• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-133
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• 2011

Fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) are being increasingly used for a wide range of engineering applications owing to their high specific strength and stiffness. However, their through-the-thickness performance lacks some of the most demanding physical and mechanical property requirements for structural applications, such as aerospace vehicles and military components. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs), due to their excellent mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, offer great promise to improve the weak properties in the thickness direction and impart multi-functionality without substantial weight addition to FRPs. This paper reviews the progress made to date on i) the techniques developed for integration of CNTs/ CNFs into FRPs, and ii) the effects of the addition of these nanofillers on the interlaminar properties, such as such interlaminar shear strength, interlaminar fracture toughness and impact damage resistance and tolerance, of FRPs. The key challenges and future prospects in the development of multiscale CNT-FRP composites for advanced applications are also highlighted.

• Composites Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.39-43
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• 2011

For the last twenty years, nanocomposites composed of polymer matrices reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been an active research area. Also, the polymeric nanocomposites reinforced with CNTs are being investigated to be used matrices of carbon fiber composites. Carbon tiber composites have achieved advanced properties in the direction of carbon fibers due to enhanced carbon fiber properties. However, the matrix dominated properties need to be improved further to fully utilize the advanced carbon fiber properties. In particular, delamination is a typical and critical reason for fracture of carbon fiber composites. Mode I fracture toughness test which is also often called double cantilever beam (DCB) test shows the resistance to delamination of carbon fiber composites and this test is performed on carbon fiber composite samples incorporated with carbon nanotubes functionalized with various functional groups. The specimens with mat-like CNT layers showed the increased fracture toughness by 10.6%.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1991.04a
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• pp.111-116
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• 1991

In order to discuss the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer impregnated cement composties with silica powder, experimental studies on CFRC were carried out. The types of fiber used which are in CFRC are PAN-based carbon fiber and Pitch-based carbon fiber. To examine the effects of types, length, contents of carbon fibers and matrices, their properties of fresh and hardened CFRC were tested. According to the test results, compressive, tensile flexural strength of polymer impregnated CFRC were remarkably increased more than that of air cured and autoclaved CFRC. Also, polymer impregnated CFRC were considerably effective in improving thoughness, freezing-thaw resistance and loss of shrinkage compared with air cured and autoclaved CFRC.

• Composites Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.34-38
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• 2011

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely investigated as reinforcements of CNT/polymer nanocomposites to enhance mechanical and electrical properties of polymer matrices since their discovery in the early 90's. Furthermore, the number of studies about incorporating CNTs into carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) to reinforce their polymer matrices is increasing recently. In this study, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were dispersed in epoxy with 0.2 wt.% and 0.5 wt.%. Then, the SWNT/epoxy mixtures were processed to carbon fiber composites by a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and a wet lay up method. The processed composite samples were tested for the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). The relationship between the interlaminar shear strengths and processing, and the reinforcement mechanism of carbon nanotubes were investigated. CNT/epoxy nanocomposite specimens showed the increased tensile properties. However, the ILSS of carbon fiber composites was not enhanced by reinforcing the matrix with CNTs because of processing issues caused by increased viscosity of the matrix due to addition of CNTs particularly for a VARTM method.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.165-168
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• 2005

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer(CFRP) composites are widely applied to strengthen deteriorated concrete structures. This paper presents the experimental results of the performance of reinforced concrete(RC) decks strengthened with CFRP composites. Simple span decks with 2m span length were tested to investigate the effect of CFRP reinforcement types on the flexural behavior of strengthened RC beams. The test results were analyzed with the special emphasis on the failure mode and the maximum load.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2013

Delamination crack detection is very important for improving the structural reliability of laminated composite structures. This requires real-time delamination detection technologies. For composite laminates that are reinforced with carbon fiber, an electrical potential method uses carbon fiber for reinforcements and sensors at the same time. The use of carbon fiber for sensors does not need to consider the strength reduction of smart structures induced by imbedding sensors into the structures. With carbon fiber reinforced (CF/) epoxy matrix composites, it had been proved that the delamination crack was detected experimentally. In the present study, therefore, similar experiments were conducted to prove the applicability of the method for delamination crack detection of CF/polyetherethereketone matrix composite laminates. Mode I and mode II delamination tests with artificial cracks were conducted, and three point bending tests without artificial cracks were conducted. This study experimentally proves the applicability of the method for detection of delamination cracks. CF/polyetherethereketone material has strong electric resistance anisotropy. For CF/polyetherethereketone matrix composites, a carbon fiber network is constructed, and the network is broken by propagation of delamination cracks. This causes a change in the electric resistance of CF/polyetherethereketone matrix composites. Using three point bending specimens, delamination cracks generated without artificial initial cracks is proved to be detectable using the electric potential method: This method successfully detected delamination cracks.

• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2004

The failure behaviours of unidirectional pultruded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites were monitored by the electrical resistance measurement during tensile loading, three-point-bending, interlaminar shear loading. The tensile failure behaviour of carbon fiber tows was also investigated by the electrical resistance measurement. Infrared thermography non-destructive evaluation was performed in real time during tensile test of CFRP composites to validate the change of microdamage in the materials. Experiment results demonstrated that the CFRP composites and carbon fiber tows were damaged by different damage mechinsms during tensile loading, for the CFRP composites, mainly being in the forms of matrix damage and the debonding between matrix and fibers, while for the carbon fiber tows, mainly being in the forms of fiber fracture. The correlation between the infrared thermographs and the change in the electrical resistance could be regarded as an evidence of the damage mechanisms of the CFRP composites. During three-point-bending loading, the main damage forms were the simultaneity fracture of matrix and fibers firstly, then matrix cracking and the debonding between matrix and fiber were carried out. This results can be shown in Fig. 9(a) and (b). During interlaminar shear loading, the change in the electrical resistance was related to the damage degree of interlaminar structure. Electrical resistance measurement was more sensitive to the damage behaviour of the CFRP composites than the stress/time curve.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.597-600
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• 2014

In this work, the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE) of carbon nanotube/carbon fiber-reinforced HDPE matrix composites are investigated with various preparation conditions, such as the carbon fiber and carbon nanotube content, the presence of metal additives, as well as mixing speed and time. It was found that the EMI-SE of the composites increased with filler contents and metal additives. These results indicate that the content and length of carbonaceous fillers determine the electric networks in the composites, resulting in the control of the EMI-SE of the composites.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.107-118
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• 1992

In order to examine the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced cement composites with silica powder PAN - based carbon fiber and Pitch- based carbon fiber, and polymer impregnators experimental studies on CFRC impregnated in polymer were carried out. The effects of types, length, and content~i of carbon fibers and matrices of fresh and hardened CFRC impregnated in polymer were examined. The test results show that compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of CFRC impregnated in polymer were much more iriCreased than those of air cured and autodaved CFIIC CFRC impregnated in polymer was also considerably effective in improving toughness, freeze thaw resistance, loss of shrinkage, and creep resist ance, compared with air cured and autoclaved CFRC.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2004

In the present paper, a variety of fiber reinforcements, for instance, stabilized OXI-PAN fibers, quasi-carbon fibers, commercial carbon fibers, and their woven fabric forms, have been utilized to fabricate pseudo-unidirectional (pseudo-UD) and 2-directional (2D) phenolic matrix composites using a compression molding method. Prior to fabricating quasi-carbon fiber/phenolic (QC/P) composites, stabilized OXI-PAN fibers and fabrics were heat-treated under low temperature carbonization processes to prepare quasi-carbon fibers and fabrics. The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion/contraction behavior of QC/P composites have been investigated and compared with those of carbon fiber/phenolic (C/P) and stabilized fiber/phenolic composites. Also, the chemical compositions of the fibers used have been characterized. The results suggest that use of proper quasi-carbonization process may control effectively not only the chemical compositions of resulting quasi-carbon fibers but also the thermal conductivity and thermal expansion behavior of quasi-carbon fibers/phenolic composites in the intermediate range between stabilized PAN fiber- and carbon fiber-reinforced phenolic composites.