기존의 바나듐 레독스 흐름전지(vanadium redox flow battery, VRFB)에서 사용하고 있는 과불소계이오노머인 나피 온(Nafion)은 전해질에 존재하는 바나듐 이온의 투과도가 높아, 바나듐 이온이 분리막을 투과하여 반대쪽 전해질로 교차 이동 하는 문제를 갖고 있다. VRFB에서 바나듐 이온의 투과는 서로 다른 산화수를 갖는 바나듐 이온이 부반응을 일으켜 충전, 방전 용량의 감소를 야기하고, 장기적인 성능 감소를 일으키는 원인이 된다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 본 연구에서는 SiO2에 3-aminopropyl group이 도입된 나노입자(fS)를 Nafion에 분산시켜 바나듐 이온의 투과를 감소시키고, VRFB의 장기적인 성능 의 향상을 도모하고자 하였다. SiO2에 붙어 있는 아민기(-NH2)가 Nafion의 술폰산 음이온(SO3 -)과 이온결합을 형성함과 동시 에, 암모늄 양이온(-NH3 +)의 양전하가 바나듐 이온에 대해 Gibbs-Donnan 효과를 나타내어 낼 것이라고 기대하였다. fS를 섞은 Nafion 용액의 pH와 Nafion-fS 막의 IEC 측정을 통해 암모늄 양이온과 술폰산 음이온의 이온결합이 존재하는 것을 확인하였고, fS의 양이 많아질수록 바나듐 이온의 투과도가 감소하는 것을 확인하였다. VRFB 단위 전지에 제조한 복합막을 도입하였을 때, 150 mA/cm2의 전류밀도에서 충방전 사이클을 200회 반복 진행하여도 방전용량을 최대 80%까지 유지할 수 있었다.

As part of planning for waste minimization, decontamination foam has been considered as a potential application for the cleaning of radioactive contaminant. In this study, we synthesized silica particles to improve foam stability by varying synthesis parameters. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was found to influence the stability of the decontamination foam. The reason was that higher interaction between SiO2 nanoparticles and surfactant at the air-water interface in aqueous solution is beneficial for foam stability. CTAB can also be used as an additive for the aggregation of silica nanoparticles. In the separation of SiO2 nanoparticles, CTAB plays a critical role in the nanoparticles flocculation because of the charge neutralization and hydrophobic effects of its hydrocarbon tails.

최근, 실리카는 코팅제 및 복합체의 충전제로 많이 사용되고 있으며 상용성을 증가시키기 위하여, 실리카 표면의 실라놀기를 커플링제와 반응시켜 특정한 작용기를 도입하는 표면 처리가 사용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 초임계이산화탄 소를 용매로 사용하여 실리카 나노 파티클을 실란커플링제로 표면 개질 하는 반응을 연구하였다. 실란커플링제로 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (MPS), (3-Glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPS), (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APS) 세 가지 종류를 사용하였다. TGA 측정 시 감소된 양은 실리카의 표면 개질된 실란커플링제의 비율로 볼 수 있다. MPS로 개질된 실리카는 6시간 반응 시 6%, 12시간 반응 시 7%, 24시간 반응 시 9% 감소하였다. APS로 개질된 실리카는 6, 12 및 24시간 반응 시 15% 감소를 보였다. GPS로 개질된 실리카는 6시간 반응 시 6%, 12시간 반응 시 10%, 24시간 반응 시 30% 감소되었다. 가수 분해 된 GPS의 수산기가 실리카 표면의 에폭 사이드 그룹과 반응 할 수 있기 때문에 반응 시간이 길어질수록 GPS 비율이 증가합니다.

The sol-gel method is the simplest method for synthesizing monodispersed silica particles. The purpose of this study is to synthesize uniform, monodisperse spherical silica nanoparticles using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the silica precursor, ethanol, and deionized water in the presence of ammonia as a catalyst. The reaction time and temperature and the concentration of the reactants are controlled to investigate the effect of the reaction parameters on the size of the synthesized particles. The size and morphology of the obtained silica particles are investigated using transmission electron microscopy and particle size analysis. The results show that monodispersed silica particles over a size range of 54-504 nm are successfully synthesized by the sol-gel method without using any additional process. The nanosized silica particles can be synthesized at higher TEOS/H2O ratios, lower ammonia concentrations, and especially, higher reaction temperatures.

The present study is undertaken to evaluate the effect of volume fraction on the results of Charpy impact test for the rubber matrix filled with nano sized silica particles composites. The Charpy impact tests are conducted in the temperature range 0°C and –10°C. The range of volume fraction of silica particles tested are between 11% to 25%. The critical energy release rate GIC of the rubber matrix composites filled with nano sized silica particles is affected by silica volume fraction and it is shown that the value of GIC decreases as volume fraction increases. In regions close to the initial crack tip, fracture processes such as matrix deformation, silica particle debonding and delamination, and/or pull out between particles and matrix which is ascertained by SEM photographs of Charpy impact fracture surfaces.

The friction and wear characteristics of the rubber matrix composites filled with nano sized silica particles were investigated at ambient temperature by pin-on-disc friction test. The volume fraction of silica particles was 19%. The cumulative wear volume and wear rate of these materials on counterpart roughness were determined experimentally. The major failure mechanisms were lapping layers, deformation of matrix, ploughing, debonding of particles, fracture of particles and microcracking by scanning electric microscopy photograph of the tested surface. The cumulative wear volume showed a tendency to increase with increase of sliding distance. The wear rate of these composites tested indicated low value as increasing the sliding distance.

Nanotechnology has become one of the fastest developing technologies and recently applied to a variety of industries. Thus, increasing number of nano materials including various nanoparticles would be discharged into wastewater and consequently entering a biological wastewater treatment process. However, the impact of the nano particles on biological wastewater treatment has not been estimated intensively. In this research, we investigated the effect of silica nanoparticle on the oxygen uptake rates (OURs) of activated sludge used in a conventional wastewater treatment process. The inhibition (%) values were estimated from the results of OURs experiments for the silica nanoparticles with various sizes of 10-15, 45-50, and 70-100 nm and concentrations of 50, 250, and 500 ppm. As results, the inhibition value was increased as the size of silica nano particles decreased and the injected concentration increased. The maximum inhibition value was investigated as 37.4 % for the silica nanoparticles with the size of 45-50 nm and concentration of 50 ppm. Additionally, the effect of size and concentration on the inhibition should be considered cautiously in case that the aggregation of particles occurred seriously so that the size of individual particles was increased in aquatic solution.

The characteristics of abrasive wear of the rubber matrix composites filled with nano sized silica particles were investigated at ambient temperature by pin-on-disc friction test. The range of volume fraction of silica particles tested are between 11% to 25%. The cumulative wear volume and friction coefficient of these materials on particle volume fraction were determined experimentally. The major failure mechanisms were lapping layers, deformation of matrix, ploughing, deboding of particles and microcracking by scanning electric microscopy photograph of the tested surface. The cumulative wear volume showed a tendency to increase nonlinear with increase of sliding distance. As increasing the silica particles of these composites indicated higher friction coefficient.