• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.403-415
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• 2024

We looked at how the damping qualities of epoxy composites changed when different amounts of graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) were added, from 0% to 6% by weight. A mix of free and forced vibration tests helped us find the key GNP content that makes the damper ability better the most. We also created a Representative Volume Element (RVE) model to guess how the alloys would behave mechanically and checked these models against testing data. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was also used to guess how these compounds would react to motion. With proper hyperparameter tweaking, the ANN model showed good correlation (R²=0.98) with actual data, indicating its ability to predict complex material behavior. Combining these methods shows how GNPs impact epoxy composite mechanical properties and how machine learning might improve material design. We show how adding GNPs to epoxy composites may considerably reduce vibration. These materials may be used in industries that value vibration damping.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.565-571
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• 2014

Nitrogen-doped ZnO nanoparticle-carbon nanofiber composites were prepared using electrospinning. As the relative amounts of N-doped ZnO nanoparticles in the composites were controlled to levels of 3.4, 9.6, and 13.8 wt%, the morphological, structural, and chemical properties of the composites were characterized by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, the carbon nanofiber composites containing 13.8 wt% N-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited superior catalytic properties, making them suitable for use as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This result can be attributed to the enhanced surface roughness of the composites, which offers sites for $I_3{^-}$ ion reductions and the formation of Zn3N2 phases that facilitate electron transfer. Therefore, DSSCs fabricated with 13.8 wt% N-doped ZnO nanoparticle-carbon nanofiber composites showed high current density ($16.3mA/cm^2$), high fill factor (57.8%), and excellent power-conversion efficiency (6.69%); at the same time, these DSSCs displayed power-conversion efficiency almost identical to that of DSSCs fabricated with a pure Pt counter electrode (6.57%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.80-80
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• 2010

Graphene has attracted tremendous attention for the last a few years due to it fascinating electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Up to now, several methods have been developed exclusively to prepare graphene, which include micromechanical cleavage, polycrystalline Ni employing chemical vapor deposition technique, solvent thermal reaction, thermal desorption of Si from SiC substrates, chemical routes via graphite intercalation compounds or graphite oxide. In particular, polycrystalline Ni foil and conventional chemical vapor deposition system have been widely used for synthesis of large-area graphene. [1-3] In this study, synthesis of mono-layer graphene on a Ni foil, the mixing ratio of hydrocarbon ($CH_4$) gas to hydrogen gas, microwave power, and growth time were systemically optimized. It is possible to synthesize a graphene at relatively lower temperature ($500^{\circ}C$) than those (${\sim}1000^{\circ}C$) of previous results. Also, we could control the number of graphene according to the growth conditions. The structural features such as surface morphology, crystallinity and number of layer were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and resonant Raman spectroscopy with 514 nm excitation wavelength. We believe that our approach for the synthesis of mono-layer graphene may be potentially useful for the development of many electronic devices.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.434-439
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• 2021

Graphene and polyaniline with thermoelectric properties are one of the potential substitutes for inorganic materials for flexible thermoelectric applications. In this study, we studied the photo-induced thermoelectric effect of graphene-polyaniline composites. The graphene-polyaniline composites were synthesized by introducing an amine functional group to graphene oxide for covalently connecting graphene and polyaniline, reducing the graphene oxide, and then polymerizing the graphene oxide with aniline. Graphene-polyaniline composites were prepared by changing the aniline contents in order to expect an optimal photothermoelectric effect, and their structural properties were confirmed through FT-IR and Raman analysis. The photocurrent and photovoltage characteristics were analyzed by irradiating light asymmetrically without an external bias and the current and voltage with various aniline contents. While the photocurrent trends to the electrical conductivity of the graphene-polyaniline composites, the photovoltage was related to the temperature change of the graphene-polyaniline composite, which was converted into thermal energy by light.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.3258-3264
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• 2012

Aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$) nanofibers were treated thermally under an ammonia ($NH_3$) gas stream balanced by nitrogen to form a thin aluminum nitride (AlN) layer on the nanofibers, resulting in the enhancement of thermal conductivity of $Al_2O_3$/epoxy nanocomposites. The micro-structural and morphological properties of the $NH_3$-assisted thermally-treated $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AEM), respectively. The surface characteristics and pore structures were observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Zeta-potential and $N_2$/77 K isothermal adsorptions. From the results, the formation of AlN on $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers was confirmed by XRD and XPS. The thermal conductivity (TC) of the modified $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers/epoxy composites increased with increasing treated temperatures. On the other hand, the severely treated $Al_2O_3$/epoxy composites showed a decrease in TC, resulting from a decrease in the probability of heat-transfer networks between the filler and matrix in this system due to the aggregation of nanofiber fillers.

• 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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2017

A meso-scale model is proposed to study filament-wound composites with fiber undulations and crossovers. First, the crossover and undulation region is classified as the circumferential undulation and the helical undulation. Next, the two undulations are separately regarded as a series of sub-models to describe the meso-structure of undulations by using meso-parameters such as fiber orientation, fiber inclination angle, resin rich area, fiber volume fraction and bundle cross section. With the meso-structure model and the classic laminate theory, a method for calculating the stiffness of filament wound composites is eventually established. The effects of the fiber inclination angle, the fiber and resin volume fraction and the resin rich area on the stiffness are studied. The numerical results show that the elastic moduli for the circumferential undulation region decrease to a great extent as compared with that of the helical undulation region. Moreover, significant decrease in the elastic and shear moduli and increase in the Poisson's ratio are also found for the resin rich area. In addition, thickness and bundle section have evident effect on the equivalent stiffness of the fiber crossover and the undulation region.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.525-539
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• 2010

Polymer matrix composites are widely used in many engineering applications as they can be customized to meet a desired performance while not only maintaining low cost but also reducing weight. Polymers can experience viscoelastic-viscoplastic response when subjected to external loadings. Various reinforcements and fillers are added to polymers which bring out more complexity in analyzing the timedependent response. This study formulates an integrated micromechanical model and finite element (FE) analysis for predicting effective viscoelastic-viscoplastic response of polymer based hybrid composites. The studied hybrid system consists of unidirectional short-fiber reinforcements and a matrix system which is composed of solid spherical particle fillers dispersed in a homogeneous polymer constituent. The goal is to predict effective performance of hybrid systems having different compositions and properties of the fiber, particle, and matrix constituents. A combined Schapery's viscoelastic integral model and Valanis's endochronic viscoplastic model is used for the polymer constituent. The particle and fiber constituents are assumed linear elastic. A previously developed micromechanical model of particle reinforced composite is first used to obtain effective mechanical properties of the matrix systems. The effective properties of the matrix are then integrated to a unit-cell model of short-fiber reinforced composites, which is generated using the FE. The effective properties of the matrix are implemented using a user material subroutine in the FE framework. Limited experimental data and analytical solutions available in the literatures are used for comparisons.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2018

Carbon fiber/epoxy composites are typical brittle materials and have low impact properties. Recently, it is important to investigate impact characteristics of carbon fiber composites because of increasing use as automobile parts and high pressure hydrogen vessels of fuel cell electric vehicles for light weight. In this study, the low velocity impact properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites fabricated by a filament winding method are studied. The low velocity impact properties were measured by performing tests according to ASTM D7136. The low velocity impact simulations were carried out using commercial structural analysis software, Abaqus. The absorbed energy and the delamination shapes were compared between the experimental and simulation results. The numerical analysis method showed that the absorbed energy decreased with the reduced number of cohesive elements in the composite models.

• International Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2020

The recent trend is increasing towards the usage of polymer matrix composites since they have a wide variety of applications. They have applications in the field of aircraft and space industry, sporting goods, medical devices, marine and automotive applications and also in commercial usage. The most commonly used fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composite is Glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composite which is used in aviation, sports and automotive industries. However, the strength of GFRE composites is not adequate for structural applications. Therefore, the current research focuses on increasing the strength of GFRE composites by reinforcing with micro Graphite (Gr) particulates. The Gr used is an ultra-fine powder with particle size 250 ㎛. Gr is known to have good wear resistance, thermal conductivity and can operate at high temperatures. Gr particulates are mixed with the epoxy matrix in various weight ratios. Hand-lay technique is used for fabricating the composites. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, compressive strength and flexural strength are obtained experimentally to study the effect of change in Gr content (0-5 wt. %). The tests were done as per ASTM standards.