Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Efficient Removal of Phenol and Bisphenol A Complex Pollutants by Activated Carbon Sphere-Based Material: Adsorption Characteristics and Mechanisms","authors":"Sen Wang,&nbsp;Di Zhang,&nbsp;Zhenhui Pan,&nbsp;Bo Wu,&nbsp;Tongtong Wang,&nbsp;Yujie Zhang,&nbsp;Xiangyun Lu,&nbsp;Fenglin Zhou,&nbsp;Qianlan Zheng,&nbsp;Hui Shi","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00510-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00510-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phenol (PHE) and bisphenol A (BPA) are common and highly hazardous phenolic organic pollutants in wastewater. However, existing research on the removal effect and mechanism of their complex pollution is insufficient. In this study, carbon spheres were synthesized via hydrothermal method using glucose as the carbon-based raw material, and anionic surfactant and thiourea were added. Activated carbon sphere-based material (ACP) were further prepared using the high-temperature activation effect of KOH. The adsorption characteristics of ACP for two phenolic pollutants (PHE and BPA) alone and in complex pollution were investigated by batch adsorption experiments. The physicochemical properties and high-efficiency removal mechanism of ACP were analyzed using characterization techniques and adsorption models, and its application potential was evaluated comparatively. The results showed that ACP has a variety of surface functional groups and a porous structure, with a BET-specific surface area of 1688.14 m² g⁻¹, and a polar surface with N and S co-doping. The Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic models could well describe the adsorption characteristics of PHE and BPA by ACP, indicating that the adsorption is monolayer adsorption completed by boundary diffusion. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacities of PHE and BPA by ACP were 54.55 and 203.63 mg g⁻¹, respectively, and the equilibrium time was 24 h. In the complex pollutions, the average removal rates of PHE and BPA by ACP were 50.3% and 54.8%, respectively. The high removal mechanisms were related to surface adsorption (van der Waals forces), π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The adsorption effect of ACP was generally higher than that of various carbon-based adsorbents, which is worth promoting. The difference in adsorption of PHE and BPA was also explained from multiple dimensions. This study provides a scientific contribution to the removal mechanism of phenolic complex pollution and the efficient application of carbon spheres.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 10","pages":"2275 - 2293"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145163689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies for Urban Hydrogen Utilization: A Focus on Fuel Cell Technology and Hydrogen Infrastructure Development","authors":"Dae-Kyo Oh,&nbsp;Sangmin Ha,&nbsp;Krishnan Veeramani,&nbsp;Yoongu Lim,&nbsp;Dae Jun Moon,&nbsp;Gyoung Hwa Jeong,&nbsp;Juhwang Kim,&nbsp;Subramani Surendran,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Lu,&nbsp;Heechae Choi,&nbsp;Gibum Kwon,&nbsp;Young-Hoon Yun,&nbsp;Uk Sim","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00507-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00507-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hydrogen energy plays an essential role in our society, including in manufacturing, living standards, environmental sustainability, and the economy. To achieve a hydrogen society, we must incorporate technological developments and efficient design methodologies for hydrogen generation, storage, transportation, and utilization. In this context, we thoroughly analyzed recent developments, boundaries, and future directions in hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization. It is essential to shift toward sustainable green hydrogen production, replacing conventional gray hydrogen and transitional blue hydrogen generation that utilizes renewable energy resources. Based on a comprehensive study, we postulate that high electricity consumption is the most significant factor contributing to the costs associated with green hydrogen production. This review also discusses measures to reduce electricity consumption. Hence, this review will offer crucial prospects for establishing the hydrogen economy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 11","pages":"2439 - 2453"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis and Optimization of Waste Heat Recovery from Ammonia Containers and an Ammonia Decomposition-Based Hydrogen Production and Liquefaction System","authors":"Yan-Fu Li,&nbsp;Xu-Yang Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00508-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00508-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To address the utilization of flue gas waste heat from ammonia vessel combustion, cold energy and a small amount of ammonia, a combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) supply and a small-scale ammonia-to-hydrogen system with a mass flow rate of 44.78 kg/h were designed. The system was simulated using Aspen HYSYS software. An equilibrium hydrogen model for the conversion process from orthohydrogen to parahydrogen is demonstrated to prove the feasibility of a hydrogen liquefaction system. The thermodynamic performance and economic sensitivity performance analysis of the system was performed by changing the parameters. The MATLAB software was used to perform multi-objective optimization of the system, which was combined with the energy analysis to determine the distribution of energy use in the system. The results show that the highest net output power of the system is 1391.83 kW, at which time the thermal efficiency is 42.37% and the specific energy consumption is 6.33 kW/kg. The optimized exergy efficiency, Heat exchange area per net unit power (APR) and Levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) were 63.297%, 4.926 $/kg-LH₂ and 0.506 m²/kW, respectively. This system is of greater significance for environmental protection and energy transition.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 12","pages":"3033 - 3054"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Data-Driven Predictive Maintenance for Heat Exchangers: Real-Time Monitoring and Long-Term Performance Prediction Using Integrated ML Models","authors":"Heejin Kim,&nbsp;Eunseok Sim,&nbsp;Gbadago Dela Quarme,&nbsp;Sungwon Hwang","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00493-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00493-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study addresses the high maintenance costs of heat exchangers in petrochemical processes by developing a deep learning-based predictive maintenance (PdM) model for performance monitoring and scheduling. Using a mathematical model, the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) was derived to evaluate heat exchanger performance, resulting in a performance indicator (DI). An artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) technique was employed to create a real-time DI prediction model based on industrial process data. A long short-term memory (LSTM) model was then used to predict heat exchanger performance over 3 days using short-term operating data (12 h). The model's hyperparameters were optimized, achieving a real-time monitoring model with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.59% and a maintenance-cycle prediction model with an MAPE of 2.41%. This integrated system, akin to soft sensors, accurately predicted a 72-h performance profile using 12-h history data owing to our implemented data augmentation strategies, demonstrating robustness and potential for improving uptime and maintenance scheduling.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 10","pages":"2167 - 2180"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145169704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-Yield Hydrogen Production from Lignin via Optimized Alkaline Thermal Treatment with CO₂ Sequestration","authors":"Jieun Park,&nbsp;Hyemin Jung,&nbsp;Do Hee Han,&nbsp;Dayeon Ko,&nbsp;Seung-Eun Lee,&nbsp;Pascal Metivier,&nbsp;Woo-Jae Kim","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00504-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00504-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Current thermochemical methods for hydrogen (H₂) production, such as coal gasification and steam reforming, inevitably produce anthropogenic CO₂. In contrast, biomass-derived H₂ offers a carbon–neutral pathway. Despite its high energy density, lignin—accounting for ~ 30% of lignocellulosic biomass—has been underutilized. This study presents an alkaline thermal treatment (ATT) process that efficiently converts lignin into high-purity H₂ while minimizing CO₂ emissions by sequestering carbon as solid carbonate, potentially rendering the process carbon negative. Compared to conventional gasification, the ATT process operates at 170–450 °C lower temperature. Under optimized conditions, lignin-ATT produced 116.02 mmol H₂/g lignin (2.6 L H₂/g lignin), the highest H₂ yield reported for lignocellulosic biomass, far exceeding cellulose-ATT (39.07 mmol H₂/g cellulose), with a maximum H₂ purity of 94.75%. Importantly, this study confirms that stoichiometric NaOH addition enables H₂ production reaching nearly 97% of the theoretical maximum yield at significantly lower temperatures than steam gasification. The reactivity of different alkaline hydroxides is also compared. This study also demonstrates a sustainable approach using black liquor, real waste lignin, and a NaOH recycling system. This strategy reduces the production costs and generates CaCO₃ as a valuable by-product.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 12","pages":"2987 - 2995"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Performance Evaluation of Polyether-Induced Biphasic Solvents for Energy-Efficient CO2 Capture","authors":"Jin Kyu Lee,&nbsp;Shuai Wang,&nbsp;Jong Kyun You,&nbsp;Yeon Ki Hong","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00505-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00505-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Conventional aqueous amine solvents used for post-combustion CO₂ capture offer excellent absorption performance but require high regeneration energy. To reduce the energy demand, this study developed water-lean biphasic solvents by partially replacing water with polyether-based organic solvents. These biphasic solvents remain monophasic before CO₂ absorption but undergo liquid–liquid phase separation into CO₂-rich and CO₂-lean phases upon CO₂ absorption. Monoethanolamine (MEA) was used as the primary absorbent, and several polyethers with varying polarities were screened. Among them, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (DEGMBE) demonstrated the highest CO₂ concentration effect via phase separation. With increasing DEGMBE content, the CO₂ loading in the rich phase increased, reaching 235 gCO₂/Lsolvent at 50 wt% DEGMBE. Phase separation enhances the cyclic capacity due to selective regeneration of the CO₂-rich phase. The mechanism was confirmed using ¹³C NMR, revealing that MEA carbamate and bicarbonate species preferentially migrate to the aqueous phase due to their poor solubility in DEGMBE. These findings suggest that polyether-induced biphasic solvents offer a promising pathway for improving the energy efficiency of amine-based CO₂ capture systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 12","pages":"3071 - 3080"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discontinuous Dewetting-Based Synthesis of Monodisperse Polydimethylsiloxane Microparticles with Tunable Aqueous Dispersibility via Surface Engineering","authors":"Chan Woo Park,&nbsp;Yunkyeong Cho,&nbsp;Jae Jung Kim","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00502-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00502-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microparticles exhibit significant potential for biomedical applications owing to their biocompatibility, chemical inertness, transparency, and ease of soft lithography-based fabrication. However, their high viscosity and hydrophobicity make it difficult to use them in the form of particles in aqueous environments. In this study, we present a novel and efficient methodology for fabricating uniform PDMS microparticles using a discontinuous dewetting (DD) technique. Our approach employs a polyethylene glycol diacrylate mold coated with a superhydrophobic layer, enabling DD over a broad viscosity range and achieving highly monodisperse particle production. To utilize them in an aqueous solution, we implemented two surface modification strategies: a bovine serum albumin (BSA) treatment, and the formation of “hydrogel skin”. Such strategies enhance their water wettability and the particle’s dispersion in an aqueous solution. Our findings demonstrate the successful fabrication of monodisperse PDMS microparticles with diameters ranging from 200 to 1000 μm, which were well dispersed in organic or aqueous solutions. Our research would suggest a new strategy for how to use PDMS in bioengineering. We anticipate that our PDMS microparticles offer significant potential in diagnostic, chemotaxis, and therapeutic applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 11","pages":"2777 - 2786"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-Efficiency Biocatalytic Production of Androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione via a Dual-Enzyme Coupling System in Escherichia coli","authors":"Zijuan Tao,&nbsp;Yusong Zhang,&nbsp;Yanmei Dai,&nbsp;Liangli Luo,&nbsp;Changshun Huang,&nbsp;Lan Tang,&nbsp;Hanbing Shi,&nbsp;Zhimin Ou","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00503-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00503-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) is a key intermediate in the synthesis of various steroidal pharmaceuticals, but the biocatalytic conversion of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) to ADD is limited by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a byproduct that inhibits the enzyme 3-ketosteroid-∆1-dehydrogenase (KstD). This study aimed to improve the bioconversion efficiency by introducing catalase (katA) to decompose H₂O₂, thereby alleviating its toxic effects on the enzyme. The <i>kstD</i>_<i>2</i> gene from <i>Mycobacterium neoaurum</i> DSM 1381 was mutated using error-prone PCR to generate the KstD₂^ep variant, which was then coupled with the <i>katA</i> gene in <i>E. coli</i> strains. The engineered strain <i>E. coli</i> BL21-pET28a-KstD₂^ep-L-katA exhibited the highest catalytic efficiency under optimized conditions, achieving a 98.6% conversion of 40 g/L AD to ADD in 14 h (optimized conditions: 40 °C, pH 8.0, 40 g/L wet cell concentration, and 1:1 cosolvent HP-β-CD with AD). Fermentation in a 5L fermenter further increased the conversion to 98.2%, using 80 g/L AD in repeated batch feeding, significantly improving the conversion efficiency compared to shake flask conditions. These results suggest that the coupled KstD₂^ep and catalase system, along with optimized fermentation parameters, could provide an efficient and scalable biocatalytic process for the industrial production of ADD and related steroidal compounds.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 11","pages":"2497 - 2511"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon Dots: Preparation and Their Application in Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction","authors":"Lamei Zhang,&nbsp;Jin Wang,&nbsp;Jing Zhang,&nbsp;Yingfang Xie,&nbsp;Zijiong Li","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00500-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00500-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Carbon dots (CDs), as emerging zero-dimensional carbon- based nanomaterials, have demonstrated significant potential in the field of electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in recent years. This article systematically reviews the breakthrough progress in CD preparation techniques and their innovative applications in ORR catalysis. In terms of preparation, the optimization strategies of top–down methods (arc discharge, laser ablation, electrochemical exfoliation, ultrasonic method) and bottom-up methods (combustion method, template method, hydrothermal synthesis, microwave-assisted,) are analyzed in detail. For example, CDs prepared by the nitrogen-doped hydrothermal method achieved a quantum yield of 80%, while the electrochemical method enabled the controllable preparation of 2.8 nm monodispersed CDs. Regarding ORR applications, the following findings have been reported: (1) Boron-nitrogen co-doped CDs (BN-CDs) exhibited an onset potential of 0.985 V and a limiting current density of 4.32 mA cm⁻², outperforming commercial Pt/C catalysts; (2) Iron-loaded CDs (Fe-CQDs) had an electron transfer number of 3.96 and a hydrogen peroxide yield of only 2.17% in acidic media; (3) The fluorine-nitrogen co-doped system (C-GQD) increased the half-wave potential to 0.81 V by modulating the d-band center. These breakthroughs are attributed to the unique surface defect structure and tunable electron distribution characteristics of CDs. This review systematically analyzes the performance-enhancing strategies for CD-based electrocatalysts, discusses existing challenges, such as low yields and unclear catalytic mechanisms; and proposes future development directions including interface engineering and atomic-level doping. This study provides important theoretical guidance and technical references for the design of efficient CD-based ORR catalysts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 10","pages":"2153 - 2166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145166790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Mixing Efficiency: A CFD-Driven Design of a Helical Pipe-Type Motionless Mixer with a Kenics-Type Element","authors":"Haruki Furukawa,&nbsp;Otowa Takahashi,&nbsp;Kaito Ikeda,&nbsp;Yoshihito Kato,&nbsp;Hyun Gi Koh,&nbsp;Seung-Tae Koh","doi":"10.1007/s11814-025-00501-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11814-025-00501-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>An approach to process intensification is the use of motionless mixers. Among various motionless mixers, the helical pipe-type motionless mixer has attracted considerable attention. However, its mixing performance can vary greatly depending on the location of raw material injection. In this study, we developed a helical pipe-type motionless mixer that provides consistent mixing performance regardless of the injection position of the raw materials. This helical pipe-type motionless mixer has only one Kenics-type element in the center of the helical pipe. The mixing performance of this design was evaluated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The mixing performance was evaluated using the mixing coefficient <i>M</i>_c defined as an indicator of mixing efficiency between two liquids. The <i>M</i>_c for the helical pipe-type motionless mixer without elements has at most 0.5. However, the results showed that the helical pipe-type motionless mixer having more than 4 turns with one Kenics-type element resulted in <span>({M}_{c}ge 0.95)</span> in the region where Reynolds number was greater than 30.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":684,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"42 10","pages":"2181 - 2189"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11814-025-00501-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145166446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}