• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.482-493
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• 2005

Biomass is originally photosynthesized from inorgainic compounds such as $CO_2$, minerals, water and solar energy. Recent studies have shown that anaerobic bacteria have the ability to convert recalcitrant biomass such as cellullosic or chitinoic materials to useful compounds. The biomass containing agricultural waste, unutilized wood and other garbage is expected to utilize as feed, food and fuel by microbial degradation and other metabolic functions. In this study we isolated several anaerobic, cellulolytic and chitinolytic bacteria from rumen fluid, compost and soil to study their related enzymes and genes. The anaerobic and cellulolytic bacteria, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium stercorarium, and Clostridium josui, were isolated from compost and the chitinolytic Clostridium paraputrificum from beach soil and Ruminococcus albus was isolated from cow rumen. After isolation, novel cellulase and xylanase genes from these anaerobes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The properties of the cloned enzymes showed that some of them were the components of the enzyme (cellulase) complex, i.e., cellulosome, which is known to form complexes by binding cohesin domains on the cellulase integrating protein (Cip: or core protein) and dockerin domains on the enzymes. Several dockerin and cohesin polypeptides were independently produced by E. coli and their binding properties were specified with BIAcore by measuring surface plasmon resonance. Three pairs of cohesin-dockerin with differing binding specificities were selected. Two of their genes encoding their respective cohesin polypeptides were combined to one gene and expressed in E. coli as a chimeric core protein, on which two dockerin-dehydrogenase chimeras, the dockerin-formaldehyde dehydrogenase and the dockerin-NADH dehydrogenase are planning to bind for catalyzing $CO_2$ reduction to formic acid by feeding NADH. This reaction may represent a novel strategy for the reduction of the green house gases. Enzymes from the anaerobes were also expressed in tobacco and rice plants. The activity of a xylanase from C. stercorarium was detected in leaves, stems, and rice grain under the control of CaMV35S promoter. The digestibility of transgenic rice leaves in goat rumen was slightly accelerated. C. paraputrificum was found to solubilize shrimp shells and chitin to generate hydrogen gas. Hydrogen productivity (1.7 mol $H_2/mol$ glucos) of the organism was improved up to 1.8 times by additional expression of the own hydrogenase gene in C. paraputrficum using a modified vector of Clostridiu, perfringens. The hydrygen producing microflora from soil, garbage and dried pelletted garbage, known as refuse derived fuel(RDF), were also found to be effective in converting biomass waste to hydrogen gas.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.5-15
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• 2014

Abandoned mine deposits are exposed to various physico-chemical geo-environmental hazards and disasters, such as acid mine drainage, water contamination, erosion, and landslides. This paper presents the ring shear characteristics of waste materials. The ring shear box with a rotatable O-ring was used in this study. Three tests were performed: (i) Shear stress-time relationship for given normal stress and shear speed, (ii) shear stress as a function of shear speed, and (iii) shear stress as a function of normal stress. For a given normal stress (50 kPa) and speed (0.1 mm/sec), the materials tested exhibit a strain softening behavior, regardless of drainage condition. The peak and residual shear stresses were determined for each normal stress and shear speed. The shear stress was measured when shear speed is equal to 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, 100 mm/sec or when normal stress is equal to 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150 kPa. From the test results, we found that the shear stress increases with increasing shear speed. The shear stress also increases with increasing normal stress. However, different types of shearing mode were observed in drained and undrained conditions. Under drained condition, particle crushing was observed from the shearing zone to the bottom of lower ring. Under undrained condition, particle crushing was observed only at the shearing zone, which has approximately 1 cm thick. It means that a significant high shear speed under undrained condition can result in increased landslide hazard.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2023

Because the application of lithium has gradually increased for the production of lithium ion batteries (LIBs), more research studies about recycling using solvent extraction (SX) should focus on Li⁺ recovery from the waste solution obtained after the removal of the valuable metals nickel, cobalt and manganese (NCM). The raffinate obtained after the removal of NCM metal contains lithium ions and other impurities such as Na ions. In this study, we optimized a selective SX system using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as the extractant and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) as a modifier in kerosene for the recovery of lithium from a waste solution containing lithium and a high concentration of sodium (Li⁺ = 0.5 ~ 1 wt%, Na⁺ = 3 ~6.5 wt%). The extraction of lithium was tested in different solvent compositions and the most effective extraction occurred in the solution composed of 20% D2EHPA + 20% TBP + and 60% kerosene. In this SX system with added NaOH for saponification, more than 95% lithium was selectively extracted in four extraction steps using an organic to aqueous ratio of 5:1 and an equilibrium pH of 4 ~ 4.5. Additionally, most of the Na⁺ (92% by weight) remained in the raffinate. The extracted lithium is stripped using 8 wt% HCl to yield pure lithium chloride with negligible Na content. The lithium chloride is subsequently treated with high purity ammonium bicarbonate to afford lithium carbonate powder. Finally the lithium carbonate is washed with an adequate amount of water to remove trace amounts of sodium resulting in highly pure lithium carbonate powder (purity > 99.2%).

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2023

Cobalt can be released into the natural environment as industrial waste from the alloying industry and as acid mine drainage, and it is also a radionuclide (⁶⁰Co) that constitutes high-level radioactive waste. Smectite is a mineral that can be useful for adsorption and isolation of this element. In this study, Cheto-type montmorillonite (Cheto-MM), which is the source clays of The Clay Mineral Society (CMS) and already well-characterized, was used. The effect of the adsorption site affected by the presence of interlayer water on the adsorption of cobalt before and after dehydration by heating was evaluated and the adsorption mechanism of cobalt on Cheto-MM was studied by applying adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm models. The results showed that the adsorption characteristics changed with dehydration and subsequent shrinkage, and cobalt was found to be adsorbed at the edge of Cheto-MM for about 38% and adsorbed at the interlayer site for about 62%, suggesting that the cobalt adsorption of Cheto-MM is significantly influenced by the interlayer. By applying the adsorption kinetic models, the cobalt adsorption kinetics of Cheto-MM is explained by a pseudo-second-order model, and the concentration-dependent adsorption was best described by the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model. This study provides basic knowledge on the adsorption characteristic of cobalt on montmorillonite with different adsorption sites and is expected to be useful in predicting the adsorption behavior of smectite in high-level radioactive waste disposal sites in the future.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5637-5645
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• 2012

To enhance the reutilization of waste skate skin for the functional food resources, the investigations of extraction characteristics, antioxidative activity of skate skin water extracts on the oxidation of three cooking oils were carried out, and rheological properties, storage safety and sensory evaluation of collagen gel from skate skin were performed. Aromatic and phenolic compounds contents of $50^{\circ}C$ extracts were higher by 49.4% and 32.7%, respectively, than those of $25^{\circ}C$ extracts. Reducing power of extract at $50^{\circ}C$ was higher by 52.74% than that of $25^{\circ}C$ extract, but was 14.9% of ascorbic acid and 27.8% of BHT. Electron donating ability was corresponded to reducing power and phenolic compounds contents. Antioxidative effect of extracts on cooking oil was higher at $50^{\circ}C$ extract than $25^{\circ}C$ extract, and its order was on corn seed oil, soybean oil and olive oil. Antioxidative effect of $50^{\circ}C$ extract showed 38.27~96.83% and 49.53~75.31% of those of ascorbic acid and BHT, respectively, over three cooking oil. The optimum extraction condition for collagen gellation was $100^{\circ}C$, 2 hours extraction under 2.5 folds hydrolysis, and gel strength was lowered above 50% by 10% seasoning.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2017

Cobalt ferrocyanide (CoFC) or nickel ferrocyanide (NiFC) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were fabricated for efficient removal of radioactive cesium, followed by rapid magnetic separation of the absorbent from contaminated water. The $Fe_3O_4$ nanoparticles, synthesized using a co-precipitation method, were coated with succinic acid (SA) to immobilize the Co or Ni ions through metal coordination to carboxyl groups in the SA. CoFC or NiFC was subsequently formed on the surfaces of the MNPs as Co or Ni ions coordinated with the hexacyanoferrate ions. The CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs possess good saturation magnetization values ($43.2emu{\cdot}g^{-1}$ for the CoFC-MNPs, and $47.7emu{\cdot}g^{-1}$ for the NiFC-MNPs). The fabricated CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and DLS. The adsorption capability of the CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs in removing cesium ions from water was also investigated. Batch experiments revealed that the maximum adsorption capacity values were $15.63mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$ (CoFC-MNPs) and $12.11mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$ (NiFC-MNPs). Langmuir/Freundlich adsorption isotherm equations were used to fit the experimental data and evaluate the adsorption process. The CoFC-MNPs and NiFC-MNPs exhibited a removal efficiency exceeding 99.09% for radioactive cesium from $^{137}Cs$ solution ($18-21Bq{\cdot}g^{-1}$). The adsorbent selectively adsorbed $^{137}Cs$, even in the presence of competing cations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1045-1050
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• 2006

Optimum operation condition for pilot scale of alkaline processing for fish muscle was investigated by measuring protein solubility, yield, texture, and water-holding capacity. Recovered protein yield was 33.2% for whole fish and 61.8% for minced muscle. Optimum homogenized speed and time, using industrial scale homogenizer, were 3,000 rpm and 5 min, respectively. Limited centrifugal force of continuous cylinder type was 4,000 rpm for recovering soluble protein, and 2,000 rpm for recovering precipitated proteins. The pH control agents such as citric acid, sodium phosphate and calcium oxide decreased the breaking force and deformation of recovered protein gel. The breaking force and deformation of the recovered proteins were high compared to conventional surimi. The breaking force and deformation were decreased by addition of salt, starch and bovine plasma proteins. Whiteness of recovered protein gel was lower than that of conventional surimi. Alkaline processing greatly decreased nitrogen content and chemical oxygen demand in waste water. The results suggest that alkaline processing has a potential as industrial production for recovering the proteins from fish muscle.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.215-221
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• 2005

Numerous abandoned or closed mines are present in the steep mountain valleys in Korea due to the depression of the mining industry since the late 1980s. From the mines, enormous amounts of wastes were dumped on the slopes causing sedimentation and acid mine drainage to be discharged directly into streams causing detrimental effects on surrounding environment. Objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of the lime cake by-product from the soda ash production (Solvay process) to neutralize the pyrophyllite mine wastes, which have discharged the acid drainage to soil and stream in the watershed. The pH of mine wastes was strongly acidic at pH 3.67 containing over 16% of $Al_2O_3$ and 11% of $Fe_2O_3$. Whereas the lime cake by-product was strongly basic at pH 9.97 due to high contents of CaO, MgO and $CaCl_2$ as major components. Column experiments were conducted to test the neutralizing capacity of the lime cake by-product for the acidic pyrophyllite mine wastes. The column packed with the wastes (control) was treated with the lime cake by-product, calcium carbonate, the dressing soil or combination. The distilled water was eluted statically through the column and the leachate was collected for the chemical analyses. Treatments of the mine wastes with the lime cake by-product (or calcium carbonate) as mixtures increased pH of the leachate from $3.5{\sim}4.0\;to\;7{\sim}8$. Concentrations of Fe and Al in the leachate were also decreased below 1.0 mg $L^{-1}$. A Similar result was observed at the combined treatments of the mine waste, the lime by-product (or calcium carbonate) and the dressing soil. The results indicated that the lime cake by-product could sufficiently neutralize the acid drainage from the pyrophyllite mine wastes without dressing soils.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.426-431
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• 2010

68% of the manufacturing costs of solar cell wafer can be attributed to the slurry. The recycling of slurries is mandatory for reducing the costs of manufacturing wafering production, and the disposal of industrial waste, as well as for cutting down pollution levels. Slurries are currently being recycled using the centrifuge(decanter) method. However, this method is less than optimal as it does not completely remove the fine particles, leading to low quality. Also, be cause of the incomplete separation from the oil, it causes the impurities in the dried slurries. This study aims to develope a new recycling technology that overcomes the flaws of the centrifuge by utilizing chemicals. It will provide a total solution to the crucial process of recycling slurries in the making of solar cell wafer, by increasing the efficiency and renewable rate.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2015

DIP(deinked pulp) was bleached by FAS, $Na_2S_2O_4$ and $H_2O_2$, which are widely used in DIP bleaching process, in order to improve optical properties of DIP, and the bleaching efficiencies of DIP and environmental loads of waste water were compared, depending on bleaching chemical dosages. With the application of different bleaching chemicals, some positive improvements were shown in optical and physical properties of bleached pulp. However, the physical properties of bleached DIP and their characteristics of wastewater were remarkably different, depending on dosages and bleaching reagents. DIP chemicals with FAS and $Na_2S_2O_4$ have higher improvement in optical and physical properties than $H_2O_2$. Also, environmental loads such as pH, turbidity, SCODcr and cationic demand were decreased in reductive bleaching process. Despite of higher effectiveness of reductive bleaching process, there were some environmental problems caused by sulfur ions from FAS and $Na_2S_2O_4$. With the method of sulfur ion controls, it would be more effective than $H_2O_2$ bleaching process.