Graphic Packaging International K2 Coating Reclamation

Team Members:
Maeve Cavanaugh
Carter Hoard
Austin Vander Weg

Sponsor:
Brad Fadden, B.S.’98, Graphic Packaging International

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

The K2 machine at Graphic Packaging International’s (GPI) Kalamazoo location is equipped with both a curtain and rod coater that utilizes a mixture of commodity coatings to achieve the quality standards of their customers. Operations have raised concerns that there is coating being wasted between scheduled shutdowns that is discharged to effluent water streams. This not only poses a financial problem by requiring GPI to purchase more coating, but it also raises environmental concerns by upsetting the wastewater treatment plant’s clarifier and contaminating sewer drains to the point that annual cleaning of them is required. The purpose of this project is to create a coating reclamation system capable of receiving unusable or leftover coating from the mixing and storage tanks and distributing usable coating back to the mix tanks so that it can be reused on the machine coaters. The students working on the K2 Coating Reclamation will design the system by implementing tie ins to existing piping from coating mixing and storage tanks to the provided reclamation tank and then the outflow piping to the sewers and back to the mix tanks.

Watch the team's promotional video here. 

Waste Activated Sludge Drying Improvements

Team Members:
Mitch Allison
Alexander Foreman
Abi Lewandowski

Sponsor:
Connor Dolan, USG Otsego

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

As part of Knauf’s sustainability goals, Otsego Paper, USG is committed to achieving zero waste to landfill by 2032. The Otsego paper mill intends to incinerate their waste products (fine rejects and waste activated sludge) for power. However, this presents a challenge as the water content in two waste streams makes this infeasible at the moment. One waste stream includes fine rejects coming from the clarification of water with a final solids content of about ~45% after current dewatering techniques (gravity table and Voith Meri screw press). The other waste stream, waste activated sludge, is currently dewatered using a belt press—finishing with a solids content of 12%. This project primarily aims to investigate methods to effectively reduce moisture levels of the aforementioned streams, in addition provide an analysis of heating availability of current excess waste heat stream versus necessary heat required to dry current fine rejects and WAS streams.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Mineral Filler Addition to Molded Fiber—Enhancing Benchtop Evaluations

Team Members:
Mario Oswaldo Camilo Lizardo
Maria Mieses Lalane
Benjamin Snow

Sponsors:
Leslie McLain, Artemyn
Gregg Reed, Artemyn
Jason Wang, Ph.D.’24, Western Michigan University

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

The topic is the integration of mineral fillers in thermoformed molded fiber applications, which—although not widely accepted—have proven to have considerable potential in the enhancement of product quality and production efficiency. These fillers can improve surface smoothness, uniformity, brightness, and color; reduce drying energy consumption; and increase throughput. However, a challenge facing manufacturers of this product is the lack of an automated dosing system capable of injecting the mineral filler along the production line. For this reason, students will be overseeing the design of a system capable of doing so, integrating the mineral fillers readily available at Artemyn Minerals. This project aims to address these challenges in two distinct phases: first, a study on the benefits of mineral filler addition will be undertaken, followed by the design of the mentioned automated dosing system in a laboratory scale. Through benchtop evaluations and design considerations, the path towards comprehension of the advantages conferred by mineral filler integration in the paper industry will widen, broadening their acceptance.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

A Heating Solution for Starch Manufacturing

Team Members:
Kimberly Nunez Bautista
Ashley Reynoso
Valentina Vargas

Sponsors:
Drake Schafer, Primient
Valeri Perez, B.S.E.’23, Primient
Donald Larsen, Primient

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

Primient is a top manufacturer of industrial and food ingredients derived from sustainable, plant-based resources. One of the products they produce is industrial corn starches, which are extensively utilized in the paper industry. In its manufacturing process, the starch is flash dried and then put through an additional reaction step to modify the viscosity profile of the starch. In this case, the temperature of the starch has a significant impact on the rate of reaction. At the moment, Primient’s capacity to regulate the starch temperature for the downstream reaction is limited because the starch is pneumatically transferred from the flash dryer to the downstream process using ambient air. Consequently, the starch temperature is determined by the outside temperature. During colder months, this leads to significant temperature fluctuations, resulting in inconsistent reaction rates. The variability makes it more challenging to meet product specifications, requiring operators to manually adjust other parameters to compensate, which increases process complexity and reduces product consistency.  The objective of this project is to design a heating system that allows Primient to control the starch temperature, regardless of ambient temperatures. To enhance process stability and mitigate temperature fluctuations, three potential heating mediums will be assessed: (1) glycol, (2) steam, and (3) hot oil.  A comprehensive technical and economic evaluation will be conducted to identify the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
 
Watch the team's promotional video here.

Optimal Starch Properties for Improved Oil and Grease Resistant Coatings

Team Members:
Marisa Oppedisano
Drew Pastoriza
Jacob Warner

Sponsors:
Stephen Marrou, NALCO Water, Ecolab
Ahmed Abdelrahman, NALCO Water, Ecolab
William Johnson, NALCO Water, Ecolab

Faculty Advisors:
Dr. Mert Atilhan
Dr. James Springstead

Researching alternatives for non-biodegradable materials is an important focus of the paper industry’s initiative for sustainable manufacturing. Many oil and grease resistant packages utilize PFAS or other synthetic polymers as a cheap solution. To improve oil and grease resistant characteristics of paper-based packaging, starch-based coatings can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. The charge, molecular weight and plant source are important starch properties that impact the effectiveness and application of the coating. The scope of this project is to identify the key starch properties impacting oil and grease resistance in coatings to economically scale starch coatings for industrial manufacturing in partnership with Ecolab to create a sustainable material which can reduce the use of harmful synthetic polymers.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Engineering Barrier Coatings for a Sustainable Future

Team Members:
Nick Nelson
Carin Lopez Garcia
Emma Perrin

Sponsors:
Frank Delgrego, Paperworks
Jason Wang, Ph.D.’24, Western Michigan University

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

The industry sponsor, Paperworks, is a leading company in manufacturing paperboard and paperboard packaging. PWI is in the process of developing a sustainable barrier coating that will provide comparable barrier resistance to moisture, oxygen and grease. In this project, our team will investigate whether it is possible to maintain barrier performance while being cost-neutral. In order to measure barrier performance, we will use analysis methods such as Moisture and Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR), Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR), and Oil and Grease Resistance (OGR). Our group will also perform a full economic analysis to demonstrate the financial viability of applying this coating. We anticipate that this coating will provide a sustainable alternative to plastic film coatings and potentially encourage more customers to buy recycled board while adhering to future environmental constraints.
 
Watch the team's promotional video here.

Thickener and Secondary Press Dewatering Optimization

Team Members:
William Fleming
Evan Mondora
Brodie Peterson

Sponsors:
Jackie Harms, PCA Filer City
Zoe Braun, PCA Filer City
Jeff Kaltunas, PCA Filer City

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

In this project we will optimize the usage of a Phoenix dewatering press with previous existing dewatering equipment at PCA Filer City mill wastewater treatment plant. Optimization of the Phoenix dewatering press can be described as minimizing energy, thickening and chemical usage and operational costs. By optimizing the dewatering process, we will reduce dewatered biosolid volume and weight and thereby decrease the costs of hauling and landfilling solids for the plant. The projects deliverables will include the needed operating parameters of the Phoenix dewatering press, internal rate of returns and payback period.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Design of a Coating Reclamation System for Sustainability and Manufacturing Process Efficiency 

Team Members:
Josh Linkous
Max Moore
Sara Tolentino Caceres

Sponsor:
Brad Fadden, B.S.’98, Graphic Packaging International

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

In this project we focus on the design of a coating reclamation system in a paper manufacturing plant, ensuring material efficiency and operational cost reduction. The system will integrate collection tanks, filtration units, piping, and automated control logic to reclaim and reuse coating materials, reduce coating waste material, and reduce raw material consumption. The project will highlight the economic benefits, including savings on coating material costs and waste disposal, as well as improved sustainability. Key deliverables include an evaluation of the system’s Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Payback Period and Environmental Waste Reduction.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Coarse Reject Processing and Sustainability Improvements

Team Members:
Luke Chapman
Jenna Johnson
Noah Reifert

Sponsor:
Connor Dolan, USG Otsego

Faculty Advisors:
Dr. Qingliu Wu
Dr. James Springstead

The goal of this project is to develop and install sustainability improvements at USG Otsego to assist in reaching their 100% sustainability goal by 2032. The project involves the recycling of coarse rejects, including waste from trash towers, tails, continuous lightweight detrasher (CLD) rejects, and sedimator. Both the preparation of this waste for potential future recycle plants and current separation will be investigated for the potential to resell processed waste for profit.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Study the Impact of Pretreatment on Plant Biomass to Generate Nanocellulose

Team Members:
Stephen Belanger
Kendall Nore
Sheila Gubachy

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Priyanka Sharma

Nanocellulose is a versatile, sustainable material with high mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Predominantly, the extraction of nanocellulose from the plant biomass involves pretreatment such as acid and base pulping to remove the sub-components like lignin, hemicellulose, pectin, and proteins in the plant cell wall. In this project, we aim to analyze the economic feasibility of nanocellulose processes such as the nitrogen-oxidation process, which excludes the pretreatment steps to generate nanocellulose and compare it with conventional methods such as typical TEMPO-oxidation and acid hydrolysis processes. Specifically, this study includes researching chemicals and energy consumptions, designing the process set-up, materials, and energy balance, and performing the cost analysis.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Evaluating the Potential for Reusing Process Waste Fiber

Team Members:
Tyler Coyne
Elisha Ewing
Alex Hamann
Parker Langellier

Sponsors:
Jason Wang, Ph.D.’24, Western Michigan University
Matt Stoops, Western Michigan University

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

The team seeks to evaluate the economic practicality of reusing paper machine fiber rejects to manufacture molded fiber products. Due to the low fiber strength requirements for molded fiber applications, these fibers which are unsuitable for papermaking could find new life in molded fiber products instead of being landfilled. The main proposed benefits include the creation of an alternative revenue stream and a reduction of effluent and landfill waste streams.

Watch the team's promotional video here.

Optimization of Anaerobic Digester by Contaminant Identification and Elimination  

Team Members:
Emma Norwood 
Josh Tacey
Andrew Tellez
Bret Weller 

Sponsors:
Brian Risinger, B.S.E.’86, Green Bay Packaging
Jeffrey Wolf, Green Bay Packaging  

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

Research Advisor:
Dr. Jason Wang

The raw material stream coming into the mill consists of mixed paper with non-fiber or starch contaminants that affect the stock and water system for Green Bay Packaging in Green Bay, WI. The mill uses an anaerobic digester ETP (environmental treatment plant) for the water treatment system and the biology is not thriving. The goal is to be able to treat the water and grow enough biomass to sell to other mills. Our objective is to attempt to identify the contaminants and develop a way to remove them from the mill’s net zero discharge water system.

Chip Washing System Heating Effects  

Team Members:
Alex Boyd
Afia Hridi
Rachel Karam
Gabe Secord 

Sponsors:
Jeff Kaltunas, PCA Filer City
Elaina Stefanick, PCA Filer City

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

PCA is one of the largest producers of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the USA. PCA produces over 4.1 million tons of Kraft linerboard (the outer layers of a corrugated container) and semi-chemical corrugating medium (the fluted center layer). PCA utilizes a chip pre-washing system that cleans the debris contaminants (sand) off the chip before they go into a continuous digester process.  The system uses 60# of steam during fall, winter and spring. The goal of this project is to verify through experiment how temperature affects the quality of the resulting pulp following the cooking process. Based on the results, the goal is to reduce or eliminate the 60# steam which can result in energy savings and reduced carbon impact.

K2 Water Balance  

Team Members:
Natali Cedeno
Si Bin Lim
Logan Sturcz
Brandon Wood

Sponsor:
Brad Fadden, B.S.E.’98, Graphic Packaging International   

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

The Graphic Packaging International mill in Kalamazoo encountered a significant water imbalance after the K3 machine was idled. Following the idling of K3, spikes in the flow of water to the clarifier began, causing the mill reservoir to reach capacity and send water from the clarifier to the city’s water treatment facility. Currently, effluent to the city treatment plant exceeds the mill target by 400,000 gallons per day. To address this problem, a water team was established, and it was determined that K2 was the main cause of the imbalance. The K2 water balance project aims to address the water imbalance in the mill to achieve the target of consistently meeting the mill Key Process Indicators and commitments to the city while also exploring innovative solutions for sustainable water system management. The project charter outlines the need to identify primary water sources contributing to excess effluent at the mill wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).  These sources will be identified by using the mill’s data systems such as ParcView, DeltaV and Valmet DNA. A crucial component of the project involves conducting a comprehensive mass balance across the disc filter at K2 to reclaim mill water and reduce K2 effluent to the mill wastewater treatment plant. This will result in an improved water balance, ensuring efficiency and significant cost savings. 

Development of Alternative Turpentine Test 

Team Members:
Alex Andrews
Sean Mullane
Benjamin Pejka
Michael Skrocki 

Sponsor:
Matt Shadley, B.S.E.’08, Ahlstrom 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

Ahlstrom is a worldwide paper supplier that specializes in high barrier characteristics products. Ahlstrom uses a turpentine test to verify the quality of their products reach the standards for their customers. While being a quality test that has been performed for many years, the time required for the test is inefficient. The current standard expected by Ahlstrom’s customers is for a 180-minute requirement before the solution leaks through the paper. The student team was tasked with ensuring a more effective and efficient means of testing the paper through a turpentine or supplementary substrate test to meet the historical data found. With a faster test, production could continue at a faster pace allowing for more product being produced.

Optimization of Water Treatment for Green Bay Packaging  

Team Members:
Shah Arshad
Ally Block
Evan Collins
Christopher Krell 

Sponsors:
Brian Risinger, B.S.E.’86, Green Bay Packaging
Jeffrey Wolf, Green Bay Packaging   

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

Research Advisor:
Dr. Jason Wang

The main goal of this project is to optimize the treatment of reclaim water at the Green Bay Packaging facility. Improvement of this treatment system will lead to lower usage of city water and better filtration. Some of the challenges/limitations associated with this project include time constraints, limited access to the facility, rigidity of the NEW Water treatment process, limited opportunities for scalability, etc. The intended outcome of this project is the best design solution or a few potential designs, along with recommendations and economic analysis, that best optimize the existing treatment system in terms of cost, efficiency, and other parameters within the given constraints.

Wood Species Pulp Quality Effects  

Team Members:
Andrea Barreto
Joanna Bishop
Kristine Le
Baylee Stainforth 

Sponsors:
Jeff Kaltunas, PCA Filer City
Elaina Stefanick, PCA Filer City
Carl Brown, B.S.E.’00, PCA Filer City

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

Research Advisor:
Dr. Jason Wang 

The Packaging Corporation of America containerboard mill in Filer City, MI has invited this group of seniors to optimize the blend of wood species in the mill’s pulp for overall raw material cost reduction. The group is tasked with testing pulp which has been cooked with various combinations of wood types to determine the quality implications of each blend. The goal is to maximize the proportion of inexpensively sourced wood species in the blend while maintaining acceptable quality. A summary of test methodology and results, a full economic evaluation, and final recommendations will be included in the project report.

Treatment of Water Mill Effluent 

Team Members:
Smithna Matos
Alexa Dinzey
Cole Nickless
Maria Valez

Sponsor:
Tom Emond, Ahlstrom 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead

The Ahlstrom paper mill in Rhinelander operates a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that treats water effluent from the mill before its discharge into the Wisconsin River, this process is regulated by an NPDES permit. The secondary treatment process, reliant on waste-activated sludge, requires the addition of supplemental nitrogen and phosphorous for compliance with discharge limits. Recent pending changes pose a challenge to the mill’s secondary treatment process, impacting current nutrient sourcing. To address this, the mill undertakes a project to establish in-house nitrogen and phosphorous addition capabilities. The project scope includes identifying alternate nutrient addition points, evaluating different forms of phosphorous and nitrogen addition, specifying equipment and controls, and estimating associated capital and operating costs. The mill anticipates proactively managing nutrient addition, ensuring continued compliance and operational sustainability. 

GPI Kalamazoo Mill Water Quality Improvement 

Team Members:
Quade Craun
Nazifa Faruque
Austin Mabry
Keaton Roach

Sponsor:
Brad Fadden, B.S.E.’98, Graphic Packaging International 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

Graphic Packaging International (GPI) in Kalamazoo started a new paper machine, K2, in 2022. In July 2023, the mill idled the K3 paper machine.  After idling K3, it was discovered that K3 was serving as a filter for the mill’s wastewater. Without the filtering effect from K3, the wastewater going to waste water treatment plant (WWTP) has seen a drop in pH and ORP.  The mill is supplementing with additional freshwater volume and chemistry to ensure discharged water to the city is within the pH and ORP limits. This project aims to work with GPI management and outside contractors to analyze root cause of this issue and determine a feasible, cost-effective solution for GPI to implement.

Energy Recapture in a Soluble Corn Fiber Process  

Team Members:
Nathan Cain
Nick Cutrara
Brooke Hill
Jason Gamalski 

Sponsors:
Matt Miller, Primient
Tyler Dunn, Primient 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

Primient is a leading producer of food and industrial products from plant-based and renewable sources. The soluble corn fiber process was built to take sugars and produce dietary fibers. The front-end process produces a 60% liquid (60i) fiber stream.  This project examined the possibility of process stream heat reclamation that would result in less raw steam usage or less load to the cooling tower. More specifically, it focused on a pinch point analysis of the 60i process. By recycling some process energy, this can help create a more sustainable process, lower environmental impact, and reduce plant costs. This was accomplished through the lens of a full economic analysis of equipment and strategy.

Comparison of Bio-Mass to Bio-Oils Reactor System: Direct Conversion vs. Companion Coal Gasification  

Team Members:
Emily Principe
Javier Sanchez
Sydney Semlow
Greg Smith 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Said AbuBakr
Dr. Sasha Pekarovicova

The aim of this project was to design and enhance the economic viability of bio-oil production through the direct conversion of biomass using pyrolysis and a secondary side reaction involving coal gasification. Ultimately, a synergistic process combining the direct conversion and companion coal gasification methods was developed to highlight strengths and to manufacture a more efficient product within a reasonable budget. The primary project objectives included researching the economic feasibility of the biomass and bio-oil industry, conducting a market survey, designing a process flow diagram, calculating the material and energy balances, developing a cash flow table that provided information related to the operating costs, profits, and raw material pricing, and finally, investments.

Production of mRNA Vaccine for Influenza 

Team Members:
Adam Alassa
Abdulohab Aldhfeeri
Ivan Corcuera Loya
Christina Miller 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. James Springstead 

The objective of this project is to design a process to produce an mRNA influenza vaccine that serves as an alternative to conventional influenza vaccines, replacing current options with innovative mRNA technologies. Given that older populations are most likely to follow up on immunizations consistently, and the increasing average age worldwide, the market for this project appears to be expanding in the next 80 years. Additionally, experts predict more frequent mutations and outbreaks of viral disease from a variety of factors including globalization and global temperature trends. Rapid response to these viral outbreaks will continue to be as, or even more important than with COVID-19.  To meet this anticipated demand, this group will design a plant to produce this updated vaccine and complete an economic analysis to determine a target price that will have to be met to satisfy adequate return on investment.  

Midwest Water Treatment Plant Analysis for PFAS Contaminant Removal in a Systematic Process 

Team Members:
Juan Aguilar Lopez
Courtney Felder
Jacob Kelly
Niah Thurman 

Faculty Advisors:
Dr. Mert Atilhan
Dr. James Springstead 

A proposed water treatment plant in the Midwest aims to combat PFAS contamination in groundwater. PFAS is prevalent in everyday products. In high concentrations, it poses a serious hazard to both human and environmental health. The plant comprises three physical treatment sections: foam fractionation, liquid-liquid extraction, and exit filters. Foam fractionation induces PFAS foam production, taking advantage of dual hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. Liquid-liquid extraction analyzes ion exchange potential and geometric properties of extraction agents with consideration for its potential as a large-scale process. Lastly, exit filters, such as activated carbon will be analyzed for final extraction efficiency. The purpose is to meet EPA regulations, such as the 2022 lifetime health advisory level for PFOA of 0.004 ppt in drinking water. Preliminary economics evaluation for commercial extraction of PFAS compounds from groundwater will emphasize the overall cost of PFAS extraction. Additionally, a risk assessment and mitigation strategies will be analyzed for hazard operability such as surges in or reduced water feed, which are increasingly events due to climate change. 

Investigations on the Effect of Binders on the Performance of Si-Based Anodes of Lithium Ion Batteries 

Team Members:
Abby Bartsch
Nicholas Felt
Daniel Mangwanya
Lukas Tappen

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Qingliu Wu 

Research Advisor:
Kevin Matthew

Lithium-ion batteries continue to make a significant impact on everyday life. Whether it is cars, phones, or even generators, there will need to be continual improvements to make them better. This project dives into how silicon-based anodes can improve these batteries, by creating different slurries for the batteries and changing the binders. Experimentally, the binders will be tested, and based on the results the optimal material will be chosen. The data will then be used to design a plant capable of creating 10,000 cells monthly with 2 AhR each. The plant will be fully equipped to produce the cells; thus, a cost analysis is run to show its feasibility.

Comparison of Options for the Repair or Replacement of a Calender Stack 

Team members

• Kourtney Keranen
• Isabel Lopez
• Liam Powell
• Olivia Price
• Zhenqiang Zhuo 

Sponsor

• Paul DeHaan, B.S.’88, New-Indy Containerboard
• Chandler Thomas, New-Indy Containerboard

Faculty advisor

• Dr. James Springstead

Hydraulic pressing, also known as calendering, improves the uniformity, thickness, and smoothness across a sheet of paper. An economic analysis was performed to determine the best option between adding a new calender stack, rebuilding a legacy calender stack, or continuing to operate without one. The overall safety and environmental constraints of implementing a new calender stack were also taken into consideration. Calendered paper improves runnability at converting facilities which reduces customer dissatisfaction and revenue lost to quality claims. This analysis can be used to provide guidance on the implementation of a calender stack.

Air Pre-heat System Optimization for Flash Dryers 

Team members

• Harold Liz Liriano
• Sophia Marie Louden
• Tyler Logan Matta
• Valeri Pamela Perez Sanchez
• Steven Jose Santos Cruz

Sponsors

• Donald L. Larson, Primient
• Drake Schafer, Primient
• Emily Struble, Primient  

Faculty advisor

• Dr. James Springstead

A corn processing facility faced high energy costs due to natural gas use in its flash dryers. A heat recovery system was implemented with two heat exchangers to transfer heat from a hot waste stream to a glycol loop, to preheat the air entering the dryers. Optimal flow rates of glycol were determined, and pump capacity evaluated to maximize heat recovery. The result was a reduction in energy costs, with an estimated payback and internal rate of return calculated for the modifications. This demonstrated how proper heat recovery systems can reduce energy consumption and costs in industrial processes.

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate – Low Cost Means to Increase Solids 

Team members

• Christopher Bradshaw
• Rowan Edmonds
• Ethan Klaiss
• Tyler Thompson

Sponsors

• Leslie McLain, Imerys
• Perry Veal, Imerys  

Faculty advisor

Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is manufactured at low solids and is usually delivered via pipeline to the customer. However, in some cases, PCC is sold off site within a short geographic distance. Higher solids are desirable in order to increase inventory/ ton of slurry and avoid excess freight costs incurred by shipping excess water in the product. The PCC at the target plant is produced at 20% solids, and this project explored various options to increase the solids up to 30% prior to shipment via slurry truck. This project also investigated the re-suspension behavior of PCC at higher solids.

Application of New Coating to Replace Poly Liner 

Team members

• Hannah Kalleward
• Lindsey Lovato
• Isabelle Ownby
• Andrew Siegfried
• Sheridan Wood

Sponsors

• John Brown, StenCo LLC
• Jim Fogg, Solenis LLC  

Faculty advisor

• Dr. James Springstead

Current liner produced by a mill is sent to Canada for a barrier coating, which is then sent back to multiple facilities in the U.S. This process has high shipping costs as well as sustainability issues with the coating. This project explores a new coating that is more environmentally friendly and can be applied to the board in the mill. This new barrier coating was investigated, and the economics of these systems were looked at and evaluated for profitability. Applications outside of the facility will also be considered. 

API Drying and Packaging Technology Upgrades  

Team members

• Saleh Altissan
• Clarissa Gonzalez Chacin
• Nicholas Marentette
• Jennifer Parker                         
• Destiny Washington

Sponsors

• Zachary Marentette, B.S.’19, Pfizer
• Nicholas Muller, M.S.’17, Pfizer
• Carl Stachew, Pfizer
• Zachary Wolf, B.S.’15, Pfizer

Faculty advisor

• Dr. James Springstead

Certain classes of APIs require higher levels of containment during handling. This project explored upgrades and new technology to improve currently used systems. The upgrades will include containment during drying and packaging while maintaining required ergonomic, industrial health, and GMP requirements.  Design of this system and a full economic analysis will be performed for these upgrades.

Automating Active Clay Testing of Green Sands For Use in Foundries    

10:30 to 10:55 a.m.

Team members

• Ethan Church
• David Hanson
• Weston Judd
• Max Vreman
• Rachel Zawerucha

Faculty advisors

• Dr. James Springstead
• Dr. Sam Ramrattan

Active clay measurement is critical for the proper operation of green sand molds; the traditional methylene blue titration method for measuring clay content is slow and prone to operator error. An automated device was designed to improve the measurement of active clay in green sands using UV-Vis spectroscopy and reduce human involvement. This device accurately provides a quantitative active clay measurement that foundry operators can use for process control and optimization. The production, costs, and benefits of this new device are analyzed and compared to the traditional active clay method.

Bio-Mass to Bio-Oil Reactor System Comparison  

11 to 11:30 a.m. 

Team members

• Ashlin Arnett
• Nicholas Hayes
• Tyler Hong
• Ethan Ray
• Angel Torres

Biomass is produced in multiple industries and can be converted to a usable fuel substitute for petroleum. A proposed alternative process to conventional pyrolysis, operating with companion coal gasification, offers several potential advantages that may allow for a simpler design of the biomass pyrolysis reactor and potentially significant savings in terms of total energy costs.  Several methods of analyzing the pros and cons of these two methods were used, including a cash flow table, process flow diagram, and economic indicator values. This can allow for a greater use of bio-oil to offset the increasing demand for damaging oil harvesting practices.

Mass-Production of an Influenza mRNA Vaccine 

11:30 to 11:55 a.m.

Team members

• Zaid Ahmed
• Heather Gipe
• Hunter Shulfer
• E Hern Tan

Faculty advisor

Recently, mRNA vaccines have been produced to fight the COVID pandemic.  Historically, influenza vaccine has been produced with the use of cells, but mRNA vaccines offer promise, potentially lowering cost of production without the use of cells and increasing efficacy.   In this project new technical information on effectiveness of a potential influenza vaccine will be implemented in the design of a plant to produce an influenza vaccine.  The internal rate of return, payback period, and other key economic indicators will be determined at different price points for the sale of this future vaccine. 

Generation of Electricity for a Paper Plant 

Team members

• Tobi Oluwaseyi Da-Silva
• Paola Diaz Fernandez
• Joshua Wetzel
• Jeff Woodin

Faculty advisor

• Dr. Said AbuBakr

The 50 MW generation of electricity was assessed for a paper plant. The facility purchased electricity from a local nuclear plant at a cost of $0.165/kW, but that plant was closing. A power plant was designed within specifications and constraints, to generate its own electricity by a natural gas method and investigated the feasibility of renewable energy. The basic Rankine cycle for the plant was outlined and modified by adding a heat recovery system and a gas turbine; creating the cogeneration cycle. Wind, solar, and nuclear energy sources were also investigated for feasibility, the benefit of self-sufficiency, and cost savings.

Production of Gel-Capsule Pharmaceuticals  

Team members

• Madeline Baldovino
• Christopher Hranchook
• Alexis Lynn Kaczanowski
• Daniel Kent
• Nathan Kitler

Faculty advisors

• Dr. Mert Atilhan
• Dr. James Springstead

Insoluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) without solubilization in an effective drug delivery system. For safe and effective drug delivery, this vehicle must be a biocompatible compound that allows for effective transport in the body. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been identified as a potential drug delivery system for APIs as they are nontoxic and have the potential to increase bioavailability and efficacy. DES were incorporated into gel capsule design to increase solubility of hydrophobic drugs.  A plant was designed for the production of gel capsules with DES-solubilized API a full economic analysis was performed to determine the required sale price to reach key economic benchmarks.

Removal of PFAS Contaminants from Water by Solvent and Filtration Techniques  

Team members

• Aleya Brandon
• Anamim Horokoski
• Abigail Maletta
• Jordan Puah
• Zahi Sanchez Genao 

Faculty advisors

• Dr. Mert Atilhan
• Dr. James Springstead

Water contamination is an increasing global issue, particularly in the Midwest region of the United States. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) compounds are among the many worrisome contaminants. In this project, various solvents and filtration processes were used to extract PFAS from water. The extraction efficiencies of solvents for PFAS were confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. After confirming extraction efficiency, a treatment procedure was designed for integration into an existing wastewater plant. The designed process provides an option for PFAS removal while evaluating both solvent recovery and repurpose of extracted compounds.  A full economic analysis was performed to determine the cost of PFAS removal using this designed system. 

Nanotube-Reinforced Cellulose Computer Simulations

Team members

• Noor Abdulmuhsin A Alfaraj
• Diego Andres Garcia
• Joshua T VanSlambrouck
• Australia Weatherall 

Faculty advisor

• Dr. Dewei Qi

Recycling paper over time degrades its mechanical strength, shortening its potential uses. Integrating nanotube-reinforced cellulose can overcome the challenges presented as nanotubes possess a high amount of mechanical strength. Computer simulations using Visual Molecular Dynamics showed in theory that inserting nanotubes in the chemical structure of cellulose improved the strength of recycled paper. Modifying cellulose led to outstanding results, thereby it can lead the industry to replace the current methods of reinforcing paper which is made with chemicals. The shift to nanotube-reinforced cellulose as a method to increment recycled paper mechanical strength improved the quality of the paper.  A process was designed to produce nanotube-reinforced cellulose and the required sale price to reach required IRR.

Effect of Various Binders on Si-Anode Performance and Feasibility of Battery Production Plant 

Team members

• Sarah Beasley
• Joel Carpenter
• Grace Harter
• Jacob Heinrikson
• Derek Ronayne

Faculty advisor

• Dr. Qingliu Wu

With the promise of high capacity, silicon-based materials are the most promising candidates for anodes in next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the wide adoption of Si-based anodes to electrical vehicle batteries is greatly limited due to the fast capacity decay and the undermined electrode structure during the lithiation and delithiation process. Therefore, development of silicon-based anodes with a robust structure for high-performance LIBs are being studied. Particularly, various binders will be used in the silicon-based anodes, and the dependence of electrode property and battery performance on the binders will be investigated. In addition, the impact of binders on the cost of Si-based anodes will also be studied.  Finally, a full economic analysis was performed to determine required price points for the production of these batteries.

Manufacturing the Next Generation of Vaccines:  Using mRNA technology in Influenza Vaccine

Influenza is responsible for 17,000 to 51,000 deaths in the United States every year. An FDA-approved vaccine that is flexible to address the annual influenza strains, or a pandemic strain would prevent severe illness and deaths. To address this need, our group has designed a manufacturing process for a new mRNA-based influenza vaccine using Aspen.  Key economic variables for this process, including return on investment and internal rate of return have been determined. This new vaccine is predicted to have a higher efficacy rate than the current vaccine, potentially reducing annual morbidity and mortality from influenza.

Team members

• Sarah Munson
• Josh Nickless
• Karen Ophoff
• David Ruszkowski
• Jake Seelinger

Faculty advisor

• Dr. James Springstead

Analysis and Recovery of Commercial Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Plant Waste Streams

The production of precipitated calcium carbonate from naturally occurring lime results in the creation of two substantial waste products, called grit and cake, which is currently disposed of as waste. These waste streams were analyzed to identify options for alternative usage resulting in potential cost reductions for the facility. Analytical characterization includes waste stream organic and inorganic composition as well as particle size distribution and moisture content. The group will determine an alternate plan for handling the waste streams and estimate key economic variables, including payback period, return on investment and internal rate of return in Maine.

Comparison of Bio-mass to Bio-oils Reactor System: Direct Conversion vs. Companion Coal Gasification

With the increasing demand to switch from a non-renewable to a renewable fuel source, a shift from petroleum to bio-mass converted to bio-oils as a fuel substitute that is economically sustainable is needed. A comparison of direct conversion of bio-mass to bio-oil and companion conversion with coal gasification as a simultaneous reaction has been completed with results on which of these two choices is more sustainable both environmentally and economically. This project has been completed theoretically using Aspen Plus V11 simulations software to produce results as related to the technical aspects of the project. An economic analysis and comparison of all project parameters has been completed, detailing the feasibility and potential for real-world application. The results produced from this complete analysis of each potential option will provide insight into possible future fuel replacement options with the intention of protecting the Earth’s climate and mitigating climate change impacts directly related to fuel production and consumption.

Computer Simulations of Flexible Fiber in a 3D Tube Flow

As fluids are transported through piping, friction arises between the walls and the fluid. This friction is often compensated for by increasing the energy input. The team simulated fiber motion in a Poiseuille flow at Reynolds numbers ranging from ten to several hundred. Understanding the correlation of Reynolds number to fiber motion makes it possible to determine the optimum Reynolds number for low energy usage.  The results of these simulations will be used to tune operating conditions.  Additionally, economic impacts will also be estimated.

Fractionation of Wood Chips with Low Energy Use

Corn stover is a widely accessible and multi-faceted product in North America, making up half of corn production. Recently, there has been developments in using corn stover to make sugar products, being that there is 37% cellulose within the stover. The extraction is achieved by first using a pretreatment followed by an enzymatic hydrolysis. There currently are no industrial processes for this extraction from corn stover. An Aspen + simulation was performed, presenting yields of sugars, recycle rates, and cost analysis. This new process will revolutionize practices surrounding corn production to maximize profitability.

Investigations on the Effect of Binders on the Performance of Si-Based Anodes of Lithium-Ion Batteries

With the incremental demand on energy, the capacity of lithium-ion batteries is becoming a concern. A novel material – Silicon – was chosen to improve the efficiency of modern batteries, due to its high capacity and low working potential. Polyacrylic Acid, Polyvinylidene Fluoride, Nafion, and Sodium Carboxyl Methylcellulose were selected as the binders to prepare a high-performance Si-based anode. Battery cells were assembled after the preparation of each anode and tested to compare the performance of each binder. Finally, intricate data analysis techniques and calculations revealed the best binder option for the Si-based anode.  Economic implications of incorporating this technology into manufacturing will also be analyzed.

Production of Gel-capsule Pharmaceutical with Improved Bioavailability

Common over-the-counter active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), such as ibuprofen and lidocaine, have limited solubility in water, affecting drug loading and manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the drug delivery vehicles that are used to carry such API have limited mass transfer capacity when these drugs are administered. There is a lot of ongoing research to discover novel solvents that have the potential to enhance drug solubility and can be used as new delivery vehicles. A combination of molecular simulation software, ORCA, Gaussian and COSMO-RS, was used to design nontoxic, biocompatible deep eutectic solvents (DES) that can be considered as an alternative drug solubilizers to address this issue. Simulation results suggest that novel DES can improve the solubility, bioavailability, enhance the release time of hydrophobic API, and lead to an important role in research of hydrophobic drug delivery, assuming that a set of novel solvents pass through clinical trials. Based on these new findings, a full theoretical manufacturing plant will be designed and an estimated cost for the new capsules will be calculated. Important economic indicators, such as rate of return and internal rate of return, will also be estimated.

Production of a Monoclonal Antibody Biopharmaceutical for the Treatment of Coronavirus

The monoclonal antibody, Sotrovimab, was produced as a therapeutic to prevent hospitalization or death of patients suffering from coronavirus. Alternative methods for treating high-risk coronavirus patients are desperately needed. Studies have shown that Sotrovimab greatly reduced hospitalization and death for patients suffering from mild to moderate symptoms. The main objective of this project was to design a plant that could produce Sotrovimab and analyze the plants' key economic factors. Through the utilization of Aspen Plus computer software and the analysis of existing patents, an optimized fed-batch process for producing Sotrovimab was developed.

Production of an Instrument for the Analysis of Green Sands to be Used in Foundries

One growing need in the modern foundry is the integration of real time data analysis into process control. A device was designed to measure the amount of active clay in foundry sand in an accurate and timely manner. This is achieved by measuring the amount of dye the sand will absorb using UV-vis spectroscopy. The device accurately measures and mixes an amount of sand and dye. The dye is then filtered and subject to a UV-vis measurement.  The device produces results faster and more accurately than the current standard and does not require higher education to operate.  The main goals of this group will be to design a plant to produce this machine and estimate key economic variables, including return on investment and internal rate of return for the production of this instrument.

Extraction of Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere

The continuous rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has become a global concern as it is the leading cause of climate change. A Direct Atmospheric Carbon Extraction (DACE) process was designed to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere. A chemical absorbent regeneration process was used to capture the CO2, followed by a separation and pressurization of the CO2 for sequestration injection. The DACE system provides insight into the technological and economic feasibility of direct air capture and the potential it has for lowering atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Steam Systems in Paper Production

A paper company analyzed the steam generation system for an expansion project that will deliver higher production. Production and paper data were combined with computer models to determine the present and future steam demand. This demand was then compared with the existing Steam generation and steam distribution capacity to verify the adequacy of present utility infrastructure.  Opportunities for improving the thermal system efficiency were identified and equipment sizing was done to help in technical and commercial feasibility analysis. Overall, expected profit from increased production was compared to present costs to determine possible economic benefits for the paper company.

Modular Distributed Ammonia Synthesis

Ammonia based fertilizer currently sustains the food supply for half of the world's population; just in the U.S. around 85% of the total ammonia produced is used as fertilizer. Most of the large-scale suppliers are far from the principal consumers so transportation cost is significant. A plant to produce 50 metric tons of ammonia per day in the upper Midwest was designed and studied, evaluating the economics of a small-scale ammonia plant to minimize product cost for the principal crop producers of the country.