• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.289-296
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the electromagnetic properties and microwave absorption characteristics of M-type hexagonal ferrites, which are known as millimeter-wave absorbing materials, according to their calcination temperature. The M-type ferrites synthesized using a molten salt-based sol-gel method exhibited a single-phase M-type crystal structure at calcination temperatures above 850℃. The synthesized particle size increased as well with the calcination temperature. Saturation magnetization increased gradually with increasing calcination temperature, but coercivity reached a maximum at 1050℃ and then rapidly decreased. After preparing a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite containing 70 wt% of M-type ferrites, we measured the complex permittivity and permeability in the Q-band (33-50 GHz) and V-band (50-75 GHz) frequency ranges, where ferromagnetic resonance occurred. Strong magnetic loss from ferromagnetic resonance occurred in the 50 GHz band for all composite samples. Based on the measured results, we calculated the reflection loss of the TPU/M-type ferrite composite. By calculating the reflection loss of the M-type ferrite composite, the M-type ferrite calcined at 1250℃ showed excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance of more than -20 dB at 52 GHz with a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.441-447
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• 2023

Recently, as demand for high-strength, lightweight materials has increased, there has been great interest in joining with metals. In the case of mechanical bonding, such as bolting and riveting, chemical bonding using adhesives is attracting attention as stress concentration, cracks, and peeling occur. In this paper, surface treatment was performed to improve the adhesive strength, and the change in adhesive strength was analyzed. For the adhesive strength test were conducted with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic(CFRP), CR340(Steel), and Al6061(Aluminum), and laser and plasma surface treatment were used. After plasma surface treatment, the adhesive strength improved by 7.3% and 39.2% in CFRP-CR340 and CFRP-Al6061, respectively. CR340-Al6061 was improved by 56.2% in laser surface treatment. Surface free energy(SFE) was measured by contact angle after plasma treatment, and it is thought that the adhesion strength was improved by minimizing damage through a chemical reaction mechanism. For laser surface treatment, it is thought that creates a rough bonding surface and improves adhesive strength due to the mechanical interlocking effect. Therefore, surface treatment is effect to improve adhesive strength, and based on this paper, the long-term fatigue test will be conducted to prevent fatigue failure, which is a representative cause of actual structural damage.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.454-460
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• 2023

Recently, regulations on greenhouse gas emissions have been strengthened, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been strengthening greenhouse gas regulations with a goal of net 'zero' emissions by 2050. In addition, in the shipbuilding/offshore sector, it is important to reduce operating costs, such as improving propulsion efficiency and lightening structures. In this regard, research is currently being conducted on topology optimization using 3D printed composite materials to satisfy structural lightness and high rigidity. In this study, three topology shapes (hexagonal, square, and triangular) were applied to the interior of a rudder, a ship structure, using 3D printed composite materials. Structural analysis was performed to determine the appropriate shape for the rudder. CFD analysis was performed at 10° intervals from 0° to 30° for each rudder angle under the condition of 8 knots, and the load conditions were set based on the CFD analysis results. As a result of the structural analysis considering the internal topology shape of the rudder, it was confirmed that the triangular, square, and hexagonal topology shapes have excellent performance. The rudder with a square topology shape weighs 78.5% of the rudder with a triangular shape, and the square topology shape is considered to superior in terms of weight reduction.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2024

Due to the structural characteristic of a double roller, the double roller can have various deformation behaviors depending on a gap block design, even if dimensions and loading conditions for the double roller are the same. Based on this feature, we propose a strategy for designing the gap block of the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) double roller to minimize defects (e.g., sagging and wrinkling), which can be raised during the product conveying process, with the pursue of the lightweight design. In the suggested strategy, analysis cases are first selected by considering main design parameters and engineering tolerances of the gap block, and then deformation behaviors of these selected cases are extracted using the finite element method (FEM). Here, to obtain the optimal gap block parameters that satisfy the purpose of this study, deformation deviations in the contact area are calculated and compared using the extracted deformation behaviors. Note that the contact area in this work is located between the product and the roller. As a result, through the design method of the gap block proposed in this work, it is possible to construct the CFRP double roller that can significantly decrease the defects without changing the overall sizes of the roller. A detailed method is suggested herein, and the results are evaluated in a numerical way.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2024

The development of transportation methods has improved human transportation convenience and made it possible to expand the travel radius of people with disabilities who have difficulty moving. However, in the case of WAV (wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), the safety that may occur in a vehicle accident is still lower than that of regular passenger seats. In particular, in the case of a rear-end collision that may occur in a defenseless situation, it can cause fatal neck injuries to disabled passengers. Therefore, a more detailed design plan must be reflected in the headrest to be applied to WAV. In this study, a multi-cell headrest was proposed to implement local compression characteristic distribution of the headrest during rear-end collision of WAV. Afterwards, a correlation analysis was performed between the passenger's NIC (Neck Injury Criterion) and impact energy absorption using the data set construction through analysis and the clustering results using k-means clustering. As a result of clustering, it was confirmed that data clusters with similar characteristics were formed, and a correlation analysis between NIC and impact energy absorption through the characteristics of each cluster was performed. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the softer the cell compression characteristics in Mid3 and Mid6, the more impact energy absorption increases, and the harder the cell compression characteristics in Front2, Mid3, and Mid6, the more effective it is in reducing NIC.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2024

Energy harvesting technology that converts the wasted energy resources into electrical energy is emerging as a semipermanent power source for self-powered electronics and wireless low-power sensor systems. Among the various energy conversion techniques, flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters (f-PEHs), using materials with piezoelectric effects, have attracted significant interest because they can harvest a small mechanical energy into electrical signals without constraints of time and space in various environments. In this study, we used a flexible piezoelectric composite film fabricated by dispersing BaHf_xTi_(1-x)O₃ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1) piezoelectric powders inside a polymeric matrix to facilitate f-PEHs. The fabricated f-PEH with optimal Hf contents (x = 0.05) generated a maximum output voltage of 0.95 V and current signal of 130 nA with stable electrical/mechanical disabilities under periodically bending deformations. In addition, we demonstrated a cantilever-type f-PEH and investigated its potential as a sensor by characterizing the output performance under mechanical vibrations at various frequencies. This study provides the breakthrough for realizing self-powered energy harvesting and sensing systems by adopting the lead-free piezoelectric composites under vibrational environments.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.162-169
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• 2024

In this study, PAN(polyacrylonitrile)-based precursor fibers were produced through a wet-spinning process, and their morphologies and graphitization behavior were investigated in the presence of two graphitization catalysts (Ca, Ni). The graphitization catalysts were introduced into the formed pores during hot-water stretching of wet-spun PAN-based precursor fibers. The catalytic effects of graphitization catalysts were examined through crystal structure and Raman analysis. At a relatively low temperature of 1500℃, the graphitization was not significantly affected, whereas at a high temperature of 2400℃, the obtained I_D/I_G value of graphite fiber (GF-Ni100) was decreased by about twice (~0.28) compared to the untreated fibers (GF-AS~0.54). By comparing the I_D/I_G values (GF-Ca100~0.42: GF-Ni100~0.28) of Ca and Ni graphitization catalyst, it was found that the degree of graphitization of Ni graphitization catalyst showed higher influence than that of Ca graphitization catalyst. Moreover, 2D band was also observed, indicating that the graphite plane structures composed of multiple layers were developed. XRD results confirmed that the crystal inter-planar distance (d₀₀₂) of the graphite crystal was slightly decreased after the treatment with the graphitization catalyst, But, the crystal size of Ca-treated graphite fiber (GF-Ca100) was increased by up to ~5 nm.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.170-178
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• 2024

This study proposes a hybrid composite where a thin copper film (Cu film) is embedded in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and quantum annealing is applied to derive the combination of Cu film placement that maximizes the through-thickness thermal conductivity. The correlation between each ply of CFRP and the Cu film is analyzed through finite element analysis, and based on the results, a combination optimization problem is formulated. A formalization process is conducted to embed the defined problem into quantum annealing, resulting in the formulation of objective functions and constraints regarding the quantity of Cu films that can be inserted into each ply of CFRP. The formulated equations are programmed using Ocean SDK (Software Development Kit) and Leap to be embedded into D-Wave quantum annealer. Through the quantum annealing process, the optimal arrangement of Cu films that satisfies the maximum through-thickness thermal conductivity is determined. The resulting arrangements exhibit simpler patterns as the quantity of insertable Cu films decreases, while more intricate arrangements are observed as the quantity increases. The optimal combinations generated according to the quantity of Cu film placement illustrate the inherent thermal conductivity pathways in the thickness direction, indicating that the transverse placement freedom of the Cu film can significantly affect the results of through-thickness thermal conductivity.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.204-208
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• 2024

De-icing/anti-icing fluid is essential for removing ice formation on aircraft. It chemically removes ice using organic solvents, which can cause damage to the topcoat surface in the process. In this study, glycol-based deicing/anti-icing fluid was used to remove ice, and the resulting damage to the topcoat was examined. USB microscope was used to observe the formation and growth of ice, while a confocal microscope was employed to observe the surface morphology after treatment with de-icing/anti-icing fluid. Additionally, coating thickness measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis were conducted to investigate the physical and chemical changes on the surface. The repeated application of de-icing/anti-icing fluid showed a reduction in the ice formation rate and an increase in the growth rate. Damage during the pressurization process and surface damage to the polyurethane topcoat caused by ethylene glycol were observed during the de-icing process. Although no chemical changes were detected, the analysis revealed that surface uniformity decreased, with physical damage such as cracks and undulations forming on the surface. It was confirmed that while de-icing/anti-icing fluid is effective in removing ice, it also causes surface damage.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2024

It is essential to develop a light-weight, high-performance structure for the deployable reflector antenna, which is the payload of a reconnaissance satellite, considering launch and orbital operation performance. Among them, the composite main reflector is a key component that constitutes a deployable reflector antenna. In particular, the development of a high-performance main reflector is required to acquire high-quality satellite images after agile attitude control maneuvers during satellite missions. To develop main reflector, the initial design of the main reflector was confirmed considering the structural performance according to the laminate stacking design and material properties of the composite main reflector that constitutes the deployable reflector antenna. Based on the initial design, four types of composite main reflectors were manufactured with the variable for manufacturing process. As variables for manufacturing process, the curing process of the composite structure, the application of adhesive film between the carbon fiber composite sheet and the honeycomb core, and the venting path inside the sandwich composite were selected. After manufacture main reflector, weight measurement, non-destructive testing(NDT), surface error measurement, and modal test were performed on the four types of main reflectors produced. By selecting a manufacturing process that does not apply adhesive film and includes venting path, for a composite main reflector with light weight and structural performance, we developed and verified a main reflector that can be applied to the SAR(Synthetic Aperture Rader) satellite.