• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 2009

Recently, elastomer-nanocomposites reinforced with low volume fraction of nanofillers have attracted great interest due to their fascinating properties. The incorporation of nanofillers, such as, layered silicate clays, carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, calcium carbonate, metal oxides or silica nanoparticles into elastomers improves significantly their mechanical, thermal, dynamic mechanical, barrier properties, flame retardancy, etc. The properties of nanocomposites depend greatly on the chemistry of polymer matrices, nature of nanofillers, and the method in which they are prepared. The uniform dispersion of nanofillers in elastomer matrices is a general prerequisite for achieving desired mechanical and physical characteristics. In this paper, current developments in the field of elastomer nanocomposites reinforced with layered silicates, silica, carbon nanotubes, nanofibers and various other nanoparticles have been addressed.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.2-6
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• 2010

The sizing treatments of PAN-based carbon fiber surfaces were carried out in order to improve the interfacial adhesion in the carbon fibers/nylon6 composite system. The parameter to characterize the wetting performance and surface free energy of the sized fibers were determined by a contact angle method. The mechanical interfacial properties of the composites were investigated using critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$). The cross-section morphologies of sized CFs/nylon6composites were observed by SEM. As the experimental results, it was observed that silane-based sizing treated carbon fibers showed higher surface free energies than other sizing treatments. In particular, the KIC of the sizing-treated carbon fibers reinforced composites showed higher values than those of untreated carbon fibers-reinforced composites. This result indicated that the increase in the surface free energy of the fibers leads to the improvement of the mechanical interfacial properties of carbon fibers/nylon6 composites.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.625-635
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• 2022

High-rise buildings (HRBs) are considered one of the most common structures nowadays due to the population growth, especially in crowded towns. The lack of land in crowded cities has led to the convergence of the HRBs and the absence of any gaps between them, especially in lands with weak soil (e.g., liquefaction-prone soil), but then during earthquakes, these structures may be exposed to the risk of collision between them due to the large increase in the horizontal displacements, which may be destructive in some cases to the one or both of these adjacent buildings. To evaluate methods of reducing the risk of collision between adjacent twin HRBs, this research investigates three vibration control methods to reduce the risk of collision due to five different earthquakes for the case of two adjacent reinforced concrete (RC) twin high-rise buildings of 15 floors height without gap distance between them, founded on raft foundation supported on piles inside a liquefaction-prone soil. Contact pounding elements between the two buildings (distributed at all floor levels and at the raft foundation level) are used to make the impact strength between the two buildings realistic. The mitigation methods investigated are the base isolation, the tuned mass damper (TMD) method (using traditional TMDs), and the pounding tuned mass damper (PTMD) method (using PTMDs connected between the two buildings). The results show that the PTMD method between the two adjacent RC twin high-rise buildings is more efficient than the other two methods in mitigating the earthquake-induced pounding risk.

• Composites Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

In this study, carbon fiber reinforced polymeric (CFRP) composites with different resin composition were manufactured and resin formulation in composite materials were presented through tensile tests for cryogenic use. Thermo-mechanical cyclic loading (up to 6 cycles) was applied to CFRP unidirectional laminate specimens from room temperature to $-150^{\circ}C$. Tensile tests were then performed at $-150^{\circ}C$ using an environmental test chamber. In addition, matrix-dominant properties such as the transverse and in-plane shear characteristics of each composite model were measured at $-150^{\circ}C$ to examine the effects of resin formulation on their interfacial properties. The tensile tests showed that the composite models with large amounts of bisphenol-A epoxy and CTBN modified rubber in their resin composition had good mechanical performance at cryogenic temperature (CT).

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.2
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• pp.211-225
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• 2024

Soft bending actuators have gained significant interest in robotic applications due to their compliance and lightweight nature. Their compliance allows for safer and more natural interactions with humans or other objects, reducing the risk of injury or damage. However, the nonlinear behaviour of soft actuators presents challenges in accurately predicting their bending motion and force exertion. In this research, a new comprehensive study has been conducted by employing a developed 3D finite element model (FEM) to investigate the effect of geometrical and material parameters on the bending behaviour of a soft pneumatic actuator reinforced with Kevlar fibres. A series of experiments are designed to validate the FE model, and the FE model investigates the improvement of actuator performance. The material used for fabricating the actuator is RTV-2 silicone rubber. In this study, the Cauchy stress was expanded for hyperelastic models and the best model to express the stress-strain behaviour based on ASTM D412 Type C tensile test for this material has been obtained. The results show that the greatest bending angle was achieved for the semi-elliptical actuator made of RTV2 material with a pitch of 1.5 mm and second layer thickness of 1 mm. In comparison, the maximum response force was obtained for the semi-elliptical actuator made of RTV2 material with a pitch of 6 mm and a second layer thickness of 2 mm. Additionally, this research opens up new possibilities for development of safer and more efficient robotic systems that can interact seamlessly with humans and their environment.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2013

In this study, effect of different amounts of sulfur and vulcanization accelerators in the acrylonitrile styrene-butadiene rubber (AN-SBR)/silica compounds on the properties of tire tread compound were studied. As a result, cure rate and degree of cross-linking of the compounds were increased due to enhanced cross-linking reactivity by the increased amounts of sulfur and vulcanization accelerators. Also, abrasion resistance and the mechanical properties such as hardness and modulus of the compounds were improved by enhanced degree of cross-linking of the compounds. For the dynamic properties, tan ${\delta}$ value at $0^{\circ}C$ was increased due to the increase of glass transition temperature ($T_g$) by enhanced degree of cross-linking of the compound, and tan ${\delta}$ value at $60^{\circ}C$ was decreased. Initial cure time ($t_1$) showed the linear relationship with tan ${\delta}$ value at $60^{\circ}C$. This result is attributed that reduced initial cure time ($t_1$) of compounds by applying increased amount of curatives can form cross-linking in early stage of vulcanization that may suppress development of filler network. This result is verified by observation on the surface of annealed compounds using AFM (atomic force microscopy). Consequently, decreased initial cure time is considered a very important parameter to reduce tan ${\delta}$ at $60^{\circ}C$ through reduced re-agglomeration of silica particles.

• Carbon letters
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• v.19
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

In efforts to characterize and understand the properties and processing of phenylethynyl-terminated imide (LaRC PETI-5, simply referred to as PETI-5) oligomers and polymers as a high-temperature sizing material for carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites, PETI-5 imidization and thermal curing behaviors have been extensively investigated based on the phenylethynyl end-group reaction. These studies are reviewed here. In addition, the use of PETI-5 to enhance interfacial adhesion between carbon fibers and a bismaleimide (BMI) matrix, as well as the dynamic mechanical properties of carbon/BMI composites, are discussed. Reports on the thermal expansion behavior of intercalated graphite flake, and the effects of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) on the properties of PETI-5 matrix composites are also reviewed. The dynamic mechanical and thermal properties and the electrical resistivity of xGnP/PETI-5 composites are characterized. The effect of liquid rubber amine-terminated poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) (ATBN)-coated xGnP particles incorporated into epoxy resin on the toughness of xGnP/epoxy composites is examined in terms of its impact on Izod strength. This paper provides an extensive overview from fundamental studies on PETI-5 and xGnP, as well as applied studies on relevant composite materials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.779-781
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• 2010

After preliminary tests indicated an increased number of heterotrophic bacteria, we investigated possible sources of contamination in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) water distribution system. Scanning electron microscopic examination of flexible metallic hoses associated with the system revealed the presence of a biofilm; partial 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the biofilm contained Blastomonas natatoria. Purgation of the water system three times a day, reinforced faucet cleaning, decreasing the cold water temperature to $12^{\circ}C$, and six repeated chlorinations at concentrations as high as 2 mg/l were not sufficient to eradicate the bacterial contamination. Replacing all of the rubber-interior flexible metallic hoses with teflon-lined hoses, followed by heating the water to $70^{\circ}C$, successfully controlled the bacteria.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2011

This study analyzed the mechanical characteristics and evaluated their subsequent performance for two types of seals which reinforced characteristics with lower friction and anti-wear functions among the foremost important features in the automotive engine seals; one with the addition of glass fiber to PTFE(Polytetrafluoro ethylene); the other with the addition of self-lubricant molybdenumin addition to the glass fiber. Based on the configuration design of seal installed to the front part in the automotive engine, this study carried out interpretations on the stress and reaction for those two types of oil seals to compare the maximum stress and contact load generated from the seal steel, rubber and PTFE lip. This study also verified the stress concentration and anti-wear performance through the coefficient of friction, torque and durability test by producing two types of PTFE seals actually.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2014

The friction and wear characteristics of the rubber matrix composites filled with nano sized silica particles were investigated at ambient temperature by pin-on-disc friction test. The volume fraction of silica particles was 19%. The cumulative wear volume and wear rate of these materials on counterpart roughness were determined experimentally. The major failure mechanisms were lapping layers, deformation of matrix, ploughing, debonding of particles, fracture of particles and microcracking by scanning electric microscopy photograph of the tested surface. The cumulative wear volume showed a tendency to increase with increase of sliding distance. The wear rate of these composites tested indicated low value as increasing the sliding distance.