• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2011

Plant biomass has been proposed as an alternative source of petroleum-based chemical compounds. Especially, aromatic chemical compounds can be obtained from lignin by depolymerization processes because the lignin consist of complex aromatic materials. In this study, kraft lignin, the largest emitted substance among several kinds of lignin in Korea, was used as a starting material and was characterized by solid-state $^{13}C$-Muclear Magnetic Resonance($^{13}C$-NMR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FT-IR), Elemental Analysis(EA). The depolymerization of kraft lignin was studied at water-phenol mixture solvent in near critical region and the experiments were conducted using a batch type reactor. The effects of water-to-phenol ratio and reaction temperature($300-400^{\circ}C$) were investigated to determine the optimum operating conditions. Additionally, the effects of formic acid as a hydrogen-donor solvent instead of $H_2$ gas were examined. The chemical species and quantities in the liquid products were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy(GC-MS), and solid residues(char) were analyzed using FT-IR. GC-MS analysis confirmed that the aromatic chemicals such as anisole, o-cresol(2-methylphenol), p-cresol(4-methylphenol), 2-ethylphenol, 4-ethylphenol, dibenzofuran, 3-methyl cabazole and xanthene were produced when phenol was added in the water as a co-solvent.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2009

The bacterial toxin, tolaasin, causes brown blotch disease on the cultivated mushrooms by collapsing fungal and fruiting body structure of mushroom. Cytotoxicity of tolaasin was evaluated by measuring hemolytic activity because tolaasins form membrane pores on the red blood cells and destroy cell structure. While we investigated the inhibitions of hemolytic activity of tolaasin by $Zn^{2+}$ and $Cd^{2+}$, we found that $Ni^{2+}$ is another antagonist to block the toxicity of tolaasin. $Ni^{2+}$ inhibited the tolaasin-induced hemolysis in a dose-dependent manner and its Ki value was $\sim10$ mM, implying that the inhibitory effect of $Ni^{2+}$ is stronger than that of $Cd^{2+}$. The hemolytic activity was completely inhibited by $Ni^{2+}$ at the concentration higher than 50 mM. The effect of $Ni^{2+}$ was reversible since it was removed by the addition of EDTA. When the tolaasin-induced hemolysis was suppressed by the addition of 20 mM $Ni^{2+}$, the subsequent addition of EDIA immediately initiated the hemolysis. Although the mechanism of $Ni^{2+}$ -induced inhibition on tolaasin toxicity is not known, $Ni^{2+}$ could inhibit any of fallowing processes of tolaasin action, membrane binding, molecular multimerization, pore formation, and massive ion transport through the membrane pore. Our results indicate that $Ni^{2+}$ inhibits the pore activity of tolaasin, the last step of the toxic process.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.528-535
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• 2016

Two types of oleophilic acrylic prepolymers were prepared by the solution copolymerization of either ethyl acrylate (EA) or lauryl acrylate (LA) with hydroxy ethyl acrylate (HEA). For the formation of oil-absorbent materials, a mixed solution of the prepolymer and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a cross-linker in toluene was applied to polypropylene knit velvet fabric through the conventional pad-dry-cure procedure. The gel fraction of the crosslinked resin, EA-HEA-HDI, increased with increasing feed ratio of HEA to total acrylate or HDI concentration. The oil absorbancy and retention ratio of the prepared materials were compared according to the add-on ratio of resin to fabric, and were assessed with n-decane, toluene, soybean oil, lubricant and bunker C oil as test oils. The optimal oil absorbancy of the materials were observed at around 6% of the add-on ratio for all these oils except for soybean oil. On the other hand, the oil retention ratio increased as the add-on ratio increased. Futhermore, heavier and more viscous oil generally showed higher oil retention ratios. In addition, the oil absorbancy of the materials treated with LA-HEA-HDI resin was higher than that treated with EA-HEA-HDI resin, which showed that the acrylic resins are more absorptive with increasing length of their side alkyl chain.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.588-596
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• 1996

The optimum conditions of the 1st and 2nd distillation had been investigated to obtaine a high quality monomeric MDI and fire reactive polymeric MDI by purification of crude MDI. Effect of additives on the monomeric MDI's color change, dimerization and the reactivity of polymeric MDI with standard polyol system has been tested. When the monomeric MDI yield is approximately 32%, 4,4'-MDI content is above 98% in the monomeric MDI at the 1st distillation. When the separation ratio of initial portion and residue percentage, reflux ratio are set at respectively, approximately 20wt%, 9wt%, above 2 in order to minimize the content of 2,4'-MDI in monomeric MDI, the freezing point of final distilled monomeric MDI is above $38.4^{\circ}C$. Since the monomeric MDI is inherently unstable in the room condition, monomeric MDI easily changes it's color and conducts self-polymerization reaction. To increase the stability of monomeric MDI, the composition of antioxidant, which is composed of phenolic 1st antioxidant, phosphorus 2nd antioxidant, UV absorbent and Hindered amine light stabilizer are used, and benzoyl chloride as antipolymerization agent test are that APHA color is less than 20, dimer content is remained less than 0.36wt% after 45 days storage of monomeric MDI.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2002

For elucidating the relationship between the biosynthetic pathways for polyhydroxyslkanoates (PHAs) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), culture conditions for the production of these two biomaterials by Rhodopseudomonas sp. KCTC 1437 were investigated. Of the carbon substrates tested, acetic acid was the best carbon source for cell growth and PHA biosynthesis. When succinic acid was added as a co-substrate into culture medium, cell growth and PHA production were greatly increased up to 2.5 g/ι and 73% of dry cell weight, respectively. The PHA obtained from the carbon substrates tested was homopolyester of 3-hydroxybutyrate, while valeric acid was only effective for the production of copolyester consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate. Anaerobic light culture condition was better for PHA production and cell growth than anaerobic dark or aerobic dark culture condition. The organism was capable of synthesizing ALA when glycine and succinic acid were added to the culture medium. ALA was produced to ca.400 mg/ι when levulinic acid, soccinic acid, and glycine were repeatedly added with a reductant (sodim thioglycolate). However, the presence of glycine, levulinic acid and sodium glycolate inhibited the cell growth and the conversion of carbon substrates to PHA. From these results it is apparent that the production yields of PHA and ALA could not be increased simultaneously because the optimal conditions for the production of PHA and ALA are opposed to each other.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.100-116
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• 2002

There are several purpose to introduce microorganism into the Soil. The major purpose is to promote plant growth and inhibit plant pathogens. The model example is to put in nitrogen fixing symbiotic bacteria, Pythium and Rhizobium. In order to achieve the intended goal, the introduced microorganism should survive and colonize with sufficient density. The survival of introduced microorganism depend upon biotic and abiotic factors. Predation and competition are important among biotic factor. Water tension, organic carbon, inorganic nutrients(N, P), pH are important factor among abiootic factor. Soil texture and distribution of soil pore are also important in the survival and colonization of introduced microorganism. Selection by soil ecosystem for inoculant is a crucial factor for colonization. Good example are control of autochtonous microorganism and the introduction of surfactant biodegrading Pseudomonas. Sometimes, carriers such as peat and montmorillonite can be added to help colonization. Carriers can protect introduced microorganism by supplying protective microhabitat. Organic polymer is also used as a carrier to immobilize bacteria or industrial enzymes. Examples of these carrier are calcium alginate, agarose and k-carrageenan. The function of these carrier is to provide microhabitat and help colonization for introduced microorganism.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.535-542
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• 2006

In this study, removals of 1-naphthol by oxidative-coupling reaction using birnessite, one of natural Mn oxides present in soil, was investigated in various experimental conditions(reaction time, Mn oxide loadings, pH, etc). Removal efficiency of 1-naphthol by birnessite was high in all the experimental conditions, and UV-vis. and mass spectrometric analyses on the supernatant after reaction confirmed that the reaction products were oligomers formed by oxidative-coupling reaction. Pseudo-first order rate constants, f, for the oxidative transformation of 1-naphthol by birnessite was derived from the kinetic experiments under various amount of birnessite loadings, and using the observed pseudo-first order rate constants with respect to birnessite loadings, surface area-normalized specific rate constant, $k_{surf}$ was also determined to be $9.31{\times}10^{-4}(L/m^2{\cdot}min)$ for 1-naphthol. In addition, the oxidative transformation of 1-naphthol was found to be dependent on solution pH, and the pseudo-first order rate constants were increased from 0.129 at pH 10 to 0.187 at pH 4.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2012

A series of poly(imide-aramid-sulfone)s with alternatingly introduced imide/aramid groups were prepared by reacting divinyl sulfone (DVS) and $N^1,N^4$-bis(4-(vinylsulfonyl)phenyl)terephthalamide (2) with pyromellitic diimide. Three model compounds, N-[2-(p-aminophnenylsulfonyl)ethyl]phthalimide (3), 2,2'-(2,2'-sulfonylbis(ethane-2,1-diyl))diisoindoline-1,3-dione (4), and N,N-bis(4-(2-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)ethylsulfonyl)phenyl)terephthalamide (5), resembling polymers were prepared with good yields by reacting p-aminophenyl vinyl sulfone, DVS, and 2 with phthalimide. Condensation polymerization was carried out by Michael-type addition reaction of the difunctional phthalimide group with the DVS group in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH), resulting in poly(imide-aramid-sulfone)s 6-12 with moderate molecular weights and good yields. They were highly soluble in polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidinone and tetrahydrofuran. The ratios of DVS/2 were 1/0, 3/1, 2/1, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, and 0/1. Molecular weight and physical properties such as solubility, viscosity, and thermal properties of the polymers were examined.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.555-564
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• 2010

Remediation process by using the bio-carrier (beads) with dead Bacillus sp. B1 and polysulfone was investigated for heavy metal contaminated groundwater. Sorption batch experiments using the bio-carrier were performed to quantify the heavy metal removal efficiencies from the contaminated solution. The analyses using SEM/EDS and TEM for the structure and the characteristic of precipitates on/inside the beads were also conducted to understand the sorption mechanism by the bio-carrier. Various amounts of freeze-dried dead Bacillus sp. B1 were mixed with polysulfone + DMF(N,N-dimethylformamide) solution to produce the bio-carrier (beads; less than 2mm in diameter) and 5% of Bacillus sp. B1 in the bio-carrier was optimal for Pb removal in the solution. The removal efficiency ratings of the bio-carrier for Pb, Cu and Cd were greater than 80% after adding 2g of bio-carrier in 50ml of aqueous solution (<10mg/L of each heavy metal concentration). Reaction time of the bio-carrier was very fast and most of the sorption reaction for heavy metals were completed within few hours. Batch experiments were duplicated at various pH conditions of aqueous solutions and Cu and Pb removal efficiencies highly maintained at wide pH ranges (pH 2-12), suggesting that the bio-carrier can be useful to clean up the acidic waste water such as AMD. From SEM/EDS and TEM analyses, it was observed that the bio-carrier was spherical shape and was overlapped by many porous layers. During the sorption experiment, Pb was crystallized on the surface of porous layers and also was mainly concentrated at the boundary of Bacillus sp. B1 stroma and polysulfone substrate, showing that the main mechanism of the bio-carrier to remove heavy metals is the sorption on/inside of the bio-carriers and the bio-carriers are excellent biosorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from groundwater.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.441-449
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• 2015

Studies on the flocculation of algae using various metal ions were carried out by measurements of optical density(OD) and zeta potential. Cyanobacteria were used as algaes. Flocculation efficiencies of cyanobacteria by an addition of metal ions were determined from OD values, and the effect of metal ions was greater in the order of $Al^{3+}$>$La^{3+}$>$Ho^{3+}$>$Fe^{2+}$>$Ca^{2+}$. Especially for trivalent metal ions, percentages of metal removed from cyanobacteria solutions on flocculation were measured, showing the same order as in flocculation efficiencies. Zeta potentials of cyanobacteria alone were measured with increasing the concentration, found to be all negative voltages, and were increased with increasing the concentration. The effect of pH on zeta potential of cyanobacteria solution was investigated. Below pH 5.5, the zeta potentials were steeply decreased with increasing pH, whereas in the range of $5.5{\leq}pH{\leq}10$ they were almost constant ($-46{\pm}1mV$) even with increasing pH. At a constant concentration of cyanobacteria ($A_{730}=0.25$), an increase in concentration of metal ions caused an increase in zeta potential of cyanobacteria solution, showing that the effect was greater in the order of $Al^{3+}$>$Ho^{3+}$>$La^{3+}{\gg}Mg^{2+}{\geq}Ca^{2+}{\gg}K^+$. At a constant metal concentration, zeta potentials were measured with increasing cyanobacteria concentration, showing that zeta potentials for $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$ ions were negligibly changed, whereas those of $Ho^{3+}$ and $La^{3+}$ ions were decreased. Moreover, the effect of $Ho^{3+}$ ion on decreasing zeta potential was smaller than that of $La^{3+}$ ion. $Al^{3+}$ ions showed quite a different behavior that with increasing cyanobacteria concentration the zeta potentials increased and decreased thereafter. Hydrolysis of $Al^{3+}$ ions caused a difficulty to investigate coagulation or flocculation of cyanobacteria by measurement of zeta potential.