• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.704-708
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• 2005

Poly-y-glutamate (${\gamma}$-PGA) has great potential as a biodegradable polymer in a broad range of industrial fields such as food, cosmetics, medicine and water treatment. In order to isolate ${\gamma}$-PGA producers that are suitable for specific industrial applications, 653 Bacillus-like strains were isolated from 439 varieties of three Korean fermented foods, Cheongkukjang, Doenjang, and Kochujang, which were collected from different regions across Korea. A very high level of ${\gamma}$-PGA production was demonstrated in 4.7%, 1.8%, and 3.0% of the Bacillus-like strains isolated from Cheongkukjang, Doenjang, and Kochujang samples, respectively, which produced a viscous substance to such extent that it overflowed to the lid of the plate on the glutamate-dependent ${\gamma}$-PGA production plates. On glutamate-independent ${\gamma}$-PGA production plates, 5.1%, 5.9%, and 6.1% of Bacillus-like strains isolated from Cheongkukjang, Doenjang, and Kochujang samples, respectively, showed high production. The maximum ${\gamma}$-PGA production yields were 32.5 g/L and 5 g/L, depending on the purification methods in the glutamate-dependent media, with the higher yield resulting from a simple precipitation of ${\gamma}$-PGA by either methanol or ethanol and dialysis. The viscous substance produced by each strain showed different morphological characteristics, suggesting that isolated ${\gamma}$-PGA producers could produce various types of ${\gamma}$-PGA.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

Recently, in order to enhance the function and usefulness of products, cladding of dissimilar materials that maximizes the performance of the material is being widely used in all areas of industry as an important process. Clad steel plate, produced by cladding stainless steel plate, an anticorrosive material, on carbon steel plate, is being used to produce pressure vessels. Stainless steel plate has good corrosion resistance, and carbon steel plate has good rigidity and strength; clad steel can satisfy all of these qualities at once. This study aims to find the ${\delta}$-ferrite behavior, mechanical properties, structure change, integrity and reliability of clad steel weld on hot rolled steel plates. For this purpose, multi-layer welding, repair welding and post weld heat treatment were implemented according to welding procedure specifications (WPS). In order to observe the mechanical properties and toughness of clad steel weld zone, post weld heat treatment was carried out according to ASME Sec. VIII Div.1 UW-40 procedure for post weld heat treatment. With heat treatment at $625^{\circ}C$, the hold time was used as the process variable, increased by intervals that were doubled each time, from 80 to 1,280 min. The structure of weld part was typical cast structure; localized primary austenite areas appeared near central vermicular ferrite and fusion line. The heat affected zone showed rough austenite structure created by the weld heat input. Due to annealing effects of heat treatment, the mechanical properties (tensile strength, hardness, impact value) of the heat affected area tended to decrease. From the results of this study, it is possible to conclude the integrity of clad steel welds is not affected much in field welding, repair welding, multi-layer welding, post weld heat treatment, etc.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2629-2639
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• 2021

Within the frame of the EMPIrE test, four monolithic mini-plates were irradiated in the ATR reactor. In two of them, the monolithic U(Mo) foil had been PVD-coated with Zr before the plate manufacturing. Extensive microstructural characterizations were performed on a fresh archive mini-plate, using Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with nano EDS. A particular attention was paid to the examination of the U(Mo) foil, the PVD coating, the cladding/Zr and Zr/U(Mo) interfaces. The Zr coating has a thickness around 15 ㎛. It has a columnar microstructure and appears dense. The cohesion of the cladding/Zr and Zr/U(Mo) interfaces seems to be satisfactory. An almost continuous layer with a thickness of the order of 100-300 nm is present at the cladding/Zr interface and corresponds to an oxidized part of the Zr coating. At the Zr/U(Mo) interface, a thin discontinuous layer is observed. It could correspond to locally oxidized U(Mo). This work provides a basis for interpreting the results of characterizations on EMPIrE irradiated plates.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2017

Metallic biomaterials have been mainly used for the fabrication of medical devices for the replacement of hard tissue such as artificial hip joints, bone plates, and dental implants. Because they are very reliable on the viewpoint of mechanical performance. This trend is expected to continue. Especially, Ti and Ti alloys are bioinert. So, they do not chemically bond to the bone, whereas they physically bond with bone tissue. For their poor surface biocompatibility, the surface of Ti alloys has to be modified to improve the surface osteoinductivity. Recently, ceramic-like coatings on titanium, produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), have been developed with calciumand phosphorus-enriched surfaces. A lso included the influences of coatings, which can accelerate healing and cell integration, as well as improve tribological properties. However, the adhesions of these coatings to the Ti surface need to be improved for clinical use. Particularly Silicon (Si) has been found to be essential for normal bone, cartilage growth and development. This hydroxyapatite, modified with the inclusion of small concentrations of silicon has been demonstrating to improve the osteoblast proliferation and the bone extracellular matrix production. Strontium-containing hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) was designed as a filling material to improve the biocompatibility of bone cement. In vitro, the presence of strontium in the coating enhances osteoblast activity and differentiation, whereas it inhibits osteoclast production and proliferation. The objective of this work was to study Morphology of bone-like apatite formation on Sr and Si-doped hydroxyapatite surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy after plasma electrolytic oxidation. Anodized alloys was prepared at 270V~300V voltages with various concentrations of Si and Sr ions. Bone-like apatite formation was carried out in SBF solution. The morphology of PEO, phase and composition of oxide surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloys were examined by FE-SEM, EDS, and XRD.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2003

The ${\alpha}-{\beta}$ phase transition of titanium was investigated through in-situ EF-TEM heating experiments. Three different areas of a titanium foil were observed to minimize statistical errors. Systematic recording of diffraction patterns and images was carried out from $RT{\rightarrow}600^{\circ}C{\rightarrow}900^{\circ}C{\rightarrow}RT$ on each area. The following results were obtained: (1) Transition of titanium takes place very rapidly at $900^{\circ}C$. Two phases of titanium, ${\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$, coexist at this temperature. (2) The transited ${\beta}$-phase appears in the form of twinned plates which are arranged in rotation relationship one another. (3) Analyses of electron diffraction patterns and EDS data indicate that the thermal oxidation layer is gradually formed on the surface of titanium above $900^{\circ}C$, which hinders the reversible ${\beta}{\rightarrow}{\alpha}$ phase transition upon cooling.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.118-127
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• 2012

TiN or Ti/TiN was coated on stainless steel as bipolar plate in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to improve their corrosion resistance and electric conductivity, and their properties were examined under fuel cell operating condition. After 200 hours operation, the behaviors for the corrosion, crack and dissolution of coating layer were investigated by various techniques. The corrosion and exfoliation of coating layer were considerably generated except for SUS316L-Ti/TiN after fuel cell operation even if the electric conductivity and corrosion resistance of coated stainless steel bipolar plates were improved. The adoption of Ti layer between TiN layer and the surface of stainless steel enhanced the adhesion of TiN layer and decreased the possibility of corrosion by the increase of coating layer.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2007

To produce stable polymer coating layer using the interaction between metal stent and polymer layer, Ahx-HSAB was synthesized by coupling 6-aminoheanoic acid (Ahx) with N-Hydroxy succinimidyl 4-azidobenzonate (HSAB) containing photo reactive group. Then, Ahx-HSAB was applied to self·assembled monolayer (SAM) on $TiO_2$-coated surface, since one end of Ahx-HSAB was carboxyl acid which was known to be able to interact with $TiO_2$ surface. That SAM layer was incubated in 1% polycaprolacton (PCL) solution and photoreacted by ultraviolet light (254 nm) to produce the chemical bond between SAM and polymer layer, followed by PCL polymer coating ({\sim}5\;{\mu}m$) by the method of spray coating. The surface change was investigated by measuring of contact angle of the surface. The contact angle values of stainless steel (SS) surface, $TiO_2$-coated surface, SAM layer by Ahx-HSAB, photoreacted surface with PCL and PCL layer by spray coating were 70.48${\pm}$1.89, 38.57${\pm}$3.31, 60.14${\pm}$2.21, 54.91${\pm}$2.70 and 56.47${\pm}$2.12, respectively. The stability of polymer layers was tested by incubation of PCL-coated plates in 0.1M PBS buffer (pH 7.4, 0.05%, Tween 80) with vigorous shaking (200 rpm). While the poiymer layer prepared by these processes showed the intact surface morphology over 3 days, the polymer layers prepared by spray coating of PCL onto SS plate (control 1) and $TiO_2$-coated SS plate (control 2) were Peeled off in 3 days. Thus, the polymer coating method using SAM and photoreaction seems to be a effective method to obtain the stable polymer layer onto SS surface.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.842-851
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• 2011

A multi-cell test system with 25 independent cells is used to test different electrode materials simultaneously for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Twenty-five segmented membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) having the same or different Pt-loading are prepared to analyze the performance deviation of cells in the multi-cell test system. Improvements in the multi-cell test system are made by ensuring that the system performs voltage sensing for the cells individually and inserting optimum gaskets between the MEAs and the graphite plates. The cell performances are improved and their deviations are significantly decreased by these modifications. The performance deviations changed according to various cell configurations because the operating conditions of the cells, such as the gas flow and concentration, differed. This cell system can be used to test multiple electrodes simultaneously because it shows relatively uniform performance under the same conditions as well as linear correlation with various catalyst loadings.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2017

Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have received a tremendous interest due to their suitability for diverse applications. They have been fabricated using different carbon based electrodes including activated carbons, single walled/multi walled carbon nano tubes. But, graphite which is one of the natural resources in Sri Lanka has not been given a considerable attention towards using for EDLCs though it is a famous carbon material. On the other hand, EDLCs are well reported with various liquid electrolytes which are associated with numerous drawbacks. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) are well known alternative for liquid electrolytes. In this paper, it is reported about an EDLC fabricated with a nano composite polyethylene oxide based GPE and two Sri Lankan graphite based electrodes. The composition of the GPE was [{(10PEO: $NaClO_4$) molar ratio}: 75wt.% PC] : 5 wt.% $TiO_2$. GPE was prepared using the solvent casting method. Two graphite electrodes were prepared by mixing 85% graphite and 15% polyvinylidenefluoride (PVdF) in acetone and casting n fluorine doped tin oxide glass plates. GPE film was sandwiched in between the two graphite electrodes. A non faradaic charge discharge mechanism was observed from the Cyclic Voltammetry study. GPE was stable in the potential windows from (-0.8 V-0.8 V) to (-1.5 V-1.5 V). By increasing the width of the potential window, single electrode specific capacity increased. Impedance plots confirmed the capacitive behavior at low frequency region. Galvanostatic charge discharge test yielded an average discharge capacity of $0.60Fg^{-1}$.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.127-140
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• 2017

Metal nanoparticles have been intensively studied within the past decade. Nano-sized materials have been an important subject in basic and applied sciences. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have received considerable attention due to their unique antibacterial, antifungal, and UV filtering properties, high catalytic and photochemical activity. In this study, microbiological aspects of scale formation in PVC pipelines bacteria and fungi were isolated. In the emerging issue of increased multi-resistant properties in water borne pathogens, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle are being used increasingly as antimicrobial agents. Thus, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum fungal concentration of ZnO nanoparticles towards pathogens microbe were examined in this study. The results obtained suggested that ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a good anti fungal activity than bactericidal effect towards all pathogens tested in in-vitro disc diffusion method (170 ppm, 100 ppm and 30 ppm). ZnO nanoparticles can be a potential antimicrobial agent due to its low cost of production and high effectiveness in antimicrobial properties, which may find wide applications in various industries to address safety issues. Stable ZnO nanoparticles were prepared and their shape and size distribution characterized by Dynamic light scattering (35.7 nm) and transmission electron microscopic TEM study for morphology identification (20 nm), UV-visible spectroscopy (230 nm), X-ray diffraction (FWHM of more intense peak corresponding to 101 planes located at $36.33^{\circ}$ using Scherrer's formula), FT-IR (Amines, Alcohols, Carbonyl and Nitrate ions), Zeta potential (-28.8). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated against Bacteria and Fungi present in drinking water PVC pipelines biofilm. In these tests, Muller Hinton agar plates were used and ZnO nanoparticles of various concentrations were supplemented in solid medium.