• Composites Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.51-56
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• 2001

It is known that the elastic modulus, maximum stress, and maximum strain of fiber-reinforced polymer composites are affected by high pressure. Fracture behavior is also known to be affected by high pressure. In this work, the pressure effect on the compressive fracture toughness of thick quasi-isotropic composites was investigated. Dog-bone type specimens of stacking sequence, [0$^{\circ}$/$\pm$45$^{\circ}$/90$^{\circ}$]$_{11s}$ were used. Compressive fracture tests were conducted under four pressure levels. The pressure levels applied were 0.1 MPa, 100 MPa, 200 MPa, and 300 MPa. Fracture toughness for each pressure level was determined from the compliance method. The results show that the compressive fracture toughness increases with increasing pressure. Specifically, fracture toughness increases 44% as the pressure increases from 0.1 MPa to 300 MPa.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.270-278
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• 2002

In this study, the fracture behavior by low velocity impact damage and the tendencies of impact energy absorption were investigated. Low velocity impact tests were performed using a mini tower drop weight impact tester, and graphite powder, carbon black and milled carton fiber were chosen as additives. Addition of graphite powder increased the maximum load and maintained the stress long until the total penetration happened. At the content of 9 vol%, they showed the maximum of 42% improvement in impact strength compared composites containing no additives. At the test with low impact energy of 0.4 J, impact energy was consumed by delamination in the composite containing no additives, however, as graphite contents increased, the tendency of failure changed to the penetration of the specimen.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.612-616
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• 2012

In this work, the effect of chemical treatments of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the mechanical interfacial properties of carbon fiber fabric-reinforced composites was investigated. The surface properties of the MWNTs were determined by acid and base values, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The mechanical interfacial properties of the composites were assessed by interlaminar shear stress (ILSS) and critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$). The chemical treatments based on acid and base reactions led to a significant change of surface characteristics of the MWNTs, especially A-MWNTs/carbon fibers/epoxy composites had higher mechanical properties than those of B-MWNTs and non-treated MWNTs/carbon fibers/epoxy composites. These results were probably due to the improvement of interfacial bonding strength, resulting from the acid-base interaction and hydrogen bonding between the epoxy resins and the MWNT fillers.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.254-258
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• 2013

Polypropylene films reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets were fabricated by extrusion, and the effects of filler type and take-up speed on the mechanical properties and microstructure of composite films were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the addition of carbon nanomaterials resulted in increased degree of crystallinity. However, increasing the take-up speed reduced the degree of crystallinity, which indicates that tension-induced orientations of polymer chains and carbon nanomaterials and the loss of degree of crystallinity due to rapid cooling at high take-up speeds act as competing mechanisms. These observations were in good agreement with tensile properties, which are governed by the degree of crystallinity, where the C-grade exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet with a surface area of $750m^2/g$ showed the greatest reinforcing effect among all types of carbon nanomaterials used. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the carbon nanomaterial dispersion and orientation, respectively.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

The formation mechanism of void defect which deteriorate composite's property is various according to each composite process. In this paper, void formation and growth mechanism is analyzed by thermal analysis and GC/MS. We made a vacuum chamber for observing pressure effect. Thermal analysis has been done in various condition. Elements of volatiles during resin curing were turned out by GC/MS. The most of volatiles of polyester were composed of styrene (over 80%) and a small quantity of toluene. In case epoxy resin, butyl glycidyl ether was the main element of volatiles (over 90%). We concluded that the original sites of void growth existed in resin and they were eliminated by vacuum and heating process. And the growth of void was influenced by water, diluents, solvent, and reactants in resin.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2002

In this work, the adsorption characteristics and mechanical interfacial properties of treated silicas by silane coupling agents, such as, ${\gamma}$-methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane (MPS), ${\gamma}$-glycidoxy propyl trimethoxy silane (GPS), and ${\gamma}$-mercapto propyl trimethoxy silane (MCPS), were investigated. The equilibrium spreading pressure ($pi_e$), surface free energy ($gamma_s$ s/), and specific surface area ($S_{BET}$) were studied by the BET method with $N_2$/77 K adsorption. The developments of nonpolar functional groups of the silica surfaces treated by silane coupling agents led to the increase in the $S_{BET}$, $pi_e$, and $gamma_s$, resulting in the improved tearing energy ($G_{mc}$)of the silica/rubber composites. The composites treated by MPS showed the superior mechanical interfacial properties in these systems. These results explained by changing of crystalline size, dispersion, agglomerate, and surface functional group of silica/rubber composites.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2013

In this work, the effect of alumina nanofibers on thermal conductivity and fracture toughness of alumina nanofibers and powder filled epoxy (EP) composites were investigated with varying alumina nanofiber content from 20 to 100 phr. Thermal conductivity was tested using a laser flash analysis (LFA). The fracture toughness of the composites were studied through the critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$) measurement. The mophologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). From the results, it was found that the thermal conductivity was enhanced with increasing alumina nanofiber content, which played a key factor to determine the thermal conductivity. The $K_{IC}$ value was increased with increasing alumina nanofiber content, whereas the value decreased above 40 phr alumina nanofiber content. This was probably considered that the alumina nanofiber entangled each other in EP due to an excess of alumina nanofibers.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.449-454
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• 2013

In this work, the effect of electroless Ni-plating of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on thermal conductivity and fracture toughness properties of MWCNTs/$Al_2O_3$/epoxy composites was investigated. The surface properties of the Ni-plated MWCNTs were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Thermal conductivity was tested using a thermal conductivity measuring system. The fracture toughness of the composites was carried out through the critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$) measurement. As a result, the electroless Ni-plated MWCNTs led to a significant change of surface characteristics of the MWCNTs. Thermal conductivity and fracture toughness of the MWCNTs/$Al_2O_3$/epoxy composites were greater than those of non-treated ones. These results were probably due to the improvement of intermolecular interaction between the Ni-MWCNTs and the matrix resins.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.623-633
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• 2002

The flame retardant and thermal properties of ortho-cresol novolac (OCN) and biphenyl epoxy blends containing red-phosphorus were investigated. For five types of compounds designed with the volume ratio of OCN and biphenyl epoxy, thermal properties were analysed by TGA or DTC, and flame retardancy effectiveness was estimated through UL-94V test. While the flame retardant and thermal properties were improved with the content of filler and red-phosphorus, the excessive amount of red-phosphorus caused to deteriorate those properties. Using the blends of OCN/biphenyl rather than pure OCN or biphenyl epoxy as a matrix the flame retardancy of composites could be improved by the synergic effects of high thermal resistance of OCN and intumescent property of biphenyl. The flame retardant me chanism of epoxy compound containing red-phosphorus could be thought of the heat-insulating effect of intumescent char-layer formed in the surface of composites.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.548-552
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• 2011

Two functionalization methods, i.e., acid treatment and chemical amidation were performed to prepare the functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), and the properties of epoxy/functionalized MWCNT composites were investigated and compared. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to confirm the surface functionality of the MWCNT obtained by the functionalization methods. The effects of the MWCNT functionalization on the interface and thermal conductivity were studied by zeta potential analyzer, scanning electron microscope and thermal conductivity analyzer. From these results, it was confirmed that the thermal conductivity of the epoxy/MWCNT composites could be increased by grafting with dodecylamine. This could be interpreted by relatively strong dispersion forces of the grafting MWCNT with dodecylamine in DGEBF epoxy resin. These results were in good agreement with the results that the zeta potential value of the grafting MWCNT with dodecylamine has a higher negative value than that of MWCNT with acid treatment.