• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.286-290
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• 2010

Liquid-crystalline (LC) monomer, which was functionalized with a coumarin group on their extremity, was synthesized by UV light irradiation in their LC phases. LC monomer was converted into the dimers by the cycloaddition reaction of the coumarin group, and the LC phases were maintained after photodimerization reaction. The dimers showed LC phases in the wider temperature range than those of the corresponding monomer. Structures of the compound were identified by FT IR and $^1H$ NMR spectroscopies. Their phase transition temperatures and thermal stability were also investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gel permeating chromatography (GPC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). From optical polarizing microscopy, the prepared polymer shows enantiotropic liquid crystallinity with smectic and nematic textures.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2022

Polycarbonate diol-based waterborne polyurethane (WPU) was prepared by prepolymer mixing process. The prepolymer mixture contained the polycarbonate diol, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), dimethylol propionic acid, triethylamine, and ethylenediamine (EDA). The NCO/OH ratio in the prepolymer was adjusted by controlling the molar ratio of IPDI, and its effects on the properties of WPU were studied. The structure of WPU was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The average particle size increased and viscosity decreased with increasing NCO/OH ratio and EDA content in WPU. The reduced phase separation between soft and hard segments increased glass transition temperature. The reduction in the thermal decomposition temperature could be attributed to the low bond energy of urethane and urea groups, which constituted the hard segment. Additionally, the polyurethane chain mobility was restricted, elongation decreased, and tensile strength increased. The hydrogen bond between the hard segments formed a dense structure that hindered water absorption.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.60.4-60.4
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• 2019

Small bodies in the solar system are pristine leftovers of planetesimals since the formation epoch (~4.6 Gyr ago). After the formation, icy planetesimals have been preserved in the distant cold place beyond 30 au (i.e., Trans-Neptunian region) until recently without any catastrophic processes but have just been injected into inner region (<~5 au from the Sun) to be observed as comets. On the contrary, asteroids are rocky primitive objects (although some of them contains icy volatiles) distributing in the mainbelt between Mars and Jupiter orbits. Because of frequent encounters in the mainbelt, asteroids have experienced a number of repeated impacts until the present day. Namely, it is important to investigate thermal alternation process of cometary volatiles and refractories in the solar radiation field, whereas collisional and subsequence phenomena of asteroidal bodies. Although recent spacecraft observations revealed the physical natures on the surfaces of comets and asteroids, their interiors still remain largely unexplored. It is likely that a sudden brightening of a comet is associated with rapid sublimation of internal CO and CO2 or phase transition of amorphous H2O. An episodic dust ejection from an asteroid is causally related to an impact among asteroids, sudden sublimation of remaining subsurficial volatiles, etc. Because these transient phenomena provide rare opportunities to investigate their interiors, immediate observations using any optical instruments are particular important. In my presentation, I will review some examples of such transient phenomena in the solar system and propose possible collaborative research using the Korean Small Telescope Network.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.873-879
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• 2024

A sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) core has a potential of prompt criticality due to a change of core material distribution during a severe accident, and the resultant energy release has been one of the safety issues of SFRs. In this study, the safety assessment of an unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) in a small SFR (SSFR) has been performed using the SIMMER-IV computer code, which couples the models of space- and time-dependent neutronics and multi-component, multi-field thermal hydraulics in three dimensions. The code, therefore, is applicable to the simulations of transient behaviors of extended disrupted core material motion and its reactivity effects during the transition phase (TP) of ULOF, including a potential of prompt-criticality power excursions driven by fuel compaction. Several conservative assumptions are used in the TP analysis by SIMMER-IV. It was found out that one of the important mechanisms that drives the reactivity-inserting fuel motion was sodium vapor pressure resulted from a fuel-coolant interaction (FCI), which itself was non-energetic local phenomenon. The uncertainties relating to FCI is also evaluated in much conservative way in the sensitivity analysis. From this study, the ULOF characteristics in an SSFR have been understood. Occurrence of recriticality events under conservative assumptions are plausible, but their energy releases are limited.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.148-153
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• 1999

In situ composites containing a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer were prepared by polycondensation of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxy-benzoyloxy)butane with 2-bromoterephthaloyl chloride in a poly(methyl methacrylate) solution. Morphology and mechanical, thermal properties of the composites were examined by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analyser(DMTA), optical microscope and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The TLCP domains showed nematic phase. The glass transition temperature($T_g$) and mechanical properties of the PMMA in the composites increased with increasing the content of TLCP. The TLCP domains were finely dispersed in the PMMA matrix. The 20 wt % TLCP/PMMA composite prepared by in situ polymerization showed more improved mechanical property with finely well dispersed morphology compared with that prepared by solution blending of the same composition.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2007

The material factors influencing the sound absorption of the polyurethane foam were investigated with FT-IR, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer (DMTA). The measurements were performed using the samples which had a similar cell structure but different absorption coefficients. It was found that the ability of the sound absorption of the polyurethane foams was closely related to the damping behavior over the transition range. In order to confirm the use of the low monol polyol (LMP) in high-performance applications, the polyurethanes based on LMP and polypropylene oxide polyol (PPG) were prepared by the solution polymerization method. The microstructure and the physical properties of these polyurethanes were compared. The PPG-based polyurethane showed a higher level of the phase-separated structure because the considerable amount of monol presented in PPG made a contribution to the increased chain mobility. However the short chains formed due to the monol species deteriorated the damping property. As a result, the LMP-based polyurethane showed the superior damping behavior as compared with the PPG-based one.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.210-213
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• 2002

The blue phosphor, $BaMgAl_{10}O_{17}$:$Eu^{2+}$, showing a blue emission band at about 450 nm were prepared by solid state reaction of BaC $O_3$, A $l_2$ $O_3$, MgO and E $u_2$ $O_3$ with Al $F_3$ as a flux. The thermal quenching of BaMgAl $O_{17}$:E $u^{2+}$ phosphor significantly reduces the intensity of the blue emission. It is reduced by an amount of 50% after heating at around 800$^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. The red emission in the 580∼720 nm region of $^{5}$ $D_{0}$\longrightarro $w^{7}$ $F_1$ and $^{5}$ $D_{0}$\longrightarro $w^{7}$ $F_2$ transition of $Eu^{3+}$ is produced from the phosphor heated above 1,100$^{\circ}C$. The EPR spectrum also reveals that some part of E $u^{2+}$ ions are oxidized to trivalent ions above 1,100$^{\circ}C$ at around 90 and 140mT. This oxidation evidence is also detected from XANES absorption spectra for $L_{III}$ shell of Eu ions: an absorption peak is at 6,977eV of E $u^{2+}$ and 6,984eV of $Eu^{3+}$. The combined X-ray and neutron data suggests that the new phase of EuMgA $l_{11}$ $O_{19}$ magnetoplumbite structure may be formed by heat treatment.eat treatment.tment.eat treatment.tment.t.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1013-1021
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• 2020

A combination of simultaneous thermal analysis, evolved gas analysis and non-ambient XRD techniques was used to characterise and investigate the conversion reactions of ammonium uranates into uranium oxides. Two solid phases of the ternary system NH₃ - UO₃ - H₂O were synthesised under specified conditions. Microspheres prepared by the sol-gel method via internal gelation were identified as 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O, whereas the product of a typical ammonium diuranate precipitation reaction was associated to the composition 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O. The thermal decomposition profile of both compounds in air feature distinct reaction steps towards the conversion to U₃O₈, owing to the successive release of water and ammonia molecules. Both compounds are converted into α-U₃O₈ above 550 ℃, but the crystallographic transition occurs differently. In compound 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O (ADU) the transformation occurs via the crystalline β-UO₃ phase, whereas in compound 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O (microspheres) an amorphous UO₃ intermediate was observed. The new insights obtained on these uranate systems improve the information base for designing and synthesising minor actinide-containing target materials in future applications.

• Composites Research
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.371-378
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• 2018

In this study, the thermoelastic properties of poly lactic acid (PLA) based nanocomposites are predicted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and a micromechanics model. The stereocomplex mixed with L-lactic acid (PLLA) and D-lactic acid (PDLA) is modeled as matrix phase and a single walled carbon nanotube is embedded as reinforcement. The glass transition temperature, elastic moduli and thermal expansion coefficients of pure matrix and nanocomposites unit cells are predicted though ensemble simulations according to the hydrolysis. In micromechanics model, the double inclusion (D-I) model with a perfect interface condition is adopted to predict the properties of nanocomposites at the same composition. It is found that the stereocomplex nanocomposites show prominent improvement in thermal stability and interfacial adsorption regardless of the hydrolysis. Moreover, it is confirmed from the comparison of MD simulation results with those from the D-I model that the interface between CNT and the stereocomplex matrix is slightly weak in nature.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.44-56
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• 2023

Additive manufacturing (AM) or three-dimensional (3D) printing of metals has been drawing significant attention due to its reliability, usefulness, and low cost with rapid prototyping. Among the various AM technologies, fused deposition modeling (FDM) or fused filament fabrication is receiving much interest because of its simple manufacturing processing, low material waste, and cost-effective equipment. FDM technology uses metal-filled polymer filaments for 3D printing, followed by debinding and sintering to fabricate complex metal parts. An efficient binder is essential for producing polymer filaments and the thermal post-processing of printed objects. This study involved an in-depth investigation of and a fabrication route for a novel multi-component binder system with steel alloy powder (45 vol.%) ranging from filament fabrication and 3D printing to debinding and sintering. The binder system consisted of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a binder and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polylactic acid (PLA) as a carrier. The PVP binder held the metal components tightly by maintaining their stoichiometry, and the TPU and PLA in the ratio of 9:1 provided flexibility, stiffness, and strength to the filament for 3D printing. The efficacy of the binder system was examined by fabricating 3D-printed cubic structures. The results revealed that the thermal debinding and sintering processes effectively removed the binder/carrier from the cubic structures, resulting in isotropic shrinkage of approximately 15.8% in all directions. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) patterns displayed the microstructure behavior, phase transition, and elemental composition of the 3D cubic structure.