• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.3049-3052
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• 2009

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is added to gasoline to enhance the octane number of gasoline, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) is major degradation intermediate of MTBE in environment, and benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) are also major constituents of gasoline. In this study, a simplified headspace analysis method was adapted for simultaneous determination of MTBE, TBA and BTEX in ground water samples. The sample 5.0 mL and 2 g NaCl were placed in a 10 mL vial and the solution was spiked with fluorobenzene as an internal standard and sealed with a cap. The vial was placed in a heating block at 85 $^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The detection limits of the assay were 0.01 ${\mu}$g/L for MTBE and BTEX, and 0.02 ${\mu}$g/L for TBA. The method was used to analyze 110 ground water samples from various regions in Korea, and to survey the their background concentration in ground water in Korea. The samples revealed MTBE concentrations in the range of 0.01 - 0.45 ${\mu}$g/L (detection frequency of 57.3%), TBA concentrations in the range of 0.02 - 0.08 ${\mu}$g/L (detection frequency of 5.5%), and total BTEX concentrations in the range of 0.01 - 2.09 ${\mu}$g/L (detection frequency of 87.3%). The developed method may be used when simultaneously determining the amount of MTBE, TBA and BTEX in water.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.637-640
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• 2005

The density of polar-nonpolar liquid mixtures composed of methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and the density of polar-polar liquid mixture of MTBE and MEK were measured by densitometer at 278.15 K, 288.15 K and 298.15 K, respectively. The excess molar volume of the binary systems calculated from the measured density was shown good agreement with the calculated one by the cubic Peng-Robinson- Stryjek-Vera (PRSV) equation of state together with Huron-Vidal mixing rule and it confirmed that the cubic PRSV equation of state could be used in the molar volume calculation of polar mixture.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.195-198
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• 2005

A solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the extraction and analysis of methyl-tert-butyl ether has been described. methyl-tert-butyl ether was extracted from aqueous solution using SPME fiber coated polydimethylsiloxane and analysed by GC-MS with capillary column. Extraction parameters and chromatographic separation conditions were optimized. The applied method represented good analytical performance in terms of precision (3-8%, RSD) and accuracy(93-102%, mean recovery) with a method detection limit of 0.03 ppb.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.747-753
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• 2010

A series of experiments with a laboratory scale ultrasound treatment system for MTBE polluted groundwater was performed to increase the efficiency of MTBE degradation in groundwater. This study evaluated several factors to increase the efficiency of MTBE treatment for artificial and natural groundwater. The treated volume of groundwater, ultrasound frequency and power, and pollutant concentrations have been changed to evaluate its effects on the degradation efficiency of MTBE in batch and continuous flow reactor. For the specific experimental conditions on this paper, MTBE degradations are more efficient at 580 kHz than those at 1 MHz. The efficiency of MTBE degradation is proportional to the intensity of ultrasound power per unit volume of MTBE polluted groundwater. The concentration of ions in groundwater does not much affect the efficiency of MTBE degradation. The $1^{st}$ order degradation constant of MTBE for different power per unit volume at 580 kHz shows linear relationship at same concentration. The $1^{st}$ order degradation constant for 0.1 mM MTBE solution is higher than that for 1 mM MTBE solution. These experimental results could be helpful to seek optimal conditions for relatively large volume of polluted groundwater treatment.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.403-409
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• 2005

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in groundwater often coexists with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) near the source of the plume. Then, groundwater contamination problems have been developed in areas where the chemical is used. Common sources of water contamination by BTEX and MTBE include leaking underground gasoline storage tanks and leaks and spills from above ground fuel storage tanks, etc. In oil-contaminated environments, anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE depended on the concentration and distribution of terminal electron acceptor. In this study, effect of electron acceptor on the anaerobic biodegradation for BTEX and MTBE-contaminated soil was investigated. This study showed the anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and MTBE in two different soils by using nitrate reduction, ferric iron reduction and sulfate reduction. The soil samples from the two fields were enriched for 65 days by providing BTEX and MTBE as a sole carbon source and nitrate, sulfate or iron as a terminal electron acceptor. This study clearly shows that degradation rate of BTEX and MTBE with electron acceptors is higher than that without electron acceptors. Degradation rate of Ethylbenzene and Xylene is higher than that of Benxene, Toluene, and MTBE. In case of Benzene, Ethylbenzene, and MTBE, nitrate has more activation. In case of Toluene and Xylene, sulfate has more activation.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1992.10a
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• pp.43-44
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• 1992

촉매막반응기란 반응기와 분리막이 동시에 하나의 과정으로 결합된 unit로, 촉매막반응기를 사용할 경우 가역 반응에서 막을 통한 생성물의 선택적 제거는 화학 평형이동을 유발시켜 열역학적으로 얻을수 있는 평형 전환율보다 높은 전환유을 얻을 수 있다. 본 연구는 이러한 촉매막반응기의 성능에 대한 실험적 연구로, 산 촉매하에서 일어나는 MTBE 분해반응을 12-텅스토인산 촉매상에서 수행하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.120-123
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• 2003

Immobilization behavior of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) by various cyclodextrins(CDs) was studied to investigate the feasibility of MTBE removal using cyclodexrins. Even though MTBE has relatively low hydrophobicity and higher polarity compared to other organics, it was effectively immobilized by CDs. The immobilization isotherms was shown as a type of Freundlich isotherms, and the immobilization capacity of -CDs was the largest among natural COs. The initial apparent association constant for MTBE-CD complex follows the order : gamma = beta > methyl-beta > hydroxypropyl beta > alpha. These differences of the constants are related to the size of MTBE and CDs. The size of beta-CD and gamma-CD is large to encapsulate MTBE molecule into the cavity, which that of alpha-CB is too small to encapsulate MTBE.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of a gasoline vapor recovery system on personal exposure levels of gasoline vapor constituents including benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene(BTEX), and methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) among gas station workers in a metropolitan area. Methods: Thirty-one gas station workers at ten gas stations in a metropolitan area were selected as subjects for this study. Test method PV2028 as recommended in the OSHA process was used for sampling and analysis. Results: The personal exposure levels of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, MTBE and gasoline vapor in the gas station workers were $0.0018{\pm}0.0069ppm$, $0.0077{\pm}0.0137ppm$, $0.0002{\pm}0.0008ppm$, $0.0016{\pm}0.0084ppm$, $0.2619{\pm}0.3340ppm$, and $1.4940{\pm}1.7984ppm$, respectively. After adjustment for refueling frequency and volume, personal exposure levelswere higher in the gas stations where gasoline vapor recovery systems(Stage II) were not installed, but the results were not statistically significant. Gasoline vapor concentrations showed a positive correlation to the level of MTBE, a gasoline additive. Conclusions: Vapor recovery systems(Stage II) were effective not only in reducing emissions of air pollutants, but also in reducing exposure to hazardous substances among gas station workers. In addition, acorrelation between gasoline vapors and MTBE concentration was confirmed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.135-142
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• 1989

Methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) was synthesized from vapor phase reaction of methanol with iso-butylene over HZSM-5 catalysts, and effects of SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio in the HZSM-5 catalysts and reaction conditions on products distribution have been examined. Acid strength and acid type of each catalyst with different SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio were measured using pyridine adsorption followed by temperature programmed desorption(TPD) and IR analysis. Reactants and products adsorption characteristics on different acid sites have also been examined. As the SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio of HZSM-5 catalyst was increased, selectivity to MTBE was improved as a result of decrease in dimethylether(DME) formation at the strong acid sites. Conversion and selectivity to MTBE were also greatly enhanced as $i-C_4H_8/CH_3OH$ reactant ratio was increased, and overall about 80$^{\circ}$C was adequate for the MTBE synthesis. The properties of deposited coke on spent catalysts were examined by TG, DTA and IR spectrum analysis, indicating the amount of the coke deposit in the order of HY > H-Mordenite > HZSM-5. Even if the coke deposited on H-Mordenite was little more in amount than to that on HZSM-5, the former deactivated quickly due to its non-interconnected channel structure. For HY, owing to its lange pore size, significant $i-C_4H_8$ polymerization was occured, and rapid deactivation and severe coke formation has resulted within few hours.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1693-1698
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• 2012

A headspace gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC-MS) assay method was developed for the simultaneous determination of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), $tert$-butyl alcohol (TBA) and benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) in soil contaminated with gasoline. 2 g of soil sample were placed in a 10 mL headspace vial filled with 5 mL of phosphoric acid solution (pH 3) saturated with NaCl, and the solution was spiked with fluorobenzene as an internal standard and sealed with a cap. The vial was heated in a heating block for 40 min at $80^{\circ}C$. The detection limits of the assay were 0.08-0.12 ${\mu}g$/kg for the analytes. For five independent determinations at 10 and 50 ${\mu}g$/kg, the relative standard deviations were less than 10%. The method was used to analyze fifty six soil samples collected from various regions contaminated with gasoline in Korea. The developed method may be valuable for the monitoring of the analytes in soil.