Diphenyloctyl phosphate as a flame-retardant additive in electrolyte for Li-ion batteries

The use of diphenyloctyl phosphate (DPOF) as a flame-retardant additive in liquid electrolyte for Li-ion batteries is investigated. Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) and LiCoO₂ are used as the anode and cathode materials, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used for the analyses. The cell with DPOF shows better electrochemical cell performance than that without DPOF in initial charge/discharge and rate performance tests. In cycling tests, a cell with DPOF-containing electrolyte exhibited better discharge capacity and capacity retention than that of the DPOF-free electrolyte after cycling. These results confirm the viability of using DPOF as a flame-retardant additive for improving the cell performance and thermal stability of electrolytes for Li-ion batteries.     

Size effects on the crystal structure of nanoscale BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> powders prepared by hydro-thermal synthesis

The size effect on crystal structure has been investigated for nanoscale BaTiO₃ powders prepared by hydrothermal methods. The powders were composed of both the cubic and tetragonal phases at room temperature. The relative volume fraction of the tetragonal phase was found to be approximately 30% by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed that the surface region of the powders was of the tetragonal phase, while the core was of the cubic phase.     

Current-activated pressure-assisted sintering (CAPAS) and nanoindentation mapping of dual matrix composites

Titanium boride (TiB_w) whiskers are currently recognized as one of the most compatible reinforcements for titanium (Ti) that have positively affected its wear resistance and stiffness. The fracture toughness and ductility have, however, been reported to deteriorate at increased TiB_w volume fractions, mainly due to the interlocking of these brittle TiB whiskers. This article investigates the processing of dual matrix Ti–TiB_w composites, where microstructures are generated consisting of TiB_w–Ti composite regions separated by a ductile, predominantly Ti, outer matrix. This microstructural design has the potential to prevent the continuous TiB_w interlocking over the scale of the composite (at high TiB_w volume fractions), and promote improved toughness of the material. The processing of these unique composites using current-activated pressure-assisted sintering (CAPAS) is discussed in this article. The effect of processing temperature on the microstructure and hardness of Ti–TiB_w dual matrix composites is also discussed, together with a simultaneous imaging and modulus-mapping nanoindentation technique used to characterize the composites     

Service quality factors affecting customer attitudes in online-to-offline commerce

Information Systems and e-Business Management - In an online-to-offline (O2O) environment, a company operates multiple channels: online, mobile, and offline. A company attracts customers and...     

Risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in meat and edible oils: results of a total diet study in South Korea

Food Science and Biotechnology - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute carcinogens. In this study, the risk of PAHs being consumed through meat and edible oils was assessed using a...     

1,3,5,8-Tetrahydroxyxanthone suppressed adipogenesis via activating Hedgehog signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Food Science and Biotechnology - In this study, we investigated the effect of 1,3,5,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone (THX) on the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. THX, a xanthone isolated from Gentianella...     

A semantic approach to improving machine readability of a large-scale attack graph

Automation in cyber security can be achieved by using attack graphs. Attack graphs allow us to model possible paths that a potential attacker can use to intrude into a target network. In particular, graph representation is often used to increase visibility of information, but it is not effective when a large-scale attack graph is produced. However, it is inevitable that such a voluminous attack graph is generated by modeling a variety of data from an increasing number of network hosts. Therefore, we need more intelligent ways of inferring the knowledge required to harden network security from the attack graph, beyond getting information such as possible attack paths. Ontology technology enables a machine to understand information and makes it easier to infer knowledge based on relational facts from big data. Constructing ontology in the domain of attack graph generation is a prerequisite for increasing machine intelligence and implementing an automated process. In this paper, we propose a semantic approach to make a large-scale attack graph machine readable. The approach provides several benefits. First, users can obtain relational facts based on reasoning from a large-scale attack graph, and the semantics of an attack graph can provide intuition to users. In addition, intelligence-based security assessment can be possible using the obtained ontological structures. By improving the machine readability of an attack graph, our approach could lead to automated assessment of network security.

     

Development of a web-based emergency preparedness plan system in Korea

The chemical industry treats a huge quantity of hazardous and harmful flammable liquids, combustible gases and toxic materials. Therefore, there is a high potential for fires, conflagrations, explosions and toxic leaks. To minimize the possibility of such hazards, the Korean government has been enforcing an EPP (Emergency Preparedness Plan) in accordance with the Toxic Chemicals Controls Act since 1996. However, 70% of the targeted small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling with the independent implementation of EPP, and 30% of the EPP grades being used are not amenable to approval and further application. As a result, we have developed a web-based emergency preparedness plan system. The main purpose of the program is to provide a safety management system to each facility in order to enable accidents to be prevented and accidents to be immediately controlled. The program also helps government or related agencies to control a number of accidents that occur in small companies throughout the entire country.