• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.613-620
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• 2021

A flow channel shape of PEMFC has an influence on the internal flow uniformity. If the reactant distribution in a flow path is not uniform during operation, both catalyst deactivation and mechanical damage of membrane could occur resulting in decreasing the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) durability. Numerous studies concerning flow design have been conducted to make smooth supply and uniform distribution of reactants in fuel cells. The baffle of flow path could improve fuel cell performance through the forced convection effect. A sub-channel, as an additional air flow path, could increase the reactant concentration and reduce the mass transfer loss via a smooth water discharge. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to analyze the effect of blocks and sub-channels on the current density and oxygen concentration of the fuel cell. As a result, the limit current density and oxygen concentration at a rear block increased when using blocks and sub-channels in a flow channel. In particular, the current density increased significantly when the sub-channel was placed between two blocks. Also, the sub-channel position was optimized by analyzing the oxygen concentration, and the oxygen concentration was recovered at a rear block in the fuel cell.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2022

Graphite has been used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries for the past 30 years due to its low de-/lithiation voltage, high theoretical capacity of 372 mAh/g, low price, and long life properties. Recently, all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLB), which are composed of inorganic solid materials with high stability, have received great attention as electric vehicles and next-generation energy storage devices, but research works on graphite that works well for ASSLB systems are insufficient. Therefore, we induced the performance improvement of ASSLB anode electrode graphite material by removing the amorphous carbon present in the carbon material surface, acting as a resistive layer from the graphite. As a result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis using heat treated graphite in air at 400, 500, and 600 ℃, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) at (002) peak was reduced compared to that of bare graphite, indicating that the crystallinity of graphite was improved after heat treatment. In addition, the discharge capacity, initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) and cycle stability increased as the crystallinity of graphite increased after heat treatment. In the case of graphite annealed in air at 500 ℃, the high capacity retention rate of 331.1 mAh/g and ICE of 86.2% and capacity retention of 92.7% after 10-cycle measurement were shown.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.327-333
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• 2022

In this study, silicon/carbon nanotube/carbon (Si/CNT/C) composites for anode were prepared to improve the volume expansion of silicon used as a high-capacity anode material. Si/CNT were prepared by electrostatic attraction of the positively charged Si and negatively charged CNT and then hydrothermal synthesis was performed to obtain the spherical Si/CNT/C composites. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), polyacrylic acid (PAA), and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) were used as binders for electrode preparation, and coin cell was assembled using 1.0 M LiPF₆ (EC:DMC:EMC = 1:1:1 vol%) electrolyte and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive. The physical properties of Si/CNT/C anode materials were analyzed using SEM, EDS, XRD and TGA, and the electrochemical performances of lithium-ion batteries were investigated by charge-discharge cycle, rate performance, dQ/dV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. Also, it was confirmed that both capacity and rate performance were significantly improved using the PAA/SBR binder and 10 wt% FEC-added electrolyte. It is found that Si/CNT/C have the reversible capacity of 914 mAh/g, the capacity retention ratio of 83% during 50 cycles and the rate performance of 70% in 2 C/0.1 C.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

The cathode, which is one of the four major components of a lithium secondary battery, is an important component responsible for the energy density of the battery. The mixing process of active material, conductive material, and polymer binder is very essential in the commonly used wet manufacturing process of the cathode. However, in the case of mixing conditions of the cathode, since there is no systematic method, in most cases, differences in performance occur depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) cathodes were prepared using a commonly used THINKY mixer and homogenizer to optimize the mixing method in the cathode slurry preparation step, and their characteristics were compared. Each mixing condition was performed at 2000 RPM and 7 min, and to determine only the difference in the mixing method during the manufacture of the cathode other experiment conditions (mixing time, material input order, etc.) were kept constant. Among the manufactured THINKY mixer LMO (TLMO) and homogenizer LMO (HLMO), HLMO has more uniform particle dispersion than TLMO, and thus shows higher adhesive strength. Also, the result of the electrochemical evaluation reveals that HLMO cathode showed improved performance with a more stable life cycle compared to TLMO. The initial discharge capacity retention rate of HLMO at 69 cycles was 88%, which is about 4.4 times higher than that of TLMO, and in the case of rate capability, HLMO exhibited a better capacity retention even at high C-rates of 10, 15, and 20 C and the capacity recovery at 1 C was higher than that of TLMO. It's postulated that the use of a homogenizer improves the characteristics of the slurry containing the active material, the conductive material, and the polymer binder creating an electrically conductive network formed by uniformly dispersing the conductive material suppressing its strong electrostatic properties thus avoiding aggregation. As a result, surface contact between the active material and the conductive material increases, electrons move more smoothly, changes in lattice volume during charging and discharging are more reversible and contact resistance between the active material and the conductive material is suppressed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2012

Polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) hollow sphere structures with controlled shell thicknesses can be easily synthesized than those of using a layer-by-layer method for cathode active material of lithium-ion batteries. Polystyrene (PS) core was synthesized by emulsion polymerization using an anion surfactant. The shell thicknesses of PANI and Ppy were controlled by amounts of aniline and pyrrole monomers. PS was removed by an organic solution. This structure increased in contact with an electrolyte and a specific capacity in lithium-ion batteries. But polymers have disadvantages such as the difficult control of molecular weights and low densities. These disadvantages were completed by controlled shell thicknesses. The amount of aniline monomer increased from 1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8 to 6.0 mL, and the shell thicknesses were 30.2, 38.0, 42.2, 48.2, and 52.4 nm, respectively. And the amount of pyrrole monomer was 0.6, 1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 mL, the shell thicknesses were 16.0, 22.0, 27.0 and 34.0 nm, respectively. In the cathode materials with controlled shell thicknesses, shell thicknesses of the PANI hollow spheres were 30.2, 42.2, and 52.4 nm, and discharge specific capacities of after 10 cycle were ~18, ~29, and ~62 mAh/g, respectively. The shell thicknesses of the Ppy hollow spheres were 16.0, 22.0, 27.0 and 34.0 nm, and discharge specific capacities of after 15 cycle were ~15, ~36, ~56, and ~77 mAh/g, respectively. Thus, shell thicknesses of PANI and Ppy increased, the specific capacities increased.

• Clean Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.16-28
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• 2016

Textile industry is considered as one of the most polluting sectors in terms of effluent composition and volume of discharge. It is well known that the effluents from textile dying industry contain not only chromatic substances but also large amounts of organic compounds and insolubles. The azo dyes generate huge amount of pollutions among many types of pigments. In general, the electrochemical treatments, separating colors and organic materials by oxidation and reduction on electrode surfaces, are regarded as simpler and faster processes for removal of pollutants compared to other wastewater treatments. In this paper the electrochemical degradation characteristics of dye wastewater containing CI Direct Blue 15 were analyzed. The experiments were performed with various anode materials, such as RuO₂/Ti, PtO₂/Ti, IrO₂/Ti and graphite, with stainless steel for cathode. The optimal anode material was located by changing operating conditions like electrolyte concentration, current density, reaction temperature and initial pH. The degradation efficiency of dye wastewater increased in proportion to the electrolyte concentration and the current density for all anode materials, while the temperature effect was dependent on the kind. The performance orders of anode materials were RuO₂/Ti > PtO₂/Ti > IrO₂/Ti > graphite in acid condition and RuO₂/Ti > IrO₂/Ti > PtO₂/Ti > graphite in neutral and basic conditions. As a result, RuO₂/Ti demonstrated the best performance as an anode material for the electrochemical treatment of dye wastewater.