• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.243-249
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• 2013

Fibers of microbial polyesters, poly(3-hydroxy butyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxy butyrate-co-3-hydroxy valerate) (HB-co-HV) were prepared by electrospinning method. The obtained fibers were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and oil absorption. The formation of fibers was strongly dependent on a concentration of solution. At a low concentration, the fibers contained beads which is from aggregation of polymer due to short evaporation time. The fine fibers with $2-5{\mu}m$ diameter were obtained at 20 wt% concentration. The contact angle measurement showed that the fiber had higher water contact angle than the film due to the lotus-like effect. Oil absorbency showed that the fiber had higher than the film. Specially, the HB-co-HV fiber which was spinned from 20 wt% absorbed 65% oil which is much higher than that of a normal polypropylene-based oil paper.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.350-356
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• 2005

Poly(methyl methauylate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites were incorporated into acrylic bone cement in order to improve the mechanical properties and reduce the exotherm of acrylic bone cement. The nanocomposites were prepared using a suspension polymerization and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, trans-mission electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, particle size analyzer and electron dispersive spectroscopy. The acrylic bone cements with poly (methyl methacrylate)/nanocomposite s were prepared and their thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. The prepared polymeric beads were composed of polymer-intercalated nanocomposites with partially exfoliated MMT layers, and the mean diameter of them was $50\~60$ fm with the spherical shape. The maximum setting temperature of the acrylic bone cements decreased from 98 to $81\~87^{circ}C$. The mechanical strengths and moduli of the acrylic bone cement with 0.1 $wt\%$ MMT were increased. compared to that without MMT. However, the mechanical properties were generally decreased with increasing incorporated MMT amounts. It is presumably due to the bubbles in nanocomposite beads generated during polymerization.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.18 no.2 s.87
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

In order to prepare PAN nano fiber web, PAN/DMF solution was prepared and electrospun. The diameter of fiber was depended on the polymer concentration (7.5-15wt%) and the applied voltage (10-16kV). The average diameter of fiber increased with an increase of the polymer concentration and decreased with the applied voltage. At 7.5wt% concentration, many beads were found. So, we prepared a nano PAN fiber by electrospinning at concentration of 10wt% and 16kV. PAN fibers were reduced with litium aluminium hydride and the dyeability to acid dye was checked. The reduced nano PAN fiber showed much better dyeability compared with the reduced ordinary PAN fiber. It was considered that the increase of specific surface area have an important role in dyeing with acid dye.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.849-862
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• 2017

With growing interests in using bacterial biopolymers in geotechnical practices, identifying mechanical properties of soft gel-like biopolymers is important in predicting their efficacy in soil modification and treatment. As one of the promising candidates, dextran was found to be produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The model bacteria utilize sucrose as working material and synthesize both soluble and insoluble dextran which forms a complex and inhomogeneous polymer network. However, the traditional rheometer has a limitation to capture in situ properties of inherently porous and inhomogeneous biopolymers. Therefore, we used the particle tracking microrheology to characterize the material properties of the dextran polymer. TEM images revealed a range of pore size mostly less than $20{\mu}m$, showing large pores > $2{\mu}m$ and small pores within the solid matrix whose sizes are less than $1{\mu}m$. Microrheology data showed two distinct regimes in the bacterial dextran, purely viscous pore region of soluble dextran and viscoelastic region of the solid part of insoluble dextran matrix. Diffusive beads represented the soluble dextran dissolved in an aqueous phase, of which viscosity was three times higher than the growth medium viscosity. The local properties of the insoluble dextran were extracted from the results of the minimally moving beads embedded in the dextran matrix or trapped in small pores. At high frequency (${\omega}>0.2Hz$), the insoluble dextran showed the elastic behavior with the storage modulus of ~0.1 Pa. As frequency decreased, the insoluble dextran matrix exhibited the viscoelastic behavior with the decreasing storage modulus in the range of ${\sim}0.1-10^{-3}Pa$ and the increasing loss modulus in the range of ${\sim}10^{-4}-1\;Pa$. The obtained results provide a compilation of frequency-dependent rheological or viscoelastic properties of soft gel-like porous biopolymers at the particular conditions where soil bacteria produce bacterial biopolymers in subsurface.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.409-414
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• 2008

The fabrication of gelatin nanofibers by electro spinning has been examined using the TFE/DW co-solvent system. It has been found that no beads-on-string structure was formed for the solution containing ionic salts. The resulting fibers exhibited a uniform diameter ranging from 110 to 125 nm. As the concentration of ionic salts increases, the beads become smaller and more spindle like, due to the increase of viscosity and conductivity. The addition of ionic salts induces a higher charge density on the surface of ejected jet during spinning, leading that higher elongation forces are applied to the jet. The higher enhancement of viscosity and conductivity was observed in gelatin solutions by the use of divalent salt. However, the concentration of ionic salts scarcely affected the variation of fiber diameter. While very low crystallinity was observed from XRD pattern for the sample containing no ionic salt, which increased with increasing the concentration of ionic salts.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2019

Objective: To determine the effect of gut pH and rumen microbial fermentation on glycerol encapsulated in alginate and alginate-chitosan polymers. Methods: Glycerol was encapsulated at 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, or 10% (w/w) with sodium alginate (A) and alginate-chitosan (AC) polymers. Surface morphology and chemical modifications of the beads were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Encapsulation efficiency was determined at the 5% glycerol inclusion level in two experiments. In experiment 1, 0.5 g of alginate-glycerol (AG) and alginate-chitosan glycerol (ACG) beads were incubated for 2 h at $39^{\circ}C$ in pH 2 buffer followed by 24 h in pH 8 buffer to simulate gastric and intestinal conditions, respectively. In experiment 2, 0.5 g of AG and ACG beads were incubated in pH 6 buffer at $39^{\circ}C$ for 8 h to simulate rumen conditions. All incubations were replicated four times. Free glycerol content was determined using a spectrophotometer and used to assess loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency. An in vitro experiment with mixed cultures of rumen microbes was conducted to determine effect of encapsulation on microbial fermentation. Data were analyzed according to a complete block design using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Results: For AG and ACG, loading capacity and efficiency were 64.7%, 74.7%, 70.3%, and 78.1%, respectively. Based on the FTIR spectra and scanning electron microscopy, ACG treatment demonstrated more intense and stronger ionic bonds. At pH 6, 36.1% and 29.7% of glycerol was released from AG and ACG, respectively. At pH 2 minimal glycerol was released but pH 8 resulted in 95.7% and 93.9% of glycerol released from AG and ACG, respectively. In vitro microbial data show reduced (p<0.05) fermentation of encapsulated glycerol after 24 h of incubation. Conclusion: The AC polymer provided greater protection in acidic pH with a gradual release of intact glycerol when exposed to an alkaline pH.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.207-223
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• 2003

For last five years, we are developing the novel local drug delivery devices using biodegradable polymers, especially polylactide (PLA) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) due to its relatively good biocompatibility, easily controlled biodegradability, good processability and only FDA approved synthetic degradable polymers. The relationship between various kinds of drug [water soluble small molecule drugs: gentamicin sulfate (GS), fentanyl citrate (FC), BCNU, azidothymidine (AZT), pamidronate (ADP), $1,25(OH)_2$ vitamin $D_3$, water insoluble small molecule drugs: fentanyl, ipriflavone (IP) and nifedipine, and water soluble large peptide molecule drug: nerve growth factor (NGF), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)], different types of geometrical devices [microspheres (MSs), microcapsule, nanoparticle, wafers, pellet, beads, multiple-layered beads, implants, fiber, scaffolds, and films], and pharmacological activity are proposed and discussed for the application of pharmaceutics and tissue engineering. Also, local drug delivery devices proposed in this work are introduced in view of preparation method, drug release behavior, biocompatibility, pharmacological effect, and animal studies. In conclusion, we can control the drug release profiles varying with the preparation, formulation and geometrical parameters. Moreover, any types of drug were successfully applicable to achieve linear sustained release from short period ($1{\sim}3$ days) to long period (over 2 months). It is very important to design a suitable formulation for the wanting period of bioactive molecules loaded in biodegradable polymers for the local delivery of drug. The drug release is affected by many factors such as hydrophilicity of drug, electric charge of drug, drug loading amount, polymer molecular weight, the monomer composition, the size of implants, the applied fabrication techniques, and so on. It is well known that the commercialization of new drug needs a lot of cost of money (average: over 10 million US dollar per one drug) and time (average: above 9 years) whereas the development of DDS and high effective generic drug might be need relatively low investment with a short time period. Also, one core technology of DDS can be applicable to many drugs for the market needs. From these reasons, the DDS research on potent generic drugs might be suitable for less risk and high return.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.760-766
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• 2014

Bead type super-absorbent resins to be used for release-control were prepared by modification of the inverse suspension polymerization, and their physical properties were characterized. Acrylic acid and acrylamide were used as monomers, and N,N-methylenebisacrylamide was used as crosslinker, controlling the viscosity of monomer solution by adding hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC). SEM studies of the synthesized beads verified that the bead surfaces had many pores with their diameters of several tens nm. The bead sizes were in the range of $500{\sim}3000{\mu}m$, depending on the viscosity of the monomer solution. Both absorbent amount and absorbent rate of the beads were inversely proportional to the bead size, and the maximum water absorbent amount of 1 g beads was determined to be ca. 170~200 g for 5 hrs. The absorbent rate was also dependent on pH change of the aqueous solution, exhibiting the maximum rate in pH ranging from 5 to 11. The absorbent rate decreased as the concentration of salt (NaCl and $MgCl_2$) or ethanol and ethylene glycol increased. Release time of the water absorbed into the bead resins was 700 hrs, confirming the usefulness of the resin for the good release-control materials.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Fabrication of monolayer is important method for enhancing physical and chemical characteristics such as light shielding and antireflection while maintaining thin film properties. In previous studies, monolayers were fabricated by various methods on small substrates, but processes were complicated and difficult to form monolayers with large area. We used rod coating equipment with a small amount of coating liquid to form a HCP (hexagonal closed packing) coating of PMMA beads on PET(poly(ethylene terephthalate)) substrate with $20cm{\times}20cm$ size. We observed that changes in morphologies of monolayers by using the solvents with different boiling points and vapor pressures, by adapting surfactants on particles and by applying plasma treatment on substrates. The coverage was increased by 20% by optimizing the coating conditions including meniscus of beads, control of the attraction - repulsion forces and surface energy. This result can potentially be applied to optical films and sensors because it is possible to make a uniform and large-scale monolayer in a simple and rapid manner when it is compared to the methods in previous studies.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.274-280
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• 2014

Polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes were prepared via the nonsolvent induced phase separation technique. The cosolvent of ${\gamma}$-butyrolactone (GBL) was added to the polymer solution containing a mixture of PSf and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Water was utilized as a precipitation nonsolvent. The morphology of prepared membranes was investigated using a field emission scanning electron microscopy. The fabricated membrane showed a typical asymmetric structure such as the dense layer on the porous support layer by the addition of GBL to the polymer solution. As the concentration of GBL increased, the asymmetric porous structure was shown to be more intensified. It was thought that the added GBL played a role of enhancing the liquid-liquid phase separation of the polymer solution, since the cosolvent of GBL might change the thermodynamic solubility parameter of the doping solution. Permeation properties through the prepared hollow fiber membranes were characterized by measuring the pure water flux and the solute rejection using $0.05{\mu}m$ polystyrene latex (PSL) beads. Experimental results revealed that the use of PEG as the internal coagulant enhanced the pure water flux up to 130 times compared to the use of EG while the rejection of the PSL beads decreased only 5%.