• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2021

Due to various benefits such as unlimited degrees of freedom, environment adaptability, and safety for humans, engineers have used soft materials with hyperelastic behavior in various industrial, medical, rescue, and other sectors. One of the applications of these materials in the fabrication of bending soft actuators (SA) is that they have eliminated many problems in the actuators such as production cost, mechanical complexity, and design algorithm. However, SA has complexities, such as predicting and monitoring behavior despite the many benefits. The first part of this paper deals with the prediction of SA behavior through mathematical models such as Ogden and Darijani, and its comparison with the results of experiments. At first, by examining different geometric models, the cubic structure was selected as the optimal structure in the investigated models. This geometrical structure at the same pressure showed the most significant bending in the simulation. The simulation results were then compared with experimental, and the final gripper model was designed and manufactured using a 3D printer with silicone rubber as for the polymer part. This geometrical structure is capable of bending up to a 90-degree angle at 70 kPa in less than 2 seconds. The second section is dedicated to monitoring the bending behavior created by the strain sensors with different sensitivity and stretchability. In the fabrication of the sensors, silicon is used as a soft material with hyperelastic behavior and carbon fiber as a conductive material in the soft material substrate. The SA designed in this paper is capable of deforming up to 1000 cycles without changing its characteristics and capable of moving objects weigh up to 1200 g. This SA has the capability of being used in soft robots and artificial hand making for high-speed objects harvesting.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.34-35
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• 1996

The diffusional behavior of many non-solvents in glassy or semicrystalline polymers cannot be adequately described by a concentration-dependent form of Fick's law, especially when mass transfer is coupled with structural changes. Many mathematical models have been devised to interprete non-Fickian diffusion dominated by relaxation kinetics. In formulation of non-Fickian diffusion mathematics, therefore, the most important factor to consider is how relaxation effects can influence the governing constitutive equation and boundary conditions. That is, relaxation parameters can be accommodated by variable boundary conditions or a modified continuity equation, or both, depending on specific systems and conditions (Frish, 1980). Accoring to Astarita and Nicolais (1983), the model equations can be broadly categorized as continuous or discontinuous. Continuous model equations encompass phenomena where the structural change takes place gradually over the whole volume of the polymer sample (Crank, 1953; Long and Richman, 1961; Berens and Hopfenberg, 1978). On the other hand, discontinuous model equations deal with the phenomena where the morphological change appears to be abrupt (Li, 1984). Four mathematical models with different relaxation parameters were applied to fit the anomalous sorption data observed in fluoropolymers (PVDF, ECTFE). The fitted result for PVDF-benzene sorption data is shown in Fig. 1.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.849-862
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• 2017

With growing interests in using bacterial biopolymers in geotechnical practices, identifying mechanical properties of soft gel-like biopolymers is important in predicting their efficacy in soil modification and treatment. As one of the promising candidates, dextran was found to be produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The model bacteria utilize sucrose as working material and synthesize both soluble and insoluble dextran which forms a complex and inhomogeneous polymer network. However, the traditional rheometer has a limitation to capture in situ properties of inherently porous and inhomogeneous biopolymers. Therefore, we used the particle tracking microrheology to characterize the material properties of the dextran polymer. TEM images revealed a range of pore size mostly less than $20{\mu}m$, showing large pores > $2{\mu}m$ and small pores within the solid matrix whose sizes are less than $1{\mu}m$. Microrheology data showed two distinct regimes in the bacterial dextran, purely viscous pore region of soluble dextran and viscoelastic region of the solid part of insoluble dextran matrix. Diffusive beads represented the soluble dextran dissolved in an aqueous phase, of which viscosity was three times higher than the growth medium viscosity. The local properties of the insoluble dextran were extracted from the results of the minimally moving beads embedded in the dextran matrix or trapped in small pores. At high frequency (${\omega}>0.2Hz$), the insoluble dextran showed the elastic behavior with the storage modulus of ~0.1 Pa. As frequency decreased, the insoluble dextran matrix exhibited the viscoelastic behavior with the decreasing storage modulus in the range of ${\sim}0.1-10^{-3}Pa$ and the increasing loss modulus in the range of ${\sim}10^{-4}-1\;Pa$. The obtained results provide a compilation of frequency-dependent rheological or viscoelastic properties of soft gel-like porous biopolymers at the particular conditions where soil bacteria produce bacterial biopolymers in subsurface.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.757-774
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• 2016

Soils are usually weak in tension therefore different materials such as geosynthetics are used to address this inadequacy. Worldwide annual consumption of geosynthetics is close to $1000million\;m^2$, and the value of these materials is probably close to US$1500 million. Since the total cost of the construction is at least four or five times the cost of the geosynthetic itself, the impact of these materials on civil engineering construction is very large indeed. Nevertheless, there are several significant problems associated with geosynthetics, such as creep, low modulus of elasticity, and susceptibility to aggressive environment. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) was introduced over two decades ago in the field of structural engineering that can also be used in geotechnical engineering. CFRP has all the benefits associated with geosynthetics and it boasts higher strength, higher modulus, no significant creep and reliability in aggressive environments. In this paper, the performance of a CFRP reinforced retaining wall is investigated using the finite element method. Since the characterization of behavior of soils and interfaces are vital for reliable prediction from the numerical model, soil and interface properties are obtained from comprehensive laboratory tests. Based on the laboratory results for CFRP, backfill soil, and interface data, the finite element model is used to study the behavior of a CFRP reinforced wall. The finite element model was verified based on the results of filed measurements for a reference wall. Then the reference wall simulated by CFRP reinforcements and the results. The results of this investigations showed that the safety factor of CFRP reinforced wall is more and its deformations is less than those for a retaining wall reinforced with ordinary geosynthetics while their construction costs are in similar range.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1297-1303
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• 2012

In this paper, the standard procedures for measuring the moisture sorption properties of thin polymeric materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by using the thermo-gravimetric method to characterize the moisture diffusion in the polymer are presented, and the sorption properties are quantified. The moisture diffusivity and solubility are characterized to investigate the effect of temperature and humidity on the moisture sorption properties according to the Arrhenius equation. The validation of the obtained sorption properties using thermogravimetry is discussed with the measured permeability based on Fickian diffusion. The nonlinear behavior of the concentration dependent moisture diffusion is investigated experimentally, and the nonlinearity is characterized numerically for the case of having an interface with an inorganic material such as a metal. The Fickian/Non-Fickian model based on the obtained moisture sorption properties is compared and discussed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.421-428
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• 2003

The kinetics of photoinitiated polymerization of reactive oligomer methacrylates and oligomer methacrylate/SBS blends have been studied to characterize the diffusion-controlled reaction using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR-FTIR). The polymerization rates of reactive oligomer methacrylates and oligomer methacrylate/SBS blends were autocatalytic in nature at the initial stage and then a retardation of the reaction conversion occurred gradually as the polymer matrix became vitrified, and finally the reaction became diffusion controlled. Photopolymerization behavior of methacrylate/SBS blends was well predicted using the diffusion-controlled reaction model. N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NVP) as a reactive solvent was used to incorporate SBS into methacrylate to form semi-IPN via photopolymerization. Due to the high reactivity of NVP, polymerization rate increased with the increase of NVP content. As the content of NVP-SBS in the blends increased up to 10 phr, the reaction conversion maintained almost constant. But above 20 phr of NVP-SBS in the blends, the reaction conversion gradually decreased since the increase of viscosity affected on the photopolymerization rate. The semi-IPN films of methacrylate/SBS blends were transparent at room temperature as well as at increased temperature and were able to be applied to surface coating.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2020

The incorporation of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix makes it possible to obtain nanocomposite materials with exceptional properties. It's in this scientific background that this work was based. There are several theories that deal with the behavior of plates, in this research based on the Mindlin-Reissner theory that takes into account the transversal shear effect, for analysis of the critical buckling load of a reinforced polymer plate with parabolic distribution of carbon nanotubes. The equations of the model are derived and the critical loads of linear and parabolic distribution of carbon nanotubes are obtained. With different disposition of nanotubes of carbon in the polymer matrix, the effects of different parameters such as the volume fractions, the plate geometric ratios and the number of modes on the critical load buckling are analysed and discussed. The results show that the critical buckling load of parabolic distribution is larger than the linear distribution. This variation is attributed to the concentration of reinforcement (CNTs) at the top and bottom faces for the X-CNT type which make the plate more rigid against buckling.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.257-270
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• 2022

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is rarely used in load-carrying structural members. To widen its structural application, the compressive behavior of a promising type of composite column, steel-fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) double-tube confined RAC column, has been experimentally and analytically investigated in this study. The objectives are the different performance of such columns from their counterparts using natural aggregate concrete (NAC) and the different mechanisms of the double-tube and single-tube confined concrete. The single-tube confined concrete refers to that in concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns and concrete-filled FRP tubular (CFFT) columns. The test results showed that the use of recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) affected the axial load-strain response in terms of deformation capacity but such effect could be eliminated with the increasing confinement. The composite effect can be triggered by the double confinement of the steel and carbon FRP (CFRP) tubes but not by the steel and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FRP tubes. The proposed analysis-oriented stress-strain model is capable to capture the load-deformation history of such steel-FRP double-tube confined concrete columns under axial compression.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.328-333
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• 2008

The osmotic delivery systems are based on osmosis. The transverse diffusion of water through a porous membrane from a medium with a low osmotic pressure to a medium with a high osmotic pressure. Nifedipine tablet dosage forms of Procardia $XL^{(R)}$(Pfizer) and $Adalat^{(R)}$(Bayer) are commercialized systems of this type that push-pull osmotic tablet operates successfully in delivering water-insoluble drugs. We prepared osmotic pellet system by fluidized bed coating method, and model-drug used nifedipine. The osmotic pellet system was composed of the core material. the swelling and osmotic pressure layer, the drug coating layer, and the porous membrane. This work is performed to investigate the effect of different factors, such as composition and thickness of membrane. The osmotic pellet has been successfully prepared by fluidized bed coating technology. The drug release behavior depended on the increase of CA ratio and thickness in porous membrane. The morphology of the osmotic pellet before and after the dissolution test were observed by SEM. In conclusion, we found that the drug release of osmotic pellet depended on the composition and coating thickness of porous membrane.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2007

Osmotic pellet system, which is one of the oral drug delivery systems, has been developed to improve manufacturing process, reduce product cost and other problems of osmotic tablet systems. Osmotic pellet is consisted of water swellable seed layer, drug layer, and membrane layer. Among them, the membrane layer plays an important role in a control of the drug release. In this work, we examined the effect of ratio for Eudragit RL and RS on the drug release behavior. Osmotic pellet with nifedipine as a model drug was easily obtained in a good yield by fluidized bed coater. Osmotic pellet showed round morphology with a range of size $1300{\sim}1500\;{\mu}m$. In the experiment of nifedipine release, the release amount increased with the increase of the ratio of Eudragit. This is due to the fact that Eudragit RL contains more hydrophilic quaternary ammonium group than Eudragit RS. Additionally, the release amount was retarded with increasing the membrane thickness. There are no differences in the release amount measured at the different pH 1.2, 6.5, 6.8, and 7.2. In conclusion, it was found that the drug release from osmotic pellets depended on the composition ratio and coating thickness of membrane layer.