In zinc-air batteries, the gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is an important factor for improving performance. The rigid physical properties of polyvinyl alcohol reduce ionic conductivity, which degrades the performance of the batteries. Zinc acetate is an effective additive that can increase ionic conductivity by weakening the bonding structure of polyvinyl alcohol. In this study, polymer electrolytes were prepared by mixing polyvinyl alcohol and zinc acetate dihydride. The material properties of the prepared polymer electrolytes were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Also, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to calculate ionic conductivity. The electrolyte resistances of GPE, 0.2 GPE, 0.4 GPE, and 0.6 GPE were 0.394, 0.338, 0.290, and 0.213 Ω, respectively. In addition, 0.6 GPE delivered 0.023 S/cm high ionic conductivity. Among all of the polymer electrolytes tested, 0.6 GPE showed enhanced cycle life performance and the highest specific discharge capacity of 11.73 mAh/cm2 at 10 mA. These results verified that 0.6 GPE improves the performance of zinc-air batteries.

본 연구는 해양산업시설에서 배출되는 위험·유해물질(Hazardous and Noxious Substances) 중 아연을 대상으로 국내 서식종을 기반 으로 한 독성시험을 수행하고, 그 결과를 활용하여 국내 실정에 맞는 아연의 해양 수질 준거치(Marine Water Quality Criteria)를 제안하였다. 시험생물은 국내 연근해에 분포하고 산업적으로 유용하며, 표준 시험방법이 존재하는 종을 우선으로 5개의 분류군(Algae, Rotifer, Crustacean, Mollusc, Fish)의 총 10종을 선정하여 독성시험을 수행하였으며, 급·만성비(Acute-Chronic Ratio) 산출을 위하여 무척추동물, 어류 분류군에 대한 만성독성시험을 수행하였다. 국내종 독성시험에서 산출된 독성값을 활용한 수질준거치는 US EPA의 CCC (Criterion Continuous Concentration) 산출 기준으로 9.56 ㎍/L, 호주/뉴질랜드의 산출 기준으로 15.50 ㎍/L 로 나타나 호주/뉴질랜드에서 권고하는 기준인 14.40 ㎍/L 와 유사하였다. US EPA 및 호주/뉴질랜드는 자국의 생태독성 데이터베이스(US EPA Ecotox Database, Australasian Ecotoxicology Database)를 보유하고, 신뢰도 높은 독성값들을 생성하여 수질 기준 및 산출 기준을 갱신하고 있다. 한편, 국내에서는 국내종 기반 급성 독 성값을 적용하고 있지만, 중요한 산출 지표인 급·만성비는 US EPA 또는 유럽의 결과값을 활용하여 해양 수질 준거치를 산출하고 있으며, 국내의 생태독성 자료 또한 제한적인 실정이다. 따라서, 국내 해양 서식종을 기반으로 한 지속적인 독성시험과 준거치 설정 체계를 확보하 여 국내 해양생물과 생태계를 보호할 수 있는 해양 수질 준거치 도출이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

Zinc-ion Batteries (ZIBs) are currently considered to be effective energy storage devices for wearable electronics because of their low cost and high safety. Indeed, ZIBs show high power density and safety compared with conventional lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and exhibit high energy density in comparison with supercapacitors (SCs). However, in spite of their advantages, further current collector development is needed to enhance the electrochemical performance of ZIBs. To design the optimized current collector for high performance ZIBs, a high quality graphene film is suggested here, with improved electrical conductivity by controlling the defects in the graphene film. The graphene film showed improved electrical conductivity and good electron transfer between the current collector and active material, which led to a high specific capacity of 346.3 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1, a high-rate performance with 116.3 mAh g-1 at a current density of 2,000 mA g-1, and good cycling stability (68.0 % after 100 cycles at a current density of 1,000 mA g-1). The improved electrochemical performance is firmly because of the defects-controlled graphene film, leading to improved electrical conductivity and thus more efficient electron transfer between the current collector and active material.

The electrical connection between zinc metal and iron in contact with water prevents oxidation of iron until all zinc is dissolved, which is called a zinc sacrificial anode phenomenon. In the case of water pipes, zinc is often attached to the outside of the pipe, but examples of mounting zinc inside the pipe to prevent iron corrosion are not well known. Zinc devices sold for water pipes vary in the amount of zinc installed depending on the diameter of the pipe and the conditions of use, but the life of the product is generally expected to be 10-20 years until all zinc dissolves and disappears. Zinc ions dissolved from zinc to water in the pipe react with the calcium carbonate scale generated inside the pipe to consume zinc ions, and it was confirmed that the needle-shaped aragonite was converted into highly crystalline calcium after observing the scale crystal through an electron microscope. In addition, it is estimated that calcium ions of scale are replaced by zinc ions, gradually losing crystallinity, being deintercalated into the pipe, and oxygen in the water is consumed during the dissolution of zinc ions from zinc metals, turning red rust hematite (Fe2O3) into magnetite (Fe3O4). In addition, zinc ions were expected to move hundreds to thousands of meters depending on the diameter of the pipe in the new pipe, but it was confirmed that the travel distance was shortened in the case of pipes with many corrosion products.

붕어(무게 42.4 ± 9.0 g, 길이 15.0 ± 1.0 cm)를 96시간 동안 0, 5, 10, 20, 40 및 80 mg Zn2+/l의 수 인성 아연에 노출시켰다. 수인성 아연에 노출된 붕어의 96시간 반수치사농도(LC50)는 51.58 mg Zn2+/l였다. 혈액학적 지표에서 48시간에 40 mg Zn2+/l 농도에서 RBC 수치가 유의하게 감소 한 반면, 헤마토크릿은 아연 노출에 의해 유의하게 증가하였다. MCV (μl)와 MCH (pg)는 40 mg Zn2+/l 농도에서 48시간에 유의하게 증가하였다. 칼슘, 마그네슘, 포도당, 콜레스테롤, 총 단백질 및 ALT와 같은 혈장 성분은 아연 노출에 의해 크게 변화되었다. 본 연구의 결과는 붕어에 대한 아연 노출이 독성으로서 혈액학적 매개변수 및 혈장 성분의 유의한 생리학적 변화를 유발함을 시사한다.

Flexible zinc-air batteries have many merits, including low cost, high safety, environmentally friendliness applicability, etc. One of the key factors to improve the performance of flexible zinc-air batteries is to use a gel electrolyte. In this study, gel electrolytes were synthesized from potato, sweet potato, and corn starch. In a comparison of each starch, the corn starch-based gel electrolyte showed the highest discharge capacity of 12.41 mAh/cm2 in 20 mA and 6.47 mAh/cm2 in 30 mA. It also delivered a higher specific discharge capacity of 7.06 mAh/cm2 than the other materials after 100° bending. In addition, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was analyzed to calculate the ionic conductivity. The potato, sweet potato, and corn starch-based gel electrolytes showed electrolyte resistances (Re) of 0.306, 0.298, and 0.207 Ω, respectively. In addition, the corn starch-based gel electrolyte delivered the highest ionic conductivity of 0.121 S cm-1 among the other gel electrolytes. Thus, the corn starch-based gel electrolyte was verified to improve the performance of flexible zinc-air batteries

리튬-이온 전지 기술의 발전과 함께 다량의 리튬 사용에 따라 리튬-이온 전지에 대한 수요와 공급의 균형이 무너지고 있으며, 따라서 리튬을 대체할 수 있는 차세대 이차 전지의 개발이 필요해지고 있다. 최근 친환경적이며, 값싸며 안전 하고, 다가의 전자를 활용할 수 있는 아연 이온을 활용하는 수계 아연-이온 전지가 주목받고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하 고 아연-이온 전지에 사용될 수 있는 전류 집전체에 대한 개발 연구는 거의 없으며, 특히 현재 사용되고 있는 금속 기반의 전류 집전체는 그 무게가 무거워 실용적으로 사용되기 힘들다. 본 연구에서는 접착 특성이 매우 우수한 키틴 바인더를 사용하여 집전체 없이 지탱이 가능한 전극을 개발하였으며 아연-이온 전지에서의 그 특성을 평가하였다. 전 극 제조는 전통적인 코팅법과 스핀 코팅법을 사용하여 비교하였으며, 스핀 코팅이 더 균일한 전극 형성과 함께 더 우 수한 배터리 성능을 나타냄을 확인하였다.

본 연구에서는 방사성동위원소 추적자 실험을 통해서 산화아연 또는 두 종류의 은나노물질로 오염시킨 토양에서 지렁이 (Eisenia fetida)의 금속축적과 제거율을 비교하였고, 이들을 이온상의 Ag와 Zn으로 처리한 대조구와 비교하였다. 추가적으로 토양의 금속을 다단계추출법 (sequential extraction method)을 이용하여 금속의 결합 형태로부터 생물이용도 (bioavailability)를 예측하고 실제 생물축적 (BAF, bioaccumulation factor)과 비교하였다. ZnO 처리구의 BAF (0.06)는 아연이온 처리구 BAF (1.86)보다 31배 낮았는데, 이는 토양에서 ZnO의 생물전이가 매우 낮음을 제시해 준다. 한편, 은의 BAF는 금속의 오염 형태에에 무관 하게 0.11~0.17의 범위를 보였다. 다단계추출법을 통해서 아연이온 처리구의 아연은 토양에 비교적 약한 결합을 하 는 형태 (mobile fraction)에 35% 분포하여 아연이온처리구 값 (<20%)보다 높았고, 이는 전자의 더 높은 BAF와 일치 한다. 하지만, ZnO 처리구의 다단계추출은 생물이용도나 BAF를 잘 예측하지 못했으며 이는 ZnO가 토양에서 아연 이온과 지화학적으로 다른 거동을 하기 때문으로 추정된다. 지렁이 체내에 축적된 은의 제거율 (3.2~3.8% d-1)은 아연의 제거율 (1.2~1.7% d-1)보다 2~3배 더 높았다

Scale and rust generation in water pipes is a common phenomenon when cast iron water pipes have been used for a long time. A physical water treatment device is known among various means for suppressing rust in a water pipe, and a zinc ionization device for putting zinc metal into a pipe and emitting the zinc cation into water is one of such devices. This research measured the amount of zinc ion generated, which is known to exhibit an effect of inhibiting rust and scale generation in a pipe, and examined the scale and rust inhibition effect of the ionization device installed for ground or building water supply. In the case of distilled water, the concentration of zinc ion increased by circulating water in the ionization device several times, and it was verified to be hundreds of μg/L, and in the case of discharging ground or tap water, it was verified to be tens of μg/L. In addition, a verification pipe was installed to confirm the change inside the pipe before and after installation of the zinc ionization device, and the internal condition of the pipe was observed 3 months to several years after installation. It was confirmed that the corrosion area of the surface of the pipe was no longer increased by installing a corrosion inhibitor, and if the pipe was already filled with corrosion products, the amount of corrosion products gradually decreased every year after installation. The phenomenon of fewer corrosion products could be interpreted as expanding the space in the pipe due to the corrosion product as Fe2O3 adhered to the inner surface of the pipe and turned into a smaller black Fe3O4. In addition, we found that scale such as CaCO3 together in the corrosion by-products gradually decreased with the attachment of the ionization device.

Zinc-ion Batteris (ZIBs) are recently being considered as energy storage devices due to their high specific capacity and high safety, and the abundance of zinc sources. Especially, ZIBs can overcome the drawbacks of conventional lithium ion batteris (LIBs), such as cost and safety issues. However, in spite of their advantages, the cathode materials under development are required to improve performance of ZIBs, because the capacity and cycling stability of ZIBs are mainly influenced by the cathode materials. To design optimized cathode materials for high performance ZIBs, a novel manganese oxide (MnO2) coated graphite sheet is suggested herein with improved zinc-ion diffusion capability thanks to the uniformly decorated MnO2 on the graphite sheet surface. Especially, to optimize MnO2 on the graphite sheet surface, amounts of percursors are regulated. The optimized MnO2 coated graphite sheet shows a superior zinc-ion diffusion ability and good electrochemical performance, including high specific capacity of 330.8 mAh g−1 at current density of 0.1 A g−1, high-rate performance with 109.4 mAh g−1 at a current density of 2.0 A g−1, and remarkable cycling stability (82.2 % after 200 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A g−1). The excellent electrochemical performance is due to the uniformly decorated MnO2 on the graphite sheet surface, which leads to excellent zinc-ion diffusion ability. Thus, our study can provide a promising strategy for high performance next-generation ZIBs in the near future.

Dynamic behavior of piezoelectric ZnO nanowires is investigated using finite element analyses (FEA) on FE models constructed based on previous experimental observations in which nanowires having aspect ratios of 1:2. 1:31, and 1:57 are obtained during a hydrothermal process. Modal analyses predict that nanowires will vibrate in lateral bending, uniaxial elongation/contraction, and twisting (torsion), respectively, for the three ratios. The natural frequency for each vibration mode varies depending on the aspect ratio, while the frequencies are in a range of 7.233 MHz to 3.393 GHz. Subsequent transient response analysis predicts that the nanowires will behave quasi-statically within the load frequency range below 10 MHz, implying that the ZnO nanowires have application potentials as structural members of electromechanical systems including nano piezoelectric generators and piezoelectric dynamic strain sensors. When an electric pulse signal is simulated, it is predicted that the nanowires will deform in accordance with the electric signal. Once the electric signal is removed, the nanowires exhibit a specific resonance-like vibration, with the frequency synchronized to the signal frequency. These predictions indicate that the nanowires have additional application potential as piezoelectric actuators and resonators.

Using lanthanum zinc oxide (LZO) film with the ion-beam irradiation, uniform and homogeneous liquid crystal (LC) alignment was achieved. To fabricate the LZO thin film on glass substrate, solution process was conducted as a deposition method. Cross-polarized optical microscopy (POM) and the crystal rotation method reveal the state of LC alignment on the ion-beam irradiated LZO film. Between orthogonally placed polarizers, POM image showed constant black color with regular transmittance. Furthermore, collected incidence angle versus transmittance curve from the crystal rotation method revealed that the LC molecules on the ion-beam irradiated LZO film were aligned homogeneously. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were conducted to reveal the relationship between the ion-beam irradiation and the LC alignment. The ion-beam irradiation changed the LZO film surface to rougher than before by etching effect. Numerical roughness values from AFM analysis supported this phenomenon specifically. XPS analysis showed the chemical composition change due to the ion-beam irradiation by investigation of O 1s, La 3d and Zn 2p spectra. The ion-beam irradiation induced the breakage of chemical bonds in the LZO film surface and this occurred surface chemical anisotropic characteristics for uniform LC alignment.

For zinc-air batteries, there are several limitations associated with zinc anodes. The self-discharge behavior of zincair batteries is a critical issue that is induced by corrosion reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of zinc anodes. Aluminum and indium are effective additives for controlling the hydrogen evolution reaction as well as the corrosion reaction. To enhance the electrochemical performances of zinc-air batteries, mechanically alloyed Zn-Al and Zn-In materials with different compositions are successfully fabricated at 500rpm and 5h milling time. Investigated materials are characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Alloys are investigated for the application as novel anodes in zinc-air batteries. Especially, the material with 3 wt% of indium (ZI3) delivers 445.37 mAh/g and 408.52 mAh/g of specific discharge capacity with 1 h and 6 h storage, respectively. Also, it shows 91.72 % capacity retention and has the lowest value of corrosion current density among attempted materials.