Synthesis of extremely competent materials is of great interest in addressing the energy storage concerns. Manganese oxide nanowires ( MnO2 NWs) are prepared in situ with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene oxide (GO) using a simple and effective hydrothermal method. Powder XRD, Raman and XPS analysis are utilized to examine the structural characteristics and chemical state of composites. The initial specific discharge capacity of pure MnO2 NWs, MnO2 NWs/ MWCNT and MnO2 NWs/rGO composites are 1225, 1589 and 1685 mAh/g, respectively. The MnO2 NWs/MWCNT and MnO2 NWs/rGO composites showed stable behavior with a specific capacity of 957 and 1108 mAh/g, respectively, after 60 cycles. Moreover, MnO2 NWs/rGO composite sustained a specific capacity of 784 mAh/g, even after 250 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g showing outstanding cycling stability.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are characterized by having five or more main elements and forming simple solids without forming intermetallic compounds, owing to the high entropy effect. HEAs with these characteristics are being researched as structural materials for extreme environments. Conventional refractory alloys have excellent hightemperature strength and stability; however, problems occur when they are used extensively in a high-temperature environment, leading to reduced fatigue properties due to oxidation or a limited service life. In contrast, refractory entropy alloys, which provide refractory properties to entropy alloys, can address these issues and improve the hightemperature stability of the alloy through phase control when designed based on existing refractory alloy elements. Refractory high-entropy alloys require sufficient milling time while in the process of mechanical alloying because of the brittleness of the added elements. Consequently, the high-energy milling process must be optimized because of the possibility of contamination of the alloyed powder during prolonged milling. In this study, we investigated the hightemperature oxidation behavior of refractory high-entropy alloys while optimizing the milling time.

In this study, we performed thermal safety design of the electric module of a heat-loaded equipment with consideration of its heat dissipation performance. Initially, we calculated the heat dissipation of natural convection to choose a cooling method. Based on this, we found that some modules required forced convection and selected an air-cooling method with an outdoor temperature of 43 degrees Celsius, which is the maximum temperature in Korea. Prior to module production, we performed thermal analysis of each module and proceeded with a design to increase the thermal conductivity of the module as a primary step, and subsequently proceeded with Heat Sink design to maximize the heat dissipation performance. After considering various constraints according to the system requirements and designing the cooling path, we experimentally and analytically secured thermal safety at the operating temperature of the equipment.

Recently, the deep geological disposal system isolating a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is considered a disposal method of high-level radioactive waste for the safety of humans or the natural environment. The one of important requirements for maintaining the thermal stability of these systems is that the temperature of the buffer does not exceed 100°C even though the decay heat is emitted from highlevel radioactive wastes loaded in the disposal container. In 2007, a deep geological disposal system based on the Swedish disposal concept was developed for the SNF in Korea. To respond to the development process, the thermal stability of the deep geological disposal system developed for the disposal of domestic pressurized light water reactor (PWR) SNFs with discharged burn-up of 55 GWD/MTU was evaluated in 2019. The thing is that the recent fuel activity is pursuing to operate further high burn-up fuel conditions, and it leads to emergency core cooling system (ECCS) revision for extending the license for up to 60 or more than 60 GWD/MTU in the world. In this regard, this study evaluates numerically the thermal stability of the deep geological disposal system for the high burn-up PWR SNF having large decay heat compared to previous conditions for two different length disposal containers classified according to the length of PWR SNFs discharged from domestic nuclear power plants. A finite element analysis using a computational program was used to evaluate the thermal design requirements. Results show that both types of disposal containers would increase the temperature which reduces or fails to meet the safety margin of the disposal system. This study suggests that the design of the previous disposal system is needed to be further developed for the high burn-up PWR SNF which would be used in future nuclear power plant systems.

During the normal operation boron concentrates and spent resins are generated. The boron concentrates are treated by concentrated waste drying system (CWDS) and results in fine powder form. The solidification or application of high integrity container (HIC) is required for the disposal of the dried boron concentrates. The spent resin is stored in storage tank after the water treatment. The spent resin also requires solidification or application of HIC to satisfy the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) in Korea. The solidification process requires periodic validation. The repeated validation and complicated process hesitates the practical application. The application of HIC offers various advantages, including flexible free standing water requirement, higher waste loading compared to solidification, and simple process. The polymer concrete (PC), which is a primary component for PC-HIC exhibits good material stability. The expected transportation mechanism of nuclide in the PC-HIC are 1) diffusion by concentration, 2) permeation by pressure, and 3) capillary suction when considering the disposal condition. Since the PC-HIC effectively prevents the intrusion of neighboring water and volume of free standing water is lower than 1%, it seems that diffusion by concentration is the primary transportation mechanism. In this study, the property of PC is investigated based on Cl ion diffusion test to evaluate the material reliability. The results indicate that PC exhibits superior stability compared to ordinary portland cement. In addition, the reliable life time of PC is estimated base on the element transportation phenomena.

Silicon oxide (SiOx) has been considered one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries due to having a higher capacity than the commercial graphite anodes. However, its practical application is hampered by very large volume variations. In this work, pyrolysis fuel oil is the carbon coating precursor, and physical vapor deposition (PVD) is performed on SiOx at 200 and 400 °C (SiOx@C 200 and SiOx@C 400), followed by carbonization at 950 °C. SiOx@C 200 has a carbon coating layer with a thickness of ~ 20 nm and an amorphous structure, while that of SiOx@C 400 is approximately 10 nm thick and has a more semigraphitic structure. The carbon-coated SiOx anodes display better charge–discharge performance than the pristine SiOx anode. In particular, SiOx@C 200 shows the highest reversible capacity compared with the other samples at high C-rates (2.0 and 5.0 C). Moreover, SiOx@C 200 exhibits excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 90.2% after 80 cycles at 1.0 C. This result is ascribed to the suppressed volume expansion by the PFO carbon coating on SiOx after PVD.

The high-temperature stability of YSZ specimens fabricated by die pressure and cold isostatic press (CIP) is investigated in CaCl2-CaF2-CaO molten salt at 1,150 °C. The experimental results are as follows: green density 46.7 % and 50.9 %; sintering density 93.3 % and 99.3 % for die press and CIP, respectively. YSZ foremd by CIP exhibits higher stability than YSZ formed by die press due to denseness dependency after high-temperature stability test. YSZ shows peaks mainly attributed to CaZrO3, with a small t-ZrO2 peak, unlike the high-intensity tetragonal-ZrO2 (t-ZrO2) peak observed for the asreceived specimen. The t-ZrO2 phase of YSZ is likely stabilized by Y2O3, and the leaching of Y2O3 results in phase transformation from t-ZrO2 to m-ZrO2. CaZrO3 likely forms from the reaction between CaO and m-ZrO2. As the exposure time increases, more CaZrO3 is observed in the internal region of YSZ, which could be attributed to the inward diffusion of molten salt and outward diffusion of the stabilizer (Y2O3) through the pores. This results in greater susceptibility to phase transformation and CaZrO3 formation. To use SOM anodes for the electroreduction of various metals, YSZ stability must be improved by adjusting the high-density in the forming process.

To enhance mechanical properties through improvement of dispersion stability of carbon black (CB) in epoxy resins, fluorine functional groups were introduced on the CB surface by fluorination. The changes in the chemical properties and dispersion stabilities after fluorination were evaluated with different partial pressures of fluorine gas. The mechanical properties of the fluorinated CB/epoxy composites were evaluated by the test of tensile, impact strengths and creep behavior. The fluorinated CB/epoxy composites showed approximately 1.6 and 1.1 times enhancement in the tensile and impact strengths compared to that of neat epoxy, respectively. Moreover, when a constant load was applied at 323 K, the fluorinated CB/epoxy composites lasted longer and had smaller strain changes than those of the raw CB/epoxy composites. Thus, well-dispersed CB by fluorination in epoxy resins effectively transfers mechanical stress.

Recently, automobile washing methods have been carried out using steam of high temperature and high pressure instead of water. Therefore, it is necessary to secure the structural stability of the steam tank. In this study, it is necessary to reduce the weight of the steam tank by reducing the thickness of the existing steam tank by about 25%. The safety of the product design was verified through simulation to ensure the robustness of the product by securing the structural stability and fatigue analysis at high temperature and pressure of the steam tank according to the weight reduction. For newly developed products compared to existing models.

This study examines the role of the nano- and micro-particle ratio in dispersion stability and mechanical properties of composite resins for SLA(stereolithography) 3D printing technology. VTES(vinyltriethoxysilane)-coated ZrO2 ceramic particles with different nano- and micro-particle ratios are prepared by a hydrolysis and condensation reaction and then dispersed in commercial photopolymer (High-temp) based on interpenetrating networks(IPNs). The coating characteristics of VTES-coated ZrO2 particles are observed by FE-TEM and FT-IR. The rheological properties of VTEScoated ZrO2/High-temp composite solution with different particle ratios are investigated by rheometer, and the dispersion properties of the composite solution are confirmed by relaxation NMR and Turbiscan. The mechanical properties of 3Dprinted objects are measured by a tensile test and nanoindenter. To investigate the aggregation and dispersion properties of VTES-coated ZrO2 ceramic particles with different particle ratios, we observe the cross-sectional images of 3D printed objects using FE-SEM. The 3D printed objects of the composite solution with nano-particles of 80 % demonstrate improved mechanical characteristics.

본 연구는 홍삼 유화 음료의 유통기한 예측을 위하여 수행하였다. 저장기간 동안 이화학적 특성 (산도, pH, 지방구크기, 색도) 및 관능적 특성의 변화를 주기적으로 조사하였다. 저장 초기에 홍삼 유화 음료의 산도, pH 및 지방구 크기는 거의 변화하지 않았으나 저장 후반기(70일 이후)에는 유의적으로 변화하 였으며 이는 주로 Maillard reaction 의한 것으로 추정하였다. 관능특성과 이화학적 특성들과의 상관분석을 통하여 색도 a 값(적색도)을 홍삼 유화 음료의 이화학적 품질지표로 설정하였다. Arrhenius 식에 의한 a값 변화에 대한 활성화 에너지 및 Q10-value는 각각 13.37 kcal/mol, 1.56-2.14로 조사되었으며, 홍삼 유화 음료의 유통기한은 상온(20℃) 보관의 경우 730일(약 2년)로 예측되었다.

An advanced organic-inorganic composite membrane is investigated to enhance mechanical and chemical stability of membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). In order to improve chemical and mechanical stability of membrane, organic polymer is composed with inorganic material for VRFB. The inorganic material can be used as anti-oxidant for improving membrane chemical stability during long-term operation of VRFB. However, higher concentration of inorganic particles increased the hydrophobicity which may make membranes brittle. Therefore, the optimization of inorganic materials in polymer membrane is carried out for the application VRFB.

The objective of this study was to investigate the non-thermal sterilization effect of methods such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and UV-irradiation (specifically with regard to the storage stability and shelf-life of carrot juice. The microbial counts of the non-sterilized product increased from 5.51 to 7.34 log CFU/mL up to the fifth day, and then decreased to 5.46 log CFU/mL at six days. UV-irradiation was increased from 2.37 to 4.92 log CFU/mL. HHP was maintained under the 3 log CFU/mL. The pH of UV-irradiation and HHP was maintained withing the range of 6.29~6.30 and 6.20~6.22 during storage. However, the pH arising from non-sterilization decreased from 6.31 to 4.49. The color of non-sterilization changed significantly during storage, but UV-irradiation and HHP were similar during storage. The β- carotene content of non-sterilization was noted to have decreased from 269.45 to 65.19 μg/mL during storage. The UV- irradiation and HHP decreased from 263.46 and 268.35~281.16 μg/mL to 243.42 and 244.09~269.29 μg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, these findings suggest that HHP can be used for the pasteurization, or sterilization, of carrot juice and the optimal condition is two minutes.

A metallic oxide layer of a heat-resistant element contributes to the high-temperature oxidation resistance by delaying the oxidation and has a positive effect on the increase in electrical resistivity. In this study, green compacts of Fecralloy powder mixed with amorphous and crystalline silica are oxidized at 950oC for up to 210 h in order to evaluate the effect of metal oxide on the oxidation and electrical resistivity. The weight change ratio increases as per a parabolic law, and the increase is larger than that observed for Fecralloy owing to the formation of Fe-Si, Fe-Cr composite oxide, and Al2O3 upon the addition of Si oxide. Si oxides promote the formation of Al2O3 and Cr oxide at the grain boundary, and obstruct neck formation and the growth of Fecralloy particles to ensure stable electrical resistivity.