• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2023

Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is the most promising polymer in additive manufacturing as an alternative to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Since it is produced from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar beets, it is also biocompatible and biodegradable. However, PLA has a couple of issues that limit its use. First, it has a comparatively low glass transition temperature of around 60 ℃, such that it exhibits low thermal resistance. Second, PLA has low impact strength because it is brittle. Due to these problems, scientists have found methods to improve the crystallinity and ductility of PLA. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the most studied plasticizers for PLA to give it chain mobility. However, the blend of PLA and PEG becomes unstable, and phase separation occurs even at room temperature as PEG is self-crystallized. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the optimal mixing ratio of PLA-PEG at the molecular scale. In this study, molecular dynamics will be conducted with various ratios of L-type PLA (PLLA) or DL-type PLA-PEG (PDLA-PEG) systems by using BIOVIA Materials Studio.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.150-168
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• 2023

The anisotropic behavior of rocks is primarily attributed to the directional arrangement of rock-forming minerals and the distribution characteristics of microcracks. Notably, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks often exhibit distinct transverse isotropy in terms of their strength and deformation characteristics. Consequently, it is crucial to gain accurate insights into the deformation and failure characteristics of transversely isotropic rocks during rock mechanics design processes. The deformation of such rocks is described by five independent elastic constants, which are determined through laboratory testing. In this study, the characteristics of the directional variation of apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks were investigated using experimental data reported in the literature. To achieve this, the constitutive equation proposed by Mehrabadi & Cowin was introduced to calculate the apparent elastic constants more efficiently and systematically in a rotated Cartesian coordinate system. Four transversely isotropic rock types from the literature were selected, and the influence of changes in the orientation of the weak plane on the variations of the apparent elastic modulus, apparent shear modulus, and apparent Poisson's ratio was analyzed. Based on the investigation, a new constraint on the elastic constants has been proposed. If the proposed constraint is satisfied, the directional variation of the apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks aligns with intuitive predictions of their tendencies.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.244-257
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• 2002

A thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) which has flexible butylene/hexylene spacers in the main chain and a triad aromatic ester type mesogenic unit containing a naphthyl group was prepared by solution polycondensation. The in-situ composites based on poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) and a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) were prepared and melt spun at different TLCP contents and different draw ratios to produce monofilaments. Blends of the TLCP with PEN were investigated in terms of thermal, mechanical properties and morphology. The TLCP synthesized showed nematic mesophasic behavior and its transition temperature to isotropic melt from mesophase was 249℃. The blends showed well dispersed TLCP phases in the PEN matrix without macroscopic phase separation. Inclusion of TLCP in the blends decreased the cold crystallization temperature of PEN in the blend, therefore, the TLCP acts as a nucleating agent in the blend and showed good interfacial adhesion between the dispersed LCP phases and PEN matrix with domain sizes 40~50 nm in diameter and well developed fibrillation in the monofilaments. The TLCP acted effectively as a reinforcing material in the PEN matrix at the 10wt% level, it led to an increase of initial modulus up to 270% and tensile strength by 235%, while the elongation rate increasing with higher draw ratios.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.6C
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• pp.321-329
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• 2008

In this study, a series of column test as a way in order to make up for the weakness point of the conventional acceleration method were conducted to both propose the suction board drain method and grapes the specific improvement character of this method as a result of a sort of plastic drain board and a phase of vacuum pressure conditions. On this occasion, the study focused on computing the effective factors of the fittest Suction board drain method affected by each condition through confirming the settlement generated during the test, the water content reduction and stress increase effect occurred arising from the test, and the ratio of consolidation related to the improvement period. In accordance with the shape of core and that whether the core is attached to the filter(pocket or adhesion), the castle type of adhesion and the column type of pocket are more efficient than the others as a consequence of the test to find out the improvement effect depending on each drainage such as a castle type, coil type, harmonica type, column type of pocket and a castle of the adhesion. In case of the step suction pressure, the shorter the period of $-0.8\;kg/cm^2$ as a final step of the suction pressure is, the better the improvement is. In addition, the correlation between degree of consolidation per each suction pressure level and duration of application was drawn as a curve and the point of inflection on this curve was provided to determine the duration period to maximize the consolidation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6A
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• pp.625-639
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• 2009

Experimental and analytical studies are performed on the mechanical behavior of concrete-filled tubular(CFT) truss girders for different f/L ratios. Bending tests are conducted on two CFT truss girder specimens to determine fundamental structural characteristics such as the strength and deformation properties. Nonlinear material models for CFT members subjected to an axial compressive force are compared in this paper by using the nonlinear finite element program, ABAQUS. Previous researchers have proposed several nonlinear stress-strain models of confined concrete. In this study, the nonlinear analyses are performed applying several stress-strain models for confined concrete proposed by Mander, Sakino, Han, Susantha and Ellobody, and the results are compared with the experimental results in terms of load-deflection and load-strain relationships. Based on the comparisons of the load-deflection relationships, the models proposed by Mander and Susantha provide a maximum load about 12.0~13.8% higher and that by Sakino gives a maximum load about 7.6% higher than the experimental results. The models proposed by Han and Ellobody give a maximum load only about 0.2~1.2% higher than the test results, showing the best agreement among the proposed stress-strain models. However, the load-strain relations predicted by the existing models generally provide conservative results exhibiting larger strains than the experimental data.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6C
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• pp.251-258
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• 2009

In this study, the optimum design conditions for embankment construction on soft clay layer improved by soil compaction pile (SCP) are discussed by comparing the practical design method to the reliability design which is based on the loss function and advanced first order second moment (AFOSM) method. The results are summarized as follows; 1) the relationship between safety factor and failure probability becomes heavy exponentially, failure probability decreases rapidly till 1% approximately until safety factor is smaller than 1.2 and after then, failure probability decrease gradually along the increase of the safety factor. The design safety factor of 1.2 may be the critical value that has been established on considering both relationships appropriately, 2) the safety factor of 1.15 at the minimum expected total cost is a little smaller than the design safety factor of 1.2 and the failure probability is about 1%, 3) the sensitivities of the ratio of stress share and the internal friction angle of sand is larger than the variables related the undrained shear strength of soft layer. This result means that the distribution characteristic of n and ${\phi}$ influences on the stability analysis considerably and they should be considered necessarily on stability analysis of embankment on soft layer improved by SCP, 4) new failure points of the input variables at the design safety factor of 1.2(below failure probability of 0.1~0.3%) is far 1~2 times of standard deviation from the initial design values of themselves.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.373-384
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• 2022

To improve the seismic performance of suspended ceiling structures, various vibration-damping devices have been developed. However, the devices made of metals have a limit in that they cause large deformation and seriously damages the exterior of the suspended ceiling structure from the wall. As a results, their strengthening effect of the suspended ceiling structure was minimal. Thus, this study employed a spring and vibration-proof rubber effectively controlled vibrations without increasing horizontal seismic loads on the ceiling to enhance the seismic resistance of suspended ceiling structures. The objective of the study is to examine the dynamic properties of a seismic damping-isolation unit (SDI) with various details developed. The developed SDI was composed of a spring, embossed rubbers, and prestressed bolts, which were the main factors enhancing the damping effect. The shaking table tests were performed on eight SDI specimens produced with the number of layers of embossed rubber (n_s), presence or absence of a spring, prestressed force magnitude introduced in bolts (f_ps), and mass weight (W_m) as the main parameters. To identify the enhancement effect of the SDI, the dynamic properties of the control specimen with a conventional hanger bolt were compared to those of the SDI specimens. The SDI specimens were effective in reducing the maximum acceleration (A_{c max}), acceleration amplification factor (α_p), relative displacement (δ_R), and increasing the damping ratio (ξ) when compared to the control specimen. The A_{c max}, α_p, and δ_R of the SDI specimens with two rubbers, spring, and f_ps of 0.1f_by, where f_by is the yielding strength of the screw bolt were 57.8%, 58.0%, and 61.9% lower than those of the conventional hanger bolt specimens, respectively, resulting in the highest ξ (=0.127). In addition, the α_p of the SDI specimens was 50.8% lower than those specified in ASCE 7 and FEMA 356. Consequently, to accurately estimate the α_p of the SDI specimens, a simple model was proposed based on the functions of f_ps, stiffness constant of the spring (K), W_m, and n_s.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.296-296
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• 2022

This study was investigated to compare the milling and physicochemical characteristics of six Korean wheat cultivars (Keumkang, KK; Jokyung, JK; Goso, GS; Joongmo2008, JM; Baekkang, BK; Saekeumkang, SKK) and five foreign wheat classes (Australian standard white wheat, ASW; Australian hard, AH; US northern spring, NS; US hard red winter, HRW; Soft wheat, SW). Korea and foreign wheat grains were milled using a Buhler MLU-202. Flour moisture, ash, protein, gluten, sedimentation, particle size, solvent retention capacity (SRC) and dough properties of flour were analyzed. Results showed that the hard wheats had a greater total flour yield and reduction fraction yield than the soft wheats regardless of the country. However, there were in the milling characteristics between the US and Korean soft wheats. GS, a soft wheat in Korea, had the lowest flour yield (59.6%) and the highest bran fraction yield (21.4%). The particle sizes of flour by milling fraction were B1>B2>B3 for the largest, and the R1〈R2〈R3 for the smallest. Particle size, ash, protein contents and the values of lactic acid SRC showed highly correlated with flour yield. The gluten-performance-index (GPI) is the ratio of the lactic acid SRC value to the sum of sodium carbonate and sucrose SRC values, and it has been used as a quality indicator for overall performance potential of flour. GPI values differed depending on the wheat variety or class, JM (0.82) was the highest value, and SKK (0.56) and SW (0.59) were low. The curve pattern of the Mixolab result also gives a quality indication of the flour sample. JM and NS flour had similar pattern at water absorption and gluten strength parameters and BK and HRW had similar viscosity patterns. These results will enable further study for blending Korean wheat cultivar to improve the flour quality.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2023

Converter slag is a by-product generated by refining the pig iron produced into molten steel in the blast furnace, occupying about 15 % of the weight of steel production. It has a high free-CaO content that can generate expansion cracks when used for concrete aggregate. This is the main reason to make it difficult to recycle. To solve this problem, government guideline requires that converter slag has to be aged in an open yard for 90 days. However, aging can not be perfectly performed because it entails time and cost. In this study, we tried to investigate the applicability of converter slag as a cementitious material rather than an aggregate by mixing converter slag with mortar formulations. According to the EDS results of the converter slag in the experiment, we found that screening in the aggregate phase was more effective than that in the powder phase. When the particles separated by a magnet in the aggregate state were pulverized and used for concrete up to a 15 % replacement ratio, various engineering characteristics, such as flow, length change, and compressive strength, showed engineering characteristics similar to those of the control mix.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.515-532
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• 2023

Bentonite, predominantly consists of expandable clay minerals, is considered to be the suitable buffering material in high-level radioactive waste disposal repository due to its large swelling property and low permeability. Additionally, the bentonite has large cation exchange capacity and specific surface area, and thus, it effectively retards the transport of leaked radionuclides to surrounding environments. This study aims to review the thermodynamic sorption models for four radionuclides (U, Am, Se, and Eu) and eight bentonites. Then, the thermodynamic sorption models and optimized sorption parameters were precisely analyzed by considering the experimental conditions in previous study. Here, the optimized sorption parameters showed that thermodynamic sorption models were related to experimental conditions such as types and concentrations of radionuclides, ionic strength, major competing cation, temperature, solid-to-liquid ratio, carbonate species, and mineralogical properties of bentonite. These results implied that the thermodynamic sorption models suggested by the optimization at specific experimental conditions had large uncertainty for application to various environmental conditions.