Browsing by Subject "Department of Chemical Engineering"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 25
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    Analysis of Crack Patterns of Active Matters
    (2020) Hong, Sunyoung
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    Brownfields Site Analysis
    (2022) Dunham, Sydney
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    Carbon Capture: A Solution-Based Answer
    (2021-12) Walker, Nigel T
    Climate change is a very real issue that needs real solutions. One can see that as a society we are beginning to make changes for the better such as a push for renewable energy and electric cars. However, I believe that we need to do more. That is why for the fall 2021 Undergrad Research Opportunity Program I participated in research regarding carbon capture. I studied a solution-based carbon capture method. This process included two main parts, absorption, and desorption. In the absorption step, my main goal was to maximize the amount of carbon the solution could capture. Then during the desorption step, I was focusing on releasing the carbon from the solution. Currently, the most accepted ways of doing this require quite a bit of heat and energy to collect and isolate the carbon. That is why the main goal of my research was to find a combination of compounds and materials that aid in both the absorption step and the desorption step so that it would require less energy. I tested many mixtures throughout the fall semester by trying many different variations of compounds. In my presentation, I will show solutions of which had the most positive results and how they were achieved.
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    The Cascading Column (1998-04-27)
    (1998-04-27) University of Minnesota, Duluth. Department of Chemical Engineering
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    The Cascading Column (1999-04-05)
    (1999-04-05) University of Minnesota, Duluth. Department of Chemical Engineering
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    The Cascading Column (2000-04-17)
    (2000-04-17) University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of Chemical Engineering
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    The Cascading Column (2002-07-10)
    (2002-07-10) University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of Chemical Engineering
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    Characterization of Porous Polyvinylidene Fluoride for Use as a Biosensor (2021-03-05)
    (2021) Danley, Matt; University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasiveprocedure that has grown in popularity in recent years. However, there has beendocumentation of many complications after this procedure, such as a mortality rate of8.4% for TAVR procedures compared to 4.8% for tissue surgery procedures after 90days for Medicare beneficiaries. The underlying mechanisms of the TAVR procedureand how the replacement valve changes the biomechanical and flow environmentafter implantation has not been well studied. Therefore, it is necessary to design amodel heart and create sensors to understand the underlying mechanisms of theTAVR procedure. The goal of this project is to design a sensor that can detectchanges in blood pressure and blood flow rates in a silicon model heart. Onepromising type of material is piezoelectric sensors. Piezoelectric materials takemechanical stress and create detectable changes in voltage that can be calibrated todetermine changes in pressure. One material that has been used for other sensors isPolyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). This study will investigate how porosity of PVDFchanges the structural and mechanical properties of the polymer. Pores will beintroduced into the PVDF membrane by adding Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticlesduring the synthesis process and removing the ZnO particles once the membranehas dried. To study the changes in the structure of the membrane, Scanning ElectronMicroscopy is used to confirm a porous structure. To study how the chainconformation of the polymer changes with porosity, Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy isutilized. A Tensile Tester is used to apply compressive stress onto the PVDFmembranes to study the piezoelectric output. To allow for comparison betweenvarious porous membranes, the d33 coefficient is calculated. This will help determinewhich porosity is optimal for the creation of the biosensor with desired sensitivity.
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    Characterization of Silicone Properties
    (2020-04-29) Wallace, Niko
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    Chocolate in Trinidad (2021-10-05)
    (2021) Sternberg, Steven; University of Minnesota Duluth. Royal D. Alworth, Jr. Institute for International Studies
    Dr. Sternberg discusses the UMD short-term Study Abroad trip to Trinidad and Tobago that focuses on making chocolate. If you are a student, sign in to learn about this Study Abroad opportunity opportunity for the 2021-2022 Winter term (applications due on October 15th); or, just join the webinar to experience a bit of what Trinidad and Tobago has to offer.
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    CO2 Capture with Potassium Carbonate and Alcohol
    (2020) Akeeb, Olajumobi; Junes, Connor; Luedtke, Zachary
    Traditional CO2 capture technologies using amine-based sorbents are very energy intensive and result in secondary environmental pollution originating from amine degradation. In this work, a low temperature, energy saving and environmentally friendly CO2 capture method has been investigated using potassium carbonate-alcohols-water mixtures as sorbents. The addition of certain amounts of alcohols, especially methanol to the potassium carbonate solution can significantly increase the CO2 absorption and desorption amounts, as well as the capture capacity. The absorbent containing 50 wt% (~90 g) methanol, ~20 g potassium carbonate, and ~90 g water has proven to be the best mixture for CO2 capture using this inorganic capture method. This research demonstrates a catalytic CO2 capture route that is promising to be economical as well as environmentally safe, and energy saving.
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    Dispersion of Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds in Classroom Settings and Their Health Effects
    (2022-08) Khan, Muhammad Fawad
    The topic of indoor air quality has become increasingly popular, especially in recent years with the Coronavirus outbreak. People indoors are at a much greater risk of exposure to aerosols containing various viruses and pollutants compared to outdoor settings (Park et al., 2020). In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that air pollution is as damaging to human health as smoking, leading to as many as 7 million premature deaths per year (DW, 2021). WHO further claimed in a report that 3.8 million deaths are due to household air pollution (WHO, n.d.). Because we spend more than 80% of our time indoors (Li et al., 2016), healthy indoor air quality becomes a very important issue. Common indoor air pollutants include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, various volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and different forms of particulate matter (PM) such as that from smoke (US EPA, 2015). There are many sources of these pollutants such as use of tobacco products, cooking stoves, cleaning activities, paints, adhesive products, furniture products, or even regular human activity (Chithra & Shiva, 2018; Samet et al., 2012; Tang et al., 2016). Schools are at the biggest danger of various pollutant exposures, especially if the buildings are older and ventilation systems are not well maintained. Additionally, children are at a much higher risk due to presence of developing organs, increased rate of breathing (WHO, 2018), higher metabolic rates, and smaller bodies compared to adults which results in an increase in pollutant concentrations in their bodies. Additionally, they are more likely to sniff or lick markers compared to adults. Children in the United States spend around a third of their day in school, which averages to about 7 hours per day and a total of about 180 instructional days in a school year (Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), 2008). Assuming they also graduate with a bachelor’s degree from college, this puts them at roughly 16 years of schooling. At school, children and adults are exposed to a variety of different pollutants, especially VOCs and PM. In classroom settings, VOCs can originate from many sources including markers, wooden furniture, cleaning solutions, and regular human activity such as breathing and talking (Liu et al., 2016; Mishra et al., 2015; Stopford, 2003). On the other hand, PM is more likely to come from chalk dust, cleaning activities such as dusting, and re-suspension of previously settled matter due to classroom activity (Trompetter et al., 2018). If adequate precautions are not taken, this could contribute to a major source of exposure to children throughout their lifetime. Epidemiological studies link exposure to these pollutants with various health effects, both acute and chronic. Acute hazards commonly include feelings of weakness, drowsiness, wheezing, headaches, itchiness, nausea, coughing, breathing difficulty, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Long-term health effects could include neurological toxicity, asthma, and lung cancer (Annesi-
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    Effects of Sulfate on the Boiremoval of Aqueous Lead Using Lemna Minor
    (2020-12-30) Meyer, Elayna M
    In this experiment, the effect of sulfate concentration on the biosorption rate of lead by lemna minor (common duckweed) was studied. Lead is a hazardous environmental contaminant and can cause harm to living organisms. Sulfate is another pollutant common in freshwater sources and was expected to have a negative effect on the biosorption rate of lead by the biomass. Lemna minor was placed in contaminated water of varying lead and sulfate concentrations. The concentration of lead in solution was measured at several time intervals using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Sulfate concentration was found to have no effect on the biosorption rate of lead by lemna minor.
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    Exploring the Roasting Profiles of Cocoa Beans
    (2020-05) Belchak, Allen J
    The presentation includes an update on the work I accomplished prior to COVID-19 and the steps I would have taken afterwards.
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    Homogenization and the Importance of Extending the Shelf Life of Dairy Products
    (2020-04-23) Hurtado Mercado, Nahir K.
    Milk or any dairy products are transported to different dairy products processors all around the country. These trips could take from a couple minutes to several hours, hence these products could encounter bacteria growth more known as spoiling if industries do not work on extending their lifetime. These products go through trips, process, and storage which ends up on the run for about a week. Therefore, extending the shelf life of dairy products will enhance the quality of it when consumers buy it. Not forgetting that it will also give a larger window for the products to reach consumers. Usually, dairy industries focus on pasteurization of the milk in order to extend the lifetime of the products. However, homogenization is one of the processes that can make the products last longer and increase their quality. This project aims to help industries to be aware of the importance of an adequate homogenization treatment for the conservation and good quality of the dairy products. As well as to show the different homogenization processes that can be used to improve the quality of the dairy products.
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    Interview with Kenneth Keller
    (University of Minnesota, 1997-10-23) Keller, Kenneth H.; Chambers, Clarke A.
    Clarke A. Chambers interviews Kenneth Keller, former president of the University, professor of chemical engineering, and chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee.
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    Investigating Changes in Collagen Gel Permeability with Gel Compression
    (2020-04-23) Vidmar, Christopher S; Lai, Victor K; Li, Sonia C
    The extracellular matrix (ECM) encompasses cells in biological tissue and while composition is specific to individual matrices; it is generally two-thirds collagen fiber. Resistance to fluid flow is determined by the composition of the ECM- mainly by the fibrous collagen- and occurs between cells to aid transports of nutrients and waste. The permeability, or resistance to flow, of the ECM is mainly dependent on the structure of the collagen fibers. The objective of this project was to track collagen permeability and compare it to the Holmes-Mow model for soft gels.
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    Laser Ablation of Alkali-Halides: Toward Understanding Ionic Dissociation at a Molecular Level
    (2011-04-13) Iyer, Shyam
    Applying molecular spectroscopy to atmospheric chemistry helps understand fundamental interactions relevant to wet sea-salt aerosols and ozone chemistry. Wet sea-salt aerosols have been found to process atmospheric chlorine, which affects tropospheric ozone concentrations. Studying the chemical physics of alkali-halide (MX) hydrated ion complexes will help elucidate the mechanisms of these interactions. En route to our study of MX water complexes, several aspects of the experimental procedure needed optimization. Working with 39K127I [potassium iodide] and other MX salts, such as NaCl has helped us improve experimental methodology.