• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2015

Background: In 2006, three farmers died at the bottom of an agricultural shallow well where the atmosphere contained only 6% oxygen. This study aimed to document the variability of levels of oxygen and selected hazardous gases in the atmosphere of wells, and to identify ambient conditions associated with the low-oxygen situation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey, conducted in June 2007 and July 2007, measured the levels of oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and explosive gas (percentage of lower explosive limit) at different depths of the atmosphere inside 253 wells in Kamphaengphet and Phitsanulok provinces. Ambient conditions and well use by farmers were recorded. Carbon dioxide was measured in a subset of wells. Variables independently associated with low-oxygen condition (<19.5%) were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Results: One in five agricultural shallow wells had a low-oxygen status, with oxygen concentration decreasing with increasing depth within the well. The deepest-depth oxygen reading ranged from 0.0% to 20.9%. Low levels of other hazardous gases were detected in a small number of wells. The low-oxygen status was independently associated with the depth of the atmosphere column to the water surface [odds ratio (OR) = 13.5 for 8-11 m vs. <6 m], depth of water (OR = 0.17 for 3-<8 m vs. 0-1 m), well cover (OR = 3.95), time elapsed since the last rainfall (OR = 7.44 for >2 days vs. <1 day), and location of well in sandy soil (OR = 3.72). Among 11 wells tested, carbon dioxide was detected in high concentration (>25,000 ppm) in seven wells with a low oxygen level. Conclusion: Oxygen concentrations in the wells vary widely even within a small area and decrease with increasing depth.

• Carbon letters
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.219-221
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• 2015

In order to study the impact of atmosphere during electron beam irradiation (EBI) of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibers, the latter were stabilized by EBI in both air and oxygen atmospheres. Gel-fraction determination indicated that EBI-stabilization under an oxygen atmosphere leads to an enhanced cyclization in the PAN fibers. In the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, the PAN fibers stabilized by EBI under an oxygen atmosphere exhibited a greater decrease in the peak intensity at 2244 cm⁻¹ (C≡N vibration) and a greater increase in the peak intensity at 1628 cm⁻¹ (C=N absorption) than the corresponding PAN fibers stabilized under an air atmosphere. From the X-ray diffraction analysis it was found that oxygen uptake in PAN fibers leads to an increase in the amorphous region, produced by cyclization.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2003

The Sr$\_$0.7/Bi$\_$2.6/Ta$_2$O$\_$9/(SBT) thin films are deposited on Pt-coated electrode(Pt/TiO$_2$/SiO$_2$/Si) using RF magnetron sputtering method. The structural and electrical properties of SBT capacitors were influenced with annealing atmosphere. In the XRD pattern, the SBT thin films in all annealed atmosphere had (105) orientation. In the SEM images, Bi-layered perovskite phase was crystallized in all annealing atmosphere and grain largely grew in oxygen annealing atmosphere. The maximum remnant polarization and the coercive electric field in oxygen annealing atmosphere are 12.40[${\mu}$C/cm$^2$] and 30[kV/cm] respectively. The dielectric constant and leakage current density of capacitors annealed oxygen atmosphere are 340 and 2.13${\times}$10$\^$-9/ [A/cm$^2$] respectively. The fatigue characteristics of SBT capacitors did not change up to 10$\^$10/ switching cycles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07b
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• pp.589-592
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• 2002

The $Sr_{0.7}Bi_{2.3}Ta_2O_9$(SBT) thin films are deposited on Pt-coated electrode(Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si) using RF magnetron sputtering method. The structural and electric properties of SBT capacitors were influenced with annealing atmosphere. In the XRD pattern, the SBT thin films in all annealing atmosphere had (105) orientation. In the SEM images, Bi-layered perovskite phase was crystallized in all annealing atmosphere and grains largely grew in oxygen annealing atmosphere. The maximum remanent polarization and the coercive electric field in oxygen annealing atmosphere are $12.40{\mu}C/cm^2$ and 48kV/cm respectively. The dielectric constant and leakage current density annealing in oxygen atmosphere are 340 and $6.81{\times}10^{-10}A/cm^2$ respectively. The fatigue characteristics of SBT capacitors did not change up to $10^{10}$ switching cycles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.661-668
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• 2002

A study was made to examine the electrical, compositional, structural and morphological properties of Ag thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering in $O_2$ atmosphere with deposition temperature from room temperature to 15$0^{\circ}C$ using in-line sputter system. The Ag films deposited at temperature above $100^{\circ}C$ in oxygen atmosphere gave a similar specific resistivity to and even lower oxygen content than those deposited using pure Ar sputter gas The Ag films deposited with pure Ar gas was mainly composed of crystallites with [111] preferred orientation, while, for those deposited in oxygen atmosphere, more than 50% of the volume was composed of crystallites with [100] orientation. The difference in the micro structure did not cause any difference in the specific resistivity of Ag films. The results showed that the transparent conducting oxide films and the Ag films could be processed sequentially in the same deposition chamber with careful control of deposition temperature, which might result in a cost reduction for constructing the large scale in-line deposition system.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.895-899
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• 2001

Electrical properties of porous $BaTiO_3-based$ ceramics were investigated from the viewpoint of adsorbed oxygen. Namely, the effects of heat-treatment temperature ($450-600^{\circ}C$) and measuring atmosphere (oxygen and nitrogen) on the PTCR characteristics of the porous $BaTiO_3-based$ ceramics were investigated. It was found that the PTCR characteristics of the porous $BaTiO_3-based$ ceramics was developed at $\geq$55$0^{\circ}C$, and the magnitude of the PTCR characteristics increased with increasing heat-treatment temperature. It was also found that the magnitude of the PTCR characteristics in the porous $BaTiO_3-based$ ceramics increased in oxygen atmosphere, whereas decreased in nitrogen atmosphere during heating and cooling.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1979

The effects of sintering temperature and sintering atmosphere on magnetic properties and microstructuresof Mn-Zn ferrites have been studied. Mixture of 52.8mole% $Fe_2O_3$, 26.4mole% MnO, 15.1mole0% ZnO and 5.7mole% NiO was prepared, and 0.1mole% CaO, 0.02mole% $SiO_2$ were added as minor additives. After calcining and ball milling the powder was granulated for compacting. The specimens were sintered at $1, 250^{\circ}$, $1, 300^{\circ}$and 1, 35$0^{\circ}C$ in the various atmosphere of $N_2$, $N^_2\DIV0.6% O_2$, $N_2＋2.7% O_2$, $N_2＋4.1% O_2$, $N^2＋8.2% O_2$ and air for 3 hours and cooled in $N_2$ atmosphere. The grian growth rate and densities increase as sintering temperature and oxygen content of atmosphere increase. At the sintering temperature of $1, 250^{\circ}C$ the initial permeabilities increase as oxygen content of atmosphere increase. At the sintering temperature of$ 1, 300^{\circ}$and $1, 350^{\circ}$ the initial permeabilities show maximum values at $N_2＋4.1% O_2$ atmosphere. The secondary peaks of initial permeabilities are observed between 100$^{\circ}$and 20$0^{\circ}C$, and the positions of secondary peaks move to higher temperature as oxygen content of atmosphere increases. Q-factors decrease as sintering temperature increases and oxygen content of atmosphere decreases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.05d
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• pp.77-81
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• 2003

The $Sr_{0.7}Bi_{2.6}Ta_2O_9$(SBT) thin films are deposited on Pt-coated electrode(Pt/$TiO_2/SiO_2$/Si) using RF magnetron sputtering method. The structural and electrical properties of SBT capacitors were influenced with annealing atmosphere. In the XRD pattern, the SBT thin films in all annealed atmosphere had (105) orientation. In the SEM images, Bi-layered perovskite phase was crystallized in all annealing atmosphere and grains largely grew in oxygen annealing atmosphere. The dielectric constant and leakage current density of capacitors annealed oxygen atmosphere are 340 and $2.13{\times}10^{-9}[A/cm^2]$ respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1221-1226
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• 1997

The effects of sintering atmosphere and dopant addition on the behavior of densification and grain growth of SnO2 ceramics were investigated with consideration of defect chemistry. CoO and Nb2O5 were chosen as dopants, and oxygen and nitrogen were used for controlling of sintering atmospheres. With the decrease of oxygen partial pressure, densification was depressed due to evaporation of SnO2 ceramics. In the case of SnO2 sintering, the addition of CoO, which produced oxygen vacancy in SnO2 ceramics, led to acceleration of densification and grain growth. On the contrary, when Nb2O5 as a dopant producing Sn vacancy was added to SnO2 ceramics, densification and grain growth were simultaneously retarded. As results, it was conformed that diffusion of oxygen ions was rate determinant in densification and grain growth of SnO2 ceramics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.514-517
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• 2005

Effects of nitrogen and oxygen annealing on the carrier concentration, carrier mobility, electrical resistivity and PL characteristics as well as the crystallinity of ZnO films deposited on sapphire substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) analyses, and Hall measurement were performed to investigate the crystallinity, optical properties and electrical properties of the ZnO thin films, respectively. According to the XRD analysis results the crystallinity of the ZnO film annealed in an oxygen atmosphere is better than that of the ZnO film annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. Annealing undoped ZnO films grown by ALD at a high temperature above $600^{\circ}C$ improves the crystallinity and enhances W emission but deteriorates the electrical conductivity of the flms. The resistivity of the ZnO film annealed particularly at $800^[\circ}C$ in a nitrogen atmosphere is much higher than that annealed at the same temperature in an oxygen atmosphere.