• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.246-255
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated for natural rubber foam to replace petrochemical-based neoprene foam. Experiments were conducted on vulcanization system and 2-step foaming process of natural rubber. The vulcanization system were EV(Efficient Vulcanization Cure), Semi-EV(Semi-Efficient Vulcanization Cure) and CV(Conventional Vulcanization Cure). In the 2-step foaming process, first molding temperature was 140℃, times were 15, 20, 25, and 30minutes, and the second molding temperature was 160℃, the times 5, 10, 15, and 20minutes. The cure and viscosity characterization were evaluated by oscillating disc rheometer (ODR) and mooney viscosmeter. Various mechanical characteristics, including hardness, tensile strength, elongation at the point of rupture, and tear strength, were quantified. Subsequently, an assessment of alterations in these mechanical attributes was conducted post-immersion in a NaCl solution. In addition degree of volume change was measured after immersing the NR foam in NaCl solution and the low-temperature permanent compression set was evaluated at 4℃. And expansion ratio and shrinkage ratio of NR foam were evaluated for 28 days. As a result the EV vulcanization system showed the least change in physical properties before and after salt water immersion, and the lowest shrinkage ratio for 28 days. In addition it was confirmed that the 2-step foaming optimum condition differed depending on the appropriate vulcanization condition.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2023

This study aims to develop electromyography (EMG) textile electrodes and assess their performance and signal stability by examining variations in layer count and fabric types. We fabricated the electrodes through layering and pressing techniques, focusing on configurations with different layer counts (Layer-0, Layer-1, and Layer-2). Our findings indicate that layer presence significantly influences muscle activation measurements, with enhanced performance correlated with increased layer numbers. Subsequently, we created electrodes from five distinct fabrics (neoprene, spandex cushion, 100% polyester, nylon spandex, and cotton canvas), each maintaining a Layer-2 structure. In performance tests, nylon spandex fabric, particularly heavier variants, outperformed others, while the spandex cushion electrodes showed superior stability in muscle activation signal acquisition. This research elucidates the connection between electrode performance and factors like layer number and electrode-skin contact area. It suggests a novel approach to electrode design, focusing on layer properties and targeted pressure application on specific sensor areas, rather than uniformly increasing sleeve pressure.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.575-589
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• 2020

For vibration control of stay cables in cable-stayed bridges, viscous dampers are frequently used, and they are regularly installed between the cable and the bridge deck. In practice, neoprene rubber bushings (or of other types) are also widely installed inside the cable guide pipe, mainly for reducing the bending stresses of the cable near its anchorages. Therefore, it is important to understand the effect of the bushings on the performance of the external damper. Besides, for long cables, external dampers installed at a single position near a cable end can no longer provide enough damping due to the sag effect and the limited installation distance. It is thus of interest to improve cable damping by additionally installing dampers inside the guide pipe. This paper hence studies the combined effects of an external damper and an internal damper (which can also model the bushings) on a stay cable. The internal damper is assumed to be a High Damping Rubber (HDR) damper, and the external damper is considered to be a viscous damper with intrinsic stiffness, and the cable sag is also considered. Both the cases when the two dampers are installed close to one cable end and respectively close to the two cable ends are studied. Asymptotic design formulas are derived for both cases considering that the dampers are close to the cable ends. It is shown that when the two dampers are placed close to different cable ends, their combined damping effects are approximately the sum of their separate contributions, regardless of small cable sag and damper intrinsic stiffness. When the two dampers are installed close to the same end, maximum damping that can be achieved by the external damper is generally degraded, regardless of properties of the HDR damper. Field tests on an existing cable-stayed bridge have further validated the influence of the internal damper on the performance of the external damper. The results suggest that the HDR is optimally placed in the guide pipe of the cable-pylon anchorage when installing viscous dampers at one position is insufficient. When an HDR damper or the bushing has to be installed near the external damper, their combined damping effects need to be evaluated using the presented methods.