• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.292-307
• /
• 2022

The study presents kinetics of degradation and mineralization of an anti-epileptic drug Lamotrigine (LAM) in the aqueous matrix by electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) on Ti/DSA (Ta₂O₅-Ir₂O₅) and Stainless Steel (SS) anodes using sodium sulphate as supporting electrolyte. On both the anodes, kinetic behaviour was pseudo-first-order for degradation as well as mineralization of LAM. On Ti/DSA anode, maximum LAM degradation of 75.42% was observed at an associated specific charge of 3.1 (Ah/litre) at a current density of 1.38 mA/cm² and 100 ppm Na₂SO₄ concentration. Maximum mineralization attained was 44.83% at an associated specific charge of 3.1 (Ah/litre) at a current density of 1.38 mA/cm² and 50 ppm concentration of Na₂SO₄ with energy consumption of 2942.71 kWh/kgTOC. Under identical conditions on SS anode, a maximum of 98.92% LAM degradation was marked after a specific charge (Q) of 3.1 (Ah/litre) at a current density of 1.38 mA/cm² and 100 ppm concentration of Na₂SO₄. Maximum LAM mineralization on SS anode was 98.53%, marked at a specific charge of 3.1 (Ah/litre) at a current density of 1.38 mA/cm² and 75 ppm concentration of Na₂SO₄, with energy consumption of 1312.17 kWh/kgTOC. Higher Mineralization Current Efficiency (MCE) values were attained for EAOP on SS anode for both degradation and mineralization due to occurrence of combined electro-oxidation and electro-coagulation process in comparison to EAOP on Ti/DSA anode due to occurrence of lone electro-oxidation process.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.147-158
• /
• 2011

Membrane distillation process was used for desalination of hot (333 K) geothermal water, which was applied in the plant producing heating water. The investigated water contained 120 g salts/$dm^3$, mainly NaCl. The mineral composition was studied using an ion chromatography method. The obtained rejection of solutes was closed to 100%, but the small amounts of $NH_3$ also diffused through the membrane together with water vapour. However, the composition of obtained distillate allowed to use it as a makeup water in the heating water system. The geothermal water under study was concentrated from 120 to 286 g NaCl/$dm^3$. This increase in the solution concentration caused the permeate flux decline by a 10-20%. The geothermal water contained sulphates, which was subjected to two-fold concentration to achieve the concentration 2.4-2.6 g $SO{_4}{^{2-}}/dm^3$ and the sulphates then crystallized in the form of calcium sulphate. As a results, an intensive membranes scaling and the permeate flux decline was observed. The XRD analysis indicated that beside the gypsum also the NaCl crystallites were deposited on the membrane surfaces. The fresh geothermal water dissolved the mixed $CaSO_4$ and NaCl deposit from the membrane surface. This property can be utilized for self-cleaning of MD modules. Using a batch feeding of MD installation, the concentration of geothermal water was carried out over 800 h, without significant performance losses.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.83-91
• /
• 2013

The synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles is a growing research area due to the prospective applications for the development of novel technologies. In this paper we have reported the biosynthesis of Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdSNPs) by reduction of cadmium sulphate solution, using the bacteria of Serratia nematodiphila. The process for the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles is fast, novel and ecofriently. Formation of the CdS nanoparticles was confirmed by surface Plasmon spectra using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and absorbance strong peak at 420 nm. The morphology of crystalline phase of nanoparticles was determined from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. The average size of CdS nanoparticles was in the range of 12 nm and the observed morphology was spherical. The results indicated that the proteins, which contain amine groups, played a reducing and controlling responsibility during the formation of CdS nanoparticles in the colloidal solution. Antibacterial activity against some bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella planticola. CdS nanoparticles exhibiting good bactericidal activity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.617-624
• /
• 2014

To elucidate the effects of a pretreatment process on the uniformity of Ag electroless plating on Cu flakes, pretreatment time was mainly considered with a mixed solution of 0.15 M ammonium hydroxide and 0.0375 M ammonium sulphate. Optical inspection of Ag-coated Cu flakes determined that the optimal pretreatment time is 120 s. Repetition of the sequence in which Ag plating was done immediately after the pretreatment of 120 s clearly enhanced the plating uniformity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that holes were formed irregularly on some Cu flakes during the period from the asdropping of an Ag precursor solution to 5 min. The hole formation was judged to be due to continuous removal of Cu on the local surfaces by the repetitive formation and elimination of $Cu_2O$ or $Cu(OH)_2$ layers. However, the increase of the amount of Ag coating suppressed the hole creation and increasingly enhanced the antioxidant property.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2010

The effect of organic additives, thiourea (TU), on the copper electroplated layer of large rectangular size was investigated through physical and various electrochemical techniques. It was found that TU had strong adsorption characteristics on the Ni substrate and affected the initial electroplating process by inducing surface reaction instead of mass transfer in the bulk solution. TU additives had its critical micelle concentration at 200 ppm in copper sulphate solution and showed abrupt change in morphological and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic results around this concentration, which could be related with the destruction of adsorption structure of TU-Cu(I) complex formed at the Ni substrate surface. By conducting a commercial electroplating simulation, when TU additives was included at cmc in the plating solution, it acted as a depolarizer for copper electrodeposition and was effective to reduce the unevenness of copper deposits between centre and edge region at high current densities of 10 ASD.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.64-74
• /
• 2016

Titanium and iron are closely related in nature, although titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Iron in titanium ores must be removed for use as feedstocks in the manufacture of titanium dioxide pigments and pure $TiCl_4$ for metal titanium. In this study, various beneficiation processes of ilmenite for production of $TiO_2$ have been reviewed and compared. Most of these processes involve a combination of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. These beneficiation processes of ilmenite generate considerable quantities of wastes primarily in the form of iron salt, iron oxide and acidic effluents. Therefore, it is important that recovery of acid value from waste and conversion of iron bearing waste to useful materials for development of new beneficiation processes of ilmenite.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.34 no.9
• /
• pp.590-596
• /
• 2012

Enhanced coagulation is best available technologies to treat NOM in water to produce clean drinking water. In this research, the comparison experiments between conventional coagulation (CC) and enhanced coagulation (EC) using 4 type coagulants i.e., ferric chloride, aluminium sulphate (alum), poly aluminium sulphate organic magnesium (PSOM) and poly aluminium chloride (PACl) were performed in terms of surrogate parameters such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), haloacetic acid formation potential (HAAFP) and zeta potential variation in order to find out the most effective coagulant and conditions to fit Nakdong River water. When applied to EC process, the turbidity removal efficiency did not increased gradually compared to the CC process when adding coagulants. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of turbidity became decreased much more as coagulants were added increasingly whereas the removal efficiency of DOC, THMFP and HAAFP became increased by 13~18%, 9~18% and 9~18% respectively compared to the CC process. The characteristics of turbidity removal showed relatively high removal efficiency considering the pH variation in entire pH range when using $FeCl_3$ and PACl. Additionally, in case of alum and PSOM steady removal efficiency was shown between pH 5 and pH 8. In terms of DOC surrogate the coagulants including 4 type coagulants indicated high removal efficiency between pH 5 and pH 7. The removal efficiency of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in EC between less than 1 kDa and more than 10 kDa augmented by 11~21% and 16% respectively compared to the CC process. The removal efficiency of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter proved to be increased by 27~38% and 11~15% respectively. In conclusion, the most effective coagulant relating to EC for Nakdong River water was proved to be $FeCl_3$ followed by PSOM, PAC and alum in order.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.4 s.50
• /
• pp.383-392
• /
• 2006

Calcium carbonate stone deterioration has been intensified in urban area, mainly due to the action of atmospheric pollutant. Samples from the black surface layer were examined under petrographic and scanning electron microscope, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyser X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction analysis was also carried out for chemical composition and mineral phase analysis, respectively. Moreover, sulphur isotope ratio was measured, in order to identify the origin of sulphate compounds in the black surface layer. Optical and electronic petrographic analysis indicated that gypsum and Quartz were contained in the black surface layer and led to microcracks. Microstructure and chemical composition analysis showed that the interface between black layer and original stone is not black but its characteristic is similar to black layer The results indicated that during deterioration process the black layer can be expanded gradually into the interface by adsorption of atmospheric pollutants. The sulphur isotope analysis demonstrates that there are different origins of the sulphur component in black surface layer.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.279-285
• /
• 2001

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a halophilic bacterium associated with seafood gastroenteritis. An unusual strain of Kanagawa-positive urease producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus O1:K1 was isolated from the environment and identified . A polymerase chain reaction assay revealed that this strain harbored both the tdh and the genes. The urease from this strain was studied. Maximum urease production was induced in LB medium containing 0.2% urea, 0.5% glucose, 2% NaCl and pH 5.5 with 6h of culti-vation at 37$\^{C}$ under aeration. Purification of urease was achieved by the process of whole cell lysate, 65% ammonium sulphate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography, Sepharose CL-6B gel filtration and oxirane activated Sepharose 6B-urea affinity chromatography with 203 fold purification and 2.2% yield. Analysis of the purified enzyme by SDS-PAGE demonstrated the presence of the subunits with a molecular weight of 85kDa, 59kDa, 41kDa and the molecular weight for the native enzyme by nondenaturing PAGE and gel filtration chromatography was 255kDa. The purified urease was stable at pH 7.5 and the opeimal pH in HEPES buffer was 8.0 The enzyme was stable at 60$\^{C}$ for 2 h with a residual activity of 32% . The addition of 10$\mu$M if NiCl$_2$maintained stability for 30 min. The Km value of the purified enzyme was 35.6 mM in urea substrate. The TD$\_$50/(median toxic dose) of the purified urease was 2.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml on human leukemia cells.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.382-393
• /
• 2023

Cell clusters are a histological hallmark feature of intervertebral disc degeneration. Clusters arise from cell proliferation, are associated with replicative senescence, and remain metabolically, but their precise role in various stages of disc degeneration remain obscure. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate small, medium, and large size cell-clusters. For this purpose, human disc samples were collected from 55 subjects, aged 37-72 years, 21 patients had disc herniation, 10 had degenerated non-herniated discs, and 9 had degenerative scoliosis with spinal curvature <45°. 15 non-degenerated control discs were from cadavers. Clusters and matrix changes were investigated with histology, immunohistochemistry, and Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Data obtained were analyzed with spearman rank correlation and ANOVA. Results revealed, small and medium-sized clusters were positive for cell proliferation markers Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in control and slightly degenerated human discs, while large cell clusters were typically more abundant in severely degenerated and herniated discs. Large clusters associated with matrix fissures, proteoglycan loss, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and Caspase-3. Spatial association findings were reconfirmed with SDS-PAGE that showed presence to these target markers based on its molecular weight. Controls, slightly degenerated discs showed smaller clusters, less proteoglycan loss, MMP-1, and Caspase-3. In conclusion, cell clusters in the early stages of degeneration could be indicative of repair, however sustained loading increases large cell clusters especially around microscopic fissures that accelerates inflammatory catabolism and alters cellular metabolism, thus attempted repair process initiated by cell clusters fails and is aborted at least in part via apoptosis.