• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.211-218
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• 2013

Large quantities of irradiated graphite waste from graphite-moderated nuclear reactors exist and are expected to increase in the case of High Temperature Reactor (HTR) deployment [1,2]. This situation indicates the need for a graphite waste management strategy. Of greatest concern for long-term disposal of irradiated graphite is carbon-14 ($^{14}C$), with a half-life of 5730 years. Fachinger et al. [2] have demonstrated that thermal treatment of irradiated graphite removes a significant fraction of the $^{14}C$, which tends to be concentrated on the graphite surface. During thermal treatment, graphite surface carbon atoms interact with naturally adsorbed oxygen complexes to create $CO_x$ gases, i.e. "gasify" graphite. The effectiveness of this process is highly dependent on the availability of adsorbed oxygen compounds. The quantity and form of adsorbed oxygen complexes in pre- and post-irradiated graphite were studied using Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and Xray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in an effort to better understand the gasification process and to apply that understanding to process optimization. Adsorbed oxygen fragments were detected on both irradiated and unirradiated graphite; however, carbon-oxygen bonds were identified only on the irradiated material. This difference is likely due to a large number of carbon active sites associated with the higher lattice disorder resulting from irradiation. Results of XPS analysis also indicated the potential bonding structures of the oxygen fragments removed during surface impingement. Ester- and carboxyl-like structures were predominant among the identified oxygen-containing fragments. The indicated structures are consistent with those characterized by Fanning and Vannice [3] and later incorporated into an oxidation kinetics model by El-Genk and Tournier [4]. Based on the predicted desorption mechanisms of carbon oxides from the identified compounds, it is expected that a majority of the graphite should gasify as carbon monoxide (CO) rather than carbon dioxide ($CO_2$). Therefore, to optimize the efficiency of thermal treatment the graphite should be heated to temperatures above the surface decomposition temperature increasing the evolution of CO [4].

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.5 s.288
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• pp.315-319
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• 2006

There have been some studies on the use of coal waste as a raw material for clay bricks due to the lack of naturally producing minerals. It can help resolving the problems of pollution, forest conservation and flood control by utilizing coal waste. However, high content of carbon materials usually leads to the black core in clay bricks after firing process, and diminishes the mechanical and aesthetical properties of clay brick. In this study, the effect of firing process is investigated for the removal of black core in clay bricks with carbon content. The removal kinetics of black core are also compared and investigated with the firing schedule and black core removal.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.11a
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• pp.75-76
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• 2023

In the cement industry, various research initiatives are underway to achieve carbon neutrality. Mineral carbonation is a technology that converts carbon dioxide into minerals for storage, and CO₂ reactive hardening cement is a type of cement that incorporates mineral carbonation technology. In this study, we aimed to manufacture CO₂ reactive hardening cement for reducing carbon emissions in the cement industry by utilizing waste concrete powder generated in the construction sector.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.649-654
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• 2017

An activated carbon was prepared from waste citrus peel produced in large amounts in Jeju Island, Korea, using KOH activation and its characteristics was examined. Under the condition of the KOH ratio between 100 and 300%, activation temperature from 400 to $900^{\circ}C$ and activation time from 0.5 to 1.5 h, the iodine adsorptivity of the activated carbon prepared increased but the yield decreased with respect to the increase of each conditions. The iodine adsorptivity and yield of the activated carbon prepared at the activation time of more than 1.5 h were similar to those of using 1.5 h. In addition, as the KOH ratio increased, the specific surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon increased, but the pore diameter decreased. The activated carbon has an average pore diameter of $20{\sim}25{\AA}$. Also, the activated carbon prepared at 300% KOH and $900^{\circ}C$ for 1.5 h has the highest specific surface area of $1,527m^2/g$ and iodine adsorptivity of 1,246 mg/g.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.462-467
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• 2006

An improvement of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in SBR using the elutriated acids from the food waste as an external carbon source was investigated in this study. The food waste was elutriated at $35^{\circ}C$ and pH 9 to produce the external carbon source. The elutriate of food waste were continuously collected. The elutriated liquid contained VFAs of 39,180 mg/L representing soluble COD of 44,700 mg/L. The SBR showed poor denitrification and EBPR (enhanced biological phosphorus removal) without elutriated VFAs addition. An average denitrification rate was 0.4 mg NOx-N/g MLVSS/day. In turn, EBPR was also inhibited by this poor denitrification because the remaining nitrate in anaerobic phase resulting a poor denitrification. On the other hand, the denitrification in anoxic phase significantly improved with an elutriated VFAs addition. Nitrate removal was 82% while the denitrification rate was 2.9 mg NOx-N/g MLVSS/day with 18.4 mL/cycle of elutriated VFAs. With the enhanced denitrification, nitrate concentration in anaerobic phase could effectively be controlled to a very low level. The elimination of nitrate inhibition in anaerobic phase resulted enhancement of EBPR. The specific phosphate release rate was $1.9mg\;PO_4^{3-}-P/g\; MLVSS/day$ with less than 0.5 mg/L of $PO_4^{3-}-P$ concentration.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 2008

Leather waste discharged from Shinpyung Changrim Industrial Complex contained 46.3 percent of carbon, and weight loss of leather waste about 50 percent was observed at $500^{\circ}C$ by thermogravimetric analysis. Chemically activated carbon [LW4AC] was made at activation temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ during 30 minutes in electric furnace. Iodine value and decoloration of methylene blue was 968 mg/g and 158 mL/g, respectively. We found that pore volume was more developed according to the increase in the ratio of $K_2CO_3/LW$.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.461-466
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• 2011

The feasibility of utilizing food waste leachate as an external carbon source was tested to enhance biological nutrient removal from an industrial wastewater with an average flow rate of $164,800m^3/d$ and a low carbon/nitrogen ratio of 2.8. A considerable improvement in the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus was observed when a certain amount of the leachate, ranging from 70 to $142m^3/d$, was supplemented to the biological industrial wastewater treatment process. The addition of the leachate led to an increase in the BOD/N ratio (4.5) and the removal efficiency of nutritents from 29.7% to 71.7% for nitrogen and from 34.8% to 65.6% for phosphorus. However, an excessive dose of the leachate that significantly exceeded $120m^3/d$ caused serious operational problems, like oil-layer formation in the grit chamber and scum layer in the primary clarifier. Thus, an supplement of food waste leachate at a dose acceptable to an existing facilities can be a practical and effective means to enhance the nutrient removal from industrial wastewater and to dispose of the food waste leachate.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.401-410
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• 2018

Waste citrus peel-based activated carbon (WCAC) was prepared from waste citrus peels by activation with KOH. The removal of Cu and Pb ions from aqueous solution by the prepared WCAC was investigated in batch experiments. The solution pH significantly influenced Cu and Pb adsorption capacity and the optimum pH was 4 to 6. The adsorption of Cu and Pb ions by WCAC followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated by Langmuir isotherm model was 31.91 mg/g for Cu and 92.22 mg/g for Pb. As the temperature was increased from 303 K to 323 K, the ${\Delta}G^{\circ}$ value decreased from -7.01 to -8.57 kJ/mol for Cu ions and from -0.87 to -2.06 kJ/mol for Pb ions. These results indicated that the adsorption of Cu and Pb by WCAC is a spontaneous process.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.404-410
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• 2008

In order to obtain 'value added products' from polypropylene (PP)/waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) composites, PP/WGRT microcellular foams were prepared via supercritical carbon dioxide. The effects of blend composition and processing condition on the cell size, cell density and relative density of PP/WGRT micro-cellular composites were studied. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on blend composition and processing condition. An increased content of waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) and maleic anhydride-grafted styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS-g-MA) reduced the cell size, and raised the cell density and relative density, whereas a higher saturation pressure increased the cell size, and reduced the cell density and relative density. With increasing saturation temperature, the cell size increased and the relative density decreased, whereas the cell density initially increased and then decreased.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.371-377
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• 2012

The present study describes medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) production by the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain isolated from mixed microbial communities utilized for PHAs synthesis. A two-step fed-batch fermentation was conducted with glucose and waste rapeseed oil as the main carbon source for obtaining cell growth and mcl-PHAs accumulation, respectively. The results show that the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain is capable of growing and accumulating mcl-PHAs using a waste oily carbon source. The biomass value reached 3.0 g/l of CDW with 20% of PHAs content within 48 h of cultivation. The polymer was purified from lyophilized cells and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that the monomeric composition of the obtained polyesters depended on the available substrate. When glucose was used in the growth phase, 3-hydroxyundecanoate and 3-hydroxydodecanoate were found in the polymer composition, whereas in the PHAs-accumulating stage, the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain synthesized mcl-PHAs consisting mainly of 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxydecanoate. The transcriptional analysis using reverse-transcription real-time PCR reaction revealed that the phaC1 gene could be transcribed simultaneously to the phaZ gene.