• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.610-616
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• 2011

A series of polyurethane acrylate/ZnO (PUA/ZnO) nanocomposite films with different ZnO contents were successfully prepared via a UV-curing system. The synthesis and physical properties including morphological structure, thermal properties, barrier properties and optical properties, and antimicrobial properties were investigated as a function of ZnO concentration. FTIR and SEM results showed that these PUA/ZnO nanocomposite films did not have a strong interaction between PUA and ZnO, which may lead to no increase in thermal stability. By incorporating ZnO nanoparticles, the UV blocking and antibacterial properties increased as the content of ZnO increased. Specially, the oxygen permeability in composite films changed from $2005cc/m^2/day$ to $150cc/m^2/day$ by adding the ZnO nanoparticle, which indicates that the PUA/ZnO nanocomposite films can be applied as good barrier packaging materials. Physical properties of the UV-cured PUA/ZnO nanocomposite film are strongly dependent upon the dispersion state of ZnO nanoparticles and their morphology in the films.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.88-99
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• 2021

In this study, a land-based marine closed mesocosm (LMCM) experiment was performed to objectively assess the initial stability of an artificial ecosystem experiment against biological and non-biological factors when evaluating ecosystem risk assessment. Changes in the CV (coefficient of value) amplitude were used as data to analyze the stability of the experimental system. The CV of the experimental variables in the LMCM groups (200, 400, 600, and 1,000 L) was maintained within the range of 20-30% for the abiotic variables in this study. However, the difference in CV amplitude in biological factors such as chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton, and zooplankton was high in the 600 L and 1,000 L LMCM groups. This result was interpreted as occurring due to the lack of control over biological variables at the beginning of the experiment. In addition, according to the ANOVA results, significant differences were found in biological contents such as COD (chemical oxygen demand), chlorophyll-a, phosphate, and zooplankton in the CV values between the LMCM groups(p<0.05). In this study, the stabilization of biological variables was necessary to to control and maintain the rate of changes in initial biological variables except for controllable water quality and nutrients. However, given the complexity of the eco-physiological activities of large-scale LMCMs and organisms in the experimental group, it was difficult to do. In conclusion, artificial ecosystem experiments as a scientific tool can distinguish biological and non-biological factors and compare and analyze clear endpoints. Therefore, it is deemed necessary to establish research objectives, select content that can maintain stability, and introduce standardized analysis techniques that can objectively interpret the experimental results.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.247-257
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• 2021

In this work, Iron Nano-Particles Impregnated BioChar/bead (INPBC/bead) soil amendment was developed to increase biochar's reactivity to As in soil and preventing possible wind loss. Prior to preparation of INPBC/bead, INPBC was produced utilizing lignocellulosic biomass and Fe(III) solution in a hydrothermal method, followed by a calcination process. Then, the bead type amendment, INPBC/bead was produced by cross-linking reaction of alginate with INPBC. FT-IR, XRD, BET, and SEM-EDS analyses were utilized to characterize the as-synthesised materials. The particle size range of INPBC/bead was 1-4 mm, and different oxygen-containing functional groups and Fe3O4 crystalline phase were produced on the surface of INPBC/bead, according to the characterization results. The soil cultivation test was carried out in order to assess the stabilization performance of INPBC/bead utilizing As and Pb-contaminated soil obtained from an abandoned mining location in South Korea. After 4 weeks of culture, TCLP and SPLP extraction tests were performed to assess the stabilization efficacy of the amendment. The TCLP and SPLP findings revealed that raising the application ratio improved stabilizing efficiency. The As stabilization efficiency was determined to be 81.56 % based on SPLP test findings for a 5% in (w/w) INPBC/bead treatment, and the content of Pb in extracts was reduced to the limit of detection. According to the findings of this study, INPBC/bead that can maintain pH of origin soil and minimize wind loss might be a potential amendment for soil polluted with As and heavy metals.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2021

The recycling of titanium turning scraps requires the removal of cutting oil and other contaminants remaining on the surface. In this study, an experiment was conducted in which titanium scraps were cleaned by a combination of ultrasonic immersion-steam cleaning and subsequent drying at high temperature. To determine the removal mechanism of cutting oil, the contact angle between titanium surface and cutting oil was measured. The result confirmed the optimum condition of the immersion solution of the titanium turning scraps. In the case of immersion cleaning of Na4P2O7 aqueous solution, the degree of carbon removed in the cutting oil was the highest at 50℃, and it was confirmed that the carbon content obtained from the combination of steam cleaning and ultrasonic immersion-steam cleaning was lower than that from steam cleaning after ultrasonic immersion. The oxidation and decomposition behaviors of cutting oil were investigated using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the result was applied in the high temperature drying process. From the results of the high temperature drying tests, it was concluded that 200℃ is the optimal drying temperature.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.366-375
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• 2023

Background: Ginseng contains three active components: ginsenosides, gintonin, and polysaccharides. After the separation of 1 of the 3 ingredient fractions, other fractions are usually discarded as waste. In this study, we developed a simple and effective method, called the ginpolin protocol, to separate gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF), ginseng polysaccharide fraction (GPF), and crude ginseng saponin fraction (cGSF). Methods: Dried ginseng (1 kg) was extracted using 70% ethanol (EtOH). The extract was water fractionated to obtain a water-insoluble precipitate (GEF). The upper layer after GEF separation was precipitated with 80% EtOH for GPF preparation, and the remaining upper layer was vacuum dried to obtain cGSF. Results: The yields of GEF, GPF, and cGSF were 14.8, 54.2, and 185.3 g, respectively, from 333 g EtOH extract. We quantified the active ingredients of 3 fractions: L-arginine, galacturonic acid, ginsenosides, glucuronic acid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), phosphatidic acid (PA), and polyphenols. The order of the LPA, PA, and polyphenol content was GEF > cGSF > GPF. The order of L-arginine and galacturonic acid was GPF >> GEF = cGSF. Interestingly, GEF contained a high amount of ginsenoside Rb1, whereas cGSF contained more ginsenoside Rg1. GEF and cGSF, but not GPF, induced intracellular [Ca²⁺]_i transient with antiplatelet activity. The order of antioxidant activity was GPF > GEF = cGSF. Immunological activities (related to nitric oxide production, phagocytosis, and IL-6 and TNF-α release) were, in order, GPF > GEF = cGSF. The neuroprotective ability (against reactive oxygen species) order was GEF > cGSP > GPF. Conclusion: We developed a novel ginpolin protocol to isolate 3 fractions in batches and determined that each fraction has distinct biological effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.348-355
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• 2023

Biodiesel is known as an environmentally friendly neutral fuel, and a policy of obligatory mixing of a certain ratio is implemented on land. In this study, to verify the feasibility of using biodiesel as a ship fuel, component analysis, metal corrosion test, and storage stability test were performed on the mixing ratios of 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % of marine diesel and biodiesel. Component analysis evaluated a total of eight factors including density, kinematic viscosity and flash point according to ISO 8217:2017 standards and the reliability of biodiesel through metal corrosion tests and storage stability tests under atmosphere temperature and harsh conditions (60 ℃) for 180 days. Results demonstrate that component analysis satisfied the ISO 8217:2017 standard in all biodiesel mixing ratios. Furthermore, as the biodiesel mixing ratio increased, the kinematic viscosity, density, and acid value increased and the sulfur content decreased. Metal corrosion rarely occurred in the case of carbon steel, iron, aluminum, and nickel, whereas in the case of copper, corrosion occurred under the influence of oxygen-rich biodiesel under the harsh conditions (60 ℃) of 20 % biodiesel mixture. As for storage stability, discoloration, sludge formation, and fuel separation were not visually confirmed.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1616-1627
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• 2022

Objective: This work was conducted to investigate the effects of oxidative stress on meat quality, mitochondrial function, calcium metabolism and ferroptosis of broilers. Methods: In this study, a total of 144 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were divided into 3 groups (control group, saline group, and hydrogen peroxide [H₂O₂] group) with 6 replicates of 8 broilers each. The study lasted for 42 d. The broilers in the saline and H₂O₂ groups were intraperitoneally injected with 0.75% saline and 10.0% H₂O₂ on the 16th and 37th day of the experimental period respectively, the injection volumes were 1.0 mL/kg of broiler body weight. On the 42nd day of the experimental period, two chicks were randomly selected from each cage, a total of thirty-six chicks were stunned by electric shock and slaughtered to collect breast muscle samples. Results: The H₂O₂ exposure reduced pH value, increased drip loss and shear force of breast meat (p<0.05), impaired the ultrastructure and function of mitochondria. The H₂O₂ exposure damaged the antioxidant system in mitochondria, excessive reactive oxygen species carbonylation modified calcium channels on mitochondria, which impaired the activities of key enzymes on calcium channel, resulted in the increased calcium concentration in cytoplasm and mitochondria (p<0.05). In addition, the H₂O₂ exposure increased the iron content and lipid peroxidation (p<0.05), which induced ferroptosis. Conclusion: Oxidative stress could impair meat quality by causing mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in calcium metabolism disorder and ferroptosis.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.25-33
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• 2023

With the growth of the battery industry, a rapid increase in the production and usage of lithium-ion batteries is expected, and in line with this, much interest and effort is being paid to recycle waste batteries, including production scrap. Although much effort has been made to recycle cathode material, much attention has begun to recycle anode material to secure the supply chain of critical minerals and improve recycling rates. The proximate analysis that measures the content of coal can be used to analyze graphite in anode material, but it cannot accurately analyze due to the interaction between the components of the black mass. Therefore, in this study, thermogravimetric analysis of each component of black mass was measured as the temperature increased up to 950℃ in an oxygen atmosphere. As a result, in the case of cathode material, no change in mass was measured other than a mass reduction of about 5% due to oxidation of the binder and conductive material. In the case of anode material, except for a mass reduction of about 2% due to the binder, all mass reduction were due to the graphite(fixed carbon). In addition, metal conductors (Al, Cu) were oxidized and their mass increased as the temperature increased. Thermal analysis results of mixed samples of cathode/anode show similar results to the predictive values that can be calculated through each cathode and anode analysis results.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2024

To synthesize the Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase, a crucial precursor for generating the two-dimensional material MXene, the use of Ti scrap as an initial material is an economically feasible approach. This study aims to optimize the synthesis conditions for the phase fraction of the Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase utilizing Ti scrap as the Ti source. The deoxidation of Ti powders, prepared through the hydrogenation-dehydrogenation process from Ti scrap, was effectively accomplished using the deoxidation in solid-state (DOSS) process. The optimal synthesis conditions were established by blending DOSS-Ti, Al, and graphite powders with particle sizes ranging from 25 ~ 32 ㎛ in a molar ratio of 3:1.1:2. The resulting phase fractions were as follows: Ti₃AlC₂ at 97.25 wt.%, TiC at 0.93 wt.%, and Al₃Ti at 1.82 wt.%. Furthermore, the oxygen content of the Ti₃AlC₂ MAX powder, spanning from 25 ~ 45 ㎛, was measured at 4,210 ppm.

• 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.