• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2023

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is the most promising polymer in additive manufacturing as an alternative to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Since it is produced from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar beets, it is also biocompatible and biodegradable. However, PLA has a couple of issues that limit its use. First, it has a comparatively low glass transition temperature of around 60 ℃, such that it exhibits low thermal resistance. Second, PLA has low impact strength because it is brittle. Due to these problems, scientists have found methods to improve the crystallinity and ductility of PLA. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most studied plasticizers for PLA to give it chain mobility. However, the blend of PLA and PEG becomes unstable, and phase separation occurs even at room temperature as PEG is self-crystallized. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the optimal mixing ratio of PLA-PEG at the molecular scale. In this study, molecular dynamics will be conducted with various ratios of L-type PLA (PLLA) or DL-type PLA-PEG (PDLA-PEG) systems by using BIOVIA Materials Studio.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2024

Membranes are increasingly used in a variety of applications including desalination, gas separation, disposable filters, and healthcare products. Recently, sustainable and green membrane fabrication technology is recognized as one of the decisive initiatives to reach the target of pollution control. Especially, the fabrication of bio-based membranes using such as poly lactic acid (PLA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and polybutylene succinate (PBS) has attracted considerable attention. The phase inversion method is one of the versatile approaches for preparing PLA membranes. This article reviews the recent advances in PLA membrane preparation via the phase inversion method. Furthermore, it provides a perspective on the potential outlook for future advances. Overall, this review has demonstrated has been conducted in the area of bio-based PLA membranes.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2023

Because of the global pollution caused by plastic disposal, demand for eco-friendly transformation in the packaging industry is increased. As part of that, the utilization of polylactic acid (PLA) as a food packaging material is increased. However, it is necessary to improve the crystallinity of PLA by adding nucleating agents or to improve the modulus by adding fillers because of the excessive brittleness of the PLA matrix. Thus, the cellulose nanofiber (CNF) was fabricated and dried to obtain a powder form and applied to the CNF/PLA nanocomposite. The effect of CNF on the morphological, thermal, rheological, and dynamic mechanical properties of the composite was analyzed. We can confirm the impregnated CNF particle in the PLA matrix through the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the crystallinity of not annealed CNF/PLA nanocomposite was increased approximately 2 and 4 times in the 1st and 2nd cycle, respectively, with the shift to lower temperature of cold crystallization temperature (T_cc) in the 2nd cycle. Moreover, the crystallinity of annealed CNF/PLA nanocomposite increased by 13.4%, and shifted T_cc was confirmed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Dyers and Finishers Conference
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• 2011.03a
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• pp.108-108
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• 2011

PLA 즉 폴리유산섬유는 옥수수를 발효하여 글루코오스(포도당)상태를 만든 후 젖산(유산, Lactic acid)으로 만들고 이것을 탈수, 축합반응시켜 polylactic acid로 만든 것이다. 생분해성이 있으므로 저탄소, 녹색성장의 모토를 대변하는 소재라는 이점이 있다. 구조는 에스테르기의 반복단위를 가지는 소수성 섬유로 벤젠환은 없으나 그 외 구조는 폴리에스테르와 비슷하며, 에스테르기가 존재하므로 분산염료와 수소결합하여 염착된다. 그러나 PLA는 융점이 $170^{\circ}C$, Tg $57^{\circ}C$로 내열성이 낮아서 염색온도, 열처리온도, 다림질에 제약이 있으며, 알칼리에 약한 단점이 있다. 따라서 PLA섬유는 낮은 염착량, 내알칼리성, 염착온도 때문에 염색 및 후가공 단계에 많은 사전 실험을 통한 조건 설정이 필요한 까다로운 섬유이다. 본 연구에서는 (주)휴비스의 PLA원사로 제직한 직물(경사:DTY 75/72SD, 위사:DTY 100/72SD, 조직:DOBBY) 생지에 대하여 열처리 시 장력의 유무, 온도, 시간에 따른 폭의 변화를 측정하여 수축률을 알아보았다. 또한, PLA직물을 온도별로 정련한 후 열처리하여 인열강도 측정을 통해 최적 전처리 조건을 조사하였다. 실험결과, PLA생지를 무장력 상태에서 열처리 시 수축이 심하게 일어나고, 장력이 주어져도 열처리 온도에 따라 수축의 정도에 차이가 나타났다. 열처리 시간은 30, 60, 90, 120초로 주었으나 큰 편차는 없었고, 경사가 위사보다 수축 정도가 더 컸으며, $130^{\circ}C$에서는 전체적으로 수축이 심하였다. 생지의 정련에는 인산에스테르계 정련제와 약알칼리인 탄산나트륨으로 조액하여 60, 70, 80, $90^{\circ}C$에서 10분간 처리한 후, Lab. tenter(Mathis, LTE)를 이용하여 110, 120, $130^{\circ}C$에서 30, 60, 90, 120초간 열처리한 다음, KS K 0535 펜듈럼법에 의거하여 인열강도를 측정하였다. 그 결과, 상기 정련온도에서는 인열강도에 영향을 주지 않았으나, 열처리 온도가 $130^{\circ}C$일 때 현저한 강도의 저하를 나타내었다. 실험조건 하에서 가장 적절한 열처리 조건은 $110^{\circ}C$, 60초로 사료된다. 따라서 PLA의 약한 내열성과 내알칼리성 실험결과, 강도나 수축 등 물성변화가 일어나지 않도록 열처리 온도의 제어에 주의가 필요함을 확인할 수 있었다. 실제 섬유가공 작업현장에서는 일반적으로 열처리기가 $180^{\circ}C$이상의 고온으로 고정된 경우가 많은데, 작업자들에게 PLA소재에 대한 사전주의 및 공정변경에 대한 주지가 요구된다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.673-680
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• 2022

In this study, based on PLA, we analyzed the Hounsfield Unit (HU) of materials containing 20% each of aluminum, wood, copper, carbon, and marble, and tried to analyze how they affect the image. A cylindrical phantom of 5×30×30 ㎣ (thickness×diameter×height) was fabricated using a entry-level 3D printer. The kV was changed to 80, 100 and 120, and the mAs was changed to 100 and 200 mAs, and the phantom in the center of the table was cross-scanned under a total of six conditions. A circular ROI was set using image J program and the quantification value of the material part HU and the quantification value of the peripheral part CNR were obtained. The HU average of the material part increased in the order of [PLA - wood 20%], [PLA - marble 20%], [PLA - carbon 20%], [PLA 100%], [PLA - aluminum 20%], [PLA - copper 20%] (p<0.05) a negative correlation was confirmed with the HU by increasing kV. It was confirmed that the CNR value in the peripheral area increased in the order of [PLA - marble 20%], [PLA - copper 20%], [PLA - carbon 20%], [PLA - wood 20%], [PLA - aluminum 20%], and [PLA - 100%] (p<0.05). Human organs with similar HU values for each material are [PLA - copper 20%] compact bone, [PLA - aluminum 20%] cancellous bone, [PLA 100%] coagulated blood, [PLA - carbon 20%] and [PLA - marble 20%] liver, muscle, spleen and [PLA - wood 20%] had similar values to fat. In addition, we confirmed the blur phenomenon that blurs the image around the filament with all materials, and confirmed that [PLA 100%] especially has the most blur around the filament. Therefore, it is considered desirable to reflect the HU value of the target organ and consider cloudiness around the phantom when selecting materials for medical phantom fabrication, and this research can provide basic data.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.342-349
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• 2010

Lactic acid is widely used in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and there is an increasing demand for lactic acid as the raw material of poly lactic acid(PLA), which is a biodegradable polymer. Lactic acid production has been changing over from production by synthesis to production by fermentation, since the fermentation process is more nature friendly and economic. However, the fermentation method generates excess water and impurities with high boilers. The presence of high boilers and non volatility of lactic acid makes the separation of lactic acid very difficult job. Also, the purification-separation process requires the many investment costs and energy costs. Reactive distillation concept was also introduced for the process, giving higher selectivity and yield compared to the convention method. We introduce a new highly integrated process, reactive diving wall column, to reduce the capital and energy cost for producing a pure lactic acid. The reactive dividing wall column combines reactive distillation and dividing wall column. We compared capital and energy consumption required for the purification of lactic acid the between the proposed design structures. And we examined the effect of major process variables on the process performance and determined optimal process.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.206-210
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• 2011

We fabricated rod-like poly(lactic acid)(PLA) specimens through applying various methods of equal-channel angular extrusion(ECAE) process and investigated the change of thermal and mechanical properties of specimens before and after each ECAE process. Combining three re-injection routes(A, BC, and C) and three pass counts(1, 2 and 4) allowed us to fabricate 7 different PLA specimens. Thermal properties of each specimen were measured by both differential scanning calorimeter and thermo-gravimetric analyzer. Shear strains of each specimen with respect to applied loads were measured by indentation hardness tester. Field emmision scanning electron microscopy was used to observe internal microstructure of cross-section of each specimen. The observed microstructures qualitatively supported the explanation of hardness test results. Among 7 specimens, PLA-P2A showed the biggest shear strain probably due to its dense microstructure.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2003

Lactic acid bacteria with amylolytic and acid producing activities can ferment starch directly to lactic acid thereby producing a monomer for the production of biodegradable poly lactic acid (PLA). In this study, the strain producing L-lactic acid from soluble starch was isolated from Nuruk. The isolated strain was identified as Enterococcus sp. through its morphological, cultural, biochemical characteristics as well as the 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and named Enterococcus sp. JA-27. Enterococcus sp. JA-27 produced exclusively L-lactic acid from soluble starch as a carbon source. The optimal conditions for the maximum production of L-lactic acid from Enterococcus sp. JA-27 were 30 C, pH 8, 1.5 % soluble starch as a substrate and 3.5 % tryptone as a nitrogen source, 0.1 % $K_2$$HPO_4$, 0.04 % $MgSO_4$. $7H_2$O, 0.014 % $MnSO_4$$.$4$H_2O$, 0.004% $FeSO_4$$.$$7H_2$O. Batch and fed batch culture were carried out and the former was more effective. L-Lactic acid production in the optimum medium was significantly increased in a 7 L jar fermenter, where the maximum L-lactic acid concentration was 3 g/L. For the purification of lactic acid in fermented broth, two stage ionexchange column chromatographies were employed and finally identified by HPLC.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.126-131
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• 2023

Growing environmental concerns regarding pollution caused by conventional plastics have increased interest in biodegradable polymers as alternative materials. The purpose of this study is to develop a 100% biodegradable nanocomposite material by introducing organic nucleating agents into the biodegradable and thermoplastic resin, poly(lactic acid), to improve its properties. Accordingly, cellulose nanofibers, an eco-friendly material, were adopted as a substitute for inorganic nucleating agents. To achieve a uniform dispersion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) within PLA, the aqueous solution of nanofibers was lyophilized to maintain their fibrous shape. Then, they were subjected to primary mixing using a twin-screw extruder. Test specimens with double mixing were then produced by injection molding. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to confirm the reinforced physical properties, and it was found that the addition of 1 wt% CNFs acted as a reinforcing material and nucleating agent, reducing the cold crystallization temperature by approximately 14℃ and increasing the degree of crystallization. This study provides an environmentally friendly alternative for developing plastic materials with enhanced properties, which can contribute to a sustainable future without consuming inorganic nucleating agents. It serves as a basis for developing 100% biodegradable green nanocomposites.