• Composites Research
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.217-223
• /
• 2023

In this work, the preparation and its oil adsorption behavior of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon nanofiber sponge were investigated. The prepared carbon sponges showed excellent selective oil adsorption in the mixture of water and oil, and the adsorption capacity of reused carbon nanofiber sponge was also investigated. Further, carbon nanofiber sponge adsorbent with internally structured channel showed fast oil adsorption behavior due to a capillary phenomenon. After use, sponge adsorbent was heat-treated at 800℃ under N² and studied the possibility of a sensor for electrochemical detection of 4-aminophenol.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.418-423
• /
• 2022

Carbon fibers (CFs) are considered promising composite materials for various applications. However, the high cost of CFs (as much as $26 per kg) limits their practical use in the automobile and energy industries. In this study, we developed a continuous stabilization process for manufacturing low-cost CFs. We employed a textile-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber as a low-cost precursor and UV irradiation technique to shorten the thermal stabilization time. We confirmed that UV irradiation on the textile-grade PAN fibers could lower the initial thermal stabilization temperature and also lead to a higher reaction. These resulted in a shorter overall stabilization time and enhancement of the tensile properties of textile-grade PAN-based CFs. Our study found that only 70 min of stabilization time with UV irradiation was required to prepare textile-grade PAN-based low-cost CFs with a tensile strength of 2.37 ± 0.22 GPa and tensile modulus of 249 ± 5 GPa.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.11
• /
• pp.1251-1258
• /
• 2011

With the help of nanoscale materials like carbon nanotube (CNT), there is the potential to develop new actuators that will provide higher work per cycle than previous actuator technologies, and generate much higher mechanical strength. In this study, the electrochemical actuation characteristics of nano carbon materials were experimentally studied to develop electrochemical actuators. The electrochemical actuators were composed of aqueous NaCl electrolyte and their actuating electrodes were made of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polystyrene composite and graphene respectably. Actuation is proportional to charging transfer rate, and the electrolysis with an AC voltage input has very complex characteristics. To quantify the actuation property, the strain responses and output model were studied based on electrochemical effects between the nano carbon films and the electrolyte.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.20
• /
• pp.32-38
• /
• 2016

In this study, cellulose nanoplates (CNPs) were fabricated using cellulose nanocrystals obtained from commercial microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Their pyrolysis behavior and the characteristics of the product carbonaceous materials were investigated. CNPs showed a relatively high char yield when compared with MCC due to sulfate functional groups introduced during the manufacturing process. In addition, pyrolyzed CNPs (CCNPs) showed more effective chemical activation behavior compared with MCC-induced carbonaceous materials. The activated CCNPs exhibited a microporous carbon structure with a high surface area of 1310.6 m²/g and numerous oxygen heteroatoms. The results of this study show the effects of morphology and the surface properties of cellulose-based nanomaterials on pyrolysis and the activation process.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2015

The process of oxidizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers converts them into an infusible and non-flammable state prior to carbonization. This represents one of the most important stages in determining the mechanical properties of the final carbon fibers, but the most commonly used methods, such as thermal treatment ($200^{\circ}C$ to $300^{\circ}C$), tend to waste a great deal of process time, money, and energy. There is therefore a need to develop more advanced oxidation methods for PAN precursor fibers. In this review, we assess the viability of electron beam, gamma-ray, ultra-violet, and plasma treatments with a view to advancing these areas of research and their industrial application.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.115-120
• /
• 2008

Use of the carbon nanotube is superior to general powder state materials of mechanical and electrical properties. Because its ratio of diameter and length (aspect ratio) is very large, it has been known as a type of ideal nano-reinforcement material. Based on this advantage, the existing carbon black of semiconductive shield materials used in power cables can acquire excellent properties by using a small amount of carbon nanotubes. Thus, we investigated the thermal properties of the carbon nanotube, such as thermal conductivity, specific heat, and DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry). We found that a high thermal resistance level is demonstrated by using a small amount of carbon nanotubes. As a result, this tendency confirms high cross-linking density in a new network in which the carbon nanotube between carbon black constitute molecules shows a bond by similar constructive properties.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.69-80
• /
• 2017

Conducting polymers and carbon nanomaterials offer a wide range of applications because of their unique soft conducting properties. Specifically, these conducting polymer-carbon nanocomposites have recently been utilized in bioengineering applications, partly because of their improved biocompatibility compared to conventional conducting materials such as metals and ceramics. Based on the assumption that these composites offer an important application potential as functional materials for biomedical devices or even as biomaterials, this review surveys the recent research trends on conducting polymers-carbon nanocomposites, focusing on bioengineering applications such as polyaniline (PANI), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or PEDOT, polypyrrole (Ppy), and carbon nanotubes and graphene.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.51-54
• /
• 2004

Isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber was isothermally activated in $CO_2$ atmosphere. Structural parameters of the isotropic carbon fibers and activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The $d_{002}$ and La of the carbon fibers were measured to be 4.04 ${\AA}$ and 23.6 ${\AA}$ and those of ACFs were 4.29 ${\AA}$ and 22.7 ${\AA}$, respectively, representing less ordered through activation process. The pores in the ACFs were characterized by BET, and they showed super-high specific surface area of maximum value 3,495 $m^2/g$ from average pore size of 8.3 ${\AA}$ at 59% burn-off. It was recognized that 8-9 ${\AA}$ was optimum range of pore size for efficient creation of high specific surface area. The average size of the pores formed at higher temperature ($1100^{\circ}C$) was larger than that of the pores formed at lower temperature ($900^{\circ}C$).

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.255-258
• /
• 2013

Flexible transparent conducting films (TCFs) were fabricated by dip-coating single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The amount of coated SWCNTs was controlled simply by dipping number. Because the performance of SWCNT-based TCFs is influenced by both electrical conductance and optical transmittance, we evaluated the film performance by introducing a film property factor using both the number of interconnected SWCNT bundles at intersection points, and the coverage of SWCNTs on the PET substrate, in field emission scanning electron microscopic images. The microscopic film property factor was in an excellent agreement with the macroscopic one determined from electrical conductance and optical transmittance measurements, especially for a small number of dippings. Therefore, the most crucial factor governing the performance of the SWCNT-based TCFs is a SWCNT-network structure with a large number of intersection points for a minimum amount of deposited SWCNTs.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.27
• /
• pp.72-80
• /
• 2018

In the present work, a comparative study of the mechanical behavior of two series of elastomeric composites, based on carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber (X-SBR) and reinforced with rice bran carbon (RBC) and graphite, is reported. Hybrid composites of X-SBR filled with RBC-graphite were also investigated in terms of the cure characteristics, hardness, tensile properties, abrasion resistance, and swelling. It was observed that the cure times decreased with the incorporation of a carbon filler whereas the torque difference, tensile strength, tensile modulus, hardness, and swelling resistance increased compared to the neat X-SBR revealing a favorable characteristic of crosslinking. Dynamic rheological analysis showed that the G' values of the composites, upon the addition of RBC-graphite, were changed to some extent. This demonstrates that the presence of a strongly developed network of fillers will ensure a reinforcing characteristic in a polymer matrix.