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CNU Students Prove ‘Explosive Combustion’ of Nakhwa-nori

작성자대외협력과 작성일2019.09.20 09:30 조회170

Researchers in the CNU Center for Research Facilities and undergraduate students of the School of Mechanic Engineering identified the causative agents of the explosive combustion phenomenon of Nakhwa-nori, a traditional Korean game.

According to CNU, undergraduate students of the School of Mechanical Engineering including Kim Chul-ho found that the main cause of the explosive combustion of Nakhwa-nori is due to mulberry bark char. In addition, researchers of the CNU Center for Research Facilities including Kim Mun-yong, Kyung Kap Jung, and Byun Sung-cheon, found that calcium cyanurate (CaC6N6O6, of which the structural diagram is located below) contributes to the explosive combustion phenomenon.

The findings were published in a research paper in the SCI journal Energy (impact factor 5.537) on August 14 and will be presented at the conference of the Korean Society for Combustion Engineering on Jeju Island on November 14.
 
Nakhwa-nori is a traditional Korean firework game that encourages combustion on Nakhwa sticks. The sticks are made with rolled and braided Hanji paper with a thin charcoal powder layer. They are hung on wires along the riverside or lakeside and generate sparks and intermittent combustions when they catch fire.

Historical records on this traditional play date back to 15th Century. It is still played in regions across the country, such as Andong, Masan, Ham-an, Muju, and Yeo-ju, especially around the seasons of the First Full Moon Day or the Buddha’s Birthday. The sparks off and on the waterside and their reflections on the water make a great view.
 
 Professor Choi Byung-chul said, “This research is a fundamental study for the systematic inheritance of the disappearing traditional Korean games. The application of the material identified in this study is expected to contribute to another research on improvement measures for ignition methods and combustion efficiency of biosolid fuels that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions".