• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2012

In this study, PANI and PANI/$TiO_2$ composites were prepared as electrode materials for a supercapacitor application. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was performed to investigate the supercapacity properties of these electrodes in an electrolyte solution of 6 M KOH. The PANI/$TiO_2$ composites were polymerized by amount of various ratios through a simple in-situ method. The morphological properties of composites were analyzed by SEM and TEM method. The crystallinity of the composite and $TiO_2$ particle size were identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the electrochemical test, The electrode containing 10 wt% $TiO_2$ content against aniline units showed the highest specific capacitance (626 $Fg^{-1}$) and delivered a capacitance of 286 $Fg^{-1}$ reversibly at a 100 $mVs^{-1}$ rate. According to the surface morphology, the increased capacitance was related to the fact that nano-sized $TiO_2$ particles (~6.5 nm) were uniformly connected for easy charge transfer and an enhanced surface area for capacitance reaction of $TiO_2$ itself.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.228-241
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• 2020

Separators, which produces physical layer between a cathode and anode, are getting enormous attention as the quality of the separator determines the performance of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Porous membranes based on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are generally utilized as the separator of LIBs because of their high electrochemical stability and suitable mechanical strength. However, low thermal resistance and wettability of PE and PP membranes limited the potential of LIBs. Operating at the temperature exceeding the melting point of membranes, the separators change their structures which lead to short circuit of LIBs. Low wettability of the separators corresponds to low ionic conductivity which increases the cell resistance. To overcome these weaknesses of PE and PP separators, different types of separator were prepared by co-electrospinning, applying coating layer, forming core shell around membrane, and papermaking method. The synthesized separator greatly enhanced the heat resistance and wettability of separator and mechanical properties like flexibility and tensile strength. In this review different type of polymer membrane used as separator in lithium ion battery are discussed.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 2015

The development of the environment-friendly tire that meets the standard requirements according to tire labeling system can be improved through using highly homogeneous silica immobilized zinc oxide nanoparticles. In this study, a considerable amount of nanoporous silica was essentially added into nano zinc oxide to improve the physiochemical properties of the formed composite. The introduction of nanoporous silica materials in the composite facilitates the improvement of the wear-resistance and increases the elasticity of the tread. Therefore, the introduction of nanoporous silica can replace carbon black as filler in the formation of composites with desirable properties for conventional green tire. Herein, mesoporous silica immobilized zinc oxide nanoparticle with desirable properties for rubber compounds was investigated. Composites with homogeneous dispersion were obtained in the absence of dispersants. The dispersion stability was controlled through varying the molar ratio, ageing time and mixing order of the reactants. A superior dispersion was achieved in the sample obtained using 0.03 mol of zinc precursor as it had the smallest grain size (50.5 nm) and then immobilized in silica aged for 10 days. Moreover, the specific surface area of this sample was the highest ($649m^2/g$).

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2020

In this study, chitosan/zeolite composites were prepared by using basalt-based zeolite impregnated with aqueous chitosan solution for the adsorptive separation of CO₂. The prepared composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nitrogen adsorption analysis. In addition, the adsorption equilibrium isotherms for CO₂ and N₂ were measured at 298 K using a volumetric adsorption system, and the results were analyzed by applying adsorption isotherm equations (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips) and energy distribution function. It was found that CO₂ adsorption capacities were well correlated with the structural characteristics of chitosan and zeolite, and the ratio of elements [N/C, Al/(Si + Al)] formed on the surface of the composite. Moreover, the CO₂/N₂ adsorption selectivity was calculated under the mixture conditions of 15 V : 85 V, 50 V : 50 V, and 85 V : 15 V using the Langmuir equation and the ideal adsorption solution theory (IAST).

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.690-694
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• 2021

Carbon spheres (CS) were fabricated using glucose as a precursor in the hydrothermal method. Hollow TiO₂ (H-TiO₂) spheres with 200 nm, 500 nm, and 1,200 nm were synthesized by CS/TiO₂ core-shell particles via a sol-gel and calcination method. H-TiO₂ spheres with nano and micron sizes were characterized using FE-SEM, HR-TEM, and X-ray diffraction. The CIE color coordinate, solar reflectance, and heat shield temperatures of H-TiO₂/polyacrylate (PA) composite film were investigated using a UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer and homemade heat insulation temperature measuring device. H-TiO₂/PA composites exhibit excellent thermal insulation since the hollow structure filled with dry air has low thermal conductivity and near infrared light reflecting performance. The thermal insulation increased with increasing the hollow sphere (HS) size on H-TiO₂/PA composites. The PA composite film mixed with H-TiO₂ filled with 1200 nm HS reduced the heat shield temperature by 26 ℃ compared to that of the transparent glass counterpart.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.126-131
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• 2023

Growing environmental concerns regarding pollution caused by conventional plastics have increased interest in biodegradable polymers as alternative materials. The purpose of this study is to develop a 100% biodegradable nanocomposite material by introducing organic nucleating agents into the biodegradable and thermoplastic resin, poly(lactic acid), to improve its properties. Accordingly, cellulose nanofibers, an eco-friendly material, were adopted as a substitute for inorganic nucleating agents. To achieve a uniform dispersion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) within PLA, the aqueous solution of nanofibers was lyophilized to maintain their fibrous shape. Then, they were subjected to primary mixing using a twin-screw extruder. Test specimens with double mixing were then produced by injection molding. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to confirm the reinforced physical properties, and it was found that the addition of 1 wt% CNFs acted as a reinforcing material and nucleating agent, reducing the cold crystallization temperature by approximately 14℃ and increasing the degree of crystallization. This study provides an environmentally friendly alternative for developing plastic materials with enhanced properties, which can contribute to a sustainable future without consuming inorganic nucleating agents. It serves as a basis for developing 100% biodegradable green nanocomposites.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.38-49
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• 2024

Wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactors has been extensively used to alleviate water shortage and pollution by improving the quality of the treated water discharged into the environment. However, membrane biofouling persistently holds back an MBR process by reducing the process efficiency. Herein, we synthesized carbon nanospheres (CNSs) with many hydrophilic oxygen groups and utilized them as an additive to prepare high-performance ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with hydrophilicity and porous pore structure. CNSs were found to form crescent-shaped pores on the membrane surface, increasing the mean surface pore size by about 40% without causing significant defects larger than bubble points, as the CNS content increased by 4.6 wt%. In addition, the porous pore structure of CNS composite membranes was also attributable to the CNS's isotropic morphologies and relatively low particle number density because the aforementioned properties contributed to preventing the polymer solution viscosity from soaring with the loading of CNS. However, too porous structure compromised the mechanical properties, such that CNS2.3 was the best from a comprehensive consideration including the pore structure and mechanical properties. As a result, CNS2.3 showed not only 2 times higher water permeability than CNS0 but also 5 times longer operation duration until membrane cleaning was required.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.4388-4397
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to research the property change of acrylic resins depending on the induced-beam change and research the improved physical property of dry-heat and microwave-cured dental place acrylic resin in order to develop the acrylic resins with the optimum characteristic. As a result of observing flexural rigidity, hardness and color difference, the dry-heat-cured specimens of Vertex RS and Paladent 20 showed ideal property at 5, 15, and 25 kGy irradiation. The microwave-cured specimens of Vertex RS and Paladent 20 showed ideal property at 5 kGy irradiation. The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation among ARD, flexural rigidity (0 418), E coefficient (0.675) and Barcol hardness (0 588). The radiation cure technology is helpful for relieving the contamination caused by the manufacture of polymer composite. It can significantly contribute to the fusion of ultra violet cure technology and nano technology and the improvement of mechanical property without giving effect to the workability of polymer.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.123-128
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• 2016

In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP)-based gel polymer electrolyte incorporating nano-size $Al_2O_3$ ceramic particle was prepared by electrospinning. The gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) incorporated with $Al_2O_3$ ceramic particle showed higher ionic conductivity of $9.5{\times}10^{-2}Scm^{-1}$ than pure PVdF-HFP GPE without ceramic particle and improved the electrochemical stability up to 5.2 V. The GPEs were assembled with $LiNi_{1/3}Mn_{1/3}Co_{1/3}O_2$ (NMC) cathode for electrochemical test. The GPE batteries at 0.1 C-rate delivered $168.2mAh\;g^{-1}$ for pure GPE and $189.6mAh\;g^{-1}$ for hybrid GPE, respectively. Therefore, the incorporation of high dielectric constant ceramic particle will be good strategy to enhance the stability and electrochemical properties of lithium ion gel polymer batteries.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2006

Thick film $H_2$ sensors were fabricated using $SnO_2$ loaded with $Ag_2O$ and $PtO_x$. The composition that gave the highest sensitivity for $H_2$ was in the weight% ratio of $SnO_2 : PtO_x : Ag_2O$ as 93 : 1 : 6. The nano-crystalline powders of $SnO_2$ synthesized by sol-gel method were screen printed with $Ag_2O$ and $PtO_x$ on alumina substrates. The fabricated sensors were tested against gases like $H_2$, $CH_4$, $C_3H_8$, $C_2H_5OH$ and $SO_2$. The composite material was found sensitive against $H_2$ at the working temperature $130^{\circ}C$, with minor interference of other gases. The $H_2$ gas as low as 100 ppm can be detected by the present fabricated sensors. It was found that the sensors based on $SnO_2-Ag_2O-PtO_x$ system exhibited the high performance, high selectivity and very short response time to $H_2$ at ppm level. These characteristics make the sensor to be a promising candidate for detecting low concentrations of $H_2$.