Abstract:
Disclosed are ordered mesoporous carbon-carbon nanotube nanocomposites and a method for manufacturing the same. The method for manufacturing ordered carbon-carbon nanotube nanocomposites according to the present invention includes: forming a mixture of a carbon precursor and ordered mesoporous silica; carbonizing the mixture to form a ordered mesoporous silica-carbon composite; and removing the mesoporous silica from the ordered mesoporous silica-carbon composite.
Abstract:
A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell provides a current collector adjacent to an electrode catalyst layer. Since electrons passing between the current collector and the electrode catalyst layer do not pass through a diffusion layer or a supporting layer, the diffusion layer or supporting layer may be non-conductive. Thus, various materials that are hydrophilic, hydrophobic, porous, hydrous, or the like can be used for the diffusion layer and the supporting layer, thereby improving the performance of the fuel cell. In addition, manufacturing costs of the membrane electrode assembly can be decreased since the membrane electrode assembly can be manufactured quickly with low energy.
Abstract:
A sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon that has mesopores with an average diameter of 2 to 10 nm, a method of preparing the same, a catalyst containing the mesoporous carbon as a catalyst support, and a fuel cell using the catalyst in which the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon has a good affinity for and adhesion to catalyst particles so as to strongly support the catalyst particles due to the sulfur atoms substituting for carbons in an OMC carbon skeleton structure. The growth of metal catalyst particles is prevented when heat-treating the metal catalyst particles. The catalyst using the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon can be applied to a fuel cell to prevent a reduction in catalytic activity due to increased particle size by an accumulation of catalyst particles. The catalyst containing the sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon as a catalyst support can be used to manufacture a fuel cell having an improved performance.
Abstract:
An apparatus for generating energy using sensible heat of an offgas during manufacture of molten iron and a method for generating energy using the same are provided. The method for generating energy includes i) providing an offgas discharged from an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron including a reduction reactor that provides reduced iron that is reduced from iron ore and a melter-gasifier that melts the reduced iron to manufacture molten iron; ii) converting cooling water into high pressure steam by contacting the cooling water with the offgas; and iii) generating energy from at least one steam turbine by supplying the high pressure steam to the steam turbine and rotating the steam turbine.
Abstract:
A nanocomposite includes metal-carbon nanotubes and a sulfonated polysulfone. In the nanocomposite, the sulfonated polysulfone and the metal-carbon nanotubes have strong attraction therebetween due to π-π interactions or van der Waals interactions, and thus the nanocomposite has excellent ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. In addition, the nanocomposite includes a metal that can be used as a catalyst for an anode, and thus the reduction in power generation caused by methanol crossover can be minimized. Therefore, a nanocomposite electrolyte membrane prepared using the nanocomposite can minimize the reduction in power generation caused by the crossover of a polar organic fuel such as methanol. In a fuel cell employing the nanocomposite electrolyte membrane, when an aqueous methanol solution is used as a fuel, crossover of the methanol is more suppressed, and accordingly, the fuel cell has an improved operating efficiency and a longer lifetime.
Abstract:
A method of preparing a supported catalyst, a supported catalyst prepared by the method, and a fuel cell using the supported catalyst. In particular, a method of preparing a supported catalyst by preparing a primary supported catalyst containing catalytic metal particles that are obtained by a primary gas phase reduction reaction of a portion of the final loading amount of a catalytic metal, and reducing the remaining portion of the catalytic metal by a secondary liquid phase reduction reaction using the primary supported catalyst. The supported catalyst contains catalytic metal particles having a very small average particle size, which are uniformly distributed on a carbon support at a high concentration, and thus exhibits maximal catalyst activity. A fuel cell produced using the supported catalyst has improved efficiency.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron. The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron including a charge container receiving the supply of reducing material in which hot fine direct reduced iron from multiple fluidized-bed reactors are mixed; at least one pair of roller presses to which the fine direct reduced iron is supplied to undergo roll pressing, thereby producing continuous compacted material having lumped portions adjacent to each other; a crusher crushing the compacted material produced by the roller presses; and a melter-gasifier to which is charged crushed compacted material that is crushed by the crusher. Each of the pair of roller presses include pressed portions and protruded lines formed between the pressed portions. The pressed portions include first and second pressed portions opposing each other and first and second concave surfaces continuously formed on the first and second pressed portions along an axial direction of the at least one pair of roller presses, respectively. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a plane centered between the first and the second pressed portions: (i) the first and second concave surfaces partially overlap each other, and (ii) the protruded lines are unaligned on the opposing first and second pressed portions.
Abstract:
A counter electrode for a photovoltaic cell and a photovoltaic cell including the same include a transparent substrate and a catalyst layer formed on the transparent substrate using a supported catalyst The counter electrode of the present invention has an economical preparation cost and process, and also has an enlarged contact area with an electrolyte layer of the cell, leading to improved catalytic activity. Thus, in the case where the counter electrode is applied to the photovoltaic cell, excellent photoconversion efficiency is exhibited. In an exemplary embodiment, the photovoltaic cell is a dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell including such a counter electrode.
Abstract:
A method of preparing a mesoporous carbon includes mixing a mesophase pitch, a carbon precursor, an acid, and a solvent to obtain a carbon precursor mixture; impregnating an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with the carbon precursor mixture; heat-treating and carbonizing the impregnated OMS to form an OMS-carbon composite; and removing the OMS from the OMS-carbon composite. The mesoporous carbon uses the mesophase pitch and the carbon precursor to reduce sheet resistance, and thus can efficiently transfer electric energy. Such mesoporous carbon can be used as a conductive material of electrodes for fuel cells. When the mesoporous carbon is used as a support for catalysts of electrodes, a supported catalyst containing the support can be used to manufacture a fuel cell having high efficiency.
Abstract:
A mesoporous carbon composite includes mesoporous carbon having mesopores; a conductive polymer coated on only an outer surface of the mesoporous carbon; and an organic electrolyte. The mesoporous carbon composite may be prepared by impregnating an ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) with a mixture comprising a carbon precursor, an acid, and a solvent; heat-treating and carbonizing the impregnated OMS to form an OMS-carbon composite; mixing the OMS-carbon composite with a monomer that forms a conductive polymer and a solvent to provide a surface of the OMS-carbon composite with the monomer; polymerizing the monomer to obtain a conductive polymer-coated OMS-carbon composite; removing the OMS from the composite to obtain a conductive polymer-coated mesoporous carbon; and doping the conductive polymer-coated mesoporous carbon with an organic electrolyte. A supported catalyst and a fuel cell include the mesoporous carbon composite.