• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.551-561
• /
• 2018

The percolation of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in cementitious materials is of great importance to the transport properties and durability issues. This paper presents numerical simulation research on the ITZ percolation threshold of mortar specimens at meso-scale. To simulate the meso-scale model of mortar as realistically as possible, the aggregates are simplified as ellipsoids with arbitrary orientations. Major and minor aspect ratios are defined to represent the global shape characteristics of aggregates. Some algorithms such as the burning algorithm, Dijkstra's algorithm and Connected-Component Labeling (CCL) algorithm are adopted for identification of connected ITZ clusters and percolation detection. The effects of gradation and aspect ratios of aggregates on ITZ percolation threshold are quantitatively studied. The results show that (1) the ITZ percolation threshold is mainly affected by the specific surface area (SSA) of aggregates and shows a global decreasing tendency with an increasing SSA; (2) elongated ellipsoidal particles can effectively bridge isolated ITZ clusters and thus lower the ITZ percolation threshold; (3) as ITZ volume fraction increases, the bridging effect of elongated particles will be less significant, and has only a minor effect on ITZ percolation threshold; (4) it is the ITZ connectivity that is essentially responsible for ITZ percolation threshold, while other factors such as SSA and ITZ volume fraction are only the superficial reasons.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.19 no.12
• /
• pp.644-648
• /
• 2009

Temperature dependency of resistivity of the carbon black-polyethylene composites below and above percolation threshold is studied based on the electrical conduction mechanism. Temperature coefficient of resistance of the composites below percolation threshold changed from minus to plus, increasing volume fraction of carbon black; this trend decreased with increasing volume fraction of carbon black. The temperature dependence of resistivity of the composites below percolation threshold can be explained with a tunneling conduction model by incorporating the effect of thermal expansion of the composites into a tunneling gap. Temperature coefficient of resistance of the composites above percolation threshold was positive and its absolute value increased with increasing volume fraction of carbon black. By assuming that the electrical conduction through percolating paths is a thermally activated process and by incorporating the effect of thermal expansion into the volume fraction of carbon black, the temperature dependency of the resistivity above percolation threshold has been well explained without violating the universal law of conductivity. The apparent activation energy is estimated to be 0.14 eV.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.25 no.12
• /
• pp.678-682
• /
• 2015

The electrical property of polymer matrix composites with added carbon powder is studied based on the temperature dependency of the conduction mechanism. The temperature coefficient of the resistance of the polymer matrix composites below the percolation threshold (x) changed from negative to positive at 0.20 < x < 0.21; this trend decreased with increasing of the percolation threshold. The temperature dependence of the electrical property(resistivity) of the polymer matrix composites below the percolation threshold can be explained by using a tunneling conduction model that incorporates the effect of the thermal expansion of the polymer matrix composites into the tunneling gap. The temperature coefficient of the resistance of the polymer matrix composites above the percolation threshold has a positive value; its absolute value increased with increasing volume fraction of carbon powder. By assuming that the electrical conduction through the percolating paths is a thermally activated process and by incorporating the effect of thermal expansion into the volume fraction of the carbon power, the temperature dependency of the resistivity above the percolation threshold can be well explained without violating the universal law of conductivity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.264-268
• /
• 1998

The experiment was conducted to clarify irrigation requirement and percolation rate in rice paddy. The four rice cultural system of no-tin, till, transplanting, and direct seeding condition were treated in the lysimeter filled with sandy loam soil. The amounts of irrigation and soil percolation were measured daily, and irrigation requirement was estimated. The daily percolation was 19.5 l/$\textrm{m}^2$ in no-till direct seeding on flooded paddy surface, 17.4 l/$\textrm{m}^2$ in both of till-direct seeding on flooded surface and no-till transplanting, and 15.2 l/$\textrm{m}^2$ in transplanting plot. This is equivalent to 19.5, 17.4, and 15.2 mm per day, respectively. Highest irrigation requirement was 3,770 l/$\textrm{m}^2$ in no-till direct seeding plots. Others were 3,249, 2,577, and 2,321 l/$\textrm{m}^2$ in till-direct seeding, no-till transplanting and transplanting plot, respectively. The estimated irrigation requirement of no-till transplanting, till-direct seeding and no-till direct seeding was increased by 11, 37, and 59% compared to till-transplanting plot. Percolation rate of no-till transplanting, till direct seeding and no-till direct seeding was increased by 12%, 40%, and 66%, respectively compared to the till-transplanting plot. The percolation rate in paddy soil was increased greatly after reproductive stage of rice.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.196-201
• /
• 2011

It is known that the relative dielectric constant of insulating polyethylene matrix composites with conducting materials (such as carbon black and metal powder) increases as the conducting material content increases below the percolation threshold. Below the percolation threshold, dielectric properties show an ohmic behavior and their value is almost the same as that of the matrix. The change is very small, but its origin is not clear. In this paper, the dielectric properties of carbon black-filled polyethylene matrix composites are studied based on the effect medium approximation theory. Although there is a significant amount of literature on the calculation based on the theory of changing the parameters, an overall discussion taking into account the theory is required in order to explain the dielectric properties of the composites. Changes of dielectric properties and the temperature dependence of dielectric properties of the composites made of carbon particle and polyethylene below the percolation threshold for the volume fraction of carbon black have been discussed based on the theory. Above the percolation threshold, the composites are satisfied with the universal law of conductivity, whereas below the percolation threshold, they give the critical exponent of s = 1 for dielectric constant. The rate at which the percentages of both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss factor for temperature increases with more volume fraction below the percolation threshold.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.117-124
• /
• 2014

Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) consist of a polymeric matrix and a conductive filler, for example, carbon black, carbon fibers, graphite or carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The critical amount of the electrically conductive filler necessary to build up a continuous conductive network, and accordingly, to make the material conductive; is referred to as the percolation threshold. From technical and economical viewpoints, it is desirable to decrease the conductive-filler percolation-threshold as much as possible. In this study, we investigated the effect of polymer/conductive-filler interactions, as well as the processing and morphological development of low-percolation-threshold (${\Phi}c$) conductive-polymer composites. The aim of the study was to produce conductive composites containing less multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) than required for pure polypropylene (PP) through two approaches: one using various mixing methods and the other using immiscible polymer blends. Variants of the conductive PP composite filled with MWCNT was prepared by dry mixing, melt mixing, mechanofusion, and compression molding. The percolation threshold (${\Phi}c$) of the MWCNT-PP composites was most successfully lowered using the mechanofusion process than with any other mixing method (2-5 wt%). The mechanofusion process was found to enhance formation of a percolation network structure, and to ensure a more uniform state of dispersion in the CPCs. The immiscible-polymer blends were prepared by melt mixing (internal mixer) poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF, PP/PVDF, volume ratio 1:1) filled with MWCNT.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.2968-2979
• /
• 1973

The aim of this study was to bring light on the effect of permeability to yield weight of paddy rice on the compressed soil. a) The percolation volume during the growth of paddy rice reduced, while the degree of compression on soil column increased and varied by the evaporation and absorption volumn. b) The percolation volume in the natural soil column was notably low compared with that of in the artificial and had little influence to the variation of permeabilty by compression. c) The results in growth of paddy rice were best on the section of low compression and the yield weight reduced, while the degree of compression on the soil column increased. d) The relationship between the yield weight and percolation volumn, under the condition when percolation volume is 1mm/day, had little difference in the yield weight but immediately reduced under $0.5{\sim}1.0mm/day$. The consequences of investigation are not so perfect, but have done my best to get some new data for effect on additional yield by inquiring into influences of permeability to the yield weight of paddy rice on compressed paddy field. I will have a great pleasure if treatise helps investigaters or the men of affairs in this field.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.459-462
• /
• 2000

The pretreatment of used newspaper for the enzymatic digestion preprocess was performed on a percolation reactor and a batch reactor. The test condition of percolation process was $170^{circ}C$, 60min, 1 mL/min, and 400psi, that of batch was $40^{circ}C$, 3hr. and latm Reaction solutions used in pretreatment process were aqueous ammonia, sulfuric acid, water, and hydrogen-peroxide as an oxidizing agent. As a result, the effect of pretreatment was similar to batch and percolation process, but the yield of enzymatic hydrolysis was higher in batch than percolation. This batch pretreatment enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis rate and increased glucose yield from about 15 to 20%. The inhibition factors influenced the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated, and the ink contented newspaper was the major factor.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.9
• /
• pp.477-481
• /
• 2011

Composites of insulating polyethylene and carbon black are widely used in switching elements, conductive paint, and other applications due to the large gap of resistance value. This research addresses the critical exponent of dielectric breakdown strength of polymer matrix composites (PMC) made with carbon black and polyethylene below the percolation threshold (Pt) for the first time. Here, Pt means the volume fraction of carbon black of which the resistance of the PMC is transferred from its sharp decrease to gradual decrease in accordance with the increase of carbon-black-filled content. First, the Pt is determined based on the critical exponents of resistivity and relative permittivity. Although huge cohesive bodies of carbon black are formed in case of being less than the Pt, a percolation path connecting the conducting phases is not formed. The dielectric breakdown strength (Dbs) of the PMC below Pt is measured by using an impulse voltage in the range from 10 kV to 40 kV to avoid the effect of joule heating. Although the observed Dbs data seems to be well fitted to a straight line with a slope of 0.9 on a double logarithm of (Pt-$V_{CB}$) and Dbs, the least squares method gives a slope of 0.97 for the PMC. It has been found that finite carbon-black clusters play an important role in dielectric breakdown.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.217-231
• /
• 2016

The present work aims to develop piezoresistive sensors of excellent piezoresistive response attributable to change in nanoscale structures of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) embedded in cement. MWNT was distributed in a cement matrix by means of polymer wrapping method in tandem with the ultrasonication process. DC conductivity of the prepared samples exhibited the electrical percolation behavior and therefore the dispersion method adopted in this study was deemed effective. The integrity of piezoresistive response of the sensors was assessed in terms of stability, the maximum electrical resistance change rate, and sensitivity. A composite sensor with MWNT 0.2 wt.% showed the lowest stability and sensitivity, while the maximum electrical resistance change rate exhibited by this sample was the highest (96 %) among others and even higher than those found in the literature. This observation was presumably attributed by the percolation threshold and the tunneling effect. As a result of the MWNT content (0.2 wt.%) of the sensor being near the percolation threshold (0.25 wt.%), MWNTs were close to each other to trigger tunneling in response of external loading. The sensor with MWNT 0.2 wt.% was able to maintain the repeatable sensing capability while sustaining a vehicular loading on road, demonstrating the feasibility in traffic flow sensing application.