• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2005

Catalytic wet oxidation of ppm levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) in water has been conducted using $TiO_2$-supported cobalt oxides at a given temperature and weight hourly space velocity. 5% $CoO_x/TiO_2$ might be the most promising catalyst for the wet oxidation at $36^{\circ}C$ although it exhibited a transient behavior in time on-stream activity. Not only could the bare support be inactive for the wet decomposition reaction, but no TCE removal also occurred by the process of adsorption on $TiO_2$ surface. The catalytic activity was independent of all particle sizes used, thereby representing no mass transfer limitation in intraparticle diffusion. Characterization of the $CoO_x$ catalyst by acquiring XPS spectra of both fresh and used Co surfaces gave different surface spectral features of each $CoO_x$. Co $2p_{3/2}$ binding energy of Co species exposed predominantly onto the outermost surface of the fresh catalyst appeared at 781.3 eV, which is very similar to the chemical states of $CoTiO_x$ such as $Co_2TiO_4$ and $CoTiO_3$. The spent catalyst possessed a 780.3 eV main peak with a satellite structure at 795.8 eV. Based on XPS spectra of reference Co compound, the TCE-exposed Co surfaces could be assigned to be in the form of mainly $Co_3O_4$. XRD measurements indicated that the phase structure of Co species in 5% $CoO_x/TiO_2$ catalyst even before reaction is quite comparable to the diffraction lines of external $Co_3O_4$ standard. A model structure of $CoO_x$ present on titania surfaces would be $Co_3O_4$, encapsulated in thin-film $CoTiO_x$ species consisting of $Co_2TiO_4$ and $CoTiO_3$, which may be active for the decomposition of TCE in a flow of water.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.95-111
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• 2004

This research sought to determine the status of the installation and operation of composting facilities of domestic public resource-making facilities and come up with corresponding improvement measures. The composting facilities were the most extensively installed of related facilities with over a 0.5 ton treated volume per day. The monthly and yearly carry-in volume of food waste were found to stand at 1,101.7 tons per day and 930.9 tons per day, thus falling short of the average planned volume of 1,270.9 tons. Many composting facilities, which were installed in areas for which factory registration were not approved, did not get approvals. Composting facilities underwent operation stoppage mainly due to faulty fermentation and crushing equipment. Mainly metals contained in food waste caused faults to the crushing equipment, thus requiring a facility designing against faults and corrosion. The initial water content was found to stand at 50-60%, thus complying with the requirement. However, since the composting food waste had an appropriate mixture of sawdust, food waste, and returned compost, it should meet the initial conditions. For fermentation facilities, the duration time for fermentation was 15 days, and post-fermentation tanks required 21 days of duration time, thus establishing the minimum criteria. However, some facilities did not meet the requirements, taking more time in decomposition, thus suggesting a need to determine the duration time according to facilities. In composting food waste, microorganism-based thermal oxidizer-operated fermentation tanks should be used to ensure an economic operation. On the contrary, 14 out of 25 survey targets heated fermentation tanks in any form. These thermal facilities contain the growth of bacteria, lowering chemical reaction in composting; thus composting facilities should be basically designed to use microorganism-based thermal oxidizers in drying water. An average daily volume of food waste and supplementary materials that was injected in producing compost was 22.8 tons. This volume produced 7.3 tons of compost per day, decreasing 68%. Properties of produced compost were analyzed by its color, absence or presence of remaining decomposition heat, and smell, to assess the quality. As a result, the composting process was not properly installed nor operated in about 50% of composting facilities. Compost should be produced to be soil-friendly.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.397-405
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the potential of producing bioethanol from Liriodendron tulipifera by using oxalic acid pretreatment. Amounts of fermentable sugars, mostly xylose and glucose, in the liquid fraction (hydrolysate) was $40.22g/{\ell}$ after the biomass was pretreated with 0.037 g/g of oxalic acid for 20 minutes at $160^{\circ}C$. Production amounts of ethanol was $8.6g/{\ell}$ from the 72 hours of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) on solid fraction of the pretreated sample. At the same condition, when the reaction time increased to 40 minutes, $32.66g/{\ell}$ of fermentable sugars in the hydrolysate and $9.5g/{\ell}$ of ethanol was produced from the process of pretreatment and SSF. As a result of analyzing the fermentation inhibitors, such as acetic acid, 5-HMF, furfural and total phenolic compounds, as the reaction time increased, the amount of the fermentation inhibitors in the hydrolysate increased. Production of the fermentation inhibitors was more affected by initial concentration of oxalic acid rather than reaction time. $3.39{\sim}5.78g/{\ell}$ of acetic acid was produced by pretreatment with 0.013 g/g of oxalic acid, and the amount of furfural produced by decomposition of xylose was 2~3 times higher than the amount of 5-HMF produced by decomposition of glucose. All the hydrolysates contained more than $5g/{\ell}$ of total phenols considered as the degradation product of lignin. Therefore, by analyzing the amount of fermentable sugars and fermentation inhibitors in the hydrolysate, and producing ethanol from SSF of solid fraction of the pretreated sample, the biomass pretreated with 0.037 g/g of oxalic acid for 20 minutes at $160^{\circ}C$ can be expected to produce the most ethanol.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.557-565
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• 2018

We examined the nutrient dynamics during the leaf litter decomposition rate and process of Pinus rigida and Pinus koraiensis in Gongju for 21 months from December 2014 to September 2016 as a part of National Long-Term Ecological Research Program in Korea. The remaining weight rate of P. rigida and P. koraiensis leaf litter was $58.27{\pm}4.13$ and $54.08{\pm}4.32%$, respectively, indicating that the P. koraiensis leaf litter decomposed faster than P. rigida leaf litter. The decay constant (k) of P. rigida leaf litter and P.koraiensis leaf litter after 21 months was 0.95 and 1.08, respectively, indicating that P. koraiensis leaf litter decayed faster than P. rigida leaf litter probably due to the difference of nitrogen concentration between the two. The C/N ratio of P. rigida and P. koraiensis leaf litter was 64.4 and 40.6, respectively, initially, and then decreased to 41.0 and 18.9, respectively, after 21 months. The C/P ratio of P. rigida and P. koraiensis leaf litter was 529.8 and 236.5, respectively, and then decreased to 384.1, 205.2, respectively, after 21 months. The contents of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were 6.78, 0.83, 2.84, 0.99, and 2.59 mg/g, respectively, in the P. rigida leaf litter and 10.90, 1.87, 5.82, 4.79, and 2.00 mg/g, respectively, in the P. koraiensis leaf litter, indicating that the elements except the magnesium showed higher contents in P. koraiensis. After 21 months elapsed, remaining N, P, K, Ca, and Mg was 88.4, 77.6, 26.7, 50.5 and 44.5%, respectively, in decomposing P. rigida, and 114.4, 61.3, 7.6, 115.2 and 72.0%, respectively, decomposing P. koraiensis leaf litter.

• Clean Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2024

In this study, the mechanical stability of red mud was improved for its commercial use as a catalyst to effectively decompose HFC-134a, one of the seven major greenhouse gases. Red mud is an industrial waste discharged from aluminum production, but it can be used for the decomposition of HFC-134a. Red mud can be manufactured into a catalyst via the crushing-preparative-compression molding-firing process, and it is possible to improve the catalyst performance and secure mechanical stability through calcination. In order to determine the optimal heat treatment conditions, pellet-shaped compressed red mud samples were calcined at 300, 600, 800 ℃ using a muffle furnace for 5 hours. The mechanical stability was confirmed by the weight loss rate before and after ultra-sonication after the catalyst was immersed in distilled water. The catalyst calcined at 800 ℃ (RM 800) was found to have the best mechanical stability as well as the most catalytic activity. The catalyst performance and durability tests that were performed for 100 hours using the RM 800 catalyst showed thatmore than 99% of 1 mol% HFC-134a was degraded at 650 ℃, and no degradation in catalytic activity was observed. XRD analysis showed tri-calcium aluminate and gehlenite crystalline phases, which enhance mechanical strength and catalytic activity due to the interaction of Ca, Si, and Al after heat treatment at 800 ℃. SEM/EDS analysis of the durability tested catalysts showed no losses in active substances or shape changes due to HFC-134a abasement. Through this research, it is expected that red mud can be commercialized as a catalyst for waste refrigerant treatment due to its high economic feasibility, high decomposition efficiency and mechanical stability.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.62-67
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• 2008

Oil shale is a sedimentary rock that contains organic compounds called kerogen that are released as petroleum-like liquids by retorting. In order to evalute oil shale as alternative oil resources, the physical properties of oil shale samples from US and Russia were investigated and Fischer assays were carried out. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that thermal degradation of oil shale consisted of two stage processes, with hydrocarbon release from kerogen followed by $CO_2$ release by carbonate decomposition. Organic compounds in oil shale have an high hydrogen/carbon ratio, and therefore liquid hydrocarbons could be obtained easily. Shale oil yields from Russian and US oil shales by Fischer assay were 12.7% and 18.5%, respectively. The density and boiling point of shale oils are higher than that of Middle East crude oil, indicating that further upgrading processes are necessary for refinery. On the other hands, sulfur contents are relatively low, and the amounts of Vanadium and Nickel are extremely small in shale oil. It was found that paraffins were rich in US shale oil while main components of Russian shale oil were oxygenated hydrocarbons.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 1984

This study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of exothermic heat and compost generated from decomposition of organic wastes composts were piled up with various sources of raw materials of rice straw, rice husk, human and animal wastes. The duration of generated exothermic heat during compositing process was longer in mixture piles of rice straw/rice husk ratio of 1:1 compared to rice straw alone. Temperature in compost piles added with phosphate as fused superphosphate fertilizer was rapidly increased at the earlier stage of composting and gradually decreased in 30 days compared to the check. pH of compost showed 5.5 at initial piling, however, its peak appeared 8.8 in 10 days with rapidly increasing temperature of compost and maintained around 8.3 after one month. Compost of mixture of rice straw and chicken droppings maintained temperature ranges of 30 to $65^{\circ}C$ for 39 days, compost of rice straw, rice husk and chicken droppings for 69 days, piles of rice straw, rice husk and hog manure for 56 days, mixture of rice straw, rice husk and cow manure for 66 days and compost of rice straw, rice husk and human wastes for 21 days.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2001

To examine functionality of depolymerized alginate obtained by hydrolysis of alginate through a heating process at $121^{\circ}C$ on gastrointestinal physiology, the changes of body weight, organ weight and length, pancreatic and small intestinal composition, and light microscopy (LM) observation of small intestinal microvilli's appearances were checked in the rats. Rats were fed diets containing $1\%, 5\%, and 10\%$ of each depolymerized alginate (HAG-10, HAG-50, HAG-100) and alginate for 35 days, The feeding of 5 and $10\%$ HAG-50 and $10\%$ alginate diets for 35 days significantly depressed the body weight gain, but increased the length and weight of the small intestine and cecum in rats (p<0.01). Pancreatic protease activity was decreased significantly (p<0.01) in all groups except lo/o of HAG-10 diets, but the protein content increased in all groups, However, pancreatic amylase and lipase activities as well as DNA and RNA content were not significantly different. The small intestinal protein and the DNA content were the highest in diets fed $5\%$ HAG-50; RNA content increased significantly (p<0.01) in all groups except in the fiber-free diets. Light microscopy (LM) observation showed growth of small intestinal microvilli with numerous ridges; the multiplication of the convolution goblet cells in rats fed with diets containing $5\%$ of HAG-50 were more than others group.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2004

The stability of the prepared silica membrane by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in the HI-$H_2O$ gaseous mixture was evaluated aiming at the application for hydrogen iodide decomposition in the thermochemical IS process. Porous $\alpha$-alumina having pore size of 100 nm was modified by the different CVD temperature using tetraethoxysilane as the Si source. The CVD temperature was $700^{\circ}C$, $650^{\circ}C$, and $600^{\circ}C$. The $H_2$/H$_2$ selectivities of the modified membranes which were measured by single-component permeation experiment showed 43.2, 12.6, and 8.7 at $600^{\circ}C$ for the M1 (CVD temperature was $700^{\circ}C$), M2 (CVD temperature was $650^{\circ}C$) and M3 membranes (CVD temperature was $600^{\circ}C$), respectively. Stability experiment in the HI-$H_2O$ gaseous mixture was carried out at $450^{\circ}C$. The prepared silica membrane at $600^{\circ}C$ of CVD temperature was more stable than that at the other CVD temperature.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.201-213
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• 1990

Mineralogy, chemistry, physical property, and fossil abundance have been studied for the samples collected from three weathering profiles, two from the Duho Formation and one from the Hagjeon Formation in the Tertiary sediments in the Pohang area. The mineralogy of the samples from the Duho Formation shows somewhat different from that of the Hagjeon Formation. Kaolinite is more abundant and shows higher crystallinity in samples from the Duho Formation than those in the Hagjeon Formation, but clay mineral assemblage in each weathering profile remain fairly constant with depth. This difference in mineral distribution seems to be inherited from original source materials. It indicates that little or not severe leaching has been taking place in these three weathering profiles. Weathering indicies indicate different degrees of susceptibility to chemical weathering in these two formations. The Duho Formation has a higher degree of susceptibility to weathering than that of the Hagjeon Formation which is mainly due to differences in clay mineral assemblages in both formations. A noticeble colour difference between oxidized and unoxidized zones in each profile can be easily recognized which is definetely due to different decomposition rate organic carbon by various oxidation state from surface to bottom of the profile. Weathering process have also intensively influenced microfossil preservation about up to 7-10 m in depth in the Duho Formation. Consequently, characteristics observed at weathering surface should be used as a subsidiary tool in setting geologic boundary or establishing formation. Great care must be taken to choose sampling site for microfossil study.