• Carbon letters
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.94-98
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• 2012

Herein, macroporous carbon foams were successfully prepared with phenol and formaldehyde as carbon precursors and an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ($BMIPF_6$), as a pore generator by employing a polymerization-induced phase separation method. During the polycondensation reaction of phenol and formaldehyde, $BMIPF_6$ forms a clustered structure which in turn yields macropores upon carbonization. The morphology, pore structure, electrical conductivity of carbon foams were investigated in terms of the amount of the ionic liquid. The as-prepared macroporous carbon foams had around 100-150 ${\mu}m$-sized pores. More importantly, the electrical conductivity of the carbon foams was linearly improved by the addition of $BMIPF_6$. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first result reporting the possibility of the use of an ionic liquid to prepare porous carbon materials.

• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2014

A microstructure analysis is carried out to optimize the process parameters of a randomly oriented discrete length hybrid carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix composite. The composite is fabricated by moulding of a slurry into a preform, followed by hot-pressing and carbonization. Heating rates of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 1, and $3.3^{\circ}C/min$ and pressures of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MPa are applied during hot-pressing. Matrix precursor to reinforcement weight ratios of 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70 are also considered. A microstructure analysis of the carbon/carbon compacts is performed for each variant. Higher heating rates give bloated compacts whereas low heating rates give bloating-free, fine microstructure compacts. The compacts fabricated at higher pressure have displayed side oozing of molten pitch and discrete length carbon fibers. The microstructure of the compacts fabricated at low pressure shows a lack of densification. The compacts with low matrix precursor to reinforcement weight ratios have insufficient bonding agent to bind the reinforcement whereas the higher matrix precursor to reinforcement weight ratio results in a plaster-like structure. Based on the microstructure analysis, a heating rate of $0.2^{\circ}C/min$, pressure of 15 MPa, and a matrix precursor to reinforcement ratio of 50:50 are found to be optimum w.r.t attaining bloating-free densification and processing time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.61-72
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to define the condition of optimal pre-treatment for preferable activated carbon fibers (ACFs), which are based on rayon fibers. This paper shows the ideal path of ACFs preparation process; implies that rayon fibers are pre-treated by various solvents with different times before the heating process. The pre-treated rayon fibers finally turned into desirable rayon fiber-based ACFs through optimal pre-treatment condition by heating processes. The thermal analysis method of pre-treated rayon fibers by thermo-gravimetry analyser (TGA) is an idealized tool, which analyzes the best thermal condition of pre-treatment process. Surface morphologies of resulting rayon fibers based ACFs were examined by scanning electron microscope(SEM). The results of TGA and SEM analyses show that the optimal pre-treatment condition for preparing ACFs was clearly defined, in terms of thermal stability and surface morphology.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.208-213
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• 2018

Epitaxial ($11{\bar{2}}0$) a-plane GaN films were grown on a ($1{\bar{1}}02$) R-plane sapphire substrate with photoresist (PR) masks using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The PR mask with striped patterns was prepared using an ex-situ lithography process, whereas carbonization and heat treatment of the PR mask were carried out using an in-situ MOCVD. The heat treatment of the PR mask was continuously conducted in ambient $H_2/NH_3$ mixture gas at $1140^{\circ}C$ after carbonization by the pyrolysis in ambient $H_2$ at $1100^{\circ}C$. As the time of the heat treatment progressed, the striped patterns of the carbonized PR mask shrank. The heat treatment of the carbonized PR mask facilitated epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of a-plane GaN films without carbon contamination on the R-plane sapphire substrate. Thhe surface morphology of a-plane GaN films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The structural characteristics of a-plane GaN films on an R-plane sapphire substrate were evaluated by ${\omega}-2{\theta}$ high-resolution X-ray diffraction. The a-plane GaN films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine carbon contamination from carbonized PR masks in the GaN film bulk. After $Ar^+$ ion etching, XPS spectra indicated that carbon contamination exists only in the surface region. Finally, the heat treatment of carbonized PR masks was used to grow high-quality a-plane GaN films without carbon contamination. This approach showed the promising potential of the ELO process by using a PR mask.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 2018

Nitrogen (N)-doped protein-based carbon as platinum (Pt) catalyst supports from tofu for oxygen reduction reactions are synthesized using a carbonization and reduction method. We successfully prepare 5 wt% Pt@N-doped protein-based carbon, 10 wt% Pt@N-doped protein-based carbon, and 20 wt% Pt@N-doped protein-based carbon. The morphology and structure of the samples are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron micro scopy, and crystllinities and chemical bonding are identified using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oxygen reduction reaction are measured using a linear sweep voltammogram and cyclic voltammetry. Among the samples, 10 wt% Pt@N-doped protein-based carbon exhibits exellent electrochemical performance with a high onset potential of 0.62 V, a high $E_{1/2}$ of 0.55 V, and a low ${\Delta}E_{1/2}=0.32mV$. Specifically, as compared to the commercial Pt/C, the 10 wt% Pt@N-doped protein-based carbon had a similar oxygen reduction reaction perfomance and improved electrochemical stability.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.113-118
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• 2015

To improve the methanol electro-oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs), Pt electrocatalysts embedded on porous carbon nanofibers(CNFs) were synthesized by electrospinning followed by a reduction method. To fabricate the porous CNFs, we prepared three types of porous CNFs using three different amount of a styrene-co-acrylonitrile(SAN) polymer: 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 1 wt%, respectively. A SAN polymer, which provides vacant spaces in porous CNFs, was decomposed and burn out during the carbonization. The structure and morphology of the samples were examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their surface area were measured using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET). The crystallinities and chemical compositions of the samples were examined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties on the methanol electro-oxidation were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Pt electrocatalysts embedded on porous CNFs containing 0.5 wt% SAN polymer exhibited the improved methanol oxidation and electrocatalytic stability compared to Pt/conventional CNFs and commercial Pt/C(40 wt% Pt on Vulcan carbon, E-TEK).

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2010

Four activated carbons were produced by two-stage process as followings; semi-carbonization of indigenous biomass waste, i.e. cotton stalks, followed by chemical activation with KOH under various activation temperatures and chemical ratios of KOH to semi-carbonized cotton stalks (CCS). The surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter were evaluated by $N_2$-adsorption at 77 K. The surface morphology and oxygen functional groups were determined by SEM and FTIR, respectively. Batch equilibrium and kinetic studies were carried out by using a basic dye, methylene blue as a probe molecule to evaluate the adsorption capacity and mechanism over the produced carbons. The obtained activated carbon (CCS-1K800) exhibited highly microporous structure with high surface area of 950 $m^2/g$, total pore volume of 0.423 $cm^3/g$ and average pore diameter of 17.8 ${\AA}$. The isotherm data fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm with monolayer adsorption capacity of 222 mg/g for CCS-1K800. The kinetic data obtained at different concentrations were analyzed using a pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion equations. The pseudo-second-order model fitted better for kinetic removal of MB dye. The results indicate that such laboratory carbons could be employed as low cost alternative to commercial carbons in wastewater treatment.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.2C no.6
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• pp.309-313
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• 2002

In this paper, we have studied minimization of the kerf-width and surface burning, which occurred after the conventional singulation process of the multi-layer BGA board with copper, polyethylene and epoxy glass fiber. The high thermal energy of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser is used to cut the multi-layer board. The most considerable matter in the laser cutting of the multi-layer BGA boards is their different absorption coefficient to the laser beam and their different heat conductivity. The cut mechanism of a multi-layer BGA board using a 2$^{nd}$ harmonic Nd:YAG laser is the thermal vaporization by high temperature rise based on the Gaussian profile and copper melting point. In this experiment, we found that the sacrifice layer and Na blowing are effective in minimizing the surface burning by the reaction between oxygen in the air and the laser beam. In addition, N2 blowing reduces laser energy loss by debris and suppresses surface oxidation. Also, the beam incidence on the epoxy layer compared to polyimide was much more suitable to reduce damage to polyimide with copper wire for the multi layer BGA singulation. When the polyester double-sided tape is used as a sacrifice layer, surface carbonization becomes less. The SEM, non-contact 3D inspector and high-resolution microscope are used to measure cut line-width and surface morphology.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1091-1098
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• 2007

Activated carbon was prepared from waste citrus peels by chemical activation with $ZnCl_2$. The optimal condition of carbonization was at $300^{\circ}C$ for 1.5 hr. Activation experiments with carbonized samples prepared at optimal carboniztion condition were carried out under various conditions such as activation temperature of 400 to $900^{\circ}C$, activation time of 0.5 to 2.0 hr, and $ZnCl_2$ ratio of 100 to 300%. In order to investigate the physical properties of the activated carbons prepared, iodine adsorptivities and specific surface areas were measured and their morphologies were observed from scanning electron microscopy. As $ZnCl_2$ ratio increased, activation yield decreased, while iodine adsorptivity and specific surface area increased. The optimal condition of activation was at 300% $ZnCl_2$ ratio and $300^{\circ}C$ for 1.5 hr, and then iodine adsorptivity and specific surface area was measured as about 862 mg/g and $756m^2/g$, respectively. SEM photography showed that the surface morphology was changed and many active pore were produced by chemical activation.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2000

Pitch precursors were synthesized from coal tar(CT) and pyrolysis fuel oil(PFO, petroleum residue oil) at relatively low temperature of $250^{\circ}$, in the presence of horontrifluorideidiethyletherate complex(BFDE) as a catalyst and nitrobenzene(NB) as a co-catalyst. The softening point, nitrogen content and carbon yield increased with an increase of concentration of NB. The pitch precursors with good spinnability were prepared by removing the volatile components through $N_2$ blowing. The precursor pitches were spun through a circular nozzle, stabilized at $310^{\circ}$ and finally carbonized at $1000^{\circ}$. The optically anisotropic structure formed at the absence of NB was changed into isotropic structure, showing a decrease in size of the flow domain. The hollow carbon fiber could be prepared in the process of stabilization. The results proposed that the morphology of carbon materials could be controlled by changing the concentration of catalyst and/or co-catalyst and/or stabilization condition that affect on the mobility of molecules during carbonization.