PURPOSES: Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is a particulate matter precursor, which is a harmful gas contributing to air pollution and causes acid rain. The approaching methods for NOx removal from the air are the focus of numerous researchers worldwide. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and activated carbon are particularly useful materials for NOx removal. The mechanism of NOx elimination by using TiO2 requires sunlight for a photocatalytic reaction, while activated carbon absorbs the NOx particle into the pore itself after contact with the atmosphere. The mixing method of these two materials with concrete, coating, and penetration methods on the surface is an alternative method for NOx removal. However, this mixing method is not as efficient as the coating and penetration methods because the TiO2 and the activated carbon inside the concrete cannot come in contact with sunlight and air, respectively. Hence, the coating and penetration methods may be effective solutions for directly exposing these materials to the environment. However, the coating method requires surface pretreatment, such as milling, prior to securing contact, and this may not satisfy economic considerations. Therefore, this study aims to apply TiO2 and activated carbon on the concrete surface by using the penetration method. METHODS : Surface penetrants, namely silane siloxane and silicate, were used in this study. Photocatalyst TiO2 and adsorbent activated carbons were selected. TiO2 was formed by the crystal structures of anatase and rutile, while the activated carbons were plant- and coal-type materials. Each penetrant was mixed with each particulate matter reductant. The mixtures were sprayed on the concrete surface using concentration ratios of 8:2 and 9:1. A scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray equipment was employed to measure the penetration depth of each specimen. The optimum concentration ratio was selected based on the penetration depth. RESULTS: TiO2 and activated carbon were penetrated within 1 mm from the concrete surface. This TiO2 distribution was acceptable because TiO2 and activated carbon locate to where they can directly come in contact with sunlight and air pollutant, respectively. Infiltration to the concrete surface was easily achieved because the concrete voids were bigger than the nanosized TiO2 and microsized activated carbon. The amount of penetration for each particulate matter reductant was measured from the concrete surface to a certain depth. CONCLUSIONS : The mass ratio on the surface can be predicted from the mass ratio of the particulate matter reductant measurement distributed through the penetration depth. The optimum mass ratio was also presented. Moreover, the mixtures of TiO2 with silane siloxane and activated carbon with silicate were recommended with an 8:2 concentration ratio.

[ LaMeO3 ](Me = Cr, Co) powders were prepared using the polymeric precursor method. The effects of the chelating agent and the polymeric additive on the synthesis of the LaMeO3 perovskite were studied. The samples were synthesized using ethylene glycol (EG) as the solvent, acetyl acetone (AcAc) as the chelating agent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the polymer additive. The thermal decomposition behavior of the precursor powder was characterized using a thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The crystallization and particle sizes of the LaMeO3 powders were investigated via powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and particle size analyzer, respectively. The as-prepared precursor primarily has LaMeO3 at the optimum condition, i.e. for a molar ratio of both metal-source (a : a) : EG (80a : 80a) : AcAc (8a) inclusive of 1 wt% PVP. When the as-prepared precursor was calcined at 700˚C, only a single phase was observed to correspond with the orthorhombic structure of LaCrO3 and the rhombohedral structure of LaCoO3. A solid-electrolyte impedance-metric sensor device composed of Li1.5Al0.5Ti1.5(PO4)3 as a transducer and LaMeO3 as a receptor has been systematically investigated for the detection of NOx in the range of 20 to 250 ppm at 400˚C. The sensor responses were able to divide the component between resistance and capacitance. The impedance-metric sensor for the NO showed higher sensitivity compared with NO2. The responses of the impedance-metric sensor device showed dependence on each value of the NOx concentration.

Aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized through the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons in a quartz tube reactor. In this study, we investigated the influence of gas flow rate of feedstock on the structure and growth rate of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes produced by the floating catalyst method. As the flow rate of feedstock increased, the nanotube diameter became smaller and the length became longer. Although the growth rate also increased with the raise of flow rate, the optimum flow rate of feedstock existed for the crystallinity of carbon nanotubes.

We have made intensive calculations on the maximum relative sunspot number and the date of solar maximum of 23rd solar cycle, by using the statistical and precursor methods to predict solar activity cycle. According to our results of solar data processing by statistical method, solar maximum comes at between February and July of 2000 year and at that time, the smoothed sunspot number will reach to 114.3~122.8. while precursor method gives rather dispersed value of 118~171 maximum sunspot number. It is found that prediction by statistical method using smoothed relative sunspot number is more accurate than by any method to use any data of 10.7cm radio fluxes and geomagnetic aa, Ap indexes, from the full analysis of solar cycle pattern of these data. In fact, current ascending pattern of 23rd solar cycle supports positively our predicted values. Predicted results by precursor method for Apavg,aa31−36 Apavg,aa31−36 indexes show similar values to those by statistical method. Therefore, these indexes can be used as new precursors for the prediction of 23rd or next solar cycle.

미세먼지 대응기술이 종전의 관리용이성(PM10, 1차 배출) 중심에서 위해성(PM2.5, 2차 생성) 중심으로 패러다임이 전환된 현시점에서, 입자상 물질뿐만 아니라 초미세먼지 2차 생성 전구물질인 질소산화물(NOx) 제거를 통하여 대기오염을 극복할 수 있는 방안이 사회적으로 요구되고 있는 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 도로이동오염원에서 배출되는 질소 산화물을 효율적으로 제거하기 위한 방안으로 미세먼지 전구체 저감 소재를 도로 및 도로변에 설치되어 있는 기존 콘크리트 구조물에 고정화하기 위한 기초연구를 진행하였다.