• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.289-308
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• 2021

This study conducts coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical numerical modeling to investigate the maximum temperature and conditions for securing mechanical stability of the high-level radioactive waste repository when temperature criteria of bentonite buffer are 100℃ and 125℃, respectively. In case of temperature criterion of buffer as 100℃, the maximum temperatures at the interface between canister and buffer are calculated to be 99.4℃ and 99.8℃, respectively for a case with disposal tunnel spacing of 40 m and deposition hole spacing of 5.5 m and for the other case with disposal tunnel spacing of 30 m and deposition hole spacing of 6.5 m. In case of temperature criterion of buffer as 125℃, spacings of disposal tunnel and deposition hole could be decreased to 30 m and 4.5 m, respectively, which reduces the disposal area up to 55% compared to the disposal area of KRS⁺. According to analysis of mechanical stability for various disposal spacings, RMR of rock mass for KRS⁺ should be larger than 72.4 which belongs to good rock in RMR classification to prevent failure of rock mass. As disposal spacing is decreased, required RMR of rock mass is increased. In order to prevent failure of rock mass for a case with disposal tunnel spacing of 30 m and deposition hole spacing of 4.5 m, RMR larger than 87.3 is needed. However, mechanical stability of the repository is secured for all cases with RMR over 75 considering the enhancement of rock strength due to confining stress induced by swelling of the bentonite buffer and backfill.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2022

Petroleum-based plastics are used for various purposes and pose a significant threat to the earth's environment and ecosystem. Many efforts have been taken globally in different areas to find alternatives. As part of these efforts, this study manufactured alginate-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended films by casting from an aqueous solution prepared by mixing 10 wt% petroleum-based PVA with biodegradable, marine biomass-derived alginate. Glutaraldehyde was used as a cross-linking agent, and cardanol, an alkyl phenol-based bio-oil extracted from cashew nut shell, was added in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 wt% to grant antibacterial activity to the films. FTIR and TGA were performed to characterize the manufactured blended films, and the tensile strength, degree of swelling, and antibacterial activity were measured. Results obtained from the FTIR, TGA, and tensile strength test showed that alginate, the main component, was well distributed in the PVA by forming a matrix phase. The brittleness of alginate, a known weakness as a single component, and the low thermal durability of PVA were improved by cross-linking and hydrogen bonding of the functional groups between alginate and PVA. Addition of cardanol to the alginate-based PVA blend significantly improved the antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. The antibacterial performance was excellent with a death rate of 98% or higher for S. aureus and about 70% for E. coli at a contact time of 60 minutes. The optimal antibacterial activity of the alginate-PVA blended films was found with a cardanol content range between 0.1 to 0.5 wt%. These results show that cardanol-containing alginate-PVA blended films are suitable for use as various antibacterial materials, including as food packaging.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.30-58
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• 2022

The deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is a multi barrier system comprised of engineered barriers and a natural barrier. The long-term integrity of the deep geological repository is affected by the coupled interactions between the individual barrier components. Erosion and piping phenomena in the compacted bentonite buffer due to buffer-rock interactions results in the removal of bentonite particles via groundwater flow and can negatively impact the integrity and performance of the buffer. Rapid groundwater inflow at the early stages of disposal can lead to piping in the bentonite buffer due to the buildup of pore water pressure. The physiochemical processes between the bentonite buffer and groundwater lead to bentonite swelling and gelation, resulting in bentonite erosion from the buffer surface. Hence, the evaluation of erosion and piping occurrence and its effects on the integrity of the bentonite buffer is crucial in determining the long-term integrity of the deep geological repository. Previous studies on bentonite erosion and piping failed to consider the complex coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical behavior of bentonite-groundwater interactions and lacked a comprehensive model that can consider the complex phenomena observed from the experimental tests. In this technical note, previous studies on the mechanisms, lab-scale experiments and numerical modeling of bentonite buffer erosion and piping are introduced, and the future expected challenges in the investigation of bentonite buffer erosion and piping are summarized.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.302-311
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of castor oil (CSO) as a natural wood preservative. CSO was treated into wood blocks prepared with domestic and imported wood species using a vacuum-pressure method, and then treatability, leachability and decay resistance of the CSO-treated wood blocks were examined. Although CSO was penetrated effectively into wood blocks of all wood species, the CSO-treatability was the highest in Western hemlock, followed by Japanese larch (LA), soft maple and Mongolian oak due to the difference of its anatomical structure. Except for LA, the more retained, the more leached during a saline water-immersing process for 48h. The use of ethanol added to reduce the viscosity of CSO affected negatively the treatability and leachability of wood blocks. Decay resistance, which was evaluated by the weight loss of wood blocks exposed against Fomitopsis palustris (FOP) and Trametes versicolor, of the CSO-treated/leached wood blocks was superior to that of control. Especially, most of wood blocks treated with preserving solution composed of only CSO (CSO-2) did not decayed and showed a very low weight loss against FOP. The decay resistance results from CSO retained in wood blocks after leaching. The retention of CSO could identify using the observation of X-ray microscope. Length of wood strips, which were treated with CSO-2 and then immersed in saline water for 2 weeks, hardly changed in all cutting directions. In addition, weight gain and length-swelling rate of the wood strips were extremely low compared to those of control. These results indicate that moisture resistance of the wood strips was improved by the CSO treatment. It is concluded that the treatment of CSO using a vacuum-pressure method provides the decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood, and thus CSO can be used as a natural wood preservative on various indoor and outdoor circumstances.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of chicken feather (CF), which is a by-product in poultry industry, as a partial substitute of wood fiber in the production of wood-based fiberboard. Keratin-type protein constituted the majority of CF, and its appearance did not differ from that of wood fiber. When the formaldehyde (HCHO) adsorptivities of CF compared by its pretreatment type, feather meal (FM), which was pretreated CF with high temperature and pressure and then grounded, showed the highest HCHO adsorptivity. In addition, there was no difference between the adsorbed HCHO amounts, which was measured by dinitrophenylhydrazine method, of scissors-chopped CF and CF beated with an electrical blender. Mechanical properties and HCHO emission of medium-density fiberboards (MDF), which were fabricated with wood fiber and 5 wt% CF, beated CF or FM based on the oven-dried weight of wood fiber, were not influenced by the pretreatment type of CF. However, when the values compared with those of MDF made with just wood fiber, thickness swelling and HCHO emission of the MDF were improved greatly with the addition of CF, beated CF or FM. Based on the results, it might be possible to produce MDF with improved dimensional stability and low HCHO emission if CF, beated CF or FM is added partially as a substitute of wood fiber in the manufacturing process of MDF produced with the conventional urea-formaldehyde resin of $E_1$ grade. However, the use of CF or FM in the production of MDF has a low economic feasibility at the current situation due to the securing difficulty and high cost of CF. In order to enhance the economic feasibility, it requires to use CF produced at small to medium-sized chicken meat plants. More importantly, it is considered that the technology developed from this research has a great potential to make provision for the prohibition of animal-based feed and to dispose environmentally avian influenza-infected poultry.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2005

The major obstacle in the popularization of Chungkookjang is the short shelf-life of $2{\sim}3$ months and some problems concerning storage including the growth of molds even in the products even within shelf-life. To solve these problems we conducted a research to improve its storage by using the vacuumed packaging and sanitary method through seed culture, innoculation and sterilization. For the optimization of storage time, temperature and sterilization temperature, we measured viable cell numbers of bacteria and fungi, amount of gas outbreak and contents of amino type nitrogen and monitored these experimental results by response surface methodology of SAS program, so that we could observe the quality changes of Chungkookjang during shelf-life. Especially fungi, which are the biggest troublemaker in Chungkookjang shelf-life, couldn't be detected from the generally and vacuum-packed samples; also, viable cell numbers were highly influenced by sterilization temperature and in vacuum-packed samples. In the case of vacuum-packed samples, amount of gas outbreak was highly influenced by sterilization temperature of its storage conditions and it was higher in generally packed samples as compared to vacuum-packed samples even at any storage conditions. The changes of pH in generally and vacuum-packed samples were highly influenced by the storage temperature. As the temperatures of storage and sterilization were higher and the storage time was longer, so the amount of gas outbreak was accordingly lower. These results showed that amino type nitrogen contents in generally and vacuum-packed samples were systematically influenced by the temperature, storage time and sterilization temperature. Also the result showed that the change of amino type nitrogen contents during storage was less in vacuum-packed samples than in general ones. Based on the above results, we can produce Chungkookjang products with extended shelf-life of as far as 6 months without any quality change using sanitary manufacturing method, vacuumed packaging condition, sterilization in $70^{\circ}C$ for 60 minutes and storage under $10^{\circ}C$ during shelf-life. According to this research, we have the possibility to greatly increase the goods value of Chungkookjang by developing the manufacture processing and packaging.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1017-1027
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• 1995

This study was attempted to investigate physicochemical properties, molecular structural properties of native and acid-treated chestnut starch and chestnut starch gel. The amylose content was 18.9% and X-ray diffraction pattern showed Cb type. Swelling power was increased abruptly in the range of $65^{\circ}C{\sim}75^{\circ}C$ but increased slowly after that and solubility was increased abruptly until $70^{\circ}C$ but increased slowly after that. In amylograms which have different heating temperatures, cooling viscosity at $50^{\circ}C$ was reduced as heating temperature was increased. In molecular structural properties of amylose, ${\lambda}_{max}$ was 640 nm, ${\beta}-amylolysis$ limit was 84.2% and the degree of polymerization was 951 and in those of amylopectin, ${\lambda}_{max}$ was 570 nm, ${\beta}-amylolysis$ limit was 58.2%, the degree of polymerization was 1371 and average chain length was 22.6. In gel chromatography elution profiles of starch and amylose, 4.0% and 11.5% of low molecular weight-molecules($<5{\times}10^5$) were leached out. In gel chromatography elution profiles of soluble starch, the higher heating temperature was, the more high molecular weight-starches were leached out. The elution profiles after debranching amylopectin with pullulanase showed 2.2 of the ratio of peakIII(DP 10-15) to peakII(DP 35-45). Acid hydrolysis extent of 2.2 N HCI-treated starch at $35^{\circ}C$ for 10 days was 96% and hydrolysis rate showed two step pattern which had border line at 4 days. In elution profiles of acid treated chestnut starch, amylopectin peak was disappeared compeletly after 6 hrs and converted short chains of DP 10-15. Amylose content was increased until 6 hrs but decreased after that. Hardness of starch gel made at $75^{\circ}C$ of heating temperature and cohesiveness of starch gel made at $85^{\circ}C$ of heating temperature were the highest. Retrogradation rate of starch gels were relatively high, especially for the starch gel made at $75^{\circ}C$ of heating temperature.

• Journal of Chitin and Chitosan
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.110-117
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• 2017

This study was conducted to examine the physicochemical properties and hot air-dried and spray-dried powders process of sweet potato and steamed sweet potato. The moisture and the total starch contents were 1.66~2.19% and 52.65~57.42%, respectively. The total starch contents increased during process steaming. The water absorption index of the spray-dried powders (0.97 and 2.03) was lower than that of the hot air-dried powders (2.12 and 4.71), and the water solubility index of the spray-dried powders (83.83 and 86.95%) was higher than that of the hot air-dried powders (68.40 and 81.21%). The particle size and outer topology of the spray-dried powders were 46.18 and $65.53{\mu}m$, and its shape was generally globular. In the DSC analysis of this study, the $T_o$ of the spray-dried powders (64.40 and $67.80^{\circ}C$), $T_p$ of the spray-dried powders (74.40 and $78.20^{\circ}C$), and $T_c$ of the spray-dried powders (81.10 and $81.60^{\circ}C$) was higher than that of the hot air-dried powders. The solubility contents of the spray-dried powders (68.21 and 80.73%) was lower than that of the hot air-dried powders, and the swelling power contents of the spray-dried powders (14.79 and 15.35%) was higher than that of the hot air-dried powders. The amylose contents of spray-dried powders (11.67 and 12.51%) was lower than that of the hot air-dried powders. The soluble dietary fiber contents of spray-dried powders (1.34 and 2.02%) was higher than that of the hot air-dried powders.

• 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.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.636-648
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• 2010

Two types of wild grape extracts(WGE) prepared by different methods were added into butter-top bread at different concentrations(0, 5, 10, 15, 20% of water). Then, the resulting breads were analyzed for their physicochemical and sensory properties in order to identify whether or not the WGE-enriched breads were comparable to control bread in terms of qualities and preferences. Wild grape sugar mixture(WGS), which was prepared by osmotic dehydration of wild grape fruits with the same amounts of sugar, presented significantly lower moisture content and titratable acidity as well as higher pH and sugar content compared to wild grape juice(WGJ), which was produced by boiling the fruits in a vacuum jar and squeezing. The pH of the doughs and breads containing WGE tended to decrease with increasing amounts of WGE, and this phenomenon was more appreciable in those containing WGJ than WGS. This was presumably due to the higher contents of tartaric acid in WGJ. For both types of extracts, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the doughs decreased with the addition of WGE, nevertheless, which properties were not remained in the resulting breads. This could be partially attributed to the relatively high degree of baking loss and lower pH of the WGE-enriched breads than those of control bread. Contrary to the mechanical analyses, the sensory properties of the breads were dependent on the WGE type. That is, WGJ-enriched bread showed lower consistency and moistness than control bread, which consequently led to relatively lower overall acceptability. However, WGS addition did not adversely affect the sensory properties of the bread. In particular, addition of 5% WGS somewhat improved the physical and sensory qualities of the bread. Thus, WGE-enriched bread could be produced without loss of bread quality when prepared with 5% WGS.