• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.75-79
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• 2022

Graphene is a two-dimensional carbon allotrope composed of honeycomb sp² hybrid orbital bonds. It shows excellent electrical and mechanical properties and has been spotlighted as a core material for next-generation electronic devices. However, it exhibits low environmental stability due to the easy penetration or adsorption of external impurities from the formation of an unstable interface between the materials in the electronic devices. Therefore, this work aims to improve and investigate the low environmental stability of graphene-based field-effect transistors through direct growth using solid hydrocarbons as a precursor of graphene. Graphene synthesized from direct growth shows high electrical stability through reduction of change in charge mobility and Dirac voltage. Through this, a new approach to utilize graphene as a core material for next-generation electronic devices is presented.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.54-62
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• 2022

The preparation of low-cost, simple, and scalable electrodes is crucial for the commercialization of water electrolyzers for H₂ production. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of cathodes through Mo-modified Zn phosphating of Ni foam (NiF) for water electrolysis, which has been largely utilized in surface coating industry. In situ growth of electrocatalytically active layers in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was occurred after 1 min of phosphating to form ZnNiMoP_i, and subsequent thermal treatment and electrochemical activation resulted in the formation of ZnNiMoPO_xH_y. ZnNiMoPO_xH_y exhibited superior HER performance than NiF, primarily because of the increased electrochemically active surface area of ZnNiMoPO_xH_y compared to that of bare NiF. Although further investigations to improve the intrinsic electrochemical activity toward the HER and detailed mechanistic studies are required, these results suggest that phosphating is a promising coating method and will possibly advance the fabrication procedure of electrodes for water electrolyzers with better practical applications.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.275-287
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• 2023

The use of environmental-friendly building materials is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Compared to the normal concrete, rubber-based concrete is considered more durable, environmentally friendly, socially and economically viable. In this investigation, M20 grade concrete was designed and the fine aggregates were replaced with crumb rubber of two different micron sizes (0.221 mm and 0.350 mm). Fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) replaces the binder as supplementary cementitious materials at a rate of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% by weight. The mechanical properties of concrete including compressive strength, tensile, and flexural strength were determined. The polynomial work expectation validates the response surface approach (RSM) concept for optimizing SF and FA substitution. The maximum compressive strength (22.53 MPa) can be observed for the concrete containing 10% crumb rubber, 15% fly ash and 15% silica fume. The reduced unit weight of the rubberized concrete may be attributed to the lower specific gravity of the rubber particles. Two-way ANOVA with a significance criterion of less than 0.001 has been utilized with modest residual error from the lack of fit and the pure error. The predictive model accurately forecasts the variable-response relationship. Since, the crumb rubber is obtained from wasted tires incorporating FA and SF as a cementitious ingredient, it helps to significantly improve mechanical properties of concrete and reduce environmental degradation.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.219-236
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• 2022

Wood-based nanocomposite electrode materials were synthesized for application in supercapacitors by mixing nanostructured hematite (Fe₂O₃) with highly porous activated carbon (AC) produced from the wood-waste of Pinus roxburghii. The AC was characterized using various instrumental techniques and the results showed admirable electrochemical properties, such as high surface area and reasonable porosity. Firstly, AC was tested as an electrode material for supercapacitors and it showed a specific capacitance of 59.02 Fg^-1 at a current density of 1 Ag^-1, cycle life of 84.2% after 1,000 cycles (at a current density of 3 Ag^-1), and energy density of 5.1 Wh/kg at a power density of 135 Wkg^-1. However, when the AC was composited with different ratios of Fe₂O₃ (1:1, 2:1, and 1:2), there was an overall improvement in its electrochemical performance. Among the 3 ratios, 2:1 (AC:Fe₂O₃) had the best specific capacitance of 102.42 Fg^-1 at 1 Ag^-1, cycle life of 94.4% capacitance after 1,000 cycles (at a current density of 3 Ag^-1), and energy density of 8.34 Wh/kg at a power density of 395.15 Wkg^-1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte in a 3-electrode experimental setup with a high working voltage of 1.55 V. Furthermore, when Fe₂O₃ was doubled, 1:2 (AC:Fe₂O₃), the electrochemical capacitive performance of the electrode twisted and deteriorated due to either the accumulation of Fe₂O₃ particles within the composite or higher bulk resistance value of pure Fe₂O₃.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2022

Carbon nanomaterials are considered to be the materials of choice for the fabrication of electrochemical energy storage devices due to their stability, cost-effectiveness, well-established processing techniques, and superior performance compared to other active materials. In the present work, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been synthesized and used for the fabrication of a symmetric supercapacitor. The electrochemical performance of the fabricated supercapacitors with three different aqueous electrolytes namely 0.5 M H₂SO₄, 0.5 M H₃PO₄, and 1.0M Na₂SO₄ have been compared and analyzed. Among the three electrolytes, the highest areal specific capacitance of 14 mF/cm² was calculated at a scan rate of 5 mV/s observed with 0.5M H₃PO₄ electrolyte. The results were also confirmed from the charge/discharge results where the supercapacitor with 0.5M H₃PO₄ electrolyte delivered a specific capacitance of 11 mF/cm² at a current density of 0.16 mA/cm². In order to assess the stability of the supercapacitor with different electrolytes, the cells were subjected to continuous charge/discharge cycling and it was observed that acidic electrolytes showed excellent cyclic stability with no appreciable drop in specific capacitance as compared to the neutral electrolyte.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

This study analyzed the anticipated supply-and-demand of forest biomass energy (through wood pellets) until 2050, in South Korea. Comparing the utilization rates of forest resources of five countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Japan, and S. Korea), it was found that S. Korea does not nearly utilize its forest resources for energy purposes. The total demand for wood pellets in S. Korea (based on a power generation efficiency of 38%) was predicted to be 3,629 and 4,371 thousand tons in 2034 and 2050, respectively. The anticipated total wood pellet power generation ratio to target power consumption is 1.13% (5,745 GWh), 1.17% (6,336 GWh), and 1.25% (7,631 GWh) in 2020, 2030, and 2050, respectively. Low value-added forest residues left unattended in forests are called "Unused Forest Biomass" in S. Korea. From the analysis, the total annual potential amount of raw material, sustainably collectible amount, and available amount of wood pellet in 2050 were estimated to be 6,877, 4,814, and 3,370 thousand tons, respectively. The rate of contribution to Nationally Determined Contributions was up to 0.64%. Through this study, the authors found that forest biomass energy will contribute to a carbon neutral society in the near future at the national level.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.375-390
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• 2022

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composite provides outstanding mechanical capabilities and is therefore popular in the automotive and aerospace industries. Drilling is a common final production technique for composite laminates however, drilling high-strength composite laminates is extremely complex and challenging. The delamination of composites during the drilling at the entry and exit of the hole has a severe impact on the results of the holes surface and the material properties. The major goal of this research is to investigate contemporary industry solutions for drilling CFRP composites: enhanced edge geometries of cutting tools. This study examined the occurrence of delamination at the entry and exit of the hole during the drilling. For each of the 80°, 90°, and 118°point angle uncoated Brad point, Dagger, and Twist solid carbide drills, Taguchi design of experiments were undertaken. Cutting parameters included three variable cutting speeds (100-125-150 m/min) and feed rates (0.1-0.2-0.3 mm/rev). Brad point drills induced less delamination than dagger and twist drills, according to the research, and the best cutting parameters were found to be a combination of maximum cutting speed, minimum feed rate, and low drill point angle (V:150 m/min, f: 0.1 mm/rev, θ: 80°). The feed rate was determined to be the most efficient factor in preventing hole entry and exit delamination using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Regression analysis was used to create first-degree mathematical models for each cutting tool's entrance and exit delamination components. The results of optimization, mathematical modelling, and experimental tests are thought to be reasonably coherent based on the information obtained.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2023

In this paper, a powerful photocatalyst based on carbon nanocomposite is developed in order to obtain a new material applicable in water treatment and especially for the discoloration of effluents used in the textile industry. For that, TiO₂-graphene nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized by a mixture of Functionalized Graphene Sheet (FGS) and tetrachlorotitanium complexes to form FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. In the presence of an anionic surfactant, we used a new chemical process to functionalize graphene sheets in order to make them an excellent medium for blocking and preventing the aggregation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The components of these nanocomposites are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which confirms the successful formation of the FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite. It was found that the TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the graphene plane which possesses better charge separation capability than pure TiO₂. The FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO₂ for the removal of three dyes: such as Methylene Blue (MB), Bromophenol Blue (BB) and Alizarin Red-S (AR) in water. The removal process was fast and more efficient with FGS-TiO₂ nanocomposite in daylight (in the absence of UV irradiation) compared to pure TiO₂ nanoparticles without and under UV in all pH range.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the state-of-the-art technology among electrochemical energy storage and conversion cells, and are still considered the most attractive class of battery in the future due to their high specific energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. Rapid development of power-hungry commercial electronics and large-scale energy storage applications (e.g. off-peak electrical energy storage), however, requires novel anode materials that have higher energy densities to replace conventional graphite electrodes. Germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) are thought to be ideal prospect candidates for next generation LIB anodes due to their extremely high theoretical energy capacities. For instance, Ge offers relatively lower volume change during cycling, better Li insertion/extraction kinetics, and higher electronic conductivity than Si. In this focused review, we briefly describe the basic concepts of LIBs and then look at the characteristics of ideal anode materials that can provide greatly improved electrochemical performance, including high capacity, better cycling behavior, and rate capability. We then discuss how, in the future, Ge anode materials (Ge and Ge oxides, Ge-carbon composites, and other Ge-based composites) could increase the capacity of today's Li batteries. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to fulfill the requirements of excellent anode materials, especially using these materials at the nanoscale. This article shall serve as a handy reference, as well as starting point, for future research related to high capacity LIB anodes, especially based on semiconductor Ge and Si.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 2008

Various methods (OECD 301B, ISO 9439 and ASTM 5864) for biodegradability test of lubricants were reviewed, and a standard procedure was developed. Most lubrication products are released in rivers or sea then is degraded by microbial action in aerobic condition. Most international method are based on $CO_2$ evolution test. Inoculum obtained from a sewage disposal plant and test compound are cultivated in a mineral medium. Organic carbon of the test compound is degraded and oxidized through the enzymatic actions of inoculum, and ultimately mineralized to carbon dioxide. Biodegradability test conditions of lubricant oils were optimized. The highest biodegradability was achieved when the same medium as in ASTM 5864 and inoculum concentration of $10^4{\sim}10^5$ cell/L were used. The optimum standard materials were selected as aniline and sodium acetate. Additionally the effects of inoculum type on microbial growth and biodegradability were examined. Finally the standard operating procedure (SOP) for biodegradability test method was proposed.