• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2023

The carbon felt is usually hired as electrodes for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). In the study, surface modification of carbon felt under CO₂ atmosphere with variables of operating various temperature ranges between 700℃ and 900℃. The qualitative and quantitative analysis were carried out such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to observe degree of surface modification. Result of XPS analysis confirmed increase of carbon and oxidation functional group on the surface with increase of temperature. SEM image was discovered similar phenomena. Electrochemical characteristics such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed the improved electrode performance with increase of temperature. However, the electrochemical performance under treatments temperature of 900℃ was less than that of under treatment temperature of 850℃ due to weight loss at the treatment temperature of 900℃. From the CV and EIS results, the best electrochemical characteristics was at the temperature of 850℃. That of at the temperature of 900℃ was decreased due to weight loss. The energy efficiencies (EE) obtained from full cell test were 69.37, 80.76, 82.45, and 75.47%, at the temperature of 700, 800, 850, and 900℃, respectively.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2006

In this study, silver pre-treated activated carbons are transformed using sulfuric acid. From the results of adsorption, each isotherm shows a distinct knee band, which is characteristic of microporous adsorbents with capillary condensation in micropores. In order to reveal the causes of the differences in adsorption capacity and specific surface area after the samples were washed with various strengths of sulfuric acid, surface morphology and external pore structure were investigated by SEM. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that Ag-activated carbons show better performance for silver and silver compounds removal by post-treatment with acid. The FT-IR spectra of silver-activated carbon samples show that the acid post-treatment was consequently associated with the removal of silver with an increased surface functional group containing oxygen of the activated carbon. The type and quality of oxygen groups are determined on the method proposed by Boehm. For the chemical composition microanalysis of silver-activated carbons transformed by post-treatment with sulfuric acid, samples were analyzed by EDX.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2002

In this work, the surface properties and mechanical interfacial properties of the carbon blacks treated by oxygen plasma were investigated. The surface properties of carbon black by oxidation process of oxygen plasma were studied in acid-base surface value, zeta potential, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). And their mechanical interfacial properties of the carbon black/rubber composites were evaluated by the composite tearing energy ($G_{III}c$). As a result, it was found that the introduction rate of oxygen-containing polar functional groups, such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, lactone, and carbonyl groups, onto the carbon black surfaces was increased by increasing the plasma treatment time. It revealed that the polar rubber, such as acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), showed relatively a high degree of interaction with oxygen-containing functional groups of the carbon black surfaces, resulting in improving the tearing energy ($G_{III}c$) of the carbon black/acrlyonitrile butadiene rubber composites.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

The variation of MgO surfaces, in which fluorine was contained (F-MgO), by high energy electron-beam (EB) was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Fluorine on the MgO surface was eliminated by EB treatment with the consequence that the electronic structures of Mg, O and C were varied. Moreover, as a result of oxidation of carbon species on the surface by high dose EB treatment (90 kGy), the concentration of carbonate and carboxyl species on the surface was increased. In this experiment, it was confirmed that the structure of oxidized metal surface can be adjusted by varying conditions of EB treatment (energy and dose). This result implies that EB can be applied for developing new catalysts.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.331-334
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• 2010

In the present study, carbon supports mixed with purified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and carbon blacks (CBs) were used to improve the cell performance of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Additionally, the effect of $O_2$ plasma treatment on CBs/MWNTs supports was investigated for different plasma RF powers of 100, 200, and 300 W. The surface and structural properties of the CBs/MWNTs supports were characterized by FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The electrocatalytic activity of PtRu/CBs/MWNTs catalysts was investigated by cyclic voltammetry measurement. In the experimental results, the oxygen functional groups of the supports were increased with increasing plasma RF power, while the average Pt particle size was decreased owing to the improvement of dispersibility of the catalysts. The electrochemical activity of the catalysts for methanol oxidation was gradually improved by the larger available active surface area, itself due to the introduction of oxygen functional groups. Consequently, it was found that $O_2$ plasma treatments could influence the surface properties of the carbon supports, resulting in enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts for DMFCs.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 2003

A glass-like carbon was fabricated using furan resin. The influence of heat treatment temperature during fabrication process on the chemical and micro-structural changes was studied by various analytical and spectroscopic methods including TGA, FT-IR, CHN, TEM and XRD. The chemical resistance properties of the fabricated glass-like carbon were also investigated. It has been found that the heat-treated samples at higher temperature up to 2600 $^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere had little weight loss, small amounts of functional groups, and high carbon content. The fabricated glass-like carbons upon heat treatment at 2600 $^{\circ}C$ showed an amorphous stage without any grain growth and/or reconstruction of structure. The glass-like carbon had much better chemical resistance than the artificial graphite, and exhibited a high chemical resistance due to its low surface areas, minimum impurities, and low graphite crystallites.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2003

In this work, the influence of ozone treatment on surface properties of carbon black is investigated in terms of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angles. And their mechanical interfacial properties of the carbon black/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) compounds are studied by the crosslink density and composite tearing energy ($G_{IIIC}$). As a result, it is found that the increasing of the ozone concentration leads to an increase of the introduction rate of oxygen-containing functional groups onto carbon black surfaces and to an increase of the surface free energy, resulting in improving both crosslink density and tearing energy ($G_{IIIC}$) of the compounds. The results can be explained by the fact that the oxygen-containing functional groups of carbon black surfaces make an increase of the degree of adhesion at interfaces between carbon blacks and rubber matrix.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.298-303
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• 2010

A method of functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) at room temperature using dry ozone gas is described. The resulting MWNT were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Combined to these analyses and solubility in liquids, it could be concluded that the dry ozone gas exposure introduces polar functional groups such as carboxylic groups to MWNT similar to acidic modification of MWNT. Particularly, the stable dispersion of MWNT in water after ozone treatment above a critical level could be obtained, implying potential bio-application. The hydrophilic functional groups on the MWNT introduced by ozone oxidation were helpful in improving the interaction with functional groups in PA6 such as $-NH_2$ and -CONH- resulting in improved mechanical properties.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.539-543
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• 2014

Foam type porous silicon carbide ceramics were fabricated by a polymer replica method using polyurethane foam, carbon black, phenol resin, and silicon powder as raw materials. The influence of the C/Si mole ratio of the ceramic slurry and heat treatment temperature on the porous silicon carbide microstructure was investigated. To characterize the microstructure of porous silicon carbide ceramics, BET, bulk density, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses were employed. The results revealed that the surface area of the porous silicon carbide ceramics decreases with increased heat treatment temperature and carbon content at the $2^{nd}$ heat treatment stage. The addition of carbon to the ceramic slurry, which was composed of phenol resin and silicon powder, enhanced the direct carbonization reaction of silicon. This is ascribed to a consequent decrease of the wetting angles of carbon to silicon with increasing heat treatment temperature.

• Carbon letters
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2011

Synthesis of carbon fibers from cotton fiber by pyrolysis process has been described. Synthesis parameters are optimized using Taguchi optimization technique. Synthesized carbon fibers are used for studying hydrogen adsorption capacity using Seivert's apparatus. Transmission electron microscopy analysis and X-ray diffraction of carbon fiber from cotton suggested it to be very transparent type material possessing graphitic nature. Carbon synthesized from cotton fibers under the conditions predicted by Taguchi optimization methodology (no treatment of cotton fiber prior to pyrolysis, temperature of pyrolysis $800^{\circ}C$, Argon as carrier gas and paralyzing time for 2 h) exhibited 7.32 wt% hydrogen adsorption capacity.