• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제62권1호
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• pp.19-26
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• 2024

In this study, the electrochemical properties of SiOx@C composite materials were prepared to alleviate volume expansion and cycle stability of silicon and to increase the capacity of anode material for LIBs. SiO₂ particles of 100, 200, and 500 nm were synthesized by the Stӧber method, and reduced to SiOx (0≤x≤2) through the magnesiothermic reduction method. Then, SiOx@C anode materials were synthesized by carbonization of PVC on SiOx. The physical properties of prepared SiOx and SiOx@C anode materials were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and BET. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cycling performance, rate performance, CV and EIS test. As a result, the SiOx@C-7030 manufactured by coating carbon at SiOx : C = 70 : 30 on a 100 nm SiOx with the smallest particle size showed the best electrochemical properties with a discharge capacity of 1055 mAh/g and a capacity retention rate of 81.9% at 100 cycles. It was confirmed that cycle stability was impoved by reducing particle size and carbon coating.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.193-205
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• 2021

The importance of forests and trees in climate change mitigation and soil nutrient cycling cannot be overemphasized. This study assessed the above-ground carbon stock of two exotic and two indigenous tree species - Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Khaya grandifoliola and Nauclea diderrichii and their litter impact on soil nutrient content of an arboretum within the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Data were collected from equal sample plots from the four species' compartments. Tree growth variables including total height, diameter at breast height, crown height, crown diameter and merchantable height were measured for the estimation of above-ground carbon stock. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-30 cm from each compartment and analyzed for particle size distribution, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases, exchangeable acidity, cation exchange capacity, base saturation, pH, Manganese, Iron, Copper and Zinc. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for significant difference (p<0.05) in the carbon contents of the four species and the soil nutrient contents of the different species' compartments. Pearson correlation was used to assess the relationships between the carbon contents, growth parameters and soil parameters. The highest and lowest carbon stock per hectare was observed for G. arborea (151.52 t.ha^-1) and K. grandifoliola (45.45 t.ha^-1) respectively. Cation exchange capacity and base saturation were highest and lowest for soil under G. arborea and K. grandifoliola respectively. The pH was highest and lowest for soil under G. arborea and T. grandis respectively. Carbon stock correlated positively with dbh, crown diameter, merchantable height and Zn and negatively with base saturation. The study revealed that G. arborea and N. diderrichii can effectively be used for reforestation and afforestation programmes aimed at climate change mitigation across Nigeria. Therefore, policies to encourage and enhance their planting should be encouraged.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.157-163
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• 2011

Atmospheric aerosol deposition caused by Asian dust (KOSA) events provide nutrients, trace metals, and organic compounds over the Pacific Ocean that enhance ocean productivity and carbon sequestration and, thus, influence the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and climate. Using dust particles obtained from the snow layers on Mt. Tateyama and the surface sand of Loess Plateau in incubation experiments with natural seawater samples on a shipboard, we demonstrate that dust-particle additions enhanced the bacterial growth on the first day of incubation. Gram-positive bacterial group and alpha-proteobacteria were specifically detected form seawater samples including the mineral particles. Although the remarkable dynamics of trace elements and nutrients depend on dust-particle additions, it is possible that organic compounds present in the mineral particles or transported microbial cells could also contribute to an increase in the quantities of bacteria. The chlorophyll concentrations at fractions of every size indicated a similar pattern of change between the seawater samples with and without the dust-particle additions. In contrast, the chlorophyll measurement using submersible fluorometer revealed that the dynamics of phytoplankton composition were influenced by the dust-particles treatments. We conclude that the phytoplankton that uses the bacterial products would increase their biomass. We show that KOSA deposition can potentially alter the structures of bacterial communities and indirectly influence the patterns of marine primary production in the Pacific Ocean.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권8호
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• pp.1155-1160
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• 2012

Sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification relies on an inorganic carbon source to reduce the nitrate by producing sulfuric acid as an end product and can be used for the treatment of wastewaters containing high levels of nitrates. In this study, sulfur-denitrifying bacteria were used in anoxic batch tests with sulfur as the electron donor and nitrate as the electron acceptor. Various medium components were tested under different conditions. Sulfur denitrification can drop the medium pH by producing acid, thus stopping the process half way. To control this mechanism, a 2:1 ratio of sulfur to oyster shell powder was used. Oyster shell powder addition to a sulfur-denitrifying reactor completely removed the nitrate. Using 50, 100, and 200 g of sulfur particles, reaction rate constants of 5.33, 6.29, and $7.96mg^{1/2}/l^{1/2}{\cdot}h$ were obtained, respectively; and using 200 g of sulfur particles showed the highest nitrate removal rates. For different sulfur particle sizes ranging from small (0.85-2.0 mm), medium (2.0-4.0 mm), and large (4.0-4.75 mm), reaction rate constants of 31.56, 10.88, and $6.23mg^{1/2}/l^{1/2}{\cdot}h$ were calculated. The fastest nitrate removal rate was observed for the smallest particle size. Addition of chemical oxygen demand (COD), methanol as the external carbon source, with the autotrophic denitrification in sufficiently alkaline conditions, created a balance between heterotrophic denitrification (which raises the pH) and sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification, which lowers the pH.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.123-131
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• 2016

Background: With the increase in the number of particle accelerator facilities under either operation or construction, the accurate calculation using Monte Carlo codes become more important in the shielding design and radiation safety evaluation of accelerator facilities. Materials and Methods: The calculations with different physics models were applied in both of cases: using only physics model and using the mix and match method of MCNPX code. The issued conditions were the interactions of 600 MeV proton and $290MeV{\cdot}n^{-1}$ oxygen with a carbon target. Both of cross-section libraries, JENDL High Energy File 2007 (JENDL/HE-2007) and LA150, were tested in this calculation. In the case of oxygen ion interactions, the calculation results using LAQGSM physics model and JENDL/HE-2007 library were compared with D. Satoh's experimental data. Other Monte Carlo calculations using PHITS and FLUKA codes were also carried out for further benchmarking study. Results and Discussion: It was clearly found that the physics models, especially intra-nuclear cascade model, gave a great effect to determine proton-induced secondary neutron spectrum in MCNPX code. The variety of physics models related to heavy ion interactions did not make big difference on the secondary particle productions. Conclusion: The variations of secondary neutron spectra and particle transports depending on various physics models in MCNPX code were studied and the result of this study can be used for the shielding design and radiation safety evaluation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권7호
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• pp.2178-2182
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• 2011

Recently, the synthesis of ordered macroporous materials has received much attention due to its potential use as photonic band gap materials.$^1$ In this study, we have used the three-dimensional (3D) latex array template impregnated with benzenesulfonic acid (BSA), which is capable of catalyzing the reaction using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor and distilled water. The polystyrene (PS) templates were reacted with TEOS in $scCO_2$ at 40 $^{\circ}C$ and at 80 bar. In the reactor, TEOS was filtrated into the PS particle lattice. After the reaction, porous silica materials were obtained by calcinations of the template. The stability test of the PS template in pure $CO_2$ was conducted before the main experiment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the reaction in $scCO_2$ takes place only on the particle surface. This new method using $scCO_2$ has advantages over conventional sol-gel processes in its capability to control the fluid properties such as viscosity and interfacial tension. It has been found that the reaction in $scCO_2$ occurs only on the particle surface, making the proposed technique as more rapid and sustainable method of synthesizing inverse opal materials than conventional coating processes in the liquid phase and in the vapor phase.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.451-455
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• 2012

To compare an electrical and optical characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) and carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode on flexible and reflective display, we fabricate two charged particle-type display panels under the same panel condition of which the width of ribs is 10 ${\mu}m$, the cell size is $300{\mu}m{\times}300{\mu}m$, the q/m value of the white particles is -4.3 ${\mu}C/g$ and that for the black is +1.3 ${\mu}C/g$, and the cell gap is 75 ${\mu}m$, 125 ${\mu}m$, and 175 ${\mu}m$. We use plastic substrates coated with ITO and CNT electrode. To evaluate optical property, we measure a response time of particles using a laser and a photodiode. Threshold and driving voltages of CNT electrode according to the sheet resistance of 300, 600, 1,000 (ohm/sq) are compared with ITO electrode of 10 (ohm/sq). A response time of the CNT panel is similar to that of ITO panel, but the threshold and driving voltages of CNT panel are higher than that of ITO panel, inducing a large bombardment of the particles and shortening the lifetime of the panel. High difference of a threshold and a driving voltage of CNT panel will induce an particle clumping, resulting degradation of the panel. A bending radius of the fabricated CNT panel is 18 ${\mu}m$.

• Carbon letters
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.22-27
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• 2010

The precipitation polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) was carried out in a mixture solution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and water at $50{\sim}65^{\circ}C$ using ${\alpha},{\alpha}'$-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. The increased molecular weight polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was prepared with increasing the $H_2O$/DMSO ratio from 10/90 to 80/20. The viscosity average molecular weight of $H_2O$/DMSO solvent was 4.4 times larger than that of $H_2O$/DMF solvent, and precipitation polymerization was accelerlated due to the far decreased chain transfer effect of DMSO. Based on the experimental results, the increased PAN molecular weight was regarded as the summation of two mechanisms: i) particle-particle aggregation and ii) particle-radical attachment. The theoretical equation derived from the mechanisms was well coincided with the experimental results showing the linear relationship between the viscosity average molecular weight and the H2O/DMSO ratio.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.415-422
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• 2008

Drinking water treatment is enhanced by coagulant dosages and chlorine injection because of pH increase in raw water in droughty seasons such as spring and fall. But water quality deterioration is occurred by increase in residual aluminium and disinfection by-products. Coagulation process can be used to control natural organic matter (NOM) during water treatment. The effect of coagulation process appeared to depend on the pH of water rather than coagulant dosages. In this study, for water treatment in high pH season $H_2SO_4$ was applied for pH adjustment at full scale. Before and after pH adjustment by $H_2SO_4$ injection, water quality of drinking water was evaluate. In the result of investigation of total organic carbon (TOC) removal in high pH season, TOC was removed approximately 30~40%, which showed decrease in water treatment efficiency. Also, it is increased both particle numbers and residual Al concentration in the water. After $H_2SO_4$ injection for adjustment to pH<7.5 in settled water, treated water turbidity decreased in 0.047 NTU from 0.059 NTU, and particle numbers of filtered water decreased in 20/mL from 90/mL. On the other side, TOC removal efficiency increased in approximately 10% after adjustment of pH. In the result of decrease in pH in raw water through more coagulants and prechlorine without $H_2SO_4$ injection, trihalomethanes (THMs) concentration increased in $16{\mu}g/L$ from $8{\mu}g/L$.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.222-228
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• 2016

Background: We are developing a small size dosimeter for dose estimation in particle therapies. The developed dosimeter is an optical fiber based dosimeter mounting an radiation induced luminescence material, such as an OSL or a scintillator, at a tip. These materials generally suffer from the quenching effect under high LET particle irradiation. Materials and Methods: We fabricated two types of the small size dosimeters. They used an OSL material Eu:BaFBr and a BGO scintillator. Carbon ions were irradiated into the fabricated dosimeters at Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC). The small size dosimeters were set behind the water equivalent acrylic phantom. Bragg peak was observed by changing the phantom thickness. An ion chamber was also placed near the small size dosimeters as a reference. Results and Discussion: Eu:BaFBr and BGO dosimeters showed a Bragg peak at the same thickness as the ion chamber. Under high LET particle irradiation, the response of the luminescence-based small size dosimeters deteriorated compared with that of the ion chamber due to the quenching effect. We confirmed the luminescence efficiency of Eu:BaFBr and BGO decrease with the LET. The reduction coefficient of luminescence efficiency was different between the BGO and the Eu:BaFBr. The LET can be determined from the luminescence ratio between Eu:BaFBr and BGO, and the dosimeter response can be corrected. Conclusion: We evaluated the LET dependence of the luminescence efficiency of the BGO and Eu:BaFBr as the quenching effect. We propose and discuss the correction of the quenching effect using the signal intensity ratio of the both materials. Although the correction precision is not sufficient, feasibility of the proposed correction method is proved through basic experiments.