• Carbon letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2005

The electrosorption of U(VI) from waste water was carried out by using an activated carbon fiber (ACF) felt electrode in a continuous electrosorption cell. In order to enhance the electrosorption capacity at a lower potential, the ACF was electrochemically modified in an acidic and a basic solution. Pore structure and functional groups of the electrochemically modified ACF were examined, and the effects of the modification conditions were studied for the adsorption of U(VI). Specific surface area of all the ACFs was decreased by this modification. The amount of the acidic functional groups decreased with a basic modification, while the amount increased a lot with an acidic modification. The electrosorption capacity of U(VI) decreased on the acid modified electrode due to the shielding effect of the acidic functional groups. The base modified electrode enhanced the capacity due to a reduction of the acidic functional groups. The electrosorption amount of U(VI) on the base modified electrode at .0.3 V corresponds to that of the as-received ACF electrode at .0.9 V. Such a good adsorption capacity was due to a reduction of the shielding effect and an increase of the hydroxyl ions in the electric double layer on the ACF surface by the application of negative potential.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.292-299
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• 2014

In this study, nitrogen doped carbon felt (CFt) is prepared using thermal oxidation and liquid phase ammonia treatment to improve the efficiency for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB). The electrochemical properties of prepared CFt electrodes are investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge/discharge test. The XPS result shows that the increase of liquid phase ammonia treatment temperature leads to the increased nitrogen functional group on the CFt surface. Redox reaction characteristics using CV reveal that the liquid phase ammonia treated CFt electrodes are more reversible than the thermally oxidized CFt. When CFt is treated by the liquid phase ammonia at $300^{\circ}C$, VRFB cell energy efficiency, voltage efficiency, and current efficiency are increased about 6.93%, 1.0%, and 4.5%, respectively, compared to those of the thermally oxidized CFt. These results are because nitrogen functional groups on CFt help to improve the electrochemical properties of redox reaction between electrode and electrolyte interface.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.59.1-59.1
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• 2009

레독스 흐름 배터리 (Redox Flow Battery)는 외부의 탱크 등에 저장해 둔 활성물질(이온 가수가 변화는 금속) 의 용액을 펌프로 전해셀에 공급하여 충전 방전하는 배터리로 신재생 에너지인 풍력과 태양광 발전, 야간의 잉여 전력 저장 등 대용량 전력 저장 장치로 관심이 높아지고 있다. 대표적인 레독스 흐름 배터리로 알려진 바나듐 레독스 흐름 배터리는 이온 교환막 사용으로 인하여 전기전도도, 기계적 강도, 투과도 및 전해질 내의 화학적 안정성 등 여러 가지 문제점과 함께 비용 문제점을 야기한다. 하지만 새로운 용해 납 레독스 흐름 배터리는 이온 교환막을 사용하지 않아 바나듐 레독스 흐름 배터리의 문제점 및 시설비가 절약되는 장점이 있어 새로이 연구되지고 있다. 본 연구는 레독스 흐름 배터리에 주로 이용되는 카본 전극재료의 따라 형성되는 Pb, $PbO_2$ 박막의 미세 구조를 및 에너지 효율 특성을 분석하였다. 실험은 half-cell로 이루어졌으며 작업전극은 Carbon felt, Ordered Graphite, Disordered Graphite, Glassy Carbon 등을 여러 카본 재료를 사용하였고, 상대전극은 Pt, 기준전극으로 Ag/AgCl를 사용하여 Cyclic Voltammetry특성과 충방전 특성을 연구하였다. 전해질은 Lead Carbonate ($PbCO_3$)+Methanesulfonic acid ($CH_3SO_3H$) 들어간 수용성 전해질을 교반을 통해 이용하였다. 여러 carbon 전극재료와 생성된 Pb, $PbO_2$ 막의 표면구조, 미세구조, 상들의 변화는 XRD, SEM, EDX, Raman등을 통하여 분석하였으며, 전기화학 공정의 변수와 전극에 따른 에너지 효율특성에 대하여 고찰해 보았다.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.148-154
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• 2021

Carbon/epoxy composite bipolar plate (BP) is a BP that is likely to replace existing graphite bipolar plate of vanadium redox flow cell (VRFB) due to its high mechanical properties and productivity. Multi-functional carbon/epoxy composite BP requires graphite coating or additional surface treatment to reduce interfacial contact resistance (ICR). However, the expanded graphite coating has the disadvantage of having low durability under VRFB operating conditions, and the surface treatments incur additional costs. In this work, an excessive resin absorption method is developed, which uniformly removes the resin rich area on the surface of the BP to expose carbon fibers by applying polyester fabric. This method not only reduces ICR by exposing carbon fibers to BP surfaces, but also forms a unique ditch pattern that can effectively hold carbon felt electrodes in place. The acidic environmental durability, mechanical properties, and gas permeability of the developed carbon/epoxy composite BP are experimentally verified.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.190-196
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• 2024

The bipolar plate is a crucial element of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) as it serves as both the electrical conduit and the structural support for the cell within the VRFB stack. Although, the graphite material is primarily used for the bipolar plate due to its excellent electrical conductivity, a significant limitation of performance of the VRFB is present due to high interfacial contact resistance (ICR) arises between the electrode and bipolar plate in the cell stack. This study aims to develop an integrated electrode-bipolar plate assembly that will address the limitations of the ICR. The integrated assembly was constructed using a single carbon felt with thermoplastic and thermoset polymers utilizing hot press method. Experimental results verify that the bipolar plate assembly exhibits reduced area specific resistance (ASR) due to the continuous electrical path. Additionally, from the charge/discharge cell test results, the integrated assembly shows improved cell performance. Therefore, the developed integrated electrode-bipolar plate assembly can serve as a substitute for the conventional bipolar plate and electrode assembly.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1665-1671
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• 2009

Anaerobic digestion sludge was cultivated in an electrochemical bioreactor (ECB) to enrich the hydrogenotrophic methanogens. A modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red (NR-cathode) was charged with electrochemical reducing power generated from a solar cell. The methane and carbon dioxide collected in a Teflon bag from the ECB were more than 80 ml/l of reactant/day and less than 20 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively, whereas the methane and carbon dioxide collected from a conventional bioreactor (CB) was around 40 ml/l of reactant/day, respectively. Moreover, the maximal volume ratios of methane to carbon dioxide (M/C ratio) collected in the Teflon bag from the ECB and CB were 7 and 1, respectively. The most predominant methanogens isolated from the CB on the $20^{th}$, $80^{th}$, and $150^{th}$ days of incubation were hydrogenotrophs. The methanogenic diversity analyzed by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of the 16S rDNA variable region was higher in the ECB than in the CB. The DNA extracted from the TGGE bands was more than 95% homologous with hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the ECB, but was an aceticlastic methanogen in the CB. In conclusion, the ECB was demonstrated as a useful system for enriching hydrogenotrophic methanogens and increasing the M/C ratio of the gas product.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2005

The electrosorption of U(VI) from waste water was carried out by using activated carbon fiber(ACF) felt electrode in a continuous electrosorption cell. In order to enhance the electrosorption capacity at lower potential, ACF felt was chemically modified in acidic, basic and neutral solution. Pore structure and functional groups of chemically modified ACF were examined, and the effect of treatment conditions was studied for the adsorption of U(VI). Specific surface area of all ACFs decreases by this treatment. The amount of acidic functional groups decreases with basic and neutral salt treatment, while the amount increases a lot with acidic treatment. The electrosorption capacity of U(VI) decreases on using the acid treated electrode due to the shielding effect of acidic functional groups. Base treated electrode enhances the capacity due to the reduction of acidic functional groups. The electrosorption amount of U(VI) on the base treated electrode at -0.3 V corresponds to that of ACF electrode at -0.9 V. Such a good adsorption capacity was not only due to the reduction of shielding effect but also the increase of $OH^-$ in the electric double layer on ACF surface by the application of negative potential.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2022

In this study, when the carbon fiber composite was manufactured, the correlation between the porosity and mechanical properties according to the number of glass fiber felts laminated together and the stacking sequence was confirmed. The carbon fiber composite was manufactured by stacking glass fiber felts, which are highly permeable materials, and using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). Porosity was measured by photographing the cross-section of the specimen with an optical microscope and then using porosity calculation code of MATLAB, and mechanical properties were measured for tensile strength, modulus by tensile test. Furthermore, Pearson correlation coefficient between porosity and mechanical properties was calculated to confirm the correlation between two variables. As a result, the number of glass fiber felt increased and the distance from the center of laminated composites increased, the porosity increasing were confirmed. In addition, tensile strength/modulus showed a weak positive correlation with porosity. Also, in order to confirm the effect of only porosity on tensile strength and modulus, mechanical properties calculated by CLPT (Classical Laminate Plate Theory) and experimental values were compared, and the difference in tensile strength showed a strong positive correlation with porosity and the difference in modulus showed a weak positive correlation with porosity.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.15-33
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• 2022

This study is to investigate multilateral environmental agreements,mainly UNFCCC on the primary export industry of Korea and to make a policy recommendation. Mostly literature reviews are focused on the traditional multilateral environmental agreements and the for the most part analysis are conducted prior to the Paris agreement. The result of survey indicates that many companies have not yet felt burden on their business due to UNFCCC(decarbonization) and have monitored the related policies. But the companies ask the government for strong incentives. The paper implies that enforcing strong government incentives, upgrading usage of the nuclear power, improving the related government legislation, setting up the special task force team with government and private sectors are needed.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.20-26
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• 2023

Emitted CO₂ is an attractive material for microbial electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Microbial electrochemical CO₂ reduction (i.e., microbial electrosynthesis, MES) using biocatalysts has advantages compared to conventional CO₂ reduction using electrocatalysts. However, MES has several challenges, including electrode performance, biocatalysts, and reactor optimization. In this study, an MES system was investigated for optimizing reactor types, counter electrode materials, and CO₂-converting microorganisms to achieve effective CO₂ upcycling. In autotrophic cultivation (supplementation of CO₂ and H₂), CO₂ consumption of Rhodobacter sphaeroides was observed to be four times higher than that with heterotrophic cultivation (supplementation of succinic acid). The bacterial growth in an MES reactor with a single-chambered shape was two times higher than that with a double chamber (H-type MES reactor). Moreover, a single-chambered MES reactor equipped with titanium mesh as the counter electrode (anode) showed markedly increased current density in the graphite felt as a working electrode (cathode) compared to that with a graphite felt counter electrode (anode). These results demonstrate that the optimized conditions of a single chamber and titanium mesh for the counter electrode have a positive effect on microbial electrochemical CO₂ reduction.