• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1242-1248
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• 2007

Genomic analysis of a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 [1], revealed the presence of an open reading frame consisting of 1,377 bp similar to ${\alpha}$-amylases from Thermococcales, encoding a 458-residue polypeptide containing a putative 25-residue signal peptide. The mature form of the ${\alpha}$-amylase was cloned and the recombinant enzyme was characterized. The optimum activity of the enzyme occurred at $80^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5. The enzyme showed a liquefying activity, hydrolyzing maltooligosaccharides, amylopectin, and starch to produce mainly maltose (G2) to maltoheptaose (G7), but not pullulan and cyclodextrin. Surprisingly, the enzyme was not highly thermostable, with half-life ($t_{1/2}$) values of 10 min at $90^{\circ}C$, despite the high similarity to ${\alpha}$-amylases from Pyrococcus. Factors affecting the thermostability were considered to enhance the thermo stability. The presence of $Ca^{2+}$ seemed to be critical, significantly changing $t_{1/2}$ at $90^{\circ}C$ to 153 min by the addition of 0.5 mM $Ca^{2+}$. On the other hand, the thermostability was not enhanced by the addition of $Zn^{2+}$ or other divalent metals, irrespective of the concentration. The mutagenetic study showed that the recovery of zinc-binding residues (His175 and Cys189) enhanced the thermo stability, indicating that the residues involved in metal binding is very critical for the thermostability.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.114-118
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• 2013

Separation/recovery of valuable metals such as nickel or tin from copper based alloys has recently attracted from the viewpoints of environmental protection and resource recycling. In this report, preliminary study on concentration and separation of nickel from copper based alloy dross using selective adsorption by chelate resin was performed. The chelate resin used in this study has absorbed copper ions more easily than nickel ions in the metal solution, which could allow the concentration/separation of the nickel from the copper base alloy solution. The final molar ratios of Ni and Cu ions in the two concentrated solutions were 70 and 99 % respectively after three-time flowing the solution through the chelate resin column.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2008

Transport of Escherichia coli ATCC 11105 through porous media was investigated in this study using two sets of column experiments to quantify the attachment-related parameters (sticking efficiency, attachment rate coefficient and filter factor). The first set of experiments was performed in quartz sand under different ionic strength conditions (1, 20, 100, 200 mM) while the second experiments were carried out in quartz sand mixed with metal oxyhydroxide-coated sand (0, 5, 10, 25%). The breakthrough curves of bacteria were obtained by monitoring effluent, and then bacterial mass recovery and attachment-related parameters were quantified from these curves. The first experiments showed that the mass recoveries were in the range of 13.3 to 64.7%, decreasing with increasing ionic strength. In the second experiments, the mass recoveries were in the range of 15.0 to 43.4%, decreasing with increasing coated sand content. The analysis indicated that the sticking efficiency, attachment rate coefficient and filter factor increased with increasing ionic strength and coated sand content. The value of filter factor in the first experiments ranged from 1.45 e-2 to 6.72 e-2 1/cm while in the second experiments it ranged from 2.78 e-2 to 6.32 e-2 1/cm. Our filter factor values are one order of magnitude lower than those from other studies. This discrepancy can be attributed to the size of sand used in the experiment. The analysis demonstrated that the travel distance of bacteria estimated using the filter factor can be varied greatly depending on the solution chemistry and charge heterogeneity of porous media.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.14 no.5 s.67
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• pp.24-31
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• 2005

In order to recover valuable metals from fine-grained electronic waste, bioleaching of Cu, Zn, Al, Co, Ni, Fe, Sn and Pb were carried out using Aspergillus niger as a leaching microorganism in a shaking flask. Aspergillus niger was able to grow in the presence of electronic scrap. The formation of organic acids(citric and oxalic acid) from Aspergillus niger caused the mobilization of metals from waste electronic scrap. In a preliminary study, in order to obtain the data on the leaching of Cu, Zn, Al, Fe, Co and Ni from electronic scrap, chemical leaching using organic acid(Citric acid and Oxalic acid) was accomplished. At the electronic scrap concentration of 50 g/L, Aspergillus niger were able to leach more than 95% of the available Cu, Co. But Al, Zn, Pb and Sn were leached about 15-35%. Ni and Fe were detected in the leachate less than 10%.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2008

The application of constructed subsurface-flow wetlands for treatment of wastewater from abandoned mines is being increased. Crushed limestone, oak chips, and mushroom composites are often employed in a bulk form, as the substrates in the bed media. Efficiency of the subsurface-flow treatment system drops with time as the hydraulic conductivity of the wetland soil decreases significantly, presumably due to chemical reactions with the wastewater. The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of immobilized beads carrying sulfate reducing bacteria for acid mine drainage treatment system. The ingredients of immobilized beads are organic materials such as mushroom composite and oak chips, limestone powder for a pH buffer, mixed with a modified Coleville Synthetic Brine. It was found that immobilized beads are more efficient than the bulk form for pH recovery, sulfate and heavy metal removal.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.245-256
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• 2004

The extraction of three kinds of amido podands, N,N,N'N'-tetrabutyl-3-oxa-pentanedi- amide (TBDGA), N,N,N'N'-tetra-isobutyl-3-oxa-pentanediamide(TiBDGA) and N,N,N'N'-tetra- butyl-3,6-dioxa-oct-anediam- ide(TBDOODA) on U(VI),Pu(IV), Am(III), Eu(III) and other metal ions is studied in nitric acid solutions. 40%octanol-kerosene is chosen as diluents to eliminate third phase and emulsion. TBDGA and TiBDGA show extraction selectivity to An(III) and Ln(III) much higher than to U(VI) and Pu(IV). Fe, Ru and Mo is poorly extracted by the three kinds of amid podands in 2~3mol/L $HNO_3$ solutions. Aiming to eliminate interface crude when using simulated HLLW solution in the system of 0.2mol/L TBDGA/Octanol＋kerosene, acetohydroxyamic acid was adapted. Distribution ratio of zirconium was decreased when adding acetohydroxyamic acid in aqueous solution, and interface crude disappeared as mixing extractant with HLLW. The counter-current extraction test is carried out in a set of miniature mixer-settler, with 0.2mol/L TBDGA/ 40% octanol-kerosene as extractant to separate U(VI), Pu(IV), Am(III) and Eu(III) from simulated high level liquid waste(HLLW) solution. In battery A, lanthanides and actinides are coextracted into organic phase with the recovery of 99.98% for U(Ⅵ), >99.99% for Pu(IV), and >99.99% for Am(III) and Eu(III) respectively. In battery R1, 99.99% U, 86.2% Pu and a part of Am or Eu are stripped into aqueous phase by 0.2mol/L acetohydroxyamic acid (AHA) in 0.01mol/L $HNO_3$ solution. In battery $R_2$, Am, Eu and remained Pu are completely back-extracted by 0.2mol/L AHA. This separation process contains no salt reagent, and it is not necessary to dilute HLLW feed.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.435-442
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• 1993

Carboxymethylated polyamine-polyurea resin loaded with rubeanic acid (RCCPPI resin) was obtained by 1 step chemical reaction between chlorocarboxymethylated polyamine-polyurea(CCPPI) resin as matrix polymer and rebeanic acid. This resin was confirmed with infrared spectrometry, elemental analysis, and thermal analysis(DSC). The adsorption characteristics of the heavy metal's on the resin were studied by measuring distribution coefficient($K_d$) with changing pH of the solutions and frontal chromatography. The enrichment, recovery, and analysis of trace heavy metals, such as cadmium, cerium, copper, nikel, lead, and zinc, in the presence of high concentrations of sodium, calcium, and acetate salts was possible quantitatively by a column packed with the resin at each optimum pH. Preconcentration factors were more than 25. To elute the adsorbed heavy metals on the resin, 0.025M EDTA solution(pH 9.0) was used.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.44-52
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• 2013

Bioleaching behavior of metal ions for recovery of cobalt and copper from cobalt concentrate was investigated by employing three Aspergillus niger strains. Various factors, such as organic acid generation with fungi type, pH of the culture and pulp density were studied. The results showed that the best fungi for organic acid(citric acid and oxalic acid) generation was A. niger KCTC 6144 using Malt Extract Broth culture at initial pH 3.5. But A. niger KCTC 6985 was more effective for the leaching of cobalt and copper from cobalt concentrate. Our results showed that 82% cobalt and 98% copper was dissolved by A. niger KCTC 6985 at 10g/L pulp density, at pH 3.5 and $24^{\circ}C$ after 15 days incubation.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 1995

Treating bulk superalloy scrap with molten zinc has been studled to facililate recycling and recovery- of cobalt.Superalloys investigated were the cobalt-base Mar-M-509 and X45 and the nickel-base Rene 80. Charges withZnlscrap ratlos of 1.5-6.5 were heated to 750-9002 far 1-7.5 hours in a nitrogen atmosphere. The moltenzinc dissolved superalloy scrap and zinc was removed by vacuum distillation at 850-Wk for 4-6 hours. Ithas been concluded that the optimum conditions of decomposition for Mar-M-509 and Rene 80 \"ere dissolutiontemperature of about 850k, Znlscrap ratlo of about 5, and dissalution time of about 5.5 hours. The zinc-treatedsuperalloy prouducts were friable and reacted rapidly with acid solutions. Leaching 9mm pieces of unalloyedMar-M-509 or Rene 80 with 5 times the stolchlometric amount oi 6N HCI at 90t ior 3 hours dissolved about1.5-7.270, while leachmg of the minus 20-mesh products dissolved about 89.0-93.0%.ved about 89.0-93.0%.

• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.253-257
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• 2009

The waste solution discharged form the LCD(Liquid Crystal Display) manufacturing process contains phosphoric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid and metal ions such Al and other impurities. In this study, vacuum evaporation and diffusion dialysis was developed to commercialize an efficient system for recovering the high-purity phosphoric acid and manufacturing monoammonium phosphate. By vacuum evaporation, almost 99% of nitric and acetic acid was removed. Also, by diffusion dialysis, about 97.5% of Al was removed. Monoammonium phosphate was manufactured from purified phosphoric acid and ammonium hydroxide. In order to get the optimum manufacturing condition, the molar ratio of ammonium hydroxide and phosphoric acid, pH and temperature was controlled. Using this optimum condition, we obtained the recovery rate of monoammonium phosphate of about 90%.