• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2016

Background: It is necessary to consider the overall countermeasure for analysis of nuclear activities according to the increase of the nuclear facilities like nuclear power and reprocessing plants in the neighboring countries including China, Taiwan, North Korea, Japan and South Korea. South Korea and comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty organization (CTBTO) are now operating the monitoring instruments to detect radionuclides released into the air. It is important to estimate the origin of radionuclides measured using the detection technology as well as the monitoring analysis in aspects of investigation and security of the nuclear activities in neighboring countries. Materials and methods: A three-dimensional forward/backward trajectory model has been developed to estimate the origin of radionuclides for a covert nuclear activity. The developed trajectory model was composed of forward and backward modules to track the particle positions using finite difference method. Results and discussion: A three-dimensional trajectory model was validated using the measured data at Chernobyl accident. The calculated results showed a good agreement by using the high concentration measurements and the locations where was near a release point. The three-dimensional trajectory model had some uncertainty according to the release time, release height and time interval of the trajectory at each release points. An atmospheric dispersion model called long-range accident dose assessment system (LADAS), based on the fields of regards (FOR) technique, was applied to reduce the uncertainties of the trajectory model and to improve the detective technology for estimating the radioisotopes emission area. Conclusion: The detective technology developed in this study can evaluate in release area and origin for covert nuclear activities based on measured radioisotopes at monitoring stations, and it might play critical tool to improve the ability of the nuclear safety field.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2012

Based on the data observed and analyzed on a groundwater flow system in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) site, the transport of radionuclides, which were assumed to be released at the supposed position, was calculated on the time-domain. A groundwater pathway from the release position to the surface was identified by simulating the groundwater flow model with the hydrogeological characteristics measured from the field tests in the KURT site. The elapsed time when the radionuclides moved through the pathway is evaluated using TDRW (Time Domain Random Walk) method for simulating the transport on the time-domain. Some retention mechanisms, such as radioactive decay, equilibrium sorption, and matrix diffusion, as well as the advection-dispersion were selected as the factors to influence on the elapsed time. From the simulation results, the effects of the sorption and matrix diffusion, determined by the properties of the radionuclides and underground media, on the transport of the radionuclides were analyzed and a decay chain of the radionuclides was also examined. The radionuclide ratio of the mass discharge into the surface environment to the mass released from the supposed repository did not exceed $10^{-3}$, and it decreased when the matrix diffusion were considered. The method used in this study could be used in preparing the data on radionuclide transport for a safety assessment of a geological disposal facility because the method could evaluate the travel time of the radionuclides considering the transport retention mechanism.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.547-553
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• 2011

We investigated the dielectric and mechanical properties of ceramic polymer composite xBNT - (1-x)LCP (x= 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 vol.%). The disk shaped BNT ($BaNd_2Ti_4O_{12}$) - LCP (liquid crystal polymer) composite samples were prepared by compression molding method. With increasing the BNT content in composites from 10 to 40 vol.%, the dielectric constant increased but the dielectric loss as well as bending strength of composites reduced. These composites were well described with modified Lichtenecker's model having k = 0.392 and 0.303 for the first and second ball milled BNT filled composites, which means that the BNT filler in composites are well dispersed. The dielectric constant of the composite comprised of the second milled BNT ($D_{50}$ = 1.39 um) was higher that of the composite of the first milled BNT ($D_{50}$= 2.45 um), which seems to be related with the different particle size and dispersion of BNT fillers in LCP matrix. The bending strength of the composite containing the second milled BNT was superior to that of the composite of the first milled BNT.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.173-176
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• 2014

We have investigated the seed layer formation of front side contact using the inkjet printing process. Conductive silver ink was printed on textured Si wafers with 80 nm thick $SiN_x$ anti reflection coating (ARC) layers and thickened by light induced plating (LIP). The inkjet printable sliver inks were specifically formulated for inkjet printing on these substrates. Also, a novel method to prepare nano-sized glass frits by the sol-gel process with particle sizes around 5 nm is presented. Furthermore, dispersion stability of the formulated ink was measured using a Turbiscan. By implementing these glass frits, it was found that a continuous and uniform seed layer with a line width of $40{\mu}m$ could be formed by a inkjet printing process. We also investigated the contact resistance between the front contact and emitter using the transfer length model (TLM). On an emitter with the sheet resistance of $60{\Omega}/sq$, a specific contact resistance (${\rho}_c$) below $10m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ could be achieved at a peak firing temperature around $700^{\circ}C$. In addition, the correlation between the contact resistance and interface microstructures were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We found that the added glass particles act as a very effective fire through agent, and Ag crystallites are formed along the interface glass layer.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.111-126
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• 1987

Methyl methacrylate-butyl methacrylate copolymer (MMBM)-dibutyl phthalate (DBP) films were investigated as a potential topical drug delivery system for the controlled release of nitrofurazone. The kinetic analysis of release data indicated that drug release followed a diffusion-controlled granular matrix model, where the quantity released per unit area is proportional to the square root of time. DBP of several hydrophobic plasticizers selected was found to give the highest release of nitrofurazone. However, hydrophilic plasticizers such as propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol 400 had no controlled release properties and acceptable film formation. The effects of changes in film composition, drug concentration, film thickness, pH of release medium, and temperature on the in vitro release of nitrofurazone were analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The release rate constant (k') was found to be proportional to DBP content, pH, and the temperature of release medium, but independent of film thickness, and drug concentration in a range of 0.1-0.4% by weight. The linear relationship was found to exist between the log k' and DBP content. The release of nitrofurazone from MMBM-DBP (8:2) films was found to be an energy-linked process. Two energy terms were calculated ; the activation energy for matrix diffusion was 13.45 kcal/mole, and the heat of drug crystal solvation was 27.26-29.34 kcal/mole. Observation of scanning electron micrographs and microscopic photographs showed that the incorporation of DBP in films increased markedly the particle size of nitrofurazone dispersed in the film matrix, comparing with the fine dispersion of nitrofurazone in pure MMBM film alone.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.721-731
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• 2004

The dispersion of suspended particulates in the coastal complex terrain of mountain-inland basin (city)-sea, considering their recycling was investigated using three-dimensional non-hydrostatic numerical model and lagrangian particle model (or random walk model). Convective boundary layer under synoptic scale westerly wind is developed with a thickness of about I km over the ground in the west of the mountain, while a thickness of thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) is only confined to less than 200m along the eastern slope of the mountain, below an easterly sea breeze circulation. At the mid of the eastern slop of the mountain, westerly wind confronts easterly sea breeze, which goes to the height of 1700 m above sea level and is finally eastward return flow toward the sea. At this time, particulates floated from the ground surface of the city to the top of TIBL go along the eastern slope of the mountain in the passage of sea breeze, being away the TIBL and reach near the top of the mountain. Then those particulates disperse eastward below the height of sea-breeze circulation and widely spread out over the coastal sea. Total suspended particulate concentration near the ground surface of the city is very low. On the other hand, nighttime radiative cooling produces a shallow nocturnal surface inversion layer (NSIL) of 200 m thickness over the inland surface, but relatively thin thickness less than 100m is found near the mountain surface. As synoptic scale westerly wind should be intensified under the association of mountain wind along the eastern slope of mountain to inland plain and further combine with land-breeze from inland plain toward sea, resulting in strong wind as internal gravity waves with a hydraulic jump motion bounding up to about 1km upper level in the atmosphere in the west of the city and becoming a eastward return flow. Simultaneously, wind near the eastern coastal side of the city was moderate. Since the downward strong wind penetrated into the city, the particulate matters floated near the top of the mountain in the day also moved down along the eastern slope of the mountain, reaching the. downtown and merging in the ground surface inside the NSIL with a maximum ground level concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) at 0300 LST. Some of them were bounded up from the ground surface to the 1km upper level and the others were forward to the coastal sea surface, showing their dispersions from the coastal NSIL toward the propagation area of internal gravity waves. On the next day at 0600 LST and 0900 LST, the dispersed particulates into the coastal sea could return to the coastal inland area under the influence of sea breeze and the recycled particulates combine with emitted ones from the ground surface, resulting in relatively high TSP concentration. Later, they float again up to the thermal internal boundary layer, following sea breeze circulation.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Recently Digital TV industry has drastically been moving the illuminating system, which causes an obvious product change from PDP and LCD to LED model to provide high-definition image. Due to strong competition in the digital industry, TV manufacturers make a great efforts to reduce production cost by using low-priced materials such as steels instead of aluminum and plastic etc. In this paper we have developed a new low-priced electrogalvanized steel sheet, which has a black resin composite layer, to substitute conventional high-priced PCM steel and plastic mold for rear cover panel in the digital TV. The black resin composite was prepared by mechanical dispersion of the mixture solution that consists of high solid polyester resin, melamine hardener, black pigment, micronized silica paste, polyacrylate texturing particle and miscellaneous additives. The composite solution was coated on the steel sheet using roll coater followed by induction furnace curing and cooling. Although the coated layer has a half thickness compared to the conventional PCM steels having $23{\mu}m$ thickness, it exhibits excellent quality for the usage of rear cover panel. The new steel sheet was applied to test products to get quality certification from worldwide electronic appliance customers. Detailed discussion provides in this paper including preparation of composite solution, roll coating technology, induction curing technology and quality evaluation from customers.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.559-569
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• 2018

Catalytic supports made of carbon have many advantages, such as high coking resistance, tailorable pore and surface structures, and ease of recycling of waste catalysts. Moreover, they do not require pre-reduction. In this study, ash-free coal (AFC) was obtained by the thermal extraction of carbonaceous components from raw coal and its performance as a carbon catalytic support was compared with that of well-known activated carbon (AC). Nickel was dispersed on the carbon supports and the resulting catalysts were applied to the steam reforming of toluene (SRT), a model compound of biomass tar. Interestingly, nickel catalysts dispersed on AFC, which has a very small surface area (${\sim}0.13m^2/g$), showed higher activity than those dispersed on AC, which has a large surface area ($1,173A/cm^2$). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the particle size of nickel deposited on AFC was smaller than that deposited on AC, with the average values on AFC ${\approx}11nm$ and on AC ${\approx}23nm$. This proved that heteroatomic functional groups in AFC, such as carboxyls, can provide ion-exchange or adsorption sites for the nano-scale dispersion of nickel. In addition, the pore structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and chemical state of the prepared catalysts were analyzed using Brunauer-Emmett-Taylor (BET) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2014

North Korea's uranium enrichment facility is a matter of international concern. It is of particular alarming to South Korea with regard to the security and safety of the country. This situation requires continuous monitoring of the DPRK and emergency preparedness on the part of the ROK. To assess the detectability of an undeclared uranium enrichment plant in North Korea, uranium concentrations in the air at both a short and a long distance from the enrichment facility were estimated. $UF_6$ source terms were determined by using existing information on North Korean facility and data from the operation experience of enrichment plants from other countries. Using the calculated source terms, two atmospheric dispersion models (Gaussian Plume Model and HYSPLIT models) and meteorological data were used to estimate the uranium particle concentrations from the Yongbyon enrichment facility. A maximum uranium concentration and its location are dependent upon the meteorological conditions and the height of the UF6 release point. This study showed that the maximum uranium concentration around the enrichment facility was about $1.0{\times}10^{-7}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$. The location of the maximum concentration was within about 0.4 km of the facility. It has been assumed that the uranium sample of about a few micrograms (${\mu}g$) could be obtained; and that few micrograms of uranium can be easily measured with current measurement instruments. On the contrary, a uranium concentration at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from the enrichment facility was estimated to be about $1.0{\times}10^{-13}{\sim}1.0{\times}10^{-15}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$, which is less than back-ground level. Therefore, based on the results of our paper, an air sample taken within the vicinity of the Yongbyon enrichment facility could be used to determine as to whether or not North Korea is carrying out an undeclared nuclear program. However, the air samples taken at a longer distance of a few hundred kilometers would prove difficult in detecting a clandestine nuclear activities.