• Carbon letters
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 2002

The modification of coal-tar pitch has been carried out by heat treatment of pitch at different temperatures in the range ($300^{\circ}-400^{\circ}C$) for different times (2-5 hrs) in air and nitrogen. The pitch heat treated in air at lower temperature ($300^{\circ}C$) exhibit increase in softening point by $20^{\circ}C$ as compared to only $2^{\circ}C$ when treated in nitrogen. The changes are faster in air than in pure nitrogen. Pitch as such as well as after heat treatment were further treated with metal complexes by solution route. Silver intake has been found to increase from 0.5 to 0.8 % in nitrogen treated pitch while the uptake is found to decrease for pitches treated in air at $350^{\circ}C$ for 5 hrs. Experiments have also been made to incorporate silver into PAN and PAN-ox fibers through solution route. The metal intake has been found to be more in PAN-ox fibers than in PAN as such. Metal loaded carbon composites have been made by using metal loaded fibers as well as cokes. These composites as such exhibit higher surface oxygen complexes but decrease after activation.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.421-430
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• 2016

To prepare mesophase pitches through low energy process, pyrolysis fuel oil with $AlCl_3$ has been modified using two-step heat treatment which is heat-treated at $330^{\circ}C$ for 3~5 h after pre-treatment at $250^{\circ}C$. The result of polarized optical microscope observation, mesophase is not observed in pitches carried out only pre-heat treatment. While mesophase content is significantly increased from 9% to 100% according to increasing secondary heat treatment time from 3 h to 5 h. Synthesizing of the mesophase pitch at low temperature of $330^{\circ}C$ is attributed to decrease of viscosity of the pitches carried out first heat treatment with $AlCl_3$. The result of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis, it is expected that aromatization of aliphatic compounds is dominant at early secondary heat treatment, on the other hand, polycondensation reaction becomes dominant as secondary heat treatment time increases. Aromaticity and stacking height of the pitches secondary heat treated for 5 hours are more increased about 25% and 107%, respectively, than that of pitches carried out only first heat treatment.

• Carbon letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 2004

A study of partial carbonisation of green pitch fibres to temperatures in the range of 500-$1000^{\circ}C$ was carried out on three precursors - a neat pitch and two polymer modified pitches, with a view to find out a suitable temperature at which the fibres acquire considerably improved toughness or handleability (compared to that in the green stage) for their subsequent processing into carbon fibres. A partial carbonisation temperature of 500-$600^{\circ}C$ has been identified to result in a remarkable improvement in the toughness/handleability of the fibres in all the three cases. However, from techno-economical considerations, the neat pitch appears to provide the best precursor system for the production of pitch based carbon fibres.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.534-538
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• 2017

In this study, the molecular weight controlled pitches derived from pyrolyzed fuel oil (PFO) were prepared using solvent extraction and were carbonized. Electrochemical characteristics of lithium battery anode materials were investigated using these petroleum pitches. Three pitch samples prepared by the thermal reaction were 3903 (at $390^{\circ}C$ for 3 h), 4001 (at $400^{\circ}C$ for 1 h) and 4002 (at $400^{\circ}C$ for 2 h). The prepared hexane insoluble pitches were analysed by XRD, TGA, SEM and Gel permeation Chromatography (GPC). The electrochemical characteristics of the PFO-derived pitch as an anode material were investigated by constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests. The coin cell using pitch (4001) and the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ in organic solvents (EC : DMC = 1 : 1 vol%, VC 3 wt%) has better initial capacity (310 mAh/g) than that of other pitch coin cells. Also, this carbon anode showd a high initial efficiency of 82%, retention rate capability at 2 C/0.1 C of 90% and cycle retention of 85%. It was found that modified pitches improved the cycling and rate capacity performance.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2000

Coal tar pitch was chemically modified with 10 wt% benzoquinone (BQ) to raise the softening point of isotropic pitch precursor and the precursor was melt-spun into pitch fibers, stabilized, carbonized and activated with steam at $900^{\circ}C$. The weight loss of carbon fiber-benzoquinone (CF-BQ) increased with the increase of activation time like other fibers, but was lower than those of Kureha fiber at the same activation time in spite of larger geometric surface area. Those adsorption isotherms fitted into 'Type I' according to Brunauer, Deming, Deming and Teller classification. However, there was very thin low-pressure hysteresis that lower closure points of the hysteresis are about 0.42-0.45. From the pore size distribution curves, there might be some micropores having narrow-necked bottle; a series of interconnected pore is more likely than discrete bottles. FT-IR studies showed that the functional groups such as carboxyl, quinone, and phenol were introduced to ACFs-BQ surface after steam activation. Methylene blue decolorization and iodine adsorption capacity of ACF-BQ increased linearly with the increase of specific surface area and was larger than that of ACF-Kureha at the same specific surface area.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.569-575
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• 2000

Fabrication of carbon fiber reinforced composites was carried out by hand lay-up method. Carbon nanofibers and SiC nanofibers were used as filler in the composites fabrication. Carbon nanofibers, one of the new carbon materials, have 5∼500 nm in diameter and 5-10 nm in length. SiC nanofibers were modified by silicon monoxide vapor with carbon nanofibers. The composites were carbonized at 1000$^{\circ}C$ in a nitrogen atmosphere, and then densified by molten pitches impregnated in vacuum. Multiple cycles of liquid pitch impregnation and carbonization were carried out to obtain a desired density. The composites were characterized by density, microstructure. The inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS) test was performed for mechanical properties. For the new application, the microwave reflective proeprty of composites was investigated. Dielectric constant and permeability spectrum were measured in 12∼18 GHz frequency ranges. On the basis of the wave propagation theory in a lossy media, the reflection loss from the composite inter-layer was predict as a function of frequency.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.173-181
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• 2016

In order to use coal tar pitch (CTP) as a raw material for carbon fibers, it should have suitable properties such as a narrow range of softening point, suitable viscosity and uniform optical properties. In this study, raw CTP was modified by heat treatment with three types of polymer additives (PS, PET, and PVC) to make a spinnable pitch for carbon fibers. The yield, softening point, C/H ratio, insoluble yield, and meso-phase content of various modified CTPs with polymer additives were analyzed by changing the type of polymer additive and the heat treatment temperature. The purpose of this study was to compare the properties of CTPs modified by polymer addition with those of a commercial CTP. After the pitch spinning, the obtained green fibers were stabilized and carbonized. The properties of the respective fibers were analyzed to compare their uniformity, diameter change, and mechanical properties. Among three polymer additives, PS220 and PET261 pitches were found to be spinnable, but the carbon fibers from PET261 showed mechanical properties comparable with those of a commercial CTP produced by an air-blowing method (OCI284). The CTPs modified with polymer additive had higher ${\beta}$-resin fractions than the CTP with only thermal treatment indicating a beneficial effect of carbon fiber application.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.293-300
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• 2014

Coal-tar pitch, a feedstock which can be heat-treated to create graphite, is composed of very complex molecules. Coal-tar pitch is a precursor of many useful carbon materials (e.g., graphite, carbon fibers, electrodes and matrices of carbon/carbon composites). Modified coal-tar pitch (MCTP) was prepared using two different heat-treatment methods and their properties were characterized and compared. One was prepared using heat treatment in nitrogen gas; the other was prepared under a pressure of 350 mmHg in air. The MCTPs were investigated to determine several properties, including softening point, C/H ratio, coke yield, formation of anisotropic mesophase and viscosity. The MCTPs were subject to considerable changes in chemical composition due to condensation and polymerization in the used-as-received coal-tar pitch after heat-treatment under different conditions. The MCTPs showed considerable increases in softening point, C/H ratio, and coke yield, compared to those of as-received coal-tar pitch. The MCTP formed by heat-treatment in nitrogen showed isotropic phases below $350^{\circ}C$ for 1 h of soaking time. However, MCTP heat-treated under high pressure (350 mmHg) showed isotropic phases below $300^{\circ}C$, and showed anisotropic phases above $350^{\circ}C$, for 1 h of soaking time. The viscosity of the MCTPs increased with increase in their softening points.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.483-488
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• 2016

Ultrasound imaging by using piezoelectric materials, such as lead zirconium titanate (PZT) has been one of the most preferred modes of imaging in the medical field due to its simple, low cost and non-ionizing radiation in comparison to other imaging techniques. Recently, the market demand for portable ultrasound is becoming larger with applications in developing countries, disaster area, military, and emergency purposes. However, most of ultrasound probes used is bulky and high power consumable, so unsuitable for such applications. In this study, the 3 layered ceramic specimen consisted of 128 pitches of $420{\mu}m$ in width and $450{\mu}m$ in thickness were prepared by using the Ti-rich PZT compositions co-fired at $1,050^{\circ}C$. Their electrical and ultrasound pulse-echo properties were investigated and compared to the single layer specimen. The 3 layered ultrasound probe showed 1.584 V of Vp-p, which is 3.2 times higher than single layered one, implying that it would allow effectively such a portable ultrasound probe system. The result were discussed in terms of higher capacitance, lower impedance and higher dielectric coefficient of the 3 layered ultrasound probe.