• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2017

In this review, we focus on one of the most attractive biomaterials, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). MFC, a type of nanocellulose, mainly originates from cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass. MFC represents one of incredible important natural resources due to its abundancy, renewability, and sustainability. MFC is produced through mechanical pretreatment, and it is composed of various sizes of microfibers, ranging from a few nanometers to a few micrometers. Because of the heterogenetic compositions of MFC, it possesses superior properties as a material, such as high surface area, high aspect ratio, and peculiar insolubility as a biomaterial. These properties allow MFC to be used in various bio-industries, from the traditional pulp industry to the high-tech food/bio/chemical/medical industries. However, it is difficult to use MFC on a commercial scale owing to the high energy input required during its production and the challenge of controlling its reactivity. Therefore, future studies should be focused on accurately characterizing MFC's surface morphologies, regulating its characteristics in a desirable direction, and standardizing proper guidelines for the analysis of surface morphologies its analysis.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2015

Environmental problems from petroleum-based plastic wastes have been rapidly increasing in recent years. The alternative solution is focus on the development of environmental friendly plastic derived from renewable resource. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer synthesized from biomass having potential to replace the petroleum-based non-degradable polymers utilizations. PLA can be synthesized by two methods: (1) ring-opening of lactide intermediate and (2) direct polycondensation of lactic acid processes. The latter process has advantages on high yields and high purity of polymer products, materials handling and ease of process treatments. The polymerization process of PLA synthesis has been widely studied in a laboratory scale. However, the mass scale production using direct polycondensation of lactic acid has not been reported. We have investigated the kinetics and scale-up process of direct polycondensation method to produce PLA in a pilot scale. The order of reaction is 2 and activation energy of lactic acid to lactic acid oligomers is 61.58 kJ/mol. The pre-polymer was further polymerized in a solid state polymerization (SSP) process. The synthesized PLA from both the laboratory and pilot scales show the comparable properties such as melting temperature and molecular weight. The appearance of synthesized PLA is yellow-white solid powder.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.465-469
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of torrefied OPF (oil palm fronds) as the fuel. The torrefaction was performed at 200, 250, 300 and $350^{\circ}C$ during 1 and 2 hours, respectively. As raising the torrefaction temperature and increasing the processing time, the GHV (gross heating value) of torrefied OPFs was increased. Moreover, we found that the torrefaction temperature is more important factor than the processing time. However, the proper torrefaction temperature was asked because the higher torrefaction temperature leaded to the lower torrefied OPF yield. TGA (thermo-gravimetric analysis) data released that the torrefaction at $250^{\circ}C$ could significantly decompose the hemicellulose and the almost cellulose was decomposed at $300^{\circ}C$. In addition, the grindability of biomass was improved after torrefaction, so that it can reduce energy consumption in comminution.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.94-103
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• 2017

Surface soil is one of the most important resources that have many functions for human needs such as conservation of water resource, purification of contaminated materials, and productivity of food or energy. However, the surface soil is a limited resource that cannot be recovered readily for a long time once it is lost by erosion. In Korea, the Ministry of Environment enacted the notification on the investigation of surface soil erosion and corresponding countermeasures. As the results, database of soil quality assess criteria (biomass, groundwater recharge, habitat, carbon storage, buffer, and soil loss) was established, and the web-based system that can evaluate surface soil conditions was developed. However, non-experts have difficulties in using the system because the system requires in-depth knowledge about soil qualities. In this study, the Web Geographic Information System (GIS) watershed-based surface soil information system was developed to improve usability of the system and accessibility of soil quaility database. The system provides the current condition of surface soil characteristics and GIS-based soil data at selected locations. The users are able to download soil quality data in different districts, watersheds, and special regions allocated by TauDEM module. The system developed in this study would valuable surface soil information for studies of soil quality and its environmental effects, and thereby contributing to establishing more appropriate and robust soil conservation laws.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.465-469
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• 2006

Two mesophilic trickling bed bioreactors filled with two different types of media, hydrophilic- and hydrophobic-cubes, were designed and tested for hydrogen production via anaerobic fermentation of sucrose. Each reactor consisted of a column packed with polymeric cubes and inoculated with heat-treated sludge obtained from anaerobic digestion tank. A defined medium containing sucrose was fed with changing flow rate into the capped reactor, hydraulic retention time and recycle rate. Hydrogen concentrations in gas-phase were constant, averaging 40% for all conditions tested. Hydrogen production rates increased up to $10.5 L{\cdot};h^{-1}{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of reactor when influent sucrose concentrations and recycle rates were varied. Hydrophobic media provided higher value of hydrogen production rate than hydrophilic media at the same operation conditions. No methane was detected when the reactor was under a normal operation. The major fermentation by-products in the liquid effluent of the both trickling biofilters were acetate and butyrate. The reactor filled with hydrophilic media became clogged with biomass and bio gas, requiring manual cleaning of the system, while no clogging occurred in the reactor with hydrophobic media. In order to make long-term operation of the reactor filled with hydrophilic media feasible, biofilm accumulation inside the media in the reactor with hydrophilic media and biogas produced from the reactor will need to be controlled through some process such as periodical backwashing or gas-purging. These tests using trickling bed biofilter with hydrophobic media demonstrate the feasibility of the process to produce hydrogen gas in a trickle-bed type of reactor. A likely application of this reactor technology could be hydrogen gas recovery from pre-treatment of high carbohydrate-containing wastewaters.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.455-460
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• 2020

In order to identify the characteristics of fine particle emissions from thermal power plants, this study conducted measurement of the primary emission concentration of TPM, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 according to Korea standard test method (ES 01301.1) and ISO 23210 method (KS I ISO 23210). Particulate matters were sampled in total 74 units of power plants such as 59 units of coal-fired power plants, 7 units of heavy oil power plants, 2 units of biomass power plant, and 6 units of liquid natural gas power plants. The average concentration of TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 by fuel are 3.33 mg/m³, 3.01 mg/m³, 2.70 mg/m³ in coal-fired plant, 3.02 mg/m³, 2.99 mg/m³, 2.93 mg/m³ in heavy oil plant, 0.114 mg/m³, 0.046 mg/m³, 0.036 mg/m³ in LNG plant, respectively. These results of TPM, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were satisfied with the standards of fine dust emission allowance in all units of power plants, respectively. Also, this study evaluated the characteristics of fine particle emissions by conditions of power plants including generation sources, boiler types and operation years and calculated emission factors and then evaluated fine particle emissions by sources of electricity generation.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2015

This study was carried out simulating domestic utilization conditions of a wood pellet stove and a wood pellet boiler in order to determine emission factors (EFs) of macro-pollutants, i.e., carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ammonia, particulate matters (total suspended particulate, $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$, black carbon) and trace pollutants (i.e., ten different volatile organic compounds). The composite pollutants EFs for the pellet stove were: for TSP 4.58 g/kg, for $PM_{10}$ 3.35 g/kg, for $PM_{2.5}$ 2.48 g/kg, CO 119.23 g/kg, NO 14.40 g/kg, $SO_2$ 0.17 g/kg, TVOC 37.73 g/kg, $NH_3$ 0.02 g/kg and emissions were similar to the pellet boiler appliance: for TSP 4.73 g/kg, for $PM_{10}$ 3.41 g/kg, for $PM_{2.5}$ 2.63 g/kg, CO 161.51 g/kg, NO 13.67 g/kg, $SO_2$ 0.19 g/kg, TVOC 45.22 g/kg, $NH_3$ 0.02 g/kg.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2015

Manually fed firewood burning appliances, i.e., stove and boiler, were tested in order to determine emission factors (EFs) of macro-pollutants, i.e., carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ammonia, particulate matters (total suspended particulate, $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$, black carbon) and trace pollutants (i.e., ten different volatile organic compounds). The composite pollutants EFs for the wood stove were: for TSP 15.45 g/kg, for $PM_{10}$ 6.53 g/kg, $PM_{2.5}$ 4.16 g/kg, CO 175.49 g/kg, NO 1.58 g/kg, $SO_2$ 0.15 g/kg, TVOC 48.02 g/kg, $NH_3$ 0.02 g/kg and emissions were similar to the wood boiler appliance: for TSP 12.23 g/kg, for $PM_{10}$ 5.84 g/kg, $PM_{2.5}$ 3.66 g/kg, CO 146.74 g/kg, NO 1.42 g/kg, $SO_2$ 0.15 g/kg, TVOC 47.78 g/kg, $NH_3$ 0.01 g/kg.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1157-1167
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• 2018

Sulfolobus species can grow on a variety of organic compounds as carbon and energy sources. These species degrade glucose to pyruvate by the modified branched Entner-Doudoroff pathway. We attempted to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under sugar-limited and sugar-rich conditions. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to quantify the expression of the genes and identify those DEGs between the S. acidocaldarius cells grown under sugar-rich (YT with glucose) and sugar-limited (YT only) conditions. The functions and pathways of the DEGs were examined using gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to validate the DEGs. Transcriptome analysis of the DSM 639 strain grown on sugar-limited and sugar-rich media revealed that 853 genes were differentially expressed, among which 481 were upregulated and 372 were downregulated under the glucose-supplemented condition. In particular, 70 genes showed significant changes in expression levels of ${\geq}$ twofold. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the genes encoding components of central carbon metabolism, the respiratory chain, and protein and amino acid biosynthetic machinery were upregulated under the glucose condition. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses indicated that the sulfur assimilation genes (Saci_2197-2204) including phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate reductase and sulfite reductase were significantly upregulated in the presence of glucose. The present study revealed metabolic networks in S. acidocaldarius that are induced in a glucose-dependent manner, improving our understanding of biomass production under sugar-rich conditions.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.508-513
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• 2011

Hemp is known as one of the most productive and useful plants, which grows quickly in a moderate climate with only moderate water and fertilizer. Traditionally in Korea, hemp bast is used to natural fibres, and remaining such as stem and root is treated as waste. Those of hemp by-products can be transformed to bio fuel such as bio-oil and activated carbon. To understand pyrolysis characteristics, thermogravimetric analysis were carried out in TGA, in which hemp by-products were mostly decomposed at the temperature range of $270{\sim}370^{\circ}C$. The corresponding kinetic parameters including activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined by differential method over the degree of conversions. The values of activation energies for pyrolysis were increased as the conversion increased from 10 to 90%.