Sustainability Principles Applied to Cost-Effective Denickeling of Fatty Acid Pitch

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dc.contributor.advisorTonks, Neal E
dc.contributor.authorCouch, Matthew A.
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-29T19:01:36Z
dc.date.available2022-03-29T19:01:36Z
dc.date.created2016-05
dc.date.submittedMay 2016
dc.description.abstractOver the course of the last two years, chemistry students and faculty have been evaluating methods for transforming industrial waste streams from chemical processes with funding and support from Innovative Resource Management (IRM), a beneficial reuse company based out of Summerville, SC. IRM specializes in chemical recycling. The primary goal of the project was to develop higher-value usages for waste streams using the principles of sustainability and green chemistry in a cost-effective, industrially reproducible manner. 9790 Fatty Acid Pitch (or TA90) is a process waste stream from Vantage Oleochemicals which cannot be fully utilized in a fuel blending operation due to high nickel content remnant of industrial processes; acid leaching to remove the dis-solved metal would greatly improve potential reuse and distribution of this product through IRM. In this study, the nickel was successfully removed by sulfuric acid leaching to form products which show promising commercializability and with high percent usable product regeneration. Process modification studies were conducted to develop reactions that are industrially scalable at reasonable costs of conversion. Witbreak™ demulsifiers were used and evaluated for extraction properties and impact, and were found to aid natural separation of product with little effect on nickel removal potential. Of the demulsifier trials, demulsifiers DRA21 and DRI9037 exhibited highest combined product recovery and nickel extraction percentage from the TA90 pitch. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) and ashing studies were used to determine product nickel concentration. Mass proportion and pH analysis revealed some acid retention in the organic product. The future project goal is to continue optimization studies to determine low cost transformative processes that will allow businesses to eliminate potential environmental waste by developing new markets selling their waste into high value end uses.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.library.cofc.edu/handle/123456789/5362
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subjectSustainability
dc.subjectChemistry
dc.subjectFatty
dc.subjectAcid
dc.subjectPitch
dc.subjectnickel
dc.subjectIRM
dc.subjectInnovative
dc.subjectwaste
dc.subjectstreams
dc.subjectreuse
dc.titleSustainability Principles Applied to Cost-Effective Denickeling of Fatty Acid Pitch
dc.type.genrethesis
dc.type.materialtext
local.embargo.lift2017-05-01
local.embargo.terms2017-05-01
thesis.degree.departmentChemistry & Biochemistry
thesis.degree.disciplineBiochemistry
thesis.degree.grantorCollege of Charleston
thesis.degree.nameBachelor of Science
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