• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.681-686
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• 2017

Degradation is commonly observed in field-aged PV modules due to corrosion of the photovoltaic ribbon. The reduced performance is caused by a loss of fill factor due to the high series resistance in the PV ribbon. This study aimed to mitigate the degradation by corrosion using five sacrificial anodes - Al, Zn and their alloys - to identify the most effective material to mitigate the corrosion of the PV ribbon. The corrosion behavior of the five sacrificial anode materials were examined by open circuit potential measurements, potentiodynamic polarization tests, and galvanic current density and potential measurements using a zero resistance ammeter. Immersion tests for 120 hours were also conducted using materials and damp heat test tests were performed for 1500 hours using 4 cell mini modules. The Al-3Mg and Al-3Zn-1Mg sacrificial anodes had a low corrosion rate and reduced drop in power, making then suitable for long-term use.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.150.2-150.2
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• 2017

This research was conducted to investigate in detail the effect of $PO_4{^{3-}}$, $CO_3{^{2-}}$ and $F^-$ anions on the electrochemical properties of the thin air-formed oxide film-covered AZ31 Mg alloy. In this work, native air-formed oxide films on AZ31 Mg alloy samples were prepared by knife-abrading method and the changes in the electrochemical properties of the air-formed oxide film were investigated in electrolytes containing 0.01 M, 0.05 M and 0.1 M of $PO_4{^{3-}}$, $CO_3{^{2-}}$ and $F^-$ anions. It was observed that the trend of open circuit potential (OCP) transients changed only in the solution containing $PO_4{^{3-}}$ ions. The Nyquist plots obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the resistance of the new surface films formed in fluoride ion containing bath increased with the increase in concentration of fluoride ions but the resistance of surface films formed in carbonate ion containing bath decreased with the increase in concentration of carbonate ions. The potentiodynamic polarization curves illustrated that under anodic polarization, there was growth of porous passive layer only in fluoride ion containing solution while the surface layer formed in phosphate and carbonate ion containing solutions lost its passivity at high anodic potential of $2.5V_{Ag/AgCl}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.96.2-96.2
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• 2017

This research was conducted to investigate the electrochemical properties of the thin air-formed oxide film-covered AZ31 Mg alloy. In this work, native air-formed oxide films on AZ31 Mg alloy samples were prepared by knife-abrading method and the changes in the electrochemical properties of the air-formed oxide film were investigated in seven different electrolytes containing the following anions $Cl^-$, $F^-$, $SO{_4}^{2-}$, $NO_3{^-}$, $CH_3COO^-$, $CO{_3}^{2-}$ and $PO{_4}^{3-}$. It was observed from open circuit potential (OCP) transients that the potential initially decreased before gradually increasing again in the solutions containing only $CO{_3}^{2-}$ or $PO{_4}^{3-}$ ions, indicating the dissolution or transformation of the native air-formed oxide film into new more protective surface films. The Nyquist plots obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that there was growth of new surface films with immersion time on the air-formed oxide film-covered specimens in all the electrolytes; the least resistive surface films were formed in fluoride and sulphate baths whereas the most protective film was formed in phosphate bath. The potentiodynamic polarization curves illustrated that passive behaviour of AZ31 Mg alloy under anodic polarization appears only in $CO{_3}^{2-}$ or $PO{_4}^{3-}$ ions containing solutions and at more than $-0.4V_{Ag/AgCl}$ in $F^-$ ion containing solution.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.67-67
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• 2018

The 5xxx series aluminum alloys are recently used in not only marine system but also automotive area because of a low density material, good mechanical properties and better resistance to corrosion. However, Aluminum alloys are less resistant than the purest aluminum such as 1xxx aluminum alloy. Electrochemical anodization technique has attracted in the area of surface treatment because of a simple procedure, a low-cost efficiency than other techniques such as lithography and a large volume of productivity, and so on. Here, The relationship between the corrosion behavior and the thickness of aluminum anodic oxide have been studied. Prior to anodization, The 5052 aluminum sheets ($30{\times}20{\times}1mm$) were degreased by ultra-sonication in acetone and ethanol for 10 minutes and eletropolished in a mixture of perchloric acid and ethanol (1:4, volume ratio) under an applied potential of 20V for 60 seconds to obtain a regular surface. During anodization process, Aluminum alloy was used as a working electrode and a platinum was used as a counter electrode. The two electrodes were separated at a distance of 5cm. The applied voltage of anodization is conducted at 40V in a 0.3M oxalic acid solution at $0^{\circ}C$ with appropriate magnetic stirring. The surface morphology and the thickness of AAO films was observed with a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The corrosion behavior of all samples was evaluated by an open-circuit potential and potentio-dynamic polarization test in 3.5wt% NaCl solution. Thus, The corrosion resistance of 5052 aluminum alloy is improved by the formation of an anodized oxide film as function of increase anodization time which artificially develops on the metal surface. The detailed electrochemical behavior of aluminum 5052 alloy will be discussed in view of the surface structures modified by anodization conditions such as applied voltages, concentration of electrolyte, and temperature of electrolyte.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2018

The fungi associated with termites secrete enzymes such as laccase (multi-copper oxidase) that can degrade extracellular wood matrix. Laccase uses molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor to catalyze the degradation of organic compounds. Owing to its ability to transfer electrons from the cathodic electrode to molecular oxygen, laccase has the potential to be a biocatalyst on the surface of the cathodic electrode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, a two-chamber MFC using the laccase-producing fungus Galactomyces reessii was investigated. The fungus cultured on coconut coir was placed in the cathode chamber, while an anaerobic microbial community was maintained in the anode chamber fed by industrial rubber wastewater and supplemented by sulfate and a pH buffer. The laccase-based biocathode MFC (lbMFC) produced the maximum open circuit voltage of 250 mV, output voltage of 145 mV (with a $1,000{\Omega}$ resistor), power density of $59mW/m^2$, and current density of $278mA/m^2$, and a 70% increase in half-cell potential. This study demonstrated the capability of laccase-producing yeast Galactomyces reessii as a biocatalyst on the cathode of the two-chamber lbMFC.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1822-1828
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• 2004

Electrochemical, in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope (EC-STM), and attenuated total reflectance-FTIR (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic methods were employed to investigate the preparation of atomically flat Si(111)-H surface in ammonium fluoride solutions. Electrochemical properties of atomically flat Si(111)-H surface were characterized by anodic oxidation and cathodic hydrogen evolution with the open circuit potential (OCP) of ca. -0.4 V in concentrated ammonium fluoride solutions. As soon as the natural oxide-covered Si(111) electrode was immersed in fluoride solutions, OCP quickly shifted to near -1 V, which was more negative than the flat band potential of silicon surface, indicating that the surface silicon oxide had to be dissolved into the solution. OCP changed to become less negative as the oxide layer was being removed from the silicon surface. In situ EC-STM data showed that the surface was changed from the initial oxidecovered silicon to atomically rough hydrogen-terminated surface and then to atomically flat hydrogenterminated surface as the OCP moved toward less negative potentials. The atomically flat Si(111)-H structure was confirmed by in situ EC-STM and ATR-FTIR data. The dependence of atomically flat Si(111)-H terrace on mis-cut angle was investigated by STM, and the results agreed with those anticipated by calculation. Further, the stability of Si(111)-H was checked by STM in ambient laboratory conditions.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.161-176
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• 2021

In this study, the electrochemical behavior of Sm on the binary liquid Al-Ga cathode in the LiCl-KCl molten salt system is investigated. First, the co-reduction process of Sm(III)-Al(III), Sm(III)-Ga(III), and Sm(III)-Ga(III)-Al(III) on the W electrode (inert) were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), square-wave voltammetry (SWV) and open circuit potential (OCP) methods, respectively. It was identified that Sm(III) can be co-reduced with Al(III) or Ga(III) to form Al_zSm_y or Ga_xSm_y intermetallic compounds. Subsequently, the under-potential deposition of Sm(III) at the Al, Ga, and Al-Ga active cathode was performed to confirm the formation of Sm-based intermetallic compounds. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses indicated that Ga₃Sm and Ga₆Sm intermetallic compounds were formed on the Mo grid electrode (inert) during the potentiostatic electrolysis in LiCl-KCl-SmCl₃-AlCl₃-GaCl₃ melt, while only Ga₆Sm intermetallic compound was generated on the Al-Ga alloy electrode during the galvanostatic electrolysis in LiCl-KCl-SmCl₃ melt. The electrolysis results revealed that the interaction between Sm and Ga was predominant in the Al-Ga alloy electrode, with Al only acting as an additive to lower the melting point.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.202-207
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• 2024

In this study, we undertook detailed experiments to increase hydrogen production efficiency by optimizing the thickness of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films. TiO₂ films were deposited on p-type silicon (Si) wafers using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The main goal was to identify the optimal thickness of TiO₂ film that would maximize hydrogen production efficiency while maintaining stable operating conditions. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the TiO₂ films of different thicknesses were evaluated using open circuit potential (OCP) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis. These techniques play a pivotal role in evaluating the electrochemical behavior and photoactivity of semiconductor materials in PEC systems. Our results showed photovoltage tended to improve with increasing thickness of TiO₂ deposition. However, this improvement was observed to plateau and eventually decline when the thickness exceeded 1.5 nm, showing a correlation between charge transfer efficiency and tunneling. On the other hand, LSV analysis showed bare Si had the greatest efficiency, and that the deposition of TiO₂ caused a positive change in the formation of photovoltage, but was not optimal. We show that oxide tunneling-capable TiO₂ film thicknesses of 1~2 nm have the potential to improve the efficiency of PEC hydrogen production systems. This study not only reveals the complex relationship between film thickness and PEC performance, but also enabled greater efficiency and set a benchmark for future research aimed at developing sustainable hydrogen production technologies.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.423-446
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• 1993

Titanium and its alloys are finding increasing use in medical devices and dental implants. The strong selling point of titanium is its resistance to the highly corrosive body fluids in which an implant must survive. This corrosion resistance is due to a tenacious passive oxide or film which exists on the metal's surface and renders it passive. Potentiodynamic polarization measurement is one of the most commonly used electro-chemical methods that have been applied to measure corrosion rates. And the potentiodynamic polarization test supplies detailed information such as open circuit, rupture, and passivation potential. Furthermore, it indicates the passive range and sensitivity to pitting corrosion. This study was designed to compare the corrosion resistance of the commonly used dental implant materials such as CP Ti, Ti-6A1-4V, Co-Cr-Mo alloy, and 316L stainless steel. And the effects of galvanic couples between titanium and the dental alloys were assessed for their useful-ness-as. materials for superstructure. The working electrode is the specimen , the reference electrode is a saturated calomel electrode (SCE), and the counter electrode is made of carbon. In $N_2-saturated$ 0.9% NaCl solutions, the potential scanning was performed starting from -800mV (SCE) and the scan rate was 1 mV/sec. At least three different polarization measurements were carried out for each material on separate specimen. The galvanic corrosion measurements were conducted in the zero-shunt ammeter with an implant supraconstruction surface ratio of 1:1. The contact current density was recorded over a 24-hour period. The results were as follows : 1. In potential-time curve, all specimens became increasingly more noble after immersion in the test solution and reached between -70mV and 50mV (SCE) respectively after 12 hours. 2. The Ti and Ti alloy in the saline solution were most resistant to corrosion. They showed the typical passive behavior which was exhibited over the entire experimental range. Therefore no breakdown potentials were observed. 3. Comparing the rupture potentials, Ti and Ti alloy had the high(:st value (because their break-down potentials were not observed in this study potential range ) followed by Co-Cr-Mo alloy and stainless steel (316L). So , the corrosion resistance of titanium was cecellent, Co-Cr-Mo alloy slightly inferior and stainless steel (316L) much less. 4. The contact current density sinks faster than any other galvanic couple in the case of Ti/gold alloy. 5. Ag-Pd alloy coupled with Ti yielded high current density in the early stage. Furthermore, Ti became anodic. 6. Ti/Ni-Cr alloy showed a relatively high galvanic current and a tendency to increase.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.453-462
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• 1995

In connection with the safe storage of high level nuclear waste, effect of $H_2O$$_2$ on the corrosion behavior of 304L stainless steel was examined. Open circuit potentials and polarization curves were measured with and without $H_2O$$_2$. The experimental results show that $H_2O$$_2$ increased corrosion potential and decreased pitting potential. The passive range, therefore, decreased as $H_2O$$_2$ concentration increased, indicating that pitting resistance was decreased by the existence of $H_2O$$_2$ in the electrolyte. These effect of $H_2O$$_2$ on corrosion of 304L stainless steel are considered to be similar to those of ${\gamma}$-irradiation. To compare the effects of $H_2O$$_2$ with those of $O_2$, cathodic and anodic polarization curves ore made in three types of electrolyte such as aerated, deaerated, and stirred electrolyte. The experimental results show that the effects of $H_2O$$_2$ on the corrosion behavior were tory similar to those of $O_2$ such as increase of corrosion potential, decrease of pitting resistance, and increase of repassivation potential. In acid and alkaline media, the corrosion potential shifts by $H_2O$$_2$ were restricted by the large current density of proton reduction and by the le Chatelier's principle respectively.y.