• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.62-67
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• 2004

Performance of carbon-carbon composites is known to be influenced by the fibre matrix interactions. The present investigation was undertaken to ascertain the development of microstructure in such composites when carbon fibres possessing different surface energies (T-300, HM-35, P120 and Dialed 1370) and pitch matrices with different characteristics (Coal tar pitch $SP110^{\circ}C$ and mesophase pitch $SP285^{\circ}C$) are used as precursor materials. These composites were subjected to two different heat treatment temperatures of $1000^{\circ}C$ and $2600^{\circ}C$. Quite interesting changes in the crystalline parameters as well as the matrix microstructure are observed and attempt has been made to correlate these observations with the fibre matrix interactions.

• Carbon letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2006

Porous carbon materials were prepared with a thermal treatment of coal tar pitch at 550 in the Ar gas. Growth, merger, and distribution of pore were characterized with scanning electron microscopy as variation ascending temperature gradient and chamber pressure. After graphitizing at the 2600 (1 hr.), walls and connecting parts between pores were investigated with X-ray diffraction patterns. Wall thickness and pore size decreases as increasing ascending temperature gradient, and pore size becomes homogeneous. Graphite quality and thermal conductivity become higher due to the enhanced orientation of walls and connecting parts between pores.

• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.118-126
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• 2004

MCMB (Mesocarbon microbeads) is a kind of anode material for lithium-ion secondary battery. MCMB charge/discharge cycle stability is one of the important criterion at lithium-ion battery operation. In this study, the cycling stability of a lithium-ion secondary battery has been examined. MCMB was made by the direct solvent extraction method. After the MCMB was carbonized and graphitized, the measurement of charge/discharge capacity and efficiency were carried out. In the result, discharge capacity of MCMB in the initial cycle was above 290.0 mAh/g. After the second cycle, efficiency of charge/discharge MCMB was about 98%. These results were similar to the commercial MCMB product.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2003

In this study, densified 4D carbon/carbon composites were made from carbon fiber and coal tar pitch through the process of pressure impregnation and carbonization and then followed by carbonization and graphitization. To improve the oxidative resistance of the prepared carbon/carbon composites, the surface of carbon/carbon composites was coated on SiC by the pack cementation method. The SiC coated layer was created by depending on the constitution of pack powder, and reaction time of pack-cementation. The morpology of crystalline and texture of these SiC coated carbon/carbon composites were investigated by XRD, SEM/EDS observation. So the coating mechanism of pack-cementation process was proposed. The oxidative res istance were observed through the air oxidation test, and then the optimal condition of pack cementation was found by them. Besides, the oxidative mechanism of SiC formed was proposed through the observation of SiC coated surface, which was undergone by oxidation test.

• Carbon letters
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2008

Multidirectional reinforcement is aimed primarily at overcoming interlaminar weakness, hence a major interest lies in the mechanical properties of multidirectional carbon/carbon composites. Mechanical properties depend on the type of carbon fiber, the size of the fiber bundle, the spacing of the bundles, the angles of the bundles relative to the axes of the block, and matrix formation. In the present studies, PAN based carbon fiber preforms manufactured different size of unit cell have been prepared. Densification of these used high pressure infiltration and carbonization technique with coal tar pitch as matrix precursor was carried out. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the fracture behavior of composites. The size of unit cell of the preforms has considerably affected on the flexural properties as well as microstructure of the carbon/carbon composites.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.124-134
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• 2005

To investigate the exposure effect of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), we measured airborne total PAHs as an external dose, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as an internal dose of PAHs exposure, and analyzed the relationship between urinary 1-OHP concentration and PAHs exposure. The study population contained 44 workers in steel-pipe coating and paint manufacture industries. The airborne PAHs was obtained during survey day, and urine were sampled at the end of shift. Personal information on age, body weight, height, eniployment duration, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption was obtained by a structured questionnaire. Airborne PAHs were analyzed by the gas chromatograph with mass selective detector. Urinary 1-OHP levels were analyzed by the high performance liquid chromatograph with ultraviolet wavelength detector. For statistical estimation, t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, arid regression analysis were executed by SPSS/PC (Windows version 10). The mean of environmental total PAHs was $87.8{\pm}7.81{\mu}g/m^3$. The mean concentration ($526.5{\pm}2.85{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries using coal tar enamel was the higher than that ($17.5{\pm}3.36{\mu}g/m^3$) of workers in paint manufacture industries using coal tar paint. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration ($51.63{\pm}3.144{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in steel-pipe coating industries was the higher than that ($2.33{\pm}4.709{\mu}\;mol/mol$ creatinine) of workers in paint manufacture industries. The mean of urinary 1-OHP concentration of smokers was the higher than that of non-smokers. There was significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the environmental concentration of PAHs (r=O.S48, p<0.001), pyrene(r=0.859, p<0.001), and urinary cotinine (r=0.324, p<0.05). The regression equation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP in ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine($C_{1-OHP}$) and airborne concentration of PAHs (or pyrene) in ${\mu}g/m^3$ ($C_{PAHs}$ or Cpyrene) is: Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=-0.650+0.889×Log($C_{PAHs}$), where $R^2=0.694$ and n=38 for p<0.001.Log ($C_{1-OHP}$)=1.087+0.707${\times}$Log(Cpyrene), where $R^2=0.713$ and n=38 for p<0.001. From the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis about 1-OHP, significant independents were total PAHs and urinary cotinine (adjusted $R^2=0.743$, p<0.001). In this study, there were significant correlation between the urinary concentration of 1-OHP and the airborne concentration of PAHs. The urinary 1-OHP was effective index as a biomarker of airborne PAHs in workplace. But it was influenced by non-occupational PAHs source, smoking.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.499-504
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• 2015

The composite anodes of expanded graphite (EG) and multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) for microbial fuel cells were fabricated by using coal tar pitch (CTP) binder containing nickel (Ni), and the effect of the anodes with the binders on the performance of the MFCs were examined in a batch reactor. During the start-up of the MFCs, quick increase in voltage was observed after a short lag phase time, indicating that the CTP binder is biocompatible. The biomass attatched on the anode surface was more at higher Ni content in the binder, as well as at smaller amount of CTP binder for the fabrication of the anode. The internal resistance of the MFC was smaller for the anode with more biomass. Based on the results, the ideal combination of CTP and Ni for the CTP binder for anode was 2 g and 0.2 g, respectively. The maximum power density was $731.8mW/m^2$, which was higher 23.7% than the anode with Nafion binder as control. The CTP binder containing Ni for the fabrication of anode is a good alternative in terms of performance and economics of MFCs.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.194-205
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• 1994

In this research, we attempt to fabricate an excellent CFRC(Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon), which has good thermal and mechanical properties, with 8H/satin woven fabric prepreg, high modulus and high strength type continuous carbon fiber and raw coal tar pitch(RCTP) matrix or THF soluble fraction(THFSP) matrix which has good graphitizability. Green bodies were fabricated with hot press molding technique and CFRC samples were made after carbonization, impregnation, recarbonization and graphitization steps. For the purpose of characterization of the physical properties, SEM, polarized light microscope, TGA were observed, and tested flexural strength, modulus and ILSS. After heat treating the THFSP matrix up to $2300^{\circ}C$, the value of $C_0$/2 was 3.380$\AA$, which is analogous to the structure of natural graphite and the value of 2$\theta$ is $26.276^{\circ}$ approached to the Bragg's angle of natural graphite. As a result of TGA to test the high temperature air oxidation, the THFSP matrix, graphitized up to $2300^{\circ}C$, exhibited the best air oxidation resistance. And mechanical properties were increased up to 65~70% as fiber volume fraction increased. Because of the good orientation graphitizability, the fracture surface of THFSP matrix CFRC is very good.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.559-569
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• 2018

Catalytic supports made of carbon have many advantages, such as high coking resistance, tailorable pore and surface structures, and ease of recycling of waste catalysts. Moreover, they do not require pre-reduction. In this study, ash-free coal (AFC) was obtained by the thermal extraction of carbonaceous components from raw coal and its performance as a carbon catalytic support was compared with that of well-known activated carbon (AC). Nickel was dispersed on the carbon supports and the resulting catalysts were applied to the steam reforming of toluene (SRT), a model compound of biomass tar. Interestingly, nickel catalysts dispersed on AFC, which has a very small surface area (${\sim}0.13m^2/g$), showed higher activity than those dispersed on AC, which has a large surface area ($1,173A/cm^2$). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the particle size of nickel deposited on AFC was smaller than that deposited on AC, with the average values on AFC ${\approx}11nm$ and on AC ${\approx}23nm$. This proved that heteroatomic functional groups in AFC, such as carboxyls, can provide ion-exchange or adsorption sites for the nano-scale dispersion of nickel. In addition, the pore structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and chemical state of the prepared catalysts were analyzed using Brunauer-Emmett-Taylor (BET) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2007

Polaromonas naphthalenivorans CJ2, responsible for naphthalene degradation at a coal tar contaminated site, was isolated on MSB agar media supplied with naphthalene vapor as the sole carbon source at $10^{\circ}C$. The strain is not isolated under the same isolation condition using the same soil sediment at $20^{\circ}C$ although its optimum temperature is about $20^{\circ}C$. In this work we explored the reason why strain CJ2 could not have been isolated on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $20^{\circ}C$. Dispersed CJ2 cells in PBS buffer formed colonies on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C$ with low naphthalene vapor pressure, but not at $20^{\circ}C$ with high naphthalene vapor pressure. However, streaked cells without resuspension grew on MSB agar with naphthalene vapor at $10^{\circ}C,\;20^{\circ}C$, and even $25^{\circ}C$. Investigation of scanning electron microscopy showed that CJ2 cells formed extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) capsules, which were released easily from CJ2 cells by just dispersion. Therefore, it is concluded that strain CJ2 is able to overcome the naphthalene toxicity by forming a capsule-type barrier around the cells although it is susceptible to naphthalene toxicity at high temperature.