• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.530-536
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• 2009

A cycloaliphatic epoxy/acidic anhydride system incorporating short carbon fibers (SCF) and short glass fibers (SGF) was fabricated and thermal/mechanical properties were characterized. At low filler content both SCF- and SGF-reinforced composites showed a similar decrease in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), measured by a thermomechanical analyzer, with increasing loadings, above which SCF became more effective than SGF at reducing the CTE. Experimental CTE data for the SCF-reinforced composites is best described by the rule of mixtures at lower SCF contents and by the Craft-Christensen model at higher SCF contents. Storage modulus (E') at $30^{\circ}C$ and $180^{\circ}C$ was greatly enhanced for short fiber-filled composites compared to unfilled specimens, Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces indicated that the decreased CTE and the increased E' of the short fiber-reinforced composites resulted from good interfacial adhesion between the fibers and epoxy matrix.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.412-420
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• 2021

In this study, we measure the initial electrical conductivity of SCF/rubber specimens and SCF/rubber specimens with nickel particles respectively. The corresponding electrical conductivity with compressive strain on the specimens is also measured. Through this experiment, we observed the effects of the volume fraction of carbon fiber, nickel particles and external strain on the electrical conductivity. Experiments show that even a small difference in the volume fraction of SCF plays a major role in the change of the electrical conductivity and that the piezoresistivity increases due to fiber reorientation respond to external strain. In addition, the nickel particles contribute to improving the electrical conductivity in specimens with carbon fibers above the threshold volume fraction. It was confirmed that there is an effect of offsetting the increment in the piezoresistivity caused by the reorientation of carbon fibers according to external strain.