• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2023

Clay sedimentation has been widely analyzed for its application in a variety of geotechnical constructions such as mine tailing, artificial islands, dredging, and reclamation. Chemical flocculants such as aluminum sulfate (Al₂(SO₄)₃), ferric chloride (FeCl₃), and ferric sulfate (Fe(SO₄)₃), have been adopted to accelerate the settling behaviors of clays. As an alternative clay flocculant with natural origin, this study investigated the settling of xanthan gum-treated kaolinite suspension in deionized water. The sedimentation of kaolinite in solutions of xanthan gum biopolymer (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% in a clay mass) was measured until the sediment height was stabilized. Kaolinite was aggregated by xanthan gum via a direct electrical interaction between the negatively charged xanthan gum molecules and positively charged edge surface and via hydrogen bonding with kaolinite particles. The results revealed that the xanthan gum initially bound kaolinite aggregates, thereby forming larger floc sizes. Owing to their greater floc size, the aggregated kaolinite flocs induced by xanthan gum settled faster than the untreated kaolinite. Additionally, X-ray computed tomography images collected at various depths from the bottom demonstrated that the xanthan gum-induced aggregation resulted in denser sediment deposition. The findings of this study could inspire further efforts to accelerate the settling of kaolinite clays by adding xanthan gum.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.626-632
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• 2023

Acemannan, a highly acetylated glucomannan, was extracted from fresh Aloe vera leaves by ethanol fractionation, resulting in a concentration increase of more than threefold. The presence of acemannan was confirmed using FTIR and ¹H NMR analysis, revealing an average molecular weight of 780 kDa. The flocculating activity of the fractionated aloe gel polysaccharide was assessed through settling tests in a 1% (w/v) bentonite suspension. The results demonstrated that the aloe polysaccharide exhibited remarkable stability within a temperature range of 20~70 ℃. The maximal flocculation rate at different pH levels ranged from 93% to 97%, with an optimal dose for maximum flocculation rate between 0.25 mg/mL. Notably, the minimum dose required for flocculation was achieved at a pH of 3, attributed to the compression of electrostatic repulsion on the surface of bentonite particles. However, the flocs obtained under acidic conditions were less dense and compact, exhibiting lower sedimentation velocity compared to those formed under neutral and alkaline pH conditions. Additionally, the addition of salt showed a slight synergistic effect on flocculation, significantly enhancing the sedimentation velocity. This investigation highlights the potential of Aloe vera polysaccharide as a natural and edible flocculant, offering promising applications in various industries.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.271-276
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• 2008

The civil engineering properties for the coal fly ash produced from a power plant mixed with sintered powders made from the fly ash-clay slip system were measured and its applicability for the foundation soils was investigated. The F-slip whose dispersion state is 'not good' and C-slip which is re-flocculated by adding a flocculant to a well-dispersed slip were fabricated and then sintered. The sintered body made from C-slip had more uniform microstructure than that of F-slip, therefore, the bulk density and compressive strength were improved. The civil engineering properties such as compression index, compressive strength, permeability coefficient of fly ash were improved by mixing $0.84{\sim}2\;mm$ powders obtained by crushing a sintered body made from C-slip. Therefore, the applicability of mixed powders composing of fly ash and sintered body made from C-slip was confirmed to foundation soils due to its improved civil engineering properties.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2008

Using an experimental method named filtration-permeation, the influence of sedimentation during filtration was studied for the suspensions composed of particles and that of flocs. The average specific cake resistances measured by filtration do not give accurate values because of the sedimentations during filtration, but the permeation data give quite accurate values. The prolonged permeation rates for the cake formed from particulate suspension do not change, but that rate from the floc filtration changes by the sweeping of flocculant. It is proposed that the cake compressibility can be measured with one set of filtration-permeation experiment by step increase of pressure during permeation period. The another experimental method which can shorten experimental time for floc filtration using filtrationpermeation is also proposed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.411-416
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• 2009

This study was initiated to improve the cooling water quality by chemical coagulation and sedimentation in steel mills. Due to the inefficient flocculation in the settling tanks of blast furnace cooling water systems, the solid particles in the cooling water overflow accumulate and clog the cooling system. To protect the cooling water system from such fouling, proper flocculants must be continuously used. Laboratory tests were performed for the indirect cooling water system of a plate mill. The batch test in the gas scrubbing cooling water system of a blast furnace showed that the proposed coagulant was more effective for the improvement of coagulation and sedimentation than the existing one. During the tests, cationic flocculants were more effective than use of only an anionic flocculant. The suggested combination of anionic and cationic flocculants can probably improve the turbidity removal efficiency of the cooling water. Proper control of the overflow rate by the designed residence time would help turbidity removal efficiency in the settling tank. In addition, the settling can be enhanced by adopting rapid and slow mixing alternatively. Scale problems in blast furnace cooling water system were reduced to some extent by efficient settling.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.618-624
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• 1998

The culture conditions for Bacillus sp. DP-152 in the flask were investigated for the production of polysaccharide locculant, DP-152. The optimum pH and temperature for the locculant production were 8.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The avorable substrates for flocculant production were soluble tarch and ammonium nitrate. The medium composition was optimized as follows: 30 g soluble starch, 0.75 g $NH_4NO_3,\; 2.0g\; K_2\;HPO_4,\; 0.1\; g KH_2PO_4,\; 0.2g\; MgSO_4.\; 7H_2O,\; and\; 0.2g\; MnSO_4~5H_2O$ in 11 of distilled water. Under this optimized condition, flocculating activity has been improved 4-fold compared with that of the basal medium. In the culture flask, the highest flocculating activity was obtained after 70 h of cultivation and the amount of bioflocculant DP-152 yielded was 12.4 g/$\ell$. The solution of bioflocculant DP-152 showed non-Newtonian characteristics. Bioflocculant DP-152 exhibited apparently higher viscosity at all concentrations compared to that of zooglan (from Zoogloea ramigera), and it was stable over a wide range of temperatures and pHs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.432-438
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• 2018

Microalgae hold promise as a renewable energy source for the production of biofuel, as they can convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. However, cost-efficient harvest of microalgae remains a major challenge to commercial-scale algal biofuel production. We first investigated the potential of electrolytic water as a flocculant for harvesting Tetraselmis sp. Alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) is produced at the cathode through water electrolysis. It contains mineral ions such as $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ that can act as flocculants. The flocculation activity with AEW was evaluated via culture density, AEW concentration, medium pH, settling time, and ionic strength analyses. The flocculation efficiency was 88.7% at 20% AEW (pH 8, 10 min) with a biomass concentration of 2 g/l. The initial biomass concentration and medium pH had significant influences on the flocculation activity of AEW. A viability test of flocculated microalgal cells was conducted using Evans blue stain, and the cells appeared intact. Furthermore, the growth rate of Tetraselmis sp. in recycled flocculation medium was similar to the growth rate in fresh F/2 medium. Our results suggested that AEW flocculation could be a very useful and affordable methodology for fresh biomass harvesting with environmentally friendly easy operation in part of the algal biofuel production process.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.125-130
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• 2007

Six bacteria, which showed the flocculating activity to food wastewater, were isolated from various environment. These strains were identified as Bacillus pumilus, Enterobacter sp., Pantotea agglomerans, Bacillus licheniformis, and two Bacillus sps. Among them, the flocculating activities of three strains, such as Enterobacter sp.(YK102), Bacillus sp.(YK103), and Pantotea agglomerans (YK104), were eight times or more higher than that of the control strain, Zoogloea ramigera. in the test with 0.5% kaolin. In the experiment with food wastewater, Enterobacter sp.(YK102) showed the highest flocculating activity which was 2.5 times higher than that of a control strain, Pseudomonas fluorescens.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.118-128
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• 1996

N-methyl, N-butyl and N,N-dibutyl chitosan derivatives were prepared by Schiff's base formation and hydrogenation in aqueous media. Furthermore quaternization of the chitosan derivatives was performed in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone using methyl iodide to obtain water soluble cationic polyelectrolytes. It was confirmed that O-alkylation was occured as well as selective N-alkylation in these reactions. Chitosan and chitosan derivatives with quaternary ammonium iodide showed high flocculation power as the cationic flocculant. When tested on paper mill waste water, they showed high flocculation power, independing of pH range. The flocculation power was increased as the N-alkyl chain length was increased. Among them, N-butyl dimethyl chitosan ammonium iodide showed better flocculation power than chitosan. But, N,N-dibutyl-N-methyl chitosan ammonium iodide showed less flocculation powre than chitosan itself.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 1998

The fabrication process and properties of SiC particulate preforms with high volume fraction above 50% were investigated. The SiC particulate preforms were fabricated by vacuum-assisted extraction method after wet mixing of SiC particulates of 48 ${\mu}m$ in diameter, $SiO_2$ as inorganic binder, cationic starch as organic binder and polyacrylamide as dispersant in distilled water. The SiC particulate preforms were consolidated by vacuum-assisted extraction, and were followed by drying and calcination. The drying processes were consisted with natural drying at $25^{\circ}C$ for 36 hrs and forced drying at 10$0^{\circ}C$ for 12 hrs in order to prevent the micro-cracking of SiC particulates preform. The compressive strengths of SiC particulate preforms were dependent on the inorganic binder content, calcination temperature and calcination time. The compressive strength of SiC preform increased from 0.47 MPa to 1.79 MPa with increasing the inorganic binder content from 1% to 4% due to the increase of $SiO_2$ flocculant between the interfaces of SiC particulates. The compressive strength of SiC preform increased from 0.90 MPa to 3.21 MPa with increasing the calcination temperatures from 800 to 120$0^{\circ}C$ under identical calcination time of 4hrs. The compressive strength of SiC preform increased from 0.92 to 1.95 MPa with increasing the calcination time from 2 hrs to f hrs at calcination temperature of 110$0^{\circ}C$. The increase of compressive strength of SiC preform with increasing the calcination temperature and time is due to the formation of crystobalite $SiO_2$ phase at the interfaces of SiC particulates.