• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to develop sustainable PVA fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCCs) that could exhibit comparable strength level to normal PVA FRCCs with no recycled materials. To evaluate mechanical properties of the FRCCs, compressive, flexural and direct tensile tests were conducted. In addition to the test, to calculate amount of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) emission at the stage of manufacturing the FRCCs, life cycle inventory data base (LCI DB) were referenced from domestic and Japan. From the test results, the mechanical properties such as compressive, flexural and direct tensile strengths were decreased as the replacement ratio of recycled materials increased. And it was determined that the amount of $CO_2$ emission was reduced for the specimens with higher water-binder ratio (W/B) and replacement ratios. It was also found that binder intensity ($B_i$) value was higher as replacement ratio of fly ash (FA) increased. This result means that larger amount of FA is need to deliver one unit of a given performance indicator (1 MPa of strength) of FRCCs compared to that of ordinary portland cement (OPC). As a result, it could be concluded that FRCCs with W/B 45% replaced by FA 25% and recycled sand (RS) 25% is desirable for both target performance and $CO_2$ emission.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.133-152
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• 2022

Ecological issues such as natural resource reduction and enormous waste disposals are increasingly leading in developing civilization toward sustainable construction. The two primary environmental issues are the depletion of natural resources and the disposal of trash in open landfills. Waste steel fiber (WSF) was investigated for usage as a cement-based concrete (CBC) constituent in this research. Recycling waste fibers both makes cement composites more long and cost-effective, also aids in pollution reduction. The objective of this study is to analyze the impacts of waste fiber on the fresh and mechanical features of concrete using recycled additives. A comparative research on the durability and mechanical qualities of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) constructed with natural aggregates was conducted for this aim. The obstacles to successful WSF recycling methods application in the building industry have been investigated, resulting that CBCs with these fibers make an economic and long lasting choice to deal with waste materials. The workability of fiber enhanced concrete was found to be comparable to that of normal concrete. Fibers have a considerable impact on the splitting tensile strength, flexural and compressive strength of recycled concrete. Fiber may enhance the water permeability. When the WSF content is 0.6 kg/m3, the water absorption is nearly half. Fibers would have no effect on its permeability.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.448-453
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• 2023

This paper explores developing sustainable 3D printing filaments using organic soybean hulls mixed with polylactic acid (PLA). The study experiments with various particle sizes and mixing ratios, examining the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting filaments. Results show that smaller soybean hull particles and specific mixing ratios enhance the filament's quality while maintaining PLA's characteristics. This research signifies a step towards environmentally friendly 3D printing materials, offering a viable alternative to conventional filaments and addressing ecological concerns in the industry.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.296-300
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• 2024

The rational synthesis of efficient transitional metal phosphides (TMPs) could revolutionize green hydrogen production via water splitting. Hydrogen, with the highest energy density among fuels, stands out as an excellent alternative to address environmental issues and ensure sustainable future energy generation. However, the limited availability of state-of-the-art electrocatalysts like Pt/C and RuO₂, used for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, necessitates the development of cost-effective and non-noble electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production. In this context, we present a novel heterointerface-modulated heterostructure design comprising ultrathin nanosheets of a 3D Co₂P/VP heterostructure on a conductive nickel foam substrate. This heterostructure demonstrates remarkably low overpotentials of 96 mV for HER and 237 mV for OER at 10 mA cm^-2. The material's robust electrochemical kinetics are further evidenced by low Tafel slopes of 68.28 mV dec^-1 and 116.54 mV dec^-1, respectively.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.129-160
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• 2019

Background: Characterizing and describing soils and land use and make a suggestion for sustainable utilization of land resources in the Ethiopian Rift valley flat plain areas of Lake Chamo Sub-Basin (CSB) are essential. Objectives: To (1) characterize soils of experimental area according to World Reference Base Legend and assess the nature and extent of salinity problems; (2) characterize land use systems and their role in soil properties; and (3) identify best land use practices used for both environmental management and improve agricultural productivity. Methods: Twelve randomly collected soil samples were prepared from the above land uses into 120 composites and analyzed. Results: Organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) were varied along different land uses and depleted from the surface soils. The soil units include Chernozems (41.67%), Kastanozems (25%), Solonchaks (16.67%), and Cambisols (16.67%). The identified land uses are annual crops (AA), perennial crops (PA), and natural forest (NF). Generally, organic carbon, total nitrogen, percentage base saturation (PBS), exchangeable (potassium, calcium, and magnesium), available phosphorus (P₂O₅), manganese, copper, and iron contents were decreased in cultivated soils. Soil salinity problem was observed in annuals. Annuals have less nutrient content compared to perennials in irrigated agriculture while it is greater in annuals under rainfed. Clay, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium (K₂O) contents were correlated positively and highly significantly with organic carbon and electrical conductivity. Conclusion: Management practices that improve soil quality should be integrated with leguminous crops when the land is used for annual crops production.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.852-863
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• 2016

Wood-plastic composite (WPC) is a promising and sustainable material, and refers to a combination of wood and plastic along with some binding (adhesive) materials. In comparison to pure wood material, WPCs are in general have advantages of being cost effective, high durability, moisture resistance, and microbial resistance. The properties of WPCs come directly from the concentration of different components in composite; such as wood flour concentration directly affect mechanical and physical properties of WPCs. In this study, wood powder concentration in WPC was determined by Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The reflectance spectra from WPC in both powdered and tableted form with five different concentrations of wood powder were collected and preprocessed to remove noise caused by several factors. To correlate the collected spectra with wood powder concentration, multivariate calibration method of partial least squares (PLS) was applied. During validation with an independent set of samples, good correlations with reference values were demonstrated for both FT-NIR and FT-IR data sets. In addition, high coefficient of determination (${R^2}_p$) and lower standard error of prediction (SEP) was yielded for tableted WPC than powdered WPC. The combination of FT-NIR and FT-IR spectral region was also studied. The results presented here showed that the use of both zones improved the determination accuracy for powdered WPC; however, no improvement in prediction result was achieved for tableted WPCs. The results obtained suggest that these spectroscopic techniques are a useful tool for fast and nondestructive determination of wood concentration in WPCs and have potential to replace conventional methods.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.472-477
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• 2010

$Al_2O_3$ has received wide attention with established use as a catalyst and growing application in structural or functional ceramic materials. On the other hand, the boehmite (AlO(OH)) obtained by sol-gel process has exhibited a decrease in surface area during phase transformation due to a decline in surface active site at high temperature. In this work, $Al_2O_3$-CuO/ZnO (ACZ) and $Al_2O_3$-CuO/CeO (ACC) composite materials were synthesized with aluminum isopropoxide, copper (II) nitrate hemi (pentahydrate), and cerium (III) nitrate hexahydrate or zinc (II) nitrate hexahydrate. Moreover, the Span 80 as the template block copolymer was added to the ACZ/ACC composition to make nano size particles and to keep increasing the surface area. The ACZ/ACC synthesized powders were characterized by Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Field-Emmision Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Bruner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis and thermal electrical conductivity (ZEM-2:M8/L). An enhancement of surface area with the addition to Span 80 surfactant was observed in the ACZ powders from 105 $m^2$/g to 142 $m^2$/g, and the ACC powders from 103 $m^2$/g to 140 $m^2$/g, respectively.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2023

The worldwide use of polyurethane foam products generates large amounts of waste, which in turn has detrimental effects on the surroundings. Hence, finding an economical and environmentally friendly way to dispose of or recycle foam waste is an utmost priority for researchers to overcome this problem. In that sense, the glycolysis of waste flexible polyurethane foam (WFPF) from automotive seat cushions using different industrial-grade glycols and potassium hydroxide as a catalyst to produce recovered polyol was investigated. The effect of different molecular weight polyols, catalyst concentration, and material ratio (PU foam: Glycols) on the reaction conversion and viscosity of the recovered polyols was determined. The obtained recovered polyols are obtained as single or split-phase reaction products. Besides, the foaming characteristics and physical properties such as cell morphology, thermal stability, and compressive stress-strain nature of the regenerated flexible foams based on the recovered polyols were discussed. It was observed that the regenerated flexible foams displayed good seating comfort properties as a function of hardness, sag factor, and hysteresis loss compared to the reference virgin foam. With the growing demand for a sustainable and circular economy, a global valorization of glycolysis products from polyurethane scraps can be realized by transforming them into profitable substances.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2023

Oil-water separation is a critical process for several industrial applications, including oil production, wastewater treatment, food processing, and environmental area such as marine oil spills. The separation efficiency of oil-water mixtures can be influenced by various factors such as mixture composition, oil and water conditions, and the separation technology used. Over the years, various technologies have been developed to separate water and oil by physical, chemical and biological methods. This paper presents an overview of the various methods and technologies available for oil-water separation, including gravity separation, centrifugal separation, and separation using adsorbents, filters. The strengths and limitations of each method are discussed, along with recent research trends and future prospects. Furthermore, this paper aims to provide direction for future research and industrial application of sustainable and environmentally friendly oil-water separation technologies. In conclusion, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent oil-water separation technologies that will be beneficial to researchers and industrialists in the field of oil-water separation.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.727-736
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• 2010

This paper describes results of an preliminary study to produce strain hardening cement-based composites (SHCCs)with consideration of sustainability for infrastructure applications. The aims of this study are to evaluate the influence of recycled materials on the mechanical characteristics of SHCCs, such as compressive, four-point bending, and direct tensile behaviors, and to give basic data for constitutive model for analyzing and designing infra structures with SHCCs. In this study, silica sand, cement, and PVA fibers, were partially replaced with recycled sand, fly-ash, and FET fibers in the mixture of SHCCs, respectively. Test results indicated that fly-ash could improve both bending and direct tensile performance of SHCCs due to increasing chemical bond strength at the interface between PVA fibers and cement matrices. However, SHCCs replaced with PET fibers showed much lower performance in bending and direct tensile tests due to originally low mechanical properties of own fibers, although compressive behavior is similar to PVA2.0 specimen. Also, it was noted that the recycled sand would increase elastic modulus of SHCCs due to larger grain size compared to silica sand. Based on pre-set target value to maintain the performance of SHCCs, it was concluded that the replacement ratio below 20% of fly-ash or below 50% of recycled sands would be desirable for creating sustainable SHCCs.