• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.482-482
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• 2010

하수처리장에서 발생하는 유기성 슬러지는 대부분 해양투기에 의해 처분되고 나머지는 매립, 소각, 퇴비화 등으로 처분된다. 그러나 런던협약 '96 의정서' 발효에 의해 2012년부터 해양투기가 금지되고, 매립장 및 소각장의 신규건설은 님비(NIMBY) 현상에 의해 제한받기 때문에 효과적인 슬러지 처분 및 가용화 방법이 요구되고 있다. 현재 초음파[1]나 열처리[2], 오존[3,4], 미생물 처리[5,6] 등 물리, 화학, 생물학적 처리방안이 연구되고 있으나 이러한 방법들은 에너지 과소비, 2차 오염물질 발생에 따른 처리비용 증가 등의 단점을 가지고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 기존의 연구 방법을 보안하고자 전기분해를 활용하여 슬러지 가용화를 시도함으로써 슬러지 발생을 저감시킬 수 있는 방법을 연구하였다. 본 실험에서는 전기분해를 위해 제작된 불용성 전극은 Titanium에 Iridium을 코팅하여 제작하였고, 최대 20V까지 전압을 고정시키고 시간에 따라 변화되는 전류와 전기전도도, pH 값을 관찰하였다. 실험에 사용된 활성슬러지는 3개월간 합성폐수로 순응화 시킨 후에 시료로 사용하였다. 전기분해에 의해 처리된 활성슬러지의 여액을 분석한 결과 SCOD, TN, TP 농도가 각각 510%, 9%, 106% 증가하였다. 이는 전기분해에 의해 미생물의 세포벽이 파괴되어 세포 내 물질들이 세포 외부로 용출되어 미생물들의 이용이 가능한 상태로 되었음을 알 수 있었다. 이는 국내 하 폐수의 낮은 C/N비 때문에 무산소조에 메탄올 같은 외부 탄소원을 공급하는 대신에 별도의 탄소원 공급 없이 가용화 된 슬러지를 반송시킴으로써 슬러지 저감에 따른 폐기 비용과 운전비용의 절감을 기대할 수 있어, 근본적인 슬러지 발생을 저감시킬 수 있는 해결책이라 할 수 있다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2014

Microalgae is known as one alternative energy source of the fossil fuel with the small size of $5{\sim}50{\mu}m$ and negative charge. Currently, the cost of microalgae recovery process take a large part, about 20 - 30% of total operating cost. Thus, the microalgae recovery method with low cost is needed. In this study, the optimum current for Scenedesmus dimorphus recovery process using electrocoagulation techniques was investigated. Under the electrical current, Al metal in anode electrode is oxidized to oxidation state of $Al^{3+}$. In the cathode electrode, the water electrolysis generated $OH^-$ which combine with $Al^{3+}$ to produce $Al(OH)_3$. This hydroxide acts as a coagulant to harvest microalgae. Before applying in 1.5 L capacity electrocoagulation reactor, Scenedesmus dimorphus was cultured in 20 L cylindrical reactor to concentration of 1 OD. The microalgae recovery efficiency of electrocoagulation reactor was evaluated under different current conditions from 0.1 ~ 0.3 A. The results show that, the fastest and highest recovery efficiency were achieved at the current or 0.3 A, which the highest energy efficiency was achieved at 0.15 A.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.288-294
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• 2011

Simultaneous Ni and C codeposition by electrolysis was investigated with the aim of obtaining better corrosion resistivity and surface conductivity of a metallic bipolar plate for application in fuel cells and redox flow batteries. The carbon content in the Ni-C composite plate fell in a range of 9.2~26.2 at.% as the amount of carbon in the Ni Watt bath and the roughness of the composite were increased. The Ni-C composite with more than 21.6 at.% C content did not show uniformly dispersed carbon. It also displayed micro-sized defects such as cracks and crevices, which result in pitting or crevice corrosion. The corrosion resistance of the Ni-C composite in sulfuric acid is similar with that of pure Ni. Electrochemical test results such as passivation were not satisfactory; however, the Ni-C composite still displayed less than $10^{-4}$ $A/cm^2$ passivation current density. Passivation by an anodizing technique could yield better corrosion resistance in the Ni-C composite, approaching that of pure Ni plating. Surface resistivity of pure Ni after passivation was increased by about 8% compared to pure Ni. On the other hand, the surface resistivity of the Ni-C composite with 13 at.% C content was increased by only 1%. It can be confirmed that the metal plate electrodeposited Ni-C composite can be applied as a bipolar plate for fuel cells and redox flow batteries.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 2002

Natural silk is formed by two proteins : the crystalline fibroin (inside the silk thread) and amorphous sericin (as a tube outside the thread). The degumming process is used to eliminate the external sericin prior to dyeing ; generally it makes use of soaps at about pH 10. Sericin is the protein constituent that "gums"together the fibroin filaments of cocoon silk. It constitutes about 25% of the weight of the cocoon, is soluble in hot water and "gels" on cooling. The removal of sericin from raw silk, known as degumming, is a simple but important process usually employing hot dilute soap or alkaline solution and occasionally dilute acids or enzymic methods. During degumming, alkali is taken up by the sericin and the free acid from the soap is formed ; this may be deposited on the fiber, reducing the rate of degumming and protecting it from hydrolysis. Alkali is often added to maintain or restore the pH of the baths, but it is rarely used alone, since it leaves the silk rather harsh in handle. If complete sericin removal is required as for printing, sodium carbonate may be added. If the pH of the bath exceeds 11, the fibroin is attacked. Recently, According to the development of electrolysis, we can be obtained the electrolytic reduction water(above pH 11.5) and electrolytic oxidation water (below pH 3). The aim of this work was to study a degumming process using electrolytic water and a possibility of sericin recovery. The new degumming process used electrolytic water operates at $95^\circ{C}$ for 2hr. without any reagents. The wastewater of this process are formed by a solution of sericin in water. This conditions suggest the study of a possible recovery of this protein (sericin) which has an amino acid composition suitable for many used in cosmetics, textile finishing agents, animal feeding, etc. The degumming process using electrolytic water is available to reduce treatment costs and pollute and at the same time to recover sericin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1221-1228
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• 2005

Carbon electrode was applied to a wastewater treatment system as biofilm media. The spatial distribution of heterotrophic bacteria in aerobic wastewater biofilm grown on carbon electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and biomass measurement. Five volts of electric oxidation and reduction potential were charged to the carbon anode and cathode of the bioelectrochemical system, respectively, but were not charged to electrodes of a conventional system. To correlate the biofilm architecture of bacterial populations with their activity, the bacterial treatment efficiency of organic carbons was measured in the bioelectrochemical system and compared with that in the conventional system. In the SEM image, the biofilm on the anodic medium of the bioelectrochemical system looked intact and active; however, that on the carbon medium of the conventional system appeared to be shrinking or damaging. In the AFM image, the thickness of biofilm formed on the carbon medium was about two times of those on the anodic medium. The bacterial treatment efficiency of organic carbons in the bioelectrochemical system was about 1.5 times higher than that in the conventional system. Some denitrifying bacteria can metabolically oxidize $H_{2}$, coupled to reduction of $NO_{3}^{-}\;to\;N_{2}$. $H_{2}$ was produced from the cathode in the bioelectrochemical system by electrolysis of water but was not so in the conventional system. The denitrification efficiency was less than $22\%$ in the conventional system and more than $77\%$ in the bioelectrochemical system. From these results, we found that the electrochemical coupling reactions between aerobic and anaerobic reactors may be a useful tool for improvement of wastewater treatment and denitrification efficiency, without special manipulations such as bacterial growth condition control, C/N ratio (the ratio of carbon to nitrogen) control, MLSS returning, or biofilm refreshing.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.432-438
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• 2018

Microalgae hold promise as a renewable energy source for the production of biofuel, as they can convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. However, cost-efficient harvest of microalgae remains a major challenge to commercial-scale algal biofuel production. We first investigated the potential of electrolytic water as a flocculant for harvesting Tetraselmis sp. Alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) is produced at the cathode through water electrolysis. It contains mineral ions such as $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ that can act as flocculants. The flocculation activity with AEW was evaluated via culture density, AEW concentration, medium pH, settling time, and ionic strength analyses. The flocculation efficiency was 88.7% at 20% AEW (pH 8, 10 min) with a biomass concentration of 2 g/l. The initial biomass concentration and medium pH had significant influences on the flocculation activity of AEW. A viability test of flocculated microalgal cells was conducted using Evans blue stain, and the cells appeared intact. Furthermore, the growth rate of Tetraselmis sp. in recycled flocculation medium was similar to the growth rate in fresh F/2 medium. Our results suggested that AEW flocculation could be a very useful and affordable methodology for fresh biomass harvesting with environmentally friendly easy operation in part of the algal biofuel production process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1081-1088
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• 2009

The performance of a electrocoagulation (EC) process was examined for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) using iron electrode. The effects of operational parameters such as electrode material (aluminum and iron), current density, NaCl dosage, intial pH and initial dye concentration on RhB removal efficiency were investigated. The optimum range for each of these operating variables were experimentally determined. The experimental results showed that the iron is superior to aluminum as sacrificial electrode material. The optimum time of electrolysis, current density, NaCl dosage and pH were 10 min, 1630 A/$m^2$, 4 g/L and neutral pH, respectively. Under these conditions, RhB was effectively removed (> 93.4%) and also more than 80% of COD was removed (> 88.9%) when the initial concentration of RhB was 230 mg/L. The electrical energy consumption in the above conditions for the color and COD of RhB removal were 10.3 and 10.8 kWh/kg RhB, respectively. The electrocoagulation process could be a promising technology to treat dye wastewater containing RhB.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.1038-1045
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• 2001

The electrokinetic technology was applied in bioremediation for the purpose of supplying a Pseudomonas strain capable of degrading diesel to contaminated soil bed, and their biodegradation of diesel was carried out after a desired cell distribution was obtained. Electrokinetic injection of the strain was made possible because the cells acted as negatively charged particles at neutral pH, and thus the cells were transported with a precise directionality through the soil mostly by the mechanism of electrophoresis and in part by electroosmosis. A severe pH change in the soil bed was formed due to the penetration of electrolysis products, which was harmful to the cell viability and cell transport. To achieve a desirable cell transport and distribution, the control of pH in soil bed by a recirculating buffer solution in electrode chambers was essential during the appliation of an electric field. The judicious selections of electrolyte concentration and conductivity were also important for achieving an efficient electrokinetic cell transport since a higher electrolyte concentration favored the maintenance of pH stability in soil bed, but lowered electrophoretic mobility on the other hand. With electrolyte solution of pH 7 phosphate buffer, a 0.05 M concentration showed a better cell transport buffer, a 0.05 M concentration showed a better cell transport than 0.02 M and 0.08 M. The cell under pH 8 were obtained, compared to the cells under pH 7 or pH 9 in a given time period Up to $60\%$ of diesel was degraded in 8 days by the Pseudomonas cell, which were distributed electrokinetically under the conditions of pH 8 ($1,800{\mu}S/cm$, a mixture of phosphate and ammonia buffers) and 40 mA in a soil bed of 15 cm length.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.627-634
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• 2009

This study was done to find out the formation mechanism of chlorate by electrochemical process using chloride ion ($Cl^-$) as an electrolyte. Firstly, the effective factors such as pH and initial chloride concentration were figured out to see the formation property of chlorate during electrolysis. And the relation of free chlorine, and mixed oxidants such as OH radical and ozone with chlorate were estimated to concretize the formation mechanism. As a result, it was found that the major reaction of chlorate formation would be electrochemical reaction with free chlorine, and also the direct oxidation of chloride ion and the reaction by OH radical were participated in the formation of chlorate. Moreover, it was observed that formed chlorate was oxidized to perchlorate. Lastly, the optimum condition was recommended by comparing free chlorine with chlorate concentration during the electrochemical process with the different electrode separation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

Nuclear hydrogen production using high temperature heat of a very high temperature reactor(VHTR) is one of the most attractive ways of mass hydrogen production without greenhouse gas emission. In many countries, sulfur-iodine(S-I) thermochemical process and high temperature steam electrolysis(HTSE) process are being investigated. In such processes, corrosion behavior of Intermediate heat exchanger materials are the most critical issues. Especially in a HTSE system, several heat exchangers will be facing hot steam conditions. In this paper, the status of high temperature corrosion researches in hot steam and supercritical water conditions are reviewed in view of the implication to HTSE conditions. Based on the review, test condition and plan of the hot steam corrosion of the candidate materials are formulated and described in some details along with the schematics of the test set-up. The test results and subsequent evaluation will be used in development of a interface system between the HTSE hydrogen production system and the VHTR.