• Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.11
• /
• pp.2303-2312
• /
• 2018

Pretreatment process of silica-coated PET fabrics, a major low-grade PET waste, was developed using the reaction with NaOH solution. By destroying the structure of silica coating layer, impurities such as silica and pigment dyes could be removed. The removal of impurity was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The pretreated PET fabric samples were used for depolymerization into its monomer, bis(2-hydroxylethyl) terephthalate (BHET), by glycolysis with ethylene glycol (EG), and zinc acetate (ZnAc) catalyst. The quality of BHET was confirmed by DSC, TGA, HPLC and NMR analyses. The highest BHET yield of 89.23% was obtained from pretreated PET fabrics, while glycolysis with raw PET fabric yielded 85.43%. The BHET yield from untreated silica-coated PET fabrics was 60.39%. The pretreatment process enhances the monomer yield by the removal of impurity and also improves the quality of the monomer.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.29
• /
• pp.15.1-15.7
• /
• 2014

Objectives This paper tried to review a recent research trend for the environmental exposure of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and its removal efficiency in the nanowaste treatment plants. Methods The studies on the predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) of ENMs obtained by exposure modeling and treatment (or removal) efficiency in nanowaste treatment facilities, such as wastewater treatment plant (WTP) and waste incineration plant (WIP) were investigated. The studies on the landfill of nanowastes also were investigated. Results The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology group has led the way in developing methods for estimating ENM production and emissions. The PEC values are available for surface water, wastewater treatment plant effluents, biosolids, sediments, soils, and air. Based on the PEC modeling, the major routes for the environmental exposure of the ENMs were found as WTP effluents/sludge. The ENMs entered in the WTP were 90-99% removed and accumulated in the activated sludge and sludge cake. Additionally, the waste ash released from the WIP contain ENMs. Ultimately, landfills are the likely final destination of the disposed sludge or discarded ENMs products. Conclusions Although the removal efficiency of the ENMs using nanowaste treatment facilities is acceptable, the ENMs were accumulated on the sludge and then finally moved to the landfill. Therefore, the monitoring for the ENMs in the environment where the WTP effluent is discharged or biomass disposed is required to increase our knowledge on the fate and transport of the ENMs and to prevent the unintentional exposure (release) in the environment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.158-161
• /
• 2003

To develop an effective adsorbent for radio active Carbon Dioxide, $^14CO_2$, which is discharged to nearby atmosphere from nuclear power plants of CANDU type, we made some preliminary adsorbents and tested their abilities of $CO_2$ removal. The chemical agents used was LiOH and we supported or impregnated it on the surface or the internal volume of activated Carbon(GW-H). The physical and chemical properties of various adsorbents were measured using methods such as XRD, BET. SEM images were taken to investigate the change of surface morphology of the adsorbents. Finally, amount of $CO_2$ adsorption of them were verified under specific conditions. We found that mechanical mixing of LiOH and activated Carbon showed the maximum $CO_2$ removal ability, while surface activation of activated Carbon by Nitric Acid-treatment enhanced its $CO_2$ removal efficiency to some degree.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.509-513
• /
• 2003

The radioactive Carbon, C-14, although present in small amount, emits a high energy(up to 0.156MeV) $\beta$ ray and has extremely long half-life(5730years). So special monitoring and management on its generation and discharge is inevitable. A PHWR, due to its own specific designs generates about six times as much C-14 as a PWR does and over 90% of the discharged C-14 comes from the Moderator system and discharged in to the environment through the process of periodic purging of the moderator cover gas system. The present study focussed on the development of effective C-14 scrubber and after production of a test facility and experiments using it, we found that our test facility is very efficient in $CO_2$ removal.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.197-202
• /
• 1994

Microalga, Spirulina platensis has been cultivated in a pilot scale photo-bioreactor to treat wastewater and to produce high protein feedstocks from swine waste containing medium. 0.31(1/day) of specific growth rate and 0.170 of bioenergeric yield were obtanined from batch cultivation in 30% waster containing medium, compared to 0.71(1/day) and 0.545 from clean culture. An optimal dilution concentration was decided as 20% of working volume, based upon the cell growth and biomass productivity. The removal rate of nitrates in the wastewater was decreased as the adding concentration of wastewater was increased while the decrease of total phosphates was reversed, showing 0.33(1/day) and 0.30(1/day) of rate constants for nitrate removal in 10% addition and for phosphate removal in 30% addition, respectively. The chemical composition and amino acid profile of the biomass were superior to those of commerically available health food product, Spirulina sp.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.335-342
• /
• 1995

Solid and liquid phase peroxidases were extracted from Chinese cabbage roots by using commercial juicer in order to use peroxidases from agricultural waste for industrial applications. Since peroxidases are distributed into 66% in liquid (juice) and 34% in solid phase (pulp), enzymes from both phases were applied to investigate the enzymatic removal of phenol from waste water. After contacting 150 ppm Phenol solution with liquid phase enzyme (1,800 unit/$\ell$) for 3 hours in a batch stirred reactor, 96% of phenol could be removed through polymerization and precipitation. Also, phenol could be removed from initial 120ppm to 5ppm by applying solid phase enzyme in an air lift reactor ($600 unit/\ell$). Almost equivalent efficiencies of phenol removal were observed between two systems, even though only one third of the enzymes in batch stirred reactor was applied in airlift reactor. The possible reason for this phenomenon is because peroxidases exist as immobilized forms in solid phase.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.482-491
• /
• 2006

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) from substrates with various $NO_2-N$ and $NH_4-N$ concentationes, which were generated from piggery waste was accomplished by using anaerobic granular sludge as seeding sludge. As the result of operation, when $NO_2-N/NH_4-N$ ratios of ANAMMOX influent were 0.6~1.5, $NO_2-N/NH_4-N$ removal ratios were exhibited 1.19~2.07 (average 1.63). The higher influent $NO_2-N/NH_4-N$ ratios resulted in higher $NO_2-N/NH_4-N$ removal ratios by ANAMMOX. It means that $NO_2-N$ concentration is very important factor in ANAMMOX. Specific ammonium removal rate was constantly as $0.03{\sim}0.04gNH_4-N/g$ VSS-day at $35^{\circ}C$ while it was $0.01gNH_4-N/g$ VSS-day at $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$. Thus, in order to reduce the effluent N concentration, either an increase of ANAMMOX reactor HRT or more biomass accumulation at the optimal temperature can be considered.

• Advances in environmental research
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.217-230
• /
• 2014

The large quantity of green cull bananas has the potential of being used industrially and, thereby, to improve banana economics and eliminate the large environmental problem presented by banana waste. Wastewaters from textile, cosmetics, printing, dying, food colouring, and paper-making industries are polluted by dyes. The adsorption of basic dye by waste banana pith was investigated by varying dye concentrations, adsorbent dose, particle size and agitation rate. The adsorption capacity was found to be maximum value of removal by using 0.1 g of sorbent with particle size 1mm at mixing speed 200 rpm for initial concentration 25 mg/l to reach value of approximate 89%. The Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich adsorption models were used for mathematical description of the adsorption equilibrium and it was found that experimental data fitted very well to these models except Langmuir model. Adsorption of dye was applied on (pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetics), and the experimental data was more fitted to pseudo second order. The results of this study showed that banana pith could be employed as effective and low-cost materials for the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2018.11a
• /
• pp.379-379
• /
• 2018

MXenes are a new family of 2D transition metal carbide nanosheets analogous to graphene (Lv et al., 2017; Sun et al., 2018). Due to the easy availability, hydrophilic behavior, and tunable chemistry of MXenes, their use in applications for environmental pollution remediation such as heavy metal adsorption has recently been explored (Li et al., 2017). In this study, three-dimensional (3D) MXene ($Ti_3C_2T_x$) films with high adsorption capacity, good mechanical strength, and high selectivity for specific radionuclide from aquose solution were successfully fabricated by a polymeric precursor method using vacuum-assisted filtration. The highest removal efficiency on the films was 99.54%, 95.61%, and 82.79% for $Sr^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$, and $Cs^+$, respectively, using a film dosage of 0.06 g/ L in the initial radionuclide solution (each radionuclide concentration = 1 mg/L and pH = 7.0). Especially, the adsorption process reached an equilibrium within 30 min. The expanded interlayer spacing of $Ti_3C_2T_x$ sheets in MXene films showed excellent radionuclide selectivity ($Cs^+$ and/or $Sr^{2+}/Co^{2+}$) (Simon, 2017). Besides, the MXene films was not only able to be easily retrieved from an aqueous solution by filtration after decontamination processes, but also to selectively separate desired target radionuclides in the solutions. Therefore, the newly developed MXene ($Ti_3C_2T_x$) films has a great potential for radionuclide removal from aqueous solution.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.47-53
• /
• 2016

This study investigated natural convection flow behavior in airflow path designed in concrete dry storage cask to remove the decay heat from spent nuclear fuels. Using FLUENT 16.1 code, thermal analysis for natural convection was carried out for three dimensional, 1/4 symmetry model under the normal condition that inlet ducts are 100% open. The maximum temperatures on other components except the fuel regions were satisfied with allowable values suggested in nuclear regulation-1536. From velocity and temperature distributions along the flow direction, the flow behavior in horizontal duct of air inlet and outlet duct, annular flow-path and bent pipe was delineated in detail. Theses results will be used as the theoretical background for the composing of airflow path for the designing of passive heat removal system by understanding the flow phenomena in airflow path.