• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2016

To improve properties of epoxy composites, surfaces of the illite and carbon nanotube (CNT) were treated by fluorine gas. The fluorinated illite and CNT were then characterized by X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and the mechanical and thermal properties of their composites were evaluated. The tensile and impact strengths and thermal stability of the composites increased upto about 59%, 18% and 124%, respectively compared to those of the neat epoxy. Improvements of mechanical and thermal properties in the composites were attributed that the fluorination of illite and carbon nanotube helps to enhance the dispersion in epoxy resin and interfacial interaction between them.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 2014

The high Young's modulus and tensile strength of carbon nanotubes has attracted great attention from the research community given the potential for developing super-strong, super-stiff composites with carbon nanotube reinforcements. Over the decades, the strength and stiffness of carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer nanocomposites have been researched extensively. However, unfortunately, such strong composite materials have not been developed yet. It has been reported that the efficiency of load transfer in such systems is critically dependent on the quality of adhesion between the nanotubes and the polymer chains. In addition, the waviness and orientation of the nanotubes embedded in a matrix reduce the reinforcement effectiveness. In this study, we carried out performed micromechanics-based numerical modeling and analysis by varying the geometry of carbon nanotubes including their aspect ratio, orientation, and waviness. The results of this analysis allow for a better understanding of the load transfer capabilities of carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer composites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.107-110
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• 2003

The electromagnetic intereference(EMI) shielding is very essential for commercial and military purposes. We fabricated multi-walled carbon nanoube(MWNT)/epoxy composites and studied the electromagnetic characteristics of the composites before we study the characteristics of MWNT-filled glass fiber-reinforced composites. After setting up the fabrication process, we measured the permittivities of MWNT/epoxy composites with process variables and MWNT concentrations in X-band(8.2GHz- 12.4GHz). Process variables changed the degree of dispersion, which influenced permittivities and permittivities increased rapidly from 0.5wt% to 1.0wt%.

• Carbon letters
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2013

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly attracting scientific and industrial interest because of their outstanding characteristics, such as a high Young's modulus and tensile strength, low density, and excellent electrical and thermal properties. The incorporation of CNTs into polymer matrices greatly improves the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the materials. Surface modification of CNTs can improve their processibility and dispersion within the composites. This paper aims to review the surface modification of CNTs, processing technologies, and mechanical and electrical properties of CNT-based epoxy composites.

• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2014

Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) consist of a polymeric matrix and a conductive filler, for example, carbon black, carbon fibers, graphite or carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The critical amount of the electrically conductive filler necessary to build up a continuous conductive network, and accordingly, to make the material conductive; is referred to as the percolation threshold. From technical and economical viewpoints, it is desirable to decrease the conductive-filler percolation-threshold as much as possible. In this study, we investigated the effect of polymer/conductive-filler interactions, as well as the processing and morphological development of low-percolation-threshold (${\Phi}c$) conductive-polymer composites. The aim of the study was to produce conductive composites containing less multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) than required for pure polypropylene (PP) through two approaches: one using various mixing methods and the other using immiscible polymer blends. Variants of the conductive PP composite filled with MWCNT was prepared by dry mixing, melt mixing, mechanofusion, and compression molding. The percolation threshold (${\Phi}c$) of the MWCNT-PP composites was most successfully lowered using the mechanofusion process than with any other mixing method (2-5 wt%). The mechanofusion process was found to enhance formation of a percolation network structure, and to ensure a more uniform state of dispersion in the CPCs. The immiscible-polymer blends were prepared by melt mixing (internal mixer) poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF, PP/PVDF, volume ratio 1:1) filled with MWCNT.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2005

As an effort to explore the effective use of carbon nanotubes as a reinforcing material for advanced nano-composites with polymer matrices, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were successfully incorporated into polystyrene (PS) via in-situ bulk polymerization. Various experimental techniques revealed that the covalent bonds formed between PS radicals and acid-treated carbon nanotubes are favorable resulting in an effective load transfer. The enhanced storage modulus of the nanocomposites suggests a strong possibility for the potential use in industrial applications.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.237-242
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• 2012

We report on the NO gas sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) wire-like layered composites fabricated by coaxially coating Al-doped ZnO thin films on randomly oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes. We were able to wrap thin ZnO layers around the CNTs using the pulsed laser deposition method, forming wire-like nanostructures of ZnO-CNT. Microstructural observations revealed an ultrathin wire-like structure with a diameter of several tens of nm. Gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites were found to exhibit a novel sensing capability that originated from the genuine characteristics of the composites. Specifically, it was observed by measured gas sensing characteristics that the gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT layered composites showed a very high sensitivity of above 1,500% for NO gas in dry air at an optimal operating temperature of $200^{\circ}C$; the sensors also showed a low NO gas detection limit at a sub-ppm level in dry air. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites are ascribed to a catalytic effect of Al elements on the surface reaction and an increase in the effective surface reaction area of the active ZnO layer due to the coating of CNT templates with a higher surface-to-volume ratio structure. These results suggest that ZnO-CNT composites made of ultrathin Al-doped ZnO layers uniformly coated around carbon nanotubes can be promising materials for use in practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2019

Although carbon nanotubes(CNTs) have outstanding theoretical mechanical and electrical properties, CNT fibers(CNTFs) have not yet reached that level. Particularly, tensile strength is only about 10% or less, so studies for making up for it are being actively conducted. As a way for improving mechanical strength, methods such as synthesizing long CNT, orientation, chemical cross-linking, hydrogen bonding and polymer infiltration are being studied. In this review paper, we report preparation methods for highly conductive and strong CNTF/Carbon composites through coating and infiltration followed by carbonization of carbon precursor polymers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polydopamine (PDA) on CNTFs.

• Composites Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.165-168
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• 2017

Coiled polymer actuators fabricated by twisting polymer fishing lines or sewing threads respond to heating and cooling with their contraction and relaxation. However, their actuation speed is highly dependent on the heating and cooling rates. In order to improve the actuation speed, the coiled polymer actuator was coated with polydimethylsiloxane composites. The introduction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes into the polydimethylsiloxane improved the actuation speed by about 13%.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2009

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great potential for the reinforcement of polymers or fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-filled plain-weave glass/epoxy composites intended for use in radar absorbing structures were evaluated with regard to filler loading, microstructure, and fiber volume fraction. The plain-weave composites containing MWNTs exhibited improved matrix-dominant and interlaminar fracture-related properties, that is, compressive and interlaminar shear strength. This is attributed to strengthening of the matrix rich region and the interface between glass yarns by the MWNTs. However, tensile properties were only slightly affected by the addition of MWNTs, as they are fiber-dominant properties.