• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.461-470
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• 2022

Solid waste management is of great concern in today's world. An enormous amount of waste is generated from various industrial activities. Concrete production utilizing some of the potential waste materials will add to the benefit of society. These benefits will include reduction of landfill burden, improved air quality, riverbed protection due to excessive sand excavation, economical concrete production and much more. This study aims to utilize waste granite powder (GP) originating from granite industries as a sand replacement in concrete. Fine GP was collected in the form of slurry from different granite cutting industries. In this study, GP was added in an interval of ten percent as 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% by weight of sand in concrete. Mechanical assets; compressive strength, flexural strength and splitting tensile strength were prominent for control and blended mixes. Modulus of elasticity (MoE) and abrasion tests were also performed on control and blended specimens of concrete. To provide a comprehensive clarification for enhanced performance of GP prepared concrete samples, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed. Results indicate that 30% replacement of sand by weight with GP enhances the mechanical assets of concrete and even the results obtained for 50% replacement are also acceptable. Comprehensive analysis through SEM and XRD for 30% replacement was better than control one. The performance of GP added to concrete in terms of abrasion and modulus of elasticity was far better than the control mix. A significant outcome shows the appropriateness of granite fines to produce sustainable and environmentally friendly concrete.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.41-51
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• 2023

Cementitious materials such as Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), fly ash, lime, and bitumen have been employed for soil improvement over the years. However, due to the environmental concerns associated with the use of OPC, substituting OPC with calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement offers good potential for ground improvement because it is more eco-friendly. Although earlier research has investigated the stabilizing effects of CSA cement-treated sand, no attempt has been made to examine soil behavior under high confining pressure. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the shear strength and mechanical behavior of CSA cement-treated sand using a consolidated drained (CD) triaxial test with high confining pressure. The microstructure of the examined sand samples was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. This study used sand with CSA cement contents of 3%, 5%, and 7% and confining pressures of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 MPa. It revealed that the confining pressures and CSA cement content significantly affected the stress-strain and volumetric change behavior of CSA cement-treated sand at high confining pressures.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2023

This study introduces a NaOH/Zn-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of zeolites derived from coal ash (CA). A zeolite/Zn adsorbent is successfully prepared by the activation of CA with NaOH and Zn; it is characterized by a high surface area and a negative surface charge.Methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) are selected as dye pollutants, and their adsorption onto the zeolite/Zn adsorbent is investigated. Results show the high adsorption capacities of MB and MO and that the negative surface charge facilitates electrostatic interactions between the adsorbates and adsorbents. The zeolite/Zn adsorbents shows the selective adsorption of positively charged dye MB via electrostatic interactions between the =NH+ group (positive dipole) and the oxygen functional group of the adsorbents (negative dipole). The selectivity for the positively charged dye is sufficiently high, with the removal efficiency reaching 99.41% within 10 min. By contrast, the negatively charged dye MO exhibits negligible absorption. These findings confirm the role of electrostatic interactions in the adsorption of MB, in addition to the effect of a large surface area. The results of this study are expected to facilitate the development of simple, eco-friendly, and cost-effective zeolite-based adsorptive composites from CA residuals for the selective removal of dye pollutants from CA waste.

• Advances in materials Research
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.227-242
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• 2023

Polyester composites play a vital role in civil engineering applications, especially in bridge and car park structures. Therefore, the addition of waste silica-based fillers will both improve the mechanical and durability performance of composites and produce an environmentally friendly material. In this study, the mechanical performance of polyester composites was investigated experimentally and numerically by adding micro and nano-sized silica-based fillers, marble powder, silica fume and nano-silica. 24 cubes for the compression test and 18 prisms for the flexural test were produced in six different groups containing 30% marble powder, 5% silica fume and 1% nano-silica by weight. SEM/EDS testing was used to investigate the distribution of filler particles in the matrix. Experimentally collected results were used to validate tests in the Abaqus software. Additionally, the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was used to estimate the fracture process for the flexural test. The results show that the added silica fume, marble powder and nano silica improves the compressive strength of polyester composites by 32-38% and the flexural tensile strength by 10-60% compared to pure polyester composite. The numerically obtained results matched well with the experimental data, demonstrating the accuracy and feasibility of the calibrated finite element model.

• Composites Research
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.264-269
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• 2023

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a ubiquitous byproduct of coffee consumption, representing a significant waste management challenge, as well as an untapped resource for economic development and sustainability. Improper disposal of SCG can result in environmental problems such as methane emissions and leachate production. This study aims to investigate the physicochemical properties of SCG and their potential as a reinforcement material in polypropylene (PP) to fabricate an eco-friendly composite via extrusion and injection molding, with SCG filler ratios ranging from 5-20%. To evaluate the effect of SCG on the morphological and mechanical properties of the bio- composite, thermogravimetric analysis, SEM, tensile, flexural, and impact tests were conducted. The results demonstrated that the addition of SCG lead to a slight increase in brittleness of the composite but did not significantly affect its mechanical properties. Impressively, the presence of a significant organic component in SCG contributed to the enhanced thermal performance of PP/SCG composites. This improvement was evident in terms of increased thermal stability, delayed onset of degradation, and higher maximum degradation temperature as compared to pure PP. These findings suggest that SCG has potential as a filler material for PP composites, with the ability to enhance the material's properties without compromising overall performance.

• 한국건축시공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국건축시공학회 2022년도 가을 학술논문 발표대회
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• pp.169-170
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• 2022

Due to the higher use of nonrenewable fossil fuel energy, environment friendly sustainable energy from waste materials is attracting attention of the researchers. Considering that, jute stick (JS) biochar has been considered for this study for ecofriendly and sustainable thermal energy storage application. Waste jute sticks (JS), which are being mainly used as a fuel for cooking purpose, have been pyrolyzed to produce porous biochar and have been used for shape stabilization of stearic acid (SA) as phase change material (PCM). SA at 1:1 ratio has been incorporated into the activated JS biochar to concoct shape-stabilized phase change composite (SAJS). The SAJS has been evaluated by different techniques such as Fourier transform-infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained composite PCM has shown excellent shape stability with a high latent heat storage, suggesting its suitability for thermal energy storage applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.310-318
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• 2023

Microalgae are attracting much attention as promising, eco-friendly producers of bioenergy due to their fast growth, absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and production capacity in wastewater and salt water. However, microalgae can only accumulate large quantities of lipid in abiotic stress, which reduces productivity by decreasing cell growth. In this study, the strategy was investigated to increase cell viability and lipid production by overexpressing S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase (SAMS) in the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. SAM is a substance that plays an important role in various intracellular biochemical reactions, such as cell proliferation and stress response, and the overexpression of SAMS could allow cells to ithstand the abiotic stress and increase productivity. Compared to wild-type C. reinhardtii, recombinant cells overexpressing SAMS grew 1.56-fold faster and produced 1.51-fold more lipids in a nitrogen-depleted medium. Furthermore, under saline-stress conditions, the survival rate and lipid accumulation were 1.56 and 2.04 times higher in the SAMS-overexpressing strain, respectively. These results suggest that the overexpression of SAMS in recombinant C. reinhardtii has high potential in the industrial-scale production of biofuels and various other high-value-added materials.

• 한국지반공학회논문집
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• 제22권11호
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• pp.143-149
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• 2006

무단 매립이나 일시 야적으로 환경오염을 유발하는 굴패각을 활용한 친환경 굴패각고화재의 고화성능을 평가하는 일련의 실험연구를 수행하였다. 연구목적은 연약지반개량에 적용하기 위하여 고화재의 고화능력을 평가하고 지반개량 효과를 규명하는 것이다. 이를 위하여 굴패각 고화재 및 시멘트 고화재를 가지고 준설토사에 적용하여 양생기간 및 물/고화재 비를 다르게 변화하면서 일축압축실험을 수행하여 상호 비교하였다. 실내모형 실험을 수행한 결과,굴패 각 고화재는 표층이나 천층 및 심층혼합처리공법으로 연약지반을 개량하는 경우에 시멘트 고화재 보다 고화성능이 우수한 것으로 나타났다.

• 패션비즈니스
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.16-29
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• 2022

Environmental problems increasingly serious, and sustainability in the fashion industry has become an essential factor. Nowadays, numerous brands are engaging in sustainable fashion activities, such as recycling, vegan, fair trade, etc., which have not been done before. However, there are limited studies about sustainable fashion activities focusing on luxury brands. The purpose of this study is to establish the current status of luxury brands' sustainable fashion activities based on the macro trend of Todeschini et al(2017)'s thesis. This study selected six global luxury fashion brands Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. Data were collected from the brand's websites and reports, fashion magazines, and Google. As a result of the study, the following adjustments are being implemented; first, efforts are being made to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Second, transparency on working conditions is provided in various ways. Third, luxury brands' awareness of the sharing economy was not opened. Fourth, efforts are being made to develop eco-friendly materials and technologies to minimize wastage. Based on these research results, if applied as basic data for the development of Korean fashion brands and start-up companies, it will help establish directions of sustainable fashion strategies.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.233-242
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• 2022

An attempt is made to develop an eco-friendly concrete with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and pond ash as partial replacement materials for cement and fine aggregate, respectively without compromising the strength and durability. Sixteen concrete mixes were developed by replacing cement and fine aggregate by GGBS and pond ash, respectively in stages of 10%. The maximum replacement levels of cement and fine aggregates were 50% and 30% respectively. Experimental results revealed that the optimum percentage of GGBS and pond ash replacement levels were 30% and 20% respectively. The optimized mix was used further to study the flexural behavior and durability properties. Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams were cast and tested under a four-point bending configuration. Also, the specimens prepared from the optimized mix were subjected to alternate wet and dry cycles of acid (3.5% HCl and H₂SO₄) and sulphate (10% MgSO₄) solutions. Results show that the optimized concrete mix with GGBS and pond ash had a negligible weight loss and strength reduction.