Browsing Department of Chemical Engineering Graduate Theses by Title
Now showing items 206-225 of 283
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Parameter estimation in nonlinear continuous-time dynamic models with modelling errors and process disturbances
(2008-06-25)Model-based control and process optimization technologies are becoming more commonly used by chemical engineers. These algorithms rely on fundamental or empirical models that are frequently described by systems of differential ... -
Parameter Estimation Techniques for Nonlinear Dynamic Models with Limited Data, Process Disturbances and Modeling Errors
(2013-12-23)In this thesis appropriate statistical methods to overcome two types of problems that occur during parameter estimation in chemical engineering systems are studied. The first problem is having too many parameters to estimate ... -
Parameter identifiability of biochemical reaction networks in systems biology
(2008-08-14)In systems biology, models often contain a large number of unknown or only roughly known parameters that must be estimated through the fitting of data. This work examines the question of whether or not these parameters ... -
Parameter Inference and Estimability Analysis for Nonlinear Multi-Response Systems by Means of Profiling
(2014-10-01)Determining the inference bounds for parameter estimates in multi-response models is a challenge for research and industry since potential co-dependencies among responses add to the complexity of the problem. Statistical ... -
Peroxide Curable Butyl Rubber Derivatives
(2012-07-06)Isobutylene-rich elastomers bearing functional groups that engage N-arylmaleimides in C-H bond addition and/or alternating copolymerization are described. While inactive to cross-linking when treated at high temperature ... -
Peroxide-Curable Macromonomer Derivatives of Isobutylene-Rich Elastomers
(2014-01-30)Macromonomers bearing oligomerizable C=C functionality have been prepared by the nucleophilic displacement of allylic bromide functionality on brominated poly(isobutylene-co-isoprene) (BIIR). Whereas commercial grades of ... -
Peroxide-initiated Modification of Polylactic acid (PLA) and Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) in the Presence of Allylic and Acrylic Coagents
This thesis investigates the fundamentals of modification of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs), focusing on improving the understanding of the reactivity of these ... -
Polymer Process Partitioning: Extruding Plastic Pipe
(2016-09-14)When plastic pipe is solidified, it proceeds through a long cooling chamber. Inside this chamber, inside the hollow extrudate, the plastic is molten, and this inner surface solidifies last. Sag, the flow due to the ... -
Polymeric Ionic Liquid Compositions for In-Situ Product Removal Bioreactor Applications
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 ... -
Polymeric Liquid Behavior in Oscillatory Shear Flow
One of the great challenges in chemical engineering is to predict physical properties from molecular structure. Predicting transport properties presents special challenges, especially for macromolecular structures. This ... -
Polymeric Substances and Microbial Communities in Source Water and in Biofiltration Processes in the Treatment for Drinking Water
(2015-02-04)The application of membrane filtration for drinking water treatment is limited by membrane fouling due to the accumulation of biopolymers. Biofiltration may be an effective pretreatment approach to reduce the biopolymers, ... -
Polyolefin Formulations for Improved Foaming: Effects of Molecular Structure and Material Properties
(2013-01-30)The morphology and mechanical properties of foams made out of ethylene-α-olefin copolymers (EC) having well-characterized rheological properties were investigated. The polymers differed in the amount of comonomer contained, ... -
Polypropylene Thermosets by Functional Nitroxyl-Mediated Radical Crosslinking
New chemistry for preparing polypropylene (PP) thermosets is described, wherein radical degradation suffered during conventional peroxide treatment is overcome using a nitroxyl additive bearing a polymerizable functional ... -
Preliminary Assessment and Experimental System for Converting VOC Fumes to Hydrogen Energy
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 ... -
Preparation and characterization of biopolymer compounds containing poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates and polylactic acid
(2014-09-03)This thesis is focused on developing cost effective and environmentally friendly techniques to improve the properties and processability of biopolyesters through compounding and reactive modification. Specifically, elastomeric ... -
Preparation and Characterization of Hydrophobic Graphene-Based Thin Films
Since the ``Scotch tape" discovery of graphene synthesis over a decade ago there has been significant interest in the industrial scale-up of graphene production, with the understanding that the material's exceptional ... -
Preparation and characterization of polyolefin / nanosilica composites
(2011-04-19)Polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-co-octene copolymer (EOC) blends were prepared at various component ratios and reinforced with silica nanoparticles (SiO2). Strategies to improve filler dispersion involved the grafting of ... -
Preparation of CO2-Switchable and Water-Redispersible Latexes Using Nitroxide-Mediated Surfactant-Free Emulsion Polymerization
(2015-09-15)The main objective of this research project was synthesizing CO2-responsive latexes by nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP). Therefore, 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) as a CO2-responsive monomer was chosen ... -
Preparation of CO2-Switchable Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Latexes by Surfactant-Free Emulsion Polymerization
(2014-09-25)The work presented herein focused on the preparation of CO2 switchable poly(methyl methacrylate) latexes by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. N,N-Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate (DMAEMA) was chosen as the functional ... -
Preparation of Polymer Nanoparticles by Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization in Aqueous Dispersed Systems with Water-Soluble Ruthenium-based Catalyst
(2016-09-22)Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is a variant of olefin metathesis used to polymerize strained cyclic olefins. Ruthenium-based Grubbs’ catalysts are widely used in ROMP to produce industrially important products. ...