Ion exchange resin was used to remove silica ion at ultralow concentration. The effects of temperature, type of ion exchange resin and single/mixed-resin systems on removal efficiency were estimated. As temperature increased, the slope of concentration profile became stiff, and the equilibrium concentration was higher. In the single resin system, the removal of silica was continued up to 400 min, but the silica concentration was recovered to initial concentration after 400 min due to the effect of dissolved CO2. In the mixed-resin system it took about 600 min to reach equilibrium. Because of faster cation exchange reaction than anion exchange reaction, the effect of CO2 could be removed. Based on the experimental results carried out in the mixed-resin system, the selectivity coefficients of silica ion for each ion exchange resin were calculated at some specific temperatures. The temperature dependency of the selectivity coefficient was expressed by the equation of Kraus-Raridon type.

A kinetic study for nitrate removal by anion exchange resin was performed using continuous column reactors. Kinetic approach from the packed bed showed the reaction rate constant k1 was 0.07∼0.17 ℓ/㎎·hr and maximum exchange quantity q0 was 27.75∼31.81 ㎎/g. The results from the continuous column well agreed with that from the batch reactor. An economic analysis of the water treatment plant by anion exchange resin with a regenerating system was performed to design plant and process. Based on the treatment of 20 ㎎/ℓ nitrate-contained wastewater of 10,000 gallons per day to 2 ㎎/ℓ , total capital cost and total annual cost are estimated to be 836 million wons and 211 million wons, respectively.

A kinetic study for anion exchange was performed for commercially available Cl- type anion exchange resin in use to remove nitrate in water. The obtained results from the batch reactor were applied to the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The constants for Langmuir model were qmax=29.82 and b=0.202, and for Freundlich model were K=5.509 and n=1.772. Langmuir model showed better fit than Frendlich model for the experimental results. Ion exchange reaction rate was also calculated and the approximate first-order reaction, rate constant k1 was 0.16 L/㎎·hr. Effective diffusion coefficient was obtained in the range from 9.67×10 exp (-8) to 1.67×10 exp (-6) ㎠/sec for initial concentration change, and from 6.09×10 exp (-7) to 3.98×10 exp (-6) ㎠/sec for reaction temperature change. Activation energy during the diffusion was calculated as 36 ㎉/㏖.

Methane production from grain dust was studied using a 3 L laboratory-scale anaerobic plug flow digester. The digester was operated at; temperature of 35, 45, and 55℃ hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 6 and 12 days; and influent concentration(S_0) of 7.8 and 9.0 % total solids(%TS). With ten different operation conditions, this study showed the significant effects of temperature, hydraulic retention time, and influent concentration on methane production, The highest methane-production rate achieved was 1.903 (L methane) /(L digester)(day) at 55℃, 6 days HRT, and S_0 of 7.8 %TS. A total of 3.767 L of biogas per day with a methane content of 50.57% was obtained from this condition. The ultimate methane yield(B_0 was found to be a function of temperature and influent concentration, and was described as : B_0= 0.02907T-0.1263-0.00297(T-10)(%TS), where TS is the total solids in the liquid effluent, and T is temperature(℃). Our results showed that thermophilic condition is better than mesophilic for grain dust stabilization in an anaerobic plug flow digester.