Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 78 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-44).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-62). Also available on the World Wide Web.

The reaction kinetics of Iroko and Mahogany were studied using TGA. The pyrolysis process was achieved using six different heating rates of 2,5,8,12,15 and 20˚C. A 15˚C/min heating rate was used for gasification in steam at different temperatures while varying the concentrations of nitrogen and steam in the process. The kinetic parameters, activation energy and pre exponential factor, were obtained by implementing two chosen kinetic models. These models are: Friedman’s Iso-conversional Method, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa Method (FWO). There were substantial differences in the values of the kinetic triplets found from the experiments. Due to the substantial differences in the values, it was not the best way to perform this kind of analysis (which is the traditional way) but instead to use pure regression analysis; but using it for the whole data set (that means for all heating rates) and minimize the difference with experimental data.

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Nenhuma / Desde que as singulares propriedades mecânicas e condutoras dos nanotubos de carbono (NCs) estão associadas a tubos individuais isolados, a dispersão e estabilização de seus feixes em diferentes líquidos são de extrema importância em estudos fundamentais e aplicados. Solventes do tipo amida são atualmente considerados os melhores candidatos, dentre os solventes orgânicos, à dispersão quantitativa dos feixes de nanotubos, sendo que a funcionalização das paredes dos tubos favorece essa dispersão em determinados meios. Amostras brutas de nanotubos de carbono são compostas por feixes contendo até centenas de tubos com distribuição em diâmetro, comprimento, quiralidade e caráter eletrônico, unidos por interações de van der Waals. Para a dispersão desses feixes, o potencial atrativo entre os tubos deve ser balanceado por um potencial repulsivo. Assim, o custo energético das interações nanotubosolvente, que depende fortemente da composição química da superfície dos tubos e das propriedades dielétricas do meio, precisa ser entendido. Teorias de solubilidade têm sido recentemente aplicadas no entendimento dos sistemas nanotubo-solvente. Nelas, a dispersão é favorecida quando os parâmetros de solubilidade do soluto e do solvente têm valores próximos. Nos parâmetros de Hansen, contribuições de energias dispersivas (dd), dipolares (dp) e de ligação de hidrogênio (dh) são consideradas nas interações intermoleculares. O parâmetro de Flory-Huggins (χ) estima a diferença de interação entre o soluto e o solvente, podendo ser expresso em termos dos parâmetros de Hansen. Neste trabalho, apresentamos um estudo sistemático da dispersão de nanotubos de carbono de parede única, como preparados e funcionalizados com grupos ácidos contendo oxigênio, em solventes do tipo amida. As interações nanotubos-solvente foram analisadas em termos dos parâmetros de solubilidade de Hansen e de Flory-Huggins. Por refluxo em solução de HNO3 diluída, quantidades similares (~ 0,3 mmol/g C) de grupos ácidos carboxílicos e hidroxílicos foram covalentemente introduzidos à superfície dos tubos, sem criar defeitos adicionais ou destruir tubos de diâmetros menores. Os materiais de partida e funcionalizado foram amplamente caracterizados por termogravimetria, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e transmissão, titulação potenciométrica e espectroscopias por dispersão de energia, Raman, na região do infravermelho e de fotoelétrons excitados por raios X. As dispersões obtidas por sonificação/centrifugação dos NCs, antes e após funcionalização, em N-metilpirrolidona (NMP), N,N-dimetilformamida (DMF), N,N-dimetilacetamida (DMA), Ndodecilpirrolidona (N12P) e ciclohexilpirrolidona (CHP) foram caracterizadas por espectroscopia de absorção óptica na região do ultravioleta-visível (UV-Vis). Em estudo de absorbância em função da concentração, foram estimados os limites de dispersão e os coeficientes de absorção dos nanotubos de carbono em cada solvente. A presença dos grupos funcionais aumentou a dispersabilidade dos tubos em NMP, DMF e DMA, mas diminuiu em N12P e CHP. Os coeficientes de absorção, entretanto, diminuíram para todos os solventes após oxidação, refletindo a diminuição da probabilidade da transição p-p* com a funcionalização e a interação com o solvente. Os parâmetros de solubilidade de Hansen e de interação de Flory-Huggins foram calculados para as amostras antes e após funcionalização, permitindo uma análise termodinamicamente quantitativa das interações intermoleculares nos sistemas estudados. Os valores dos parâmetros de Hansen obtidos para a amostra bruta foram dD = 18,0 MPa1/2, dP = 7,4 MPa1/2 e dH = 6,8 MPa1/2, enquanto aqueles para a amostra funcionalizada foram dD = 17,4 MPa1/2, dP = 12,0 MPa1/2 e dH = 9,2 MPa1/2. Em comparação com valores tabelados para os solventes, o parâmetro de energia dispersiva mostrou-se dominante na dispersão dos tubos não-funcionalizados, enquanto interações dipolares e ligações de hidrogênio exerceram uma maior influência na dispersão dos tubos funcionalizados com grupos oxigenados ácidos. Os parâmetros de interação de Flory-Huggins estimados mostraram que os sistemas com maior afinidade foram a amostra bruta dispersa no solvente CHP e a amostra funcionalizada dispersa nos solventes NMP, DMA e DMF.

A kinetic study of the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste (MSW) was carried out bythermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Different runs were performed at heating rates of 5, 10and 150C/min. The effect of the N2, CO2 and O2 gas with different combination in theprocess was also evaluated. The results show that the most weight loss was obtained whenthe MSW was treated at a temperature interval of (20-750)0C which led to a weigh loss of95%. The kinetic study of the pyrolysis process showed also the gas mixture used in theprocess effect also the activation energy of the process and the presence of the CO2 in theincreased the activation energy (Ea) to 56 kJ/mol. Higher concentration of CO2 in the processlead to increase in the activation energy which is not optimal for the reaction. The treated andthe untreated samples were incubated and the biological activity was observed. The resultsshow that the pretreated samples did not have any biological activity. From these results itcould be concluded that the thermal pretreatment could be an alternative way for of waste forlong period of time, which could have significant impact in i.e. for transportation anddurability during storage. / Program: Högskoleingenjörsutbildning i kemiteknik

Cooling water systems are needed to dissipate heat. The mist from open system cooling towers has been implicated as a source of infections of Legionella pneumophila. As a result biocide is added to cooling water systems, but the addition of biocide worsens biofouling, scaling and corrosion. Increasing environmental pressure has resulted in a move away from biocides which are usually chlorine based chemicals, so that the use of ozone instead has recently been reported as a way of controlling microbiological growth. This study aims to compare the corrosion rates (using calculated and measured surface areas) of different metals exposed to chemically treated and ozone treated cooling water in an industrial cooling water system. The types of corrosion were also observed and recorded. The scales from different components of the cooling systems as well as scale from chemically and ozone treated D tower water were characterized qualitatively using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermo gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The D tower is a cooling water circuit in which the cooling water is from the Vaal River. As expected, the stainless steel has the lowest corrosion rate of 0.000 milli inches/year followed by brass with 1.531 milli inches/year and lastly mild steel (2.098 milli inches/year). Water quality rather than the presence or absence of ozone determines the corrosion rate. This confirms the findings reported in the literature. Scale from chemically treated water contains many different compounds while scale from ozone treated contains only different polymorphs of CaCO3, which is present in the water source and magnesium calcite.

The physical characteristics and reactivity of a number of commercially available samples of calcium oxide and hydroxide were investigated. 'Fresh' and 'aged' (Le. exposed to the atmosphere) samples were characterised by Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis, Nitrogen Adsorption, Water Adsorption, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Microprobe Analysis. From this slight differences in the 'fresh' samples were found to be due to various degrees of atmospheric ageing. The main process involved in the ageing process was confirmed to be carbonatation (or carbonation). This ageing process was then followed by analysing a sample of calcium hydroxide over a long time period (350 days) and by looking at variations in the process by exposure of the sample to various gases and vapours, i.e. water, dried carbon dioxide, deuterium oxide, ethanol and methanol. These experiments showed that the reaction probably proceeded by a direct reaction between the carbon dioxide gas and the solid and confirmed that water was important when considering the rate of the carbonatation reaction. This was thought to be due to its influence in disrupting the calcium hydroxide structure, thus allowing new surface to become available for reaction and allowing the formation of a bulk calcium carbonate structure. Water adsorption isotherms carried out on the calcium hydroxide at elevated temperatures (250°C and above) showed that outgassing at such temperatures caused a partial decomposition to calcium oxide but that the original calcium hydroxide structure remained intact. These isotherms also had negative hysteresis which was thought to be due to the take up of water in an expanded skeletal calcium hydroxide structure which was expelled from the structure when it fully reconstituted at higher relative pressures to reform calcium hydroxide.

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