• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.173-181
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• 2024

Fly ash, plastic waste, and clay are mineral materials and residues commonly found in Malaysia. In this study, these materials were fully utilized as raw materials for synthesizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Recycled polypropylene, previously used as a food container, served as a carbon source. Fly ash and clay were explored as potential substrates for CNTs growth. The recycled polypropylene was thermally decomposed at 900 ℃ in an inert environment for 90 minutes. Carbon atoms released during this process were deposited on fly ash and clay substrates, which had been immersed in a ferrocene solution to provide a metal catalyst for CNTs growth. The deposited products were characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Morphological analysis revealed that both fly ash and clay were coated with fiber-like structures, confirmed to be CNTs based on a diffraction peak around 26° from the XRD pattern. In conclusion, clay and fly ash demonstrate the potential to be utilized as substrates for CNTs formation.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.133-140
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• 1998

The food wastes from a refectory and an eating house were heated in domestic microwave oven(700W) equipped with a fan and the drying rates and destruction of microorganisms were investigated. The drying rate was decreased with the size of food waste and the food wastes in polypropylene basket were dried faster than that on glass dish. The rate was increased with lower initial moisture content. Death rate of microorganisms was also decreased with the size of food waste. Ninety eight percent of reduction in viable cell numbers for the 400g of food waste could be achieved in 240sec of microwave irradiation. The growth of microorganisms in food wastes after microwave irradiated was observed at $32^{\circ}C$ and 95% relative humidity after 7days and the cell numbers in microwave irradiated food wastes were found to be 1/2 ~ 1/20 of the numbers in untreated wastes in accordance with the mass and the length of exposed time to microwave. To minimize the moisture and microorganisms in food wastes, the use of microwave oven are recommended.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.18-21
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• 2013

In this study, surface modification of wood powder by atmospheric pressure plasma treatment was investigated. The composites were manufactured using wood powder and polypropylene(wood powder : PP = 55 wt% : 45 wt%). Atmospheric pressure plasma was treated as condition of 3KV, $17{\pm}1$KHz, 2 g/min. Helium was used as carrier gas and monomer such as hexamethyl-disiloxane(HMDSO) was used to modify surface property by plasma polymerization. The tensile strength of untreated waste wood powder(W3) and homogeneous wood powder(H3) were about 18.5 MPa, 21.5 MPa while the tensile strength of plasma treated waste wood powder(PW3) and homogeneous wood powder(PH3) were about 21.2 MPa, 23.4 MPa, respectively. And tensile strength of W3 and H3 were improved by 14.6% and 8.8%, respectively. From the results for mechanical property, morphological analysis, we obtained improved interfacial bonding of polypropylene and wood powder modified by plasma treatment.

• Composites Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.201-206
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• 2014

Utilizing waste materials in making useful products is a globally increasing trend. This can reduce the cost and environmental issues. In this study, oyster shell powder (OSP) is reinforced as a filler in polypropylene (PP) matrix to make a new composite. The purpose is to improve fire retardant properties of PP as a result of OSP reinforcement. Mechanical, fire retardant and water absorption properties of the new composite have been studied in this research. Concentration of OSP reinforcement in PP has been varied by wt% and its effect on the above mentioned properties has been observed. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) images of tensile and bending fractured surfaces have been taken to observe the failure mechanism during mechanical tests. An increase in the fire retardancy has been observed as a result of the OSP reinforcement while tensile strength decreased. Stiffness also increased with the addition of OSP in PP.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.194-201
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• 2007

HHV (Higher Heating Value) of biomass fuel is calculated by using ultimate analysis data and has been proposed by using correlation equation, and compared with the experiment the adequacy about each correlation equation with measured HHV and examined. Samples used for experiment are prepared by mixing biomass (i.e. rice husk and sawdust) with organic waste (i.e. polystyrene polypropylene and waste paper) of 10, 30, 50 wt% of composition. Ultimate analysis and measurement of HHV are respectively measured by using KS standard method. The average error value of estimated HHV results is about 880 kJ/kg(about 3.8% of measured HHV). The corresponding correlation coefficients ($R^2$) of experimental result and estimated HHV result are $0.957{\sim}0.996$.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2000

In comparison with thermosetting rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) has various advantages such as simple processing, short cycle time and recycling of scrap. These advantages can lead to development of the high value-added rubber products due to reduction of the waste material, manufacturing cost and the defected product. This article involves a dynamic vulcanization method for EPDM/polypropylene blend, and the manufacturing of a fixed glass weather-strip by glass insert molding method using the blend. In order to investigate mechanical properties of the product, tensile strength, elongation, hardness and specific gravity were measured. Also morphological study was carried out using SEM. Developments of an efficient system of production and automatic process by molding of TPE and glass simultaneously are expected.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.30-36
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• 2014

300,000 tons of waste tires are annually being produced with development of the automotive industry in Korea. Landfill and incineration treatment system are causing the economic problem through secondary environmental pollution and waste. Therefore, as one of the ways to take advantage of this, Thermo-Plastic Vulcanized (TPV) composite was prepared by the ground waste tire and plastic powders. The waste tire powder was gained by mechanical fracturing through crushers. The waste tire powder was ground by a shear crushing method and a 2-stage disk mill method instead of cutting crushing one. The waste tire powder of 50 mesh was mixed with Polypropylene(PP) in various proportions. TPVs were prepared by an extrusion, and tensile and impact tests were performed. In addition, the same experiments were repeated in 40, 80, 140 mesh conditions in order to observe size effect of waste tire powders.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.17-26
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• 2007

Inorganic shell powder waste was added to recycled polypropylene(COPP), and its effect on the mechanical properties and flammability was investigated. Compatibilizer(Polytail H) was added to improve mechanical properties of COPP/shell composites. Also three different flame retardants($Al_2O_3$, DBDPO, $Sb_2O_3$) were added to improve flammability. Experimental results indicated that addition of compatibilizer resulted in an improved mechanical properties, and especially impact strength approached that of 100 wt% COPP. Addition of flame retardant did not result in decreased mechanical properties. UL-94 flammability test indicated that COPP/shell composite did not show good flame retardancy, however, in the case of COPP/shell composites containing flame retardant showed good flammability. flammability was found $Sb_2O_3>Al_2O_3>DBDPO$ in this order. Finally, UL-94 V-0 grade was found in COPP/shell composite with $Al_2O_3$, compatibilizer, and 40 wt% shell, and COPP/shell composites with $Sb_2O_3$.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2015

In this study, we investigated the effects of a crosslinking agent and a compatibilizer on the mechanical and rheological properties of waste PP and waste ground rubber tire (WGRT) composites. In order to simulate a commercial TPV, the component of waste PP and WGRT was fixed at 30 and 70 wt%, respectively. With the simple addition of SEBS-g-MA into the waste PP/WGRT composites, the tensile strength of the composite was decreased, whereas both the elongation at break and impact strength were significantly increased because of rubbery characteristics of SEBS-g-MA. In order to further improve the properties of the composites, the waste PP/WGRT/SEBS-g-MA composites was revulcanized with dicumyl peroxide (DCP). As expected, mechanical properties of the revulcanized composites was generally improved. Especially, with 15 and 1 phr of SEBS-g-MA and DCP, elongation at break was highest value of about 183% because of the recross-linking of WGRT without chain scission of the main chain. It was found that complex viscosity of the revulcanized composite increased which might verify further vulcanization of the WGRT.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2001

For solving the environmental problem of the waste EPDM and for new TPE blend materials, we developed a new kind of TPE material using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. To improve the mechanical properties of TPE material such as tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus of the blend, PP and waste EPDM powder were blended with different screw configurations. The mechanical properties of the blends and morphology of the TPE were investigated. As the number of kneading disc and left-handed screw element increased, dynamic vulcanization of the material was increased because the shear stress and residence time of blends increased.