• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.2-8
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• 2012

In this study, in order to develop renewable bio-based nanocomposites, multi-functional nanocomposites from soybean resins (AESO, MAESO) and nanoclay were prepared. Photoelectrodes for environmental friendly dye-sensitized solar cell using soybean resin were also prepared. Organo-modified nanoclay was directly dispersed in functionalized soybean resins after mixing with styrene as a comonomer and radical initiator was used to copolymerize the nanocomposites. The observed morphology was a mixture of intercalated/exfoliated structure and the physical properties were improved by adding nanoclay. A nanocomposite using MAESO, which added COOH functional group to the soybean resin, showed better dispersibility than AESO composites. Ultrasonic treatment of the nanocomposites also improved the physical properties. Nanoporous $TiO_2$ photoelectrode was also prepared using soybean resins as a binder, after acid-treatment of $TiO_2$ surface using nitric acid. Dye-sensitized solar cells were prepared after adsorbing dye molecules on it. The $TiO_2$ photoelectrode prepared using soybean binder had high current density because of increased surface area by improved dispersibility. The photoelectrochemical properties and conversion efficiency of the solar cell were significantly improved using the soybean binder.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.137-144
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• 2012

Chemical functionalization of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) is generally carried out for increasing interfacial adhesion between filler and polymer matrix for CNM-polymer nanocomposites. The chemically functionalized CNTs can produce strong interfacial bonds with many polymers, allowing CNT based nanocomposites to possess high mechanical and functional properties. Hence, increased surface adhesion can be measured indirectly by observing increased mechanical properties. However, there is a more direct way to observe interfacial bonds between polymer and CNM by measuring piezoresistivity behavior so that we can imagine the behavior of CNM particles in polymer matrix under deflection. Fuctionalization of MWCNT and rGO was carried out by oxidization reaction of MWCNT and rGO with $H_2SO_4/HNO_3$ solution. Electrical resistivities of MWCNT-PMMA and rGO-PMMA composites were decreased after functionalization because of the destructive fuctionalization process. Meanwhile, piezoresistivities of functionalized CNM-PMMA composites showed more sensitive behavior under the same deflection as compared to pristine CNM-PMMA composites. Therefore, mobility of CNM in polymer matrix was found to be improved with chemical functionalization.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2023

Fiber-reinforced composites have anisotropic material properties, so the mechanical properties of composite structures can vary depending on the stacking sequence. Therefore, it is essential to design the proper stacking sequence of composite structures according to the functional requirements. However, depending on the manufacturing condition or the shape of the structure, there are many cases where the designed stacking angle is out of range, which can affect structural performance. Accordingly, it is important to analyze the stacking angle in order to confirm that the composite structure is correctly fabricated as designed. In this study, the stacking angle was predicted from real cross-sectional images of fiber-reinforced composites using convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning. Carbon fiber-reinforced composite specimens with several stacking angles were fabricated and their cross-sections were photographed on a micro-scale using an optical microscope. The training was performed for a CNN-based deep learning model using the cross-sectional image data of the composite specimens. As a result, the stacking angle can be predicted from the actual cross-sectional image of the fiber-reinforced composite with high accuracy.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 2010

Polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) film is widely used in various industrial fields such as mobile phone, display pannel, notebook etc. Recently PET film attached on indium tin oxide (ITO) surface has a role of high pencil hardness, high refractive index etc. So we synthesized two types of multi-functional monomer which are epoxy modifed acrylate and unmodified acrylate type using recyclable resource like phloroglucinol, derived from trinitrotoluene. We studied the effect of multi-functional monomer's chemical structure on the various properties such as refractive index, optical transmittance, and pencil hardness. We characterized synthesized multi-functional monomer by qualitative analysis through H NMR. We observed that pencil hardness of 1,3,5-triepoxide benzene and 1,3,5-triacrylate benzene they have the range of 2~3 H at high UV dosage of 300 mW. Refractive index appeared the value of 1.54~1.57. Transmittance of all multi-functional monomers has more than 93%.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.394-401
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• 2022

Two polymer precursors, polyvinylidene chloride-resin (PVDC-resin) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), are assembled into the microporous carbon by pyrolysis. Microporous carbon is advantageous as an electrode for supercapacitors that store electric charges through ion adsorption/desorption. The pyrolysis also turns the various heteroatoms of two precursors into functional groups, contributing to the additional charge storage. The analysis of the porous structure and function group during carbonization are important to develop the carbon for energy storage. Here, we analyzed the functional groups of two polymer-derived carbons through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of the functional groups were explored in various pH electrolytes. The specific capacitance of two carbons in the acidic electrolyte (1 M H₂SO₄) was improved compared to that in the neutral electrolyte (0.5 M Na₂SO₄) due to the faradaic charge/discharge reaction of the quinone functional group. In particular, the carbon electrode derived from PVDC-resin exhibits a lower capacity than the carbon from PVDF due to the small micropores. In the alkaline electrolyte (6 M KOH), the highest specific capacitance and rate capability were obtained among the three electrolytes for both electrodes based on the facile adsorption of the constituent electrolyte ions (K⁺, OH^-).

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.289-296
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the electromagnetic properties and microwave absorption characteristics of M-type hexagonal ferrites, which are known as millimeter-wave absorbing materials, according to their calcination temperature. The M-type ferrites synthesized using a molten salt-based sol-gel method exhibited a single-phase M-type crystal structure at calcination temperatures above 850℃. The synthesized particle size increased as well with the calcination temperature. Saturation magnetization increased gradually with increasing calcination temperature, but coercivity reached a maximum at 1050℃ and then rapidly decreased. After preparing a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite containing 70 wt% of M-type ferrites, we measured the complex permittivity and permeability in the Q-band (33-50 GHz) and V-band (50-75 GHz) frequency ranges, where ferromagnetic resonance occurred. Strong magnetic loss from ferromagnetic resonance occurred in the 50 GHz band for all composite samples. Based on the measured results, we calculated the reflection loss of the TPU/M-type ferrite composite. By calculating the reflection loss of the M-type ferrite composite, the M-type ferrite calcined at 1250℃ showed excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance of more than -20 dB at 52 GHz with a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2014

In order to fabricate the porous $Al_2O_3$ with dispersion of nano-sized Cu particles, freeze-drying of camphene/$Al_2O_3$ slurry and solution chemistry process using Cu-nitrate are introduced. Camphene slurries with 10 vol% $Al_2O_3$ was frozen at $-25^{\circ}C$. Pores were generated by sublimation of the camphene during drying in air. The sintered samples at 1400 and $1500^{\circ}C$ showed the same size of large pores which were aligned parallel to the sublimable vehicles growth direction. However, the size of fine pores in the internal walls of large pores decreased with increase in sintering temperature. It was shown that Cu particles with the size of 100 nm were homogeneously dispersed on the surfaces of the large pores. Antibacterial test using fungus revealed that the porous $Al_2O_3$/1 vol% Cu composite showed antifungal property due to the dispersion of Cu particles. The results are suggested that the porous composites with required pore characteristics and functional property can be fabricated by freeze-drying process and addition of functional nano particles by chemical method.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.319-326
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• 2019

To address tremendous needs for developing efficiently heat dissipating material with lightweights, a new class of polymer possessing recyclable and malleable characteristics was synthesized for incorporating model functional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) filler. A good interfacial affinity between the polymer matrix and the filler along with shear force generated upon manufacturing the composite yielded the final product bearing highly aligned filler via simple hot pressing method. For this reason, the composite exhibited a high thermal conductivity of 13.8 W/mK. Moreover, it was possible to recover the h-BN from the composite without physical/chemical denaturation of the filler by chemically depolymerizing the matrix, thus the recovered filler can be re-used in the future. We believe this polymer could be beneficial as matrix for incorporating many other functional fillers, thus they may find applications in various polymeric composite related fields.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.213-217
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• 2015

Recently, household electronic industries require environmentally-friendly and highly functional steels in order to enhance the quality of human life. Customers especially require both excellent corrosion and abrasion resistant anti-fingerprint steels for digital TV panels. Thus POSCO has developed new functional electro-galvanized steels, which have double coated layers with organic-inorganic composites on the zinc surface of the steel for usage as the bottom chassis panel of TVs. The inorganic solution for the bottom layer consists of inorganic phosphate, magnesium, and zirconium compounds with a small amount of epoxy binder, and affords both improved adhesion properties by chemical conversion reactions and corrosion resistance due to a self-healing effect. The composite solution for the top layer was prepared by fine dispersion of organic-inorganic ingredients that consist of a urethane modified polyacrylate polymer, hardener, silica sol and a titanium complex inhibitor in aqueous media. Both composite solutions were coated on the steel surface by using a roll coater and then cured through an induction furnace in the electro-galvanizing line. New anti-fingerprint steel was evaluated for quality performance through such procedures as the salt spray test for corrosion resistance, tribological test for abrasion resistance, and conductivity test for surface electric conductance regarding to both types of polymer resin and coating weight of composite solution. New composite coated anti-fingerprint steels afford both better corrosion resistance and abrasion properties compared to conventional anti-fingerprint steel that mainly consists of acrylate polymers. Detailed discussions of both composite solutions and experimental results suggest that urethane modifications of acrylate polymers of composite solutions play a key role in enhanced quality performances.

• 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.