• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2021.11a
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• pp.172-173
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• 2021

With the development of nano-reinforcement technology and the increasing concern for environmental issues, TiO₂ nanomaterials have received wide attention as an additive besides carbon nanomaterials that can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of cement-based materials. Also, TiO₂-based materials can allow cement-baned materials with photocatalytic capability, providing a potentially effective approach to reduce environmental problems. In this work, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and degradation of methylene blue solution were used as target to assess the effect of TiO₂ nanotubes on the mechanical strength and photocatalytic effect of hardened cement paste at different curing time. According to the strength results, the optimum amount of TiO₂ was identified as 0.5% of the weight of cement. Meanwhile, the TiO₂ nanotubes-reinforced specimen exhibited better photocatalytic effect in the early stage of curing.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.591-610
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• 2020

Concrete with activated carbon and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been used to reduce the particulate matter (PM) in underground structures (e.g., tunnels) due to the high performance of nitrogen oxides (NOx) abatement. Damage (e.g. crack, spalling, or detachment) can be caused by the environmental and ageing effects on the surface of the particulate matter reduction concrete, installed on the tunnel lining. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the existence of spalling on the concrete surface for maintaining performance of NOx reduction. In this study, a basic research was performed for feasibility of spalling evaluation using electrical resistivity characteristics. Given the test results, the electrical resistivity was decreased as the ratios of activated carbon (0~15%) and TiO₂ (0~25%) were increased for specimens. Under a dry condition, electrical resistivity of cement specimens, mixed with activated carbon and TiO₂, was decreased up to 2.3 times, compared with the normal cement specimen. In addition, under saturation conditions (degree of saturation: 85~98%), electrical resistivity of cement specimens with activated carbon, was decreased up to 3.5 times, compared with the normal cement specimen. Regardless of the condition (dry or saturated), the difference of electrical resistivity values shows the range of 2.3~2.8 times between the mixing specimen (with activated carbon (15%) and TiO₂ (25%)) and the normal cement specimen. This study can help to provide basic knowledge for spalling evaluation using the electrical resistivity on the surface of the particulate matter reduction concrete in tunnels.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.49-55
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• 2016

This study aims to present the practical Nitrogen monoxide (NO) removal capacity of cement mortar with Titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) which is one of the paving materials by considering the environment of pavement in urban areas. NO removal capacity test under designated conditions of humidity of inflow gas and the test with variation of the degree of saturation of specimen were conducted. In the test for humidity, dry specimen is subject to the test and NO removal ratio was observed. Humidity-NO removal ratio curve is a log normal distribution in shape, and the maximum NO removal ratio appears at specific humidity. NO removal capacity test relying on the degree of saturation was carried out with wet specimen to reflect the unsaturated pavement by rainfall and domestic sewage. Wet specimen presents less NO removal capacity than dry specimen and the recovering evolution of NO removal capacity follows evaporation. Moreover, $TiO_2$ under the specific depth of specimen hardly contributes to NO removal capacity.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.388-395
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• 2016

This paper explores the photocatalytic sensitivity of cement mortar incorporated with recycled $TiO_2$ from waste water sludge. Basically, $TiO_2$ cluster sank down slowly to the bottom of cement mortar specimen before setting and hardening process. This leads the mismatch of $TiO_2$ concentration on the top and the bottom faces of a specimen. This poorly dispersed $TiO_2$-cement mortar naturally exhibits poor NOx removal efficiency especially on the top of cementitious structure. In architectural engineering application such as building or housing structures, one can simply filp over from the bottom so that more $TiO_2$ concentrated surface can be placed outward into the air. However, in highway pavement case, this could not be applicable due to in-situ installation of concrete pavement. Hence, the dispersion of $TiO_2$ cluster inside the cementitous material is getting important issue onto road construction application. To elaborate this issue, according to our results, silica fume, high-ranged water reducer, viscosity agent, blast furnace slag were not enhanced much of dispersion characteristics of $TiO_2$ cluster. The combination of foaming agent and accelerator of hardening with viscosity agent and small grain size of fine aggregate may help the dispersion of $TiO_2$ inside cementitious materials. Even though the enhanced dispersion were applied to the specimen, NOx removal efficiency doest not change much for the top surface of the specimen. This concurrently affected by the presence of tiny air voids and the dispersion of $TiO_2$ in that these voids could easily adsorbed NOx gas with the aid of large surface area.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.240-246
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• 2023

This study was performed to convert NO_x in atmosphere by photochemical reaction utilizing the eco-friendly solar energy. The mortar specimen coated with photocatalyst was fabricated and the photochemical conversion efficiency of NO_x was analyzed. The photocatalyst coated concrete was fabricated by first adding TiO₂ photocatalyst on the bottom of mold first and next adding cement mortar and, then, curing the concrete mortar. The grease was sprayed on the bottom of mold in advance so that the concrete can be demolded easily after curing. The conversion efficiencies of NO_x by photochemical reactions were investigated systematically by changing the process variable conditions of amount of TiO₂ coating, UV-A light intensity, total gas flow rate, relative humidity and initial NO_x concentration. It was confirmed that the photocatalyst coated concrete fabricated in this study could convert NO_x successfully for various process conditions in atmosphere. In future, we believe this research result can be utilized as basic data to design the infrastructure of building, tunnel and road for controlling efficiently the air pollutants such as NO_x, SO_x, and VOCs.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.506-513
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• 2020

In this study, the mechanical properties, absorption, and reduction performance of NOx in the mortar containing mineral admixture like zeolite and active hwangtoh were evaluated. Zeolite and active hwangtoh were used as binder, and zeolite and active hwangtoh were substituted for cement. The substitution ratio of two types of mineral admixtures was considered as 20 and 30% respectively. As a result of evaluating the compressive strength and flexural strength of each mortar specimen, the highest strength in the plain mixture was evaluated. As the substitution ratio of zeolite and active hwangtoh increased, the compressive and flexural strength decreased. In addition, the difference of compressive and flexural strength between active hwangtoh and zeolite mixing was evaluated to be insignificant. To evaluate the absorption rate, the mixture was designed to lower the W/B ratio of the existing mixture and set the substitution ratio of active hwangtoh and zeolite at 25%. The highest absorption ratio in the mortar with zeolite was evaluated, and the difference in absorption ratio between the remaining two mortar mixtures was small. The assessment of reduction performance of NOx considering the application of photocatalyst showed a clearly decreasing reduction behavior, even if they were the same mortar mixture. Zeolite and active hwangtoh also showed a higher NOx reduction than the Plain mixture, because of their porosity properties. In the case of active hwangtoh, the absorption ratio was lower than that of zeolite mixture, but the reduction of NOx performance was better than the result of zeolite mixture.