Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been studied intensively due to their great potential as a clean and efficient energy conversion device. Especially, considerable attention has been paid to the development of thin polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for the practical application of PEMFCs. However, thin PEMs normally have poor physicochemical stability. It is well-known that the physicochemical stability of polymer membrane can be improved by cross-linking technology. In this presentation two different types of cross-linked membranes from sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) will be introduced: 1) cross-linked SPAES membranes prepared using flexible perfluoropolyether as a cross-linker. 2) End group cross-linked SPAES membranes prepared via simple thiol-ene click reaction.

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) have been widely employed in various electrochemical processes for water treatment and energy conversion. Their intrinsic properties such as electrical resistance and permselectivity are the key parameters dominating the efficiency of the electrochemical processes. The cost-effectiveness of the IEMs should also be considered for successful commercialization of the electrochemical membrane processes. In this work, we have investigated the optimum design parameters of the cost-effective IEMs for successful application to various electrochemical membrane processes. (This work was supported by the Technology Innovation Program funded by the Korea government (MOTIE) (No. 10047796).).

In this study, Tröger’s Base (TB) chemistry is exploited to introduce tunable microporosity in commercially available polyimide membranes. Considering that TB is a rigid, V-shaped and bridged alicyclic amine, there have been notable reports on accessing feasibility in TB for gas separation membrane applications. However, this presentation shows a different but much viable preparation approach in comparison to the already reported ones. This approach only requires commercially available monomers with two preparation steps, thus it can accommodate scalable and practical productions. Five different kinds of homopolymers and six copolymers were explored to demonstrate structure-property-performance relationships and to evaluate practical applicability towards industrial level.

이온교환막은 고정 전하기를 가지고 있어 반대 극성의 이온만 선택적으로 수송할 수 있는 분리막이다. 최근 이온 교환막을 핵심부품으로 사용하는 탈염 공정 및 에너지 변환 공정의 중요도가 증가함에 따라 이온교환막에 대한 관심도 점차 높아지고 있다. 이온교환막은 상기 공정의 효율을 결정하기 때문에 막의 분리 성능 및 내구성을 향상시켜야 하며 또한 이온 교환막 공정의 확대 적용을 가로막는 걸림돌이 되고 있는 비싼 막 가격도 낮춰야 한다. 따라서 고성능⋅저가 이온교환막의 개발이 시급한 과제라고 할 수 있다. 이온교환막의 다양한 형태 중 다공성 고분자 기재에 이오노머(ionomer)를 충진 시켜 제조되는 세공충진막은 균질막과 불균질막의 중간적인 형태이다. 저렴한 지지체의 사용과 원료 사용량의 감소로 인해 불균질막 처럼 제조 단가가 저렴하며 동시에 균질막에 가까운 우수한 전기화학적 특성을 나타낸다. 본 총설에서는 최근 고성능⋅저가 이온교환막 기술로 주목 받고 있는 세공충진 이온교환막의 주요 연구개발 동향을 응용 분야별로 구분하여 정리 보고하였다.

Long-lived Small Modular Reactors are being promoted as an innovative way of catering to emerging markets and isolated regions. They can be operated continuously for decades without requiring additional fuel. A novel configuration of long-lived reactor core employs a mixed neutron spectrum, providing an improvement in nonproliferation metrics and in safety characteristics. Starting with a base sodium reactor design, moderating material is inserted in outer core assemblies to modify the fast spectrum. The assemblies are shuffled once during core lifetime to ensure that every fuel rod is exposed to the thermalized spectrum. The Mixed Spectrum Reactor is able to maintain a core lifetime over two decades while ensuring the plutonium it breeds is below the weapon-grade limit at the fuel discharge. The main drawbacks of the design are higher front-end fuel cycle costs and a 58% increase in core volume, although it is alleviated to some extent by a 48% higher power output.

Bovine colostrum is necessary for newborn calves to survive, grow and receive immunity from their mother. Cows in Korea produce about 35kg of colostrum, 4Kg of which is fed to the calf, and the rest is discarded. The bovine colostrum causes the harmful side effects to human, such as allergies and digestive problems; so, it is prohibited by law to consume colostrum itself as a food. However, many scientific research data have suggested that components in the colostrum can improve human health and has the ability to help treat diseases. In line with the trend of food and pharmacy industries using natural product materials, which attract positive attention, recently, some ingredients in colostrum have been used in the production of food supplements, and it has been used in its raw form in some cosmetics. This review introduces the active ingredients and physiologically active substances contained in bovine colostrum, summarizes the efficacy of physiological enhancement of the colostrum, which has been proven by scientific methods to date, and also suggests the possibility of industrial applications of colostrum as an animal-derived natural material.

The long-term development of a mobile gaming application (app) depends on its continued use by its users. The aim of this study is to investigate the determinants of a mobile gaming app’s continuance intention among users. The expectation-confirmation model of IS continuance was used as the basic framework, to which bi-dimensional consumption emotions were added to help better explain satisfaction judgment and continuance intention in the context of mobile gaming app use. To test the expanded IS continuance model, we conducted an online survey among mobile gaming app users; 271 valid responses were collected. The data were analyzed using structural equation models (SEM). The effects of positive emotions (PE) and negative emotions (NE) were examined, respectively, in model 1 and model 2. Competing models (models 3, 4 and 5) were also examined in order to compare the proposed models. Both positive and negative emotions have a significant effect on the satisfaction of mobile gaming app users and their continued usage intention, a finding that represents an important contribution to the extension of technology continuance theory. Comparison with the IS continuance model shows that the new model can explain significantly more variance in continuance intention. This study presents two extensions to the expectation-confirmation model of IS continuance. First, this paper presents and tests a theoretical model, derived from the IS continuance model, in which emotions play an important role in measuring customer satisfaction and subsequent long-term behavioral intention. The proposed model can be used to predict the satisfaction and continuance intention of situations in which a consumer’s emotional expectations and reactions are a core part of the consumption experience. Second, we ground the expectation-confirmation model of IS continuance in the context of mobile gaming apps, which involves both utilitarian (cognitive) and hedonic (affective) components. This study offers insight into the role of emotions in forming continuance intentions toward mobile gaming app use in China, a topic that has not previously been investigated. The findings have important implications for practice in the mobile gaming app sector. Special attention should be given to users’ consumption emotions, since emotions have been found to be strongly related to satisfaction and subsequent continued usage intention. For instance, mobile games firms should make efforts to develop strategies to enhance game players’ positive emotions (such as feeling joyful, interested, cheerful, excited, active, attentive) during the games because game players’ emotional fulfillment leads to satisfaction and minimizes negative emotions (such as feeling distressed, ashamed, afraid, nervous, upset or lonely); such negative emotions have been shown to have a direct and strong effect on satisfaction as well as an indirect effect continuance intention via satisfaction.

Marketing and information systems research has a long history of studying the customer’s acceptance and adoption process of new technologies (Venkatesh et al., 2003). These studies are often motivated by the potential of new technologies such as smart home systems to improve our everyday life. To benefit from these technologies, individuals have to accept them in the first place. To better understand the acceptance process, scholars regularly employ various theories in their studies such as technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989), innovation diffusion theory (Rogers 2003), and perceived risk theory (Featherman and Pavlou, 2003). Although each of these theories provides valuable insights, only recently scholars started combining them in larger framework and examining their interrelationships. These studies argue that each theory has the potential to make a unique contribution to understanding of technology acceptance, but the combination of theories leads to novel insights. The purpose of this study is the development of a comprehensive adoption model combining constructs from various theories and testing these theories against each other to provide new insights. The study develops this model in a smart home applications context which is a complex technological system. The study is based on an online survey consisting of 409 participants; the data is analyzed using structural equation modelling.

하수처리 혐기성 유동상 생물반응기(Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Bioreactor : AFBR)는 높은 표면적을 갖는 입상활 성탄을 유동 메디아로 적용함으로써 생물막 형성 및 유지에 유리하며 이로 인해 우수한 유기물 제거 효율을 나타내나 처리된 유출수 내의 질소와 같은 영양염류의 잔존이 여전히 문제로 남아있다. 본 연구에서는 AFBR에 의해 처리된 유출수 내의 질소 배제를 위하여 정삼투막(FO membrane)을 유도용액의 종류와 농도에 따라 적용하였다. 실험결과 유출수의 총질소 배제 효율 은 FO막에 적용하는 유도용액(draw solution : DS)의 종류 및 농도에 크게 의존하였다. 유도용액 농도가 증가함에 따라 FO막의 수투과량이 증가하였으며, 1 M의 NaCl을 유도용액으로 사용한 경우 총질소 배제 효율은 55%이었으나 1 M의 glucose를 유도용액을 사용한 경우 거의 완벽한 총질소 배제 효율을 나타내었다. AFBR 유출수를 FO막으로 24시간 동안 여과를 진행하 였으나 파울링에 의한 수투과량의 감소는 관찰되지 않았다.

Cold recycled asphalt has been utilized to overcome high energy consumption and working temperature and low recycled pavement material percentage in hot mix asphalt and concrete pavement [1]. Up to dates, asphalt recycling on site called as Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR), Cold Central Plant Recycling (CCPR) and even hot recycling technologies have been developed and applied to the fields, but limitations such as poor adhesion between gravel and asphalt, slow hydration time, bleeding pavement are reported, respectively [2, 3, 4]. Among these issues, hydration time and initial strength in application are all related to the property of mineral filler influencing the mechanical property of pavement mixture. Due to these reasons, there have been continuous needs to develop new mineral filler to overcome previously reported issues by with the respects of mineral composition, hydration reaction and surface reaction enhancement. In this study, several natural minerals such as alumina, silicate, and calcium oxide were utilized as raw materials and following characterizations using SEM, EDS, XRD, and BET were performed to evaluate materials properties and suggest research directions for the optimum mineral filler development.

Two new synergists are proposed for pigment dispersion in pigment ink. Benzoic acid was applied to Pigment Yellow 74 (PY-74) and Pigment Yellow 150 (PY-150) as a hydrophilic functional group to synthesize (E)-4-(((3-(2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)hydrazono)-4-oxopent-1-en-2-yl)(2-methoxyph enyl)am-ino)methyl)benzoic acid (PY-74BA) and (E)-4-((2,4,6-trioxo-5-((2,4,6-trioxohexahydropyrimidin-5-yl)di-azenyl)tetrahydropyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)methyl)ben zoic acid (PY-150BA). Whereas pigment showed extremely low solubility in water and organic solvents like DMSO, DMF and methanol, two synergists were found to have higher solubility than pigment. This result can be interpreted as reduction of particle aggregation by increased polarity. Two synergists applied to pigment ink are expected to improve dispersion property and storage stability of ink.

The Anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AFBR) treating synthetic wastewater to simulate domestic sewage was operated under GAC fluidization to provide high surface area for biofilm formation. Although the AFBR achieves excellent COD removal efficiency due to biological activities, concerns are still made with nutrient such as nitrogen remaining in treated wastewater. In this study, FO membrane was applied to treat the effluent produced by AFBR. Removal efficiency with total nitrogen (TN) was investigated with draw solution (DS, NaCl) and hydrodynamic condition (i.e., recirculation flow rate) along FO membranes. Permeability of FO membrane increased with increasing DS concentration. About 85% of TN removal efficiency was observed with the FO membrane using 1 M of NaCl DS. During operational period of a day, no permeate flux decline was observed.

The anion exchange membrane (AEM) has a structure having a group of positively charged ions inside, and selectively permeates the anion of the electrolyte. In addition, excellent ion conductivity and chemical durability, and highly reliable electrochemical performance are required. However, commercially available AEMs have a hydrocarbon-based backbone. It is difficult to make the thin film because of low solubility. As a result, it has low ionic conductivity and high area resistivity and shows limitations in electrochemical applications. In this study, a perfluorinated ionomer-based anion exchange membrane with excellent chemical stability is prepared and shows enhanced anion conductivity in electrochemical applications.

Membrane separation processes have been widely used in water purification or gas separation applications because of their process simplicity, low cost operation and small footprint. Nowadays, applications of ceramic membranes with high thermal, chemical and mechanical resistance has rapidly grown in new separation applications where the polymeric membranes cannot be used (e.g., high temperature, strong acidic/basic or solvent-contained corrosive feed solution). In this study, robust ceramic hollow fiber membranes were prepared by extrusion-phase inversion followed by sintering. The effects of preparation conditions on membrane characteristics were studied to improve the separation performance of ceramic membranes. In addition, a variety of modification methods and applications based on ceramic hollow fiber membranes will be discussed.