• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.649-655
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• 2016

Ni nanoparticles (NPs)-graphitic carbon nanofiber (GCNF) composites were fabricated using an electrospinning method. The amounts of Ni precursor used as catalyst for the catalytic graphitization were controlled at 0, 2, 5, and 8 wt% to improve the photovoltaic performances of the nanoparticles and make them suitable for use as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). As a result, Ni NPs-GCNF composites that were fabricated with 8 wt% Ni precursors showed a high circuit voltage (0.73 V), high photocurrent density ($14.26mA/cm^2$), and superb power-conversion efficiency (6.72%) when compared to those characteristics of other samples. These performance improvements can be attributed to the reduced charge transport resistance that results from the synergetic effect of the superior catalytic activity of Ni NPs and the efficient charge transfer due to the formation of GCNF with high electrical conductivity. Thus, Ni NPs-GCNF composites may be used as promising counter electrodes in DSSCs.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.293-306
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• 2020

Increasing harmful effects of climate change, such as its effect on water scarcity, has led to a focus on developing effective water purification methods to obtain pure water. Additionally, rising levels of water pollution is increasing levels of environmental degradation, calling for sources of water treatment to remove contaminants. To purify water, osmotic processes across a semipermeable membrane can take place, and recent studies are showing that incorporating nanoparticles, including carbon quantum dots (CQDs), graphene carbon dots (GQDs), and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) are making thin film composite (TFC) membranes more effective by increasing water flux while maintaining similar levels of salt rejection, increasing the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface, showing bactericidal properties, exhibiting antifouling properties to prevent accumulation of bacteria or other microorganisms from reducing the effectiveness of the membrane, and more. In the review, the synthesis process, applications, functionality, properties, and the role of several types of quantum dots are discussed in the composite membrane for water purification.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2014

TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter) was usually used for high LET radiation dosimetry. We developed a prototype TEPC for micro-dosimetry in the range of $0.2{\sim}300 keV/{\mu}m$. And, the simulated site diameter of the TEPC is $2{\mu}m$, of similar size to a cell nucleus. For purposes of characterization the response for high LET radiation of the TEPC has been investigated under 135MeV/u Carbon ions in HIMAC (Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator). We determined the gas multiplication factor and measured the lineal energy spectrum [yd(y)] of 135 MeV/u Carbon ions. The value of the gas multiplication factor was 315 at 700 V bias voltage. As a result of the experiment, we could more understand the performance of the TEPC for high LET (Linear Energy Transfer) radiation. And the procedure of high LET radiation dosimetry using TEPC is established.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.220-227
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• 2017

In this work, carbon nanotube and nano-size alumina particle are exploited as additive for lubrication experiment. We used pin-on-disk type tribometer to investigate the tribological characteristics of lubricants with respect to additives and rotational speed. We conducted more than 15 trials of tribotests for two hours for each specimen to obtain stable and accurate frictional force and to create measurable wear track on the substrate. We conducted tests at the boundary/mixed lubrication regime to evaluate the influence of additives on the tribological characteristics. We found that the friction coefficient decreased as the rotational speed increased and as additives were added. In particular, the reduction of friction by adding additives was more significant at low rotational speed than at high rotational speed. We speculate that the additives helped to separate and protect the two contacting surfaces at low speed, while the influence of additives was not significant at high speed since sufficiently thick lubricant film was formed. The wear of the substrate was also reduced by adding additives to the lubricant. However, in contrast to friction, the amount of wear at high rotational speed was less when alumina particles were added to the lubricant than the amount of wear at low speed. We speculate that the increased wear at low rotational speed is as a result of the intermittent abrasive wear caused by alumina particles with uneven shape, while the reduced wear at high speed is as a result of sufficient film thickness which prevented the abrasive wear.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.313-318
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• 2013

Magnetic abrasive polishing is an advanced deburring process for nonmagnetic materials and micropattern products that have non-machinability characteristics. Despite these advantages, there are some problems with using MAP for deburring. MAP has introduced geometric errors into microgrooves because of an over-cutting force caused by uncontrolled magnetic abrasives in the MAP tool. Thus, in this study, to solve this problem, an EP (electrolyte polishing)-MAP hybrid polishing process was developed for deburring microgrooves in an STS316 material. In addition, an evaluation of EP-MAP for the deburring of microgrooves was carried out by profiling the burrs. The results of the experiment showed geometric errors after the deburring process using MAP. However, in the case of EP-MAP, no geometric error was observed after the process because of the lower material removal rate in EP-MAP.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2016

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) composites coated with spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ nanoparticles (NPs) are fabricated by a combination of an electrospinning method and a hydrothermal method, and their morphological, structural, and chemical properties are measured by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For comparison, CNFs and spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs are prepared by either an electrospinning method or a hydrothermal method, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the composites exhibit enhanced open circuit voltage (0.70 V), short-circuit current density ($12.82mA/cm^2$), fill factor (61.30%), and power conversion efficiency (5.52%) compared to those of the CNFs (0.66 V, $11.61mA/cm^2$, 51.96%, and 3.97%) and spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs (0.67 V, $11.45mA/cm^2$, 50.17%, and 3.86%). This performance improvement can be attributed to a synergistic effect of a superb catalytic reaction of spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$ NPs and efficient charge transfer relative to the one-dimensional nanostructure of the CNFs. Therefore, spindle-shaped $Fe_2O_3$-NP-coated CNF composites may be proposed as a potential alternative material for low-cost counter electrodes in DSSCs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.5654-5663
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• 2015

In the unsaturated soil, suction, the negative pore water pressure leads to increases of the yield stress and the plastic shear stiffness of the soil skeleton due to the growth in interparticle stress. Therefore, in this study, the stress-strain relationship based on cyclic elasto-plastic constitutive model extended for unsaturated soil considering the 1st and the 2nd yield functions was induced in order to account for these effects of suction under the dynamic loading condition such as the earthquake. Through the program code considering this relationship and the routine of the cyclic loading with the reversion of loading direction, the numerical simulation of the cyclic triaxial test under the unsaturated condition would be possible. It is expected that the results of this study possibly contribute to the accuracy improvement on the prediction of unsaturated soil behavior under the dynamic loading condition.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.24-32
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• 2015

National and international regulations on the exhaust gases of diesel engines are being strengthened, and a study of the combutsion engine and the post-porcessing system are in progress as a variety of ways. There are many techniques for the removal of nitrogen oxide like HC-SCR, LNT, Urea-SCR. And the technical development on the Urea-SCR owing to high conversion efficiency and fuel economy characteristics has being processed. This study investigated the physical/chemical properties of urea according to the change of the urea content, and were analysed the characteristic of exhaust gas. According to the increase of urea content, the contests of biuret aldehyde, phosphate content was increased and the changes of emission quantity of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matter in the exhaust gas was very slight. The emission quantity of NOx was decreased in accordance with increasing the urea content and it was shown to be more than 80 % in the urea solution having more than 30 wt%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2013

Well-distributed $SnO_2$-Sn-$Ag_3Sn$ nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers were fabricated using a co-electrospinning method, which is set up with two coaxial capillaries. Their formation mechanisms were successfully demonstrated. The structural, morphological, and chemical compositional properties were investigated by field-emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FESEM), bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, to obtain well-distributed $SnO_2$ and Sn and $Ag_3Sn$ nanoparticles in carbon nanofibers, the relative molar ratios of the Ag precursor to the Sn precursor including 7 wt% polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were controlled at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3. The FESEM, bright-field TEM, XRD, and XPS results show that the nanoparticles consisting of $SnO_2$-Sn-$Ag_3Sn$ phases were in the range of ~4 nm-6 nm for sample A, ~5 nm-15 nm for sample B, ~9 nm-22 nm for sample C. In particular, for sample A, the nanoparticles were uniformly grown in the carbon nanofibers. Furthermore, when the amount of the Ag precursor and the Sn precursor was increased, the inorganic nanofibers consisting of the $SnO_2$-Sn-$Ag_3Sn$ nanoparticles were formed due to the decreased amount of the carbon nanofibers. Thus, well-distributed nanoparticles embedded in the carbon nanofibers were successfully synthesized at the optimum molar ratio (0.1) of the Ag precursor to the Sn precursor after calcination of $800^{\circ}C$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.450-457
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• 2018

To design the practical core-shell electrocatalysts, combination of core and shell materials is important to meet catalytic activity and durability target. In general, Pd is considered as a good core material due to its best activity caused by strain/ligand effect. Preparing Pd nanoparticles can be a starting point in fabricating core-shell type electrocatalysts, much simplified Pd preparing process is suggested by using carbon monoxide (CO) as a reducing agent and/or capping agent. The solvent composition and reaction temperature can control to nanosheet, tetrahedron, and sphere without using additional stabilizer. Among them, Pd nanosheet which has mainly (111) plane showed about 3 times higher electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to the spherical Pd nanoparticles. The enhanced ORR activity of Pd nanosheets can be attributed to the exposure of Pd (111) surface and the high electrochemical surface area. Therefore, we demonstrated that the shape of Pd nanomaterials is easily controlled via a facile reduction method using CO, and (111) plane-oriented Pd nanosheets can be a promising ORR catalysts and core material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs).