• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.381-389
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• 2015

In this study, the effects of moisture content and particles size of ground particles of torrefied larch chips on the pelletizing process were investigated depending on torrefaction conditions ($220^{\circ}C$-50 min, $250^{\circ}C$-50 min, $250^{\circ}C$-120 min). The moisture content in the torrefied chip decreased to 0.69~1.75%, while ash content and calorific value increased compared to untreated chip. In addition, weight loss significantly increased during torrefaction due to hemicellulose degradation. The carbon content in torrefied larch chip increased compare to untreated larch chip, while the hydrogen and oxygen contents decreased. The lignin and glucan contents in torrefied larch chip increased with increasing severity of the torrefaction condition, while hemicellulose decreased. In the particle size distribution of ground particles of torrefied larch chip, larch torrefied at severe conditions was found to produce smaller particles (~1 mm) than that of the larch torrefied at mild conditions. Macropore (over $500{\AA}$) in the torrefied particle was produced during torrefaction. During the pelletizing using ground particles of torrefied larch chip, the pressure needed in pelletizing decreased and pellet length increased with increasing moisture content, regardless of the particle size.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1678-1686
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• 2020

This study attempted to derive the possibility of using wood pellet using rice husk, which is an agricultural byproduct, and tried to improve the lower calorific value of rice hulls thorough expansion technology and combustion additives. In the physical and chemical analysis of rice husk, the result was obtained that the chlorine content was 0.09%, which did not meet the wood pellet quality standard of Korea. When making rice hulls into expanded rice husk through the expansion technology, the chlorine content decreased, resulting in a product of 0.02%, which is equivalent to the wood pellet standard of Korea, and the calorific value was also increased to 4,280 kcal/kg compared to the existing 3,780 kcal/kg. To obtain a product of 5,000 kcal/kg or more, borax, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hydroxide was used as combustion improver. However the improvement in calorific value was insufficient. After conversion to coffee oil path using coffee grounds, which is a waste resource biomass, it is mixed into an expanded rice husk, and when the product is analyzed, the coffee oil 15 wt% mixed product shows an excess of 4,949 kcal/kg. When using rice husk, an agricultural byproduct, as wood pellets, it is considered desirable to use waste resources to improve the calorific value, and according to the results of this study, when mixing coffee oil, rice husk can be sufficiently used as wooden pellets.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.783-791
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• 2015

A fluidized-bed reactor with an inside diameter of 0.1 m and a height of 1.2 m was used to study the effect of steam and catalyst additions to air-blown biomass gasification on the production of producer gas. The equipment consisted of a fluidized bed reactor, a fuel supply system, a cyclone, a condenser, two receivers, steam generator and gas analyzer. Silica sand with a mean particle diameter of $380{\mu}m$ was used as a bed material and calcined dolomite ($356{\mu}m$), which is effective in tar reduction and producer gas purification, was used as the catalyst. Both of Korea wood pellet (KWP) and a pellet form of EFB (empty fruit bunch) which is the byproduct of Southeast Asia palm oil extraction were examined as biomass feeds. In all the experiments, the feeding rates were 50 g/min for EFB and 38 g/min for KWP, respectively at the reaction temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ and an ER (equivalence ratio) of 0.25. The mixing ratio (0~100 wt%) of catalyst was applied to the bed material. Air or an air-steam mixture was used as the injection gas. The SBR (steam to biomass ratio) was 0.3. The composition, tar content, and lower heating value of the generated producer gas were measured. The addition of calcined dolomite decreased tar content in the producer gas with maximum reduction of 67.3 wt%. The addition of calcined dolomite in the air gasification reduced lower heating value of the producer gas. However The addition of calcined dolomite in the air-steam gasification slightly increased its lower heating value.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2012

Switchgrass was selected as a promising biomass resource for bioethanol production through popping pretreatment, enzymatic saccharification and fermentation using commercial cellulase and xylanase, and fermenting yeast. The reducing sugar yields of popping pretreated switchgrass after enzymatic saccharification were above 95% and the glucose in thesaccharificaiton solution to ethanol conversion rate after fermentation with $Saccharomyces$ $cerevisiae$ was reached to 89.6%. Chemical compositions after popping pretreatment developed in our laboratory were 40.8% glucose and 20.3% xylose, with much of glucose remaining and only xylose decreased to 4.75%. This means that the hemicelluloses area broke off during popping pretreatment. FE-SEMexamination of substrate particles after popping pretreatment was showed fiber separation, and tearing and presence of numerous micro pores. These changes help explain, enhanced enzymatic penetration resulting in improved hydrolysis of switchgrass particles after popping pretreatment.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.189-201
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• 2018

Intumescent system is a highly effective flame retardant technology that takes advantage of the mechanism of foaming and carbonization. In order to materialize Intumescent system, it is necessary to use reinforcement material to improve the strength of the material. In this study, we used kenaf as a natural fiber to manufacture intumescent/EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) composites to improve mechanical and flame retardant performance. Finally two materials with different particle shape are applied to one system. Therefore, the influence factors of the particles with different shapes on the composite material were analyzed based on the tensile test. For this purpose, we have used the tensile strength analysis model and confirmed that it can only act as a partial strength reinforcement due to weak binding force between the matrix and particles. In the combustion characteristics analysis using cone calorimeter and UL 94, the combustion characteristics were enhanced as the content of Intuemscent was increased. As the content of kenaf increased, combustion characteristics were strengthened and carbonization characteristics were weakened. Through the application of kenaf, it can be confirmed that elastic modulus improvement and combustion characteristics can be strengthened, which confirmed the possibility of development of environmentally friendly flame retardant materials.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2015

Mattirolomyces terfezioides is a type of sweet truffles that predominantly form ectomycorrhizae with Robinia pseudoacacia. It is also worthy of artificial cultivation. This is the first report on characteristics of mycelial growth and enzyme activities of M. terfezioides collected from R. pseudoacacia forest in Korea. M. terfezioides showed the highest mycelial growth when cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at $30^{\circ}C$ or in modified Melin-Norkran's liquid medium (pH 8.0). The biomass of M. terfezioides was higher in liquid medium containing nitrate-nitrogen than ammonium-nitrogen by 1.8 fold. The mycelia of M. terfezioides showed both carboxymethylcellulase and laccase activities on solid media for enzyme screening.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2010

This study was to investigate the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose using the cellulase from whole body of the native termite collected in Milyang-si, Kyungsangnamdo, Korea. In the results, optimal temperature and pH for the enzyme of native termites were $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5 for both endo-${\beta}$-1, 4-glucanase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase. Enzyme activity of the termite enzyme was shown $8.8{\times}10^{-2}\;FPU/m{\ell}$. And the highest glucose hydrolysis rate of cellulose by the digestive enzyme from test termites was 24.5% based on the glucan, comparing 59.7% by commercial enzyme (only celluclast 1.5 L) at 1% (w/v) substrate and 36 hours in hydrolysis time. This hydrolysis rate by the digestive enzyme from test termites was comparatively high value in 41% level of the commercial enzyme. When cellulose was hydrolyzed by the digestive enzyme of the native termite, glucose hydrolysis was almost completed in 12 hours which was the considerably reduced time for cellulose hydrolysis. It was suggested that the quiet short reaction time for cellulose hydrolysis by the enzyme from native termite could be a very high advantage for development of hydrolysis cellulase for lignocellulosic biomass.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.15 no.1 s.69
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• pp.66-73
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• 2006

The effects of operation conditions, such as bed temperature, temperature rising rate, particle size, moisture content and so on, on thermo-chemical conversion of waste wood have been determined in a micro fixed bed gasifier. The samples were waste wood-chips such as pine, oak, acacia and ginkgo. The thinning timbers used as reactants in the experiments had $35wt\%$ moisture content, $0.5wt\%$ ash content and 4,550 kcal/kg heating value on a dry basis. A typical product distribution was a $40wt\%$ liquid, $20wt\%$ solid, and $40wt\%$ dry syngas. The syngas concentration was affected by operation conditions and average syngas concentration was $H_2:40vol\%,\;CO:30vol\%,\;CH_4:10vol\%$.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.380-388
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• 2017

Wood pyrolysis oil(WPO) has been regarded as an alternative fuel for diesel engines. However, WPO is not feasible for use directly in diesel engines due to its poor fuel quality such as low energy density, high acidity, high viscosity and low cetane number. The most widely used approach to improve WPO fuel quality is to blend WPO with other hydrocarbon fuels that have a higher cetane number. However, WPO and fossil fuels are not usually blended because of their different polarity. Also, clogging and polymerization problems in the fuel supply system can occur when the engine is operated with WPO. Polymerization can be prevented by diluting WPO with other alcohol fuels. However, WPO-alcohol blended fuel does not produce self-ignition. Therefore, additional cetane enhancement to the blended fuel is required to enhance auto-ignitability. In this study, WPO was blended with n-butanol and two cetane enhancements(PEG 400 and 2-EHN) for application to a diesel generator. Experimental results showed that the WPO-butanol blended fuel achieved a very stable engine operation under maximum WPO content of 20 wt%.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.360-369
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• 2016

In this study, sequential leaching and wet torrefaction were performed to improve the fuel characteristics of empty fruit bunch (EFB). Leaching was carried out at $25{\sim}90^{\circ}C$ for 5~30 min. The highest ash removal efficiency of 55.99% was achieved when leaching was performed at $90^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. The ash removal efficiency was dependent more on leaching temperature than time. Wet torrefaction was carried out at $180{\sim}200^{\circ}C$ for 5~40 min, following the leaching. Most of the inorganic compounds were removed at removal efficiencies of 41.05~63.58% during sequential leaching and wet torrefaction, while silica remained in the biomass. Chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus showed more than 80% removal efficiencies. The calorific value of EFB increased to 7.96% (4730 kcal/kg) in comparison to the raw material (4390 kcal/kg) when wet torrefaction was performed at $200^{\circ}C$ for 40 min following leaching.