• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.188-194
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• 2003

Phase behavior and spinodal phase separation kinetics in binary blends of a random copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene (75/25) [P(VDF/TrFE)] and poly(l,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) have been investigated by means of optical microscopic observation and time-resolved light scattering. The blends exhibited a typical lower critical solution temperature (LCST)∼${34}^{\circ}C$ above the melting temperature of the P(VDF/TrFE) crystals over the entire blend composition range. P(VDF/TrFE) and PBA were totally miscible in the temperature gap between the melting point of P(VDF/TrFE) and the LCST. Temperature jump experiments of the 3/7 P(VDF/TrFE)/PBA blend were carried out on a light-scattering apparatus from a single-phase melt state (${180}^{\circ}C$) to a two-phase region (205∼${215}^{\circ}C$). Since the late stage of spinodal decomposition (SD) is prevalent in the 3/7 blend, SD was analyzed using a power law scheme. Self-similarity was preserved well in the late stage of SD in the 3/7 blend.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2009

In this paper, an efficient pulse-shaping filter structure for high-density and low-power electronic devices is proposed. The proposed structure is based on polyphase decomposition property and look-up table method. By Synopsys CAD simulations, it is shown that the use of the proposed method can result in reduction in the number of gates by 54% and can reduce power consumption by 9%.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2005

Mucoadhesive microspheres were prepared by interpolymer complexation of chitosan with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and solvent evaporation method to increase gastric residence time. The chitosan-PAA complex formation was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and swelling study. The DSC thermogram of chitosan-PAA microspheres showed two exothermic peaks for the decomposition of chitosan and PAA. The swelling ratio of the chitosan-PAA microspheres was dependent on the pH of the medium. The swelling ratio was higher at pH 2.0 than at neutral pH. The results indicated that the microspheres were formed by electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl groups of PAA and the amine groups of chitosan. The effect of various process parameters on the formation and morphology of microspheres was investigated. The best microspheres were obtained when 1.5% of the high molecular weight chitosan and 0.3% of PAA were used as an internal phase. The optimum internal phase volume was 7%. The com oil was used as the external phase of emulsion, and span 80 was used as the surfactant. The prepared microspheres had spherical shape.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2001

In this work, we present the development of phase structure of the poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)/ poly(vinylacetate)(PVAc) mixtures in ethyl acetate solution by light scattering. The PMMA/PVAc blends cast from ethyl acetate solutions exhibited fine "modulated structures" over broad blend composition ranges, which originated from the spinodal decomposition of the ternary polymer solutions at low polymer concentrations during the casting. The periodic distance was depended on the blend compositions and evaporation times.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2000

Structural and thermal characteristics of silk fibroin/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)(PHEMA) blend films were investigated using FTIR, X-ray diffractometer, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimeter and scanning electron microscope. FTIR spectra showed that the conformation of silk fibroin prepared by dissolving in formic acid was $\beta$-sheet, which did not affected by blending with PHEMA. The X-ray diffraction patterns also showed that individual crystalline structure of silk fibroin and PHEMA was not affected for the blend films. The initial thermal decomposition temperature of silk fibroin/PHEMA blend film tends to be higher than either of silk fkbroin or PHEMA. Thermal stability of both polymers, more notably PHEMA, can be improved by blending two components. As a result of SEM observation, the phases separation for silk fibroin/PHEMA blend films occured regardless of blend ratio ; continuous and dispersed phase were silk fibroin and PHEMA component, respectively.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.313-318
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• 2009

The side chain liquid crystal triblock copolymers (TBCs), which underwent phase transitions below their decomposition temperature, were prepared by copolymerization of poly(n-butyl acrylate) and a comonomer containing the mesogenic azobenzene group. The physical properties of TBCs in the distinctive transition temperature ranges were investigated in terms of the liquid crystal (LC) content in the copolymers. The phase transition temperatures traced optically, thermally and rheologically were well coincided one another and clearly exhibited the phase transition of smectic-nematic-isotropic with increasing temperature. In the smectic phase, increasing temperature made the liquid crystal system more elastic, but viscosity (${\eta}'$) remained almost constant. In the nematic phase, increasing temperature abruptly decreased ${\eta}'$ and G', ultimately leading to isotropic phase. Both smectic and nematic phases exhibited Bingham viscosity behavior but the former gave much greater yield stress at the same LC content.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.74-77
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• 2004

Porous membranes were prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) of (ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH)/glycerol mixtures. The liquid-liquid (L-L) phase boundaries are shifted to higher temperature when the ethylene contents in EVOH increase. Moreover, the kinetic study proved that the growth of droplets formed by the general liquid-liquid (L-L) phase separation obeyed a power-law scaling relationship in the later stage of spinodal decomposition (SD). A new phase separation mechanism was presented, in which the L-L phase separation could be resulted from the crystallization. The hollow fiber membranes were prepared. The membranes showed asymmetric structures with skin layer near the outer surface, the larger pores just below the skin layer and the smaller pores near the inner surface. The effect of ethylene content (EC) in EVOH, cooling water bath temperature and take-up speed on membrane performance was investigated.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.725-733
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• 2008

Polyimide (PI) multilayer thin films were prepared by spin-coating from a poly(amic acid) (PAA) and poly(amic acid) ammonium salt (PAAS). PI was prepared from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA) PAA. Different compositions of PAAS were prepared by incorporating triethylamine (TEA) into PMDA-ODA PAA in dimethylacetamide. PI multilayer thin films were spin-coated from PMDA-ODA PAA and PAAS. The PAAS comprising cationic and anionic moieties were spherical with a particle size of $20{\sim}40\;nm$. Some particles showed layers with ammonium salts, despite poor ordering. Too much salt obstructed the interaction between the polymer chains and caused phase separation. A small amount of salt did not affect the interactions of the interlayer structure but did interrupt the stacking between chains. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the average decomposition temperature of the thin films was $611^{\circ}C$. All the films showed almost single-step, thermal decomposition behavior. The nanostructure of the multilayer thin films was confirmed by X -ray reflectivity (XRR). The LF 43 film, which was prepared with a 4:3 molar ratio of PMDA and ODA, was comprised of uniformly spherical PAAS particles that influenced the nanostructure of the interlayer by increasing the interaction forces. This result was supported by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) data. It was concluded that the relationship between the uniformity of the PAAS particle shapes and the interaction between the layers affected the optical and thermal properties of PI layered films.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1485-1489
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• 2003

The gelation for di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)-plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) was studied by measuring time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and a flow of the solutions in test tube. It was found that for the gelation there were three regimes. At Regime I, the solution rapidly changed to a gel, and the SAXS intensity showed a peak and the peak intensity increased, keeping the peak angle constant. Applying the SAXS intensity to the kinetic analysis of the liquid-liquid phase separation, it was revealed that the spinodal decomposition proceeded to develop a periodic length of 29.9 nanometer in size, a hydrogen-bonding-type association in polymer rich phase followed, and then it induced fast gelation rate. At Regime II, the gelation slowly occurred and the SAXS intensity was not observed, suggesting that a homogeneous gel network was formed by a hydrogen-bonding. At regime III, the solution was a homogeneous sol.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2002

Small angle light scattering (SALS) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) have been used to investigate the light scattering patterns with time evolved during water vapor quenching (relative humidity of 53 (${\pm}3)%$ at $26^{\circ}C$ of polysulfone (PSf)/NMP/Alcohol and chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC)/THF/Alcohol, respective1y. Time dependence of the position of the light scattering maximum was observed at PSf dope solutions, confirming spinodal decomposition (SD), while CPVC dope solutions showed a decreased scattered light intensity with an increased q-value, indicating nucleation & growth (NG). For the each system, domain growth rate in the intermediate and late stage of phase separation decreased with increasing the number of carbon of alcohol used as additive (non-solvent). Also, in the early stage for SD, the scattering intensity with time was in accordance with Cahn's linear theory of spinodal decomposition, regardless of types of non-solvent additive. Also, the size scales obtained by SALS were mutually compared to domain sizes gained by FE-SEM measurement. These observations of scattering pattern were much clearly observed for the 20PSf/70NMP/10n-butanol (w/w%) and agreed with the theoretical predictions for scattering patterns of each stage like the early, the intermediate, and the late stage of SD type phase separation. As the scattering maximum was observed at the larger angles (larger q) in the order of n-butanol > n-propanol > methanol > no alcohol, the pore size of final morphology decreased.