Dr. Utkarsh Maheshwari - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr. Utkarsh Maheshwari

Handbook of Nanomaterials for Wastewater Treatment, 2021

Abstract A variety of industrial effluents causing detrimental effects have been posing serious e... more Abstract A variety of industrial effluents causing detrimental effects have been posing serious environmental issues. Efforts have been taken to remove these effluents by using different conventional treatment processes; however, they possess some disadvantages. Nanoadsorbents have desirable characteristics such as uniform particle size, higher removal efficiency, environmental friendly, and selectivity, which are useful for higher pollutant removal. This study highlights the use of nanoadsorbents for effective removal of industrial removal. The factors responsible for adsorption efficiency—contact time, dosage, initial concentration, pH, temperature, ionic strength, and dissolved organic matter—have been discussed in detail. Different characterization techniques have been discussed in detail. Furthermore, different types of adsorption mechanisms such as π-π Interaction, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonding have been elaborated to understand the adsorption of pollutants in detail. Finally, challenges in adsorption, conclusion, and future prospective related to the use of nanomaterials in pollution control have been elaborated.

Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2015

Abstract Present study deals with the development of a nano-porous adsorbent using neem bark for ... more Abstract Present study deals with the development of a nano-porous adsorbent using neem bark for the simultaneous removal of Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Zn(II). The developed adsorbent is characterized using SEM, EDS and TGA. The effect of initial metal concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature and pH are studied to see the performance of nANB for the metal ions removal. Various isotherm, kinetic and mass transfer models are validated with the experimental data and corresponding parameters are estimated. The maximum adsorption capacity of the developed adsorbent for Cu(II) and Zn(II) adsorption are found to be 21.23 and 11.904 mg g−1, respectively. The optimum parameter values for contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature and pH are obtained as 48 h, 6 g L−1, 35 °C and 1.2, respectively, from the experimental results of Cu(II) and Zn(II) removal using nANB. The performance of nANB on the industrial effluent is evaluated by performing equilibrium batch experiments for the simultaneous removal of Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Zn(II) from an aqueous solution. The overall adsorption capacity of the nANB for the removal of multiple metal ions at 200 mg L−1 of each is obtained as 38.95 mg g−1 which is more than double for that obtained for individual metal ions.

Nanoscience &Nanotechnology-Asia, 2012

Extended Abstract The quantity of oil transported over the sea has enormously increased in volume... more Extended Abstract The quantity of oil transported over the sea has enormously increased in volume, encompassing tankers from a capacity of 100,000 to 500,000 tonnes, resulting in increased possibilities of spillage by accident or due to operation. In our day-today life, we sometimes come across in newspapers that an oil tanker collides in mid sea and that large quantity of oil is spilled away, often accompanied by gory pictures of sea/ marine life. An oil spill is a severe environmental problem which persists in marine environments or in inland water across the world, has grown to an alarming magnitude with increased levels of oil production and transport.This is usually followed by protests by environmentalists against the company demanding compensation to bring back the beauty of the sea. This is a normal show which takes place and we the people are not aware of the problems going to be faced in the future both economics and the environmental damages. When an oil spill occurs, eit...

Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2016

Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment, May 27, 2011

Phthalic anhydride is the organic compound whose applications are mainly in the manufacture of ph... more Phthalic anhydride is the organic compound whose applications are mainly in the manufacture of phthalate plasticizers, phthalocyanine dyes, polyester resins and numerous fine chemicals. It is an anhydride of phthalic acid with a colorless nature. This colorless solid is an important industrial chemical, especially for the large scale production of plasticizers for plastics. Its major outlets are phthalate plasticizers, unsaturated polyesters and alkyd resins for surface coatings while its smaller volume applications include polyester polyols, pigments, dyes, sweeteners and flame retardants The present study illustrates a way of producing phthalic anhydride (PA) in a continuous plant, with 99.8 % wt purity, through the oxidation of o-xylene. Maleic anhydride is also obtained as a by-product of the process with 99.5% wt purity. The process was simulated using the process simulator software ASPEN Plus and improving the purity of Phthalic anhydride obtained by introduction of suitable e...

Cyclohexane is used as a non-polar solvent for the chemical industry, and likewise as a raw mater... more Cyclohexane is used as a non-polar solvent for the chemical industry, and likewise as a raw material for the industrial production of adipic acid and caprolactum, both of which are intermediates used in the production of nylon. Nowadays cyclohexane is most important for the production of caprolactum and other nylon intermediate. In the present work, the production of cyclohexane from benzene and hydrogen is simulated using the ASPEN Plus platform. The most import process in the caprolactum production is the removal of the heat evolved from the reaction. In the present work, the process is optimized using trial and error method by changing some independent parameters and methods for the process. Here the issue of transition due to the fluctuation of the thermodynamic model is considered. RK-Soave and NRTL method is examined for more conversion in the procedure. By using NRTL method the molar flow-rate of cyclohexane from distillate is coming to be 43.16, by changing the method, opera...

Formaldehyde, the target product of the present work, is an organic compound representing the mos... more Formaldehyde, the target product of the present work, is an organic compound representing the most elementary configuration of the aldehydes. It behaves as a synthesis baseline for many other chemical compounds, including phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde and melamine resin. The aim of the present work is to reach a 98% conversion of methanol by means of taking out the distillation column and replacing it with a higher duty cooler to bring the product to 37 wt. % of formaldehyde. Simulation was carried out for the formaldehyde production process from the methanol using a silver catalyst. Detailed calculations were performed in this report for all equipment and streams in the plant, taking into account the required process conditions to achieve a production capacity of 60000 tons/year of formalin. Plant’s units and operations were simulated by using the chemical simulation software Aspen plus to gain an optimized position of the operation conditions. With a conversion of 98%, th...

In today's times there is a significant boost in the importance of heavy oil resources as the... more In today's times there is a significant boost in the importance of heavy oil resources as the availability of light, sweet crude oil continues to go down. Heavy-oil resources are difficult to extract, transport and refine. Thus, new technologies have to be built up to efficiently upgrade and considerably improve the properties of heavy oil by reducing viscosity, increasing gravity and getting rid of contaminants. One such technology is Vacuum Distillation process. In vacuum distillation, the pressure over a liquid is greatly reduced in order to allow distillation at relatively low temperatures. The products from vacuum distillation like heavy vacuum gas oil and vacuum residue can be further upgraded to obtain light distillates of petroleum. In the present work, a vacuum distillation process is simulated and optimized using Aspen Plus platform to increase the yield of light vacuum gas oil using parameters like pressure drop in the column, number of stages, target temperature of t...

The current energy scenario is alarming due to a continuous depletion in the conventional oil res... more The current energy scenario is alarming due to a continuous depletion in the conventional oil reserves, leading to an obvious hike in petrochemical and the fuel cost. There is a dreadful need for exploration of other potential unconventional sources of energy to sustain the future requirements. Oil Sands have been identified as one of the major sources of unconventional crude oil with major reserves in North America, especially in Canada. Oil Sands are generally a combination of sand with a layer of bitumen coated on it. It is highly viscous and has many impurities present, making it unsuitable for use in its raw form. Oil Sands are processed further through extraction and then upgraded to synthetic crude. This process of extraction is usually done by open pit mining or in – situ extraction depending on the depth of the reserves. Open pit mining usually encompasses the conditioning of bitumen to extract sand and water from it though various techniques including froth flotation. In-s...

To increase the efficiency of the oil reservoirs, there are a number of methods employed for the ... more To increase the efficiency of the oil reservoirs, there are a number of methods employed for the recovery of the unconventional crude oil from the reservoir. There are various impurities such as water, inorganic salts, suspended solids, and water-soluble trace metals often available as a composition of the unconventional crude oil. These impurities are required to be removed before processing the crude further in the process. The most common process employed for the process is the desalting operation. Desalting operation will be requiring the emulsifying and demulsifying process as a main part of it. A number of researchers have studied about the various emulsifying agents. A number of studies are available to study the framework for the removal of water from crude oil. to get the process more and more efficient, there is a dire need to understand the parameters which are affecting the desalting process. In the present study, the various parameters such as operating temperature, amo...

Natural gas has now become a crucial component of world's supply energy. The demand for natur... more Natural gas has now become a crucial component of world's supply energy. The demand for natural gas has risen drastically over the past few years due to its importance in various industries and also for the domestic purposes. Natural gas need to be purified to meet the quality standards since it contains impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which are the main acid gases and can cause corrosion, reduce the heating and sales value of gas. Aqueous amine solutions are proven to be practical solvents for the treatment of natural gas. By simply changing their amine solutions, many inefficient acid gas removal units can be optimized. Tertiary amines like methyl di-ethanol amine (MDEA) are commonly used for the removal of CO2 from gas mixtures or in gas sweetening processes for the extraction of CO2 and H2S. The use of MDEA has been investigated by using a process simulation program called ASPEN Plus. The results show that, at high pressures, amine mixture...

There are currently vast reserves of heavy oil/natural bitumen in the world, offering a potential... more There are currently vast reserves of heavy oil/natural bitumen in the world, offering a potential boost to energy supplies in the next decade as conventional light oil reservoirs run low. However, recovering and upgrading these sources present an immense technological challenge, due primarily to their high viscosity at reservoir conditions. Currently, inefficient and expensive surface mining techniques are the main methods employed which are associated with a high environmental impact. Technologies such as Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) are in commercial use, however, the oil produced from these technologies needs expensive surface upgrading and steam consumption is particularly high. Toe-to-Heel Air Injection, or THAI, along with CAtalytic upgrading PRocess In-situ, or CAPRI, offers very high recovery rates along with significant upgrading of the produced oil which adds to the value of produced oil. In the present study, the various In-sit...

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out... more On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out to be one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history. This high-profile blowout at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico brought the challenges and the perils of drilling into high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) fields increasingly into focus. High-pressure, high-temperature fields exist in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Almost a quarter of HPHT operations worldwide is expected to pass on the American continent particularly in North America. There are so many factors that need to be addressed and learned in order to safely overcome the challenges of drilling into and producing from HPHT oil and gas wells. Drilling into HPHT wells is a new frontier for the petroleum and gas industry. The growing need for oil and gas throughout the world is driving the exploration and production industry to look for raw resources. Some of these r...

Ethyl benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and is also important in the petrochemical industry and ... more Ethyl benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and is also important in the petrochemical industry and as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which is utilized for making polystyrene, it is a common plastic material. The study deals with optimization of the process for the production of ethyl benzene by liquid-phase benzene alkylation. This process involves the reaction of benzene with ethylene to form ethyl benzene. Ethylene reacts with ethyl benzene to form undesired product di-ethyl benzene, if the temperatures of a reactor or concentrations of ethylene are high. Di-ethyl benzene reacts with benzene to form ethyl benzene. Di-ethyl benzene is the highest-boiling component in the system; it comes out the bottom of two distillation columns. The recycling benzene is more expensive. The economic optimum steady-state design is developed that minimizes total annual cost. Therefore, it offers a classic case of an engineering invention and optimization of a procedure. The purpose of t...

Handbook of Nanomaterials for Wastewater Treatment, 2021

Abstract A variety of industrial effluents causing detrimental effects have been posing serious e... more Abstract A variety of industrial effluents causing detrimental effects have been posing serious environmental issues. Efforts have been taken to remove these effluents by using different conventional treatment processes; however, they possess some disadvantages. Nanoadsorbents have desirable characteristics such as uniform particle size, higher removal efficiency, environmental friendly, and selectivity, which are useful for higher pollutant removal. This study highlights the use of nanoadsorbents for effective removal of industrial removal. The factors responsible for adsorption efficiency—contact time, dosage, initial concentration, pH, temperature, ionic strength, and dissolved organic matter—have been discussed in detail. Different characterization techniques have been discussed in detail. Furthermore, different types of adsorption mechanisms such as π-π Interaction, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonding have been elaborated to understand the adsorption of pollutants in detail. Finally, challenges in adsorption, conclusion, and future prospective related to the use of nanomaterials in pollution control have been elaborated.

Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2015

Abstract Present study deals with the development of a nano-porous adsorbent using neem bark for ... more Abstract Present study deals with the development of a nano-porous adsorbent using neem bark for the simultaneous removal of Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Zn(II). The developed adsorbent is characterized using SEM, EDS and TGA. The effect of initial metal concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature and pH are studied to see the performance of nANB for the metal ions removal. Various isotherm, kinetic and mass transfer models are validated with the experimental data and corresponding parameters are estimated. The maximum adsorption capacity of the developed adsorbent for Cu(II) and Zn(II) adsorption are found to be 21.23 and 11.904 mg g−1, respectively. The optimum parameter values for contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature and pH are obtained as 48 h, 6 g L−1, 35 °C and 1.2, respectively, from the experimental results of Cu(II) and Zn(II) removal using nANB. The performance of nANB on the industrial effluent is evaluated by performing equilibrium batch experiments for the simultaneous removal of Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Zn(II) from an aqueous solution. The overall adsorption capacity of the nANB for the removal of multiple metal ions at 200 mg L−1 of each is obtained as 38.95 mg g−1 which is more than double for that obtained for individual metal ions.

Nanoscience &Nanotechnology-Asia, 2012

Extended Abstract The quantity of oil transported over the sea has enormously increased in volume... more Extended Abstract The quantity of oil transported over the sea has enormously increased in volume, encompassing tankers from a capacity of 100,000 to 500,000 tonnes, resulting in increased possibilities of spillage by accident or due to operation. In our day-today life, we sometimes come across in newspapers that an oil tanker collides in mid sea and that large quantity of oil is spilled away, often accompanied by gory pictures of sea/ marine life. An oil spill is a severe environmental problem which persists in marine environments or in inland water across the world, has grown to an alarming magnitude with increased levels of oil production and transport.This is usually followed by protests by environmentalists against the company demanding compensation to bring back the beauty of the sea. This is a normal show which takes place and we the people are not aware of the problems going to be faced in the future both economics and the environmental damages. When an oil spill occurs, eit...

Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2016

Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment, May 27, 2011

Phthalic anhydride is the organic compound whose applications are mainly in the manufacture of ph... more Phthalic anhydride is the organic compound whose applications are mainly in the manufacture of phthalate plasticizers, phthalocyanine dyes, polyester resins and numerous fine chemicals. It is an anhydride of phthalic acid with a colorless nature. This colorless solid is an important industrial chemical, especially for the large scale production of plasticizers for plastics. Its major outlets are phthalate plasticizers, unsaturated polyesters and alkyd resins for surface coatings while its smaller volume applications include polyester polyols, pigments, dyes, sweeteners and flame retardants The present study illustrates a way of producing phthalic anhydride (PA) in a continuous plant, with 99.8 % wt purity, through the oxidation of o-xylene. Maleic anhydride is also obtained as a by-product of the process with 99.5% wt purity. The process was simulated using the process simulator software ASPEN Plus and improving the purity of Phthalic anhydride obtained by introduction of suitable e...

Cyclohexane is used as a non-polar solvent for the chemical industry, and likewise as a raw mater... more Cyclohexane is used as a non-polar solvent for the chemical industry, and likewise as a raw material for the industrial production of adipic acid and caprolactum, both of which are intermediates used in the production of nylon. Nowadays cyclohexane is most important for the production of caprolactum and other nylon intermediate. In the present work, the production of cyclohexane from benzene and hydrogen is simulated using the ASPEN Plus platform. The most import process in the caprolactum production is the removal of the heat evolved from the reaction. In the present work, the process is optimized using trial and error method by changing some independent parameters and methods for the process. Here the issue of transition due to the fluctuation of the thermodynamic model is considered. RK-Soave and NRTL method is examined for more conversion in the procedure. By using NRTL method the molar flow-rate of cyclohexane from distillate is coming to be 43.16, by changing the method, opera...

Formaldehyde, the target product of the present work, is an organic compound representing the mos... more Formaldehyde, the target product of the present work, is an organic compound representing the most elementary configuration of the aldehydes. It behaves as a synthesis baseline for many other chemical compounds, including phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde and melamine resin. The aim of the present work is to reach a 98% conversion of methanol by means of taking out the distillation column and replacing it with a higher duty cooler to bring the product to 37 wt. % of formaldehyde. Simulation was carried out for the formaldehyde production process from the methanol using a silver catalyst. Detailed calculations were performed in this report for all equipment and streams in the plant, taking into account the required process conditions to achieve a production capacity of 60000 tons/year of formalin. Plant’s units and operations were simulated by using the chemical simulation software Aspen plus to gain an optimized position of the operation conditions. With a conversion of 98%, th...

In today's times there is a significant boost in the importance of heavy oil resources as the... more In today's times there is a significant boost in the importance of heavy oil resources as the availability of light, sweet crude oil continues to go down. Heavy-oil resources are difficult to extract, transport and refine. Thus, new technologies have to be built up to efficiently upgrade and considerably improve the properties of heavy oil by reducing viscosity, increasing gravity and getting rid of contaminants. One such technology is Vacuum Distillation process. In vacuum distillation, the pressure over a liquid is greatly reduced in order to allow distillation at relatively low temperatures. The products from vacuum distillation like heavy vacuum gas oil and vacuum residue can be further upgraded to obtain light distillates of petroleum. In the present work, a vacuum distillation process is simulated and optimized using Aspen Plus platform to increase the yield of light vacuum gas oil using parameters like pressure drop in the column, number of stages, target temperature of t...

The current energy scenario is alarming due to a continuous depletion in the conventional oil res... more The current energy scenario is alarming due to a continuous depletion in the conventional oil reserves, leading to an obvious hike in petrochemical and the fuel cost. There is a dreadful need for exploration of other potential unconventional sources of energy to sustain the future requirements. Oil Sands have been identified as one of the major sources of unconventional crude oil with major reserves in North America, especially in Canada. Oil Sands are generally a combination of sand with a layer of bitumen coated on it. It is highly viscous and has many impurities present, making it unsuitable for use in its raw form. Oil Sands are processed further through extraction and then upgraded to synthetic crude. This process of extraction is usually done by open pit mining or in – situ extraction depending on the depth of the reserves. Open pit mining usually encompasses the conditioning of bitumen to extract sand and water from it though various techniques including froth flotation. In-s...

To increase the efficiency of the oil reservoirs, there are a number of methods employed for the ... more To increase the efficiency of the oil reservoirs, there are a number of methods employed for the recovery of the unconventional crude oil from the reservoir. There are various impurities such as water, inorganic salts, suspended solids, and water-soluble trace metals often available as a composition of the unconventional crude oil. These impurities are required to be removed before processing the crude further in the process. The most common process employed for the process is the desalting operation. Desalting operation will be requiring the emulsifying and demulsifying process as a main part of it. A number of researchers have studied about the various emulsifying agents. A number of studies are available to study the framework for the removal of water from crude oil. to get the process more and more efficient, there is a dire need to understand the parameters which are affecting the desalting process. In the present study, the various parameters such as operating temperature, amo...

Natural gas has now become a crucial component of world's supply energy. The demand for natur... more Natural gas has now become a crucial component of world's supply energy. The demand for natural gas has risen drastically over the past few years due to its importance in various industries and also for the domestic purposes. Natural gas need to be purified to meet the quality standards since it contains impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which are the main acid gases and can cause corrosion, reduce the heating and sales value of gas. Aqueous amine solutions are proven to be practical solvents for the treatment of natural gas. By simply changing their amine solutions, many inefficient acid gas removal units can be optimized. Tertiary amines like methyl di-ethanol amine (MDEA) are commonly used for the removal of CO2 from gas mixtures or in gas sweetening processes for the extraction of CO2 and H2S. The use of MDEA has been investigated by using a process simulation program called ASPEN Plus. The results show that, at high pressures, amine mixture...

There are currently vast reserves of heavy oil/natural bitumen in the world, offering a potential... more There are currently vast reserves of heavy oil/natural bitumen in the world, offering a potential boost to energy supplies in the next decade as conventional light oil reservoirs run low. However, recovering and upgrading these sources present an immense technological challenge, due primarily to their high viscosity at reservoir conditions. Currently, inefficient and expensive surface mining techniques are the main methods employed which are associated with a high environmental impact. Technologies such as Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) are in commercial use, however, the oil produced from these technologies needs expensive surface upgrading and steam consumption is particularly high. Toe-to-Heel Air Injection, or THAI, along with CAtalytic upgrading PRocess In-situ, or CAPRI, offers very high recovery rates along with significant upgrading of the produced oil which adds to the value of produced oil. In the present study, the various In-sit...

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out... more On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out to be one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history. This high-profile blowout at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico brought the challenges and the perils of drilling into high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) fields increasingly into focus. High-pressure, high-temperature fields exist in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Almost a quarter of HPHT operations worldwide is expected to pass on the American continent particularly in North America. There are so many factors that need to be addressed and learned in order to safely overcome the challenges of drilling into and producing from HPHT oil and gas wells. Drilling into HPHT wells is a new frontier for the petroleum and gas industry. The growing need for oil and gas throughout the world is driving the exploration and production industry to look for raw resources. Some of these r...

Ethyl benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and is also important in the petrochemical industry and ... more Ethyl benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and is also important in the petrochemical industry and as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which is utilized for making polystyrene, it is a common plastic material. The study deals with optimization of the process for the production of ethyl benzene by liquid-phase benzene alkylation. This process involves the reaction of benzene with ethylene to form ethyl benzene. Ethylene reacts with ethyl benzene to form undesired product di-ethyl benzene, if the temperatures of a reactor or concentrations of ethylene are high. Di-ethyl benzene reacts with benzene to form ethyl benzene. Di-ethyl benzene is the highest-boiling component in the system; it comes out the bottom of two distillation columns. The recycling benzene is more expensive. The economic optimum steady-state design is developed that minimizes total annual cost. Therefore, it offers a classic case of an engineering invention and optimization of a procedure. The purpose of t...