• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.180-185
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• 2019

The demands to improve the performance of the vanadium redox flow battery have attracted an intense research on modifying the carbon-based electrode. In this study, the surface of graphite felt was reformed, using cobalt oxide. The cobalt oxide was implanted into graphite felt during hydrothermal and two step heat treatments. The cobalt was deposited by hydrothermal method and the two step heat treatments made lots of holes on the graphite felt surface which is called as porous surface. The porous surface acts as an electrochemically active site for the cathodic reaction of vanadium redox flow battery. The reformed electrode shows the electrochemically improved performance compared with the pristine electrode.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.363-367
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• 2014

One chambered sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) was equipped with Fe, brass (Cu/Zn), Fe/Zn, Cu, Cu/carbon cloth and graphite felt anode. Graphite felt was used as common cathode. The SMFC was membrane-less and mediator-less as well. Order of anodic performance on the basis of power density was Fe/Zn ($6.90Wm^{-2}$) > Fe ($6.03Wm^{-2}$) > Cu/carbon cloth ($2.13Wm^{-2}$) > Cu ($1.13Wm^{-2}$) > brass ($Cu/Zn=0.24Wm^{-2}$) > graphite felt ($0.10Wm^{-2}$). Fe/Zn composite anode have twisted 6.73% more power than Fe alone, Cu/carbon cloth boosted power production by 65%, and brass (Cu/Zn) produced 65% less power than Cu alone. Graphite felt have shown the lowest electricity generation because of its poor galvanic potential. The estuarine sediment served as supplier of oxidants or electron producing microbial flora, which evoked electrons via a complicated direct microbial electron transfer mechanism or making biofilm, respectively. Oxidation reduction was kept to be stationary over time except at the very initial period (mostly for sediment positioning) at anodes. Based on these findings, cost effective and efficient anodic material can be suggested for better SMFC configurations and stimulate towards practical value and application.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1745-1753
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• 2014

Sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC), equipped with Zn, Al, Cu, Fe or graphite felt (GF) anode and marine sediment, was performed. Graphite felt was used as a common cathode. SMFC was single chambered and did not use any redox mediator. The aim of this work was to find efficient anodic material. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP), cell voltage, current density, power density, pH and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were measured for SMFC's performance.. The order of maximum power density was $913mWm^{-2}$ for Zn, $646mWm^{-2}$ for Fe, $387.8mWm^{-2}$ for Cu, $266mWm^{-2}$ for Al, and $127mWm^{-2}$ for graphite felt (GF). The current density over voltage was found to be strongly correlated with metal electrodes, but the graphite felt electrode, in which relatively weaker electricity was observed because of its bio-oriented mechanism. Metal corrosion reactions and/or a complicated microbial electron transfer mechanism acting around the anodic compartment may facilitate to generate electricity. We presume that more sophisticated selection of anodic material can lead to better performance in SMFC.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 2021

A carbon felt electrode was prepared using ozone and ammonia sequential treatment and applied as an electrode for a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The physical and electrochemical analyses demonstrate that the oxygen groups facilitate nitrogen doping in the carbon felt. Carbon felt (J5O3+NH3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment after ozone treatment, showed higher oxygen and nitrogen contents than carbon felt (J5NH3+O3), which was subjected to ammonia heat treatment first and then ozone treatment. From the charging/discharging of VRFB, the J5O3+NH3 carbon felt electrode showed 14.4 Ah/L discharge capacity at a current density of 150 mA /cm², which was 15% and 33% higher than that of J5NH3+O3 and non-activated carbon felt (J5), respectively. These results show that ozone and ammonia sequential treatment is an effective carbon felt activation method to increase the performance of the vanadium redox flow battery.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.383-393
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• 2020

To increase electrolysis performance, the applicability of seawater to the iron-fed electro-Fenton process was considered. Three kinds of graphite electrodes (activated carbon fiber-ACF, carbon felt, graphite) and dimensionally stable anode (DSA) electrode were used to select a cathode having excellent hydrogen peroxide generation and organic decomposition ability. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced by ACF was 11.2 mg/L and those of DSA, graphite, and carbon felt cathodes were 12.9 ~ 13.9 mg/L. In consideration of durability, the DSA electrode was selected as the cathode. The optimum current density was found to be 0.11 A/㎠, the optimal Fe²⁺ dose was 10 mg/L, and the optimal ratio of Fe²⁺ dose and hydrogen peroxide was determined to be 1:1. The optimum air supply for hydrogen peroxide production and Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation was determined to be 1 L/min. The electro-Fenton process of adding iron salt to the electrolysis reaction may be shown to be more advantageous for RhB degradation than when using iron electrode to produce hydrogen peroxide and iron ion, or electro-Fenton reaction with DSA electrode after generating iron ions using an iron electrode.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.591-598
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• 2017

Power overshoot phenomenon was observed in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) used non-catalyzed graphite felt as cathode. Voltage loss in MFCs was mainly caused by cathode potential loss. Cheap stainless steel scrubber, which has high conductivity, and Pt/C coated graphite felt as cathode were used for overcoming power overshoot and reducing the cathode potential loss in MFCs. The MFCs used stainless steel scrubber showed no power overshoot even slow catholyte flow rate and produced 29% enhanced maximum current density ($23.9A/m^3$) than MFCs used non-catalyzed graphite felt while the power overshoot phenomenon was existed in Pt/C coated MFCs. Increasing catholyte flow rate resulted in disappearing power overshoot of MFCs used non-catalyzed graphite felt. In addition, maximum power density and current density of both MFCs used non-catalyzed graphite felt and stainless steel scrubber increased by 2-3.5 times. Cathode potential losses in all region of activation loss, ohmic loss, and mass transport loss were reduced according to increase of catholyte flow rate. Therefore, stainless steel scrubber has advantages that are economical materials as electrode and prevents power overshoot, leading to enhance electricity generation. In addition, increasing catholyte flux is one of great solution when power overshoot caused by cathodic overpotential is observed in MFCs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.3731-3739
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• 2009

One-chambered sediment cells with a variety of anodic electrodes were tested for generation of electricity. Material used for anodes was iron, brass, zinc/iron, copper and graphite felt which was used for a common cathode. The estuarine sediment served as supplier of oxidants or electron-producing microbial habitat which evoked electrons via fast metal corrosion reactions or a complicated microbial electron transfer mechanism, respectively. Maximum power density and current density were found to be $6.90\;W/m^2$ (iron/zinc) and $7.76\;A/m^2$ (iron), respectively. Interestingly, copper wrapped with carbon cloth produced better electric performance than copper only, by 60%, possibly because the cloth not only prevented rapid corrosion on the copper surface by some degrees, but also helped growing some electron-emitting microbes on its surface. At anodes oxidation reduction potential(ORP) was kept to be stationary over time except at the very initial period. The pH reduction in the copper and copper/carbon electrodes could be a sign of organic acid production due to a chemical change in the sediment. The simple estimation of interfacial, electrical resistances of electrodes and electrolyte in the sediment cell that a key to the electricity generation should be in how to control corrosion rate or microbial electron transfer activity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.753-757
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• 2014

Anode electrode in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) should transfer the receiving electron as well as provide large surface area that can be immobilized microorganisms. Microorganisms' population is one of important factors to improve the current generation and to treat the livestock wastewater by biological treatment. These studies were attempted to investigate if stainless-steel wire skein (SSWS) could be used as anode electrode replacement a graphite felt electrode in microbial fuel cell. For these studies, pretreated livestock wastewater was used diluted to 500 mg/L as COD before use. At this time, the current showed a little difference of about 5% when using each of a SSW and graphite felt (control). There was no significant difference in the current value. The organic removal rate in the microbial fuel cells used graphite felt and SSWS was 82.4% and 88.3%, respectively. The COD removal in the MFC used the SSWS was higher than that of graphite felt. Ammonium nitrogen was showed similar trend in two case all. These results about current generation and organic matter reduction seem possible that SSWS was used to anode electrode. When SSWS is used, the initial investment for system construction is expected to be able to reduce by approximately 1/50.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.36-39
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• 2003

Carbon and carbon-based materials are used in nuclear reactors and there has recently been growing interest to develop graphite and carbon based materials for high temperature nuclear and fusion reactors. Efforts are underway to develop high density carbon materials as well as amorphous isotropic carbon for the application in thermal reactors. There has been research on coated nuclear fuel for high temperature reactor and research and development on coated fuels are now focused on fuel particles with high endurance during normal lifetime of the reactor. Since graphite as a moderator as well as structural material in high temperature reactors is one of the most favored choices, it is now felt to develop high density isotropic graphite with suitable coating for safe application of carbon based materials even in oxidizing or water vapor environment. Carboncarbon composite materials compared to conventional graphite materials are now being looked into as the promising materials for the fusion reactor due their ability to have high thermal conductivity and high thermal shock resistance. This paper deals with the application of carbon materials on various nuclear reactors related issues and addresses the current need for focused research on novel carbon materials for future new generation nuclear reactors.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.164-170
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• 2021

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) have emerged as large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) due to their advantages such as low cross-contamination, long life, and flexible design. However, Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the negative half-cell causes a harmful influence on the performance of the VRFB by consuming current. Moreover, HER hinders V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction between electrode and electrolyte by forming a bubble. To address the HER problem, carbon nanotube/graphite felt electrode (CNT/GF) with oxygen functional groups was synthesized through the hydrothermal method in the H₂SO₄ + HNO₃ (3:1) mixed acid solution. These oxygen functional groups on the CNT/GF succeed in suppressing the HER and improving charge transfer for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. As a result, the oxygen functional group applied electrode exhibited a low overpotential of 0.395 V for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. Hence, this work could offer a new strategy to design and synthesize effective electrodes for HER suppression and improving the energy density of VRFB.