• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.205-224
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• 2023

The emission of off-gas streams from used fuel recycling is a concern in nuclear energy usage as they contain radioactive compounds, such as, ³H, ¹⁴C, ⁸⁵Kr, ¹³¹I, and ¹²⁹I that can be harmful to human health and environment. Radioactive iodine, ¹²⁹I, is particularly troublesome as it has a half-life of more than 15 million years and is prone to accumulate in human thyroid glands. Organic iodides are hazardous even at very low concentrations, and hence the capture of ¹²⁹I is extremely important. Dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of sodium mordenite, partially exchanged silver mordenite, and fully exchanged silver mordenite for the removal of methyl iodide present at parts per billion concentrations in a simulated off-gas stream. Kinetic analysis of the system was conducted incorporating the effects of diffusion and mass transfer. The possible reaction mechanism is postulated and the order of the reaction and the values of the rate constants were determined from the experimental data. Adsorbent characterization is performed to investigate the nature of the adsorbent before and after iodine loading. This paper will offer a comprehensive understanding of the methyl iodide behavior when in contact with the mordenites.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2024

This study investigates the effect of the microstructure of Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ (LATP), a solid electrolyte, on its ionic conductivity. Solid electrolytes, a key component in electrochemical energy storage devices such as batteries, differ from traditional liquid electrolytes by utilizing solid-state ionic conductors. LATP, characterized by its NASICON structure, facilitates rapid lithium-ion movement and exhibits relatively high ionic conductivity, chemical stability, and good electrochemical compatibility. In this study, the microstructure and ionic conductivity of LATP specimens sintered at 850, 900, and 950℃ for various sintering times are analyzed. The results indicate that the changes in the microstructure due to sintering temperature and time significantly affect ionic conductivity. Notably, the specimens sintered at 900℃ for 30 min exhibit high ionic conductivity. This study presents a method to optimize the ionic conductivity of LATP. Additionally, it underscores the need for a deeper understanding of the Li-ion diffusion mechanism and quantitative microstructure analysis.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2024

Pure SnO₂ has proven very difficult to densify. This poor densification can be useful for the fabrication of SnO₂ with a porous microstructure, which is used in electronic devices such as gas sensors. Most electronic devices based on SnO₂ have a porous microstructure, with a porosity of > 40%. In pure SnO₂, a high sintering temperature of approximately 1300℃ is required to obtain > 40% porosity. In an attempt to reduce the required sintering temperature, the present study investigated the low-temperature sinterability of a current system. With the addition of TiO₂, the compositions of the samples were Sn_1-xTi_xO₂-CoO(0.3wt%)-CuO(2wt%) in the range of x ≤ 0.04. Compared to the samples without added TiO₂, densification was shown to be improved when the samples were sintered at 950℃. The dominant mass transport mechanism appears to be grain-boundary diffusion during heat treatment at 950℃.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2024

In this study, we explore the anisotropy of electron-phonon coupling (EPC) constant in epitaxially grown MgB₂ films on c-axis oriented Al₂O₃, examining its correlation with the critical temperature (T_c) and local structural disorder assessed through polarized Raman scattering. Analysis of the polarized Raman spectra reveals angle-dependent variations in the intensity of the phonon spectra. The Raman active mode originating from the boron plane, along with two additional phonon modes from the phonon density of states (PDOS) induced by lattice distortion, was distinctly observed. Persistent impurity scattering, likely attributed to oxygen diffusion, was noted at consistent frequencies across all measurement angles. The EPC values derived from the primary Raman active phonon do not significantly vary with changing observation angles, followed by that the T_c values calculated using the Allen and Dynes formula remain relatively constant across all polarization angles. Although the E_2g phonon mode plays a crucial role in the EPC mechanism, the determination of T_c values in MgB₂ involves not only electron-E_2g coupling but also contributions from other phonon modes.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.245-255
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• 2024

The problem of carbonation-induced corrosion has become a concern in recent times, especially in the 21^st century, due to the increase in global temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere possessing a significant threat to the durability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures worldwide, especially in inland tropical regions where carbonation is the most significant concrete degradation mechanism. Therefore, a study was conducted to predict the impact of global warming on the carbonation of RC structures in Lusaka, Zambia, and Tokyo, Japan. The Impact was estimated based on a carbonation meta-model that applies the analytic solution of Fick's 1st law using literature-based concrete mix design data and forecasted local temperature and CO₂ concentration data over a 100-year period with relative humidity assumed constant. The results showed that CO₂ diffusion increased between 17-31%, effecting a 40-45% rise in carbonation coefficient and a significant reduction in corrosion initiation time of 50-52% in the two cities. Moreover, for the same water-cement ratio, Lusaka showed almost twice higher carbonation coefficient values and one third shorter corrosion initiation time compared to Tokyo, mainly due to its higher temperature and low relative humidity. Additionally, the carbonation propagation depth at the end of 100 years was between 12-22 mm in Tokyo and 18-40 mm in Lusaka. These findings indicate that RC structures in these cities are at risk of rapid deterioration, especially in Lusaka, where they are more vulnerable.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.3112-3122
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• 2024

Crevice corrosion is a localized attack of metal that occurs in occluded areas of materials as a result of a degradation of the oxide passivity on the metal surface in contact with stagnant environments. Materials suffer crevice corrosion when generally the crevice opening gap is so narrow that the migration or diffusion of ionic species into the crevice can be restricted and consequently results in the production of aggressive crevice solutions and differential aeration conditions over time. Among several factors affecting the crevice corrosion, differential aeration causing oxygen depletion associated with the geometry of components, acidification, and accumulation of aggressive species (e.g., Cl^-, SO₄^-2, NO₃^- ) in the crevice solution become main aspects of the mechanism of the crevice corrosion. Thus, controlling such factors is most critically necessary to either prevents or terminates the crevice corrosion. This paper covers electrochemical aspects of the crevice corrosion, roles of critical factors affecting the crevice corrosion, and electrochemical processes of impurity species in the crevice in high temperature water. A better and clear understanding of mechanisms of the crevice corrosion is important to develop the protection and mitigation technology against the crevice corrosion in order for maintaining the integrity and longevity of structural components at various industries

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.3-11
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• 2001

To know the seawater infiltration into tidal flat sediment in coastal area is very important, because it is significantly correlated with the infiltration and transportation of pollutants in soil, the supply of dissolved oxygen, nutrients and organic matter to benthic organisms for survival of benthic organisms and the seawater purification. So, we set up purpose to clarify the infiltration behavior of seawater by wave action in tidal flat, to clear the effects of slope of tidal flat and breaking wave height on seawater infiltration and to quantify the infiltration volume of seawater. For purpose, the seawater infiltration was studied with visualization method by using coloring tracer and transparent glass beads replaced as natural sediment in model tidal flat. Specific conclusions derived from this study are as follows. The semi-circular type infiltration of seawater by wave action into saturated sediment was a new infiltration behavior that was not considered in previous studies. The infiltration rate of seawater was increased with increasing of breaking wave height and slope of tidal flat. However, the effects of the slope was bigger than that of breaking wave height on seawater infiltration into tidal flat sediments. It was possible to calculate the infiltration volume of seawater by wave action in natural tidal flat sediment and in fields. Therefore, we can point out that wave action play an important role in the supply of dissolved oxygen, nutrients and organic matter to benthic organisms, transportation or diffusion of pollutants and seawater purification. So, we hope to be studied the supply of food to benthic organism, pollutant transport and seawater purification on the base of these results.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2005

In this work we show the results of our most recent Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow using spectral spatial approximations and a stabilizing artificial diffusion in the viscoelastic constitutive model. The Finite-Elasticity Non-Linear Elastic Dumbbell model with the Peterlin approximation (FENE-P) is used to represent the effect of polymer molecules in solution, The corresponding rheological parameters are chosen so that to get closer to the conditions corresponding to maximum drag reduction: A high extensibility parameter (60) and a moderate solvent viscosity ratio (0.8) are used with two different friction Weissenberg numbers (50 and 100). We then first find that the corresponding achieved drag reduction, in the range of friction Reynolds numbers used in this work (180-590), is insensitive to the Reynolds number (in accordance to previous work). The obtained drag reduction is at the level of $49\%\;and\;63\%$, for the friction Weissenberg numbers 50 and 100, respectively. The largest value is substantially higher than any of our previous simulations, performed at more moderate levels of viscoelasticity (i.e. higher viscosity ratio and smaller extensibility parameter values). Therefore, the maximum extensional viscosity exhibited by the modeled system and the friction Weissenberg number can still be considered as the dominant factors determining the levels of drag reduction. These can reach high values, even for of dilute polymer solution (the system modeled by the FENE-P model), provided the flow viscoelasticity is high, corresponding to a high polymer molecular weight (which translates to a high extensibility parameter) and a high friction Weissenberg number. Based on that and the changes observed in the turbulent structure and in the most prevalent statistics, as presented in this work, we can still rationalize for an increasing extensional resistance-based drag reduction mechanism as the most prevalent mechanism for drag reduction, the same one evidenced in our previous work: As the polymer elasticity increases, so does the resistance offered to extensional deformation. That, in turn, changes the structure of the most energy-containing turbulent eddies (they become wider, more well correlated, and weaker in intensity) so that they become less efficient in transferring momentum, thus leading to drag reduction. Such a continuum, rheology-based, mechanism has first been proposed in the early 70s independently by Metzner and Lamley and is to be contrasted against any molecularly based explanations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.180-180
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• 2012

Heteroepitaxial GaN nano- and micro-rods (NMRs) are one of the most promising structures for high performance optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes, lasers, solar cells integrated with Si-based electric circuits due to their low dislocation density and high surface to volume ratio. However, heteroepitaxial GaN NMRs growth using a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) machine is not easy due to their long surface diffusion length at high growth temperature of MOVPE above $1000^{\circ}C$. Recently some research groups reported the fabrication of the heteroepitaxial GaN NMRs by using MOVPE with vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique assisted by metal catalyst. However, in the case of the VLS technique, metal catalysts may act as impurities, and the GaN NMRs produced in this mathod have poor directionallity. We have successfully grown the vertically well aligned GaN NMRs on Si (111) substrate by means of self-catalystic growth methods with pulsed-flow injection of precursors. To grow the GaN NMRs with high aspect ratio, we veried the growth conditions such as the growth temperature, reactor pressure, and V/III molar ratio. We confirmed that the surface morphology of GaN was strongly influenced by the surface diffusion of Ga and N adatoms related to the surrounding environment during growth, and we carried out theoretical studies about the relation between the reactor pressure and the growth rate of GaN NMRs. From these results, we successfully explained the growth mechanism of catalyst-free and mask-free heteroepitaxial GaN NMRs on Si (111) substrates. Detailed experimental results will be discussed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.195-207
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• 1997

High price equipment is one of the major factors that increases national health expenditure in developed countries. Computerized Tomography(CT), one of the important high price equipment, has been concerns of health service researchers and policy makers in many countries. In Korea, CT, first introduced in 1984, have spreaded nationwide with rapid speed. Though the Committee for Approving Import of High Price Medical Equipment, founded in 1981, tried to regulate the introduction of high price medical equipment including CT, the effort resulted in failure. The exact situation of diffusion of the high price equipment, however, was not yet investigated. We aimed at the description of the diffusion of CT in Korea and analysis of influencing factors on hospitals for the adoption of CT. We mainly used the database of CT, made in 1996 by the National Federation of Medical Insurance for the purpose of insurance payment for CT. Also characteristics of hospitals were gathered from yearbooks published by the central and local governments and by the Korean Hospital Association. We calculated the cumulative number of the CT per one million population year by year. In turn, multiple linear logistic regression was done to find out the contributing factors for the adoption of CT by each hospital. In the logistic regression model, it is regarded as dependent factor whether a hospital retained CT or not in 1988 and 1993. The major categories of the independent factors were hospital characteristics, environmental factors and competitive conditions of hospitals at the period of the adoption. The results are as follows: Number of CT scanners per one million persons in Korea marked more higher level compared with those of most OECD countries. Major influencing factors on the adoption of CT scanners were hospital characteristics, such as hospital referral level, and competitive condition of hospitals, such as number of CT scanners per 10,000 persons in each district where the hospital was located. In Korea, CT diffused with rather rapid speed, comparable with those of the United States and Japan. The major factors contributing on the adoption of CT for hospitals were competitive condition and hospital characteristics rather than regional health care need for CT. In conclusion, a kind of regulating mechanism would be necessary for the prevention of the indiscreet adoption and inefficient use of high price equipment including CT.