• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.388-394
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• 2023

In composites manufacturing, increasing resin impregnation is a key way to speed up the manufacturing process and improve product quality. While resin improvement is important, simple fiber surface treatments can also improve resin flowability. In this study, different plasma treatment times were applied to carbon fiber fabrics to improve the impregnation between resin and fiber. Electrical resistivity measurements were used to evaluate the dispersion of resin in the fibers, which changed with plasma treatment. The effect of fiber surface treatment on resin spreadability could be observed in real time. When inserting a carbon fiber tow into the resin, the amount of resin that soaked into the tow was measured to objectively compare resin impregnation. Five minutes of plasma treatment improved the tensile and compressive strength of the composite by more than 50%, while reducing the void content and increasing the fire point impregnation flow rate. Finally, a dynamic flexural fatigue test was conducted using a portion of the composite used as an architectural composite part, and the composite part did not fail after one million cycles of a 3 kN load.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2016

The electrolyte wetting phenomena occurring in the electrode of lithium-ion battery was studied using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Recently, lithium-ion batteries are being mixed with small particles on the active material to increase the capacity and energy density during the electrode design stage. The change to the mixing ratio may influence the wettability of electrolyte. In this study, the changes in electrolyte distribution and saturation were investigated according to various mixing ratios of active material. We found that the variations in mixing ratio of active material affect the wetting mechanism, and result in changes to the wetting speed and wettability of electrolyte.

• Composites Research
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.54-64
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• 1999

This study investigated the impact behaviors of the stitched sandwich composites under the low energy impact by the use of drop weight impact tester. These sandwich composites condidted of the glass fabric faces with a urethane foam core. The upper face and the lower face were stitched to combinr through the core thickness direction using the polyester reinforcements. Four types of the stitched sandwich composites, each having a different core thickness, were tested to determine the effects of the core thickness. The impact conditions were changes with the variations of the mass and drop height of the impact tup. The test results showed that the core thickness and the impact condidtions such as the drop height and the mass of the impact tup affected the impact force, the contact time, and the strain behaviors of the stitched sandwich composites. The stitched sandwich composites are able to avert the damage and also maintain the structural integrity even thouth the presence of the damage owing to the through-the-thickness reinforcements. However, it is important to improve the wetting ability of the stitched reinforcements so that the conventional structures are substituted for the stitched sandwich composites effectively.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.305-310
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• 2021

Mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composites were affected to fiber volume fractions (FVF) and interfacial property by sizing agent conditions. An optimum interface can relieve stress concentration by transferring the mechanical stress from the matrix resin to the reinforcements effectively, and thus can result in the performance of the composites. The interfacial properties and wettability between the epoxy resin and glass fiber (GF) were evaluated for different sizing agent conditions and FVFs. The surface energies of epoxy resin and different sizing agent treated GFs were calculated using dynamic and static contact angle measurements. The work of adhesion, W_a was calculated by using surface energies of epoxy matrix and GFs. The wettability was evaluated via the GF tow capillary test. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was evaluated by microdroplet pull-out test. Finally, the optimized GFRP manufacturing conditions could be obtained by using wettability and interfacial property.

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.346-352
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• 2020

In mobility industries, the use of thermoplastic composites increased dynamically. In this study, the mechanical and impregnation properties of continuous glass fiber (GF)/polypropylene (PP) composite were evaluated with different GF contents. The GF/PP commingled fiber was manufactured with different GF contents and continuous GF/PP composite was manufactured using continuous compression molding process. Tensile, flexural, and impact test of specimens were evaluated with different GF contents. The fracture behavior of specimens was proved using field emission-scanning electron microscope images of fracture area and impregnation property was evaluated using dynamic mechanical analyzer and interlaminar shear strength. Finally, the GF/PP composite was the optimized mechanical and impregnation properties using 50 wt.% GF/PP commingled fiber.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

Fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites are applied to transport industries to lightweight of body, and applications will be expanded gradually. In this study, the impregnation and mechanical properties of continuous glass fiber (GF) reinforced polycarbonate (PC) composites were evaluated with different molecular weights of PC. The continuous GF reinforced PC composite were prepared by using GF fabric and PC film via continuous compression molding method. The melting flow index and tensile strength of PC matrix were evaluated with different molecular weights. Mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and compressive) and pore rate of GF/PC composite were evaluated with different molecular weights of PC. The fracture behavior was analyzed to fracture surface of GF/PC composite using FE-SEM images. As these results, it was condition of representing the best mechanical property that the GF/PC composite was prepared by using PC of 20,000 g/mol as matrix.