본 연구에서는 콘크리트의 내구성 및 낮은 인장강도를 향상시키기 위해 개발된 폴리비닐알콜(PVA) 혼입 시멘트 복합 체의 내약품성을 평가하였다. 시멘트 복합체에 대한 PVA 혼입률은 0%, 1.0%, 1.2%로 설계되었다. 각 혼입률에 따른 시멘트 복 합체의 압축강도, 인장강도, 휨강도를 측정하였다. 결과적으로 1.2% 혼입률에서 압축강도는 1.3배, 인장강도는 5.6배, 휨강도는 17.9배 증가하였다. 내약품성 실험을 위해 염화칼슘, 황산나트륨, 그리고 황산 용액에 시멘트 복합체를 침지시킨 후 30일, 40일, 50일 후 질량 소실률을 측정하여 내화학성을 평가하였다. 내화학성 실험 결과, PVA 혼입은 약품의 침투를 방지하여 시멘트 복 합체의 내화학성을 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. 총체적으로, PVA 혼입은 시멘트 복합체의 내화학성을 향상시키는 동시에 강도 특성을 제공하는 것으로 확인되었다.
PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to experimentally analyze the flexural strength characteristics of cement mortar mixtures simultaneously incorporated with graphene oxide (GO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers, and to understand the composite effect of those on enhancing resistance against the initiation and progression of micro-cracks, as well as the control of macro-cracks in flexural behavior.
METHODS : Cement mortar(w/c=0.5) specimens for flexural strength test, mixing 6 mm and 12 mm PVA fibers at 1% and 2% volume ratios, were fabricated. Additionally, specimens incorporating GO at a cement weight ratio of 0.05% were prepared for each mixture to analyze the effect of GO. Therefore total eight types of mixture were prepared. The fabricated specimens were subjected to flexural strength tests after curing in waterbath for 7 and 28 days. Concurrently, digital images for analyzing deformation in accordance with loading history were obtained at a rate of 20 Hz using the DIC technique. Through displacement and strain calculation via DIC, the flexural behavior characteristics of the mixtures combined with GO and PVA fibers were precisely analyzed. Furthermore, the composite effect on flexural behavior characteristics when GO and PVA fibers are incorporated was discussed.
RESULTS : For the PVA fiber-reinforced cement mortar mixture, the incorporation of 0.05% GO increased the crack initiation load by up to 23%, and the maximum resistive load after cracking by up to 24%. Moreover, introducing GO into the PVA fiber-reinforced mixture increased the flexural strain just before cracking by approximately 30 to 50%, while the maximum resistive load after cracking exhibited similar strain levels with or without GO incorporation. Therefore, under flexural behavior, the integration of GO might delay crack initiation by increasing the strain concurrent with the rise in flexural stress before crack occurrence. It also seems to contribute to reducing crack expansion by synergistically interacting with PVA fibers after crack occurrence.
CONCLUSIONS : It was experimentally examined that the flexural strength of PVA fiber reinforced cement mortar is improved by incorporating GO. Moreover, GO enhances resistance of crack occurrance and reduces crack propagation in combination with PVA fibers. This study suggests that simultaneous incorporation of GO and PVA fibers can synergistically improve the performance of cement composites.
In this study, a new type of composite material combined with carbonyl iron, a relatively strong ferromagnetic material, was prepared to overcome the current application limitations of Prussian blue, which is effective in removing radioactive cesium. The surface of the prepared composite was analyzed using SEM and XRD, and it was confirmed that nano-sized Prussian Blue was synthesized on the particle surface. In order to evaluate the cesium removal ability, 0.2 g of the composite prepared for raw cesium aquatic solution at a concentration of 5 μg was added and reacted, resulting in a cesium removal rate of 99.5 %. The complex follows Langmuir’s adsorption model and has a maximum adsorption amount (qe) of 79.3 mg/g. The Central Composite Design (CCD) of the Response Surface Method (RSM) was used to derive the optimal application conditions of the prepared composite. The optimal application conditions achieved using Response optimization appeared at a stirring speed of pH 7, 17.6 RPM. The composite manufactured through this research is a material that overcomes the Prussian Blue limit in powder form and is considered to be excellent economically and environmentally when applied to a cesium removal site.
The thermal shock resistance of cement composites with hollow glass microspheres (HGM) is investigated. Cement composites containing various concentrations of HGM are prepared and their properties studied. The density, thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion of the composites decrease with increasing HGM concentration. A thermal shock test is performed by cycling between -60 and 50oC. After the thermal shock test, the compressive strength of the cement composite without HGM decreases by 28.4%, whereas the compressive strength of the cement composite with 30 wt% HGM decreases by 5.7%. This confirms that the thermal shock resistance of cement is improved by the incorporation of HGM. This effect is attributed to the reduction of the thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion of the cement composite because of the incorporation of HGM, thereby reducing the occurrence of defects due to external temperature changes.
N-doped Na2Ti6O13@TiO2 (denoted as N-NTO@TiO2) composites are successfully synthesized using a simple two-step process: 1) ball-milling of TiO2 with Na2CO3 followed by heat treatment at 900oC; 2) mixing of the prepared Na2Ti6O13 with titanium isopropoxide and calcining with urea at 500oC. The prepared composites are characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and BET. The N-NTO@TiO2 composites exhibit well-defined crystalline and anatase TiO2 with exposed {101} facets on the external surface. Moreover, dopant N atoms are uniformly distributed over a relatively large area in the lattice of the composites. Under visible light irradiation, ~51% of the aqueous methylene blue is photodegraded by N-NTO@TiO2 composites, which is higher than the values shown by other samples because of the coupling effects of the hybridization of NTO and TiO2, N-doping, and presence of anatase TiO2 with exposed {101} facets.
In this work, the ablation behavior of monolith ZrB2-30 vol%SiC (Z30S) composites were studied under various oxy-acetylene flame angles. Typical oxidized microstructures (SiO2/SiC-depleted/ZrB2-SiC) were observed when the flame to Z30S was arranged vertically. However, formation of the outmost glassy SiO2 layer was hindered when the Z30S was tilted. The SiC-depleted region was fully exposed to air with reduced thickness when highly tilted. Traces of the ablated and island type SiO2 were observed at intermediate flame angles, which clearly verified the effect of flame angle on the ablation of the SiO2 layer. Furthermore, the observed maximum surface temperature of the Z30S gradually increased up to 2,200 °C proving that surface amorphous silica was continuously removed while monoclinic ZrO2 phase began to be exposed. A proposed ablation mechanism with respect to flame angles is discussed. This observation is expected to contribute to the design of complex-shaped UHTC applications for hypersonic vehicles and re-entry projectiles.
Tin-antimony sulfide nanocomposites were prepared via hydrothermal synthesis and a N2 reduction process for use as a negative electrode in a sodium ion battery. The electrochemical energy storage performance of the battery was analyzed according to the tin-antimony composition. The optimized sulfides exhibited superior charge/discharge capacity (770 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1) and stable lifespan characteristics (71.2 % after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g-1). It exhibited a reversible characteristic, continuously participating in the charge-discharge process. The improved electrochemical energy storage performance and cycle stability was attributed to the small particle size, by controlling the composition of the tin-antimony sulfide. By optimizing the tin-antimony ratio during the synthesis process, it did not deviate from the solubility limit. Graphene oxide also acts to suppress volume expansion during reversible electrochemical reaction. Based on these results, tin-antimony sulfide is considered a promising anode material for a sodium ion battery used as a medium-to-large energy storage source.
PURPOSES : The effects of strontium cations on the strength of hydrated cement composites as well as the morphology and chemical composition changes of cement hydrates due to strontium treatment are investigated in this study. Subsequently, the potential of a strontiumbased aqueous solution as a near-surface treatment method for hydrated cement composites is evaluated.
METHODS : To supply strontium cations to a hydrated cement composite, a 30% strontium nitrate aqueous solution was used. Cement paste (w/c = 0.4) specimens were prepared and cured in the 30% strontium nitrate aqueous solution, which allows the strontium ions to penetrate into the specimen and treat the near-surface region. Compressive and flexural strength tests were performed on both specimens treated by the strontium ions and untreated specimens cured in deionized water, and the test results were compared. To investigate the changes in the morphology and chemical compositions of the cement hydrates due to the treatment, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analyses were performed.
RESULTS : The results of the strength tests indicate that both the compressive and flexural strengths of the specimens cured in the 30% strontium nitrate aqueous solution improved significantly compared with the specimens cured in deionized water for the same duration. In particular, the strontium nitrate aqueous solution shows greater improvement in terms of the flexural strength compared with the compressive strength. The maximum penetration depth of strontium into the hydrated cement composite is 5 mm during the first 7 d of immersion and increases to 6.5 mm during the subsequent 14 d. The SEM results show that the microstructure of the hydrated cement composite is densified by the strontium nitrate aqueous solution treatment. The EDS results show that morphology and chemical compositions of the cement hydrates are altered. This implies that the strontium cations can be combined with C–S–H and C–S–A–H phases to form new types of hydrates.
CONCLUSIONS : The experimentally results show that the strength of hydrated cement composites can be improved by modifying their near-surface regions via the strontium cation penetration technique. This implies that the strontium-based aqueous solution exhibits high potential for the maintenance and rehabilitation of concrete structures.
The medicines for treating osteoporosis currently in use have minor to severe side effects, and can be financially burdensome. Thus, there is a need for prevention and alternative supplement that is relatively inexpensive, and can be easily consumed daily as an alternative dietary therapy. In this study, bone marrow density of the spine and femur of osteoporosis patients were checked before and after consuming complex composed of calcium and magnesium, considered to be the core of bone mineral content. November 2017-November 2021, patients with T-score of less than -2.5 or -1.0 < T-score < -2.5 with history of fractures or recent fractures were enrolled. The data of 60 patients who orally administered Ionized Cal/MagTM Complex were reviewed retrospectively, and it was significantly confirmed that the average value of T-score was up-regulated by 0.5. Additionally, the cumulative dose was observed to have a positive effect, on the improvement of BMD in the 2nd Lumbar and Femur neck. It is expected that better results will be achieved if use of the supplement is continued.
3Y-TZP ceramics obtained by doping 3 mol.% of Y2O3 to ZrO2 to stabilize the phase transition are widely used in the engineering ceramic industry due to their excellent mechanical properties such as high strength, fracture toughness, and wear resistance. An additional increase in mechanical properties is possible by manufacturing a composite in which a high-hardness material such as oxide or carbide is added to the 3Y-TZP matrix. In this study, composite powder was prepared by dispersing a designated percentage of WC in the 3Y-TZP matrix, and the results were compared after manufacturing the composite using the different processes of spark plasma sintering and HP. The difference between the densification behavior and porosity with the process mechanism was investigated. The correlation between the process conditions and phase formation was examined based on the crystalline phase formation behavior. Changes to the microstructure according to the process conditions were compared using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The toughness-strengthening mechanism of the composite with densification and phase formation was also investigated.
Despite the long history of mushroom use, studies examining the genetic function of mushrooms and the development of new varieties via bio-molecular methods are significantly lacking compared to those examining other organisms. However, owing to recent developments, attempts have been made to use a novel gene-editing technique involving CRISPR/Cas9 technology and genetic scissors in mushroom studies. In particular, research is actively being conducted to utilize ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that can be genetically edited with high efficiency without foreign gene insertion for ease of selection. However, RNPs are too large for Cas9 protein to pass through the cell membrane of the protoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, guide RNA is unstable and can be easily decomposed, which remarkably affects gene editing efficiency. In this study, nanoparticles were used to mitigate the shortcomings of RNP-based gene editing techniques and to obtain transformants stably. We used Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom) Sanjo705-13 monokaryon strain, which has been successfully used in previous genome editing experiments. To identify a suitable osmotic buffer for the isolation of protoplast, 0.6 M and 1.2 M sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, and KCl were treated, respectively. In addition, with various nanoparticle-forming materials, experiments were conducted to confirm genome editing efficiency via the formation of nanoparticles with calcium phosphate (CaP), which can be bound to Cas9 protein without any additional amino acid modification. RNPs/NP complex was successfully formed and protected nuclease activity with nucleotide sequence specificity.
현대에 있어 지구온난화 현상으로 인해 여름철에는 폭염, 겨울에는 한파가 빈번해지는 이상기후가 지속적으로 발생 하고 있다. 여름철과 겨울철의 기온 양극화가 심해지고 있으며 이로 인한 급격한 변화로 다양한 분야에서 문제가 발생하고 있 다. 이에 전 세계에서는 사고예방 및 근본적인 문제를 해결하기 위하여 새로운 기술을 도입하고, 이에 맞는 정책을 추진하고 있 다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 이러한 사회적인 문제를 극복할 수 있는 방안으로 구조물 및 건축물등 다양한 분야에서 가장 많이 사용되는 골재인 잔골재에 대하여 다공성 골재로 치환함과 동시에 열에너지 저장이 가능한 상변화 물질을 함침하고, 골재 내 PCM의 성능 극대화를 위한 SOL-GEL 코팅에 대해 연구하였으며 이를 활용하여 모르타르를 제작하였다. 성능을 확인하기 위하 여 SEM, DSC, FT-IR 및 강도실험을 진행하였으며 최종적으로 제조된 SOL-GEL코팅된 PCM 함침 활성탄의 경우 냉각시 상변화 온도 2.4℃와 26.8J/g의 열에너지를 확인하였으며 가열시 상변화 온도 7.1℃와 32.95J/g의 열에너지를 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 제작된 잔골재를 활용한 모르타르의 경우 7일차 압축강도 37.68MPa, 28일차 압축강도 50.34MPa, 28일차 휨강도 4.5MPa를 확인 하였다.
Tin/graphite composites are prepared as anode materials for Li-ion batteries using a dry ball-milling process. The main experimental variables in this work are the ball milling time (0–8 h) and composition ratio (tin:graphite=5:95, 15:85, and 30:70 w/w) of graphite and tin powder. For comparison, a tin/graphite composite is prepared using wet ball milling. The morphology and structure of the different tin/graphite composites are investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the samples are also examined. The optimal dry ball milling time for the uniform mixing of graphite and tin is 6 h in a graphite-30wt.%Sn sample. The electrode prepared from the composite that is dry-ballmilled for 6 h exhibits the best cycle performance (discharge capacity after 50th cycle: 308 mAh/g and capacity retention: 46%). The discharge capacity after the 50th cycle is approximately 112 mAh/g, higher than that when the electrode is composed of only graphite (196 mAh/g after 50th cycle). This result indicates that it is possible to manufacture a tin/graphite composite anode material that can effectively buffer the volume change that occurs during cycling, even using a simple dry ball-milling process.
고용량 배터리에 대한 요구가 증가에 따라 기존 음극재보다 높은 용량(3,860 mAh/g)과 낮은 전기화학적 전위(– 3.040 V)를 갖는 리튬 금속 기반 음극재에 대한 연구가 활발하게 이루어지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 수열 합성을 통해 제작된 아나타제(anatase) 타입의 TiO2 나노 입자 기반한 PVdF-HFP/TiO2 복합체를 리튬 금속 음극의 계면 보호층으로 적용하였다. 결정구조 및 형상 분석을 통해 유/무기-리튬 나노복합체 박막의 형성을 확인하였다. 또한, 전지화학 테스트(사이클 테스트 및 전압 프로파일)를 통해 리튬 금속 음극의 전기화학 성능은 복합체 보호막이 TiO2 10 wt%, 코팅 두께 1.1 μm의 조건에서 가장 개선된 전기화학적 성능(콜롱 효율 유지: 77 사이클 동안 90% 이상) 발현을 확인하였다. 이를 통해, 처리하지 않은 리튬 전극 대비 본 보호층에 의한 리튬 금속 음극의 성능 안정화/개선 효과가 검증되었다.