• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2016

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by aqueous preparation routes of a precipitation and a hydrothermal process. In the processes, the powders were formed by mixing aqueous solutions of Zn-nitrate hexahydrate ($Zn(NO_3)_2{\cdot}6H_2O$) with NaOH aqueous solution under controlled reaction conditions such as Zn precursor concentration, reaction pH and temperature. Single ZnO phase has been obtained under low Zn precursor concentration, high reaction pH and high temperature. The synthesized particles exhibited flakes (plates), multipods or rods morphologies and the crystallite sizes and shapes would be efficiently controllable by changing the processing parameters. The hydrothermal method showed advantageous features over the precipitation process, allowing the precipitates of single ZnO phase with higher crystallinity at relatively low temperatures below $100^{\circ}C$ under a wider pH range for the Zn precursor concentration of 0.1~1 M.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.299-302
• /
• 2011

[ $WO_3$ ]powders were ball-milled with an alumina ball for 0-72 hours. $In_2O_3$ doped $WO_3$ was prepared by soaking ball-milled $WO_3$ in an $InCl_3$ solution. The mixed powder was annealed at $700^{\circ}C$ for 30 min in an air atmosphere. A paste for screen-printing the thick film was prepared by mixing the $WO_3$:In2O3 powders with ${\alpha}$-terpinol and glycerol. $In_2O_3$ doped $WO_3$ thick films were fabricated into a gas sensor by a screen-printing method on alumina substrates. The structural properties of the $WO_3$:$InO_3$ thick films were a monoclinic phase with a (002) dominant orientation. The particle size of the $WO_3$:$InO_3$ decreased with the ball-milling time. The sensing characteristics of the $In_2O_3$ doped $WO_3$ were investigated by measuring the electrical resistance of each sensor in the test-box. The highest sensitivity to 5 ppm $CH_4$ gas and 5 ppm $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gas was observed in the ball-milled $WO_3$:$InO_3$ gas sensors at 48 hours. The response time of $WO_3$:$In_2O_3$ gas sensors was 7 seconds and recovery time was 9 seconds for the methane gas.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.436-442
• /
• 2014

$LaCoO_3$ powders synthesized by Pechini process were pulverized by planetary ball-milling to decrease particle size and characterized as a catalyst in alkaline solution for oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR & OER). The changes of physical properties, such as particle size distribution, surface area and electric conductivity, were analyzed as a function of ball-milling time. Also, the variations of the crystal structure and surface morphology of ball-milled powders were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemically catalytic activities of the intrinsic $LaCoO_3$ powders decreased with increasing ball-milling time, but their electrochemical performance as an electrode improved by the increase of the surface area of the powder.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.156-161
• /
• 2020

In this study, hierarchical mesoporous CuO spheres, ZnO flowers, and heterojunction CuO/ZnO nanostructures were fabricated via a facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared materials were characterized in detail using various analytical methods such as powder X-ray diffraction, micro Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The obtained results are consistent with each other. The H₂S-sensing characteristics of the sensors fabricated based on the CuO spheres, ZnO flowers, and CuO/ZnO heterojunction were investigated at different temperatures and gas concentrations. The sensor based on ZnO flowers showed a maximum response of ~141 at 225 ℃. The sensor based on CuO spheres exhibited a maximum response of 218 at 175 ℃, whereas the sensor based on the CuO/ZnO nano-heterostructure composite showed a maximum response of 344 at 150 ℃. The detection limit (DL) of the sensor based on the CuO/ZnO heterojunction was ~120 ppb at 150 ℃. The CuO/ZnO sensor showed the maximum response to H₂S compared with other interfering gases such as ethanol, methanol, and CO, indicating its high selectivity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.19 no.7
• /
• pp.362-368
• /
• 2009

Ti scaffolds with a three-dimensional porous structure were successfully fabricated using powder metallurgy and modified rapid prototyping (RP) process. The fabricated Ti scaffolds showed a highly porous structure with interconnected pores. The porosity and pore size of the scaffolds were in the range of 66$\sim$72% and $300\sim400\;\mu$m, respectively. The sintering of the fabricated scaffolds under the vacuum caused the Ti particles to bond to each other. The strength of the scaffolds depended on the layering patterns. The compressive strength of the scaffolds ranged from 15 MPa to 52 MPa according to the scaffolds' architecture. The alkali treatment of the fabricated scaffolds in an aqueous NaOH solution was shown to be effective in improving the bioactivity. The surface of the alkali-treated Ti scaffolds had a nano-sized fibre-like structure. The modified surface showed a good apatite forming ability. The apatite was formed on the surface of the alkali treated Ti scaffolds within 1 day. The thickness of the apatite increased when the soaking time in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution increased. It is expected that the surface modification of Ti scaffolds by alkali treatment could be effective in forming apatites in vivo and can subsequently enhance bone formation.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.131-135
• /
• 2011

In this study, we fabricated the HDPE and ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ composites with PE-g-MA as a function of the ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ nanopowder weight ratios. The electron beam irradiations on HDPE/${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ composites were carried out over a range of absorbed doses from 20 to 200 kGy to make three-dimensional network structures. The mechanical properties were characterized using UTM for confirming the changes of the flexural strength and tensile strength. It was observed that the mechanical properties of HDPE were enhanced by the addition of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$. However, the strength of the 5 wt% ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ added composites decreased due to the nano-powder aggregation. The mechanical properties of composites were increased as increasing the electron beam irradiation up to 150 kGy. We believed that the electron beam irradiated HDPE/${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ composites can be a good candidate for a variety of industrial applications.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.22-28
• /
• 2019

To maximize the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the electrolysis of water, nano-grade $IrO_2$ powder with a low specific surface was prepared as a catalyst for a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) system, and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was prepared with a catalyst loading as low as $2mg\;cm^{-2}$ or less. The $IrO_2$ catalyst was composed of heterogeneous particles with particle sizes ranging from 20 to 70 nm, having a specific surface area of $3.8m^2g^{-1}$. The anode catalyst layer of about $5{\mu}m$ thickness was coated on the membrane (Nafion 117) for the MEA by the decal method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed strong adhesion at the interface between the membrane and the catalyst electrode. Although the loading of the $IrO_2$ catalyst was as low as $1.1-1.7mg\;cm^{-2}$, the SPE cell delivered a voltage of 1.88-1.93 V at a current density of $1A\;cm^{-2}$ and operating temperature of $80^{\circ}C$. That is, it was observed that the over-potential of the cell for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) decreased with increasing $IrO_2$ catalyst loading. The electrochemical stability of the MEA was investigated in the electrolysis of water at a current density of $1A\;cm^{-2}$ for a short time. A voltage of ~2.0 V was maintained without any remarkable deterioration of the MEA characteristics.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 2021

This study aims to reduce the rancid odor generated during the fermentation process of kimchi by inserting zinc oxide (ZnO) into an inorganic porous material with a high surface area to decompose or adsorb the fermentation odor. ZnO activated by the presence of moisture exhibits decomposition of rancid odors. Mixed with Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a photocatalyst. To manufacture the packaging liner used in this study, NaOH, ZnCl₂, and TiO₂ powder were placed in a tank with diatomite and water. The sludge obtained via a hydrothermal ultrasonication synthesis was sintered in an oven. After being pin-milled and melt-blended, the powders were mixed with linear low-density polyethylene (L-LDPE) to make a masterbatch (M/B), which was further used to manufacture liners. A gas detector (GasTiger 2000) was used to investigate the total amount of sulfur compounds during fermentation and determine the reduction rate of the odor-causing compounds. The packaging liner cross-section and surface were investigated using a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) to observe the adsorption of sulfur compounds. A variety of sulfur compounds associated with the perceived unpleasant odor of kimchi were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the analyses, kimchi was homogenized at room temperature and divided into several sample dishes. The performance of the liner was evaluated by comparing the total area of the GC-MS signals of major off-flavor sulfur compounds during the five days of fermentation at 20℃. As a result, Nano-grade inorganic compound liners reduced the sulfur content by 67 % on average, compared to ordinary polyethylene (PE) foam liners. Afterwards SEM-EDS was used to analyze the sulfur content adsorbed by the liners. The findings of this study strongly suggest that decomposition and adsorption of the odor-generating compounds occur more effectively in the newly-developed inorganic nanocomposite liners.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.8
• /
• pp.596-600
• /
• 2011

Thermal degradation behavior of a $WO_3-TiO_2$ monolithic catalyst was investigated in terms of structural, morphological, and physico-chemical analyses. The catalyst with 4 wt.% $WO_3$ contents were prepared by a wet-impregnation method, and a durability test of the catalysts were performed in a temperature range between $400^{\circ}C$ and $800^{\circ}C$ for 3 h. An increase of thermal stress decreased the specific surface area, which was caused by grain growth and agglomeration of the catalyst particles. The phase transition from anatase to rutile occurred at around $800^{\circ}C$ and a decrease in the Brønsted acid sites was confirmed by structural analysis and physico-chemical analysis. A change in Brønsted acidity can affect to the catalytic efficiency; therefore, the thermal degradation behavior of the $WO_3-TiO_2$ catalyst could be explained by the transition to a stable rutile phase of $TiO_2$ and the decrease of specific surface area in the SCR catalyst.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.223-226
• /
• 2008

The comparison of sintering behavior and mechanical properties of ultra-fine WC-10wt.%Co and WC-10wt.%Fe hard materials produced by high-frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) was accomplished using ultra fine powder of WC and binders(Co, Fe). The advantage of this process allows very quick densification to near theoretical density and prohibition of grain growth in nano-structured materials. Highly dense WC-10Co and WC-10Fe with a relative density of up to 99% could be obtained with simultaneous application of 60 MPa pressure and induced current within 1 minute without significant change in grain size. The hardness and fracture toughness of the dense WC-10Co and WC-10Fe composites produced by HFIHS were investigated.