• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.67-78
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• 2023

The rare metals used as raw materials in high-tech industries undergo changes in demand structures and supply chains following domestic industrial structural shifts and technological advancements, exhibiting high price volatility. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically analyze changes in the demand structures of rare metals. Since domestic demand for most rare metals relies on imports in Korea, the changes in domestic demand for rare metals can be identified by analyzing changes in their trade structure. In the present study, we analyze the changes in trade volume, trade growth rate, trade rankings, and trading countries from 2000 to 2022 for 35 rare metals, categorized into five types-ores, metals, alloys, compounds, and scrap. The trade of the raw materials of rare metals in Korea has generally increased since the 2000s, except for a significant decline in 2009 and 2016. The total trade volume, encompassing both exports and imports, has increased by approximately tenfold in 2022 compared to 2001. Until the mid-2010s, the trade of the raw materials of rare metals was primarily focused on those used in steel-manufacturing such as silicon, nickel, chrome, molybdenum, manganese, and others. However, after that period, there has been an increase in the trade of platinum group metals like palladium, rhodium, platinum, and the raw materials of rare metals for secondary battery-manufacturing such as lithium and cobalt. Particularly in 2022, lithium has become the largest share in trade of the raw materials of rare metals in Korea, due to the price surge and increase in demand.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2010

This study is analyzed the financial feasibility of biomass power plant in China in terms of fuel marginal price of biomass power plant. The range of fuel price is 150~300 RMB and IRR(Internal Rate of Return), NPV(Net Present Value), DSCR(Debt Service Coverage Ratio) and operation time are analyzed by 10 RMB from 150 RMB. The sensitivity of IRR went down by 1.35 on average. The sensibility of NPV showed big difference by 20% on 260 RMB and 270 RMB. In addition, DSCR of loan is at 1.0 at raw cost of 242 RMB and at lower than 1.0 when the raw cost over 242 RMB. It means that the pay-off of principal and interest of the loan is expected to be difficult in that case. The operation time of power plant should be 88% against standard operation time to maintain over 1.0 of DSCR. Therefore, the factors affecting the cost of raw material to build the power plant and to operate it should be prioritized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.307-308
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• 2007

This work shows the experimental results obtained from ageing at a temperature of 100 C for 48, 70 and 312 h, although the application of AC electrical tension in samples and the measuring of current leakage are presented. The measurements in samples were carried out with samples prepared from the deformulated commercial materials and respectively reformulated into thin films. The obtained results showed the mechanisms of conduction of samples in low and high electric fields. It was also identified an electric tension transition showing that in low fields it prevails the Ohm's law conduction, and in high electric fields it prevails the conduction of space charge limited current (SCLC). These results can support the natural rubber formulation process having as their main objective the reducing of the mechanisms that occur under high conduction current in high electric fields, which leads the material to a dielectric breakdown. Raw Natural rubber in Brazil is extracted from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in farms in So Paulo State by using some new plantation technology in smaller spaces, with trees placed a few meters from each other. In the Amazon rain forest the rubber trees are found naturally and their spacing may be of hundreds of meters or even kilometers between them. It is necessary to research this raw material from different internationally standard clones to characterize dielectric and electric properties for industrial applications. Moreover, this natural material has a low commercial price when compared to the synthetic ones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.625-633
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• 2008

Uses of nickel have been widened in 20th century thanks to development of steel industry and munitions industry and also the demand from each uses on nickel has grown rapidly. In recent 5 years, the market price of nickel has been in bull market, so the security of supply became a big issue for each nickel user. However the entire material flow of nickel is not completed yet in Korea and not even in advanced countries, so recycling rate of nickel from raw materials to finished goods is not sufficient. Although statistical data and report systems about nickel are unprepared in domestic market, this study is carried out with limited market data for the completed material flow of nickel in domestic market and establishing recycling policies of nickel.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2013

Since 1990's, a plywood for flooring base has gotten customers' demand. Costs of raw material and production increased because of changed environment of industry. Tropical timber such as Red Meranti (Shorea acuminate) used for raw material of the floor has been depleting beside countries in South Eastern Asia changed species of afforestation. As a result, it gets hard to secure good quality of raw material for plywood. Moreover plywood price is increased suddenly after earthquake in Japan. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) in china has been using for raw material as a countermeasure of changed environment of industry. In this study, possibility of using flooring consisted of Eucalyptus veneer as crossband layers was checked by deflection experiments. Flooring consisted of Red Meranti was used for comparison. Two factors which impact on deflection are a type of density gradient and density difference between Long-grain veneer and Short-grain veneer. Red Meranti samples are M type of density gradient on the other hand Eucalyptus samples are W type of density gradient. The more samples have high density difference, the more deformation was checked. A sample which has big density difference between core and cross bands layer warp more also deform. Flooring was deformed smaller than plywood and samples which have big density difference was deformed more.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.195-216
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• 2013

In this paper, I investigate how international prices affect domestic prices and export prices in Korea by using vector error correction model(VECM) and estimate its impact on international trade. According to the empirical results, international prices, such as world raw material prices and oil prices, make stronger effects on domestic prices, in order of import, export, producer, and consumer prices. And recent years the effect of international raw material prices on domestic prices becomes larger. It implies importers, exporters and producers are more affected by international prices than consumers are. Therefore, the international trade, import and export, is affected by changes in international prices. Firms, especially importing and exporting companies, should do much efforts on risk managing about raw material prices variation, diversification of raw material suppliers, and oversea resources development. The government is needed to support on firms those efforts while doing its economic policies to cope with economic conditions and the price policy.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.30
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• pp.123-144
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• 2006

MERCOSUR (Southern Cone Common Market, Latin American trade organization established in 1991, full members: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay; associate members: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) is the world's third largest economic union. It is a vital region that Korean corporations should enter to preoccupy the Latin American market. Since China and Japan are recently moving strongly to advance into MERCOSUR, Korea needs to work out measures to cope with the situation. In trading with MERCOSUR, it is very important to establish a strategic base in the market from a long-term perspective rather than to approach the market only as an exporting market. From this viewpoint, Korea should regard MERCOSUR as a market with which it should cooperate in terms of resources, beyond a market from which it imports raw materials. Helped by its advancement strategies varying according to regional markets and price competitiveness, China is bolstering its market share in these regions. In addition, China has built production bases focused on electric and electronics products. It is also increasing its investments in MERCOSUR as a stable raw material-providing base. To make inroads into MERCOSUR successfully, therefore, Korean enterprises should not regard it as a market where it disposes of stock goods, but should instead export technologically competitive goods to this region. Likewise, Korean companies should expand their investments in automotive parts and machinery in MERCOSUR. Furthermore, Korea should closely study international trading policies of MERCOSUR to clear away any possible obstacles of exports to this region and to prepare countermeasures so as to avoid possible damage from import regulations of MERCOSUR.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.19-24
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• 2009

As the environmental pollution by the drastic increase of vehicles becomes one of the social major concerns, the method of reducing the harmful exhaust emission is being the subject of interest. Utilization of waste edible oil as a raw material for biodiesel production is helpful not only for the stable supply of raw materials but also costing down the biodiesel price. This study was conducted to examine the combustion and thermal characteristics with mixing ratio of biodiesel fuel. Flash points, fire points and autoignition temperature (AIT) were measured by using Tag closed cup, Cleveland open cup flash point tester and AIT apparatus. As the result, flash points, fire points and AIT increased with percentage of more contained biodiesel.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.346-355
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was designed to analyze the food preference and behavior on food away from home between Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The sample was selected each 200 people who were waiting departure in duty free zone, Incheon International Airport. The survey was developed by researcher and it consist of four parts that demographic characteristic, preference food material, preference cooking method and behavior on food away from home. As a result of the study, korean preferred soup, pork and raw vegetable and dine out with their family. Japanese preferred soup, beef, salad and dine out by themselves. Chinese preferred meat, fish, sauteed vegetable, and dine out with their family. When they were dine-out, Korean frequently ate Korean food, Fast food, Japanese food and Chinese, however Japanese frequently ate Japanese food, Chinese food and Italian food. Chinese frequently ate Chinese food and Fast food. Korean were sensitive of food price, but Japanese were sensitive of food taste and Chinese were sensitive of new experience and taste.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.195-220
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• 2018

In this study, we conducted an empirical analysis of the factors that affect the change of Bitcoin Closing Price. Previous studies have focused on the security of the block chain system, the economic ripple effects caused by the cryptocurrency, legal implications and the acceptance to consumer about cryptocurrency. In various area, cryptocurrency was studied and many researcher and people including government, regardless of country, try to utilize cryptocurrency and applicate to its technology. Despite of rapid and dramatic change of cryptocurrencies' price and growth of its effects, empirical study of the factors affecting the price change of cryptocurrency was lack. There were only a few limited studies, business reports and short working paper. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what factors effect on the change of closing Bitcoin price. For analysis, hypotheses were constructed from three dimensions of consumer, industry, and macroeconomics for analysis, and time series data were collected for variables of each dimension. Consumer variables consist of search traffic of Bitcoin, search traffic of bitcoin ban, search traffic of ransomware and search traffic of war. Industry variables were composed GPU vendors' stock price and memory vendors' stock price. Macro-economy variables were contemplated such as U.S. dollar index futures, FOMC policy interest rates, WTI crude oil price. Using above variables, we did times series regression analysis to find relationship between those variables and change of Bitcoin Closing Price. Before the regression analysis to confirm the relationship between change of Bitcoin Closing Price and the other variables, we performed the Unit-root test to verifying the stationary of time series data to avoid spurious regression. Then, using a stationary data, we did the regression analysis. As a result of the analysis, we found that the change of Bitcoin Closing Price has negative effects with search traffic of 'Bitcoin Ban' and US dollar index futures, while change of GPU vendors' stock price and change of WTI crude oil price showed positive effects. In case of 'Bitcoin Ban', it is directly determining the maintenance or abolition of Bitcoin trade, that's why consumer reacted sensitively and effected on change of Bitcoin Closing Price. GPU is raw material of Bitcoin mining. Generally, increasing of companies' stock price means the growth of the sales of those companies' products and services. GPU's demands increases are indirectly reflected to the GPU vendors' stock price. Making an interpretation, a rise in prices of GPU has put a crimp on the mining of Bitcoin. Consequently, GPU vendors' stock price effects on change of Bitcoin Closing Price. And we confirmed U.S. dollar index futures moved in the opposite direction with change of Bitcoin Closing Price. It moved like Gold. Gold was considered as a safe asset to consumers and it means consumer think that Bitcoin is a safe asset. On the other hand, WTI oil price went Bitcoin Closing Price's way. It implies that Bitcoin are regarded to investment asset like raw materials market's product. The variables that were not significant in the analysis were search traffic of bitcoin, search traffic of ransomware, search traffic of war, memory vendor's stock price, FOMC policy interest rates. In search traffic of bitcoin, we judged that interest in Bitcoin did not lead to purchase of Bitcoin. It means search traffic of Bitcoin didn't reflect all of Bitcoin's demand. So, it implies there are some factors that regulate and mediate the Bitcoin purchase. In search traffic of ransomware, it is hard to say concern of ransomware determined the whole Bitcoin demand. Because only a few people damaged by ransomware and the percentage of hackers requiring Bitcoins was low. Also, its information security problem is events not continuous issues. Search traffic of war was not significant. Like stock market, generally it has negative in relation to war, but exceptional case like Gulf war, it moves stakeholders' profits and environment. We think that this is the same case. In memory vendor stock price, this is because memory vendors' flagship products were not VRAM which is essential for Bitcoin supply. In FOMC policy interest rates, when the interest rate is low, the surplus capital is invested in securities such as stocks. But Bitcoin' price fluctuation was large so it is not recognized as an attractive commodity to the consumers. In addition, unlike the stock market, Bitcoin doesn't have any safety policy such as Circuit breakers and Sidecar. Through this study, we verified what factors effect on change of Bitcoin Closing Price, and interpreted why such change happened. In addition, establishing the characteristics of Bitcoin as a safe asset and investment asset, we provide a guide how consumer, financial institution and government organization approach to the cryptocurrency. Moreover, corroborating the factors affecting change of Bitcoin Closing Price, researcher will get some clue and qualification which factors have to be considered in hereafter cryptocurrency study.