• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.201-208
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• 2017

A finite element analysis is proposed to study the effect of specimen dimensions on lateral diffusion of hydrogen during hydrogen permeation flux measurements. The error of measurement on thick specimens because of 1D diffusion approximation may be as much as 70%. A critical condition for accurate measurements is to designate the area of hydrogen monitoring/exit surface smaller than the area of hydrogen charging/entry surface. For thin to medium thickness specimens (ratio of thickness to specimen radius of 5:10 and below), the charging surface should be maximized and the monitoring surface should be minimized. In case of relatively thick specimens (ratio of thickness to specimen radius above of 5:10), use of a hydrogen-diffusion barrier on the specimen boundaries is recommended. It would completely eliminate lateral losses of hydrogen, but cannot eliminate the deviation towards 2D diffusion near the side edges. In such a case, the charging surface should be maximized and the monitoring surface should be as closer in dimension as the charging surface. A regression analysis was carried out and an analytical relationship between the maximum measurement error and the specimen dimensions is proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.143-157
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• 2002

Batch and column tests were conducted with common groundwater contaminants (i.e., trichloroethylene) to determine transport parameters and reactivity of the foundry sands. The reactivities of foundry sands for common groundwater contaminants are comparable to or slightly higher than those for Peerless iron a common medium used in permeable reactive barriers. In addition, the TOC and clay in foundry sands can significantly retard the movement of target contaminants, which may result in lower effluent concentrations of contaminants due to biodegradation. In general, permeable reactive barriers with the thickness of 1m can be constructed with many foundry sands to treat typical groundwater comtaminants provided the zero-valent iron content in the foundry sand is higher than 1%.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.99-109
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• 2007

Risk elements of highway safety facilities are affected by complex environments. Thus, risk-based approach for traffic safety facilities is needed. For this, in this study, qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methodology and procedure for highway safety facilities is proposed, which can be used as risk-based approach incorporating VE process. Also, for the quantitative risk assessment, event tree using EPDO(Equivalent Property Damage Only) with respect to frequency and magnitude of risk events is introduced. As a result, risk index of alternative 1(140cm) and 2(127(cm) which can be used as performance factor in VE approach are estimated.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2012

Radiofrequency(RF) signal is a key medium to the most of the present wireless communication devices including RF identification devices(RFID) and smart sensors. However, the most critical barrier to overcome in RFID application is in the failure rate in detection. The most notable improvement in the detection was from the introduction of EPC Class1 Gen2 protocol, but the fundamental problems in the physical properties of the RF signal drew less attention. In this work, we focused on the physical properties of the RF signal in order to understand the failure rate by noting the existence of the ground planes and noise sources in the real environment. By using the mathematical computation software, Maple, we simulated the distribution of the electromagnetic field from a dipole antenna when ground planes exist. Calculations showed that the dark area can be formed by interference. We also constructed a test system to measure the failure rate in the detection of a RFID transponder. The test system was composed of a fixed RFID reader and an EPC Class1 Gen2 transponder which was attached to a scanner to sweep in the x-y plane. Labview software was used to control the x-y scanner and to acquire data. Tests in the laboratory environment showed that the dark area can be as much as 43 %. One who wants to use RFID and smart sensors should carefully consider the extent of the dark area.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.168-174
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• 2019

The sol-gel methodology has been applied successfully in the synthesis of a novel hybrid coating based on dimethoxymethyl-n-octadecylsilane precursor. The newly synthesized parent coating was functionalized further with two commercially-available corrosion-inhibitive pigments Moly-$white^{(R)}$ 101-ED and Hfucophos $Zapp^{(R)}$, applied to mild steel panels, and immersed continuously in 3.5% NaCl electrolytic solution for 288 h. The corrosion protection performance of the prepared functional coatings was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and DC polarization techniques. An enhancement in the barrier properties has been revealed from the electrochemical characterization data of the hybrid films, in comparison with untreated mild steel substrates following long-term immersion in 3.5% NaCl. The corrosion resistance properties of the newly developed coatings over mild steel substrates found to be largely dependent on the type of the loaded inhibitive pigment in which the Moly-white inhibitor has a positive impact on the corrosion protection performance of the parent coating, while an opposite behavior was observed upon mixing the base polymeric matrix with the commercially-available Zapp corrosion inhibitor.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.529-540
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• 2018

Sand dam is a flow barrier commonly built on small or medium size sandy rivers to accumulate sand and store excess water for later use or increase the water table. The effectiveness of sand dam in increasing the water table and the amount of extractable groundwater is tested using numerical models. Two models are developed to test the hypothesis. The first model is to simulate the groundwater flow in a pseudo-natural aquifer system with the hydraulically connected river. The second model, a modified version of the first model, is constructed with a sand dam, which raises the riverbed by 2 m. In both models, the effect of groundwater abstraction is tested by varying the pumping rate. As the model results show the groundwater after the construction of the sand dam has increased significantly and the amount of extractable groundwater is also increased by many folds. Most importantly, in the second model, unlike the pseudo-natural aquifer system, the groundwater abstraction does not have a significant effect on the water table.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1479-1484
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• 2022

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is gaining attention as a carbon-neutral alternative to plant cellulose, and as a means to prevent deforestation and achieve a carbon-neutral society. However, the high cost of fermentation media for BC production is a barrier to its industrialization. In this study, chestnut shell (CS) hydrolysates were used as a carbon source for the BC-producing bacteria strain, Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC 53524. To evaluate the suitability of the CS hydrolysates, major inhibitors in the hydrolysates were analyzed, and BC production was profiled during fermentation. CS hydrolysates (40 g glucose/l) contained 1.9 g/l acetic acid when applied directly to the main medium. As a result, the BC concentration at 96 h using the control group and CS hydrolysates was 12.5 g/l and 16.7 g/l, respectively (1.3-fold improved). In addition, the surface morphology of BC derived from CS hydrolysates revealed more densely packed nanofibrils than the control group. In the microbial BC production using CS, the hydrolysate had no inhibitory effect during fermentation, suggesting it is a suitable feedstock for a sustainable and eco-friendly biorefinery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to valorize CS by utilizing it in BC production.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2021.11a
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• pp.27-28
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• 2021

The search for new corrosion inhibitors for different corrosive mediums is a never-ending task. In the present work, the corrosion inhibition behavior and adsorption mechanism of two novel synthetic thiazolidinedione derivatives noted MTZD and ATZD in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution on copper were investigated. Electrochemical, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used along with first-principles DFT calculations. At maximum inhibitor concentration i.e., 300 ppm corrosion inhibition efficiency reached maximum up to 90% and 96% for MTZD and ATZD, respectively, and thereby followed the order of ATZD > MTZD. The inhibition efficiency increased up to 24 h of immersion, and then decreased after 48h immersion. The potentiodynamic curves suggested that the inhibition action of tested compounds is a mixed type of inhibitor. The first-principles DFT calculations suggested that compounds under investigation formed covalent bonds with Cu(111) surface via reactive sites. SEM and AFM results confirmed the formation of protective barrier that prevent corrosion attack.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2000

Objective: Zona pellucida (ZP) has been thought to be the barrier of egg to sperm penetration before and after fertilization. The phenomenon of ZP hardening has been considered as a post-fertilization event until now, and it is generally accepted that it is caused by the secretory products of cortical granules released during the cortical reaction. Hardening of ZP could occur "spontaneously" in mammalian oocytes in standard culture conditions, and that it is probably not a consequence of cortical reaction. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of human amniotic fluid (HAF) on nuclear maturation (NM) and fertilization ability of mouse immature oocytes. Methods: HAF was obtained from patients undergoing amniocentesis at $16{\sim}20$ weeks of gestation. HAF from five to ten patients was centrifuged and the supernatants was pooled. Cumulusenclosed mouse immature oocytes were incubated in the medium containing HAF, and examined to confirm NM and fertilization. Female ICR mice (about 3 weeks old) were stimulated with 7.5 IU PMSG. Immature oocytes were isolated at $48{\sim}52$ hrs post PMSG injection and cultured in TCM-199 supplemented with 20% HAF for 18 hrs. FBS was used as a control for the examination. Matured oocytes (MII) were fertilized with sperms collected from the epididymis of male mice (over 10 weeks old). Fertilization was in conducted T6 medium containing 15 mg/ml BSA, and confirmed at 6 hrs post-insemination. Fertilization rate was assessed in zona-intact or zona-free oocytes (denuded by trypsin). Evaluation of NM and fertilization was carried out by rapid staining method. ZP hardening was evaluated by incubating cumulus cell-free mature oocytes in 0.001% chymotrypsin at $37^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. Results: There was no significant difference between the effects of HAF (86.6%) and FBS (87.7%) supplements on NM of immature oocytes. When maturation medium was supplemented with HAF, total fertilization rates (7%) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than that of FBS (85.1%). In HAF group, fertilization rate was increased (p<0.01) in zona-free oocytes (7% versus 100%). The resistance of mouse oocyte ZP to digestion by chymotrypsin after maturation in vitro was significantly higher (p<0.01) in HAF group (86.7%) than in FBS (6.7%). To culture oocytes in FBS were very effective in preventing ZP hardening. However cultured oocytes in HAF showed high rate of ZP hardening (p<0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that HAF can be used as a supplement for the NM of mouse immature oocytes in vitro. However, HAF induces spontaneous hardening of ZP of mouse immaure oocytes during maturation in vitro.