• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.223-234
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• 2024

This review explores the potential of pillared bentonite materials as solid acid catalysts for synthesizing diethyl ether, a promising renewable energy source. Diethyl ether offers numerous environmental benefits over fossil fuels, such as lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and carbon oxides (CO_x) gases and enhanced fuel properties, like high volatility and low flash point. Generally, the synthesis of diethyl ether employs homogeneous acid catalysts, which pose environmental impacts and operational challenges. This review discusses bentonite, a naturally occurring alumina silicate, as a heterogeneous acid catalyst due to its significant cation exchange capacity, porosity, and ability to undergo modifications such as pillarization. Pillarization involves intercalating polyhydroxy cations into the bentonite structure, enhancing surface area, acidity, and thermal stability. Despite the potential advantages, challenges remain in optimizing the yield and selectivity of diethyl ether production using pillared bentonite. The review highlights the need for further research using various metal oxides in the pillarization process to enhance surface properties and acidity characteristics, thereby improving the catalytic performance of bentonite for the synthesis of diethyl ether. This development could lead to more efficient, environmentally friendly synthesis processes, aligning with sustainable energy goals.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.352-359
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• 2024

Environmental pollution from heavy metal ions (HMIs) is a global concern. Recently, biosorption methods using cellulose sorbents have gained popularity. The objective of this study was to assess the removal efficiency of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II) ions at low concentration levels (100-700 ppb) from aqueous solutions using three different cellulose fiber-based filter media. Sample A was pure cellulose fiber, Sample B was 10% activated carbon-cellulose fiber, and Sample C was cellulose fiber-glass fiber-30% activated carbon-20% amorphous titanium silicate (ATS). The samples were characterized by several physicochemical techniques. The porosity measurements using N₂ sorption isotherms revealed that Samples A and B are nonporous or macroporous materials, whereas the addition of 50% filler materials into the cellulose resulted in a microporous material. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume of Sample C were found to be 320.34 m²/g and 0.162 cm³/g, respectively. The single ion batch adsorption experiments reveal that at 700 ppb initial metal ion concentration, Sample A had removal efficiencies of 7.5, 11.5, and 13.7% for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II) ions, respectively. Sample B effectively eliminated 99.6% of Cu(II) ions compared to Pb(II) (14.2%) and Hg(II) (31.9%) ions. Cu(II) (99.37%) and Pb(II) (96.3%) ions are more efficiently removed by Sample C than Hg(II) (68.2%) ions. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) wild survey spectrum revealed the presence of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II) ions in HMI-adsorbed filter media. The high-resolution C1s spectra of Samples A and B reveal the presence of -C-OH and -COOH groups on their surface, which are essential for HMIs adsorption via complexation reactions. Additionally, the ATS in Sample C facilitates the adsorption of Pb(II) and Hg(II) ions through ion exchange.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2021

The study investigates the correlation between the seasonal changes in the absorption of fine dusts and the fine structure of surface on each type of street tree, such as Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus glauca, Quercus salicina, Camellia japonica, and Prunus × yedoensis in the southernareas of Korea. The absorption ranges of fine dust were 31.51~110.44 ㎍/cm² in January, 23.20~79.30 ㎍/cm² in November, 22.68~76.90 ㎍/cm² in May, and 9.88~49.91 ㎍/cm² in August. The absorption value was about 54.4% higher in January than in May. With the grooves and hairs on the leaf surface and lots of wax, Q. salicina seems related to the high absorption rate of fine dust for each fine dust particle size. The one with gloss and smooth leaf surface has a low amount of wax. C. japonica Prunus × yedoensisshowed a low absorption rate of fine dust in each season. Whereas the increase in porosity density, length, and leaf area size can be related to the reduced PM and increasedabsorption rate, the leaf surface roughness, total wax amount, and porosity width can be related to the increase in the PM absorption rate. There was also a high correlation between the total wax amount and absorption rate of the leaf surface at the size of PM_0.2 than PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. These results imply that the quantitative and qualitative trais of leaf, such as wax amounts and leaf surface,can increase the absorption of fine dusts, and the small-sized particles seem to be highly adsorbed with the high wax amounts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.441-441
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• 2009

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been widely investigated as a next-generation solar cell because of their simple fabrication process and low coats. The cells use a porous nanocrystalline TiO2 matrix coated with a sensitizer dye that acts as the light-harvesting element. The photo-exited dye injects electrons into the $TiO_2$ particles, and the oxide dye reacts with I- in the electrolyte in regenerative cycle that is completed by the reduction of $I_3^-$ at a platinum-coated counter electrode. Since $TiO_2$ porous film plays a key role in the enhancement of photoelectric conversion efficiency of DSSC, many scientists focus their researches on it. Especially, a high light-to-electricity conversion efficiency results from particle size and crystallographic phase, film porosity, surface structure, charge and surface area to volume ratio of porous $TiO_2$ electrodes, on which the dye can be sufficiently adsorbed. Effective treatment of the photoanode is important to improve DSSC performance. In this paper, to obtain properties of surface and dispersion as nitric acid treated $TiO_2$ photoelectrode was investigate. The photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs based the electrode fabricated by nitric acid pre-treatment $TiO_2$ materials gave better performances on both of short circuit current density and open circuit voltage. We compare dispersion of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles before and after nitric acid treatment and measured Ti oxidized state from XPS. Low charge transfer resistance was obtained in nitric acid treated sample than that of untreated sample. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on the nitric acid treatment had open-circuit voltage of 0.71 V, a short-circuit current of 15.2 mAcm-2 and an energy conversion efficiency of 6.6 % under light intensity of $100\;mWcm^{-2}$. About 14 % increases in efficiency obtained when the $TiO_2$ electrode was treated by nitric acid.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.11-17
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• 2005

Characteristics of phenanthrene removal in the Electrokinetic (EK)-Fenton process were investigated in a 2-dimensional test cell in a viewpoint of the effect of gravity and electrosmotic flow (EOF). When the constant voltage of 100 V was applied to this system, the current decreased from 1,000 to 290 mA after 28 days, because soil resistance increased due to the exhaustion of ions in soil by electroosmosis and electromigration. Accumulated EOF in two cathode reservoirs was 10.3 L and the EOF rate was kept constant for 28 days. At the end of operation, the concentration of phenanthrene was observed to be very low near the anode and increased in the cathode region because hydrogen peroxide was supplied from anode to cathode region following the direction of EOP. Additionally, the concentration of phenanthrene decreased at the bottom of the test cell because the electrolyte solution containing hydrogen peroxide was largely transported toward the bottom due to a low capillary action in the soil with high porosity. Average removal efficiency of phenanthrene by EK-Fenton process was 81.4% for 28 days. In-situ EK-Fenton process would overcome the limitations of conventional remediation technologies and effectively remediate the contaminated sites.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.310-319
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• 1996

According to the element analysis of Korean Quartz Porphyry, the ignition loss related to porosity was 7.03, 3.36, 2.09 and 0.73% in the order of Suanbo, Yeachen, Angang and Kyongsan. Extraction of minerals in deionized water and elimination effect of heavy metals in water by Quartz Porphyry were examined. When the Quartz Porphyry of the Suanbo, Yeachen of 0.5~2.0% concentration and the Quartz Porphyry of the Angang of 1.5% concentration were immersed and stirred in deionized water for 3 hours at 180rpm, various minerals concentration of the all stirred water were suitable for potable water. But Quartz Porphyry of the Yeachen was not suitable for potable water because of excess extraction of iron. The elimination rate of lead in single solution was 99% by Quartz Porphyry of the Suanbo, Yeachen and Angang of 3% concentration, Cadmium by Quartz Porphyry of the Suanbo of 7% concentration was eliminated about 98% in 1 hour. The copper was significantly eliminated in Quartz Porphyry of low concentration. Especially in Quartz Porphyry of Angang at 0.4% concentration, the rate of ion exchange was 99% in 4 hours. But elimination effect of arsenic in water by Korean Quartz Porphyry was very low.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.379-386
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• 2008

Calcined clay granules (pellet) have been used as a soil conditioner. The space among the pellets can secure drainage of water in soil and, simultaneously, can keep water for plants in the inner pore of that. However, the usage of the pellet has been restrained because fabrication of that requires a high energy and cost for heating over the temperate of $1000^{\circ}C$. Recently, SCS(Self-propagating Combustion and Sintering) method was developed and this method use the combustion energy of the preliminary mixed combustible. The SCS method is suitable to fabrication of small porous aggregate and requires a very low cost. This research applied the SCS method to coal refuses for fabrication of soil conditioner pellets. The coal refuses were pulverized under the size of $100{\mu}m$ and the pulverized powders were pelletized to the size of 4~6mm. The pellets were heated at the temperature of $1200^{\circ}C$ in the SCS furnace that was specially prepared for this research. Characteristics of the pellets were investigated and were compared with that of ordinary calcined clay pellet of kaolin; porosity, pore size distribution, bulk density, pH and etc.. Characteristics of the moisture retention in the pellets were measured by the centrifugal method: ASTM D425-88. The pellets of the coal refuses showed the higher values of the field capacity and the plant-available water than that of kaolin pellet. These results suggest the very low cost process that can utilize the coal refuses and can fabricate the lightweight porous soil conditioner of the very high plant-available water.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to find out a suitable resin to remove $NO_3-N$ from groundwater. Four different commercial resins differentiated by type, porosity and nitrate selectivity were used to compare the performance of nitrate removal. Gel type, Type 2 anion exchange resin was preferable when anion concentration of raw water was low. But efficiency of this resin decreased as flow rate increased. However, macroporous type resins were not affected by increasing flow rate. Macroporous resins were preferable when anion concentrations in raw water were high and high flow rate was proposed. And the general type resin showed better efficiency when sulfate concentrations were low. However the nitrate selective resin had better efficiency in treating raw water of high sulfate concentration. From the results, it may be drawn that nitrate selective resins are preferable to general type when a sulfate concentration in groundwater is over 50mg/l.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.2 s.273
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• pp.81-87
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• 2005

The compositions for LTCC embedded capacitors based on $BaTiO_3$ ceramics with $5\~15\;wt\%$ of lithium-borosilicate glass frits were studied. After the glass frits, which is chemically stable and has acceptable ability of low-temperature sintering, were added to the host dielectric materials, the sintering behavior and dielectric properties were evaluated. As for $BaTiO_3$, relative density of >$95\%$, permittivity 990, and dielectric loss $3.1\%$ were obtained when sintered at $925^{\circ}C$ with 5 wt$\%$ of glass frits. As for $(Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O_3$ ceramics, relative density of >$95\%$, open porosity <$0.5\%$, permittivity 700, and dielectric loss $2\%$ were obtained when sintered at $875^{\circ}C$ with 10 wt$\%$ of glass frits.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.66-75
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• 2008

Using a pinus koraiensis and pinus rigida which are normally being discarded in South Korea, the optimal condition of producing charcoals has been studied to develop activated carbons which can be recycled as a higher value-added product. A study on manufacture of activated carbons from a discarded timber consists of two processes, the production process of charcoals from a discarded timber by low temperature pyrolysis process and the production process of activated carbons from the charcoals by chemical activation reaction. This study deals with the production process of charcoals from a discarded timber by low temperature pyrolysis process. As a results of experiment, it was investigated that charcoals produced through drying at $150^{\circ}C$ for 6hr and pyrolysis process at $500^{\circ}C$ for 1hr had the highest values in physical properties such as iodine number and BET surface area. Furthermore, through observing SEM images, the maximum development of porosity had been founded in this condition. It was confirmed that values of physical properties on using a pinus koraiensis are superior to the ones when using a pinus rigida. When charcoals were produced from a pinus koraiensis in this condition, BET surface area was approx. $640m^2/g$.