• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.266-275
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• 2012

In this study, a method is devised to implement a supercritical $CO_2$ ($scCO_2$) injection environment on a laboratory scale and to investigate the effects of $scCO_2$ on the properties of rock specimens. Specimens of shale and sandstone normally constituting the cap rock and reservoir rock, respectively, were kept in a laboratory reactor chamber with $scCO_2$ for two weeks. From this stage, a chemical reaction between rock surface and the $scCO_2$ was induced. The effect of saline water was also investigated by comparing three conditions ($scCO_2$-rock, $scCO_2-H_2O$-rock and $scCO_2$-brine(1M)-rock). Finally, we checked the changes in the properties before and after the reaction by destructive and nondestructive testing procedures. The swelling of shale was a main concern in this case. The experimental results suggested that $scCO_2$ has a greater effect on the swelling of the shale than pure water and brine. It was also observed that the largest swelling displacement of shale occurred after a reaction with the $H_2O-scCO_2$ solution. The results of a series of the destructive and nondestructive tests indicate that although each of the property changes of the rock differed depending on the reaction conditions, the $H_2O-scCO_2$ solution had the greatest effect. In this study, shale was highly sensitive to the reaction conditions. These results provide fundamental information pertaining to the stability of $CO_2$ storage sites due to physical and chemical reactions between the rocks in these sites and $scCO_2$.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.5-11
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• 2024

Promising geological structures for carbon dioxide capture and subsurface storage include aquifers, depleted reservoirs, and gas fields. Among these, aquifers are gaining attention due to their potential for storing significant amounts of carbon dioxide compared to other geological structures. Therefore, there is a growing interest in enhancing carbon dioxide storage efficiency by understanding the characteristics of aquifers and developing technologies tailored to their properties. In this study, the storage efficiency of carbon dioxide injection following surfactant pre-injection into porous micro-models was evaluated. The results indicate that as the concentration of the surfactant solution injected prior to carbon dioxide injection increases, storage efficiency improves. Conversely, lower concentrations require more surfactant injection to enhance storage efficiency. Furthermore, under identical surfactant concentration conditions, the storage efficiency from surfactant pre-injection prior to supercritical carbon dioxide injection is approximately 30% lower compared to surfactant-co-solvent substitution as observed in previous studies. However, under the maximum concentration conditions investigated in this study, similar storage efficiencies to those of previous studies were achieved. These findings are expected to guide concentration determinations for surfactant application aimed at enhancing carbon dioxide storage efficiency in aquifers in future studies.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.5-11
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• 2023

The engineering industry heavily relies on fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum to generate energy through combustion. However, this process emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. To mitigate this issue, researchers have explored various methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, one of which is carbon dioxide underground storage technology. This innovative technology involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial plants and injecting it into the saturated ground layer beneath the earth's surface, storing it securely underground. Despite its potential benefits, carbon dioxide underground storage efficiency needs improvement to optimize storage in a limited space. To address this challenge, our research team has focused on improving storage efficiency by utilizing surfactants. Furthermore, we evaluated how different carbon dioxide states, including gaseous, liquid, and supercritical, impact storage efficiency based on their respective pressures and temperatures within the underground reservoir. Our findings indicate that using surfactants and optimizing the injection rate can effectively enhance storage efficiency across all carbon dioxide states. This research will pave the way for more efficient carbon dioxide underground storage, contributing to mitigating the environmental impact of fossil fuels on the planet.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.71-78
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• 2005

The vaporization characteristics of a liquid heptane droplet in a supercritical nitrogen flow is numerically analyzed. The present model can account for real gas effects, liquid-phase internal circulation, variable thermodynamic properties and high-pressure effects. Time marching method with preconditioning scheme is employed to handle the low Mach number flows in dense heptane droplet region. Computations are made for the wide range of convective velocity and ambient pressure. Numerical results indicate that the droplet deformation becomes stronger by increasing the Reynolds number and it becomes relatively weak by increasing the pressure.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2008

For the evaluation of brominated flame retardants included in polymeric electronic devices, we investigated the extraction methods and solvent systems for four different types of polymers of PC (polycarbonate), PP (polyropylene), PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) and PBT (poly(butylene terephthalate)) using different solvent systems of hexane/acetone, THF, toluene, and THF/toluene. In order to compare the extraction efficiency of different methods and solvent systems, the deca-BDE (decabromo diphenyl ether) flame retardant was included in PC, PP, PET and PBT systems and subsequently extracted by soxhlet, ultrasonic, accelerated solvent, microwave and supercritical fluid extraction methods. The amount of the extracted flame retardant was monitored to evaluate the extraction efficiency. The ultrasonic extraction method was found not to be acceptable as an extraction method for the polymer systems mainly due to a low salvation efficiency of the organic solvents. Soxhlet, accelerated solvent and microwave extraction methods exhibited over 80% of extraction efficiency for toluene. The supercritical fluid extraction method, which has been used as an extraction method for flame retardants in polymers, showed the extraction efficiencies of ca. 100% for PC and PP in the optimal extraction conditions of $60^{\circ}C$ and 120 bar.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.453-458
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• 2009

Recently, new methods to synthesize and process polymers without toxic organic solvents are needed in order to solve environmental problems. The use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent for the polymer synthesis is attractive since it is non-toxic, non-flammable, naturally abundant, and the product may be easily separated from the solvent. In this study, we developed the method using super critical $CO_2$ to prepare P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel nanoparticles as an intelligent drug delivery carrier. The effects of concentrations of PtBuMA-PEO as a dispersion stabilizer and AIBN as an initiator on the particle synthesis were investigated. When PtBuMA-PEO concentration increased, the particle size decreased. However, there was no significant difference in the particle size according to the AIBN concentration. There was a drastic change of the equilibrium weight swelling ratio of P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel nanoparticles at a pH of around 5, which is the $pK_a$ of PMAA. At a pH below 5, the hydrogels were in a relatively collapsed state but at a pH higher than 5, the hydrogels swelled to a high degree. In release experiments using Rh-B as a model solute, the P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel nanoparticles showed a pH-sensitive release behavior. At low pH(pH 4.0) a small amount of Rh-B was released while at high pH(pH 6.0) a relatively large amount of Rh-B was released from the hydrogels.

• Clean Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2017

In this study, the supercritical carbon dioxide ($scCO_2$)/ n-butyl acetate (n-BA) co-solvent system was employed to remove an unexposed negative photoresist (PR) from the surface of a silicon wafer. In addition, the selectivity of the $scCO_2$/n-BA co-solvent system was confirmed for the unexposed and exposed negative PR. Optimum conditions for removal of the unexposed PR were obtained from various conditions such as pressure, temperature and n-BA ratio. The n-BA was highly soluble in $scCO_2$ without cloud point and phase separation in mostly experimental conditions. However, the $scCO_2$/n-BA co-solvent was phase separated at 100 bar, above $80^{\circ}C$. The unexposed and exposed PR was swelled in $scCO_2$ solvent at all experimental conditions. The complete removal of unexposed PR was achieved from the reaction condition of 160 bar, 10 min, $40^{\circ}C$ and 75 wt% n-BA in $scCO_2$, as measured by ellipsometry. The exposed photoresist showed high stability in the $scCO_2$/n-BA co-solvent system, which indicated that the $scCO_2$/n-BA co-solvent system has high selectivity for the PR removal in photo lithograph process. The $scCO_2$/n-BA co-solvent system not only prevent swelling of exposed PR, but also provide efficient and powful performance to removal unexposed PR.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.319-325
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• 2004

An experimental study on the preparation of monolithic porous polymers by environmentally friend process in supercritical carbon dioxide has been carried out. Polymerization mixture composed of a cross-linking monomer, initiator and functional co-polymer was charged in the reactor with sapphire window. After the system was purged with a flow of $CO_2$ for 15 min, the reactor was pressurized with liquid $CO_2$ up to 100 bars. The reactor was isolated from and placed back to the system via quick connector for shaking until the mixture had become fully homogeneous. The reactor was then heated and pressurized to the required reaction conditions and left overnight. After cooling and $CO_2$ evacuation, the polymer was removed from the reactor as dry, white, continuous monoliths. The effect of experimental conditions on the physical properties of porous polymer was systematically examined, and it was found that monomer content had a major effect on the physical properties of the polymers.

• Clean Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2011

Some ionic liquids are suitable for catalysts and solvents which are applicable to $CO_2$ fixation reaction converting $CO_2$ to carbonate. Using the ionic liquids, the synthesis process will become greener and simpler because of easy catalyst recycling and unnecessary use of volatile and harmful organic solvents. In this work, the synthesis of propylene carbonate from propylene oxide using carbon dioxide and ionic liquids were measured at high pressures up to ~140 bar and at temperatures between $60^{\circ}C$ and $80^{\circ}C$. As a results, we found the optimum condition and obtained the maximum yield under that condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

The cryogenic nitrogen spray of a swirl injector has been numerically investigated using three dimensional LES turbulence model to analyze the dynamic characteristics under supercritical condition. To predict the precise nitrogen properties under supercritical condition, SRK equation of state, Chung's method for viscosity and thermal conductivity and Takahashi's correlation based on Fuller's theory for diffusion coefficient are implemented. The complex flow structures due to interaction between flow field and acoustic field are observed inside and outside the injector under supercritical condition. FFT, POD, and DMD techniques are employed to understand the coherent structures. By implementing the FFT, the dominant frequencies are identified inside and outside the injector. The coherent flow structures related to the dominant frequencies are visualized using the POD and DMD techniques. In addition, the DMD provides the damping coefficient which is related with the instability prediction.