• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.24-28
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• 2014

Magnesium diboride superconductor is still of considerable interest because of its appealing characteristics towards application mainly at around 20 K. Unlike Nb-based superconductors, $MgB_2$ can be operated by cryogen-free cooler which provides a cost effective alternative at low field of around 2-5 T. To explore this operating field region considerable efforts are necessary to marginally improve the superconducting properties of $MgB_2$. Under this situation, even the heat treatment environment during the synthesis is considered as an important factor. The addition of $H_2$ gas in small amount with Ar as a mixed gas during annealing has an adverse effect on the superconducting properties of $MgB_2$. It is although interesting to find that the presence of Mg vapor along with hydrogen during heat treatment results in the appreciable improvement in the flux pinning and the overall response of the critical current density for the ex-situ $MgB_2$ samples.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2012

The effect of graphene inclusion in the ex-situ $MgB_2$ was analyzed with the help of resistivity behavior and critical current density studies. Amount of graphene was systematically varied from 0% for pristine sample to 3% by the weight of $MgB_2$. Graphene that is considered as a good source of carbon was found to be intact without any significant carbon doping in $MgB_2$ structure as reveled by XRD measurements. There was no signature of graphene inclusion as far as the superconducting transition is concerned which remained same at 39 K for all the samples. The transition width being sensitive to defect doping remained more or less about 2 K for all the samples showing no variation due to doping. Although there was no change in the superconducting transition or transition width, the graphene doped sample showed noticeable decrease in the overall resistivity behavior with respect to decrease in temperature. The graphene inclusion acted as effective pinning centers which have enhanced the upper critical field of these samples.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.8-17
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• 2006

Laboratory scale experiments were performed to investigate the removal efficiency of the in-situ chemical oxidation method and the air-sparging method for diesel contaminated soil and groundwater. Two kinds of diesel contaminated soils (TPH concentration : 2,401 mg/kg and 9,551 mg/kg) and groundwater sampled at Busan railroad station were used for the experiments. For batch experiments of chemical oxidation by using 50% hydrogen peroxide solution, TPH concentration of soil decreased to 18% and 15% of initial TPH concentration. For continuous column experiments, more than 70% of initial TPH in soil was removed by using soil flushing with 20% hydrogen peroxide solution, suggesting that most of diesel in soil reacted with hydrogen peroxide and degraded into $CO_2$ or $H_2O$ gases. Batch experiment for the air-sparging method with artificially contaminated groundwater (TPH concentration : 810 mg/L) was performed to evaluate the removal efficiency of the air-sparging method and TPH concentration of groundwater decreased to lower than 5 mg/L (waste water discharge tolerance limit) within 72 hours of air-sparging. For box experiment with diesel contaminated real soil and groundwater, the removal efficiency of air-sparging was very low because of the residual diesel phase existed in soil medium, suggesting that the air-sparging method should be applied to remediate groundwater after the free phase of diesel in soil medium was removed. For the last time, the in-situ box experiment for a unit process mixed the chemical oxidation process with the air-sparging process was performed to remove diesel from soil and groundwater at a time. Soil flushing with 20% hydrogen peroxide solution was applied to diesel contaminated soils in box, and subsequently contaminated groundwater was purified by the air-sparging method. With 23 L of 20% hydrogen peroxide solution and 2,160 L of air-sparging, TPH concentration of soil decreased from 9,551 mg/kg to 390 mg/kg and TPH concentration of groundwater reduced to lower than 5 mg/L. Results suggested that the combination process of the in-situ hydrogen peroxide flushing and the air-sparging has a great possibility to simultaneously remediate fuel contaminated soil and groundwater.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.423-430
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• 2022

Pressure-dependent elastic behavior and chemical reaction of natural sepiolite (Mg₈Si₁₂O₃₀(OH)₄·12H₂O) was studied under two different pressure-transmitting medium (PTM) conditions using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Under non pore-penetrating silicone oil PTM, we observed that the b-axis length increases up to ca. 3.6 GPa, marking an anisotropic compression region with negative linear compressibility of β^b= -0.0012 GPa^-1, which then decreases at 7.7 GPa. Under pore-penetrating water PTM, the anisotropic compression behavior is enhanced with doubled negative linear compressibility of β^b= -0.0025 GPa^-1 up to 3.2 GPa, where transformation into stevensite is observed upon ex-situ temperature treatment at 280 ℃ as confirmed via XRD and SEM. Derived bulk moduli (K₀) and linear compressibilities (β) were compared to other structurally and chemically related minerals.