• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.901-905
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• 2014

The efficacy of ozone micro-bubble water (OMBW) in reducing microbial populations on alfalfa seeds was investigated in this study. We observed the surface of alfalfa seeds using microscopy and found that many cracks and crevices existing on the surface could harbor pathogens. Alfalfa seeds were treated with tap water (TW), micro-bubble water (MBW), ozone water (OW), ozone micro-bubble water (OMBW), and chlorine water (CL) for 5 min, and total microbial population, E. coli and Salmonella spp. colonies were determined. Also, the sterilized seeds were germinated and cultivated for 5 d after sowing to investigate the percentage of germination and the growth of alfalfa sprouts. The treatments with OMBW and CL were most effective in reducing total microbial populations and E. coli was eliminated by OW, OMBW, and CL treatments. CL treatment reduced the percentage of germination and fresh weight of alfalfa sprouts, but OMBW did not cause any negative effects on the germination and growth of alfalfa sprouts. These results indicate that OMBW can be used as an effective sanitizer for eliminating seed-borne pathogens without detrimental effects on seed viability.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.257-269
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• 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate the flexural performance of hybrid fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (HFRSCC) having different ratio of micro and macro steel fiber. A total of five mixtures are prepared. In all mixtures, the sum of the steel fiber content is 1% and also water/binder ratio is kept constant. The amount of high range water reducer admixture (HRWRA) is arranged to satisfy the workability criteria of self-compacting concrete. Four-point bending test is carried out to analyze the flexural performance of the mixtures at 28 and 56 curing days. From the obtained load-deflection curves, the load carrying capacity, deflection and toughness values are investigated according to ASTM C1609, ASTM C1018 and JSCE standards. The mixtures containing higher ratio of macro steel fiber exhibit numerous micro-cracks and, thus, deflection-hardening response is observed. The mixture containing 1% micro steel fiber shows worst performance in the view of all flexural parameters. An improvement is observed in the aspect of toughness and load carrying capacity as the macro steel fiber content increases. The test results based on the standards are also compared taking account of abovementioned standards.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.186-191
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• 2005

A formation of aluminum hydroxide by hydrolysis of nano and micro aluminum powder has been studied. The nano aluminum powder of 80 to 100 nm in diameter was fabricated by a pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) method. The micro powder was commercial product with more than $10\;{\mu}m$ in diameter. The hydroxide type and morphology depending on size of the aluminum powder were examined by several analyses such as XRD, TEM, and BET. The hydrolysis procedure of micro aluminum powder was different from that of nano aluminum powder. The nano aluminum powder after immersing in the water was transformed rapidly to a nano fibrous boehmite, accompanying with a remarkable temperature increase, and then further transformed slowly to a stable bayerite. However, the micro powder was changed to the stable bayerite slowly and directly. The formation of fibrous aluminum hydroxide from nano aluminum powder might be due to the fine cracks which were formed by hydrogen gas pressure on the surface hydroxide layer during hydrolysis. The nano powder with large specific surface area and small size reacted more actively and faster than the micro powder, and transformed to meta-stable hydroxide in relatively short reaction time. Therefore, the formation of fibrous boehmite is special characteristic of hydrolysis of nano aluminum powder.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.324-334
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• 2011

Seismic wave velocity change has been monitored due to the accumulation of micro-cracks by uniaxial loads on the rock samples from Seokmo Island with stepwise increase in 5 stages. After the load was applied up to 95% of UCS, P- and S-wave velocities varied in ranges of 0.9 ~ 18.3% and 2.8 ~ 14.8% of fresh rock sample velocities, respectively. Unlike seismic velocity of the dry rock samples that showed overall decreases after the loading, velocity changes of saturated rock samples were much more complicated. These seemed to be due to the mixture of two contradictory mechanisms; i.e. accumulation of micro-crack causes an increase in porosity and a decrease in wave velocity, while saturation causes an increase in wave velocity. Most of tested rocks showed a trend of velocity increase with low axial load and then velocity decrease at later stages. Starting stage of velocity decrease differs from samples to samples. After the failure of rock occurred, noticeable increases of porosity and decreases of wave velocity have been observed. It showed overall trend that the more the quartz contents and the lower the silicate, the higher the Young's modulus.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2006

A basic research was conducted on the mineral weathering and geochemical characteristics in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel), which was recently constructed at a site in KAERI. Some rock samples exposed during the KURT construction were examined using a microscope and chemical analysis for some micro-changes of the rocks caused by the chemical weathering. The weathered granite has some small and fine cracks around the rock-forming minerals. In particular, there are a characteristic weathering of feldspar mineral and a preferential leaching of Ca component from the mineral dissolution. In addition, by the dissolution of biotite containing $Fe^{2+}$ component there were iron-oxides precipitates as secondary products into the microcracks of around minerals. The results also show that the micro-cracks initiated from the mineral interior are extended and connected into the larger cracks along the grain boundary with the progress of the weathering. Thus, it is considered that some chemicals dissolved from the fresh rock would be involved in the formation of secondary minerals and migrate interacting with them.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.268-273
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• 2015

While analyzing the specimens before and after the thermal shock test, we found that the power drop rate of the bare cell was 5.08%, while the power drop rate of the ribboned cell was 16.49%. In comparative terms, the efficiency was lower at the ribboned cell than at the bare cell. While analyzing through EL (Electroluminescence) shots and cross sections, we tried to decipher the exact cause of the power drop. Although mere color change of the cell was observed at the surface of the bare cell, no abnormality could be found inside the cell. On the surface of the ribboned cell, the short circuit of gridfinger extended from the front part of the front electrode of the ribboned cells. Therefore, cracks occurred on the surface of the cell. Cracks also appeared inside the cell. While analyzing the I-V curve, we determined an increase in the leakage current and an increase of resistances in series in the bare cell. In the ribboned cell, the resistances in parallel reduced remarkably. An increase of resistances in series could also be verified. Conclusively, we deduced that the power drop rate in the bare cell is a life span of the cell itself; aging is the cause of power drop rate in cells. In case of ribboned cell, the power drop rate was directly influenced by internal cracks and an intermetallic compound layer joining the ribbon at the front electrode.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2004

Crack growth rate and threshold stress intensity factor for stress corrosion cracking(SCC), $K_{ISCC}$ were measured for type 403 stainless steel in 3,5% NaCl solution at room temperature and SCC was monitored by electrochemical noise technique during $K_{ISCC}$ testing. In rising load test, pits were formed at the tip of pre-crack for the pre-cracked compact tension specimen unlike in smooth round specimen in which only unstable pits were observed and hence immune to SCC. Micro-cracks were found to initiate from the pits in the former specimen, and initiation of micro-crack as well as macro-crack was detected by electrochemical noise technique in rising load $K_{ISCC}$ tests. Crack growth rate increased with increasing either displacement rate or stress intensity factor at crack initiation and was higher in rising load $K_{ISCC}$ test compared to constant load $K_{ISCC}$ test at given stress intensities.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.276-279
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• 2004

Concrete is one of the principal materials for the structure and it is widely used all over the world. but it shows extremely brittle failure under bending and tensile load. Recently to improve such a poor property. High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCC) have been developed. and it are defined by an ultimate strength higher than their first cracking strength and the formation of multiple cracking during the inelastic deformation process. This study is to develop the hybrid HPFRCC with high ductility and strain capacity in bending and tensile load. and the three-point bending test on hybrid HPRFCC reinforced with micro and macro fibers is carried out in this paper. As the results of the bending tests. hybrid HPFRCCs reinforced with PVA40+SF and PVA100+PVA660 showed the high ultimate bending stress, multiple cracks and displacement hardening under bending load.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.148-152
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• 2002

The microstructures and indentation fracture of pressureless-sintered $DyNbO_4$ crystalline were investigated as a basic study for the application of weak phase of fibrous monolithic composites. They were comprised with many lamella twins as well as micro-cracks at the grain boundaries. The hardness at room temperature was remarkably low value(575 Hv) due to the low relative density and existence of microcracks at grain boundaries. The main fracture mode was a typical intergranular fracture, and showed remarkable micro-cracking effect. The heavy plastic deformation was observed around the site of indentation. In addition, the $DyNbO_4$ was expected to apply as a weak phase in the fibrous monolithic composites because of the low hardness and easily plastic deformation that could be led the preferable pulled-out and microcracking toughening under the failure.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.244-247
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• 2003

Recently, construction materials have been quickly advancing. Especially, the rate of development of cement based construction materials is much quicker than steel or composite materials. In order to optimize the ductility and strength of cement based materials, Micro-Mechanics based fiber concrete called Engineered Cement Composite (ECC) has been developed and studied extensively by many researchers in the field due to ECC's remarkable flexural strain and strength capacities, many leading nation (i.e., US, Japan and European countries have reached the point of being able to use ECC in actual constructions. But, due to the belated interest in the field, Korea is lagging behind the leading countries. ECC's ability to use its short fibers to bridge micro-cracks (50-80㎛ in width) allows great ductility and strength. In this study, it is confirmed excellency of ECC through the test of tensile strength.