• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.86-91
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• 2005

The stack, the core unit of the MCFC system, is composed of the three main parts which are the electrodes, the matrix keeping the electrolyte and the separator. Among these, the separator made of low carbon steel is manufactured by some sheet metal forming processes. The flatness of flange of the mask plate of the separator is crucial not only to enhance the stack performance but also to reduce the production cost. This study has focused on the enhancement of flatness of the mask plate flange by controlling some process parameters like the punch and die comer radii, the blank holding force, the friction coefficient and so on. The springback phenomenon occurring in the flange drawing process has been studied first using the finite element method (FEM) in order to understand what causes the springback. The distribution pattern of local longitudinal stress in the flanged part has been revealed very important in predicting the final shape of the flange. This fact has been backed up by the experimental results carried out with the developed test dies.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.375-381
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• 2021

Chitosan powder is synthesized by a deasetylation process of chitin, obtained from processing of dried shrimp shell powder. Subsequently, chitosan (CS) membranes filled by montmorillonite (MMT) particles and phosphotungstic acid are prepared, and characterized by FT-IR and SEM. The morphology, obtained by SEM for the composite membrane, showed that MMT filler is successfully incorporated and relatively well dispersed in the chitosan polymer matrix. Water and methanol uptake for the CS/MMT composite membranes decrease with increasing MMT loadings, but IEC value increases. In all prepared CS/MMT composite membranes, the CS membrane filled by 5 wt% MMT particles exhibits the best proton conductivity, while that with 10 wt% MMT loading exhibits the lowest methanol permeability; these values are 2.67 mS·cm^-1 and 3.40 × 10^-7 cm²·s^-1, respectively. The best membrane selectivity is shown in the CS/MMT10 composite membrane; this shows that 10 wt% filled MMT is the optimum loading to improve the performance of the chitosan composite membrane. These characteristics make the developed chitosan composite membranes a promising electrolyte for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) application.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.76-87
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• 2022

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted much interest for their high energy density (>150 mAh/g), high capacity, low self-discharge rate, and high coulombic efficiency. However, with the successful commercialization of LIBs, fire and explosion incidents are likely to increase. The thermal runaway is known as the major factor in battery-related accidents that can lead to a series of critical conditions. Considering this, recent studies have shown an increased interest in countering the safety issues associated with LIBs. Although safety standards for LIB use have recently been formulated, little attention has been paid to the safety around the manufacturing process for battery products. The present study introduces a risk assessment method suitable for assessing the safety of the LIB-manufacturing process. In the assessment method, a compensation parameter (Z-factor) is employed to correctly evaluate the process's safety on the basis of the type of material (e.g., metal anode, liquid electrolyte, solid-state electrolytes) utilized in a cell. The proposed method has been applied to an 18650 cell-manufacturing process, and three sub-processes have been identified as possibly vulnerable parts (risk index: >4). This study offers some crucial insights into the establishment of safety standards for battery-manufacturing processes.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.285-295
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• 2021

The inverse spinel Cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄, CFO) is considered to be a promising alternative to commercial graphite anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the further development of CFO is limited by its unstable structure during battery cycling and low electrical conductivity. In an effort to address the challenge, we construct three-dimensional hierarchical flower-like CFO nanoclusters (CFO NCs)-decorated carbonized cotton carbon fiber (CFO NCs/CCF) composite. This structure is consisted of microfibers and nanoflower cluster composited of CFO nanoparticle, in which CCF can be used as a long-range conductive matrix, while flower-like CFO NCs can provide abundant active sites, large electrode/electrolyte interface, short lithium ion diffusion path, and alleviated structural stress. As anode materials in LIBs, the flower-like CFO NCs/CCF exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. After 100 cycles at a current density of 0.3 A g^-1, the CFO NCs/CCF delivers a discharge/charge capacity of 1008/990 mAh g^-1. Even at a high current density of 15 A g^-1, it still maintains a charge/discharge capacity of 362/361 mAh g^-1.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.758-763
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• 2011

In this work, polymer composite electrolytes were prepared by a blend of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a polymer matrix, propylene carbonate as a plasticizer, $LiClO_4$ as a salt, and by containing a different content of $TiO_2$, by using the solution casting method. The crystallinity and ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolytes was evaluated using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and AC impedance method, respectively. The morphology of composite electrolyte film was analyzed by SEM method. From the experimental results, by increasing the $TiO_2$ content, crystallinity of PEO was reduced, and ionic conductivity was increased. In particular, the ionic conductivity was dependent on the content of $TiO_2$ and showed the highest value 15 wt%. However, when $TiO_2$ content exceeds 15 wt%, the ionic conductivity was decreased. According to the surface morphology, the ionic conductivity was decreased because the polymer composite electrolytes showed a heterogenous morphology of fillers due to immiscibility or aggregation of the filler within the polymer matrix.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2009

A series of organic-inorganic composite membranes from poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) graft copolymer electrolyte and heteropolyacid (HPA) were prepared for proton conducting membranes. First, poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PVC-g-PSSA) was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using direct initiation of the secondary chlorines of PVC. HPA nanoparticles were then incorporated into the PVC-g-PSSA graft copolymer though the hydrogen bonding interactions, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The proton conductivity of the composite membranes increased from 0.049 to 0.068 S/cm at room temperature with HPA contents up to 0.3 weight traction of HPA, presumably due to both the intrinsic conductivity of HPA particles and the enhanced acidity of the sulfonic acid of the graft copolymer. The water uptake decreased from 130 to 84% with the increase of HPA contents up to 0.45 of HPA weight traction, resulting from the decrease in number of water absorption sites due to hydrogen bonding interaction between the HPA particles and the polymer matrix. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated the enhancement of thermal stabilities of the composite membranes with increasing concentration of HPA.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.208-213
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• 2011

Solid polymer electrolytes using $BF_3LiMA$ as monomer were synthesized by usual one step radical polymerization in THF solvent. The effect of $BF_3LiMA$ concentration on ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability was investigated by AC impedance measurement and linear sweep voltammetry. As a result, the highest ionic conductivity reached $7.71{\times}10^{-6}S\;cm^{-1}$ at $25^{\circ}C$ was obtained in 12.9 wt% of $BF_3LiMA$ content. Further increase or decrease of $BF_3LiMA$ content result to decrease the ionic conductivity due to the brittle matrix properties in former case and the insufficient number of charge carrier in the latter case. Furthermore, since the counter-anion was immobilized in the self-doped solid polymer electrolytes, high electrochemical stability up to 6.0 V was observed even in $60^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.524-531
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• 2015

To improve the electrochemical and mechanical characteristics, engineering plastic of the sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) as polymer matrix was prepared in the sulfonation reaction of polyether ether ketone (PEEK). The SPEEK organic-inorganic blended composite membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method. It was loaded with the highly dispersed ceria and cesium-substituted molybdosilicic acid (Cs-MoSiA) and 1,4-diiodobutane which was cross-linking agent contents of $10{\mu}L$. Cs-MoSiA was added to increase proton conductivity. Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used as a free radical scavenger which degrade the membrane in polymer electrolyte membrane water elctrolysis (PEMWE). In conclusion, CL-SPEEK/Cs-MoSiA/Ceria 1% composite membrane showed high proton conductivity 0.2104 S/cm at $25^{\circ}C$ which was better than Nafion 117 membrane.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.561-569
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• 2014

Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to increase the durability of the membrane in the polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) circumstance. The sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) as polymer matrix was prepared in the sulfonation reaction of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) to improve electrochemical characteristics. After sulfonation reaction, the organic-inorganic blended composite membranes were prepared by means of sol-gel casting method with loading the highly dispersed $CeO_2$ and Cs-substituted molybdophosphoric acid (Cs-MoPA) with cross-linking agent (tetrapropyl orthosilicate). Consequently, the composite membrane CL-SPEEK/Silane 4wt%/Cs-MoPA/Ceria(1%) showed the improved characteristics such as 82% of water content, 0.11136 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, 55.50 MPa of tensile strength and 4.37% of breeding out of MoPA.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2013

In this work, we prepared the carbon paper from chopped carbon fibers using a gas diffusion matrix in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells by wet processing. The process of making carbon paper using wet processing is consisted of the three steps involving the dispersion of chopped carbon fibers, the preparation of the carbon fiber web, the impregnating of phenol resin. This work was focused on finding the optimal surfactant to make the carbon paper with 2D orientation of carbon fibers by investigating the dispersion state of carbon fibers in different dispersion solutions. Furthermore, the effect of phenol resin and carbon black contents on properties of electric conductivity was analyzed. As a result, it is confirmed that the carbon fiber was well dispersed when using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant, and the carbon paper with 8 wt% of phenol and 5 wt% of carbon black contents showed the most excellent electrical property.