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.

Rechargeable zinc-based batteries (RZBs) with the advantages of high safety, low cost, abundant resources and environmental friendliness, are considered as advanced secondary battery systems that can be applied to large-scale energy storage. As an important cathode material for RZBs, NASICON-type Na3V2( PO4)3 (NVP) possesses three-dimensional and large-scale ion channels that facilitate the rapid diffusion of Zn2+, and has a higher average operating voltage compared with other vanadiumbased compounds, thus exhibiting the possibility of realizing RZBs with high energy density. However, NVP still has some problems, such as poor electronic conductivity and spontaneous dissolution in aqueous solution. The sluggish kinetics of Zn2+ (de)intercalation in NVP and dendritic growth on the Zn anode also contribute to the poor rate performance and short cycle life of the batteries. In this review, optimization strategies for the electrochemical performance of RZBs with NVP as cathode are systematically elaborated, including modification of NVP cathode and optimization of electrolyte. Several mainstream energy storage mechanisms and analysis methods in this battery system are sorted out and summarized. On this basis, the development direction of NVP–RZB system is further prospected.

Zinc injection into the coolant system of nuclear power plants is an effective method for reducing corrosion and improving performance. The effectiveness of this method is influenced by various factors such as zinc concentration and injection rate. This paper provides an overview of the factors affecting the effectiveness of zinc injection in nuclear power plants, with a focus on zinc concentration and injection rate, and discusses various research results on the effects of these factors on corrosion reduction and coolant system performance. Zinc concentration is an important factor affecting the effectiveness of zinc injection. The research results show that gradual increases in zinc concentration are more effective for coolant system stability. However, the concentration should not exceed the recommended levels as high zinc concentrations can have negative effects on the system. Injection rate is also an important factor affecting the effectiveness of this method. The research results show that gradual increases in injection rate are more effective for coolant system stability. However, excessive injection rates can have negative effects on the system such as overload of the zinc injection facility and chemical shocks within the coolant system, and therefore, should be optimized. In conclusion, zinc concentration and injection rate are important factors affecting the effectiveness of zinc injection in nuclear power plants. The optimal concentration and injection rate should be determined based on specific reactor conditions and system requirements, and efforts should be made to maximize corrosion reduction and performance improvement.

Korean innovative SMR has been implemented developing with improved safety/economy and i- SMR technology development project to secure a competitive edge in SMR. For nuclear power plants, according to the revision of the Nuclear Safety Act (2013.6), it is mandatory to be reflected in the aging management program of nuclear power plants, and the aging management and regulation of major nuclear power plants are being strengthened. For i-SMR, chemistry environment and management strategy is essential to mitigate corrosion and radiation fields, since it has compacted and integrated module designs. Since 1994, zinc injection into the reactor coolant system (RCS) has been applied more than 100 PWRs in the world to mitigate primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) and to reduce outof- core radiation fields. In domestic NPPs, 7 have been applying zinc injection and had up to 90% radiation field reductions. For this reason, SMR needs to apply zinc injection for chemistry strategy. Zinc target concentration will be 5~40 ppb at i-SMR, based on Ni-Fe-Cr materials as same as PWRs. Zinc injection location is in volume and purification control system between the volume control tank and charging P/P where the pressure is moderate. Zinc injection skid can consist of two micro-controllable pump (one for operation and one for stand-by) and one injection tank (batching tank for zinc solution). Zn, Ni, Si, Fe, and activated corrosion products should be monitored to identify zinc injection controls and trends. Flux mapping for core performance monitoring should be evaluated. The application of zinc will be essential and effective and bring sustainable reliability for corrosion control and mitigation strategy to meet the risk-free i-SMR development.

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

High-temperature friction performances of graphite blocks (GBs) and zinc phosphate impregnated graphite blocks (IGBs) were evaluated under various friction temperatures. The surface of IGB exhibited extremely lower average friction coefficient values, that was 0.007 at 400 °C and 0.008 at 450 °C, in comparison to that of GB (0.13 at 400 °C and 0.16 at 450 °C, respectively). The worn surface of IGB in the high-temperature friction test was smoother and more complete than that of GB. The wear under high temperature and load caused the transformation of zinc pyrophosphate to zinc metaphosphate and the formation of a continuous large-area boundary lubrication layer combined with graphite and metallic element on the wear surface. The superior tribology property of IGB could be attributed to the digestion of iron oxides by tribo-chemical reactions and passivation of the exposed dangling covalent bonds. Specifically, the layered structure generated on the IGB wear interface effectively decreased the adhesive forces and prevented the surface from serious damage.

The mechanosynthesis route is a physical top–down strategy to produce different nanomaterials. Here, we report the formation of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) through this route using carbon bars recovered from discarded alkaline batteries as raw material. The mechanosynthesis time (milling time) is shown to have an influence on different features of the GNRs such as their width and edges features. TEM revealed the presence of GNRs with widths of 15.26, 8.8, and 23.55 nm for the milling times of 6, 12, and 18 h, respectively. Additionally, the carbon bars evolved from poorly shaped GNRs for the shortest milling time (6 h) to well-shaped GNRs of oriented sheets forming for the longest milling time. Besides GNRs, graphene sheets (GNS) of different sizes were also observed. The Raman analysis of the 2D bands identified the GNS signal and confirmed the GNRs nature. ID/IG values of 0.21, 0.32, and 0.40 revealed the degree of disorder for each sample. The in-plane sp2 crystallite sizes ( La) of graphite decreased to 91, 60, and 48 nm with increasing peeling time. The RBLM band at 288 cm− 1 confirmed the formation of the GNRs. Mechanosynthesis is a complex process and the formation of the GNRs is discussed in terms of a mechanical exfoliation, formation of graphene sheets and its fragmentation to reach GNR-like shapes. It is shown that the synthesis of GNRs through the mechanosynthesis route, besides the use of recycled materials, is an alternative for obtaining self-sustaining materials.

Sugarcane bagasse has been used as a substrate for the development of microporous nano-activated carbons for the treatment and elimination of dissolved materials from aquatic environment. The activated carbon was produced using chemical activation in one-step method with zinc chloride ( ZnCl2) as the activating agent at a carbonization temperatures range from 500 to 900 °C. The effects of temperature and time of carbonization on the activated carbon product properties were thoroughly studied. The activated carbons that resulted were characterized using the N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET), pore property analysis, micropore (MP) surface area, t-plot surface area, TGA, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and EDX analyses. The prepared activated carbon’s point of zero charge, Boehm titration process, iodine removal percentage, and methylene blue number were also investigated. The prepared activated carbon’s maximum surface area was achieved using a 2/1 impregnation ratio (dried sugarcane bagasse/ZnCl2) at 600 °C temperature of carbonization and 60 min residence time. 1402.2 m2/ g, 0.6214 and 1.41 cm3/ g, respectively, were the largest surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume. As the activation temperature increased, the total pore volume increased and the BET study measured a pore diameter of 0.7 nm and a mean pore diameter of 1.77 nm.

This work describes the facile synthesis of silver nanoparticle-decorated zinc oxide nanocomposite through a simple glycol reduction method. The silver nanoparticle-decorated zinc oxide nanocomposite-based pencil graphite electrode has been validated as a perceptive electrochemical sensing podium towards nitrite. The morphology of the prepared nanocomposite has been characterized via specific spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The sensor exhibits a notable enhancement in the cyclic voltammetric response to nitrite oxidation at an ideal peak potential of 0.76 V in pH 6.0 acetate buffer. Under optimum conditions of nitrite directly expanded with their concentration in the range from 30 to 1400 μM with a detection limit of 14 μM.

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.

This study uses silicone monomer, DMA, crosslinking agent EGDMA, and initiator AIBN as a basic combination to prepare hydrogel lenses using fluorine-based perfluoro polyether and iron oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles as additives. After manufacturing the lens using iron oxide nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles, the optical, physical properties, and polymerization stability are evaluated to investigate the possibility of application as a functional hydrogel lens material. As a result of this experiment, it is found that the addition of the wetting material containing fluorine changes the surface energy of the produced hydrogel lens, thereby improving the wettability. Also, the addition of iron oxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles satisfies the basic hydrogel ophthalmic lens properties and slightly increases the UV blocking performance; it also increases the tensile strength by improving the durability of the hydrogel lens. The polymerization stability of the nanoparticles evaluated through the eluate test is found to be excellent. Therefore, it is judged that these materials can be used in various conditions as high functional hydrogel lens material.