• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2012

The foaming of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) using supercritical $CO_2(scCO_2)$ was studied. In order to improve the melt strength, PBS was modified using the reactive compounding technique. Rapid decompression of $scCO_2$-saturated PBS at a temperature above the depressed $T_m$ yielded expanded microcellular foams. The resulting foam structure could be controlled by manipulating process conditions. Experiments varying the foaming temperature while holding other variables constant showed that higher temperatures produced larger cells and reduced cell densities. Higher saturated pressures led to higher nucleation densities and smaller cell sizes. Decreasing the rate of depressurization permitted a longer period of cell growth and therefore larger cells were obtained.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1367-1370
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• 2005

Microcellular foam processing of polymers requires a nucleated cell density greater than $10^9\;cells/cm^3$ so that the fully grown cells are smaller than 10 mm. A microcellular foam can be developed by first saturating a polymer sample with a volatile blowing agent, followed by rapidly decreasing its solubility in the polymer. In general, the cellular structure of crystalline polymer foams is difficult to control, compared to that of amorphous polymer foams. Since the gas does not dissolved in the crystallites, the polymer/gas solution formed during the microcellular processing is nonuniform. Moreover, the bubble nucleation is nonhomogeneous because of the heterogeneous nature of the crystalline polymer. In this paper, the effects of the crystallinity and morphology of crystalline polymers on the microcellular foam processing and on reflectivity of products are investigated. First, polymer specimens with various morphology and amount of solved blowing agent were prepared by varying the saturation pressure, saturation time and foaming condition. Then, cell morphologies according to several conditions were studied. The specimens with differing gas amount of solved and morphologies were foamed and their cellular structures were compared. The experimental results of reflectivity are compared to raw specimen and another specimen of different experimental conditions. After the experiments, recognize whether how reflectivity changes according to solved gas amount. And the effect of cell density and cell size on reflectivity is studied

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06c
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• pp.263-268
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• 2001

MCPs means Micro Cellular Plastics. The micro-cells are generated in the products by the difference of dissolution through the pressure drop after super critical fluid of CO2 or N2 dissolves into polymer. We have developed injection molding process adopting MCPs and applied it to a broad range of injection molded thermoplastic materials and applications. It can prevent the leakage of impact strength and increase the thermal conductivity, moreover regulate the thermal conductivity. Then we can develop the high strength foaming plastics. Also, it can be gained a competitive advantage by utilizing its processing benefits, e.g. the lightweight products and significant reductions in material consumption.

• The Korean Journal of Rheology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.237-249
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• 1995

폴리우레탄 미세포 포움의 가공에 대한 연구를 수행하였으며 기체 과포화 수지 내 의 핵생성율을 증진시키기 위하여 폴리올과 이소시아네이트의 혼합물에 초음파 가진을 적용 하였다. 미세포 구조는 고압에서 질소 가스로 폴리올을 과포화ㅣ키고 폴리우레탄의 두 성분 을 충돌혼합시킨 직후 초음파에 의해 기포를 생성시켜 이루어진다. 낮은 포화 압력에서 질 소에 의해 포화된수지의 핵생성율을 증가시키기위하여 초음파 가진을 적용하였다. 확산에 의해 기포의 성장이 조절된다고 가정하고 금형이 충전되는 동안에 금형 내부에서의 기포성 장기구를 이해하기 위하여 수치적인 방법으로 이론적 연구를 수행하였다. 경화 시간과 확산 경계를 고려하여 최종적인 기포의 크기를 계산하였으며 반응속도론을 고려하여 중합반응 동 안의 폴리우레탄의 점도의 변화를 예측하고 경화 시간을 결정하였다. 이론적 및 실험적으로 결정된 기포의 수를 기준으로 하여 확산 경계를 예측하였다.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.297-302
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• 2023

There are several methods for shaping foams, but the most commonly used methods involve the use of resin mixed with a foaming agent, which is then foamed under high temperature and pressure in the case of compression foaming, or foamed under high temperature without applying pressure in the case of atmospheric foaming. The polymers used for foaming require design and analysis of optimal foaming conditions in order to achieve foaming under ambient pressure. Environmentally friendly bio-based polymers face challenges when it comes to foaming on their own, which has led to ongoing research in blending them with resins capable of traditional foam production. This study investigates changes in the characteristics of bio-based polymer-EVA blend foams based on variations in the content of bio-based polymers and explores the optimal foaming conditions according to crosslinking. The correlation between foaming characteristics and mechanical properties of the foams was examined. Through this research, we gained insights into how the content of bio-based polymers affects the properties of foams containing bio-based polymers and identified differences between ambient pressure and high-pressure foaming processes. Additionally, the feasibility of commercializing bio-based polymer-EVA composite foams was confirmed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.4 s.175
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• pp.824-829
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• 2000

The industries use polymer materials for many purposes because they have many merits. But these materials' costs take up too much proportion in overall cost of products that use these materials as their major material. So it is very economical for polymer industries to reduce these costs. Microcellular foaming process appeared in 1980's to solve this problem and it proved to be quite successful. This process uses inert gases such as CO2, N2. As these gases are dissolved into polymer matrices. many properties are changed. Glass transition temperature is one of these properties. DSC, DMA are devices that measures this temperature, but these are not sufficient to measure the temperature of polymer containing gas. In this paper, we devised a new tester that uses magnetism. We used this device to acquire data of the change of glass transition temperature and made Cha-Yoon model that can predict the change of glass transition temperature. Using this model, the change of this temperature can be estimated as a function of weight gain of gas. Cha-Yoon model proved that Chow's model is inappropriate to predict the change of glass transition temperature of polymer matrices containing gas.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.685-693
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• 2013

The foams of a poly(lactic acid) modified by the reactive compounding were produced with the batch foaming technique using supercritical $CO_2(scCO_2)$. Experiments were performed at $105{\sim}135^{\circ}C$ and 12~24 MPa. The blowing ratio and foam structure were significantly affected by changing the temperature and pressure conditions in the foaming process. The blowing ratio first increased with increasing foaming temperature and saturation pressure, reached a maximum and then decreased with a further increase in the foaming temperature and saturation pressure. Decreasing the rate of depressurization permitted a longer period of cell growth and therefore larger microcellular structures were obtained.