• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.141-141
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• 2018

Copper is one of the most abundant metals on earth. Its oxide (CuO) is an intrinsically p-type metal-oxide semiconductor with a bandgap ($E_g$) of 1.2-2.0 eV 1. Copper oxide nanomaterials are considered as promising materials for a wide range of applications e.g., lithium ion batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalytic hydrogen production, photodetectors, and biogas sensors 2-7. Recently, high-density and uniform CuO nanostructures have been grown on Cu foils in alkaline solutions 3. In 2011, T. Soejima et al. proposed a facile process for the oxidation synthesis of CuO nanobelt arrays using $NH_3-H_2O_2$ aqueous solution 8. In 2017, G. Kaur et al. synthesized CuO nanostructures by treating Cu foils in $NH_4OH$ at room temperature for different treatment times 9. The surface treatment of Cu in alkaline aqueous solutions is a potential method for the mass fabrication of CuO nanostructures with high uniformity and density. It is interesting to compare the gas sensing properties among CuO nanomaterials synthesized by this approach and by others. Nevertheless, none of above studies investigated the gas sensing properties of as-synthesized CuO nanomaterials. In this study, CuO nanowalls versus nanoparticles were synthesized via the oxidation process of Cu foil in NH4OH solution at $50-70^{\circ}C$. The gas sensing properties of the as-prepared CuO nanoplates were examined with $C_2H_5OH$, $CH_3COCH_3$, and $NH_3$ at $200-360^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.11-17
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• 2015

This study performed acid fermentation pre-treatment to improve production efficiency of methane that is produced as a product in case of anaerobic fermentation by using food waste leachate, and attempted to confirm the acid fermentation optimum through the BMP test by using pre-treated food waste leachate to increase the yield of methane. As a result of the BMP experiment by using acid fermented food waste leachate, the highest yield of methane of 0.220 L/g VS was confirmed in the HRT three-day condition, and in the initial BMP test by pH, pH 6 was 19,920 mg/L that the highest VFA and acetic acid/TVFA(76.2%) were shown. At this time, it was confirmed that the yield of methane was mostly within 10 days that was reduced to around one-third compared to the general methane fermentation (within 30 days). As the yield of methane was 0.294 L/g VS, it showed a high efficiency of around 1.3 times compared to the control group.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3387-3390
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• 2013

Catalytic gasification of mandarin waste residue was carried out using direct and indirect catalyst-contact methods for the first time. In the indirect method, non-catalytic reaction in a reactor was followed by catalytic upgrading of vapor product in another reactor. Two different catalysts, $Ni/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ and $Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2$, were employed. $CeO_2-ZrO_2$ support was prepared using hydrothermal synthesis in supercritical water. The catalysts were characterized by $H_2$-temperature programmed reduction and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyses. Under the condition of equivalent ratio (ER) = 0, the indirect catalyst-contact method led to a higher gas yield than the direct method. Under ER = 0.2, the yield of biogas obtained over $Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2$ was higher than that obtained over $Ni/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$. Also, the coke formation of $Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2$ was lower than that of $Ni/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$. Such results were attributed to the higher reducibility and better lattice oxygen mobility of $Ni/CeO_2-ZrO_2$, which were advantageous for partial oxidation reaction.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.267-277
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• 2010

Gas separation membranes have been developed for decades in various areas to replace the conventional processes. Membrane processes for gas separation have many advantages of energy saving, compact size, and easy scale-up. Nowadays, gas separation processes is widely spreaded in nitrogen generating system, hydrogen generating system, membrane dryer, on board inert gas generating system, natural gas purification, biogas purification and fuel cells. Carbon dioxide separation process using membrane would be a strong candidate of carbon dioxide capturing process. In order to broaden the scope of application of gas separation membranes, development of new materials which can overcome the borderline of Robeson's plot should be necessary, so that many researchers and companies are trying to develop the new materials like polymers containing cardo and spiro group and PIMs (polymers for intrinsic microporosity).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.362-372
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• 2010

Although different disposal routes of waste-activated sludge are possible, anaerobic digestion plays an important role for its abilities to further transform organic matter into methane. The potential of using methane as energy source has long been widely recognised and the present paper extensively reviews the principles of anaerobic digestion, the process parameters and hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is recognised as rate-limiting step in the complex digestion process. To accelerate the digestion and enhance the production of biogas, various pre-treatments can be used to improve the rate-limiting hydrolysis. These treatments include mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological interventions to the feedstock. All pre-treatments result in a lysis or disintegration of sludge cells, thus releasing and solubilizing intracellular material into the water phase and transforming refractory organic material into biodegradable species. The reader will finally be guided to extensive discussion for anaerobic digestion processes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2013

In a study of hydrogen-producing bacteria, strain T4384 was isolated from rice field samples in the Republic of Korea. The isolate was identified as Enterobacter sp. T4384 by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences. Enterobacter sp. T4384 grew at a temperature range of $10-45^{\circ}C$ and at an initial pH range of 4.5-9.5. Strain T4384 produced hydrogen at 0-6% NaCl by using glucose, fructose, and mannose. In serum bottle cultures using a complete medium, Enterobacter sp. T4384 produced 1,098 ml/l $H_2$, 4.0 g/l ethanol, and 1.0 g/l acetic acid. In a pH-regulated jar fermenter culture with the biogas removed, 2,202 ml/l $H_2$, 6.2 g/l ethanol, and 1.0 g/l acetic acid were produced, and the lag-phase time was 4.8 h. Strain T4384 metabolized the hydrolysate of organic waste for the production of hydrogen and volatile fatty acid. The strain T4384 produced 947 ml/l $H_2$, 3.2 g/l ethanol, and 0.2 g/l acetic acid from 6% (w/v) food waste hydrolysate; 738 ml/l $H_2$, 4.2 g/l ethanol, and 0.8 g/l acetic acid from Miscanthus sinensis hydrolysate; and 805 ml/l $H_2$, 5.0 g/l ethanol, and 0.7 g/l acetic acid from Sorghum bicolor hydrolysate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2013

The diversity and distribution of methanogenic archaea in a four-compartment anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) treating sugar refinery wastewater were investigated by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). At an organic loading rate of 5.33 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}day$, the ABR could perform steadily with the mean chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 94.8% and the specific $CH_4$ yield of 0.21 l/g $COD_{removed}$. The $CH_4$ content in the biogas was increased along the compartments, whereas the percentage of $H_2$ was decreased, indicating the distribution characteristics of the methanogens occurred longitudinally down the ABR. A high phylogenetic and ecological diversity of methanogens was found in the ABR, and all the detected methanogens were classified into six groups, including Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanobacteriales, Crenarchaeota, Arc I, and Unidentified. Among the methanogenic population, the acid-tolerant hydrogenotrophic methanogens including Methanoregula and Methanosphaerula dominated the first two compartments. In the last two compartments, the dominant methanogenic population was Methanosaeta, which was the major acetate oxidizer under methanogenic conditions and could promote the formation of granular sludge. The distribution of the hydrogenotrophic (acid-tolerant) and acetotrophic methanogens in sequence along the compartments allowed the ABR to perform more efficiently and steadily.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.571-578
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• 2013

In this study, the performance and microbial community of anaerobic digestion fed by food waste leachate at low organic loading rate were investigated with and without internal pH control. Experimental results show that similar biogas yield was achieved in both reactors regardless of increase in pH, the concentrations of free ammonia and volatile fatty acids in case of without internal pH controlled one. The results of a methanogenic community analysis by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis revealed that the apparent preponderance of Methanosarcina sp. could be one of reasons for the maintenance of reactor stability.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.586-591
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• 2013

This experiment was performed to enhance $CH_4$ purity of landfill gas by applying gas separator membrane for purified nitrogen gas production. 1:6 area ratios of $1^{st}$ to $2^{nd}$ membrane module was suitable for $CH_4$ recovery. After separation membrane system was installed, 249 tries were performed. Average permeability for $CH_4$ was 28.4% and for $CO_2$ was 94.3%. This can explain nitrogen gas separator membrane can be applied to collect $CH_4$ from LFG. However, nitrogen permeability only reached up to 16.5%. Therefore, the final purified landfill gas concentration was rounded up to 69.7% for $CH_4$, 4.3% for $CO_2$ and 26.0% for $N_2$. For the high degree of $CH_4$ purity, $N_2$ should be kept at least under 2.0% by controlling air inflow to landfill.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.662-669
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• 2019

Anaerobic digestion is a popular sewage sludge (Ss) treatment method as it provides significant pollution control and energy recovery. However, the low C/N ratio and poor biodegradability of Ss necessitate pretreatment methods that improve solubilization under anaerobic conditions in addition to anaerobic co-digestion with other substrates to improve the process efficiency. In this study, three pretreatment methods, namely microwave irradiation, ultrasonication, and heat treatment, were investigated, and the corresponding improvement in methane production was assessed. Additionally, the simplex centroid design method was utilized to determine the optimum mixture ratio of food waste (Fw), livestock manure (Lm), and Ss for maximum methane yield. Microwave irradiation at 700 W for 6 min yielded the highest biodegradability (62.0%), solubilization efficiency (59.7%), and methane production (329 mL/g VS). The optimum mixture ratio following pretreatment was 61.3% pretreated Ss, 28.6% Fw, and 10.1% Lm. The optimum mixture ratio without pretreatment was 33.6% un-pretreated Ss, 46.0% Fw, and 20.4% Lm. These results indicate that the choice of pretreatment method plays an important role in efficient anaerobic digestion and can be applied in operational plants to enhance methane production. Co-digestion of Ss with Fw and Lm was also beneficial.