• Degradation and Crystallization Studies of Branched PLA Prepared by Reactive Extrusion 

  Simmons, Heather

  This thesis proposes strategies to improve the crystallinity and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and investigates the effects of these modifications on hydrolytic degradation. The effect of long-chain ...

• Polymeric Ionic Liquid Compositions for In-Situ Product Removal Bioreactor Applications 

  Biro, Robert

  Although the biosynthesis of n-butanol and succinic acid can afford renewable fuels, solvents, and chemical intermediates, these bioprocesses suffer from the cytotoxicity of their end products, leading to reduced production ...

• An evaluation of hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lysine polyelectrolyte layers on alginate microspheres for use in protein-triggered drug release 

  Baldwin, Emily

  Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in developed countries in those 50 years of age and older. Increased expression of the protein vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a ...

• Investigation of Hydroisomerization Catalysts and Reaction Conditions to produce Branched-Chain Fatty Acids 

  Duff, Samantha

  Fatty acids (FAs) from vegetable oils can be used as feed to produce renewable hydrocarbons and bio-lubricants. Naturally occurring FAs are, however, susceptible to oxidative attack and have operating temperature limitations ...

• Modification of Polysaccharides and their Use as Pickering Emulsifiers in Oil/Water Emulsions, Miniemulsion, and Microsuspension Polymerization 

  Glasing, Joe

  Emulsion and suspension systems are the basis for the formulation of a wide variety of products including pharmaceuticals, consumables such as food, personal care or cosmetics and commodity materials such as adhesives, ...

• Radical Copolymerization of Hydroxy-Functional Monomers 

  Idowu, Loretta

  Solvent-borne acrylic resins are commonly used in automotive coatings formulations due to the superior characteristics they provide to the final products. Hydroxyl-functionality, incorporated by selection of 2-hydroxyethyl ...

• Improvement of Biofuel Fermentation Processes With Use of Poly(vinyldodecylimidazolium bromide) for In-situ Product Removal 

  Vincent, Rachel

  The production of biofuels through fermentation has become increasingly important due to the need for sustainable energy sources. The fermentation processes of ethanol and n-butanol, by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and ...

• Mathematical Modeling of Nylon 6/6,6 Copolymerization 

  Liu, Fei

  This thesis develops a mathematical model for the hydrolytic copolymerization of caprolactam with hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and adipic acid (ADA) in a batch reactor to produce nylon 6/6,6 copolymer. The reaction mechanism ...

• Macromolecular Orientation of Rigid Dumbbells in Shear Flow 

  Jbara, Layal

  We use molecular modeling to study the non-equilibrium behaviour of polymeric fluids. Specifically, we explore the macromolecular orientation induced by shear flow fields. We choose the simplest molecular model, the rigid ...

• A New Approach to Make Starch Graft Copolymers via Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization 

  Fritz, Alexander

  Starch is one of the most abundant polysaccharides worldwide next to cellulose. Starch bio-polymers are sustainable, biodegradable, and abundant, but are often chemically modified to improve the physical or chemical ...

• The biological treatment of synthetic fracking fluid in an extractive membrane bioreactor: selective transport and biodegradation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic contaminants 

  Mullins, Nathan

  Hydraulic fracturing involves the use of horizontal drilling techniques and high-pressure liquid injections to stimulate the production of natural gas through the resultant micro-fracturing networks in tight formations. ...

• Nanoplasmonic Sensors Based on Chirped Crossed Surface Relief Gratings 

  Bdour, Yazan

  This work presents a new type of nano-plasmonic sensor based on crossed surface relief gratings (CSRGs) with gradually varying pitch generated on top an azobenzene thin films using a 532 nm laser and a modified Lloyd mirror ...

• The Effects of PMMA Surface Chemistry and Extracellular Traps on Macrophages, Lens Epithelial Cells and the Wound Healing Response 

  LeBlanc, Elissa

  Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a condition that affects 20-40% of patients that undergo cataract lens replacement surgery. The design of the replacement intraocular lens (IOL) (for instance material, shape, and ...

• Design and Synthesis of Acrylic Dispersants for Non-aqueous Dispersion Polymerization 

  Zhang, Mingmin

  Non-aqueous poly(acrylic) dispersions (NADs) used in automotive coating formulations are heterogeneous high-solids suspension of polymeric nano-size particles (< 200 nm) produced by radical polymerization in organic ...

• Mathematical Modeling of Arborescent Polyisobutylene Production in Continuous and Semi-Batch Reactors 

  Buren, Bradley

  Mathematical models are developed for arborescent polyisobutylene (arbPIB) production in continuous-stirred-tank and semi-batch reactors. The objective of the research is to assess how reactor type influences final polymer ...

• Preliminary Assessment and Experimental System for Converting VOC Fumes to Hydrogen Energy 

  Anderson, Erica

  The solvents used in painting and finishing are the primary source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in automotive manufacturing. Traditionally, VOCs have been incinerated in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) that ...

• A Rechargeable Zn-Cu Battery Using a Selective Cation Exchange Membrane 

  Jameson, Alec

  The Daniell cell (Zn-Cu battery) offers several potential advantages over current battery technologies, but is held back by the problems of copper ion (Cu2+) crossover. We resolved this through employing a selective cation ...

• Enzyme Degradable Networks Prepared from a Poly(trimethylene Carbonate)-Peptide Biohybrid 

  Taghavi, Shadi

  The main objective of this thesis was to develop a biohybrid network with appropriate mechanical properties for a range of soft connective tissue engineering applications that could be degraded solely by the action of the ...

• Stochastic Sampled-data Model Predictive Control for Nonlinear Systems 

  Al Ramadan, Hussain

  Stochastic Model Predictive Control (SMPC) has been the focus of intense research in the last years. The objective of SMPC is to design control systems corrupted by stochastic noise. Existing solutions include the ...

• An Injectable Hydrophobic Delivery Formulation Based on Poly(Trimethylene Carbonate) for Therapeutic Angiogenesis 

  Mohajeri, Sara

  The aim of this thesis was to determine the feasibility of an injectable delivery formulation based on low molecular weight poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) for localized delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor ...

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