Curtis L. Knudson

Gasoline Evaporation–Ethanol and Nonethanol Blends

Tests were performed to compare the evaporation rate of 10 volume percent (vol%) ethanol-blended gasoline (E10) with the evaporation rate of its base gasoline. Weight loss, temperature, pressure, and humidity were monitored as lab-blended E10 and base gasolines were evaporated concurrently from glass cylinders placed on balances located side by side under an exhaust hood. The averaged results of four tests at about 70°F showed that the E10 lost more total weight to evaporation than the base fuel, but less gasoline. The increased weight was due to ethanol, which was present in the E10 evaporative emissions at concentrations of about 13 weight percent (wt%). In two-hour tests at temperatures near 70°F, during which 4.5 to 5.3 wt% of initial fuel samples were evaporated, E10 fuels lost an average of about 5% less gasoline than their base fuels. A similar result was obtained for a one-hour test, during which about 2.4 to 2.5 wt% of the initial fuel samples were evaporated. Gas chromatography (GC) component an...

The differentiation of submicrogram amounts of inorganic and organomercury in water by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry.

Abstract A method for the determination of the individual concentrations of mercury(II) and RHg(II) in aqueous solutions is described. The mercury metal produced by reduction with tin(II) is measured by flameless atomic absorption. Selective reduction of mercury(II) is achieved in the presence of RHg(II) in sulfuric acid media with tin(II). The total mercury content is then measured after oxidation with acidic hydrogen peroxide solution just before injection into the tin(II) solution of the mercury analyzer. The method is useful in the range 1–15 p.p.b. with a standard deviation of 1 p.p.b. at 15 p.p.b. The method was satisfactory for river water samples.

Effect of solvent on molecular composition in coal liquefaction

Abstract The product from uncatalysed liquefaction of lignite using synthesis gas (CO-Steam process) was examined by column chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and low-voltage mass spectrometry. The nature of the vehicle solvent affected the type and distribution of compounds in the product oil. Anthracene oil and recycle oil as solvents gave mainly aromatics and phenols. When tetralin was used as solvent, the product showed larger amounts of oxygen compounds, more hydroaromatic compounds, and a greater degree of alkylation in high-molecular-weight aromatics. Tetralin, therefore, appears to be a more powerful hydrogen donor than anthracene oil or recycle oil in stabilizing intermediate fragments that would otherwise repolymerize. Carbon-number analysis data for liquids prepared using three different solvents are presented.

Gasoline evaporative emissions -- Ethanol effects on vapor control canister sorbent performance

Tests were performed at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) to compare the evaporation rate of 10 volume percent ethanol-blended gasoline (E10) with the evaporation rate of its base gasoline. Averaged results of the tests demonstrated that at 70 F the E10 fuel lost more total weight to evaporation than its base fuel, but less gasoline. The increased weight was due to ethanol, which was present in the E10 evaporative emissions at concentrations of about 13 weight percent.Subsequently, a test system was designed to investigate how the presence of ethanol in the evaporative emission affects the fuel evaporation canister sorbent performance. The system is equipped with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) to monitor sorbent breakthrough emission concentrations and compound types. Preliminary data obtained using sorbent from commercial canisters have shown that ethanol vapor breakthrough occurs significantly later than gasoline hydrocarbon vapor breakthrough.

Benzophenone reduction using sulphur-based additives

Pyrite and γ-Fe2S3 are the best of the mineral promotors tried for the CO—H2O reduction of benzophenone to diphenylmethane. A mixture of ferrous sulphide and sulphur matches the promotional effect of iron pyrite, which implies that sulphur plays a role in the reaction. Both elemental sulphur and hydrogen sulphide are shown to promote CO—H2O-induced reductions.

Reduction activities of Fe2O3SiO2 catalysts with hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen

Abstract Diphenylmethane and diphenylether were reacted under a H 2 H 2 S gas mixture in the presence of a series of Fe 2 O 3 SiO 2 catalysts. In general, the activity of Fe 2 O 3 SiO 2 increased as the surface area increased, but decreased when the catalyst preparation involved the use of sodium hydroxide or sulphate ions. The supported iron catalysts displayed higher activity, in terms of conversion, toward the aromatic-alkyl (Ar-C) bond cleavage than the aromatic-ether (Ar-O) bond cleavage. Some of the Fe 2 O 3 SiO 2 catalysts were more effective than MoO 3 CoOAl 2 O 3 for cleaving diphenylmethane and did so with less aromatic ring hydrogenation. The hydrocracking ability with regard to the Ar-C bond rupture correlated well with the acidity of the catalysts as determined by butylamine adsorption. Both hydrocracking and hydrogenation abilities of the catalysts were important in the Ar-O bond rupture which appeared to be influenced by acid and base sites.