Maximizing enzymatic hydrolysis performance can be achieved through the combination of experimental work and modeling. The present work utilizes an enzymatic hydrolysis model based on reaction kinetics, Langmuir adsorption isotherms, and product inhibition of enzymes (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, and endoglucanase). The model was developed from a 10% w/w corn stover system. Glucose yield sensitivity to changes in parameter values was assessed and linked to biomass and enzyme characteristics. A commercial enzyme cocktail (CEC) was subsequently characterized by FPLC and gel electrophoresis to identify key enzymes/activities, and the CEC was used in the enzymatic hydrolysis of 20% w/w steam-exploded hardwood. The model was applied to experimental data from the enzymatic hydrolysis of the steam-exploded hardwood, which provided characteristic reaction rate and inhibition parameters consistent with cellulose and xylan hydrolysis. These model-based analyses enhanced understanding of hydrolysis at commercially relevant solids loadings, while identifying pathways to improve enzyme cocktails and enhance biomass conversion.

The past few years have seen an upsurge in the use of renewable biomass as a source of energy due to growing concerns over greenhouse gas emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels and the need for energy independence due to depleting fossil fuel resources. Although coal will continue to be a major source of energy for many years, there is still great interest in replacing part of the coal used in energy generation with renewable biomass. Combustion converts inherent chemical energy of carbonaceous feedstock to only thermal energy. On the other hand, partial oxidation processes like gasification convert chemical energy into thermal energy as well as synthesis gas which can be easily stored or transported using existing infrastructure for downstream chemical conversion to higher value specialty chemicals as well as production of heat, hydrogen, and power. Devolatilization or pyrolysis plays an important role during gasification and is considered to be the starting point for all heterogeneous gasification reactions. Pyrolysis kinetic modeling is, therefore, an important step in analyzing interactions between blended feedstocks. The thermal evolution profiles of different coal-biomass blends were investigated at various heating rates using thermogravimetric analysis. Using MATLAB, complex models for devolatilization of the blends were solved for obtaining and predicting the global kinetic parameters. Parallel first order reactions model, distributed activation energy model and matrix inversion algorithm were utilized and compared for this purpose. Using these global kinetic parameters, devolatilization rates of unknown fuel blends gasified at unknown heating rates can be accurately predicted using the matrix inversion method. A unique laboratory scale auto-thermal moving bed gasifier was also designed and constructed for studying the thermochemical conversion of coal-biomass blends. The effect of varying operating parameters was analyzed for optimizing syngas production. In addition, stable carbon isotope analysis using Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) was used for qualitatively and quantitatively measuring individual contributions of coal and biomass feedstocks for generation of carbonaceous gases during gasification. The predictive models utilized and experimental data obtained via these methods can provide valuable information for analyzing synergistic interactions between feedstocks and also for process modeling and optimization.

L’utilisation de procédés de type voie liquide (RTM, LRI) pour l’élaboration de composites thermoplastiques est une des voies prometteuses pour pallier les limitations liées à la haute viscosité des polymères thermoplastiques. Pour cela, la matrice est obtenue par polymérisation in situ de son monomère de faible viscosité après l’imprégnation du renfort fibreux. Cette étude s’est focalisée sur le polyamide 6 (PA6) obtenu par polymérisation anionique par ouverture de cycle de l'ε-caprolactame. La particularité de cette synthèse réside dans le couplage entre la polymérisation des chaînes et leur cristallisation, qui sont des phénomènes tous deux thermodépendants, exothermiques et régissant la viscosité du milieu réactif. La caractérisation cinétique par DSC de ce couplage a permis une meilleure compréhension de l'interaction des phénomènes, en révélant notamment une cinétique de cristallisation particulière à basse température. Cette base de données, complétée par l’étude des propriétés physico-chimiques du PA6 synthétisé, a permis d'alimenter la modélisation des phénomènes. Un nouveau couplage a ainsi été proposé pour rendre compte de la dépendance de la cristallisation à la cinétique de polymérisation et a permis d'éditer des diagrammes Temps-Température-Transformation (TTT) de la synthèse du PA6. En vue de la mise en œuvre de composites thermoplastiques, la simulation du couplage thermocinétique avec un terme source a été réalisée afin de mesurer l’impact de ces phénomènes exothermiques sur les gradients thermiques et cinétiques dans l’épaisseur d’une pièce. Les cinétiques ont de plus été étudiées en présence de fibres de verre et en rhéologie. La présence de fibres engendre un ralentissement de la cinétique de synthèse et le comportement rhéocinétique révèle l’existence d’un point de gel. Ces observations restent à considérer pour simuler l’écoulement du système réactif dans un renfort. / Liquid type processes (RTM, LRI) for thermoplastic composites manufacturing is one of the most promising routes to overcome the limitations due to the high viscosity of thermoplastic polymers. In this process, the matrix is obtained via in situ polymerization of its low-viscosity monomer after impregnation of the fibrous reinforcement. This study focused on polyamide 6 (PA6) obtained by anionic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam. The distinctive aspect of this reaction resides in the coupling between chains polymerization and their crystallization, both thermo-dependent, exothermic and driving the viscosity of the reactive mixture.The kinetic characterization of this coupling by DSC allowed for a better understanding of phenomena interaction, revealing notably a specific crystallization kinetic at low temperature. This database, complemented by a study of physicochemical properties of synthesized PA6, has been used to model the underlying phenomena. A new coupling equation has been proposed to take into account the crystallization dependence on the polymerization kinetic, allowing to edit Time-Temperature-Transformation (TTT) diagrams of the PA6 synthesis. Simulations of the thermokinetic coupling with a source term have been performed, highlighting the impact of these exothermic phenomena on thermal and kinetic gradient in the thickness of a part. To reproduce the conditions of the composite manufacturing process, kinetics have also been studied in the presence of glass fibers and in a rheometer. The presence of fibers leads to slower kinetics and the rheokinetic behavior revealed gelation. These observations have to be considered to simulate the reactive system flow in a reinforcement.

Submitted by MARCIA ROVADOSCHI (marciar@unifra.br) on 2018-08-15T13:27:18Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_JerusaGoiBarrios.pdf: 2507299 bytes, checksum: b0357f55d1ddf8dd63d987592cf16a6e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T13:27:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_JerusaGoiBarrios.pdf: 2507299 bytes, checksum: b0357f55d1ddf8dd63d987592cf16a6e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-30 / Acne is one of the most common inflammatory conditions affecting the skin. There are several drugs to treat it, but despite the benefits of these treatments in their free form, there are common side effects to them, especially when applied topically. Among these drugs is the adapalene with comedolitic action and effects on the abnormal process of keratinization and epidermal differentiation, phenomena present in acne vulgaris. This study aimed to prepare polymer nanocapsules of adapalene through the method of interfacial deposition of preformed polymer using different oil cores (tea tree oil and Miglyol®). The suspensions were characterized by determining the pH, particle diameter, polidispersion rate, zeta potential, association rate and dosage of the drug. The stability was determined at different temperatures and under light UVA. In vitro release studies and analysis of mathematical modeling of kinetic release profiles were carried out by comparing suspensions containing adapalene polymer nanocapsules and nanodispersions and without the presence of the polymer. The formulations were stored at room temperature (25 ° C), refrigerator (-4 ° C) and oven (40 ° C) for 3 months and analyzed at 0, 7, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after preparation. Both suspensions containing Miglyol® polymer nanocapsules (NC-AD-Miglyol®) as the tea tree oil polymer nanocapsules (NC-AD-tea tree oil) showed acidic pH, particle diameter below 300 nm and zeta potential negative. The rate of association of adapalene in the NC-AD-tea tree oil was 95.4% while the NC-AD-Miglyol® was 84.1%. The dosage of the drug showed that the NCAD- tea tree oil exerts a greater stabilizing effect than the other formulations. The shelf life estimated for the NC-AD-tea tree oil was higher when compared to nanodispersion (ND) and NC-AD-Miglyol®. Mathematical modeling showed that the ND and NC-AD-Miglyol® followed a kinetic profile, according to the mono-exponential model with half-lives of 3.53 and 8.43 hours. On the other hand, NC-AD-tea tree oil suspension followed a bi-exponential, model with half-lives of 4.07 hours for the fast phase and 230.6 hours for the sustained phase. Therefore, we can say that the adapalene formulation NC-AD-Miglyol® locates largely more externally in the polymer nanocapsule, while in the NC-AD-tea tree oil, it is dissolved in the oil core of the polymer nanocapsule, suggesting a sustained release. We evaluated the photostability of adapalene nanocoated with Miglyol® oil and tea tree oil under UVA irradiation, and concluded that the nanoencapsulation with tea tree oil increases the stability of the active, offering increased protection it from degradation. In analysis by multiple scattering of light, the suspensions showed a tendency of sedimentation, but the NC-ADMiglyol ® proved to be more likely to destabilization. The validation of the method was satisfactory for all parameters analyzed. Though the results obtained, it can be concluded that the suspension containing NC-AD-tea tree oil showed better physical and chemical characteristics and stability, representing best technological feasibility fot the pharmaceutical area. / A acne é uma das condições inflamatórias mais comuns que afetam a pele. Existem diversos fármacos para o tratamento da acne, porém apesar dos benefícios desses tratamentos na sua forma livre, existem efeitos adversos comuns a eles, principalmente quando aplicados topicamente. Dentre estes fármacos, destaca-se o adapaleno com ação comedolítica e efeitos sobre o processo anormal de queratinização e diferenciação epidérmica, fenômenos presentes na acne vulgar. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo, preparar nanocápsulas poliméricas (NC) de adapaleno através do método de deposição interfacial do polímero pré-formado utilizando diferentes núcleos oleosos (Miglyol® e óleo de melaleuca). As suspensões foram caracterizadas através da determinação do pH, diâmetro de partícula, índice de polidispersão, potencial zeta, taxa de associação e doseamento do fármaco. A estabilidade foi determinada em diferentes temperaturas e frente à luz UVA; estudos de liberação in vitro e análises de modelagem matemática dos perfis cinéticos de liberação foram realizados comparando-se suspensões contendo NC de adapaleno e nanodispersões, sem a presença do polímero. As formulações foram armazenadas em temperatura ambiente (25 °C), geladeira (-4 °C) e estufa (40 °C) durante 3 meses e analisadas nos tempos 0, 7, 15, 30, 60 e 90 dias após preparação. Tanto as suspensões contendo NC com Miglyol® (NC-AD-Miglyol®) como as NC com óleo de melaleuca (NC-AD-Melaleuca) apresentaram pH ácido, diâmetro de partícula inferior a 300 nm e potencial zeta negativo. A taxa de associação do adapaleno na NC-AD-Melaleuca foi de 95,4% enquanto na NC-AD-Miglyol® foi 84,1%. Através do doseamento do ativo, concluiu-se que as NC-AD-Melaleuca exercem efeito estabilizante maior que as demais formulações. O prazo de validade estimado para a NC-AD-Melaleuca foi superior quando comparado à nanodispersão (ND) e a NC-AD-Miglyol®. A modelagem matemática demonstrou que a ND e a NC-AD-Miglyol® seguiram um perfil cinético segundo o modelo monoexponencial com tempo de meia-vida de 3,53 e 8,43 horas, respectivamente. Já a suspensão NC-AD-Melaleuca seguiu modelo biexponencial com tempo de meia-vida para a fase rápida de 4,07 horas e 230,6 horas para a fase sustentada. Pode-se concluir que o adapaleno na formulação NC-AD-Miglyol® encontra-se em grande parte mais externamente nas NC enquanto na NC-AD-Melaleuca, o fármaco encontra-se dissolvido no núcleo oleoso das NC, sugerindo dessa forma, uma liberação sustentada. Avaliou-se a fotoestabilidade do adapaleno nanoencapsulado com Miglyol® e óleo de melaleuca frente à irradiação por UVA e concluiu-se que a nanoencapsulação com óleo de melaleuca aumenta a estabilidade do ativo, protegendo-o da degradação. Em análises por espalhamento múltiplo de luz, as suspensões apresentaram tendência à sedimentação, porém a NC-AD-Miglyol® demonstrou mais probabilidade à desestabilização. A validação da metodologia apresentou resultados satisfatórios para todos os parâmetros analisados. Através dos resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que a suspensão contendo NC-AD-Melaleuca apresentou melhores características físico-químicas e de estabilidade, representando melhor viabilidade tecnológica para a área farmacêutica.

<div>For decades, the response of high-energy (HE) density materials at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature from strong insults like burning or impact have been studied in depth by the shock community. Shock physicists aim to develop a fundamental understanding for coupled chemical and physical processes across orders of magnitude spatial and temporal regimes. In order to succeed, this requires extensive collaboration between experiments and simulations, ranging from the electronic to the engineering scales. The end goals would be to develop predictive multiscale models capable of explaining ignition and initiation of HE systems and composites. The collected works in this thesis detail my contributions to the field of HE materials, specifically addressing the chemical reactivity at the atomistic level using reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.</div><div><div>Through this endeavor, we aim to develop a critical understanding for the decomposition processes of HE materials. We begin with a validation the reactive force field, ReaxFF, by addressing the very strong anisotropic shock sensitivity in 2,2-Bis[(nitrooxy)methyl]propane-1,3-diyl dinitrate (PETN) through direct comparison of time-evolved spectra between experiments and simulations. Such strong orientation dependence is thought to relate to the initial decomposition events. Therefore we compare spectra at three different shock pressures, where we observe similar timescales for the disappearance of the NO2 symmetric and antisymmetric stretch modes. A more detailed chemical species analysis indicates that the NO2 molecular species could be considered the primary intermediate which initiates the decomposition process. Furthermore, these results suggest that the combination of explicit MD simulations and ultrafast spectroscopy will be key to the development of a detailed understanding of chemistry at extreme conditions.</div></div><div><div>Following the validation study, we further our understanding of reactivity in HE systems by investigating the differences in kinetics between an ordered and disordered system. It has been shown that shocked material is often severely strained, causing a loss in crystalline order. This in turn results in the disordered materials, such as amorphous solids, having</div><div>faster reactivity due to their higher internal energy and/or lower thermal conductivity. Our results indicate that extra energy is required to break the long-range order in bulk crystalline systems, thus resulting in slower decomposition rates. Further analyses of thermal hotspots point towards slightly faster chemical propagation in the amorphous samples due to lower thermal conductivity. These results provide an understanding for how molecular disorder can be attributed to increased reactivity.</div></div><div><div>After developing an understanding for the initial decomposition processes of HE materials, we turn our attention to a growing interest in the community which is the developing reduced order chemistry models for use in multiscale efforts. Many schemes report mechanisms that are obtained from experiments, which can have large error bars depending on the apparatus and/or extraction technique, or from gas phase simulations, which may not be relevant at shock conditions. To circumvent these issues, we develop a coarse-grained chemical kinetics model from all-atom reactive MD simulations by taking advantage of an unsupervised dimensionality reduction machine learning technique called non-negative matrix factorization. Doing so allows us to represent the overall decomposition chemistry as latent concentrations akin to reactants, intermediates, and products, which we then use to extract kinetics parameters and heats of reaction. These values are implemented into a continuum model, where we could simulate the criticality of thermal hotspots at regimes beyond the reach of MD, as well as verify how uncertainties in the parameters vary as a function of hotspot sizes.</div></div><div><div>Finally, we close with significant progress made towards on-going and future work, where we address two of the most challenging ideas in the field of HE materials: 1) developing definitive chemistry models at extreme conditions, and 2) improving coarse-grained descriptions for multiscale modeling.</div></div>

Les procédés membranaires hybrides (PMH) allient la filtration membranaire basse pression à l’usage du charbon actif en poudre (CAP). Afin de diminuer les coûts opérationnels du procédé, il a été proposé de laisser vieillir le CAP dans le PMH et donc de minimiser le dosage de CAP frais. Peu d’information est disponible quant à la capacité résiduelle d’adsorption de suspensions de CAP âgées. L’importance relative de l’adsorption et de la biodégradation dans les réacteurs à CAP âgés sur le traitement des composés dissous est inconnue, ce qui empêche notamment l’optimisation du procédé. <p><p>Le principal objectif de ce projet de recherche est de décrire la performance du contacteur à CAP du PMH pour l’enlèvement de l’azote ammoniacal, du carbone organique dissous (COD), du COD biodégradable (CODB) et des micropolluants. Dans ce projet, l’emphase est placée sur l’opération du PMH avec de hauts temps de rétention de CAP. <p><p>La première phase de ce projet a consisté en une série de développements méthodologiques, base nécessaire à l’étude du CAP âgé. Des méthodes permettant la quantification de la biomasse hétérotrophe et nitrifiante colonisant le CAP âgé ont mis en évidence des densités de biomasse similaires à celle du charbon actif en grain en surface de filtre biologiques. L’irradiation aux rayons gamma a été démontrée comme une méthode adéquate pour produire des témoins abiotiques à partir de CAP de 10 et de 60 jours.<p><p>La seconde partie de cette étude s’est concentrée sur la démonstration de l’efficacité du PMH pour l’enlèvement de l’azote ammoniacal, du COD, ainsi que d’un mélange de micropolluants. Les cinétiques d’enlèvements ayant lieu au sein de des contacteurs à CAP ont été simulées en laboratoire sous diverses conditions (température, concentration en CAP, âge de CAP, matrice d’eau variable, temps de contact). Deux modèles cinétiques prédisant l’enlèvement de l’azote ammoniacal et du COD dans le PMH ont été développés sur base des simulations en laboratoire suivies sur CAP neuf, colonisé et abiotique. <p><p>De manière générale, les travaux réalisés au cours de ce doctorat ont mis en évidence le rôle majeur de l’adsorption résiduelle sur l’enlèvement de la contamination dissoute. Alors que l’enlèvement d’azote ammoniacal a majoritairement eu lieu par nitrification, le COD et les micropollutants sont principalement adsorbés sur le CAP colonisé. Il a aussi été montré que la capacité d’adsorption résiduelle des suspensions de CAP âgées peut agir en tampon, permettant de faire face à une augmentation soudaine de la concentration en azote ammoniacal, en COD ou en micropolluants. Le suivi des cinétiques d’enlèvement a permis de démontrer que la concentration, l’âge de CAP et le temps de rétention hydraulique (TRH) sont trois paramètres clefs pour l’optimisation du procédé. D’un point de vue économique, un TRH inférieur à 15 min est néanmoins désiré pour limiter les coûts du procédé. Par ailleurs, l’intérêt économique associé à l’augmentation de l’âge du CAP peut-être atténué par le besoin d’augmenter la concentration en CAP si l’adsorption est le mécanisme visé. De façon générale, ce projet démontre qu’une optimisation à l’échelle pilote du procédé est nécessaire car les objectifs de traitement, la qualité de l’eau à traiter et le fait que les 3 paramètres d’opération soient inter-reliés complexifient l’optimisation du PMH. Étant donné l’impact du TRH sur le coût du PMH, de futures recherches devraient viser à l’optimisation du mélange. <p>Hybrid membrane processes (HMPs) couple membrane filtration with powdered activated carbon (PAC). In HMPs, low-pressure membranes ensure an efficient particle removal, including protozoan parasites such as Cryptosporidium, while the PAC contactor is devoted to the removal of dissolved compounds. Such processes are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional treatment chains, which no longer allow the drinking water facilities to comply with increasingly stringent regulations on the treated water quality. To decrease the operating costs associated with virgin PAC consumption, it was suggested to let the PAC age in the PAC contactor of the process. Until now, the potential of using aged PAC in HMPs has been demonstrated for ammonia and DOC removal, but the potential to remove micropollutants remains unknown. It is suggested that the biological activity in aged PAC contactors contributes significantly to the removal of the dissolved compounds. Yet, neither the extent of the biomass on the aged PAC, nor the residual adsorption capacity, was quantified. No study focused on discriminating the mechanisms responsible for the treatment when using aged PAC suspensions. Most of the data published on HMPs using aged PAC were gathered at pilot scale under warm water conditions, yet the efficiency of the process is most likely sensitive to temperature changes. There is currently little information available on the efficiency of HMPs under cold water conditions. This lack of information hinders the optimization of the HMP, leading to sub-optimal usage of aged PAC.<p><p>The main objective of this research project is to describe the performance of the PAC contactor of HMPs in removing ammonia, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), biodegradable DOC (BDOC) and micropollutants. In particular, emphasis was placed on the operation of the HMP under high PAC residence times. On a more detailed level, the objectives of this project were (1) to develop and compare methods to quantify the biomass developed on aged PAC, (2) to develop a method to produce an abiotic control for aged PAC, (3) to characterize the removal kinetics of ammonia, DOC, BDOC and micropollutants occurring in the carbon contactor of an HMP, (4) to evaluate the impact of water temperature on the performance of the carbon contactor of an HMP, (5) to discriminate the relative importance of adsorption versus biological oxidation as mechanisms responsible for ammonia, DOC and micropollutants removal in the PAC contactor of an HMP, and finally (6) to differentiate the relative importance of the hydraulic retention time (HRT), the PAC age and the PAC concentration as key operating parameters on the optimization of the performance of the PAC contactor of an HMP.<p><p><p>To set the basis on the study of aged PACs, the first part of this research project consisted in methodological developments i) to quantify the heterotrophic and nitrifying biomass colonizing aged PAC, and ii) to create a reliable abiotic control of the colonized PAC, which is required for discriminating the mechanisms occurring on aged PAC. Heterotrophic and nitrifying biomass quantifying methods developed for colonized granular activated carbon (GAC) were successfully adapted to the aged PAC. The preferred methods were the potential 14C-glucose respiration (PGR) rate and the potential nitrifying activity (PNA), as they quantify the active heterotrophic and nitrifying biomass, which is most likely responsible for the depletion of BDOC and ammonia. An alternative method to the PGR, the potential acetate uptake (PAU) rate, was developed to alleviate the logistical and budgetary issues associated with the utilization of radio-labeled glucose. The densities (per gram of dry PAC) of both active heterotrophic and nitrifying biomasses were found comparable to that of the GAC sampled from the surface of a biological GAC filter. The gamma-irradiation was demonstrated as a reliable method to produce abiotic samples from soils, and was therefore chosen to produce abiotic colonized PAC samples in this project. In order to determine the optimized dosage of gamma-rays, increased doses were applied on PAC samples. Heterotrophic plate counts and methylene blue adsorption kinetics were used to determine respectively the lowest gamma ray dose required to inhibit the bacterial activity, and the highest dose that could be applied without affecting the aged PAC adsorption capacity and kinetics. Refractory DOC (RDOC) adsorption kinetics confirmed the accuracy of the dose chosen as the adsorptive behavior of the aged PAC was not affected. PGR rates were decreased 83% at the optimized dose. The gamma-irradiation method was therefore proven efficient and used in the following work phases of this research.<p><p>The second part of this study focused on the removal of ammonia, DOC and a mixture of micropollutants. Firstly, the PAC contactor of an HMP was simulated at lab-scale to monitor ammonia removal kinetics. Three PAC concentrations (approximately 1-5-10 g/L) of three PAC ages (0-10-60 days) were tested at two temperatures (7-22°C), in settled water with ambient influent condition (100 µg N–NH4/L) as well as under a simulated peak pollution scenario (1000 µg N–NH4/L). The kinetics evidenced that ammonia flux at pilot scale limited biomass growth (HRT = 67 min). In contrast, PAC colonization was not limited by the available surface and thus, PAC concentration was not a key operating parameter under the colonizing conditions tested (5-10 g/L). Ammonia adsorption was significant onto virgin PAC but the ammonia nitrification was crucial to reach complete ammonia removal at 22°C. When using colonized PAC, the 60-d PAC offered a better resilience to temperature decreases (78% at 7°C) as well as lower operating costs than the 10-d PAC (<10% at 7°C). Significant ammonia adsorption was also evidenced on 60-d PAC suspension, most probably due to PAC and the presence of suspended solids, but not on 10-d PAC. Adsorption and nitrifying activity were superior on 60-d PAC than on 10-d PAC at 7°C. In case of peak pollution, the process was most probably phosphate-limited but a mixed adsorption/nitrification still allowed 50% ammonia removal on 10-d and 60-d PAC at 22°C. A kinetics based model was developed to predict ammonia removals and to determine the relative importance of the adsorption and nitrification on colonized PAC under the conditions tested. <p><p>DOC, BDOC and RDOC removals occurring in the PAC contactor of an HMP were also simulated at lab-scale. Similar conditions to that of the ammonia removal kinetics were tested. The initial ammonia concentration remained untouched in the water matrices (settled water and raw water) but the BDOC-to-DOC ratio was altered by pre-ozonation (0 to 1.5 g O3/g C). The 10-d and 60-d abiotic controls were used to discriminate DOC adsorption from biodegradation. DOC biodegradation contributed marginally to DOC removal in the investigated conditions and DOC adsorption was increased at higher temperature. An original model integrating the PAC age distribution was developed to predict DOC removal in aged PAC contactors operated at steady-state. At a mean PAC residence time of 60-d, the younger PAC fraction (25-d and less) was primarily responsible for DOC adsorption (> 80%). This fraction represents 34% of the mass of PAC in the contactor. When using a water matrix with a higher initial DOC concentration (raw water) or a lower affinity for PAC (pre-ozonated settled water), the residual adsorption capacity of that older fraction was proven useful. <p><p>Lastly, a mixture of micropollutants (atrazine, deethylatrazine (DEA), linuron, microcystin, caffeine, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, progesterone and medroxyprogesterone) was spiked at environmentally relevant concentrations (from 130 ng/L to 33 µg/L) in settled water (0 and 0.85 gO3/gC). The micropollutants concentration depletion was monitored over a period of 7h to 48 h on 1 g/L of 0-d, 10-d, 60-d PAC and gamma-irradiated 60-d PAC. Even in presence of NOM, the spiked micropollutants were rapidly adsorbed on aged PAC. No biodegradation was observed. Removals superior to 95% were reached within 5 minutes, and direct competition with NOM did not impact the efficiency of the process when micropollutants were spiked at environmentally relevant concentrations. Therefore, HMPs operated to remove DOC and ammonia can control transient micropollutant pollution and comply with the World health Organization recommendations for atrazine (2 µg/L) and microcystin (1 µg/L). However, the stricter European regulations for atrazine and DEA (0.1 µg/L) could not be met with 10-d and 60-d PAC under the operating conditions tested. Reaching such strict treatment objective would require a specific optimization of the process. <p><p>In general, this PhD research evidenced the role of the residual adsorption of aged PAC suspensions for the treatment of dissolved compounds. From the results obtained in this project, the potential of HMPs using aged PAC to remove micropollutants was evidenced. Additional research is however required to validate this potential under varied operating conditions. The modeling work improved the understanding of aged PACs. Finally, this research work provides original information on the optimization of HMPs. The optimization of the operating parameters will vary with the water quality targeted and the quality of the influent water. The PAC concentration, PAC age and HRT are inter-related. Therefore, it is recommended to optimize the operation of HMPs at pilot scale. Seasonal variations should be accounted for. An HRT of at least 15 min is required when the biological activity is mandatory to reach the water quality objectives. Lower HRT might be applied if adsorption is favored. Finally, as the HRT has a strong impact on the total cost of the process (capital and operational expenditure), PAC contactors’ hydraulic should be the point of focus of future research.& / Doctorat en Sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

<p>  </p> <p>Polymer films possess many advantageous properties, such as mechanical flexibility, toughness, impact resistance, optical transparency, light weight, and low cost, but their behavior related to temperature stability and thermal conductivity and lack of select functionalities render them unsuitable for key applications. In the context of smart materials, piezoelectric ceramics and single crystals provide unmatched electromechanical couplings, mechanical strength, and chemical inertness, at the expense of being brittle, opaque, and high cost. A synergistic combination of properties can be achieved by combining both materials in an anisotropically structured ceramic/polymer composite (with quasi-1–3 connectivity) by the application of external electric field (E-field). In a process called dielectrophoresis, the particles align into through-thickness columns comprising a nanocolumn forest. As a result, the complementary properties greatly enhance the resulting performance, promising to revolutionize the class of smart materials with high-performance applications in actuators, sensors, and transducers. These particle-filled composites also allow for great design flexibility regarding the type of functionalization and the connectivity of each phase. Following the materials-science paradigm comprising the sequence of processing, structure, and properties, the work on these piezoelectric composite materials is broadly organized into materials selection, processing, and applications.</p> <p>In the first study, the kinetics of particle-chain alignment are modeled as a linear step-growth polymerization and the rheokinetics are modeled with the dual-Arrhenius chemoviscosity model. Employing the direct piezoelectric effect, a characterization of the vibration response of the composites complements an evaluation of their suitability as vibration sensor for motor fault detection. Second, for impact sensing, the efficacy of the piezoelectric composite films is evaluated with respect to a novel conceptual sensing system for automotive applications, such as vehicle-to-pedestrian collision detection. Third, applying the indirect piezoelectric effect for sound production as an electroacoustic loudspeaker, the piezoelectric composite films represent a novel approach to flat-panel loudspeakers that are tunable in modulus, with opportunities for mechanical flexibility, optical transparency, and large-area coverage.</p>

<p dir="ltr">A current engineering challenge is to understand and validate material systems capable of maintaining structural viability under the elevated temperature and environmental conditions of hypersonic flight. One aspect of this challenge is the joining of multiple materials with thermal expansion mismatch, which can lead to residual stress, resulting in debits in component lifetime under in-service loading. The focus of this work is a series of studies focused on a ceramic-metal composite (WC/Cu), a zirconia coating applied to a carboncarbon (C/C) composite, and a silicide (R512E) coating applied to a Nb-based alloy (C103). Each of these material systems are candidates for elevated temperature applications in which dissimilar constituents result in residual stress in the material. Each study leveraged experimental residual strain measurements, with the primary focus on the use of synchrotron X-ray diffraction, in conjunction with representative models, and microscopy to illuminate the active mechanisms in the development and evolution of residual stress in the bulk material. The combination of experimental and modeling predictions provides a framework to inform the viability and lifing of material systems exhibiting dissimilar expansion properties.</p>