• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2003

The microorganism isolated from soil was identified as Bacillus coagulans by morphological and biochemical analyses and API-50CH/B kit, which was an identification kit for Bacillus species, and named as B. coagulans DL-1. It produced an extracellular biopolymer. Maximum production of biopolymer was 5.00 $\pm$0.15 g/$\ell$ in a $7\ell$bioreactor with an aeration rate of 1.0 vvm and an agitation speed of 500 rpm when concentrations of glucose and yeast as the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were 2.0% (w/v) and 0.25% (w/v), which were optimized with a flask scale. Gas chromatographic analysis showed that the biopolymer producded by B. coagulans DL-1 consisted of glucose and rhanmose and their molar ratios was about 9 : 1. Its average molecular weight was 2.80$\times$$10^5$ with gel permeation chromatographic (GPC) analysis.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.124-132
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• 2001

Silica membranes were prepared on a porous ${\alpha}$-alumina tube with pore size of 150nm by sol-gel and chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method for hydrogen separation at high temperatures. Silica and ${\gamma}$-lumina membranes formed by the sol-gel method possessed a large amount of mesopores of a Knudsen diffusion regime. In order to improve the $H_2$ selectivity, silica was deposited in the sol-gel derived silica/${\gamma}$-alumina layer by thermal decomposition of tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS) at $600^{\circ}C$. The CVD with forced cross flow through the porous wall of the support was very effective in plugging mesopores that were left unplugged in the membranes. The CVD modified silica/alumina composite membrane completely rejected nitrogen permeation and thus showed a high $H_2$ selectivity by molecular sieve effect. the permeation of hydrogen was explained by activated diffusion and the activation energy was 9.52kJ/mol.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.450-459
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• 2020

Membrane-based separations have the potential to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact associated with conventional processes. However, many researches have been done to develop new membrane materials with greater selectivity and permeability. Here, we report highly selective membranes by introducing bulky ethyl substituents into the polyimide. The ethyl group in the ortho position to the imide nitrogen interferes the chain packing and increases chain stiffness and the distance between the polymer chains. The polyimide membranes were synthesized from various aromatic dianhydrides and 4,4'-methylenebis(2,6-diethylaniline) (MDEA). The synthesized membranes with increased gas diffusion length due to bulky substituents showed improved propylene/propane (C3H6/C3H8) selectivity. Single gas permeation showed high C3H6/C3H8 selectivity of 14.5, and C3H6 permeability of 7.0 barrer was found in MDEA-polyimide. Mixed-gas permeation results also demonstrate that MDEA-polyimide can achieve high selectivity in mixed-gas environment. Furthermore, this approach could significantly increase the feasibility of economic propylene separation compared to conventional polymer materials.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2015

The PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer were synthesized from the PTMSP[poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne)] and the PDMS[poly(dimethylsiloxane)] and then the PTMSP/PDMS-borosilicate composite membranes were prepared by adding the porous borosilicates to the PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer. The number-average molecular weight (${\bar{M}}_n$) and the weight-average molecular weight (${\bar{M}}_w$) of PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer were 460,000 and 570,000 respectively, and glass transition temperature ($T_g$) of PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer appeared at $33.53^{\circ}C$ according to DSC analysis. According to the TGA measurements, the addition of borosilicate to the PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer leaded the decreased weight loss and the completed weight loss temperature went down. SEM observation showed that borosilicate was dispersed in the PTMSP/PDMS-borosilicate composite membranes with the size of $1{\sim}5{\mu}m$. Gas permeation experiment indicated that the addition of borosilicate to PTMSP/PDMS graft copolymer resulted in the increase in free volume, cavity and porosity resulting in the gradual shift of the mechanism of the gas permeation from solution diffusion to molecular sieving surface diffusion, and Knudsen diffusion. Consequently, the permeability of $H_2$ and $N_2$ increased and selectivity ($H_2/N_2$) decreased as the contents of borosilicate increased.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.827-832
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• 2005

Bacillus subtilis JM3 protease from naturally fermented anchovy sauce was partially purified in 40-60% ammonium sulfate fraction. To accelerate fermentation of anchovy sauce, 2 and 4% crude B. subtilis JM3 proteases were added to 6 month-ripened anchovy sauce, and their hydrolysis degrees and amino-nitrogen contents were investigated at different storage times. Low molecular weight (LMW) peptide was purified by ultrafiltration ana gel permeation chromatography from anchovy sauce manufactured with B, subtilis JM3 protease. Anchovy sauces with 2 and 4% proteases increased hydrolysis rate by 27 and 32%, respectively. Amino-nitrogen contents of anchovy sauces fermented with 2 and 4% proteases were twofold higher than that of control. Control showed five peptide peaks on Bio-Rad P2 gel permeation chromatography spectrum, whereas anchovy sauces with 2 and 4% B. subtilis JM3 proteases showed six and seven peaks, respectively. ACE inhibitory activity was highest in peak 6 (43.75%) of anchovy sauce with 2% protease, followed by peak 5 (34.82%) of control. DPPH radical-scavenging effect was higher than 50% in all samples. Cytotoxicity was highest in peak 3 (44.12%) of control, fellowed by peak 5 (42.04%) of anchovy sauce with 4% protease.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2007

Experimental and numerical analysis were performed for separation of carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas mixture using a polyethersulfone hollow fiber membrane. The experimental results were compared with those obtained at the same operating condition by the numerical analysis. It was observed that there was a big difference between the experimental results and those by a numerical analysis where the permeance of carbon dioxide and its ideal selectivity over nitrogen were obtained from the pure gas permeation. Therefore, the permeance of carbon dioxide and its selectivity were obtained from the separation experimental results using the numerical analysis as a function of the mole fraction of carbon dioxide, the feed pressure and the permeate pressure in the gas mixture. The results of the numerical analysis using the selectivity obtained from the gas mixture were in good agreement with those of the experimental.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.438-447
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• 2014

The amorphous and porous borosilicate without any cracks was obtained under the following condition : 0.01~ 0.10 mole ratio of trimethylborate (TMB)/ tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and the temperature of $700{\sim}800^{\circ}C$. According to the BET and SEM measurements, borosilicate heat-treated in between 700 and $800^{\circ}C$ showed the surface area of $251.12{\sim}355.62m^2/g$, the pore diameter of 3.5~4.9 nm, and the particle size of 30~60 nm. According to the TGA measurements, the thermal stability of poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)propyne](PTMSP) membrane was enhanced by inserting borosilicate. SEM observation showed that the size of dispersed borosilicate in the composite membrane was $1{\mu}m$. The results showed that the permeability of $H_2$ and $N_2$ increased and the selectivity of $H_2/N_2$ decreased upon the addition of borosilicate into PTMSP membranes. Addition of borosilicate may possibly increase the free volume, cavity and porosity of membranes indicating that permeation occurred by molecular sieving, surface and Knudsen diffusion rather than solution diffusion of gases.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2022

Background: Plant vegetation appears in heterogeneous and patchy forms in arid and semi-arid regions. In these regions, underneath the plant patches and the empty spaces between them are covered by biological soil crusts (moss, lichen, cyanobacteria, and fungi). Biological soil crusts lead to the formation and development of fertile islands in between vegetation patches via nitrogen and carbon fixation and the permeation of runoff water and nutrients in the soil. Results: The present study has investigated the association of biological soil crusts, the development of fertile islands, and the formation of plant patches in part of the Takht-e Soltan protected area, located in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. Three sites were randomly selected as the working units and differentiated based on their geomorphological characteristics to the alluvial fan, hillslope, and fluvial terrace landforms. Two-step systematic random sampling was conducted along a 100-meter transect using a 5 m² plot at a 0-5 cm depth in three repetitions. Fifteen samplings were carried out at each site with a total of 45 samples taken. The results showed that the difference in altitude has a significant relationship with species diversity and decreases with decreasing altitude. Results have revealed that the moisture content of the site, with biocrust has had a considerable increase compared to the other sites, helping to form vegetation patterns and fertile islands. Conclusions: The findings indicated that biological crusts had impacted the allocation of soil parameters. They affect the formation of plant patches by increasing the soil's organic carbon, nitrogen, moisture and nutrient content provide a suitable space for plant growth by increasing the soil fertility in the inter-patch space.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2018

This study is to find the optimum draw solution in fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis desalination. Considering osmotic pressure, solubility, and pH, 20 blended fertilizers were screened. Their performance were evaluated in terms of pure water permeate flux, reverse solute flux, and specific reverse solute flux for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The pure water permeate flux of blended fertilizers including KCl were relatively higher. The reverse solute flux and specific reverse solute flux for nitrogen of blended fertilizers containing ${NO_3}^-$ ion were relatively higher than those of the nitrate ion-free draw solution. Those for phosphorus, and potassium of blended fertilizers including $NH_4H_2PO_4$, and $KNO_3$ were relatively higher than those of the phosphorus-free, and potassium-free draw solution, respectively. The blended fertilizer of $NH_4H_2PO_4$ and KCl contains all of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are essential elements of fertilizer, and has the relatively high water permeation flux and the low reverse solute flux for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Therefore, it is the most effective draw solution for fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis desalination.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.252-259
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• 2020

Olefins are industrially important materials used for the synthesis of various petrochemicals. During the polymerization process, unreacted olefin monomers are discharged together with a large amount of nitrogen. For economic benefits, these olefin gases should be efficiently separated from nitrogen. In this study, a poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) (PGM) comb-like copolymer was synthesized and 4,4'-diaminoazobenzene (DAAB) was introduced to the copolymer to prepare a cross-linked membrane for C₃H₆/N₂ separation. PGM and DAAB were readily reacted at room temperature through an epoxide-amine reaction without additional thermal treatment. PGM-based membrane, which is a glassy polymer, showed a faster permeation of N₂ compared to C₃H₆. The pristine PGM membrane exhibited the N₂ permeability of 0.12 barrer and the high N₂/C₃H₆ selectivity of 32.4. As DAAB was introduced as a cross-linker, the thermal stability of the membrane was significantly improved, which was confirmed by TGA result. The N₂/C₃H₆ selectivity was decreased at 1 wt% of DAAB content, but the N₂ permeability increased by approximately 4.7 times. We analyzed N₂/C₃H₆ gas separation properties through a glassy polymer-based membrane, which has not been widely studied. Also, we proposed that thermal stability of the membrane can be greatly improved by the cross-linking method.