• Composites Research
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.32-38
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• 2007

Natural fibers can refer to all types of fibres only produced by nature. Their lengths vary from particles to long strands. Natural fibers are categorized roughly by six types, depending on the types of sources; base, leaf, seed, grasses, fruit and wood. Of these fibers, jute, flax, sisal and ramie are the most commonly used as reinforced materials in preparing polymer composites. In development and improvement of these composites, many studies have been implemented to overcome the drawbacks such as incompatibility, moisture problems and so on. The range of industry sectors of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites becomes more extensive gradually and many of the companies all over the world are engaged in fabrications or applications. This paper mainly discussed the recent status of the domestic/overseas market and research issues of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites. We made an exception of wood-polymer composites market which have played a great role because they had been often dealt with.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.149-158
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• 2022

To realize the infinite possibilities of materials derived from wood, it is necessary to overcome the weak moisture stability of wood. Thus, the development of an eco-friendly hydrophobic coating agent is essential, and of these, woody biomass-based materials are strongly attractive as coatings. In this study, eco-friendly hydrophobic wood coatings were prepared using carnauba wax purified from palm leaves and sprouts, and kraft lignin. The physicochemical properties of the carnauba wax/lignin blends according to the ratio of carnauba wax and lignin were observed by morphology and functional group change. In addition, the coating performance of carnauba wax/lignin blend coatings was confirmed by measuring the contact angle change. It was found that the addition of lignin could accelerate the atomization of wax particles, and that micro-roughness can be realized when applied to the actual wood surface, to ensure that the coating effect over time lasts longer. In addition, it was confirmed that the addition of lignin increases the hydrogen-bond-based interaction with the wood of the coating, thereby providing better coating stability and increasing the durability of the coating solvent under friction. The carnauba wax/lignin paint developed in this way is eco-friendly because all components are made of wood-based raw materials and have an excellent affinity with wood surfaces. Therefore, it is expected to be applicable to the coating process of wood-plastic composites and timber composites.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.48-58
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• 2002

This study was carried out through scanning electron microscopy to elucidate the mechanism of thickness swelling in wood particle-polypropylene composite which is a typical way of using wood and plastic materials. For this purpose, control particleboards and nonwoven web composites from wood particle and polypropylene fiber formulations of 100:0, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 were manufactured at target density levels of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 g/cm³. Their water absorption and thickness swelling were tested according to ASTMD 1037-93 (1995). To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. From the scanning electron microscopy, thickness swelling of composite was thought to be caused by the complicated factors of degree of built-up internal stresses by mat compression and/or amount of wood particles encapsulated with molten polypropylene fibers during hot pressing. In the composites with wood particle contents of 50 to 60% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.8 g/cm³ and with wood particle content of 70% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.7 g/cm³, thickness swellings seemed to be largely dependent upon the restricted water uptake by encapsulated wood particles with molten polypropylene fibers. Thickness swelling in the composite with wood particle content of 70% at target density of 0.8 g/cm³, however, was thought to be principally dependent upon the increased springback phenomenon by built-up internal stresses of compressed mat.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.71-77
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• 2012

Cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) isolated from hardwood bleached kraft pulp (HW-BKP) using sulfuric acid hydrolysis was suspended in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and electrospun into composites nanofibers. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the CNW to be rod-like, approximately of $16.1{\pm}4.6$ nm wide and $194{\pm}61$ nm long, providing an aspect ratio of about 12, with a particle size distribution range of $662.2{\pm}301.2$ nm. Uniform and high quality CNW/PVA composite nanofibers were successfully manufactured by the electrospinning method. As the CNW loading increases, the viscosity of CNW/PVA solutions shows a minimum at 1% CNW level which subsequently results in the smallest diameter (193 nm) of electrospun nanofibers. The average diameter of the nanofibers increased up to 284 nm with increasing CNW loading. These results suggest that the electrospinning method provides a great potential of manufacturing consistent and reliable nanofibers from CNW/PVA solution for the formation of scaffolds with potentials in future application.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제33권1호통권129호
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• pp.29-37
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• 2005

본 연구는 바이오복합재(bio-composites) 제조시 제조온도와 시간이 기질인 열가소성 고분자와 충전제인 왕겨분말에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위하여 수행하였다. 제조온도가 왕겨분말에 미치는 영향에 대해 알아보기 위해 왕겨분말을 $220^{\circ}C$에서 10분부터 2시간 동안 처리한 후 열가소성 고분자인 polypropylene (PP)과 low-density polyethylene (LDPE)에 충전제로 첨가하여 바이오복합재를 제조한 후 기계적 성질을 측정하였다. $220^{\circ}C$에서 왕겨분말의 처리시간이 증가할수록 왕겨분말의 주요 구성성분이 열분해로 인하여 인장강도와 충격강도값이 감소하였다. 실제적인 제조온도에 의한 중량감소를 측정하기 위하여 열중량분석기(thermogravimetric analysis, TGA)를 이용하여 $220^{\circ}C$의 등온상태에서 2시간 동안 측정한 결과 열가소성고분자에서는 중량의 변화가 거의 발생하지 않았으며 충전제인 왕겨분말과 바이오복합재의 경우 시간이 증가할수록 열분해에 의한 중량감소량이 증가하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 그러므로 바이오복합재 제조시 높은 제조온도로 인한 물성의 저하를 방지하기 위해서는 적절한 온도와 제조시간을 결정하는 것이 중요하다고 볼 수 있다.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.355-361
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• 2018

In this study, the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of bamboo fiber-based composites (BFBCs) were studied at two pressing manufacturing processes, i.e., hot- and cold- pressing, and were compared with three density parameters (1.0, 1.1, and $1.2kg/m^3$). Width swelling ratio (WSR), thickness swelling ratio (TSR), and water absorption ratio (WAR) were calculated for water immersions of 4 and 28 h. WSR, TSR, and WAR for specimens immersed for 28 h were higher than those for 4 h treatment, which shows that the immersion time has a significant influence on the dimensional stabilities of BFBCs. Moreover, the positive linear relations between density and dimensional were observed at both the pressing ways, indicating that the WSR, TSR, and WAR decreased with an increase in the density of BFBCs. The compressive strength, shear strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were determined. The compressive strength, MOR, and MOE of hot-pressed specimens were significantly higher than those for the cold-pressed specimens, which are also directly proportional to density. Moreover, the samples with the highest density of $1.2kg/m^3$ performed high values on mechanical properties in both the manufacturing methods.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.22-30
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• 2001

본 연구에서는 배향도가 높은 스트랜드와 무배향성의 파티클을 혼합해서 다양한 층구조의 복합체를 제조하여 각종 탄성률을 측정하여 비교하였으며, 초음파법을 적용하여 이방성 적층재료의 층구조에 기인하는 이방성의 정도를 예측하기 위하여 초음파 전파속도와 복합체 면내의 이방성의 관계에 대하여 검토했다. 그 결과 각층구조 복합체의 정적 휨 탄생률 $E_S$는 동적 탄성률 $E_D$와 거의 일치하였으며 $E_U$는 높게 산출되는 경향을 나타내었다. 초음파법을 이용한 복합체의 최외층 스트랜드의 섬유방향(${\parallel}$)과 직각방향(${\bot}$)의 전파속도의 차는 3층 구조, 7층 구조, PB 순으로 크게 나타나 층구조에 의한 이방성의 정도를 나타내고 있었다. 또한 복합체 면내의 양방향간의 전파속도의 차는 스트랜드 표층구조가 파티클 표층구조보다 큰 값을 나타내었으며 스트랜드의 혼합률이 높을수록 각 방향의 전파속도는 빨라지는 경향이었다. 이와는 반대로, 복합체의 두께방향의 전파속도는 파티클 표층구조와 스트랜드의 혼합률이 작을수록 빨라지는 경향을 나타내었다.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.457-464
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• 2010

The low melting alloy impregnated wood composites with natural grain of thinned Juglans mandshurica was made and evaluated in this study. And the proper manufacturing conditions was also investigated in this study. The low melting alloy with bismuth(Bi) and tin(Sn) which are harmless to humans, was applied for this novel composites, which showed not only no defects of discoloration, delamination, swelling, and cracking, because of high dimensional stability and low thickness swelling, but also much improved performance such as high bending strength, high hardness, low abrasion, high thermal conductivity as floor materials. This study also suggested the proper impregnating condition, such as 10 minutes of the preliminary vacuum time, $187^{\circ}C$ of the heating temperature and 10 minutes of the maintaining pressure time at the pressure of 30kgf/$cm^2$. The produced composites showed 9 times higher density for small specimen, 6.6 times for actual size sample and great increase in bending strength from 102.05N/$mm^2$ to 189.47N/$mm^2$ for small size sample and to 205.4N/$mm^2$ for actual size sample, also great increase in hardness from 15.1N/$mm^2$ to 73.38N/$mm^2$ for small size sample and 64.87N/$mm^2$ for actual size sample. And the composites demonstrated great decrease in abrasion depth and in water absorption.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제52권3호
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• pp.205-220
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• 2024

Various polylactic acid (PLA) blends were reinforced with untreated or silane-treated micro-sized cellulose fiber (MCF), successfully prepared as 3D printing filaments and then printed using a fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer. In this study, we focused on developing 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites through silane treatment of MCF and investigating the effect of silane treatment on the various properties of FFF 3D-printed composites. Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the increase in hydrophobic properties of silane-treated MCF by showing the new absorption peaks at 1,100 cm^-1, 1,030 cm^-1, and 815 cm^-1 representing C-NH₂, Si-O-Si, and Si-CH₂ bonds, respectively. In scanning electron microscope images of silane-treated MCF filled PLA composites, the improved interfacial adhesion between MCF and PLA matrix was observed. The mechanical properties of the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites with silane-treated MCF were improved compared to those of the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites with untreated MCF. In particular, the highest tensile and flexural modulus values were observed for S-MCF10 (5,784.77 MPa) and S-MCF5 (2,441.67 MPa), respectively. The thermal stability of silane-treated MCF was enhanced by delaying the initial thermal decomposition temperature compared to untreated MCF. The thermal decomposition temperature difference at T₉₅ was around 26℃. This study suggests that the effect of silane treatment on the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites is effective and promising.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.505-516
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• 2009

본 연구에서는 다른 목재수종과 다른 입자크기의 목분 및 상용화제를 첨가한 Wood Plastic Composites (WPC)를 제조한 후 다양한 물성을 평가하였다. 먼저 3가지 다른 수종으로부터 얻은 목분의 화학조성분의 함량이 화학분석으로부터 얻어졌다. 낙엽송(Larix kaempferi Lamb.), 상수리(Quercus accutisima Carr.), 다릅나무(활엽수, Maackia amuresis Rupr. et Maxim)로부터 40~60 mesh와 80~100 mesh의 목분을 제조하여 열가소성 폴리머의 일종인 폴리프로필렌(polypropylene)에 용융 압출 및 사출하여 복합재를 제조한 후 인장강도, 휨강도, 충격강도 및 현미경 분석을 수행하였다. 알파 셀룰로오스는 상수리나무가 43.6%, 다릅나무가 41.3%, 낙엽송이 36.2%였다. 리그닌의 함량은 낙엽송이 31.6%로 가장 높았으며, 상수리나무가 24.4%로 가장 낮았다. 추출물의 함량은 낙엽송이 8.5%, 다릅나무와 상수리나무는 각각 4.4%와 3.9%였다. 알파 셀룰로오스의 함량이 증가하고 리그닌과 추출물의 함량이 감소할수록, WPC의 인장 및 휨강도 특성이 높았다. 같은 목분의 첨가량에서 작은 입자크기의 목분(80~100 mesh)이 큰 입자크기의 목분(40~60 mesh)에 비하여 WPC의 인장 및 휨강도 특성이 크게 높았다. WPC의 충격강도는 목재수종에 따른 영향이 적었으나, 입자의 크기가 큰 목분을 첨가한 WPC의 충격강도가 대체적으로 높았다. 상용화제인 Maleated polypropylene (MAPP)의 첨가는 수종과 다른 입자크기에 관계없이 인장강도, 휨강도 및 충격강도를 증가시켰다. 현미경 분석 결과, MAPP의 첨가에 의해 목분과 PP수지 간의 계면 결합력이 개선됨을 확인할 수 있었다.