Carbon black is a material in the form of fine black powder obtained by incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, and is composed of 90-99% carbon, and the rest is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. In the event of an emergency during the manufacture of carbon black, the generated tail gas should be safely discharged through an emergency line to prevent fire, explosion, and environmental pollution accidents caused by the tail gas. If the pressure continues to rise, the pressure control valve shall operate and the rupture plate shall be ruptured sequentially and the tail gas shall be discharged to the vent stack through the emergency line. As an emergency emission system, even if some untreated substances in the tail gas are released into the atmosphere, they are lighter than air, so it is safe to discharge them to a safe place through the Vent Stack. If the gas pressure is rising or worse, it is discharged from the Vent Stackine, and discharging fuel.

Pt/C catalysts were prepared using black carbon (CB), and evaluated for their potential application as a catalyst of liquid-phase catalystic exchange for tritium treatment. CB was treated with 10% H2O2 solution for 0 and 2 hours at 105°C, Ethylene glycol and 40wt% Pt were added to the dried treated sample to prepare a Pt/C catalyst. The physical and chemical properties of the prepared catalysts were evaluated by BET, XRD, elemental analysis (EA), and TEM analyses. As a result of BET analysis, the surface area of CB without 10% H2O2 was 237.2 m2·g-1, and after treatment with 10% H2O2, it decreased to 181.2 m2·g-1 for 2 hours. However, the internal surface area increased, indicating the possibility that more Pt could be distributed inside the CB treated with 10% H2O2. In the XRD analysis results, the presence of Pt was confirmed by observing the Pt peak in the prepared Pt/C catalyst, and it was also observed through TEM analysis that Pt was evenly distributed within the CB. The elemental analysis (EA) results showed that the ratio of S and N decreased and the ratio of O increased with increasing 10% H2O2 treatment time. The H2O2 treated carbon supported Pt catalysts and polytetrafluoroethylene were then loaded together on a foamed nickel carrier to obtain hydrophobic catalysts. Our hydrophobic Pt catalyst using H2O2 treated black carbon are expected to be usefully used in the tritium treatment system.

In this research, synergetic and separate influence of nano-carbon black (C.Bn) and SiC on the microstructure and flexural strength of ZrB2 were investigated. So, ZrB2 and ZrB2- 30vol%-based composites containing 10 and 15 vol% C.Bn as well as ZrB2- 15 vol% SiC were fabricated via spark plasma sintering at 1850 °C for soaking time of 8 min under the applied pressure of 35 MPa. Relative density was measured by Archimedes method. Microstructural evaluation was carried out by applying the field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), and flexural strength was measured by three-point bending test. It was found the relative density improves in the presence of C.Bn and SiC especially in synergetic state so that the full densification was gained in Z30Si10C.Bn and Z30Si15C.Bn composites through their reactions with impurities at 1850 °C. In the monolithic ZrB2 system, the C.Bn addition improves the flexural strength slightly to 300 MPa and 315 MPa from 290 MPa. However, co-doped 10 vol% C.Bn with 30 vol% SiC resulted to achieve maximum flexural strength of 486 MPa in comparison with individually applying each of them (395 MPa for Z30Si and 300 MPa for Z10 C.Bn).

In this study, a bipolar visible light responsive photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) was constructed by loading a Z-scheme g-C3N4/ carbon black/BiOBr and a Ti3C2/ MoS2 Schottky heterojunction on the carbon brush to prepare the photoanode and photocathode, respectively. It greatly improved the electron transfer and achieved efficient degradation of organic pollutants such as antibiotics and dyes simultaneously in two chambers of the PFC system. The Z-scheme g-C3N4/carbon black/BiOBr formed by adding highly conductive carbon black to g-C3N4/BiOBr not only effectively separates the photogenerated carriers, but also simultaneously retains the high reduction of the conduction band of g-C3N4 and the high oxidation of the valence band of BiOBr, improving the photocatalytic performance. The exceptional performance of Ti3C2/ MoS2 Schottky heterojunction originated from the superior electrical conductivity of Ti3C2 MXene, which facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect of the two photoelectrodes further improved the photocatalytic performance of the PFC system, with degradation rates of 90.9% and 99.9% for 50 mg L− 1 tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and 50 mg L− 1 rhodamine-B (RhB), respectively, within 180 min. In addition, it was found that the PFC also exhibited excellent pollutant degradation rates under dark conditions (79.7%, TCH and 97.9%, RhB). This novel pollutant degradation system is expected to provide a new idea for efficient degradation of multiple pollutant simultaneously even in the dark.

음식물류폐기물 직매립, 해양투기 등이 금지됨에 따라 음식물류폐기물은 대부분 자원화를 통해 처리되며 퇴비화하여 생산한 음식물류혼합퇴비(이 하, 음폐퇴비)는 작물 생산성을 향상 등을 위하여 농경지에 퇴비로 사용한다. 하지만, 염분 집적에 의한 작물 생육이 우려되며 이에 따른 피해를 줄이기 위하여 음폐퇴비와 블랙카본, 유용 미생물을 함께 사용하면 염분에 의한 피해를 줄일 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 이에 본 연구는 음폐퇴비와 바이오차의 한 종류인 블랙카본, 유용 미생물을 처리 시 상추의 수량과 토양 특성 변화를 알아보고자 하였다. 처리구는 무비구(NF), 무기질 비료 (NPK), 무기질 비료 + 음폐퇴비 (NPKF, 대조구), 무기질 비료 + 음폐퇴비 + 블랙 카본 (NPKFC), 무기질 비료 + 음폐퇴비 + 미생물 (NPKFB), 무기질 비료 + 음폐퇴비 + 블랙카본 + 미생물 (NPKFCB)이다. 상추 생육 조사 결과, 생육 후기인 21일째에 NPKFCB 처리구에서 엽장 20.7 cm, 엽폭 20.2 cm, SPAD-502 32.0으로 가장 생육이 좋았으며, 수량 조사 결과 또한 NPKFCB 처리구에서 주당 총 엽수가 28.8개로 가장 많았다. 수량지수는 무처리가 84.1로 가장 낮았고 NPKFCB 처리구에서 128.7로 가장 높았다. 이는 블랙카본에서 공급되는 K, P, Ca 등의 양분과 미생물 활성화가 작물 생산성 향상에 도움을 준 것으로 판단된다. 토양 화학성 분석 결과 pH는 NPKFB 처리구에서 6.9로 가장 높았으며, EC는 NPKF에서 1.7 dS m-1로 가장 높았다.

Black carbon (BC), which is mainly contained in fine particulate matters, is one of the typical anthropogenic air pollutants that are generated from the incomplete combustion process and discharged into the atmosphere, and its various health effects particularly on children have been a growing concern. In this study, BC and particulate matters were closely analyzed in an elementary school adjacent to a high- traffic road in a large metropolitan city. The investigation showed that black carbon behaved similarly to ultrafine dust of 0.3 μm or less in the air, accounting for 20%-40% of it. The occurrence of high concentration outdoor pollution influences the BC content in indoor particulate matters. The average I/O value was 0.7 during the class-hours, and 0.8 without students. However, when students played in the classroom, the range of BC concentrations varied from 0.25 to 1.15, wider than 0.41-1.13 without students. Although this study was conducted with regard to just one elementary school, it can be considered to represent the typical air quality status of domestic schools, and it is believed to present valuable data which can be utilized to assist with preparing measures to enhance the air quality management of schools.

We report the behaviour of carbon black (CB) nanoparticles (spherical carbon shells), subjected to external pressure, using diamond anvil cell at synchrotron facility. CB nanoparticles have been synthesized by lamp black method using olive oil as combustion precursor and ferrocene as an organometallic additive. The catalyst-assisted CB has an iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) core and amorphous carbon shell (i.e. core–shell structure). Our present study suggests that the carbon shells are partially transparent to the applied high pressure, and result in the reduction of effective pressure that gets transferred to the iron oxide core. High-pressure Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the surrounding carbon shells get compressed with pressure and this change is reversible. However, no structural transformation was observed till the highest applied pressure (25 GPa). The Raman spectroscopy results also suggests that the carbon shells are less pressure sensitive as their pressure coefficients (dω/dP) of G-peak were calculated (3.79 cm− 1/GPa) to be less than that for other carbon allotropes.

Nitrophenol sensors have garnered interest in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, environment safety and explosives. Various methods have been proposed to detect 4-nitrophenol, but nitrophenol isomers such as 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol have been comparatively less studied. For the first time, the present work explores graphitic nanocarbon, i.e., carbon black (CB) interface for sensing of DNP. Two reduction potentials were noted at − 0.48 and − 0.64 V for o-NO2 and p-NO2 moieties, respectively, at CB/GCE. At the same time, bare GCE (glassy carbon electrode) shows a single reduction potential at − 0.7 V. The electrocatalytic effect and adsorption ability of the interface was studied from the DNP concentration effect. Scan rate and pH studies suggest that the CB acquires four electrons for NO2 reduction by the diffusion phenomenon. A broad detection range of 10–250 μM DNP with a very low detection limit of 0.13 (o-form) and 0.15 μM (p-form) was achieved using the CB interface. The real-time applicability of the fabricated sensor was evaluated using commercially available beverages with excellent recovery values. The stability, repeatability and reproducibility of the CB interface were successfully confirmed. Comparison of the sensing parameters of the developed sensor with those reported in literature reveals excellent detection limit and response time for the CB-interfaced DNP sensor, indicating its potential for environmental and commercial applications.

Because of depletion of fossil fuel from the earth curst and increase of environmental concerns, in search of an efficient alternative to the traditional carbon black (CB), a biochar known as rice husk carbon (RHC) has been examined here as a filler material to develop the EPDM composite. In this regard, the ball milled RHC was further treated with ultrasonic wave and used with or without its surface treatment by the silane coupling agent [i.e., 3-mercaptopropyl triethoxysilane (3-MPTMS)]. Among the RHC, ultrasonic treated RHC (UHC) and silane treated UHC (USHC), the EPDM composite of USHC showed nearly similar tensile strength to that of the CB (e.g., CB: 33.88 kgf/cm2, USHC: 31.38 kgf/cm2 at 20 wt% filler loading) with an enhanced elongation at break (e.g., CB: 206%, USHC: 342% at 20 wt% filler loading) and surprisingly much less compression set value (CB: 40.87%, USHC: 18.95% even after 40 wt% of filler loading). Compared to RHC, the UHC also showed its better performance next to the USHC. In addition to presence of both the carbon and silica in RHC and additional silica within the flexible aliphatic chain in USHC, the disintegration of RHC by ultrasonic treatment towards its narrow particle distribution, smaller particle size, and increased surface area is considered very much effective to develop the corresponding high performance EPDM composites. Thus, the use of waste material, i.e., rice husk through the ultrasonication of RHC followed by its surface treatment can be used as a potential filler material to prepare the environment friendly and cost effective high performing composites to be used in different efficient end products, and motivated further for industrial upscaling.

PURPOSES : Graphene nanoplates, which have recently been in the spotlight in various fields, are a layer of graphite used in pencil leads, with carbon arranged in hexagonal honeycomb shapes. The graphene is 0.2 nanometers thick, and it possesses high physical and chemical stability, high strength, and conductivity. These graphene nanoplates have been studied for application in various devices such as semiconductors and batteries, and in the construction sector, where they are used as additives to improve the durability of cement concrete. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical, and functional properties of graphene-modified asphalt mixtures. METHODS : In this study, the graphene input content of asphalt mixture samples was determined using an asphalt performance grade (PG) test. Based on the results of the test, their strength, stiffness, thermal properties, and electrical conductivity were evaluated. Indirect tensile strength test and dynamic modulus (DM) test were conducted to evaluate the strength and stiffness, and thermal conductivity tests and electrical conductivity evaluations were conducted for determining the functionality of the graphene-modified asphalt mixtures. The thermal conduction test was used to measure the external temperature change over time by placing a general heated asphalt mixture and graphene-modified asphalt with the same raw material-specific mixing ratio inside the temperature chamber in order to measure the heat conductivity. The electrical conductivity was evaluated using a digital multimeter to measure the resistance of DC voltage and DC current via a 4-probe method. RESULTS : The performance grade (PG) test results showed that, for a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), both tests met the baseline and that physical changes in the binder did not appear evident with graphene addition. Furthermore, each content met the baseline for the bending beam rheometer (BBR). The increasing ratio of flexural creep stiffness approached the maximum when 7.5% graphene was used. In indirect tensile strength test, an average of thrice the indirect tensile strength for graphene-modified asphalt was 0.92 N/mm2, which was approximately 0.04 N/mm2 higher than the average measured three times that of hot mix asphalt mixture, with the same raw material mixing ratio. In the thermal conduction tests, the temperature and the rate of change of temperature of the graphene-modified asphalt mixture were higher than those of the hot-mix asphalt mixture. Lastly, the results of the electric conductivity test using the 4-probe method showed that the electrical conductivity increased slightly as the graphene content increased, but overall, it showed very low electrical conductivity. CONCLUSIONS : In this study, the potential for enhancing the physical and functional performance of graphene nanoplates applied to asphalt mixtures was demonstrated. However, it is practically difficult to arrange graphene particles continuously within an asphalt mixture, which is believed to have very low electrical conductivity.

Engineering the microstructure of the carbonaceous materials is a promising strategy to enhance the capacitive performance of supercapacitors. In this work, nanostructured Black Pearl (1500 BP) carbon which is a conductive carbon being commercially used in printing rolls, conductive packaging, conductive paints, etc. is analyzed for its feasibility as an electrode material for Electric Double-Layer Capacitors (EDLCs). To achieve that commercial Black Pearl (BP), carbon is treated with mild acid H3PO4 to remove the impurities and enhance the active sites by regulating the growth of agglomerates and creating micropores in the nano-pigments. Generally, the coalescence of nanoparticles owing to their intrinsic surface energy has tendency to create voids of different sizes that act like meso/micropores facilitating the diffusion of ions. The electrochemical performance of BP carbon before and after chemical activation is investigated in aqueous ( H2SO4, KOH and KCl) and a non-aqueous electrolyte (1 M TEMABF4 in acetonitrile) environment employing different electrochemical techniques such as Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impendence Spectroscopy (EIS). The chemically activated BP carbon delivers the highest specific capacitance of ∼156 F g−1 in an aqueous electrolyte, 6 M KOH. The highest specific power, ~ 15.3 kW kg−1 and specific energy, 14.6 Wh kg−1 are obtained with a symmetric capacitor employing non-aqueous electrolyte because of its high working potential, 2.5 V.

Conductive polymer composites with high electrical and mechanical properties are in demand for bipolar plates of phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC). In this study, composites based on natural graphite/fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and different ratios of carbon black are mixed and hot formed into bars. The overall content of natural graphite is replaced by carbon black (0.2 wt% to 3.0 wt%). It is found that the addition of carbon black reduces electrical resistivity and density. The density of composite materials added with carbon black 3.0 wt% is 2.168 g/cm3, which is 0.017 g/cm3 less than that of non-additive composites. In-plane electrical resistivity is 7.68 μΩm and through-plane electrical resistivity is 27.66 μΩm. Compared with non-additive composites, in-plane electrical resistivity decreases by 95.7 % and through-plane decreases by 95.9 %. Also, the bending strength is about 30 % improved when carbon black is added at 2.0 wt% compared to non-additive cases. The decrease of electrical resistivity of composites is estimated to stem from the carbon black, which is a conductive material located between melted FEP and acts a path for electrons; the increasing mechanical properties are estimated to result from carbon black filling up pores in the composites.

A highly functional, environmentally friendly carbonaceous adsorbent material using black liquor (a by-product from the pulp manufacturing) was produced and characterized. This study showed the effect of self-chemical activation driven by inherent alkali, originated from the unique composition of black liquor. A preparation of the micropore-dominant activated carbon was made in an easy and simple manner. The specific surface areas of samples were found to be 718–1591 m2/ g variated upon heat treatment conditions. The sample activated at 850 °C (50 min as retention time) showed the maximum specific surface area of 1591 m2/ g with 13.6% as a production yield. Considering the factors influencing pore structure of activated carbon materials in this study, it was confirmed that mesopore-related surface area increased gradually as the activation temperature and retention time increased. It is noteworthy to address that economically valuable micropore-dominant activated carbon can be produced by a simple heat treatment of the waste material, black liquor. The activated carbon sample derived from black liquor can be applied to various fields, such as environment and energy storage.

To enhance mechanical properties through improvement of dispersion stability of carbon black (CB) in epoxy resins, fluorine functional groups were introduced on the CB surface by fluorination. The changes in the chemical properties and dispersion stabilities after fluorination were evaluated with different partial pressures of fluorine gas. The mechanical properties of the fluorinated CB/epoxy composites were evaluated by the test of tensile, impact strengths and creep behavior. The fluorinated CB/epoxy composites showed approximately 1.6 and 1.1 times enhancement in the tensile and impact strengths compared to that of neat epoxy, respectively. Moreover, when a constant load was applied at 323 K, the fluorinated CB/epoxy composites lasted longer and had smaller strain changes than those of the raw CB/epoxy composites. Thus, well-dispersed CB by fluorination in epoxy resins effectively transfers mechanical stress.

This study aimed to determine the growth and carbon storage of planted Haloxylon aphyllum in the Aralkum Desert in Kazakhstan. Six sites afforested in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2017 were selected. The root collar diameter (cm) and height (m) were measured for all H. aphyllum in 30 m×44 m plots. Biomass accumulation (g m-2) and carbon storage (C g m-2) were calculated using allometric equations and the carbon concentration data of Haloxylon species. The diameters varied from 2.5 cm to 4.3 cm and the height varied from 106.2 cm to 223.7 cm. The growth of H. aphyllum was not linearly related to the afforestation year or soil properties. Tree growth might have been influenced by variations in the microclimate, such as temperature, precipitation, and dust storms. The mean total biomass accumulation was 20.57 g m-2 and ranged from 2.42 g m-2 to 64.53 g m-2. The mean carbon storage was 9.70 C g m-2 and ranged from 1.12 C g m-2 to 30.61 C g m-2. These biomass and carbon storage estimates were smaller than those reported for other Central Asian deserts, but afforestation enabled the generation of vegetative cover and consequently, carbon sequestration in the manmade Aralkum Desert.

본 연구에서는 polypropylene glycol(PPG) 을 이용한 수분산 폴리우레탄에 카제인을 그래프트 합성한 다음 카본블랙을 분산하여 발생하는 변화를 분석하였다. 이를 위해 카제인을 그래프트한 수분산 폴리우레탄 (PUD와 CPUD’s) 시료를 준비한뒤 카본블랙이 분산된 CPCB’s 시료를 준비하였다. 준비된 시료를 이용하여 인장강도를 측정 한 결과 카제인이 높게 함유된 CPUD3 가 3.01 kgf/㎟ 로 인장강도가 증가하였으며, CPCB’s 에서는 카본 블랙이 증가할수록 인장강도가 2.54 kgf/㎟ 로 낮게 측정되었다. 연신율은 카제인이 적게 함유된 PUD 시료가 278 % 로 측정되었으며, CPCB’s에서는 CP3CB4 가 157% 로 측정되었다. 내마모성은 CPUD3 시료가 36.97 mg.loss, CP3CB4가 41.11 mg.loss 로 표면 강도가 측정되었다. 내용제성은 PUD’s 시료와 CPCB’s 시료 양쪽 모두 물성변화가 없음을 확인 할 수 있었다.

The dielectric medium used in electrophoretic displays (EPDs) is required to be an environmentally friendly solvent with high density, low viscosity, and a large electric constant. Hydrofluoroether, a highly fluorinated solvent with eco-friendly characteristics, is regarded as a viable alternative medium for EPDs, owing to the similarity of its physical properties to those of the conventional EPD medium. Surface modification of particles is required, however, in order for it to disperse in the charged solvent. Also, positive/negative charges should be present on the particle surface to enable electrophoretic behavior. In this study, carbon black particles wrapped with positively charged nitrogen (N-CBs) were fabricated by a simple hydrothermal process using a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) solution as a black coloring agent for the EPD. The dispersion behavior of N-CBs was investigated in various solvents.