• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2009

To evaluate the effects of chemical pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass on enzymatic hydrolysis process, Populus euramericana was pretreated for 1 hr with 1% sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$) at $150^{\circ}C$ and 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at $160^{\circ}C$, respectively. Before the enzymatic hydrolysis, each pretreated sample was subjected to drying process and thus finally divided into four subgroups; dried or non-dried acid pretreated samples and dried or non-dried alkali pretreated samples and chemical and physical properties of them were analyzed. Biomass degradation by acid pretreatment was determined to 6% higher compared to alkali pretreatment. By the action of acid ca. 24.5% of biomass was dissolved into solution, while alkali degraded ca. 18.6% of biomass. However, reverse results were observed in delignification rates, in which alkali pretreatment released 2% more lignin fragment from biomass to the solution than acid pretreatment. Unexpectedly, samples after both pretreatments were determined to somewhat higher crystallinity than untreated samples. This result may be explained by selective disrupture of amorphous region in cellulose during pretreatments, thus the cellulose crystallinity seems to be accumulated in the pretreated samples. SEM images revealed that pretreated samples showed relative rough and partly cracked surfaces due to the decomposition of components, but the image of acid pretreated samples which were dried was similar to that of the control. In pore size distribution, dried acid pretreated samples were similar to the control, while that in alkali pretreated samples was gradually increased as pore diameter increased. The pore volume which increased by acid pretreatment rapidly decreased by drying process. Alkali pretreatment was much more effective on enzymatic digestibility than acid pretreatment. The sample after alkali pretreatment was enzymatically hydrolyzed up to 45.8%, while only 26.9% of acid pretreated sample was digested at the same condition. The high digestibility of the sample was also influenced to the yields of monomeric sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, drying process of pretreated samples affected detrimentally not only to digestibility but also to the yields of monomeric sugars.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.275-283
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• 2012

Steel Plate for Rebar Connection was recently developed to splice rebars in delayed slab-wall joints in high-rise building, slurry wall-slab joints, temporary openings, etc. It consists of several couplers and a thin steel plate with shear key. Cyclic loading tests on slab-wall joints were conducted to verify structural behavior of the joints having Steel Plate for Rebar Connection. For comparison, joints with Rebend Connection and without splices were also tested. The joints with Steel Plate for Rebar Connection showed typical flexural behavior in the sequence of tension re-bar yielding, sufficient flexural deformation, crushing of compression concrete, and compression rebar buckling. However, the joints with Rebend Connection had more bond cracks in slabs faces and spalling in side cover-concrete, even though elastic behavior of the joints was similar to that of the joints with Steel Plate for Re-bar Connection. Consequently, the joints with Rebend Connection had less strengths and deformation capacities than the joints with Steel Plate for Re-bar Connection. In addition, stiffness of the joints with Rebend Connection degraded more rapidly than the other joints as cyclic loads were applied. This may be caused by low elastic modulus of re-straightened rebars and restraightening of kinked bar. For two types of diameters (13mm and 16mm) and two types of grades (SD300 and SD400) of rebars, the joints with Steel Plate for Rebar Connection had higher strength than nominal strength calculated from actual material properties. On the contrary, strengths of the joints with Rebend Connection decreased as bar diameter increased and as grade becames higher. Therefore, Rebend Connection should be used with caution in design and construction.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.613-632
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• 2016

The recent diagnosis of the Anthropocene challenges public understanding of nature as a pure and singular entity removed from society, as the diagnosis confirms the earth-changing force of humans. In geography, the nature-society divide has been critically interrogated long before the diagnosis of the Anthropocene, developing several ways of theorizing nature-society relations. This paper introduces a new frontier for such theoretical endeavors: more-than-human geography. Inspired by the material and performative turn in geography and the social sciences around the 2000s, more-than-human geographers have sought to re-engage with the livingness of the world in the study of nature-society relations. Drawing on actor-network theory, non-representational theory (NRT) and vitalism, they have developed innovative ways of thinking about and relating to nature through the key concepts of 'nonhuman agency' and 'affect'. While more-than-human geography has been extensively debated and developed in recent Euro-American scholarship on cultural and economic geography, it has so far received limited attention in Korean geographical studies on nature. This paper aims to address this gap by discussing the key concepts and seminal work of more-than-human geography. I first outline four theoretical strands through which nature-society relations are perceived in geography. I then offer an overview of more-than-human geography, discussing its theoretical foundations and considering ontologies, epistemologies, politics and ethics associated with nature-society relations. Then, I compare more-than-human geography with political ecology, which is the mainstream critical approach in contemporary environmental social sciences. I would argue that more-than-human geography further challenges and develops political ecology through its heightened attention to the affective capacity of nonhumans and the methodological ethos of doing a careful political ecology. I conclude by reflecting on the implications of more-than-human geography for Korean studies on nature-society relations.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2010

Ettringite $(Ca_6[Al(OH)_6]_2(SO_4)_3{\cdot}26H_2O)$ is a sulfate mineral that shows a complicate property in concrete. It is often called as "a cancer of concrete" because secondary ettringite formation in hardened concrete often cause expansion and cracking of concrete due to its expansive crystal structure. In the present study, we tested the possibility for crystal growth inhibition of secondary ettringite by crystallization inhibitors that are commercially used for scaling inhibitors in Korea. For the test, we developed a method of ettringite solution synthesis. Three types of crystallization inhibitors were selected and examined the effects On ettringite growth inhibition. The experimental results of ettringite solution synthesis indicated that ettringite was successfully synthesized under condition that the mass balance between calcium hydroxide saturated solution and aluminum sulfate solution was attained. Monosulfate and semisulfate were synthesized when the ratio of $Ca^{2+}$ ions to ${SO_4}^{2+}$ ions was increased. The induction time of ettringite crystallization was less than 2 min. and crystallization was almost completed within an hour. The experimental results of ettringite crystallization inhibition showed that organic PBCT (2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-Tricarboxylic Acid) and inorganic SHMP (Sodium Hexametaphosphate) were relatively less effective on ettringite crystallization inhibition under experimental conditions. However, organic HEDP (1-Hydoxyethylidene-1,1-Diphosphonic Acid) effectively prevented ettringite growth with producing amorphous gel phase materials up to inhibitor concentration 0.1 vol.% of aluminum sulfate solution.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.503-519
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate ginger growth and its nutrient uptake depending on changes of soil properties as affected by applications of green manure crop and/or charcoal in continuous cropping system. The green manure crops applied were barley and hairy vetch, and charcoal was additionally treated in selected plots as a soil conditioner. Experimental plots were prepared as Plot 1 (control), Plot 2 (barley of 8kg $10a^{-1}$), Plot 3 (hairy vetch of 12kg $10a^{-1}$), Plot 4 (charcoal of 1,000kg $10a^{-1}$ and barley 8kg $10a^{-1}$), and Plot 5 (charcoal of 1,000kg $10a^{-1}$ and hairy vetch of 12kg $10a^{-1}$) with two different soil conditions (high clay content, HCC and low clay content, LCC). When comparing selected chemical properties of soils before and after cultivating ginger plant, soil pH decreased from 6.9~8.1 to 6.8~7.6, and electrical conductivity (EC) also declined from $0.45{\sim}1.25dSm^{-1}$ to $0.30{\sim}0.61dSm^{-1}$. However, the content of soil organic matter (SOM) and total nitrogen (T-N) increased. Thus, the soil chemical properties were improved with the applications of green manures and charcoal. Also, macro- and micro-nutrient contents of ginger plants in the different plots were various between normal and diseased plants grown in soils with HCC and LCC. In particular, the concentration of manganese (Mn) was 3~4 folds higher in the diseased plant than in the normal plants. Ginger growth status and yield was relatively improved with the applications of green manures and charcoal as comparing with control plot. Especially in the Plot 4 with LCC, the ginger plant was not infected by root-rot disease.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.537-544
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• 2021

In order to describe the fill-up stages of a near-surface disposal facility vault, a mock-up test is performed, and its behavior during the fil l -up stages is investigated. On an in-site concrete foundation with a l ength of 6600mm, a width of 6600mm and a thickness of 400mm, a reinforced concrete disposal vaul t is manufactured with 4 precast (PC) corner wal l s and 8 PC side wal l s. 36 wasted drums are pl aced on the 1st fl oor in 6 by 6, and then the empty space is fil l ed with grout fil l er. These processes are repeated up to the 5th floor, and the verticality and the joint gaps are measured for each fill-up stage. The verticality is measured using a level at 6 positions on each side wall (3 positions on the left and right sides, respectivel y), i.e. a total of 24 positions on the 4 side wal l s. The joint gaps are measured at 9 positions on each side wal l (3 positions on the left, center and right sides, respectively), I.e. a total 36 positions on the 4 side walls. To measure the joint gaps, crack tips are installed on the left and right sides of every joint gap, and vernier calipers are used. The measured verticality obtained through the mock-up test was found to be ±0.1° based on the initial stage (ST0), and the result of the joint gap was up to 0.38mm. This appears to have a negligible effect on the structure.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2021

The quantitative measurement of interfacial adhesion energy (Gc) of multilayer thin films for Cu interconnects was investigated using a double cantilever beam (DCB) and 4-point bending (4-PB) test. In the case of a sample with Ta diffusion barrier applied, all Gc values measured by the DCB and 4-PB tests were higher than 5 J/㎡, which is the minimum criterion for Cu/low-k integration without delamination. However, in the case of the Ta/Cu sample, measured Gc value of the DCB test was lower than 5 J/㎡. All Gc values measured by the 4-PB test were higher than those of the DCB test. Measured Gc values increase with increasing phase angle, that is, 4-PB test higher than DCB test due to increasing plastic energy dissipation and roughness-related shielding effects, which matches well interfacial fracture mechanics theory. As a result of the 4-PB test, Ta/Cu and Cu/Ta interfaces measured Gc values were higher than 5 J/㎡, suggesting that Ta is considered to be applicable as a diffusion barrier and a capping layer for Cu interconnects. The 4-PB test method is recommended for quantitative adhesion energy measurement of the Cu interconnect interface because the thermal stress due to the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion and the delamination due to chemical mechanical polishing have a large effect of the mixing mode including shear stress.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.371-388
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• 2023

A stratum with a complex composition and a distributed low-permeability soil layer is difficult to remediate quickly because the soil remediation does not proceed easily. For efficient purification, the permeability should be improved and the soil remediation agent (H₂O₂) should be injected into the contaminated section to make sufficient contact with the TPH (Total petroleum hydrocarbons). This study analyzed a method for crack formation and effective delivery of the soil remediation agent based on pneumatic fracturing, plasma blasting, and vacuum suction (the PPV method) and compared its improvement effect relative to chemical oxidation. A demonstration test confirmed the effective delivery of the soil remediation agent to a site contaminated with TPH. The injection amount and injection time were monitored to calculate the delivery characteristics and the range of influence, and electrical resistivity surveying qualitatively confirmed changes in the underground environment. Permeability tests also evaluated and compared the permeability changes for each method. The amount of soil remediation agent injected was increased by about 4.74 to 7.48 times in the experimental group (PPV method) compared with the control group (chemical oxidation); the PPV method allowed injection rates per unit time (L/min) about 5.00 to 7.54 times quicker than the control method. Electrical resistivity measurements assessed that in the PPV method, the diffusion of H₂O₂2 and other fluids to the surface soil layer reduced the low resistivity change ratio: the horizontal change ratio between the injection well and the extraction well decreased the resistivity by about 1.12 to 2.38 times. Quantitative evaluation of hydraulic conductivity at the end of the test found that the control group had 21.1% of the original hydraulic conductivity and the experimental group retained 81.3% of the initial value, close to the initial permeability coefficient. Calculated radii of influence based on the survey results showed that the results of the PPV method were improved by 220% on average compared with those of the control group.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.491-501
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• 2022

Bentonite has been proposed as a buffer and backfill material for high-level radioactive waste repository. Under such repository environment conditions, bentonite is subjected to combined thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. This study evaluates the feasibility of applying X-ray CT technology on the characterization of bentonite under hydration conditions using a newly developed testing cell. The cylindrical cell is made of platic material, with a removable cap to place the sample, enabling to apply vertical pressure on the sample and to measure swelling pressure. The hydration test was carried out with a sample made of Gyeonju bentonite, with a dry density of 1.4 g/cm³, and a water content of 20%. The sample had a diameter of 27.5 mm and a height of 34 mm. During the test, water was injected at a constant pressure of 0.207 MPa, and lasted for 7 days. After one day of hydration, bentonite swelled and filled out the space inside the cell. Moreover, CT histograms showed how the hydration process induced an initial increase and later progressive decrease on the density of the sample. Detailed profiles of the mean CT value, CT standard deviation, and CT gradient provided more details on the hydration process of the sample and showed how the bottom and top regions exhibited a decrease on density while the middle region showed an increase, especially during the first two days of hydration. Later, the differences in CT values with respect to the initial state decreased, and were small at the end of testing. The formation and later reduction of cracks was also characterized through CT scanning.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.113-126
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• 2022

The tectonic history of the Chukchi Abyssal Plain in the Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean, has not been fully explored due to the harsh conditions of sea ice preventing detailed observation. Existing models of the tectonic history of the region provide contrasting interpretation of the timing of formation of the crust (Mesozoic to Cenozoic), crust type (from hyper-extended continental crust to oceanic crust), and formation process (from parallel/fan-shaped rifting to transformation faulting). To help determine the age of the oceanic crust, the geothermal gradient was measured at three stations in the south of abyssal plain at depth of 2,160-2,250 m below sea level. Heat flow measurement stations were located perpendicular to the spreading axis over a 40 km-long transect. In-situ thermal conductivity measurement, corrected by the laboratory test, gave observed marine heat flows of 55 to 61 mW/m². All measurements were taken during Arctic expeditions in 2018 (ARA09C expedition) and 2021 (ARA12C expedition) by the Korean ice-breaking research vessel (IBRV) Araon. Given the assumption of oceanic crust, the results correspond to formation in the Late Cretaceous (Mesozoic). The inferred age supports the hypothesis of formation activated by the opening of the Makarov Basin during the Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic. This would make it contemporaneous with rifting of the Chukchi Border Land immediately east of the abyssal plain. The heat flow data indicate the base of the gas hydrate stability zone is located 332-367 m below the seafloor, this will help to identify the gas hydrate-related bottom simulating reflector in the future seismic survey, as already identified on the Chukchi Plateau. Further geophysical surveys, including heat flow measurements, are required to increase our understanding of the formation process and thermal mantle structure of the abyssal plain.