• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2014

Activated carbon nanofibers (ACNF) were prepared from polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based nanofibers using $CO_2$ activation methods with varying activation process times. The surface and structural characteristics of the ACNF were observed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. $N_2$ adsorption isotherm characteristics at 77 K were confirmed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Dubinin-Radushkevich equations. As experimental results, many holes or cavernous structures were found on the fiber surfaces after the $CO_2$ activation as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Specific surface areas and pore volumes of the prepared ACNFs were enhanced within a range of 10 to 30 min of activation times. Performance of the porous PAN-based nanofibers as an electrode for electrical double layer capacitors was evaluated in terms of the activation conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2005

By using PCR with nirS gene primers, three nirSharboring denitrifying bacteria (strain N6, strain N23, and strain R13) were newly isolated from activated sludge of a weak municipal wastewater treatment plant. Small-subunit rRNA gene-based analysis indicated that strain N6, strain N23, and strain R13 were closely related to Arthrobacter sp.,Staphylococcus sp., and Bacillus sp., respectively. In an attempt to identify their roles in biological nitrate and nitrite removal from sewage, we investigated their specific denitrification rates (SDNRs) for $NO_-^3$ - and $NO_-^2$ - in various cultures. All purecultures of each isolated nirS-harboring bacterial strain could remove $NO_-^3$ - and $NO_-^2$ - simultaneously in high efficiency, and the carbon requirements for $NO_-^3$ - removal of strain N6 and strain R13 were effectively low at 3.1 and 4.1 g COD/g $NO_3N$, respectively. In the case of mix-cultures of the strains (N6+N23, N6+R13, N23+R13, and N6+N23+R13), their SDNRs for $NO_-^3$ - were also effective, and their carbon requirements for $NO_-^3$ - removal were also effective at 3.0- 3.8 g COD/g NO3N. However, all tested mix-cultures accumulated $NO_-^2$ - in their culture media. On the other hand, the continuous culture of activated sludge mixed with strain N6 showed no significant increase of $NO_-^3$ - removal in comparison with strain N6's pure culture. These results suggest that nitrate and nitrite removal in biological wastewater treatment might be dependent on complicated bacterial interactions, including several effective denitrifying bacteria isolated in this study, rather than the specific bacterial types present and the number of bacterial types in activated sludge.

• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.146-150
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• 2014

In this work, activated carbon nanofiber (ACNF) electrodes with high double-layer capacitance and good rate capability were prepared from polyacrylonitrile nanofibers by optimizing the carbonization temperature prior to $H_2O$ activation. The morphology of the ACNFs was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The elemental composition was determined by analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. $N_2$-adsorption-isotherm characteristics at 77 K were confirmed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Dubinin-Radushkevich equations. ACNFs processed at different carbonization temperatures were applied as electrodes for electrical double-layer capacitors. The experimental results showed that the surface morphology of the CNFs was not significantly changed after the carbonization process, although their diameters gradually decreased with increasing carbonization temperature. It was found that the carbon content in the CNFs could easily be tailored by controlling the carbonization temperature. The specific capacitance of the prepared ACNFs was enhanced by increasing the carbonization temperature.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.551-558
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• 2007

From the view point of biological wastewater treatment, C/N ratio is one of the most important factor in biological nutrient removal process. However, municipal sewage in Korea is characterized by extremely low content of carbon source and relatively higher portion of N source. Accordingly, it is necessary to dose external carbon source in order to obtain higher degree of carbon source within the process. In this study, the effects of pH pretreatment as an alternative plan for increasing carbon source on the cell disruption and COD solubility of waste activated sludge were conducted under well defined experimental conditions. During 5 hours, the value of COD solubilization rate ($S_R$) at pH 11.5 is approximately 4.4 times higher than the value of $S_R$ at pH 9.5. It is expected that the level of SCOD increased due to the result from cell disruption. However, VSS/TSS ratio was not significantly changed after 5 hours. As Alkalinity changes gradually from less than 15, 30 and 60 meq NaOH/L, average RBCOD/SCOD fraction showed 34, 36 and 45%,respectively.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2012

In this study, a mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) activated using KOH was applied to the adsorption of formaldehyde, a representative indoor air pollutant. Activation process was carried out by putting KOH-treated CMK-3 in a reactor maintained at $700^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere. The activated sample was characterized using BET, XRD, XPS and FT-IR analysis. The formaldehyde adsorption performance of the mesoporous carbon was improved, which is attributed to the formation of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on the mesoporous carbon surface by the activation process.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2024

In this study, nitrogen plasma treatment was performed in 5, 10, and 15 minutes to improve the tetracycline adsorption performance of activated carbon. All nitrogen plasma-treated activated carbons showed improved tetracycline adsorption compared to untreated activated carbons. The nitrogen functional groups in activated carbon lead to chemisorption with tetracycline via π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding. In particular, in the nitrogen plasma treatment at 80 W and 50 kHz, the activated carbon treated for 10 minutes had the best adsorption performance. At this time, the nitrogen content on the surface of the activated carbon was 2.03% and the specific surface area increased to 1,483 m²/g. As a result, nitrogen plasma treatment of activated carbon improved its physical and chemical adsorption capabilities. In addition, since the adsorption experimental results were in good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order model, it was determined that the adsorption of tetracycline on the nitrogen plasma-treated activated carbon was dominated by chemical adsorption through a monolayer. As a result, nitrogen plasma-treated activated carbon can be used as an adsorbent to efficiently remove tetracycline from water due to the synergistic effect of physical adsorption and proactive chemical adsorption.

• Carbon letters
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2006

The electro-chemical removal (ECR) of water pollutants by metal-ACF electrodes from wastewater was investigated over wide range of ECR time. The ECR capacities of metallic ACF electrodes were related to physical properties such as adsorption isotherm, surface area and pore size and to reaction time. Surface morphologies and elemental analysis for the metal supported ACFs after electro-catalytic reaction were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy disperse X-ray (EDX) to explain the changes in adsorption properties. The IR spectra of metallic ACFs for the investigation of functional groups show that the electro-catalytic treatment is consequently associated with the removal of pollutants with the increasing surface reactivity of the activated carbon fibers. The metal-ACFs were electro-catalytically reacted to waste water to investigate the removal efficiency for the COD, T-N, $NH_4$-N, $NO_3$-N and $NO_2$-N. From these removal results of the piggery waste using metallic ACFs substrate, satisfactory removal performance was achieved. The removal efficiency of the metallic ACFs substrate was mainly determined by the properties of the material for adsorption and trapping of organics, and catalytic effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.353-358
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate desorption efficiency and storage stability on activated carbon acquired form domestic market. Materials: Mixture of acetone, benzene, normal hexane and toluene was injected on four types of charcoal 100 mg. After overnight, charcoal was desorbed by carbon disulfide $1m{\ell}$ and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. Results: Desorption efficiency of benzene, normal hexane and toluene in charcoal tubes were 95% ~ 105%. But desorption efficiency of acetone in charcoal tubes was below 75% and different from types of charcoal. The more injected amount of acetone on charcoal showed higher desorption efficiency. Acetone injected on charcoal tubes migrated from front section into back section after 10 days storage at room temperature. Conclusions: Desorption efficiency and storage stability of activated carbon acquired from domestic market was good for benzene, normal hexane and toluene. The activated carbon acquired from domestic market has ability to be used as sampling media.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.847-853
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• 2013

Functionalized adsorbent has been synthesized by piperazine(Pz) on activated carbon. Quantitative estimations of $CO_2$ were undertaken using gas chromatography with GC/TCD and the prepared adsorbents were characterized by BET surface area and FT-IR. It was also studied effect of various parameters such as piperazine loadings and adsorption temperature. The specific surface area decreased from $1212.0m^2/g$ to $969.8m^2/g$ by impregnation and FT-IR revealed a N-H functional group at about $1400cm^{-1}$ to $1700cm^{-1}$. The $CO_2$ adsorption capacity at $20^{\circ}C$ and $50{\sim}100^{\circ}C$ was as follow: AC > Pz(10)-AC> Pz(30)-AC> Pz(50)-AC at $20^{\circ}C$ and Pz(10)-AC > AC > Pz(30)-AC> Pz(50)-AC at $50{\sim}100^{\circ}C$. Therefore, for high temperature flue gas condition, the Pz(10)-AC showed the highest adsorption capacity due to physical adsorption and chemical adsorption by amino-group content. The results suggest that activated carbon impregnated with Pz is an effective adsorbent for $CO_2$ capture from real flue gases above $50^{\circ}C$.

• Carbon letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2009

Activated carbon spheres (ACS) were prepared at different heating rates by carbonization of the resole-type phenolic beads (PB) at $950^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere followed by activation of the resultant char at different temperatures for 5 h in $CO_2$ atmosphere. Influence of heating rate on porosity and temperature on carbon structure and porosity of ACS were investigated. Effect of heating rate and temperature on porosity of ACS was also studied from adsorption isotherms of nitrogen at 77 K using BET method. The results revealed that ACS have exhibited a BET surface area and pore volume greater than $2260\;m^2/g$ and $1.63\;cm^3/g$ respectively. The structural characteristics variation of ACS with different temperature was studied using Raman spectroscopy. The results exhibited that amount of disorganized carbon affects both the pore structure and adsorption properties of ACS. ACS were also evaluated for structural information using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. ACS were evaluated for chemical composition using CHNS analysis. The ACS prepared different temperatures became more carbonaceous material compared to carbonized material. ACS have possessed well-developed pores structure which were verified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM micrographs also exhibited that ACS have possessed well-developed micro- and meso-pores structure and the pore size of ACS increased with increasing activation temperature.