• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.400-414
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• 2021

Under high-level radioactive waste repository conditions, bentonite as an engineered barrier material undergoes thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes. We report the applications of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging technique on the characterization and analysis of bentonite over the past decade to provide a reference of the utilization of this technique and the recent research trends. This overview of the X-ray CT technique applications includes the characterization of the bentonite either in pellets or powder form. X-ray imaging has provided a means to extract grain information at the microscale and identify crack networks responsible for the pellets' heterogeneity. Regarding samples of pellets-powder mixtures under hydration, X-ray CT allowed the identification and monitoring of heterogeneous zones throughout the test. Some results showed how zones with pellets only swell faster compared to others composed of pellets and powder. Moreover, the behavior of fissures between grains and bentonite matrix was observed to change under drying and hydrating conditions, tending to close during the former and open during the latter. The development of specializing software has allowed obtaining strain fields from a sequence of images. In more recent works, X-ray CT technique has served to estimate the dry density, water content, and particle displacement at different testing times. Also, when temperature was added to the hydration process of a sample, CT technology offered a way to observe localized and global density changes over time.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2022

As the use of chemical products increases in daily life, the removal of dye waste has also emerged as an important environmental issue. This dye waste can be decomposed using a photocatalyst, and the photocatalyst can be synthesized very cost-effectively by using the sol-gel technology. The sol-gel technology is not only very useful for nanoscale film formation, but also can simply form multilayer structures. Using a multiple spin coating method, in this study, a ZnO film with a multilayered structure (3 layers, 5 layers) was formed by using zinc oxide (ZnO), which is effective in decomposing various dyes. For performance comparison, a ZnO film having a single layer structure by a single spin coating method was prepared as a control. Structural and elemental analysis of ZnO film was performed using an X-ray diffraction analyzer and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. A nanowire-like surface morphology could be observed through a scanning electron microscope. Additionally, UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to measure the absorbance of UV light. The ZnO film with a five-layer structure degraded the simulated methylene blue by 49% more than the ZnO film with a single-layer structure. In conclusion, it was found that ZnO having a multilayered structure is useful as a photocatalyst that decomposes methylene blue dye more effectively.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2024

The volume of shells, a prominent form of marine waste, is steadily increasing each year. However, a significant portion of these shells is either discarded or left near coastlines, posing environmental and social concerns. Utilizing shells as a substitute for traditional aggregates presents a potential solution, especially considering the diminishing availability of natural aggregates. This approach could effectively reduce transportation logistics costs, thereby promoting resource recycling. In this study, we explore the feasibility of employing wasted shell aggregates in 3D concrete printing technology for marine structures. Despite the advantages, it is observed that 3D printing concrete with wasted shells as aggregates results in lower strength compared to ordinary concrete, attributed to pores at the interface of shells and cement paste. Microstructure characterization becomes essential for evaluating mechanical properties. We conduct an analysis of the mechanical properties and microstructure of 3D printing concrete specimens incorporating wasted shells. Additionally, a mix design is proposed, taking into account flowability, extrudability, and buildability. To assess mechanical properties, compression and bonding strength specimens are fabricated using a 3D printer, and subsequent strength tests are conducted. Microstructure characteristics are analyzed through scanning electron microscope tests, providing high-resolution images. A histogram-based segmentation method is applied to segment pores, and porosity is compared based on the type of wasted shell. Pore characteristics are quantified using a probability function, establishing a correlation between the mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics of the specimens according to the type of wasted shell.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 2014

Radioactive materials are in use and have many applications from the generation of electricity to the purposes of research, industry and medicine such as diagnosis and therapy. In the course of their use some of radioactive substances may be discharged into the environment from facilities using the unsealed radioactive materials, which are main artificial sources occurring the public exposure. Discharges are in the form of gases, particles or liquids. This paper provides procedures to estimate the level of the public exposure based on the conservative assumptions and simple calculations in the facility using unsealed liquid sources. They consist of two processes; (1) to calculate maximum concentration of gaseous effluents discharged through the exhaust pipe and average concentration of liquid effluents discharged through the drain of the storage tank, (2) to compare each of them to numerical guidances for the discharges of radioactive gaseous and liquid effluents mentioned in the related notification. For this purpose followings are assumed properly; daily usage, form and dispersion rate of radionuclides, daily amount of radioactive liquid waste and exhaust and drainage equipment. The procedures are readily applicable to evaluate environmental effects by planned effluent discharges from facilities using the unsealed radioactive materials. In addition they may be utilized to obtain practical requirements for radiation safety control necessary for the reductions of the public exposure.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2009

The feasibility of electrokinetic remediation was investigated in the laboratory to treat contaminated soil with Zn, Ni and F. Electro-migration and electro-osmosis are the major removal mechanisms because fluorines desorbed from soil exist as an anionic form in soil pores, and Zn and Ni exist as a cationic form. Desorption of fluorine was enhanced under the alkaline condition, but that of Zn and Ni increased under the acidic condition. Sequential pH control was effective to control the mixed wastes from contaminated soil. 2 V/cm was applied to reactor to evaluate the effect of constant voltage gradient, after two weeks, the removal efficiency of Zn, Ni and F was 20.5%, 2.5% and 57.4%, respectively. Even though the removal of Zn and Ni was very low, the pH control enhanced transport of Zn and Ni significantly. As a result, sequential pH control is a effective method to remediate mixed waste-contaminated soil.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.795-801
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• 2016

This study is on the denitrification process using the sodium alginate and $CaCl_2$ as a flocculant. Removal techniques of nitrate nitrogen from waste water are reverse osmosis, ion exchange, electro dialysis and biological method etc. We tried to remove nitrate nitrogen with flocculation and sedimentation method in the present study. Calcium alginate is expected to form a chelate bond with nitrate nitrogen in the solution. So the effects of flocculantt component, flocculation reaction time, molar ratio of the flocculant, flocculant injection rate are studied to determine the best removal rate of nitrate nitrogen. In addition, we tried to determine the nitrate nitrogen removal mechanism by analyzing the structure and component ratio of the configuration after the agglutination precipitate by FE-SEM and EDS. As a result, the nitrate nitrogen removal mechanism is turned out to form calcium-nitro-alginate, and the best mole ratio of flocculating agent is 1 : 1, the injection rate of the flocculant was up to 2%, the removal rate of the nitrate nitrogen to be 56.7% in the synthetic wastewater.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.539-547
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• 1993

A stochastic approach using continuous time Markov process is presented to model the one-dimensional nuclide transport in fractured rock media as a further extension for previous works［1-3］. Nuclide transport of decay chain of arbitrary length in the single planar fractured rock media in the vicinity of the radioactive waste repository is modeled using a continuous time Markov process. While most of analytical solutions for nuclide transport of decay chain deal with the limited length of decay chain, do not consider the case of having rock matrix diffusion, and have very complicated solution form, the present model offers rather a simplified solution in the form of expectance and its variance resulted from a stochastic modeling. As another deterministic way, even numerical models of decay chain transport, in most cases, show very complicated procedure to get the solution and large discrepancy for the exact solution as opposed to the stochastic model developed in this study. To demonstrate the use of the present model and to verify the model by comparing with the deterministic model, a specific illustration was made for the transport of a chain of three member in single fractured rock medium with constant groundwater flow rate in the fracture, which ignores the rock matrix diffusion and shows good capability to model the fractured media around the repository.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.35-44
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to prevent spreading of contaminants from movement of underground water by creating a barrier using artificial freezing method on a soil contaminated by oils and various NAPLs. Specimens with 80% and 90% degrees of saturation were prepared to form freezing barrier using artificial freezing method. With increasing freezing time of freezing barrier, barrier was formed faster in the specimen with 90% degree of saturation by about an hour compared to the specimen with 80% degree of saturation. In addition, thinnest thickness of frozen barrier in both specimens was 50mm after 12 hours of freezing time, showing expansion of freezing area with time. The results of this study can be applied to barrier in waste reclamation sites and contaminated regions or to flow control of contaminants.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2015

Ballast water is carried by ships to ensure stability, trim and structural integrity. When a ship loads cargo, the ballast water is discharged. When foreign marine microorganisms are introduced into new marine environments, they pose a threat to the local marine ecological system. UV system is commonly used for the disinfection of waste and surface water. This method would not be as efficient because some species do survive to form viable populations, much of the sediment and organisms at the bottom of tanks, and may become serious pests. In this paper, we designed and implemented ballast water treatment system using fuzzy PID controller to prevent lamp damage, and to reduce the formation of the viable populations. The experiments were conducted with ballast water treatment system using fuzzy PID controller with short time exposure to the temperature above $40^{\circ}C$. This system was shown to be effective by significantly reducing bacterial population and lamp life extension through appropriate temperature of ballast water.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2015

We develop advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of spent electroless nickel plating solution. Apart form recovering nickel by leaching and enrichment, more emphasis is placed on rendering the waste water recyclable via oxidizing phosphite and hypophosphite into phosphate which can then be precipitated easily. $UV/H_2O_2$ process is employed and the conversion efficiency of COD and $PO_4-P$, and $H_2O_2$ consumption are analyzed. Furthermore, the $UV/H_2O_2/O_3$ process in conjunction with $O_3$ generator enables us to not only save the treatment time by 6 hours but also reduce $H_2O_2$ consumption by 30%.