• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.247-257
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• 2021

In this work, Iron Nano-Particles Impregnated BioChar/bead (INPBC/bead) soil amendment was developed to increase biochar's reactivity to As in soil and preventing possible wind loss. Prior to preparation of INPBC/bead, INPBC was produced utilizing lignocellulosic biomass and Fe(III) solution in a hydrothermal method, followed by a calcination process. Then, the bead type amendment, INPBC/bead was produced by cross-linking reaction of alginate with INPBC. FT-IR, XRD, BET, and SEM-EDS analyses were utilized to characterize the as-synthesised materials. The particle size range of INPBC/bead was 1-4 mm, and different oxygen-containing functional groups and Fe3O4 crystalline phase were produced on the surface of INPBC/bead, according to the characterization results. The soil cultivation test was carried out in order to assess the stabilization performance of INPBC/bead utilizing As and Pb-contaminated soil obtained from an abandoned mining location in South Korea. After 4 weeks of culture, TCLP and SPLP extraction tests were performed to assess the stabilization efficacy of the amendment. The TCLP and SPLP findings revealed that raising the application ratio improved stabilizing efficiency. The As stabilization efficiency was determined to be 81.56 % based on SPLP test findings for a 5% in (w/w) INPBC/bead treatment, and the content of Pb in extracts was reduced to the limit of detection. According to the findings of this study, INPBC/bead that can maintain pH of origin soil and minimize wind loss might be a potential amendment for soil polluted with As and heavy metals.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.411-417
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• 2022

Environmental issues such as global warming due to fossil fuel use are now major worldwide concerns, and interest in renewable and clean energy is growing. Of the various types of renewable energy, green hydrogen energy has recently attracted attention because of its eco-friendly and high-energy density. Electrochemical water splitting is considered a pollution-free means of producing clean hydrogen and oxygen and in large quantities. The development of non-noble electrocatalysts with low cost and high performance in water splitting has also attracted considerable attention. In this study, we successfully synthesized a NiCo₂O₄/NF electrode for an oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water splitting using a hydrothermal method, which was followed by post-heat treatment. The effects of heat treatment on the electrochemical performance of the electrodes were evaluated under different heat-treatment conditions. The optimized NCO/NF-300 electrode showed an overpotential of 416 mV at a high current density of 50 mA/cm² and a low Tafel slope (49.06 mV dec^-1). It also showed excellent stability (due to the large surface area) and the lowest charge transfer resistance (12.59 Ω). The results suggested that our noble-metal free electrodes have great potential for use in developing alkaline electrolysis systems.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.136-142
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• 2023

In this study, TEOS was used as a silica source, and a triblock copolymer (P123) was used as a template to produce mesoporous silica with a well-ordered hexagonal mesopore array through a self-assembly method and hydrothermal process under acidic condition. (Surfactant-extracted SBA-15). Surfactant-extracted SBA-15 showed the particle shape of a short rod with a size of approximately 980 nm. The surface area and pore diameter were 730 m²g^-1 and 70.8 Å, respectively. Meanwhile, aminosilane (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, APTES) was grafted into the mesopores using a post-synthesis method. Mesoporous silica (APTES-SBA-15) modified with aminosilane had a well-ordered pore structure (p6mm) and well-maintained the particle shape of short rods. The surface area and pore diameter of APTES-SBA-15 decreased to 350 m²g^-1 and 60.7 Å, respectively. APTES-modified mesoporous silica was treated with a solution of rare earth metal ions (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺) to synthesize a mesoporous silica material in which rare earth metal complexes were introduced into the mesopores. (Eu/APTES-SBA-15, Tb/APTES-SBA-15) These materials exhibited characteristic photoluminescence spectra by λ_ex=250 nm. (⁵D₄→⁷F₅ (543.5 nm), ⁵D₄→⁷F₄ (583.5 nm), ⁵D₄→⁷F₃ (620.2 nm) transitions for Tb/APTES-SBA-15; ⁵D₀→⁷F₀ (577.7 nm), ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ (592.0 nm), ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ (614.9 nm), ⁵D₀→⁷F₃ (650.3 nm) and ⁵D₀→⁷F₄ (698.5 nm) transitions for Eu/APTES-SBA-15)

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.172-180
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• 2012

The $LiMn_2O_4$ cathodes for lithium ion battery were synthesized from various precursors of manganese oxides and manganese hydroxides. As the first step, nanosized precursors such as ${\alpha}-MnO_2$ (nano-sticks), ${\beta}-MnO_2$ (nano-rods), $Mn_3O_4$ (nano-octahedra), amorphous $MnO_2$(nano-spheres), and $Mn(OH)_2$ (nano-plates) were prepared by a hydrothermal or a precipitation method. Spinel $LiMn_2O_4$ with various sizes and shapes were finally synthesized by a solid-state reaction method from the manganese precursors and LiOH. Nano-sized (500 nm) octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ showed high capacities of 107 mAh $g^{-1}$ and 99 mAh $g^{-1}$ at 1 C- and 50 C-rate, respectively. Three dimensional octahedral crystallites exhibit superior electrochemical characteristics to the other one-dimensional and two-dimensional shaped $LiMn_2O_4$ nanoparticles. After 500 consecutive charge discharge battery cycles at 10 C-rate with the nano-octahedron $LiMn_2O_4$ cathode, the capacity retention of 95% was observed, which is far better than any other morphologies studied in this work.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2020

Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with the mixed structure of cubic and nanorod were synthesized by precipitation, hydrothermal, sol-gel method, etching process and heat treatment. Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ core-shell (CS) of type Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ composite was fabricated on a 20 nm nanolayer of TiO₂ coated on the surface of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ yolk-shell (YS) composite was prepared by chemical etching and heat treatment of Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ CS nanoparticles. Physical properties of Fe₂O₃, Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ CS and Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ YS nanoparticles were characterized by FE-SEM, HR-TEM and X-ray diffraction. The solar reflectance, commission internationale de l'Elcairage (CIE) color coordinate and heat shield temperatures of Fe₂O₃, CS and YS type Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ pigments filled with poly acrylate (PA) paints were investigated by UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer and homemade heat shield temperature measuring device. The Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ YS red pigment filled PA composite exhibited excellent near infrared light reflecting performance and also reduced the heat shield temperature of 13 ℃ than that of Fe₂O₃ filled counterparts.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.904-909
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• 2012

Acid sulfate soil (ASS) and potential acid sulfate soil (PASS) are distribution in worldwide and originate from sedimentary process, volcanic activity, or metamorphism and are problematic in agriculture and environmental due to their present and potential acidity developed by the oxidation. The PASS was defined as soil materials that had sulfidic layer more than 20 cm thick within 4 m of the soil profile and contained more than 0.15% of total-sulfur (T-S). A tentative interpretative soil classification system was proposed weak potential acid sulfate (T-S, 0.15-0.5%), moderate potential acid sulfate (T-S, 0.5-0.75%) and strong potential acid sulfate (T-S, more than 0.75%). PASS due to excess of pyrite over soil neutralizing capacity are formed. It provides no information on the kinetic rates of acid generation or neutralization; therefore, the test procedures used in acid base account (ABA) are referred to as static procedures. The net acid generation (NAG) test is a direct method to measure the ability of the sample to produce acid through sulfide oxidation and also provides and indication. The NAG test can evaluated easily whether the soils is PASS. The samples are mixed sandy loam and the PAS from the hydrothermal altered andesite (1:3, 1:8, 1:16, 1:20, 1:40, 1:80 and 1:200 ratios) in this study. We could find out that the NAG pH of the soil containing 0.75% of T-S was 2.5, and that of the soil has 0.15% of T-S was 3.8. NAG pH test can be proposed as soil classification criteria for the potential acid sulfate soils. The strong type has NAG pH of 2.5, the moderate one has NAG pH of 3.0, and the weak one has NAG pH of 3.5.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.603-610
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• 2016

This work studies the synthesis of birnessite (${\delta}-MnO_2$), a catalyst of oxidative-coupling reactions, from the powder of spent alkaline manganese batteries (SABP, <8 mesh) and evaluate its reactivity for 1-naphthol (1-NP) removals. Manganese oxides using commercial reagents ($MnSO_4$, $MnCl_2$) and the acid birnessite (A-Bir) by McKenzie method were also synthesized, and their crystallinity and reactivity for 1-NP were compared with one another. 96% Mn and 98% Zn were extracted from SABP by acid leaching at the condition of solid/liquid (S/L) ratio 1:10 in $1.0M\;H_2SO_4+10.5%\;H_2O_2$ at $60^{\circ}C$. From the acid leaching solution, 69% (at pH 8) and 94.3% (pH>13) of Mn were separated by hydroxide precipitation. Optimal OH/Mn mixing ratio (mol/mol) for the manganese oxide (MO) synthesis by alkaline (NaOH) hydrothermal techniques was 6.0. Under this condition, the best 1-NP removal efficiency was observed and XRD analysis confirmed that the MOs are corresponding to birnessite. Kinetic constants (k, at pH 6) for the 1-NP removals of the birnessites obtained from Mn recovered at pH 8 (${Mn^{2+}}_{(aq)}$) and pH>13 ($Mn(OH)_{2(s)}$) are 0.112 and $0.106min^{-1}$, respectively, which are similar to that from $MnSO_4$ reagent ($0.117min^{-1}$). The results indicated that the birnessite prepared from the SABP as a raw material could be used as an oxidative-coupling catalyst for removals of trace phenolic compounds in soil and water, and propose the recycle scheme of SAB for the birnessite synthesis.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.301-310
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• 2014

To investigate the role of fault gauge in the behavior of heavy metals caused by the acid rock drainage in the area of pyrite-rich andesite, XRD, pH measurement, XRF, SEM-EDS, ICP, and sequential extraction method were used. Bed rock consists of quartz, pyrophyllite, pyrite, illite, and topaz, but the brown-colored fault gouge is composed of quartz, illite, chlorite, smectite, goethite, and cacoxenite. The mineral composition of bed rock suggests that it is heavily altered by hydrothermal activity. The concentrations of heavy metals in the bed rock are as follows, Zn > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd, and those in fault gouge are As > Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd. The concentrations of the heavy metals in the fault gouge are generally higher than those in the bed rock, especially for Pb, As, and Cr, which were more than twice as those in the bed rock. It is believed that the difference in the amount of heavy metals between the bed rock and the fault gouge is mainly due to the existence of goethite which is the main mineral composition in the fault gouge and can play important role in sequestering these metals by coprecipitation and adsorption. The low pH, caused by oxidation of pyrite, also plays significant role in fixation of those metals. It is confirmed that the fractions of labile (step 1) and acid-soluble (step 2), which can be easily released into the environment, were higher in the bed rock. Those fractions were relatively low in fault gauge, suggesting that fault gauge can play important role as a sink of heavy metals to prevent those ones from being released in the area where the acid rock drainage can have an influence.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2020

Magnesium silicate minerals such as serpentine [Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄] have a high potential for the sequestration of CO₂; thus, their reactivity toward dissolution under CO₂-free and CO₂-containing conditions in acidic solvents is a critical process with respect to their carbonation reactions. To examine the carbonation efficiency and dissolution mechanism of serpentine, hydrothermal treatment was performed to the starting material via a modified direct aqueous carbonation process at 100 and 150℃. The serpentine dissolution experiments were conducted in H₂SO₄ solution with concentration range of 0.3-1 M and at a CO₂ partial pressure of 3 MPa. The initial pH of the solution was adjusted to 13 for the carbonation process. Under CO₂-free and CO₂-containing conditions, the carbonation efficiency increased in proportion to the concentration of H₂SO₄ and the reaction temperature. The leaching rate under CO₂-containing conditions was higher than that under CO₂-free conditions. This suggests that shows the presence of CO₂ affects the carbonation reaction. The leaching and carbonation efficiencies at 150℃ in 1 M H₂SO₄ solution under CO₂-containing conditions were 85 and 84%, respectively. The dissolution rate of Mg was higher than that of Si, such that the Mg : Si ratio of the reacted serpentine decreased from the inner part (approximately 1.5) to the outer part (less than 0.1). The resultant silica-rich layer of the reaction product ultimately changed through the Mg-depleted skeletal phase and the pseudo-serpentine phase to the amorphous silica phase. A passivating silica layer was not observed on the outer surface of the reacted serpentine.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.751-755
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• 2005

Carbon dioxide, included in the flue gas from the combustion of fossil fuel, was known as a representative green house gas and various removal and utilization technologies of it has been studied for the prevention of global warming. This study was performed as an effort to find out a method to reuse carbon dioxide separated from flue gas by magnetite powder. Magnetite powder was synthesized using various oxidizers and alkalinity controlled aqueous solutions of $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ and NaOH at 50, 80, 90, $100^{\circ}C$ and analyzed by XRD and SEM. The analysis results showed that magnetite powder synthesized at higher alkalinity and temperature had crystalline spinel and cubic structure. The reduction by hydrogen and the oxidation by carbon dioxide of synthesized powder were studied by TGA. The results showed that magnetite powder synthesized at low alkalinity and temperature was non-cubical amorphous but crystalline and cubical at high alkalinity and temperature. Comparing magnetite powders synthesized using oxidants(air and oxygen) and nitrogen, magnetite powder using more oxygen containing oxidant synthesized more crystalline magnetite powder. The experimental results of redox reaction of the synthesized magnetite powder showed that the reduction by hydrogen and the oxidation by carbon dioxide were seldom observed below $400^{\circ}C$ and observed well at $500^{\circ}C$. Magnetite powder synthesized at $100^{\circ}C$ and alkalinity(molal concentration ratio of $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ to NaOH) of 2.0 using $O_2$ showed the highest reduction of 27.15 wt％ and oxidation of 26.73 wt％, especially at reaction temperature of $500^{\circ}C$.