• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.797-804
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• 2012

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor was investigated for the inactivation of Ralstonia Solanacearum which causes bacterial wilt in aquiculture. The DBD plasma reactor of this study was divided into power supply unit, gas supply unit and plasma reactor. The plasma reactor consisted of a quartz dielectric tube, discharge electrode (inner) and ground electrode (outer). The experimental results showed that the optimum 1st voltage, 2nd voltage, air flow rate and pH were for 100 V (1st voltage), 15 kV (2nd voltage), 4 L/min, and pH 3, respectively. At a low 1st voltage, shoulder and tailing off phenomena was observed. The shoulder phenomenon was decreased as the increase of 1st voltage. R. Solanacearum disinfection in the lower air flow rate was showed shoulder and tailing off phenomenon because the active species generated less. Under optimum condition, shoulder and tailing off phenomenon was reduced. When the 2nd voltage was less than 7.5 kV, tailing off phenomenon was observed and this was not vanishes even though the increase of the disinfection time. The inactivation efficiency increased as the increase of air flow rate, however, the efficiency decreased when the air flow rate was above 4 L/min. R. Solanacearum disinfection at pH 3 showed somewhat higher than in pH 11. The pH effect of R. Solanacearum deactivation is less than the impact on other factor.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2004

Plasma treatment is frequently used to increase surface functionality and surface activity. It enables to improve various surface properties such as catalytic selectivity, printability, and interfacial adhesion between various materials. Surface or the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is exposed under an atmospheric pressure plasma torch (APPT), generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), and the treated surfaces are systemically investigated. Argon, air, and oxygen are used as a processing gas. Properties of the treated EVA surfaces are investigated by the zeta-potential measurements and surface free energies. It is shown that the plasma treatment leads to a drastic increase of surface functional groups of EVA, as the increase of its adhesion energy ($G_{IC}$). Therefore, it is concluded that the APPT process is an effective means to improve adhesion of EVA and polyurethane (PU).

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.243-250
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• 2019

This objective of this study was to investigate the degradation characteristics of phenol, a refractory substance, by using a submerged dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. To indirectly determine the concentration of active species produced in the DBD plasma, the dissolved ozone was measured. To investigate the phenol degradation characteristics, the phenol and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations were evaluated based on pH and the discharge power. The dissolved ozone was measured based on the air flow rate and power discharged. The highest dissolved ozone concentration was recorded when the injected air flow rate was 5 L/min. At a discharge power of 40W as compared to 70W, the dissolved ozone was approximately 2.7 - 6.5 times higher. In regards to phenol degradation, the final degradation rate was highest at about 74.06%, when the initial pH was 10. At a discharged power of 40W, the rate of phenol decomposition was observed to be approximately 1.25 times higher compared to when the discharged power was 70W. It was established that the phenol degradation reaction was a primary reaction, and when the discharge power was 40W as opposed to 70W, the reaction rate constant(k) was approximately 1.72 times higher.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.695-704
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• 2012

The application of disinfection models on the plasma process was investigated. Nine empirical models were used to find an optimum model. The variation of parameters in model according to the operating conditions (first voltage, second voltage, air flow rate, pH) were investigated in order to explain the disinfection model. In this experiment, the DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) plasma reactor was used to inactivate Ralstonia Solanacearum which cause wilt in tomato plantation. Optimum disinfection models were chosen among the nine models by the application of statistical SSE (sum of squared error), RMSE (root mean sum of squared error), $r^2$ values on the experimental data using the GInaFiT software in Microsoft Excel. The optimum model was shown as Weibull+talil model followed by Log-linear+ Shoulder+Tail model. Two models were applied to the experimental data according to the variation of the operating conditions. In Weibull+talil model, Log10($N_o$), Log10($N_{res}$), ${\delta}$ and p values were examined. And in Log-linear+Shoulder+Tail model, the Log10($N_o$), Log10($N_{res}$), $k_{max}$, Sl values were calculated and examined.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2012

Objectives: This experiment was carried out to elucidate the effect of discharged water on the disinfection of $Phytophthora$ $capsici$ and evaluate the water characteristics. Methods: The dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) plasma reactor system used in this study consisted of a plasma component [discharge, ground electrode and quartz dielectric tube], high voltage source, and air supply. The effects of water characteristics such as pH, ORP and conductivity and the disinfection effect of discharged water were investigated. Results: Experimental results showed that in the process of discharge, the pH decreased, whereas ORP and electric conductivity increased. When the discharge time was 30 min, $Phytophthora$ $capsici$ of 2.94 log was disinfected within 300 seconds. Disinfection performance of stored discharged water was maintained for three days; however the disinfection effect vanished after five days. When $Phytophthora$ $capsici$ was injected into the discharged water, the disinfection effect decreased after two days. Conclusions: It is considered that the main disinfection parameters of the discharged water were chemically active species such as $H_2O_2$ and $O_3$ and high ORP.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 2013

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic is a polymer material extensively used in electrical and electronic applications. Nickel (Ni) thin film was deposited on ABS by electroless plating, after its surface was treated and modified with atmospheric plasma generated by means of dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) in air. The method in this study was developed as a pre-treatment for electroless plating using DBDs, and is a dry process featuring fewer processing steps and more environmentally friendliness than the chemical method. After ABS surfaces were modified, surface morphologies were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to check for any physical changes of the surfaces. Cross-sectional SEM images were taken to observe the binding characteristics between metallic films and ABS after metal plating. According to the SEM images, the depths of ABS by plasma are shallow compared to those modified by chemically treatment. The static contact angles were measured with deionized (DI) water droplets on the modified surfaces in order to observe for any changes in chemical activities and wettability. The surfaces modified by plasma showed smaller contact angles, and their modified states lasted longer than those modified by chemical etching. Adhesion strengths were measured using 3M tape (3M 810D standard) and by 90° peel-off tests. The peel-off test revealed the stronger adhesion of the Ni films on the plasma-modified surfaces than on the chemically modified surfaces. Thermal shock test was performed by changing the temperature drastically to see if any detachment of Ni film from ABS would occur due to the differences in thermal expansion coefficients between them. Only for the plasma-treated samples showed no separation of the Ni films from the ABS surfaces in tests. The adhesion strengths of metallic films on the ABS processed by the method developed in this study are better than those of the chemically processed films.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 2013

Nonthermal plasma hybridized with photocatalysts is proven to be an effective tool to degrade toxic organics in wastewater. In this study, a specially designed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system combined with photocatalysts was applied to decompose pestiticides such as dichlorovos, carbofuran and methidathon, which are frequently used in the golf courses and the orange plantations. The degradations of the pesticides in single and coupled systems were evaluated. The single system was used with ozone plasma which consisted of electrons, radicals, ions produced by oxygen gas and air, with and without ultra-violet (UV) irradiation, respectively. The coupled systems utilized the air-derived ozone plasma combined with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and graphite oxide photocatalyst activated by UV. The graphite oxide was synthesized by a modified Hummer's method and characterized using FTIR spectrometer. It was elucidated that the plasma reaction with graphite oxide (0.01 g/L) brought about almost 100% of degradation degrees for dichlorovos and carbofuran in 60 min, as compared with the performances showed by no catalyst condition. The photocatalyst-hybridized plasma in the presence of UV irradiation was proven to be an effective alternative for degrading pesticides.

• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.81-90
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• 2019

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor packed with $Ni-CeO_2/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst was used for the dry ($CO_2$) reforming of propane (DRP) to improve the production of syngas (a mixture of $H_2$ and CO) and the catalyst stability. The plasma-catalytic DRP was carried out with either thermally or plasma-reduced $Ni-CeO_2/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst at a $C_3H_8/CO_2$ ratio of 1/3 and a total feed gas flow rate of $300mL\;min^{-1}$. The catalytic activities associated with the DRP were evaluated in the range of $500{\sim}600^{\circ}C$. Following the calcination in ambient air, the ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ impregnated with the precursor solution ($Ni(NO_3)_2$ and $Ce(NO_3)_2$) was subjected to reduction in an $H_2/Ar$ atmosphere to prepare $Ni-CeO_2/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst. The characteristics of the catalysts were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), temperature programmed reduction ($H_2-TPR$), temperature programmed desorption ($H_2-TPD$, $CO_2-TPD$), temperature programmed oxidation (TPO), and Raman spectroscopy. The investigation revealed that the plasma-reduced $Ni-CeO_2/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst exhibited superior catalytic activity for the production of syngas, compared to the thermally reduced catalyst. Besides, the plasma-reduced $Ni-CeO_2/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst was found to show long-term catalytic stability with respect to coke resistance that is main concern regarding the DRP process.