theodora Asafo-Adjei

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Common biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are used as drug delivery vehicles for tissue regenerative applications. However, they are typically bioinert, with drug loading limitations. Polymerizing the active agent or precursor into its respective biodegradable polymer would control drug loading via molar ratios of drug to initiator used for synthesis. Simvastatin was chosen due to its favorable anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and osteogenic properties. In addition, its lactone ring lends itself to ring-opening polymerization and, consequently, the synthesis of poly(simvastatin) with controlled simvastatin release.

Simvastatin was first polymerized with a 5kDa methyl-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) …

Tunable Nanocomposite Membranes For Water Remediation And Separations, Sebastián Hernández Sierra

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Nano-structured material fabrication using functionalized membranes with polyelectrolytes is a promising research field for water pollution, catalytic and mining applications. These responsive polymers react to external stimuli like temperature, pH, radiation, ionic strength or chemical composition. Such nanomaterials provide novel hybrid properties and can also be self-supported in addition to the membranes.

Polyelectrolytes (as hydrogels) have pH responsiveness. The hydrogel moieties gain or lose protons based on the pH, displaying swelling properties. These responsive materials can be exploited to synthesize metal nanoparticles in situ using their functional groups, or to immobilize other polyelectrolytes and biomolecules. Due to their properties, these …

Catalytic Activity Of Cu-Ceo2zro2 For Biodiesel Production, Wasupon Wongvitvichot

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

CeO2-ZrO2 was synthesized by co-precipitation (CZ copre) and nanocasting (MSP CZ) methods for supporting 9%wt Cu catalyst loaded by deposition-precipitation (DP) method (CuCZ copre and Cu-MSP CZ, respectively). Both CuCZ copre and Cu-MSP CZ were used in esterification reaction for biodiesel production. Structure and specific surface area of the synthesized supports and catalysts were characterized by XRD and BET tecnhiques. It was found that the specific surface area of CZ copre was less than MSP CZ support. The XRD result of CuCZ copre exhibited the diffraction peak of CuO, indicating the agglomeration of Cu species on support while that of …

Design Of Rubber Extraction Process From Tks Dandelion, Trevor A. Cody

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A design was developed for a controlled environment agriculture 3D greenhouse to grow and harvest TKS dandelions, as well as a processing plant to extract natural rubber and inulin from the roots. The design capacity was scaled for both pilot- and full-scale production: 100 and 100,000 tonnes of natural rubber per year, respectively. The byproducts of the process were dandelion greens, inulin, cellulose, and glucose; all of these except for cellulose were able to be valorized. The greenhouse was designed based on existing 3D hydroponic growing environments, and the extraction process was designed based on the original TKS dandelion extraction …

Design Of Natural Rubber Extraction From Tks Dandelion, Jehad S. Alrawajfeh, Trevor Cody, Jason Pogozelski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A design was developed for a controlled environment agriculture 3D greenhouse to grow and harvest TKS dandelions, as well as a processing plant to extract natural rubber and inulin from the roots. The design capacity was scaled for both pilot- and full-scale production: 100 and 100,000 tonnes of natural rubber per year, respectively. The byproducts of the process were dandelion greens, inulin, cellulose, and glucose; all of these except for cellulose were able to be valorized. The greenhouse was designed based on existing 3D hydroponic growing environments, and the extraction process was designed based on the original TKS dandelion extraction …

Characterization Of Polyurethane For Use As Substrate In Nanofiber Sensor For Biomedical Applications, Megan Theaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to begin to determine properties of polymer nanocomposites that make a suitable substrate for nanofiber sensors. In this work, sensitivity of a sodium ion selective sensor constructed with polyurethane was used as a benchmark for comparison with sensors constructed with nylon-6. The sensors were characterized using contact angle and chronoamperometry. Using an ANOVA analysis, the results showed that the multi-walled carbon nanotube type was a significant factor on sensor response both with and without additional functionalization of the polymer by calixarene. The weight percentage of polyurethane in the electrospinning solution was also statistically significant …

Stability And Retention Enhancement Of Low Fouling Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid (Pss) And Polyethylene Glycol (Peg) Blend Films With Silane Coupling Agents, Sean Stybel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project was to apply silane coupling agents for enhanced stability and retention of a low fouling polymeric coating to an inorganic substrate. A blend of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was crosslinked in order to create a low fouling film. The film was prepared by spin coating a PSS-PEG solution on an inorganic substrate coated with a layer of a silane coupling agent (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, APTES, solution), followed by thermal curing. The research was limited to less than one year and only used lab equipment available at the University of Akron. Stability and …

Mechanism And Performance Of Solid Non-Particulate Soil (Waxy Solid) Removal From Fabrics, Jarussri Chanwattanakit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Methyl palmitate or palmictic acid methyl ester was used as both a model solid fat and an oily soil was removed from cotton and polyester above and below the melting point. Surfactants studied were extended surfactants (C12,13-4PO-SO4Na , C12,14-10PO-2EO-SO4Na and C12,14-16PO-2EO-SO4Na), alcohol ethoxylate (EO9), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), methyl ester sulfonate (MES), methyl ester ethoxylate (MEE), and mixed surfactants between extended surfactant (C12,13-4PO-SO4Na) and sodium mono- and dimethyl naphthalene sulfonate (SMDNS). Above the melting point (~30 ºC) of methyl palmitate, the maximum oily soil removal was found to correlate well with the lowest dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) with increasing washing …

Formulation And Characterization Of Poly(Β-Amino Ester) Networks For Controlled Delivery Of Antioxidants In Pharmaceutical Applications, Vinod Shivaji Patil

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Oxidative stress, which reflects an imbalance between oxidants and endogenous antioxidants, is known to be a cause as well as an effect of health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Antioxidants have shown promising results in vitro in controlling oxidative stress. However, years of in vitro studies have failed to translate into effective clinical interventions for controlling oxidative stress in the disease conditions. This has been due to low bioavailability and lower stability of antioxidants. Poly(antioxidant β-amino esters) (PABAE) are a recently-developed class of biodegradable polymeric hydrogels that have shown promise in their ability …

Functionalization Of Silver Nanoparticles On Membranes And Its Influence On Biofouling, Conor G. Sprick

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Ultrafiltration (UF) processes are often used as pretreatment before more retentive/costly processes, such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. This study shows the results of low-biofouling nanocomposite membranes, loaded with casein-coated silver nanoparticles (casein-Ag-NPs). Membranes were cast and imbedded with Ag-NPs using two approaches, physical blending of Ag-NPs in the dope solution (^PAg-NP/CA membranes) and chemical attachment of Ag-NPs to cast membranes (^CAg-NP/CA membranes), to determine their biofouling control properties. The functionalization of Ag-NPs onto the CA membranes was achieved via attachment with functionalized thiol groups with the use of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and cysteamine chemistries. The …

Assisted Methane Hydrate Formation With The Addition Of Promoters, Chutikan Jaikwang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Natural gas hydrates play an important role in the largest reservoir of hydrocarbons on earth. The gas hydrates have received increasing attention in an excellent way of new technology for gas in large quantity storage and transportation. However, the main challenge to use methane hy¬drates has faced many challenges such as the slow formation rate, low growth rate during hydrate formation, and low conversion ratio of gas to solid hydrates leading to poor storage capacity. In this work, methane hydrate formation and dissociation in the presence of different Cyclopentane (CP), Tetra-n-butyl phosphonium bromide (TBPB) and Tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) concentrations …

Microbial Conversion Of Cellulose To Sugars By Bacterial Enzyme, Kessara Seneesrisakul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This work studied the conversion of lignocellulosic materials to sugars, the intermediates for bioethanol production, by a bacterial enzyme. Due to the complex structure of lignocellulose, a cellulase enzyme cannot effectively access and hydrolyse cellulose fibers. Various pretreatment processes of lignocellulose have been studied to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis to date. In this work, corncob was firstly studied for microbial pretreatment using three microorganisms including two bacterial strains of Bacillus subtilis A 002 and Cellulomonas sp. TISTR 784 and a fungal strain of Phanerochaete sordida SK7. The results showed that the microbial pretreatment with P. sordida SK7 was the most effective …

Effects Of Bead Size And Concentration Of Unstable Asphaltenes Obtained From Different Centrifugation Techniques On Asphaltene Deposition In Packed Bed Apparatus, Kimchhay Lao

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Asphaltenes are the heaviest and most polar fraction of petroleum crude oil. They are the collection of components that can be soluble in aromatics solvents such as benzene or toluene, but insoluble in normal alkanes, n-pentane, n-hexane, or n- heptane. Asphaltenes are a class of molecules consisted of grouped aromatic rings with alkane chains. Changing pressure, temperature, composition, and shear rate during transportation can cause precipitation and deposition, resulting in reduced reservoir productivity due to restricted flow lines, fouling and blockages in the pore spaces of the reservoir. The goal of this investigation is to assess validity of two aspects …

Adsorptive Bubble Separation For Oil Removal, Paweena Kanokkarn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This present work emphasized on the current knowledge regarding (i) feasibility of multi-stage forth flotation operation for oil removal, and (ii) comprehension of dynamic surface tensions of surfactant solutions in relation to foam characteristics. A multi-stage forth flotation efficiency depends on the enhancement of interfacial adsorption and the number of bubble caps and tray. The operational parameters including foam height, air flow rate and feed flow rate were controlled to obtain the optimum process performance. Under the optimum conditions—a number of trays of 4, a foam height of 60 cm, an air flow rate of 40 L/min, a feed flow …