• Resources Recycling
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.3-11
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• 2002

Recently, waste printed circuit board (PCB) has significantly increased in its amount due to the rapid development of electronic industries. Since several kinds of noxious materials and also valuable metals are contained in it, the waste PCB is in an urgent need of recycling for the dual purposes for the prevention of environmental pollution and recovery of valuable resources. Also, the catalyst which equipped in the exhaust pipes of automobiles to reduce emission of air pollutants contains precious met-als so that their recovery from the waste auto-catalysts is required. In this study, the recovery of valuable metals from waste PCB and auto-catalyst by arc furnace melting process has been investigated, which is known to be very stable and suitable f3r less production of pollutants due to its high operating temperature. The effect of the kind of flux on the recovery of precious metals was examined by using quicklime, converter slag, and copper slag as the flux. In addition, the influence of direct and alternating current and the applying direction of direct current has been investigated. It was observed that using converter or copper slag as a flux was more desirable for a higher efficiency in the precious metal recovery compared with quicklime. For the effect of current, application of direct current taking the bottom as a negative pole generally showed a better efficiency for the extraction of valuable metals from waste PCB, which was also observed for the case of waste auto-catalyst. The average recovery of precious metals from both wastes by arc furnace melting process was very high, which was up to in the range of 95～97%.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 1999

Firing characteristics, transverse rupture strength, and heat capacity were studied of the heat-reservoir refractory materials made of red-firing clay, mill scale, and water glass. The firing shrinkage increased with increase of the clay proportion in samples. The volume of fired bodies showed shrinkage by drying up to $300^{\circ}C$, steady expansion in the 300-$700^{\circ}C$ range due to phase transition of iron oxides. and drastic expansion above $1200^{\circ}C$. Flexural strength decreased from 5.6 Mpa to 2.35 Mpa with the decrease of the ratio of clay to mill scale from 1:1 to 1:3 Heat capacities changed from 1.1 Joul/g$^{\circ}$C to 1.35 Joul/g$^{\circ}$C with the ratio of millscale to clay ratio from 1:1 to 1:3. Mill scale in the specimen appears to exist as liquid phase during firing. Firing the specimens in air leads to the eruption of the molten mill scale to the sample surfaces. Contrarily, firing samples in a refractory sagger with a cover suppressed the eruption of the molten mill scale to the surfaces. The addition of mill scale gave rise to porous sintered bodies which would delay cooling rates of heat-reservoir brick.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.727-733
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• 2019

In this study, the glass melting properties are evaluated to examine the possibility of using refused coal ore as replacement for ceramic materials. To fabricate the glass, refused coal ore with calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate in it (which are added as supplementary materials) is put into an alumina crucible, melted at $1,200{\sim}1,500^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr, and then annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs. We fabricate a black colored glass. The properties of the glass are measured by XRD (X-ray diffractometry) and TG-DTA (thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis). Glass samples manufactured at more than $1,300^{\circ}C$ with more than 60 % of refused coal ore are found by XRD to be non-crystalline in nature. In the case of the glass sample with 40 % of refused coal ore, from the sample melted at $1,200^{\circ}C$, a sodium aluminum phosphate peak, a disodium calcium silicate peak, and an unknown peak are observed. On the other hand, in the sample melted at $1,300^{\circ}C$, only the sodium aluminum phosphate peak and unknown peak are observed. And, peak changes that affect crystallization of the glass according to melting temperature are found. Therefore, it is concluded that glass with refused coal ore has good melting conditions at more than $1,200^{\circ}C$ and so can be applied to the construction field for materials such as glass tile, foamed glass panels, etc.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.688-696
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• 2020

Petroleum coke (petcoke) is widely used, next to coal, as a gasification feedstock. In gasification processes, the viscosity of the ash and the formation of crystalline phases must be understood to ensure the continuous removal of slag. This study investigates the effect of CaO and V2O3 on petcoke slag viscosity. The viscosity of the molten slag was measured in the temperature range of 1100~1600 ℃ while varying the concentration of each component. The crystalline phases formed in a cooled slag were examined. The most slag samples tested in this study exhibited crystalline slag behavior. The increased CaO concentration resulted in a lower viscosity and a lower Tcv. The viscosity behavior changed from the glassy to crystalline slag and also showed a higher Tcv as the concentration of V2O3 increases. Most slag samples showed different crystalline phases from top to bottom. Anorthites and Ca-V phases were observed in the top and middle section, while the bottom section mainly showed V2O3 and anorthite. The vanadium in the ash forms Ca-V and V-Fe phases and also remains in molten slag. A low melting Ca-V phase can contribute to lowering the viscosity.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2022

Polypropylene (PP) has been received great attention as a next-generation high-voltage power cable insulation material that can replace cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). However, the PP cannot be used alone as an insulation material because of its high elastic modulus and vulnerability to impact, and thus is mainly utilized as a form of a copolymer with rubber phases included in the polymerization step. In this paper, a soft PP-based blend was prepared through melt-mixing of impact PP, polyolefin elastomer, and propylene-ethylene random copolymer. The elastic modulus and impact strength of the blend could properly be decreased or increased, respectively, by introducing elastomeric phases. Furthermore, the blends showed a high storage modulus even at a temperature of 100℃ or higher at which the XLPE loses its mechanical properties. In addition, the blend was found to be effective in suppressing the space charge compared to the pristine PP as well as XLPE.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2023

Converter slag is a by-product generated by refining the pig iron produced into molten steel in the blast furnace, occupying about 15 % of the weight of steel production. It has a high free-CaO content that can generate expansion cracks when used for concrete aggregate. This is the main reason to make it difficult to recycle. To solve this problem, government guideline requires that converter slag has to be aged in an open yard for 90 days. However, aging can not be perfectly performed because it entails time and cost. In this study, we tried to investigate the applicability of converter slag as a cementitious material rather than an aggregate by mixing converter slag with mortar formulations. According to the EDS results of the converter slag in the experiment, we found that screening in the aggregate phase was more effective than that in the powder phase. When the particles separated by a magnet in the aggregate state were pulverized and used for concrete up to a 15 % replacement ratio, various engineering characteristics, such as flow, length change, and compressive strength, showed engineering characteristics similar to those of the control mix.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2012

The metal chloride wastes from a pyrochemical process to recover uranium and transuranic elements has been considered as a problematic waste difficult to apply to a conventional solidification method due to the high volatility and low compatibility with silicate glass. In this study, a dechlorination approach to treat LiCl-KCl waste for final disposal was adapted. In this study, a $SiO_2-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5$ (SAP) inorganic composite as a dechlorination agent was prepared by a conventional sol-gel process. By using a series of SAPs, the dechlorination behavior and consolidation of reaction products were investigated. Different from LiCl waste, the dechlorination reaction occurred mainly at two temperature ranges. The thermogravimetric test indicated that the first reaction range was about $400^{\circ}C$ for LiCl and the second was about $700^{\circ}C$ for KCl. The SAP 1071 (Si/Al/P=1/0.75/1 in molar) was found to be the most favorable SAP as a dechlorination agent under given conditions. The consolidation test revealed that the bulk shape and the densification of consolidated forms depended on the SAP/Salt ratios. The leaching test by PCT-A method was performed to evaluate the durability of consolidated forms. This study provided the basic information on the dechlorination approach. Based on the experimental results, the dechlorination method using a $SiO_2-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5$ (SAP) could be considered as one of alternatives for the immobilization of waste salt.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.339-350
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• 2007

Status on the spent nuclear fuel management policy and R&D plan of the major countries is surveyed. Also the prospect of the future R&D plan is suggested. Recently so-called fuel cycle nations, which have the reprocess policy of the spent fuel, announced new spent fuel management policy based on the advanced fuel cycle technology. The policy is focused to transmute highly radioactive material and material having a very long half-life, and to recycle the Pu and U contained in the spent fuel. In this way the radio-foxily of the spent fuel as well as the amount of the high level waste to be eventually disposed can greatly be reduced. Most of countries selected the wet process as a primary option for the treatment of the spent fuel since the advanced wet process, which is based on the existing PUREX process, looks more feasible as compared with the dry process. The wet process, however, is much more sensitive in terms of proliferation-resistance compared with the dry process. The pure Pu can easily be obtained by simply modifying the process. On the other hand the pure Pu can not be extracted in the dry process based on the high temperature molten salt process such as a pyroprocess. Even though the pyroprocess technology is very premature, it has a great merit. Thus it is necessary for Korea to have a long term strategy for pursuing a spent fuel treatment technology with a proliferation resistance and a great merit for the GEN-IV fuel cycles. Pyroprocess is one of the best candidates to satisfy these purposes.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.259-269
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• 1995

Column leaching tests were conducted using fresh and weathered pulverised fuel ash of some 17 and 40 years old from two major British power plants, with deionised water and simulated synthetic industrial leachate. The former was to see the leaching behaviour of weathered ash and the latter was to see if the formation of secondary products from water and PFA interaction and ameliorating effect in removing metals from industrial leachates. Fresh PFA liberates elevated concentrations of surface-enriched inorganics, including Ca, Na, K, B, $Cr_{total}$, Li Mo, Se and $SO^{2-}_4$. This might indicate their association with the surface of PFA particles. In the column leaching tests using weathered ash and deionised water, elements are not readily leached but are released more slowly, showing relatively constant concentrations. For the case of weathered ash, some readily soluble surface-enriched elements appears to have been liberated in their early stage of leaching and the liberation of glass associated elements are thought to be more important function in controlling the element concentration. The result from column leaching tests exceed for a number of elements when compared with various Water Standards and suggests the leachate from PFA disposal mound needs dilution to achieve target concentrations. PF A shows element retention effect for many elements, including B, Fe, Zn, Hg, Ni, Li and Mo, in the order of fresh Drax ash > weathered Drax ash > Weathered Meaford ash in retaining capacity. Geochemical modelling using a computer program WATEQ4F reveals some solubility controlling secondary solid products. These include $CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$ for Ca, $Al(OH)_3$ for Al and $Fe(OH)_3$ for Fe.