• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.432-438
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• 2018

Microalgae hold promise as a renewable energy source for the production of biofuel, as they can convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. However, cost-efficient harvest of microalgae remains a major challenge to commercial-scale algal biofuel production. We first investigated the potential of electrolytic water as a flocculant for harvesting Tetraselmis sp. Alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) is produced at the cathode through water electrolysis. It contains mineral ions such as $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ that can act as flocculants. The flocculation activity with AEW was evaluated via culture density, AEW concentration, medium pH, settling time, and ionic strength analyses. The flocculation efficiency was 88.7% at 20% AEW (pH 8, 10 min) with a biomass concentration of 2 g/l. The initial biomass concentration and medium pH had significant influences on the flocculation activity of AEW. A viability test of flocculated microalgal cells was conducted using Evans blue stain, and the cells appeared intact. Furthermore, the growth rate of Tetraselmis sp. in recycled flocculation medium was similar to the growth rate in fresh F/2 medium. Our results suggested that AEW flocculation could be a very useful and affordable methodology for fresh biomass harvesting with environmentally friendly easy operation in part of the algal biofuel production process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.683-687
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• 2008

When suspended solids are removed by natural sedimentation, it is necessary to use mainly huge equipments and waste great cost. This is a problem that must be solved certainly as soon as possible. In this study, suspended solids of yellow soil water were rapidly removed by controlling pH and amounts of magnetic powder, organic and inorganic flocculants. In the case of the suspended solids of 0.3% yellow soil water, the most excellent turbidity was achieved at pH between 7 and 7.5.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1999

Adsorption of polymeric flocculants and dry strength agents onto the surface of papermaking fibers is critical for their effective utilization since the polymeric substances not adsorbed on fibers or fines keep recirculating in the papermaking system to cause various operational difficulties and loss of raw materials. Problems associated with the unadsorbed polymeric substances generate great attention because unprecedent interests in utilization of recycled papers and papermaking system closure. In this study, to understand the effects of recycling on the adsorption propensity of cationic polyacryamide (PAM) dry strength resin onto hardwood bleached kraft pulp fibers and fines a systematic approach was followed. Never dried bleached hardwood kraft pulp was recycled in two different ways. In mode one recycling experiment never dried pulp was beaten then recycled three times by employing simple drying and disintegrating steps. In mode two recycling experiment beating of the recycled pulp was carried out after each recycling step. Adsorption of cationic PAM on fibers and fines was evaluated employing Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis method. The influence of recycling on water retention value, carboxyl content, sheet density and tensile strength of the pulp was examined. As the number of recycling increased, water retention value of the fiber was reduced due to hornification and this in turn caused a decrease in adsorption of cationic PAM. On the other hand, the carboxyl content of the recycled fibers increased because of the oxidation of fibers occurred during drying, and this caused an increase in adsorption of cationic PAM. Because of these two opposing factors the adsorption of the cationic PAM on the recycled fibers decreased and then increased slightly at third recycling step. Increase of PAM adsorption, however, did not provide did not provide and strength improvement for the recycled pulp fibers indicating greater influence of the honification on interfiber bonding.

• Water for future
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.115-121
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• 1994

Cohesie sediment movement in estuarine systems is strongly affected by the phenomena of aggregation and flocculation. Aggregation is the process where primary particles are clustered together in tightly-packed formations; flocculation is the process where aggregates and single particles are bonded together to form large particle groups of very low specific density. The size, shape and strength of the flocculants control the rate of deposition and the processes of pollutant exchange between suspended sediments and ambient water. In estuarine waters, suspended sediments above the lutocline form the mobile suspension zone while below the lutocline they form the stationary suspension zone. Suspended particles in the mobile zone are generally in a dispersed state and the controlling forces are the Brownian motion and the turbulent flow fluctuations. In the stationary suspension zone, the driving force is the gravity. This paper discusses the settling and particle flocculation characteristics under quiescient flow conditions. Particles are entering the study domain randomly. Particles in the mobile suspension zone are simulated by using the Smoluchowski's model. Flocs created in the mobil suspension zone are moving into the stationary suspension zone where viscosity and drag effects are important. Utilizing the concepts of the maximum Feret's diameter and the Minkowski's sausage logic, the fractal dimension of the flocs within the stationary suspension is estimated and then compared with results obtained by other studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2021

The ballasted flocculation effects of the mill scale and magnetite on activated sludge were investigated. Both ballasted flocculants (BF) could remarkably improve the sludge settleability in terms of zone settling velocity (ZSV) and sludge volume index (SVI). With the BF dosage of 0.2 to 2.0 g-BF/g-SS, the magnetite particles showed better efficiency on improving settling behavior of activated sludge than the mill scale due to higher surface area and hydrophobic property. The efficiency of SVI₃₀ with magnetite injection was 2.5 to 11.3% higher than mill scale injection and that of the ZSV appreciated from 23.7% to 44.4% for magnetite injection. Averaged floc size of the BF sludge with magnetite dosage (0.5 g-BF/g-SS) was 2.3 times higher than that of the control sludge. Dewaterability of the sludge was also greatly improved by addition of the BF. The specific resistance to filtration (SRF) was reduced exponentially with increasing the dosage of BF. However, the BF's particle size effect on the SRF looks to be marginal. Consequently, for improving the dewaterability, the BF played a physical role to remove the pore water of the biological flocs by intrusive attachment and a chemical role to induce aggregation of the flocs by charge neutralization.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.332-341
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• 2023

The controversy is becoming a hot issue after informed that the water release from Canadian oil sands tailings may initiate within a few years. The surface-mined bitumen extraction in open pit generates wastewater inevitably, which has been conveyed to store in tailings ponds. Currently, the size of tailings pond is getting seriously larger. It is known that tailings treatment is very difficult because the generation of MFT (mature fine tailings) layer is hardly processable. It would be the key process to separate solids and liquid placed within MFT where fine particles are well dispersed. In this paper, the surface-mined bitumen extraction process was first introduced, and followed by presenting the components of tailings as well as the characteristics of MFT. In addition, MFT process options were evaluated. It is expected that successful MFT treatments may be achieved by dewatering process using effective polymer flocculants in near future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.930-936
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• 2017

The flocculating properties of bioflocculant Biopol32 produced by Pseudomonas sp. GP32 were investigated for application in industrial wastewater treatment. The major flocculating substance of bioflocculant Biopol32 was identified as polysaccharide. Many anionic flocculants need a counter ion to induce higher flocculating activity. The flocculating activity of bioflocculant Biopol32 was markedly increased by the addition of cationic ions ($Ca^{2+}$, $Al^{3+}$). The flocculating activity of bioflocculant Biopol32 was the most effective when 7.0 mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ as coflocculant was added. The flocculating activity on the effect of pH and the temperature of the bioflocculant Biopol32 was compared with anionic commercial flocculant (polyacrylamide) and bioflocculant (zooglan from Zoogloea ramigera). In kaolin suspension, the highest flocculating activity was obtained at the bioflocculant Biopol32 concentration of 1.5 mg/l. A high flocculating activity was observed in the pH range of 5.0 to 8.0. The flocculating activity of bioflocculant Biopol32 was sustained up to $60^{\circ}C$, but decreased rapidly at over $70^{\circ}C$. In the batch culture, the charge density of bioflocculant Biopol32 was compared with flocculating activity. The larger the anionic charge density and apparent viscosity of bioflocculant Biopol32, the higher the flocculating activity. Therefore, we confirmed that the flocculating activity and apparent viscosity of bioflocculant Biopol32 was closely related to the charge density of bioflocculant Biopol32.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.542-547
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• 1998

Polyamine type polymer flocculants were synthesized and their characterization, viscosity and flocculation studies were conducted. In order to increase the molecular weight of polyamine flocculant which was prepared by polycondensation reaction from dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin, a small amount of 1,6-hexanediamine was employed. The incorporation of 1,6-hexanediamine up to 5.5 mole % replacing corresponding part of dimethylamine gave a branched type polyamine sample with increased intrinsic viscosity ([${\eta}$]=0.46 in 1 wt % aqueous NaCl solution). The amount of 1,6-hexanediamine above 5.5 mole %, however, resulted in gelation during polymerization. Utilizing raw water from Maegok potable water treatment plant, it was found that the addition of polyamine flocculant at a concentration of 1 mg/L level could reduce the amount of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) inorganic flocculant by half (15 mg/L). It was also observed that the incoporation of polyamine flocculant at 1 mg/L level was effective in the higher pH raw water, while PAC inorganic flocculating agent alone was not effective.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2010

Froth flotation using the residual water in the end of flotation process has been performed through controlling of pH. IEP (isoelectric point) of molybdenite and quartz in distilled water was below pH 3 and pH 2.7, respectively and the stabilized range was pH 5~10. In case of a suspension in reusing water, zeta potential of molybdenite decreased to below -10 mV or less at over pH 4 due to residual flocculants. As result of pH control, flotation efficiency in the alkaline conditions was deteriorated by flocculation, resulting from expanded polymer chain, ion bridge of the divalent metal cations ($Ca^{2+}$), and hydrophobic interactions between the nonpolar site of polymer/the hydrophobic areas of the particle surfaces. However, the weak acid conditions (pH 5.5~6) improved the efficiency of flotation as hydrogen ions neutralize polymer chains and then weakened its function. In cleans after rougher flotation, the Mo grade of 52.7% and recovery of 90.1% could be successfully obtained under the conditions of 20 g/t kerosene, 50 g/t AF65, 300 g/t $Na_2SiO_3$, pH 5.5 and 2 cleaning times. Hence, we developed a technique which can continuously supply waste water filtered from tailings into the grinding-rougher-cleaning processes.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.29-36
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• 2016

The characteristics analysis and pH neutralization test were carried out to use of slurry generated from recycling processes of construction wastes. D (5.0) of raw sludge was $42.4{\mu}m$ and over 60 % of sludge distribute under 45 um (-325 mesh). Muscovite and carbonate minerals were main minerals of fine particles, and the portion of carbonate minerals increased as particle size decreased. Although the more heavy metals were observed in the finer particle size, the contents was found to be less than Korean contaminated soil regulation (area 2). The effects of flocculants addition for accelerating solid-liquid separation were negligible because the slurry already contains excess of coagulant added in the waste concrete recycling process. It was difficult to neutralize the sludge supernatant due to high pH (about 12) by adding acids, but the introduction of $CO_2$ decreased the pH to 8.5, The precipitate recovered during $CO_2$ introduction was determined to be $CaCO_3$ with XRD, and it indicates that high pure $CaCO_3$ could be obtained during the process.