• Carbon letters
• /
• v.26
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2018

Biochar obtained from the thermal conversion of biomass has high potential as a substitute material for activated carbon and other carbon-based materials because it is economical, environmentally friendly, and carbon-neutral. The physicochemical properties of biochar can also be controlled by a range of activation methods such as physical, chemical, and hydrothermal treatments. Activated biochar can be used as a catalyst for the catalytic pyrolysis of a biomass and as an absorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions and atmospheric pollutants. The applications of biochar are also expanding not only as a key component in producing energy storage materials, such as supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries, and fuel cells, but also in carbon capture and storage. This paper reviews the recent progress on the activation of biochar and its diverse present and future applications.

• International Journal of Railway
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.41-45
• /
• 2016

In this paper, a study on the efficiency improvement of the magnetic levitation train using the LIM (Linear Induction Motor) was presented. The maglev train has the advantage of being environmentally friendly since much less noise and dust is produced. However, due to structural limitation, compared to a rotating induction motor, linear induction motor, the main propulsion engine of the maglev train has a relatively greater air gap and hence has the lower operation efficiency. In this paper, the relationship between the operating condition of the train and the slip frequency has been investigated to find out the optimum slip frequency that might improve the efficiency of the magnetic levitation train with linear induction motor. The slip frequency is variable during the operation by this relationship only within a range that does not affect the levitation system of the train. After that, the comparison of the efficiency between the conventional control method with the slip frequency fixed at 13.5[Hz] and the proposed method with the slip frequency variable from 9.5[Hz] to 6.5[Hz] has been conducted by simulation using Simplorer. Experiments of 19.5[ton] magnetic levitation trains owned by Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials were carried out to verify the simulation results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2014.02a
• /
• pp.196.2-196.2
• /
• 2014

Nanostructuring the electrode surface is an emerging technology to improve the performance of supercapacitors since it can facilitate charge transfer, ion diffusion and electron propagation during electrochemical process. Fabrication of the electrode consisting of two or more materials together has also been focused on since it can provide synergetic effect such as broader working potential range and enhanced capacitance. In this work, we have used polyaniline (PANi) and manganese oxide (MnO2) as electrode materials. PANi is one of the promising electrode materials due to its high electrochemical activity, high doping level and stability. MnO2 is also widely studied material for supercapacitors since it is relatively cheap and environmentally friendly. Firstly, we synthesized polystyrene nanospheres on MnO2 nanoparticles. MnO2-incorporated PANi hollow nanospheres were then fabricated by polymerizing aniline monomers on these PS nanospheres and dissolving the inner PS spheres. The surface morphology, electronic absorption and electrical conductivity of the electrode were analyzed using field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), UV-visible spectrometer, and sheet resistivity meter, respectively. The electrochemical properties such as capacitance of the supercapacitors were also estimated using cyclic voltammetry.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2010.05a
• /
• pp.20.2-20.2
• /
• 2010

Recently inkjet printing technology has been developed in the areas of low cost fabrication in environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Although inkjet printing requires the interdisciplinary researches including development of materials, manufacturing processes and printing equipment and peripherals, manufacturing a printhead is still core of inkjet technology. In this study, a piezoelectric driven DOD (drop on demand) inkjet printhead has been fabricated on three layers of the silicon wafer in MEMS Technology because of its chemical resistance to industrial inks, strong mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy to meet the drop volume uniformity in printed electronics and display industries. The flow passage, filter and nozzles are precisely etched on the layers of the silicon wafers and assembled through silicon fusion bonding without additional adhesives. The piezoelectric is screen-printed on the top the pressure chamber and the nozzle plate surface is treated with non-wetting coating for jetting fluids. Printheads with nozzle number of 16 to 256 have been developed to get the drop volume range from 5 pL to 80 pL in various industrial applications. Currently our printheads are successfully utilized to fabricating color-filters and PI alignment layers in LCD Flat Panel Display and legend marking for PCB in Samsung Electronics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.169-173
• /
• 2009

In chemistry, the study of sonochemistry is concerned with understanding the effect of sonic waves and wave properties on chemical systems. In the area of chemical kinetics, it has been observed that ultrasound can greatly enhance chemical reactivity in a number of systems by as much as a million-fold. Nano-technology is a super microscopic technology in which structures of 100 nanometers or smaller can be investigated. This technology has been used to develop $TiO_2$ materials and $TiO_2$ devices of that size. Thus far, electrochemistry methods and photochemistry methods have generally been used to create $TiO_2$ nano-size particles. However, these methods are complicated and create pollutants as a by-product. In the present study, nano-scale silver particles (5 nm) were prepared in a sonochemistry method. Sonochemistry deals with mechanical energy that is provided by the collapse of cavitation bubbles that form in solutions during exposure to ultrasound. $TiO_2$ powders 25 nm in size doped with Ag were formed using an ultrasonic sound technique. The experimental results showed the high possibility of removing pollution through the action of a photocatalyst. This powder synthesis technique can be considered as an environmentally friendly powder-forming processing owing to its energy saving characteristics.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.446-456
• /
• 2008

A recent theoretical approach based on the coupling of both the Flory-Huggins (FH) and the Association Equilibria thermodynamic (AET) theories was modified and adapted to study the miscibility properties of a multi-component system formed by two polymers (a proton-donor and a proton-acceptor) and a proton-acceptor solvent, named copolymer(A)/solvent(B)/polymer(C). Compatibility between polymers was mainly attained by hydrogen-bonding between the hydroxyl group on the phenol unit of the poly(styrene-co-vinyl phenol) (PSVPh) and the carbonyl group of the biodegradable and environmentally friendly poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). However, the self-association of PSVPh and specific interactions between the PSVPh and the H-acceptor group (an ether oxygen atom) of the epichlorohydrin (ECH) solvent were also established in a lower extension, which competed with the polymer-polymer association. All the binary specific interactions and their dependence with the system composition as well as with the copolymer content were evaluated and quantified by means of two excess functions of the Gibbs tree energy, ${\Delta}g_{AB}$ and ${\Delta}g_{AC}$. Experimental results from fluorescence spectroscopy were consistent with the theoretical simulations derived with the model, which could also be applied and extended to predict the miscibility in solution of any polymer blend with specific interactions.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.212-218
• /
• 2008

Inorganic ion exchange compounds (IECs) including hydrotalcites and bentonite clays are a well known classes of layered mixed metal hydroxides or silicates that demonstrate ion exchange properties. These compounds have a range of applications from water purification to catalyst supports. The use of synthetic versions of these compounds as environmentally friendly additives to paints for storage and release of inhibitors is a new and emerging application. In this paper, the general concept of storage and release of inhibiting ions from IEC-based particulate pigments added to organic coatings is presented. The unique aspects of the IEC structure and the ion exchange phenomenon that form the basis of the storage and release characteristic are illustrated in two examples comprising an anion exchanging hydrotalcite compound and a cation exchanging bentonite compound. Examples of the levels of corrosion protection imparted by use of these types of pigments in organic coatings applied to aluminum alloy substrates is shown. How corrosion inhibition translates to corrosion protection during accelerated exposure testing by organic coatings containing these compounds is also presented.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.498-504
• /
• 2012

Oxide layers were prepared by an environmentally friendly plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process on an Al-1050 substrate. The electrolyte for PEO was an alkali-based solution with $Na_2SiO_3$ (8 g/L) and NaOH (3 g/L). The influence of the electrical parameters on the phase composition, microstructure and properties of the oxide layers formed by PEO were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The voltage-time responses were recorded during various PEO processes. The oxides are composed of two layers and are mainly made of ${\alpha}$-alumina, ${\gamma}$-alumina and mullite phases. The proportion of each phase depends on various electrical parameters. It was found that the surface of the oxides produced at a higher current density and Ia/Ic ratio shows a more homogeneous morphology than those produced with the electrical parameters of a lower current density and lower Ia/Ic ratio. Also, the oxide layers formed at a higher current density and higher Ia/Ic ratio show high micro-hardness levels.

• Ceramist
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.331-348
• /
• 2018

With the expectation to overcome the problem of increasing energy consumption, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are getting more attention as a promising environmentally friendly and sustainable next-generation energy conversion system. In spite of the rapid improvement of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs), there are several critical issues still need to be resolved for practical commercialization. Out of the many issues, the main hurdle comes from oxygen reduction reaction(ORR), thus development of efficient ORR electrocatalysts is the main key for enhancing PEMFC performance. Among various catalysts, 1D nanostructured catalyst is a promising candidate because it holds many advantages that come from nanostructuring while supplementing the disadvantages of other nanostructures such as nanoparticles(0D) or gyroids(3D). This review focused on diverse 1D nanostructures and talks about their advantages as catalyst for ORR. Different 1D nanostructures will be introduced while applying the structures to different materials system showing the prospects of 1D nanostructures for improving PEMFC.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2003

The woodceramics are porous amorphous carbon and glassy carbon composite materials. Woodceramics attracted a lot of attention in recent years because they are environmentally friendly and because of their unique functional characteristics such as catalysis, moisture absorption, deodorization, purification, carrier for microbial activity, specific stiffness, corrosion and friction resistance, and their electromagnetic shielding capacity. In this paper, we made new products of clay-woodceramics to investigate the industrial analysis and ethylene gas adsorption for basic data of building- and packging- materials keeping fruit fresh for a long time. Clay-woodceramics were carbonized for 3 h of heating in a special furnace under a gas flow of nitrogen(15 ml/min.) from 3 layers-clay-woodparticleboard made from pallet waste wood, phenol- formaldehyde resin(hereafter PF, Non volatile content:52%, resin content 30%), and clay(10%, 20% and 30%). Carbonization temperature was 400℃, 600℃ and 800℃. Experimental results shows that the higher the carbonization temperature, the higher the fixed carbon and the lower the volatile contents. The higher the clay content, the more the ash content. The higher the carbonization temperature, the more the ethylene gas adsorption. Carbonization temperature of 800℃ gave the best reslts as same as that of white charcoal and activated carbon.(800℃-clay-woodceramic: 5.36 ppm, white charcoal: 5.66 ppm, activated carbon: 5.79 ppm) The clay contents did not make difference of ethylene gas adsoption.